Video - Disable Windows 10 Spying - Privacy & Security

Discussion in 'privacy problems' started by caspian, Mar 20, 2016.

  1. caspian

    caspian Registered Member

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    https://youtu.be/u1kGMCfb2xw
     
  2. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

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    I've seen that video a while ago and was looking for it, but didn't remember the name. Thanks :thumb:

    That has got to be one of the best videos on how to stop Microsoft's spying for now. I really like how the guy speaks and articulates his ideas.

    I'd consider using Windows 10 again if we could select which updates to install, even on the Home edition.
     
  3. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    I rather like Windows 10 :) But it doesn't know who I am, or where it is ;)
     
  4. TairikuOkami

    TairikuOkami Registered Member

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    Well not officially, but you can. By disabling/deleting Windows update tasks and using Windows Update Mini Tool.
    I do not have Home version, but I put this together - pastebin.com/geZW3v9s , there are other options on the internet.
     
  5. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

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    Thanks :)
     
  6. Breaker

    Breaker Registered Member

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    Can I ask if there are any changes to the advice you have provided on this. With the slew of numerous updates since you made the video, are there any novel aspects that have presented themselves, that need to be examined?
     
  7. caspian

    caspian Registered Member

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    I'm glad it came in handy for you. I thought it was pretty cool, too!
     
  8. caspian

    caspian Registered Member

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    You got it going on my brother! :thumb::cool:
     
  9. caspian

    caspian Registered Member

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    Hi Beaker. I didn't make the video. You could go to youtube and ask the guy if you are logged into gmail. I don't think Windows updates will change much of this. It's mostly about preferences that are available in the operating system that let you decide what to share or turn on or off, and that sort of thing. Plus that software from spybot.
     
  10. NonGeek

    NonGeek Registered Member

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    Turning off all privacy settings in Windows 10 may not stop all privacy leaks. My guess is that doing so will only reduce the privacy leaks to approximately Windows 7 or Windows 8 levels, which is still quite high.
     
  11. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    Truth is, we have no way of knowing what goes on in Win 10, regardless of settings, MS isn't saying, and nobody else knows...
     
  12. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

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    It has been proven that it's possible to completely shutdown Windows 10 by using tools like Spybot Anti-Beacon, Destroy Windows 10 Spying (my favorite), etc.
    Just note that after using such tools Windows 10 will not talk to hundreds of microsoft websites AUTOMATICALLY. It will still connect in regards to Licensing and Updates, which can be a backdoor to any computer. You can disable automatic updates via registry, but disabling licensing connections could very well render your copy of Windows as "pirated".
     
  13. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    Where has it been "proven"? I don't think ANYONE knows what's really going on in 10, and I've never seen anyone document it definitively.... Heck, MS probably doesn't even know what's going on in it's own OS! :)
     
  14. MisterB

    MisterB Registered Member

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    Once an MS product is activated and a hardware ID for the activation is created, it stays activated as long as the hardware stays the same. Post activation, they can be safely disabled. Windows activation seems to be aware of VM GUIDs and any VM that is activated has to maintain the same GUID. This doesn't seem to affect Xp but anything later is GUID aware. Motherboard serial numbers are also part of the activation formula. OEM motherboard replacements usually involve cloning the serial number in the BIOS so activation won't be messed up.
     
  15. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

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    I don't remember the exact name of the website, it could have been zdned, ars, etc, but one of them used WireShark and another network examining tool, and they noticed how Windows 10 made hundreds (if not thousands) of connections to Microsoft and it's partners. However, after using those tools, no connection was made.

    Too bad I can't get the article now, because I used Firefox with "firejaill --private" switch :/ But I'm sure you can find it by searching for something like "windows 10 wireshark".
     
  16. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

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    I've heard that it verifies the activation status every 90 days or so.
     
  17. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

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    Sometimes it is messed up. I recently experienced it. With Windows 10 activated, the motherboard in an OEM computer was replaced. In the UEFI firmware setup program, the serial number and the computer model were "cloned", that is, introduced with the same numbers they had before the change. Upon reboot, Windows 10 reported that is was not activated and asked for a key.

    The solution could have been to read the new product key embedded in the motherboard and try to activate with it, but at the moment I was not aware of this possibility. Instead I restored a Windows 7 image which booted normally after I corrected some boot problems, and reported that was activated.
     
  18. NonGeek

    NonGeek Registered Member

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    I would be worried about breaking the overall design and operation of Windows 10 going to such extreme measures and incurring unforeseen problems in the long run.

    I am not discounting the gravity of the privacy issue in Windows 10. Like many others I am already worried about the (lesser) privacy issues in Windows 7 and Windows 8.
     
  19. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    Ok, I'll check it out..
    Using these tools/utilities does in fact break a lot of the functionality of Win 10. I applied O&O's Shutup10 to a 10 install, and all kinds of things stopped working. So one has to stop and think a bit, if you have to go to such lengths to neuter Win 10, then perhaps Win 10 isn't the best choice for you. If you're going to run 10, then to a large extent, you need to also embrace what it's doing out of the box. If you can't do that, then there are other choices like Linux, or Mac, or even staying with Win 7 or 8.1.
     
  20. MisterB

    MisterB Registered Member

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    It verifies activation every time it starts up by checking the hardware against the activation tokens.
     
  21. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

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    Most can be reversed, such as the SpyBot Anti-Beacon.

    "Destroy Windows 10 Spying" can be reversed as long as you don't tick the "delete metro apps and windows defender" thing :)
    I owuldn't worry about it's operation, though, it's relatively safe (though can cripple the store).
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2016
  22. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

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    Weird. Microsoft told me it checks with it's servers too, because that's how it can prevent someone from using your Key: remotely checking to see if you're still activated, and if no response is given it assumes you're installing and activating the OS again.
     
  23. MisterB

    MisterB Registered Member

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    I've heard of some checks that target a common form of bypassing or spoofing activation. If the system is legal, the activation will always hold even if the system is never put online after the initial activation. In the case of OEM activation, it never even has to go online to activate. The OEM installations are preactivated.

    Checking if a key is online periodically would not be that efficient and the only way MS can be sure that a key has been used is to record that key's activation into a database along with the hardware ID so it can be verified if it is used to reinstall. That is what I assume happens. Due to the variety of software licensing they offer, there are some cases where things can get complicated and that is why they have the call system. In any case, I don't think that they are reverifying activation of legal systems or that any legal software will ever be remotely disabled but I wouldn't put it past them at all to be gathering data about what software is out there and checking the activation data for other purposes like telemetry.
     
  24. quietman

    quietman Registered Member

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    Not entirely so ( or not easily ) ,at least not if one were to follow ALL of the steps in that video
    At one point in the video the guy actually removes some W10 services rather than just disabling them .

    He reasons that it's unlikely that M$ will (a) notice the change , and (b) force a re-install via the updates ....

    Good video BTW , he is an entertaining guy !
    Thanks for the original post caspian .
     
  25. NonGeek

    NonGeek Registered Member

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    The big issue is that office productivity is pretty well locked up in the Microsoft (Office) and Adobe (pdf) ecosystems. Everyone in business and commerce use them for communications including file sharing. And for the sake of maximum compatibility with everyone else, you don't want to use any third party tools that might break the oh so nice and oh so necessary inter-operability.

    The big problem is that Microsoft is developing privacy issues (even Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 have ever escalating data mining issues) and Adobe can't get rid of security issues for the past several years. Then there is Java that even some Government sites want you to use or you can't login.

    Makes me wonder sometimes, that the whole thing by and large still works.
     
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