Windows 10 Privacy

Discussion in 'privacy general' started by Fox Mulder, Jul 10, 2015.

  1. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    I detest that M$ done that by slipping it in one of their updates but your post (after multiple years of keeping to my own suspicions) have been realized. I went as far as SP2 in Windows XP and NEVER updated again. No problems PERIOD. The same with my current O/S Windows 8.0 (NO 8.1) and my system is never been more productive or performance happy. I always knew M$ had (thru autoupdates) perfected an avenue (just like spyware makers have always done ) to slip in "unexplained" and/or other additions to an end user's system which eventually and sooner or later cause uneccessary interruptions or other disruptions to an already well fashioned set up be security and/or customizations.

    If they wanted me to transition to 10 then they should have released Windows 9 first. That was a huge Red Flag! that they "skipped" over 9 IMHO.
     
  2. caspian

    caspian Registered Member

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    Here is a list of updates that I have unistalled and/or hidden in Windows 7. I turned off automatic updates and check every so often to compare any new updates to this list, or any others that get posted as bad updates.

     
  3. quietman

    quietman Registered Member

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    Reported on the BBC website today.

    " .... it is not clear where data relating to the company's own operating system is transmitted and stored.
    When asked about this, a Microsoft spokesman declined to comment "


    But I'm guessing there's probably nothing there that will seriously shock any Wilders members .
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2016
  4. anon

    anon Registered Member

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  5. ssbtech

    ssbtech Registered Member

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    Hopefully it won't be long before someone figures out how to snoop the data being collected before being encrypted and sent to Microsoft.

    The fact we can't opt-out of the telemetry stuff is bad enough. Not knowing what data is being scooped up is worse.
     
  6. driekus

    driekus Registered Member

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    The only solution is to limit the operating systems network access. I have two Windows machines, one a VM and the other an isolated desktop. Both have very limited network access using Tinywall. I have confirmed this using Wireshark.

    Any other solution you are really playing a game of cat and mouse. You install one of the privacy programs and it is able to limit telemetry data until Microsoft circumvents it. The privacy program adjusts to reblock Microsoft but in the mean time all the telemetry information is uploaded to Microsoft.
     
  7. bidd

    bidd Guest

  8. rrrh1

    rrrh1 Registered Member

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    What worries me since Microsoft wrote the Access Layer for using the hardware what is to keep them from hiding their activity from software like Tinywall and Wireshark ?

    External hardware blocking sounds better ?

    rrrh1(arch1)
     
  9. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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    IMO much better. It's just harder to blacklist all MS IP ranges (which probably will change over time) or whitelisting all non-MS IPs you want to visit.
     
  10. driekus

    driekus Registered Member

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    I completely agree, external blocking using a router with say DD-WRT on it would be a lot better.

    My router is a Ubiquiti router that I believe has the functionality. I just have to learn how to use it properly.


    Microsoft could have mostly solved this problem if they took privacy seriously. All it really would take is for them to put a setting in Windows called "Tin Foil Hat Mode". Even if it was a hidden mode (ie registry) I would be happy. 0.001% of the population would use it and we would stop complaining.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2016
  11. dogbite

    dogbite Registered Member

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    Last edited: Feb 11, 2016
  12. TonyW

    TonyW Registered Member

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  13. Arthfael

    Arthfael Registered Member

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    That seems to be a very good example of paranoia and having no clue causing more harm than good. There are problems with Windows 10, but these kinds of sensationalist stories won't make Microsoft change. All they really do is make users even less informed. I don't enjoy the new direction of Microsoft, if it's really new at all. But there are ways to tame Windows 10 if you want to.
     
  14. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    For sure :) I use anonymously obtained instances that hit the Internet via VPN services and Tor. Microsoft can harvest whatever it wants. Microsoft has made that easier, by basically giving Windows 10 away to anyone who doesn't refuse :)
     
  15. deBoetie

    deBoetie Registered Member

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    Of course, MS licencing and activation policies are a royal PITA for operation in VMs unless you have enterprise licences. With complete adherence to licencing conditions, you can still get reactivation being triggered from a variety of changes that it regards as significant. That also applies to some other apps, some of which do not offer offline activation.

    From my perspective, that just serves to hasten the end of MS products on/in my desktops - if they want to be a cloud operating system for retail, then good luck to them. But it's very strange, given that virtualisation is increasingly going to be a way of life, even in the mainstream.
     
  16. Stefan Froberg

    Stefan Froberg Registered Member

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    Hmm..
    After looking windows10-connections.txt from http://www.ghacks.net/2016/02/08/windows-10-phones-home-even-after-privacy-hardening/ it seems that majority of connections are IPv6 Teredo stuff (port 3544) to microsoft so it should be possible to disable? At least it is possible with win7.

    Then there are http connections to akamai technologies (content/ad deliveryo_O)

    And finally https connections to microsoft.

    Bottom line:
    - With max. privacy settings it still sends data (for content/ads deliveryo_O) to microsoft partner?
    - Nobody still knows what is going inside those https connections to microsoft servers.
     
  17. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    Yeah i always hated to think it might happen but been fully prepared for the day Microsoft minus Bill Gates would go totally off the rails and give end users fits so i feel the burn with you. If this current Microsoft crap keeps up it's but a simple matter to just pull that O/S off the grid period and go with Linux or something else for all live online operations.
     
  18. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    That's basically what I've done here... I found that I really don't need the MS OS's. Linux serves all my needs....
     
  19. driekus

    driekus Registered Member

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    If I could I would. Still have a couple of programs I am still dependent on Windows for.
    At this stage though having Windows running in a VM without network access solves most of my problems.
     
  20. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    Well, just 2 days ago, I went back to Win 7, but honestly, I *could* go 100% Linux if I had to. I find that given a choice though, I still seem to prefer Win 7. I tried 10 and after 6 months of playing with it, I decided there's too much going on there, and that I don't want 10. But Win 7 is my first choice. It IS nice to have the Linux alternative available though..
     
  21. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    Ouch. It hurts my eyes even reading this sub-forum

    Windows 10 Issues, Problems & solutions

    Even if I decided to give Win 10 a temporary try there's no way in a million years I can comfortably do it until plenty of those issues are over with FIRST!

    It should be obvious by now that 10 is in all respects a Beta release of sorts.

    Luvin my Windows 8 though :thumb:
     
  22. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    Agreed. There do seem to be a lot of problems, on ongoing public beta, though I guess you don't here so much from people who don't have issues.
    Also Win 8.1 with Classic Shell and boot straight to desktop is fine for me right now.
     
  23. CHEFKOCH

    CHEFKOCH Registered Member

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    I see such things very critical because I don't think non of us are that expert to decide what is useful and what not just because time reasons. It requires a HUGE effort to audit every KB and mostly it ends up that someone on internet showing xyz and everyone gonna mad then because it might change something which isn't wanted. I remember the disaster with someone told that there are 5500 connections each day with Enterprise Edition, personally I did some test on myself on this (with Enterprise LTSB N) and I couldn't confirm that, there are some listening connections but only 5 (over entire day) which really sends a small amount of data back and I think this is okay, because it's depending what you do, e.g. Defender (by default) sends samples back, if you download then a lot of unknown stuff it (of course) sends more back (which overall is okay because no personally information is into it). it's also critical to say that every IP automatically sends stuff back, without an whireshark (.pcap) or something it's nothing but FUD to say it's 'spying' because you or we don't know what's really in it. Also remember that the activation process also collects MAC, IP and other information, it's official described my MS on there pages, so do you call this also spying/telemetry because it collects you MAC? Don't let the hype win.

    If it comes to paranoia everyone easily can complain about everything but to get an serious ground the real experts need a lot of time to analyze this. And again MS did say from the beginning the OS is 'as a service' or to translate mostly community based OS and I think they not correct, because we got several small/big improvements since a lot of people reported xyz.

    For me and my understand to recommend to stay on an older OS like 7 just because one single game may crashes for you is pretty dangerous. In fact we got several new protection mechanism and everyone should upgrade asap. I think the time people wasting to write into forums to say xyz is 'ugly' or such they just had browse the net, I mean there are tools, scripts and such almost for everything or if you totally don't like it just report it and see the reaction. it's simply impossible to make an OS for all because everyone have different needs. I can not much complain about Win 10 yet, it's getting very fast updates, it's constantly under development and the community give a huge amount of feedback, that's what I dreamed about in the earlier 90's.
     
  24. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    Classic Shell was a great idea and even improved the start button features infinitely better.

    To each their own but if one had settled everything to their complete satisfaction on Win 7 - Win 8 why on earth would a new O/S release even be needed anyway. Not to mention skipped Windows 9? I mean the tiles and store are still in Win 10 and as far as security, that was one of the expectations to begin with wasn't it? Each O/S was designed bare minimum security in support for Third Party commercial developers to build on for us all.
     
  25. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    Windows 9 was not skipped, it was RENAMED, as has already been mentioned over and over.
     
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