[dayglored]

I verified the existence of the Windows Update patches in question on my own Windows 7 machines, and removed them using the instructions on this page:

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/08/28/microsoft-intensifies-data-collection-on-windows-7-and-8-systems/

The Command Prompt instructions are of this form:

wusa /uninstall /kb:NNNNNNN /norestart

where "NNNNNNN" is the KB number of the Windows Update.

[dayglored]

Windows 7 and 8.1 are getting the Windows 10 "user experience / telemetry" slurp ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

The good news is, if you want to avoid this, you can. You just have to either remove the updates, or avoid them in the first place.

[doorgunner69]

Been rejecting updated for 7 many months now, piss be on them.

[dayglored]

This is about privacy.

If you're doing classified work, or you don't want your private data sent around the world to Microsoft's storage bins, you might want to check this out.

Those of us who laughed and thought we were safely avoiding this by not upgrading from Win7 or Win8.1 to Win10 have another think coming.

Of course, if you don't mind Microsoft sending data about your "user experience" and other system "telemetry" around, then no big deal. Right?

[bluejean]

They’ll be back...

[zeugma]

Actually, the fact that they’ve hardwired it to an IP that is now know makes it possible to block this outbound at thr router

[catnipman]

to nuke all of this crap on W7:

from an admin account, select Programs and Features from control panel, select View Installed Updates from the left, wait until that finishes finding all the updaets (could be a few minutes), then use the search box to search for each of:

KB3035583
KB3022345
KB3068708
KB3075249
KB3080149

find one at a time, and if found (not all will necessarily be there), right click and uninstall each one in turn.

check Change Settings on the left in Windows Update selected from Control Panel and make sure Install Updates Automatically IS NOT selected.

when all are uninstalled, reboot, which btw way can take hours sometimes after these are uninstalled (i have no idea what that BS is about; retribution by MS?).

after the reboot, go back to control panel, select Windows Update, then Check for Updates. Find all the ones you just deleted, uncheck them, right click and select Hide Update.

Also, check to see if C:\$Windows.~BT exists, which is the Windows 10 installer. If so, it can be wasting up to 12GB, so nuke it with cleanmgr started from a cmd window. once cleanmgr finishes its initial (very lengthy) scan, you should select Clean up system files, which will do another very lengthy scan, then check the box for that folder and select OK to nuke it.

[dayglored]

You just have to love this description from Microsoft's own page about the updates:

This update introduces the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to in-market devices. By applying this service, you can add benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet been upgraded...

Oh, now I see...

It's not spyware, it's a "service".

It's not spyware, it's a "benefit".

Oh, and this is for your systems "that have NOT YET been upgraded" -- because we WILL see to it that your systems get upgraded...

Geez, Louise, all I wanted was a damned operating system so I could get some work done and surf the internet a little...

[Salamander]

Bkmk

[steve86]

My bootleg Win 7 copy — which I rarely boot anyway — seems to be immune to these non-critical updates, fortunately.

[JDoutrider]

marker

[lysie]

Bkmk

[SauronOfMordor]

Will Windows stop working if you set your router or corporate firewall to block traffic to that IP address?

[knarf]

I always clear my history after a day's computing and it was always easy (chrome).... upper right a three bar thingy, click history, click clear

This morning I noticed the 'history' line has been replaced with 'history and recent tabs' with no seeable way to delete my history

[fruser1]

Might be better off just going back to paper.

[trebb]

Checked my Win7 system and all are listed in the "Optional" screen - none have been automatically pushed (so far).

I allow mandatory updates but anything else is chosen on a case-by-case standard.

[Dalberg-Acton]

Bump

[Skooz]

bfl

[GOPJ]

Bookmarked.

[daniel1212]

I hope they see that I

Set Windows View to Details (though that will not carry over to all folder types even if you choose Apply to.. in FolderOptions).

Changed the Win key +E shortcut to launch File (Windows) Explorer), not Quick Access. (Run: control.exe /name Microsoft.FolderOptions)

While there, chose to show everything and hide nothing.

Added the buried Quick Launch bar ("C:\Users\type user name here\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" or run, %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch) to the Task bar

Made shortcuts to the Send To (%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo ) folder, and place one in it, so i can send other shortcuts to it, like the Quick Launch. And made one to the largely unknown Start up folder (Main one is in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp), and to others, which are placed in the Quick Launch. Including to the hidden Libraries %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries

Copied many profile folders from my old Windows user folder (which if you installed over a previous Windows Hard Drive, (even if you choose not to keep files, should be in your C drive marked Windows.old) into my new user folder %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming

Installed Firefox with multiple profiles, which were on another saved partition, and changed the shortcut to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p

Replaced the Start Menu with Classic Shell

Turned off Indexing, and and installed Unlocker and thus renamed SearchUi.exe (hope it stays that way), and nuked many shortcuts that Windows includes that are dead (like to Printhood)

Turned off Windows Defender via reg file (Reboot to effect)

Among many other changes. Thank God.

[OldMissileer]

Bump for later.