Privacy Issues Now on Win7, Win8 and Win8.1

By DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
United States
June 7, 2016 7:29am CST
While helping someone on myLot with a problem today, I came across something interesting... Since a large group of people have decided to keep their present Windows software instead of upgrading to Win10, Microsoft decided to place an update on all devices running Win7, Win8 and Win8.1 that turns your trusted and loved O/S into a traitor that sends your data to Microsoft just like Win10 does. How ingenious of them! There are four possible updates that could do this to your beloved O/S. "KB 3068708: This update introduces the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to existing devices. By applying this service, you can add benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights. KB 3068708 is listed as collecting diagnostics about functional issues on systems that take part in the Customer Experience Improvement Program. Determining whether or not you are a member of the CEIP, however, is less than obvious. The KB also notes that “Most programs make CEIP options available on the Help menu, although for some products, you might have to check settings, options, or preferences menus.” This is a recommended Windows update. KB 3022345: This update has been superseded by KB 3068708, but previously provided the same telemetry-tracking services. It’s not clear how the two updates differ, but if you want to remove all traces of telemetry tracking, you’ll want to remove this update as well. KB 3075249: This update adds telemetry points to the User Account Control (UAC) feature to collect information on elevations that come from low integrity levels. What this appears to mean is that MS wants more information about the kinds of applications that trigger UAC in the first place, presumably because it wants to know what they do and why they need that access. This update is classified as Optional. KB 3080149: This update is described in identical language to the first two. “This package updates the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to existing devices. This service provides benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights.” It is provided as an Optional update, even though the first was classified a “Recommended” update." Please, if you have no clue what I'm talking about, just ignore this post. Thank you!
19 people like this
17 responses
WorDazza
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
7 Jun 16
Yep, got em all on my work laptop. Unfortunately we can't remove any updates without being forced to take them again at some point thanks to our wonderful IT department policy of force-updating whenever we connect to the corporate network, regardless of our update policy settings!!. So I could remove them but they'd just reappear again a few hours later . Good job I'm not bothered who sees what on my work laptop.
6 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
7 Jun 16
Good think your bosses don't care that all their data now belongs to Microsoft, too! I haven't seen you in quite a while... Have you been hiding out or have I been ignoring you... again? Sorry!
3 people like this
WorDazza
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
7 Jun 16
@DaddyEvil Possibly a bit of both . I had a couple of weeks where I was never here but I'm slowly making my presence felt again!!
3 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
7 Jun 16
@WorDazza NICE! I'm not totally to blame for once! I'll run over and see what you've been up to, then!
2 people like this
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
9 Jun 16
It's sad that MS thinks it needs to hijack our computers because we haven't updated to Win 10 yet. Fortunately mine already came with the upgrade.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
10 Jun 16
I'm sorry you've already given all your personal data to Microsoft, Valerie! I can easily tell you why Microsoft believes they would NEVER get that kind of data from most people unless they steal it... Because they wouldn't! Microsoft pulls too many bone-head moves as a company! They lost the trust of most Americans years ago.... Why they can't behave like an ethical and moral company, is beyond me!
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
13 Jun 16
@just4him Everything you input into your pc, as well as telemetry data. What sites you visit, what you do on those sites and what sites you visit next. Whether you look up information related to purchasing items either on or off line, What items you purchase and how you purchase them. If you use your own debit card or credit card, Microsoft says they don't collect that... and then they said they keep that information "safe" for you by storing it on the cloud. LMFAO! Safe? On the cloud? SMH! Who do they think they are fooling?
1 person likes this
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
10 Jun 16
@DaddyEvil Oh well, what can I do? I hope they don't use my data against me. What is it they hijack anyway?
1 person likes this
Toni
@toniganzon (77105)
• Philippines
7 Jun 16
I have no clue whatsoever at all, but can't simply ignore it at all! I don't know anything about Windows Operating System.
2 people like this
Toni
@toniganzon (77105)
• Philippines
8 Jun 16
@DaddyEvil I'm using Mac so I'm on OS X El Capitan. That's why i don't have any idea about Windows.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
8 Jun 16
@toniganzon Well, that is great news, then! At least your system is not stealing your private data for the owner(s) of Apple! Or is it? LOL!
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
7 Jun 16
Toni? Do you know how to find what updates your pc has installed on it? Or what updates are waiting to be installed on your pc?
rebelann1949
@rebelann (117209)
• El Paso, Texas
15 Jun 16
In 1971 I worked for a non profit organization that used a Honeywell Keytape to transmit data from our location here to San Antonio, it was implemented via phone lines back then and call an internet connection. Many companies would keep IBM informed about what affect a new update had on the data they were streaming to one another which is similar to what Microsoft is trying to do today, they need to know if an update is actually working as they intended.
2 people like this
rebelann1949
@rebelann (117209)
• El Paso, Texas
16 Jun 16
I didn realize you were talking about keyloggers @DaddyEvil
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
17 Jun 16
@rebelann Yes, a keylogger is the basic build on the new Win10. Keyloggers are also the basis for the updates Microsoft is trying to add to Win7, Win8 and Win8.1. Hey! I LIKE your new avatar, Ann! Ally is beautiful!
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
16 Jun 16
They can ASK! They do not need to steal our information... A keylogger steals everything input via your keyboard. It does not take data about whether an update worked as planned or not. It CAN'T see whether and update worked as planned!
1 person likes this
Carmela
@Carmelanirel2 (8085)
• United States
9 Jun 16
I kind of know what you're talking about and that stinks for those who didn't want to upgrade. I knew my privacy was not great when I upgraded, but I had Win 8 and absolutely hated that OS..
2 people like this
Carmela
@Carmelanirel2 (8085)
• United States
13 Jun 16
@DaddyEvil Wait, what? Did I not understand what you were saying?
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
16 Jun 16
@Carmelanirel2 LOL! You KNEW your privacy was not great, but did you understand that your privacy was non-existent when you upgraded to Win10?
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
13 Jun 16
You always surprise me with comments like that, @Carmelanirel2 ! When I'm talking with you about different aspects of a computer you seem to understand what I'm saying, and then I come across something you say like this! LOL!
1 person likes this
Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
8 Jun 16
If we discontinue accepting updates entirely, won't that open a different can of worms? I thought the main reason for updates was to eliminate virus and other similar threats and glitches discovered after the last update? Also, what's so special about July 28, or whatever date that was that you mentioned somewhere below? Does linus cost something to dowload it and I've never run anything other than windows, so even though I can usually find things others don't know exist, I'm not sure whether I'd be able to do the same with a different o/s too. Also, what about programs such as quickbooks that I use for keeping track of our business, wouldn't I need to find software compatible with a different o/s too?
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
9 Jun 16
If you discontinue accepting updates entirely, then you will need to go through them one by one accepting or not and then letting your pc only have the ones you agree to accept. It can be tedious, but that is how I have been doing it for a couple of months now, anyway. July 28 is the cut-off date for accepting Win10 for free. After that it will cost you approximately $100 to purchase that program. Linux is freeware. How quickly you learn to use it depends on how much you want to learn it. Sorry, I can help you with some things, but the willingness to change/adapt is not one of them. QuickBooks has a version that runs just fine on a Linux based pc. Linux has software that does everything Windows does/can do except spy on you.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
13 Jun 16
@MarshaMusselman No change in the original cut-off date for downloading Win10 for free, even though the start-up date was pushed back three times, as far as I know. I am not sure how they will treat that, since Pretty has now set up Win10 auto-upgrade on a flash drive for the one pc I am still using for my experiment. (I was told it is not possible to set up Win10 on a flash drive to load after that cut-off date. I guess we will find out.) I agree about the time to learn Linux... I am running into the same time crunch that you mention. I am hoping I can get up to speed before I move my second pc to it, but IDK if I can or not. Keeping my fingers crossed!
1 person likes this
Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jun 16
@DaddyEvil As far as paying for windows 10, which I'm not sure that I'll want to use anyway in the long run, but if it's already downloaded on a person's computer, but not installed will they still charge for it, or only for those that haven't downloaded it yet? Wasn't some date in April the original time that they had for the cut-off? If so, maybe they'll continue to push it back. As far as Linux is concerned, I don't mind learning new programs, it's more a matter of having the necessary time to do that.
2 people like this
ShannyBananny
@shaggin (74988)
• United States
19 Jun 16
I had a really old windows xp. I now have a windows 10 and I love it!
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
19 Jun 16
Okay.... I can't think of anything else to say....
theSids
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
7 Jun 16
I should find my Windows XP CD... must be the safest bet at the moment if it has to be Microsoft... it is just the use of one extra software that I am forced to use Windows 7 (darn! my client). And these Anti Virus Softwares they too just will not update on XP now. Oh wait, I have already said no to updates, I remember mentioning it on your earlier discussion about Windows.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
8 Jun 16
Yes, you did tell me you shut off updates, Sid! That's great! I am still accepting some of the updates, but I am making the decision on whether I download them and install them or not. I found I had a queue of them waiting when I checked last night. Two of those updates were sitting in the queue waiting for me to download them and install them on my new pc... I hid them so they can't come back later .... Microsoft hired some clever b*st*rds! Thank goodness I don't have to worry about those updates on my NetBook anymore, since it is running Linux now. I only had to check one set!
2 people like this
Anna
@LadyDuck (502208)
• Italy
7 Jun 16
Thank you for this very useful heads up. I have stopped accepting the updates for my Windows 7, but now I warn my husband about Win 8.1. Thanks again.
2 people like this
Anna
@LadyDuck (502208)
• Italy
8 Jun 16
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
8 Jun 16
You are very welcome, Anna! I am glad I could help!
1 person likes this
Jekca
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
7 Jun 16
so they just found more ways to steal info from people, lol, not surprised
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
8 Jun 16
Yep! If we won't voluntarily walk into their noose, they are throwing out more nooses for us to hang ourselves with! (Bad analogy, but fairly accurate for all that.)
1 person likes this
crazyhorseladycx
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
7 Jun 16
ignorin' :D yepperz, i'm a
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
8 Jun 16
I'm sorry, Crazy! Uhm... I couldn't figure out a way to word it and don't have the time right now to help anyone with it.
1 person likes this
crazyhorseladycx
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
9 Jun 16
@DaddyEvil no worries, my friend. i jest aint got a clue what none'f such means nor how to prevent't :)
2 people like this
Anna M. Wilkes
@gr8nana6 (6614)
• Conyers, Georgia
14 Jun 16
I don't understand anything , but thank you for posting this for folks that know what you're talking about.
2 people like this
pgn
@pgntwo (22405)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
7 Jun 16
Windows Updates: truly a nest of vipers!
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
8 Jun 16
Yeah... and I like the way they word the descriptions for the updates, too. Even if you were trying to watch for Microsoft to do something like this the wording is vague enough you can't be sure what the company is trying to do with them... Kudos to Microsoft!
1 person likes this
pgn
@pgntwo (22405)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
8 Jun 16
@DaddyEvil Every chance they can get...
1 person likes this
s sivasubrahmanyam
@shivamani10 (11035)
• Hyderabad, India
13 Jun 16
I think the whole issue is forcing you to get disgusted and going for a new system. I had a similar experience. I lost my patience and threw it aside. Went for another one.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
16 Jun 16
If that is their game, it wouldn't make any sense, but you are correct, I am changing over to Linux.
Anne Marie Guyer
@LeaPea2417 (40026)
• Toccoa, Georgia
23 Jun 16
Interesting, I didn't know this.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
27 Jun 16
Uhm... Anne? You might look through my discussions, as there is another one that deals with problems with Win10 that you might not be aware you can fix. Are you a small amount techie? If not, you can always ask me for assistance. I will help you as much as I can. I usually won't ask for access to your pc, but I do normally write a set of instructions that are simple step by step that will walk you through whatever you need done.
1 person likes this
PaintsOnSlate
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
24 Aug 16
I am one of those who have no idea what you are talking about but It also makes me happy I have a mac.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
25 Aug 16
LOL! I am quite sure that is true, pains! If you read threw all the responses and comments on this thread, you would find that many people ignored that and I still tried to explain everything to them. Some of them took it to the pm's as they thought that would be easier for me. (grinning!) I didn't mind. They are friends. What am I going to do? Leave them to suffer alone? LOL! Nope! I'm not capable of doing that to people! Uhm... before you get too happy.... LOL!
1 person likes this
Deborah-Diane
@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
19 Jun 16
Privacy? On a computer? On the internet? On any software? Impossible! I gave up on that a long time ago. If I want it kept private, I keep it away from my computer.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
19 Jun 16
I KNOW, right? LOL! I still expect the illusion of privacy, though! I take certain precautions to ensure that illusion is undisturbed, too! (I also employ programs that ensure the illusion of privacy you have is not disturbed when I go into your computer to take a quick look-see at something that is bothering me.... or, just for the heck of it! ) Uhhh... just so you know, while I do have programs that can do that, I do try to ask permission before I do something like that and I normally have a rational reason for asking for permission in the first place. (shrug!) I have made mistakes though. (I thought I had tacit permission not long ago but it turns out I was mistaken. I apologized quite profusely! It turned out she was happy I did go into her pc because her antivirus had stopped working! So all turned out well in the end.)
1 person likes this
Deborah-Diane
@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
20 Jun 16
@DaddyEvil - Ha Ha! Yes, I appreciate being told if you're going to stalk my computer ... although I assure you that it is quite boring! LOL
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174295)
• United States
20 Jun 16
@DeborahDiane Hmmm... well, only one way to find out and know for sure, right? Do you want me to let you know if your antivirus is working correctly?.... just kidding!
1 person likes this