Topic: Microsoft is allowing itself to detect pirated games on your Windows 10 PC - page 2. (Read 4100 times)

Thanks, I had a couple of those installed. Sheesh. Microsoft really doesn't care about their image anymore do they?

How To Uninstall Microsoft's Spying Updates From Windows 7/8

https://www.hackread.com/microsoft-updates-spy-on-windows7-8-users/

Back at the beginning of this month, we reported about how Microsoft has planned to spy on its users by releasing their latest operating system Windows 10. Many didn't know that this latest version of Windows has a capability to silently capture and send user data to Microsoft servers, without user's consent. (...) But it seems like Microsoft's goal to snoop on its users is so strong that they have now released several updates for their older versions of Windows that provide them with a capability to spy on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users too. The two recent Windows updates having the identification numbers KB3075249 and KB3080149 grant a capability to Windows to capture and send your data to the company's servers. So, once both of these updates are installed on your computer, then Microsoft may possibly spy on you in a similar way Windows 10 does, and all your data will be sent to Microsoft servers.

That is not all. Privacy-conscious users of Windows have pointed out that there are numerous other updates released by Microsoft that either grant the company access to your data or forcefully updates your existing version of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 to the latest operating system release, Windows 10:

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/367377-how-remove-windows-10-upgrade-updates-windows-7-8-a-30.html#post3127044

If you want to stick to Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 and want to remain untracked then we recommend that you stay away from the following updates:

KB2506928
KB2545698 (IE9)
KB2592687
KB2660075
KB2726535
KB2876229 SKYPE, If you want Skype then install it.
KB2923545 RDP
KB2952664 x2
KB2970228
KB2990214
KB2994023
KB3021917
KB3022345 Caused false sfc result
KB3022345 Replaced by KB3068708 Telemetry
KB3035583
KB3050265
KB3065987
KB3068708 Telemetry

If you are still using Windows 7 or Windows 8 and want to keep your data away from the access of Microsoft then we will highly recommend you to stay away from the above-mentioned updates. But you must be curious to find out if the above updates are installed on your computer. Don't worry, head over to the next section where we have a step by step guide to finding out whether these updates were installed on your computer, and if they are then how to uninstall them.

(. . .)

Read the rest of the article on the original site for the update removal procedure. Note that the the article's author chose to use the Command Prompt instead of the normal uninstall method because some of these updates simply will not show on the list of installed updates.

IMPORTANT: after you uninstall these updates, the next time you check for updates they will show up again. To avoid reinstalling them by mistake, right click on each of them and select "hide update".

Sources:

HackRead
SevenForums

Yeah, I have 2 computers, 1 with my wallets on Linux and 1 with Windows for my Photoshopping needs. If I could get Photoshop to work on Linux I'd probably have switched over by now. I tried using some of the photo editing programs on Linux but I don't find them easy to use. Maybe I'll start training myself on the other program so I can give Windows the boot.


I had one of the updates on this computer, but not the 2 main ones. My problem really may have been unrelated, but I do find processes I don't want running, running from time to time. I turned off the Windows Search in services, and then my program worked again. I disabled other services too, so I don't know for sure that it mattered.

For all we know that firmware spyware is already on the computer.

There's no way of knowing if the NSA's spyware is on your hard drive

Your hard drives were RIDDLED with NSA SPYWARE for YEARS

Now, this is uncanny. I checked Windows update just now and deselected (hid) those two updates, then started the update process. Windows 7 BSOD'ed - for the first time in a year!

It's getting to the point now where I am considering ditching microsoft for good. Games are the only reason I haven't already switched to linux completely. If enough people start doing the same maybe MS will reconsider their big brother shenanigans.

Microsoft is using its monopoly in the operating systems market to do unethical and unfair things. Unfortunately, right now there is no other choice, as the Linux systems are not that user friendly (and the Apple OS is no better than that of the Microsoft). I just hope that The Impact Team or the Anonymous will target Microsoft soon, and put an end to their unfair practices.

I have to check my computer, but I will point out, I told 2 others not to upgrade and they both have had problems recently. I also was searching why a program just suddenly stopped working. So that's 3 out of 3 computers that were running fine having problems recently. It may just be coincidence, but I'm going to check out these updates.

I recently hid the windows update and turned it off completely for my father, who had to keep rolling back his computer. So far his is working better after I only did that....

New Windows 7/8/8.1 updates KB3075249 and KB3080149 spy on you just like Windows 10

http://www.techworm.net/2015/08/new-windows-788-1-updates-spy-on-you-just-like-windows-10.html

Microsoft is pushing KB3075249 and KB3080149 updates for Windows 7/8/8.1 users which can spy on you.

It is now a known fact that Windows 10 user data is being reported back to Microsoft servers back in Redmond. The jury is still out whether this a good or bad practice but many of Windows 10 Apps like Cortana depend on getting your preferences correct to serve you better. This being the case, many Windows users who are not happy with Windows 10 spying ways and have preferred to stay on with Windows 7/Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 as the case might be. For these Windows 7/8/8.1 users there are a few updates which Microsoft has been pushing through last few days. Namely, KB3075249 and KB3080149, if installed are known to report your data back to Microsoft servers.

KB3075249 update adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. The Microsoft support pages give the following descriptions for them:

KB3075249 - "Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7."

KB3080149 - "This update aligns down-level devices on the same UTC binary that's released in Windows 10. This update would enable all the down-level devices to receive the software updates, design updates, and additional power and performance tuning."

In simple words, both these updates, if downloaded and installed will snoop on you and report back certain data to the Microsoft servers. Once you have updated your Windows 7/8/8.1 with these updates, your PC is no better than Windows 10 as it will report back your user data.

There is little news about these updates but tech forums are already abuzz about their spying ways. Some users on forums have reported additional updates from Microsoft which are to be avoided :

KB2505438
KB2670838 – Windows 7 Only (breaks AERO functionality and gives you blurry fonts on some websites)
KB2952664
KB2976978 – Windows 8 only
KB3021917
KB3035583
KB3075249

If you are a privacy lover or don't want your data to be sent to unwanted entities, avoid the above updates. All these updates are optional and wont harm your PC if you don't install them. To stop your Windows 7/8/8.1 PC from downloading these updates, go to Windows Update (Control Panel > System and Security), mark the check boxes beside these updates and hide them. Do remember, these updates may reappear after a reboot.

Source: TechWorm

We are all shot down in this.

Imagine that you have a Linux machine. Imagine that you are well into protecting yourself in ways that no hacker can break through to get to you. Ain't good enough. Here's why.

People are upgrading to Windows 10 by the droves. The sheeple out there don't have a clue that anybody would want to intercept aspects of what they might consider their private info. Those that do either say something like, "I have nothing to hide," or, "That's life." And they upgrade.

So, what do the sheeple have to do with you? If you never do anything personal over the Internet with them, maybe nothing. But if you use email, or do banking, or purchase products with one of these Windows 10 users, kiss any info you shared with any of them good-bye. Microsoft has it.

This is even worst than I first thought. Thanks for the link.

If you buy a PC with Squares 10 installed you may not be able to dual boot:

This is why a dual boot system maybe the ideal solution to some people. I have ubuntu and win 7, I use win7 for:

1. Playing games.
2. Run some software without a linux equivalent(or with a very limited linux equivalent)

And I use ubuntu for everything else.

Microsoft really blundered with this policy for Win 10.

So good luck getting a new computer and making it your own in the future. You can't just buy a Windows 10 system and throw Ubuntu on it.

The makers of Windows 10 have got some audacity. The wiretaps and the collecting of passwords is not a mistake. The fact that it throws errors if you try to turn it off, is not a mistake. The fact that it is free, is not a mistake. Luckily everyone I talk to gets what I explain to them. Hopefully businesses don't upgrade, but if they do, I would suggest not doing anything personal, (like entering passwords).

Although they'll have your voice connected to your name probably... I wonder if someone can sue their workplace for upgrading because it's wiretapping them....

Yeah I was thinking this.  Win 8 is a piece of crap.  I was hopeful with win 10, but it appears to be the Big Brother update.

I never thought I would say this in a million years:  Apple is starting to look pretty good.  And I am nearly a pc fanboi

Edit: @theirishman:  Holy crap.  If the public finds out about this, there will be a significant backlash I think.  That is some crazy stuff right there.

A Traffic Analysis Of Windows 10

http://localghost.org/posts/a-traffic-analysis-of-windows-10

A Czech guy did a traffic analysis of data produced by Windows 10, and released his findings the other day. His primary thesis was that Windows 10 acts more like a terminal than an operating system - because of the extent of the "cloud" integration, a large portion of the OS functions are almost dependent on remote (Microsoft's) servers. The amount of collected information, even with strict privacy settings, is quite alarming.

Information transmitted

All text typed on the keyboard is stored in temporary files, and sent (once per 30 mins) to:


The implications of this are significant: because this is an OS-level keylogger, all the data you're trying to transmit securely is now sitting on some MS server. This includes passwords and encrypted chats. This also includes the on-screen keyboard, so there is no way to authenticate to a website without MS also getting your password.

Telemetry is sent once per 5 minutes, to:


You might think that "telemetry" has to do with OS usage or similar... turns out it's telemetry about the user. For example, typing a phone number anywhere into the Edge browser transmits it to the servers above. In another example, typing the name of any popular movie into your local file search starts a telemetry process that indexes all media files on your computer and transmits them to:


When a webcam is first enabled, ~35mb of data gets immediately transmitted to:


Everything that is said into an enabled microphone is immediately transmitted to:


If this weren't bad enough, this behaviour still occurs after Cortana is fully disabled/uninstalled. It's speculated that the purpose of this function to build up a massive voice database, then tie those voices to identities, and eventually be able to identify anyone simply by picking up their voice, whether it be a microphone in a public place or a wiretap on a payphone.

Interestingly, if Cortana is enabled, the voice is first transcribed to text, then the transcription is sent to:


If Windows is left unattended for ~15 mins, a large volume of traffic starts being transmitted to various servers. This may be the raw audio data, rather than just samples.

Other concerns

While the inital reflex may be to block all of the above servers via HOSTS, it turns out this won't work: Microsoft has taken the care to hardcode certain IPs, meaning that there is no DNS lookup and no HOSTS consultation. However, if the above servers are blocked via HOSTS, Windows will pretend to be crippled by continuously throwing errors, while still maintaining data collection in the background. Other than an increase in errors, HOSTS blocking did not affect the volume, frequency, or rate of data being transmitted.

Why Windows 10 Sucks Or Everything Wrong with Windows 10

http://linuxfonts.narod.ru/why-windows-10-sucks.html

This article was not created to say that Linux is better (it's definitely not). It was created to stop Microsoft fans roaring in regard to Windows 10 and how it's better than Windows 7 in every regard - it's actually worse in most regards aside from DirectX 12 (which is actually hidden from the user and it's only exposed in games).

* Windows 10 spies on you aka phones home (welcome NSA/CIA/thoughtcrime/1984)!

* You've got no real control over crucial features of the OS:

   - Windows 10 will have no service packs which means it will always be a work in progress and you are a perpetual beta tester.
   - Forced upgrades you cannot opt out of (and Microsoft have borked quite a lot of them recently so prepare to see your Windows die after installing a new portion of updates - actually Microsoft has already borked one update, read horror stories about KB3081424).

* Windows 10 features terrible UI inconsistency, not limited to:

   - Two kinds of fonts antialiasing (ClearType v2 for classic applications and some awful dirty grayish shit for Modern apps).
   - All kinds of varying visual decorations and styles (some people have discovered up to seven varying styles in Windows 10).
   - Absolutely dissimilar classic and modern (PC settings) control panels.
   - Different fonts faces and sizes all around.
   - Different styles of settings for modern apps.
   - Absolutely different context menus and their appearance in different applications and apps.

* Terrible hardly configurable appearance, dubious design choices and extremely limited functionality (vs Windows 7/XP):

   - Two Control Panels with absolutely zero thought given to how they differ and why each one should be used.
   - Some Control Widgets are spread between the two Control Panels which is utterly confusing (e.g. Users Management).
   - No Windows classic UI for windows decorations. Windows decorations can hardly be configured at all in Windows 10.
   - An awful choice of colors/palette.
   - Absolutely awful, childish and amateurish icons as if we live in the era of 8bit displays (only rivalled by those in Windows 3.1 from 1992). Windows 2000 in 1999 looked better than Windows 10 in 2015.
   - A big number of Windows 10 apps are still NOT on par with their classical counterparts from Windows 7/Vista/XP (many features are missing or many options are not configurable).
   - The start menu is an unusable abomination. Applications are listed as a list which is nigh impossible to scroll.

* Windows 10 sucks terribly if you are an unlucky user of a metered Internet connection:

   - It features huge mandatory system and apps updates (you cannot disable them, you can only postpone the system reboot after their installation).
   - As if it wasn't enough, Windows 10 gets downloaded automatically if you run Windows 7 or 8.1. We are talking about 3 gigabytes of data some people absolutely do not need.
   - It uses your free bandwidth to distribute updates to other users nearby you.

* With Wi-Fi sense enabled anyone you have in your Skype, Outlook or Hotmail contacts lists — and any of your Facebook friends — can be granted automatic access to your Wi-Fi network as long as they're within range.

* A newly created user profile weighs over 300MB (!) while containing zero (!) information about the user.

* A newly created user profile is populated with all the default apps instead of giving the user a choice.

* In certain cases Windows 10 may kill your display if you are an unlucky owner of a laptop made by Alienware, LG or Samsung.

Just before you call me anti-Microsoft, a Linux shill, zealot or fanatic, here's a wonderful list of Linux problems that I've been compiling over the past six years. The truth is I don't plead allegiance to any OS on the market. So, sorry, Windows 10 sucks no less than Linux sucks, it just sucks differently. So far, Microsoft has two great modern OSes: Windows XP and Windows 7 (in the past they had rock solid Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000).

Sources:

http://linuxfonts.narod.ru/why-windows-10-sucks.html
https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-print-how-your-personal-data-abused/
http://localghost.org/posts/a-traffic-analysis-of-windows-10
http://fudzilla.com/news/38470-windows-10-sniffs-for-piracy
http://arstechnica.co.uk/information-technology/2015/08/even-when-told-not-to-windows-10-just-cant-stop-talking-to-microsoft/
http://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10-problems-missing-features
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/windows-10-upgrade-warning-for-alienware-owners.779449/
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/862417/geforce-drivers/windows-10-official-353-62-drivers-are-killing-samsung-and-lg-notebook-lcd-display-panels/1/

Rolling Back From Windows 10 To Your Older OS Appears Problematic

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-10-revert-os,29727.html

The only way to know if you like Windows 10 or not, of course, is to upgrade your system and give it a try. However, if you want to go back to your old OS, it appears that you're on a timer: Microsoft confirmed to Tom's Hardware that users will have only one month to decide if they want to continue with Windows 10 or not. A moderator on Tom's Hardware (darkbreeze) first discovered this issue, and when we reached out to Microsoft for more information, the answers we received raised some troubling potential issues.

Our initial thought was that this "one month" business simply meant you couldn't revert directly back to an old OS from Windows 10, but what about rolling back by simply performing a clean installation of your old OS? When we asked about that specifically, Microsoft dodged the question. At this point, then, we aren't certain if you can return to your old OS by using a clean install, because it is possible that Microsoft will invalidate old activation codes after that first month. This would seem in some way to align with Microsoft's upgrade deal, as you can only get your free Windows 10 by upgrading from your old OS; you can't use an old activation code.

If you want a clean install of Windows 10, you must first upgrade from your old OS to Windows 10, and then re-install Windows 10 again (from installation media). Even though it formats your hard drive during installation, Windows 10 somehow remembers that you previously upgraded from an older OS, and it will self-activate after installation. It isn't clear how Windows 10 does this, but it's likely because it saves the activation code somewhere else inside of your hardware. Some sort of online account-based activation would be far more conventional, but there is reason to suspect this other method is being used.

Microsoft informed us that a "meaningful" change to the hardware may require you to contact customer support in order to activate the system. This means that if you upgrade your system with a new motherboard or CPU, you may not be able to install Windows 10 without having to go through Microsoft's customer support, and even then, you may not be able to activate the system. Microsoft has stated that even with customer support, some hardware changes will invalidate your free copy of Windows 10 and require you to purchase one.

The problem gets worse for users who have a part go bad and need a replacement, as they don't have a choice; they need to fix the part or they can't use their PC, and the cost of that repair, then, would also have to include whatever Microsoft is charging for a new copy of Windows 10 at the time. You could simply go back to your old OS at that point to save a buck, but - again, if Microsoft invalidates your old activation code, you may be stuck having to buy a new copy of Windows 10 anyway.

Source: Tom's Hardware

How to uninstall Windows Update KB3035583 – The Windows 10 AKA Squares 10 downloader

http://www.myce.com/news/how-to-uninstall-kb3035583-the-windows-10-downloader-for-windows-7-and-8-1-75681/


Hate Windows 10? Uninstall Windows 10 and reinstall Windows 7 in a few easy steps

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/how-downgrade-windows-10-to-windows-7-8-easy-3615606/


We tried using Windows 10 for real work and... oh, the horror

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/07/windows_10_for_windows_8_and_7_users/


Why Microsoft's mobile cancer has ruined Windows 10

http://www.itproportal.com/2015/05/04/why-microsofts-mobile-cancer-ruined-windows-10/


Windows 10 to make the Secure Boot alt-OS lock out a reality

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/windows-10-to-make-the-secure-boot-alt-os-lock-out-a-reality/


Windows 10 Shares Your Wi-Fi With Contacts

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/07/windows-10-shares-your-wi-fi-with-contacts/


Windows 10 Home edition may force updates on you

http://www.cnet.com/news/windows-10-home-edition-may-force-updates/


Fanbois designing Windows 10 – where's it going to end?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/02/microsoft_windows_10_democratic_design_no_thanks/


Mozilla CEO Sends Angry Open Letter To Microsoft Over Changing Windows 10 Browser Defaults

http://techcrunch.com/2015/07/30/pushed-over-the-edge/


Windows 10 marks the end of "pay once, use forever" software

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/31/rising_and_ongoing_cost_of_windows/

Katherine Albrecht: Windows 10 Is Full Blown Electronic Tyranny - Great interview with Katherine about Windows 10 security.

Totally agree with you, because I think about this version as you. Windows 10 is freely available and it is suspect. Who knows how vulnerable will be information about you after this installation?