Windows 8 is Online Based System

I discovered something purely by accident, and I'm far from impressed.

As you know, If you reformat, or Wipe your hard drive, or even install a brabd new drive, nothing is on the Windows system when you do a clean Install right? WRONG! With Windows 8 being run by a Microsoft Account, everything you did on your Computer is backed up to your Account information. For instance, I just bought a new SSD today, and installed Windows 8, I previously had Windows 8 on my Other drive,and I did some extensive web surfing while I was testing Windows 8. Then I formatted that drive and reinstalled Windows 7. Imagine My surprise when I installed Windows 8 on my new SSD, and all I did was to click on Internet Explorer in The Metro Start Window, and Every page I had visited a few days before was right there as a bookmark, should I wish to use them again. I also noticed that the desktop picture was as the one I changed because I didn't like the Flower thing they have as the Harmony picture in 8, How the HELL is this possible? A New drive, and a fresh install, yet web pages I had visited days earlier, and a picture I had been using as the desktop background still all available I'm uncomfortable with the fact that all this info has been stored in my Microsoft Hotmail account, or whatever Cloud they are using for Windows 8. It's being formatted and Windows 7 is Staying Put!!!


Has anyone else been able to confirm this?

 

Why go to that extreme when you could just use a local account? The Microsoft account is convenient if you have multiple devices as it syncs your settings across them. There are also settings in the system settings that let you choose what gets synced so you can disable these things individually if you wish to. I am not terribly worried about it myself.

 

did you use or create a a live or outlook account? this is usually why it would do this. i just create a standard user account and do not give them any of my online info.

 

This is advertised all over.
Your life, connected
Windows 8 is all about the cloud.

Panagiotis

 

Don't take this the wrong way but did you not read the text during the install? It specifically states it would do this sort of syncing if you assign a Microsoft account to it.

 

Exactly. Half the point is it syncs your settings, IE favourites, wallpapers, color choice, etc. This may not impress the OP but it's GREAT for us folks who actually have more than 1 computer. It's also great for us folks that wipe frequently and don't want to setup everything yet again.

 

Just curious, really... is there any way to sync in private? As in sync via your own external device, via your own private server somewhere, or directly between your own computers?

 

Well "roaming account" functionality has existed in Windows for a while, generally used in schools/businesses/etc. Whether they've expanded on that functionality to include various settings and IE bookmarks that Microsoft accounts sync, I don't know. Maybe when the guides/tips start coming out we'll find out.

 

Yes, but you'll need a machine running windows server 2008 or 2012.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/private-cloud/trial.aspx

Panagiotis

 

Thing is I only have a Windows live email, So how do I create a standard account?

 

Settings, PC Settings, Users, Switch to a Local Account.

 

i chose to link my account to my Outlook.com account.

i like the convenience.

 

Windows 8 is all about your information not being yours. Whether it's Killswitches in the Apps or the inability to keep your data private Microsoft is evidently working hard at removing your privacy in the new version of an operating system you'd think was based on malware.

 

There is no other way to serve the services/features they are serving. They need whatever info their EULAs advise that will be collected - to keep such features and services working. You can opt-out and continue the old way, it's your choice and that's enough. When you say nonsense like "you'd think was based on malware" you demonstrate a ridiculous lack of capacity to understand that others may not think/value things/use software like you. Besides, you are wrongly expanding the definition of malware to include whatever you don't like, which is a dishonest fallacy.

 

Suffice it to say that the primary objective of Microsoft is NOT to market solutions or implement them in a way which is best for consumers but rather to approach things in those ways which are best for Microsoft and its shareholders. In addition to the earlier links provided by someone else, I would mention that Microsoft has in the past worked around user configured privacy protections (http://www.dmnews.com/microsoft-sup...red-cookies-stanford-research/article/209887/), has played bait & switch with its privacy policies (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/t...a-from-web-products.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0), and engaged in numerous other practices that are adverse from a consumer's POV. Microsoft is by no means unique in these regards.

One of the worst mistakes a technology consumer can make is to embrace Microsoft's, or any other company's, OS and cloud services without very carefully researching things in advance and thinking through the various adverse security, privacy, future costs, and control issues. You are the sheep to be sheered and milked. You KNOW this, or certainly should know this if you are an adult consumer.

Security in general (here I'm also including information security of which privacy is a subset), is about establishing a controllable, strong perimeter and tightly controlling what flows in and out through that perimeter. If you truly value security, it is imperative that you maintain your own perimeter around your platforms/devices/data. You must be extremely selective about opening holes in that perimeter, and by extension, extremely selective about using someone else's cloud services. You must also be extremely hesitant to rely too much on and expose too much information to any one entity.

You can get burned in seconds by allowing an improperly configured machine to have an Internet connection. You can get burned in seconds by linking a device or software running on that device to an online account. Take your time, read/research things very carefully, and if necessary get help from someone that knows the technology well and who also understands all aspects of security including the information security and privacy side.

 

Most of us view security and privacy as a common entity, or at the very least, as separate but interacting. MS, OTOH, attempts to enhance security (as it relates to the integrity of the OS) but treats privacy as separate and of little value. Each new version of Windows has been more hostile to the user in regards to privacy than the previous version. Each new version of Windows:

• stores more user data and usage tracks than its predecessor
• makes it more difficult to access or delete that data
• wants more internet access than the previous OS
• sends more data than the previous OS

When I look back to Win98, the biggest privacy threats were:

• index.dat files (that could be accessed or deleted from the built in DOS)
• Semi-hidden Content.ie5 folders which could be viewed using "explore"
• A few MRUs in the registry.

The next OS, Win ME took away the ability to boot into real DOS.
The NT systems took away the ability to access the OS from outside of Windows entirely. Accessing Index.dat files now requires separate software. The user can no longer replace or restore the registry without separate tools or another OS. It added the ability to store usage tracks in alternate data streams, not visible to the normal user.
XP adds online activation. Now your PC must connect to MS in order to work.
Patch guard limits the users ability to control the low level activities of the OS with tools like classic HIPS. The user no longer has the final say over what can and can't run.
Then you get to the present where MS is shoving the cloud down the users throat, whether they want it or not.

Windows might be getting better at OS security, but it's outright hostile to the security of the user. The privacy and security of the users data are the primary reasons that I will not switch to anything newer.

 

I find it interesting that every time a new version of Windows is released it is a threat to the security, privacy, and freedom of everyone that uses it... until the next version is released. Then the previous one becomes the one that is ok. I remember when everyone raised this stink about XP, Vista, 7, and now 8. Product activation, DRM, HDCP, it's all going to end computing. I don't know if it's funny or not.

 

That's the sad part of the whole thing, the "the previous one becomes the one that is ok" mentality. So many of these users haven't seen or have forgotten about all these changes. Even changes that benefit the user in one way are often hostile to them in another. Look at the NT file system for example. On the plus side, it allows users to keep their data separate from other users and limits users ability to access more critical parts of the system. That said, the benefits are largely negated when the OS defaulted to administrative accounts. The separation of users is much less important now than it used to be. Groups or households sharing a PC isn't the norm any more. Now it's one user with multiple devices or BYOD at work. But that same file system still stores usage tracks and can still hide malware in ADS. The "improved reliability" of the file system is pretty much a moot point too, now that the hardware is more reliable. IMO, the benefits are outweighed by the risk. A file system that can hide data, files, and executables from the user is not a security asset. The same activities that Windows performs by default are enough to get other applications labelled as spyware and get targeted by anti-spyware programs. Why is it acceptable when it's Windows?

In regards to privacy and the users data/activities, Windows hasn't been "OK" since the 9X days. Win2K and to a lesser extent, XP could be made "OK" with some work. In its present form and the direction it's going, Windows is just another tool that's being used to destroy what little privacy we have left.

 

I don't think that was/is generally the case, and certainly not if we're talking about core principles such a user's control over their own computer, privacy, things like that. What I do think happens is that people running N see N+1 has some offensive aspects, they stick with N until it becomes no longer viable for some reason (no more security patches, an app they need is no longer supported on it, whatever) and then they have a choice between N+1 and N+2 with the later having even more offense aspects. So they upgrade to N+1, not because it has become OK in a true sense, but rather because it is the lesser of two evils so to speak.

 

Not sure how general, but I have known some coworkers over the years that for example when XP was released moved to Windows 2000 when previously they refused to use it. And then moved to XP when Vista came out. I just found it odd that they would compromise their values when something else came out. You would think they would jump to Linux or something.

I myself do not care. The day someone finds what I am doing interesting is when the world has run out of other problems.

 

OP, I came across http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/sync-settings-pcs and saw something that might be of interest to you...

"When you turn off syncing between PCs running Windows 8 and Windows RT, some of your system and app settings will remain stored in the cloud. If you want to remove them, you must do so separately. To learn how, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=262691 and sign in to your account"

 

Wow. Some of you really need to read this site: http://www.microsoft.com/privacy/default.aspx

Educate yourselves before you end up buying a thin foil hat.

 

Wow, a Microsoft site where they say they are nice and good.

 

I wish everyone who is thinking about using the newer Microsoft solutions *would* take several hours to study the material at that site. At least skimming the fluff/marketing pieces for the anti-privacy tells, and working their way to the actual privacy statements. Not that anyone should consider them adequately detailed/comprehensive and durable mind you, but if one does read the wording very carefully and think through the implications of the various features and the way they are implemented they will get some sense of how profound the consequences could be. In fact, lets make it even easier for people to cut to core material. You can start here: http://www.microsoft.com/privacystatement/en-us/core/otherproducts.aspx

You are going to have to slowly and carefully work your way down into ALL the areas for the products/services you think you'll be using. A key one of those will likely be http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/windows-8-privacy-statement?T1=supplement. Make a pot of coffee, grab a pen/pad so you can make notes, and really *think* about what you are reading.

 

Malware: Takes & Damages your applications/data without asking for your permission.

Windows 8: Takes & Damages your applications/data without asking for your permission.

Adding a "You are now our b**ch" clause to the EULA doesn't change the fact that they're robbing users of their privacy and control. A killswitch is a killswitch no matter how you color it, a cloud that doesn't honor you with efficient and transparent ways to monitor the usage and removal of your data is bull. Malware is any piece of software that does anything other than what it's anticipated to do. Windows 8 mis-markets itself as an operating system when it's really just a new way for Microsoft to cram anti-privacy behavior down your throat. Microsoft didn't want you to have a choice with the start menu, they didn't want you to have a choice with the start screen, they didn't want you to have a choice to which apps they remove with their "Killswitch", do you see the recurring pattern here?