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Ask Slashdot: Can You Disable Windows 10's Privacy-Invading Features?

Posted by timothy on from the don't-just-handicap-'em dept.

An anonymous reader writes: I really want to upgrade to Windows 10, but have begun seeing stories come out about the new Terms and how they affect your privacy. It looks like the default Windows 10 system puts copies of your data out on the "cloud", gives your passwords out, and targets advertising to you. The main reason I am looking to upgrade is that Bitlocker is not available on Windows 7 Pro, but is on Windows 10 Pro, and Microsoft no longer offers Anytime Upgrades to Windows 7 Ultimate. However, I don't want to give away my privacy for security. The other option is to wait until October to see what the Windows 10 Enterprise version offers, but it may not be available through retail. Are the privacy minded Slashdot readers not going with Windows 10?

For reference, I am referring to these articles. (Not to mention claims that it steals your bandwidth.) Have a question for Slashdot's readers? Take a look at other recent questions first to see if someone else has had a similar question. And if not, ask away! The more details and context you include, the more likely your question will be selected.

12 of 492 comments (clear)

  1. RTFA? by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 5, Informative

    Did you even read the articles that you've linked to? They talk about privacy issues with default settings (that is, "Express" install). If you're a regular member of the Slashdot audience, you will certainly pick "Customize" during installation anyway, and you'll get individual switches for all these things combined on the very first screen that you'll see after that, from advertising ID to Cortana. Just disable it all, and you're good to go. For bonus points, use a local user account rather than Microsoft ID.

    1. Re:RTFA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Settings -> Privacy, under the "Diagnostics and Usage Data" header: "Send your device data to Microsoft". Default is "Enhanced", there are also choices for "Basic" and "Full (Recommended)". See the definitions under the fourth bullet on http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/feedback-diagnostics-privacy-faq

      Don't see any way to disable it. Of course this may not really be a Windows 10-specific issue since they slipped a "Diagnostic Tracking Service" into previous versions (such as Win7) through Windows Update earlier this year.

    2. Re:RTFA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Ok, than I'm going to tell you some anecdote. Last Friday I was in the local computer shop to buy a new SSD to replace my broken HD. The technicians there were upgrading several computers to Windows 10 for customer of theirs, and they were complaining about the fact that they could not continue with the installation without a Microsoft ID, so they created one on behalf of their customers and wrote down the details. They also just installed the Windows computers with default settings. Now, the guys are professionals. These are the technicians that the innocent computer user goes to for all their computer problems and questions. They were the technicians of people who are computer savvy enough to know that you need to have an up to date anti-virus and up-to date Windows and know that there was a -free- new version of Windows. But these people are not computer savvy enough to know how to upgrade.

      The computer technicians knew kind of how to update to the latest Windows, and probably also know how to install new hardware, drivers and software. They probably are able to clean Windows installation that are infested with some kind of malware. But they are not the expert that know all IT inside out. The majority of the computer users and technicians are within this subset of computer users. They can do stuff with PC's, but have no idea what happens behind the scene.
       
      It doesn't matter how easy it is to avoid the privacy problems of Windows 10, the vast majority of computer users is victim of this new behavior. The new behavior is that it's optional to not be tracked... and that you need to be computer savvy and literate enough to know what to turn on or off. And literacy is becoming more and more a problem with the average person. Do you really think that the average person understands what is in those length license agreements. Do you even think they bother to read it?
       
      And what if you were such a computer technician yourself. Would you read the EULA and than conclude you don't want to agree with it and tell your boss that you want something else than Windows because of privacy issues? Good luck with that...

    3. Re:RTFA? by davester666 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes. Except you can't turn it off. If you aren't running Enterprise or Server versions, when you set it to '0', the text basically says "fuck you, we are still taking your private data".

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    4. Re:RTFA? by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 5, Insightful

      We are sheep, we are all so stupid.

      Nonsense, I am not stupid... I'm well aware of the deal being made...

      Google gives me free search, free e-mail, free calendar, free maps, etc. etc. in return for tracking what I do and selling that information to marketers....

      I'm ok with this deal, it was made willingly.

  2. Something happened. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Something happened.

  3. To stop all communication with Microsoft = work by qubezz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have been going through and cataloging everything that Windows 10 does, and looking to end the communication with Microsoft component-by-component. It'll take removing packages with dism, setting group policies and making secure policies into the "default user", blocking employees being able to lock out admin simply because they want to log in to the store etc., turning off the update services, etc. It's a long road to lock down win10. You still can't keep the OS from doing anything it wants though, basically Microsoft has decided that they get to rootkit and keylog your box while background capturing your location and data files.

    The first thing that admins should be doing is looking at how MS has invaded windows 7 with it's GMX and telemetry updates for the older OSs. Besides the tray ad, a whole new package of privacy invading phone-home and send your data was included in the "critical updates". There are about eight different tasks added to windows 7 scheduled tasks that even admin can't remove, they have to be manually pruned from the registry.
    It takes a good amount of powershell, registry editing, and dism to script-remove this malware from windows 7, and if you were letting windows update since April, the damage is already done.

  4. Re:Sure you can. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Fuck no. Looking for alternatives to windows 10 I actually installed Ubuntu today and found that it is collecting my searches and sharing them with third parties.

  5. Re: Sure you can. by fustakrakich · · Score: 5, Funny

    But at least you still have Solitaire. This could be the tipping point we've been waiting for.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  6. Re: Sure you can. by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Xubuntu, never Ubuntu.

    And that is why Linux has no chance...

    There is no "Linux", there are 100s of "Linux" versions, it is WAY too confusing for your average customer.

    So it just isn't going to happen...

  7. Re: Sure you can. by BabaG1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    maybe somebody should make a new linux distribution to solve the excessive fragmentation issue.

  8. Re: Sure you can. by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I disagree.

    I think it'll be a mainstream desktop OS soon after someone manage to get the
    word to the masses that they don't have to pay for Windows or Mac OS.

    That's nice, but you're wrong.

    Why can I say you're wrong? Because people have been saying that for 20 years, it hasn't happened, it won't happen, it isn't even remotely close to happening.

    The number of ways that is wrong is extensive, but just a few:

    1. It costs money to get "word to the masses", a lot of money. Anyone spending that money wants something in return, and giving away free without conditions isn't it.

    2. The average consumer doesn't have any issue with the current price of Windows. Windows is either "Free" with the computer, or a trivial cost. OS X is also "free" with a computer.

    3. The average consumer has no interest in learning how to install anything, or how that magic computer box works.

    It wouldn't take much.

    Yep, the "Year of Linux on the Desktop" is just around the corner... you keep that hope alive!