Slashdot Mirror
How To Keep Microsoft's Nose Out of Your Personal Data In Windows 10
MojoKid writes: Amid the privacy concerns and arguably invasive nature of Microsoft's Windows 10 regarding user information, it's no surprise that details on how to minimize leaks as much as possible are often requested by users who have recently made the jump to the new operating system. If you are using Windows 10, or plan to upgrade soon, it's worth bearing in mind a number of privacy-related options that are available, even during the installation/upgrade. If you are already running the OS and forgot to turn them off during installation (or didn't even see them), they can be accessed via the Settings menu on the start menu, and then selecting Privacy from the pop-up menu. Among these menus are a plethora of options regarding what data can be gathered about you. It's worth noting, however, that changing any of these options may disable various OS related services, namely Cortana, as Microsoft's digital assistant has it tendrils buried deep.
"How To Keep Microsoft's Nose Out of Your Personal Data In Windows 10"
How about a new HOSTS file? APK?
don't install the damm thing!
I got to the chocolate box before you, that's why the hard ones have teeth marks.
Just a day or two ago /. does the responsible thing and posts an article that actually discusses what is going on and shows that it's really not that big a deal. The very next day they're bad to spreading fud. Make up your mind, and stop trying to have it both ways.
BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
Just install Linux.
You're welcome.
Left MS Windows for Linux Mint and never looked back!
Vote for Bernie in 2016!
Yes, I can see the options during the setup. Years of updating Java have trained me to uncheck everything.
Anyway that is old news.
We want to know more about the things you can not set in the options.
Ways to prevent forced updates?
Remove hidden services?
If the default is "on" , what if a bug in the code resets the setting or ignores the setting. Are there any indicators that this information is going out? Can there be any indicators? What is the amount of encrypted traffic going out from the system to microsoft? Any way to look at what is being sent at any point in time? Does it ever log what was sent? Can it?
it's funny that considering how "deep" Cortana is, it gets utterly confused and useless when I say "Cortana start microsoft word".
I'm just waiting for the coffee table book now.
Not using Windows 10 is how you keep Microsoft out of your business.
Purportedly M$ is also issuing updates to Win7/8 that would mirror Win10 behavior. You want out? Install Linux (or FreeBSD)
I've been with windows for close to two decades.
But I'm probably going to either use an older windows box or just bite the bullet and go to linux for my "real" machine. I might use windows for a gaming machine.
I've used openoffice then libre office for years now and no longer even occasionally dip back into Word.
I've disliked the tighter microsoft email/social account integration for a while now.
I really dislike what I'm hearing about the new o/s. I stopped using facebook because of similar actions.
it's like being fabulously wealthy isn't enough. If windows 10 goes forward as is, I probably won't go with it.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
How can I remove the trackers from your website.
We all knew it was optional, and options are easy to find, you even get to disable those features on install, but, this is /.
Was when I was looking at the app store, but it said I had to log in to my microsoft account to use any of the apps. OK, logged in with my hotmail account which has a long complex password, which was copy/pasted with my password manager. I turn my PC off for the night, next day it won't take my usual password because it's now not a local machine logon, but is my microsoft logon, which I can't fill in because I can't open my password manager. Luckily I backup the keepass data to a USB flashdrive, so I fire up my other real OS which is linux so I can write down the frigging password to get the windows pile of shit logged back in. Screw MS... wiping the drive and installing linux.
To disable forced updates, go into Services and set Windows Update to Disabled. Then put an icon for Services on the task bar
"My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right." --Senator Carl Schurz (1872)
I thought the Win 7&8 EULAs did not permit the amount of spying that the Win 10 EULA did.
I went by the Apple store a few days ago, and the people there were not knowledgeable of privacy in Win 10, or even privacy on OS X. I guess they are just retail employees, so I should have more realistic expectations for them.
Simple. Don't install Windows 10.
The thing that pisses me off about Windows 10 is the apparent lack of control the user has with their own machine. Exhibit A: http://www.tenforums.com/attac...
Check out the real-time protection option. "You can turn it off temporarily, but if it's off for a while, we'll turn it back on automatically." What bullshit is that? First, it doesn't tell you what it constitutes as "a while". A day? A week? A month? Second, the fact that it believes that power users are extinct and might have an edge-case for permanently disabling it is ridiculous. It's based off of Microsoft Security Essentials, and I disabled the real-time protection when installed on Win 7 on my netbook because it was just too much for the poor little Atom processor to deal with. If I needed to scan something, I'd do it on-demand. Here, I have no permanent solution because Windows 10 thinks it knows better than my situation.
Windows 10 is peppered with many other areas which make me feel less in control than I used to. I know that I can't have full control when running a proprietary system, but it's all about degrees, and Win 10 feels far less catered for power users than Win 7.
From all the articles I've read about Windows 10, it looks like there are quite a number of settings that must be made to stop all that "phone home" behavior.
The number of changes is large enough so that I don't trust myself to do them all by clicking various GUI screens. I'll inevitably miss one or get it wrong -- which is unacceptable when privacy and security are at stake.
Does anyone know of any software yet that fixes Windows 10's abuses using a single-step installer?
There's no shortage of software on Linux that ignores /etc/hosts.
But good attempt at trying to make non-starters seem like an option. A++++.
i fully realize m$ is spying on me, as does apple, etc., but in all honesty, if i had anything to hide i wouldn't be on the net in the first place. i was told many years ago that using the net was equivalent to sending a postcard. so, if i have something 'confidential' to communicate to someone i will do so by other means than via the net. at the end of the day the average joe doesn't care (that is, even if he knows he's being spied on), and M$ et al can waste all their resources analyzing my net usage as much as they like cause i really don't care. as for all this talk of linux, etc., it would be all well and good if there were 'pro' applications i could use (eg. nle), but since there isn't, i can't.
Equivalently: "How may I [consort with] a brothel of multiply infected hookers who have graduate biomed degrees, practical research in communicable infection and a fervent INTENT to infect their customers?"
As WOPR said in "Wargames", 30+ years ago, "Interesting game. The only way to win is not to play."
Don't DOWNGRADE to WIndows 10. Windows 7 is superior to Windows 10. If you installed Windows 10 remember you have 30 days to change your mind and UPGRADE back to Windows 7.
Captcha: Undoing
Even if you disable everything Win10 still sends out collected information about you. The only way would be running through another machine acting as a router (or simply a router) and filtering that way through various measures.
Are Macs reasonably secure/private?
base points for a working ap and 4X for hardware and add 2 to the multiplier if you post detailed plans and a firmware image.
Within 3 to 6 months some tool will come out from someone, similar to classic shell but for privacy. It'll disable any and everything properly and "fix" any odd crap straight up.
Let other people get messy with it.
I mean you could just not use it but for some of us, that isn't an option.
I'm happy to wait for a cool tool, probably be published like most useful free tools on Ninite.com as well, it'll be a piece of cake.
Let others beta test.
I had high hopes for Windows 10. So far it has only taken away features from my Windows 7 install, and made my machine run dog-slow.
Dear Microsoft,
You've SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT AGAIN on Win10, like you did in VISTA & Win8 - "good job boys" (not).
Mr. Baller spent MILLIONS on an advertising network & lost out on it too - so much for HIS dreams of being an "advertising power" (he's a FOOL) like Google for example - the man couldn't even get THAT right... King Billy made the WRONG choice in you boy (& he knows it) - thanks for gentrifying Windows (devaluing it)!
Earlier on, your OWN product mgt. (VP of Windows Client Performance Division) even AGREED on this one (the removal of 0 as a valid blocking address, vs. the larger & slower to parse/load from disk 0.0.0.0 + especially vs. the even SLOWER larger 127.0.0.1 loopback adapter address), here on /. in a discussion with me on it -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
I wrote the departed Sinofsky on this in his "Building Windows 8" blog - no change EVER occurred that corrected that... no, instead, what did MS do?
Attack hosts files alterations via Windows Defender in VISTA/8 instead!
* Hey Microsoft? Fuck you - but in the end, mark my words here??
YOU PEOPLE ARE ONLY FUCKING YOURSELVES!
APK
P.S.=> Trying to shovel shit folks do NOT want down their throats, essentially telling them "Want to know what's good for you? LET US TELL YOU!" never, EVER works - good businesses give customers what THEY want, to get sales - you've lost sight of that & it will eventually END you... only a matter of time. Makes me sad in a way: You're taking a GREAT THING, the largest programming artifact in existence afaik, & ruining it... & for what?? "GOLDEN DREAMS OF GREED" - don't you folks already have all the money you could ever want? Guess not (that's the problem w/ guys w/ 2" penises boys)... apk
Xbox one had all of this privacy bullshit and the public spoke with their wallet to force them to change it.
The only way would be running through another machine acting as a router
What about just installing a firewall in Windows 10 that blocks Microsoft's IP addresses? Why wouldn't that work?
... http://www.linuxmint.com/
Don't buy it.
It's worth noting, however, that changing any of these options may disable various OS related services, namely Cortana, as Microsoft's digital assistant has it tendrils buried deep.
And nothing of value was lost.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
the worlds smallest open source violin.
Just because you kill a feature in 'settings' doesnt mean that they have to oblige. You can't see the code so you cannot be sure if changing the settings actually changes anything
Encrypted, read the link.
I wonder how many of you morons are using chrome as you harp about m$ "spying" on your usage.
Install both linux and windows as a dual boot, use linux for anything you want kept private....play your games on windows...whats the problem here?
From Wiktionary:
assistant (plural assistants)
1 (obsolete) Someone who is present; a bystander, a witness.
2 A person who assists or helps someone else.
3 (Britain) Sales assistant.
4 A software tool that provides assistance in some task.
Don't complain you're being watched.
And don't think it's helping you.
Someone/something assisting you can learn your will; he/she/it can change your will -- or rather your will as perceived by the outside world... with or without your knowledge about such change. That is the power secretaries have.
Such power can apparently be amassed, organized and put to "good" use (for particular definitions of "good").
Thanks Microsoft! Windows 10 gives all the users that were thinking of trying Linux an obvious incentive to make the switch!
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
All to technical folks. The simplest solution is the one to use, not hopscotching around Microsoft's latest disaster-"OS". I will give it to you in a compact, easy to understand three (3) words: Just Run Linux.
Seriously. Bail out. Migrate from Windows. What the hell will it take? What more need they take from you before you realise that a by now very slight learning curve is worth not having an operating system actively out to harm you?
The only sure way to prevent win10 from installing, monitoring, reporting, narcing, and doing things on your privately owned hardware, with your privately paid for internet connection, is to Never install it. Ever. If you doubt me try rolling back. Go on. Try it. I'll wait.
Why would you buy the product if you have these concerns! It just seems ridiculous. Obviously Windows 10 is utterly user hostile, but if you have the common sense to realise this, why are you even still considering buying it?
There are plenty of free software alternatives, that respect the rights of users, are MUCH more user friendly, and have a better range of tools (at least for my use cases, which are primarily development)
I can't understand why people think they have the right to complain when they choose to buy a product like windows. It has been user hostile for years - with the whole interface being re-arranged to suit Microsoft's failed attempts to enter the mobile market. There was also the ribbon toolbar catastrophe for office, which turned a fairly usable product into a total mess, apparently just so that the UI could be made distinct.
My wife has a small photography business, and Photoshop and Lightroom are huge aspects of her photo editing workflow. She's invested untold hours building up skills in them, and that proficiency really pays off in terms of the quality and speed of her editing work.
Right now she edits on our Windows 7 box. I'm almost dead set against us using Windows 10 because of this privacy crap (and now I apparently have to try undoing the telemetry those assholes snuck into Windows 7.)
I feel caught between a rock and a hard place, because switching to a Mac would be an unwelcome expense for us. Also an business risk, since I can cheaply repair or upgrade a PC, but I have not expectation of being able to do that on a Mac. So if a Mac craps out near one of her deadlines, I'm not confident that I can get it (or a replacement) online as fast as we really want.
I'm just amazed at how hard Microsoft is working to drive us away. They've gone from being a reasonable partner for our kind of business (Windows 7), to being one of our largest sources of medium- and long-term risk. They're now making our decision to use Windows for her business, into a strategic mistake.
I really hope Adobe comes up with some decent solution to people in our shoes. If they have a Linux port of Creative Suite in their back pocket, this would be a dandy time to start selling it.
Is not to use they turds. Do not use Windows and Office, come on. Even a 5 year old can understand it.
It's interesting that there's been such outrage over Windows 10's snooping, especially considering that many wildly popular proprietary programs have already been doing this for years. For instance, in 2007 Slashdot reported that Skype reads your /etc/passwd file and Firefox profile; who knows how it uses this data or where it gets sent.
The real problem here isn't Windows 10 in particular, it's running proprietary software in general. With proprietary software it's almost impossible for the average user, and usually very difficult even for experts, to discover and mitigate against privacy violations and security holes. Free software puts up no artificial barriers to security and privacy audits; any competent programmer can check the code herself, and any concerned layperson can delegate a trusted programmer to do so (or read existing reports from programmers or journalists they trust).
Use a local account instead of a Microsoft account.
That alone will disable various 'features' such as Cortana.
As for the other options to disable, they can be found here:
https://fix10.isleaked.com/
Finally, if you wish to reject Microsoft's cloud and mobile ambitions completely, run Powershell as administrator and Remove -AppxPackage every preinstalled Metro crap.
https://thomas.vanhoutte.be/miniblog/delete-windows-10-apps/
The problem here is the company behind the OS and their Orwellian privacy ideas.
You can block entire IP ranges, disable services and smoulder half the registry. If they are serious about collecting this information, expect CDN servers to start taking up slack in random cities, small server providers way outside the firing line. They will find a way to get past your firewall restrictions, until you're left with nothing but an isolated machine.
You can disable and remove all you want from the core system, if you're using Windows Updates, they've won. The regular user won't have the know how to reverse engineer every update, or won't keep in the loop on critical security updates to make sure he at least turns Windows Update on once. Not everyone will be running a Enterprise version, apart from actual corporate and pirate users.
They have the ability to modify anything they want via WU. How long will your sanity last battling against the Microsoft gestalt?
This needs to be solved in a court, in a way that can make an impact on a multinational company. If not, then you're just living on a prayer, hoping that you've figured out every packet that's leaving the machine.
So basically no downside to disabling these options then!
Twinstiq, game news
Dear Microsoft,
You've SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT AGAIN on Win10, like you did in VISTA & Win8 - "good job boys" (not).
Mr. Baller spent MILLIONS on an advertising network & lost out on it too - so much for HIS dreams of being an "advertising power" (he's a FOOL) like Google for example - the man couldn't even get THAT right... King Billy made the WRONG choice in you boy (& he knows it) - thanks for gentrifying Windows (devaluing it)!
Earlier on, your OWN product mgt. (VP of Windows Client Performance Division) even AGREED on this one (after 12/08/2009 Windows updates, the removal of 0 as a valid blocking address in Win7 onward (still works in 2000/XP/Server 2003 though), vs. the larger & slower to parse/load from disk 0.0.0.0 + especially vs. the even SLOWER larger 127.0.0.1 loopback adapter address), here on /. in a discussion with me on it -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
I wrote the also (like Ballmer) departed Sinofsky on this in his "Building Windows 8" blog - no change EVER occurred that corrected that... no, instead, what did MS do?
Attack hosts files alterations via Windows Defender in VISTA/8 instead!
* Hey Microsoft? Fuck you - but in the end, mark my words here??
YOU PEOPLE ARE ONLY FUCKING YOURSELVES!
Lastly: Someone 1st upmodded the 1st time I posted this here, then the trolls here downmodded it -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen... & that tells everyone WORLDS when the best ya got is a downmod to try "hide" my posts (which only spoke truth & facts as per my usual)
APK
P.S.=> Trying to shovel shit folks do NOT want down their throats, essentially telling them "Want to know what's good for you? LET US TELL YOU!" never, EVER works - good businesses give customers what THEY want, to get sales - you've lost sight of that & it will eventually END you... only a matter of time. Makes me sad in a way: You're taking a GREAT THING, the largest programming artifact in existence afaik, & ruining it... & for what?? "GOLDEN DREAMS OF GREED" - don't you folks already have all the money you could ever want? Guess not (that's the problem w/ guys w/ 2" penises boys)... apk
Guess you haven't seen the latest Windows 10 install base figures...
Are there any sufficient FLOSS firewalls that can block all of the reporting back to Microsoft for Windows 7, 8, and 10, without breaking the automatic updates?
"How To Keep Microsoft's Nose Out of Your Personal Data In Windows 10"
Don't install that obnoxious piece of spyware in the first place !
Simple, job done.
You can configure Zonealarm to alert you when programs attempt to send traffic out. When Windows 10 tries to phone home, disallow it from doing so. Problem solved.
SUBDOMAINS/DOMAINS/HOSTNAMES INVOLVED:
choice.microsoft.com
choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
cs1.wpc.v0cdn.net
df.telemetry.microsoft.com
i1.services.social.microsoft.com
i1.services.social.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
oca.telemetry.microsoft.com
oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
pre.footprintpredict.com
redir.metaservices.microsoft.com
reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com
sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
statsfe1.ws.microsoft.com
survey.watson.microsoft.com
telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com
telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
telemetry.appex.bing.net
telemetry.appex.bing.net:443
telemetry.microsoft.com
telemetry.urs.microsoft.com
vortex.data.microsoft.com
vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
vortex-win.data.microsoft.com
watson.live.com
watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com
watson.telemetry.microsoft.com
watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
STOPPING THE SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH IT:
run cmd as administrator
sc stop Diagtrack
sc delete Diagtrack
SCHEDULED TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH IT:
Everything under "Application Experience"
Everything under "Autochk"
Everything under "Customer Experience Improvement Program"
Under "Disk Diagnostic" only the "Microsoft-Windows-DiskDiagnosticDataCollector"
Under "Maintenance" "WinSAT"
"Media Center" and click the "status" column, then select all non-disabled entries and disable them.
*services.msc:
"Remote Registry" to "Disabled" instead of "Manual".
THE UPDATES THAT CAUSE THIS (allegedly on Win7 too):
KB2505438 (Although it claims to fix performance issues, it often breaks fonts)
KB2670838 (This update often breaks AERO on Windows 7 and makes some fonts on websites fuzzy. A Windows 7 specific update only, do not install IE10 or 11 otherwise it will be bundled with them, IE9 is the max version you should install to avoid this.
KB2952664 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB2976978 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB2977759 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB2990214 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB3021917 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparatioon + Telemetry)
KB3022345 (Telemetry)
KB3035583 (Windows 10 upgrade preparation)
KB3044374
KB3068708 (Telemetry)
KB3075249 (Telemetry)
KB3080149 (Telemetry)
APK
P.S.=> I've gathered that mostly from here (/. folks who checked as YOU did, good job), this report by Czech folks -> http://localghost.org/posts/a-... & this article also http://www.infoworld.com/artic... THAT LAST ONE IMO IS EVEN MORE INTERESTING THAN THE FIRST ONE, as it involves Win7 too...
... apk
Hey APK, I have a (legitimate) question for you:
... this is why I am still using adblock too (as it can do it). I'd rather just do it with hosts, can you show me how?
You know more about host files than I do (I have a couple dozen entries in mine, but nothing like what you do), so I'm hoping you can answer: If something I wish to block uses an IP rather than a url (like http://123.123.123.123/ad/nowy... vs http://littlebastards.com/ad/n...), can I block that in my hosts? If I can, I haven't figured out how
I'm not trolling, this is a legitimate question from someone who admittedly doesn't know a whole heck of a lot about host files.
Posting anon only because OT.
I'm solving this by installing Scientific Linux 7.1. Why fight the OS and the OS vendor? That doesn't make any sense to me...
Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
"I know it's rigged, but it's the only game in town." - Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II, 19th century con artist, saloon and gambling house proprietor, gangster, and crime boss.
Log onto Windows with an underage Microsoft account. This should disable most if not all of the data collection. My 12yo son laments the fact that Cortana won't talk to him as MS cannot legally collect tracking information on Child accounts.
Microsoft sure is getting a lot of hate for what Google has been doing for years.
X
Here are a few ways to accomplish it. They make use of the HOSTS file and registry settings among other techniques. (Disclosure: I'm a retired Microsoft Senior Technical Writer, i.e., I know enough not to trust them). http://www.ghacks.net/2015/08/...
Remove these patches. Disable the "recommended"patches in Windows update. Run another update, and if any of these return, set them to ignore.
KB 3035583 (primary nagware for Windows 10)
KB 2952664
KB 2976978
KB 2990214 (Windows 10 upgrade)
KB 3021917 (Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program)
KB 3022345
KB 3035583
KB 3044374 (Windows 10 upgrade)
KB 3068708 (update for CEIP and telemetry)
KB 3075249 (telemetry)
KB 3080149 (update for CEIP and telemetry)
im not worried about microsoft knowing that i occasionally fap to shemale porn, hell, google already knows that, but the update system is evil, i dont want them installing device drivers automatically if i already have a driver installed, thats just WRONG man
Dear Microsoft,
You've SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT on Win10 like VISTA & Win8 - "good job boys" (not).
Ballmer spent MILLIONS on advertising networks & lost on it - so much for HIS dreams of being an "advertising power" (he's a FOOL) like Google!
Man couldn't even get THAT right!
(King Billy made a WRONG choice in you boy (& he knows it) - thanks for devaluing Windows - probably for "buy back" to create an ILLUSION of 'growth'))!
FACT: your OWN VP of Windows Client Performance Division AGREED w/ me on this one (after 12/08/2009 Windows updates, the removal of 0 as a valid blocking address in Win7 onward (still works in 2000/XP/Server 2003 though) vs. the larger & slower to parse/load from disk 0.0.0.0 + especially vs. even SLOWER larger 127.0.0.1 loopback adapter address) here on /. in a discussion w/ me -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen...
I wrote the also (like Ballmer) departed Sinofsky on this in his "Building Windows 8" blog - no change occurred to correct it!
No, instead, what did MS do?
Attack hosts files via Windows Defender in VISTA/8!
* Hey Microsoft? In the end mark my words here??
YOU PEOPLE ARE F'ING YOURSELVES!
Trying to shovel shit folks do NOT want down their throats (stupid interface, disabling browser addons & hosts), telling them "Want to know what's good for you? LET US TELL YOU!" never, EVER works - good businesses give customers what THEY want - you've lost sight of that & it will END you - only a matter of time. Makes me sad: You're taking a GREAT THING, largest programming artifact in existence afaik, & ruining it... for what?? "GOLDEN DREAMS OF GREED" - don't you folks already have all the money you could ever want? Guess not (that's the problem w/ guys w/ 2" penises boys)...
APK
P.S.=> Lastly: Folks 1st upmodded this here & trolls downmod it 2x -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen... & http://yro.slashdot.org/commen...
(Tells anyone WORLDS trying a downmod to try "hide" my posts (which only spoke truth)) - apk
Dear Microsoft,
You've SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT on Win10 like VISTA & Win8 - "good job boys" (not).
Ballmer spent MILLIONS on advertising networks & lost on it - so much for HIS dreams of being an "advertising power" (he's a FOOL) like Google!
Man couldn't even get THAT right!
(King Billy made a WRONG choice in you boy (& he knows it) - thanks for devaluing Windows - probably for "buy back" to create an ILLUSION of 'growth'))!
FACT: your OWN VP of Windows Client Performance Division AGREED w/ me on this one (after 12/08/2009 Windows updates, the removal of 0 as a valid blocking address in Win7 onward (still works in 2000/XP/Server 2003 though) vs. the larger & slower to parse/load from disk 0.0.0.0 + especially vs. even SLOWER larger 127.0.0.1 loopback adapter address) here on /. in a discussion w/ me -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
I wrote the also (like Ballmer) departed Sinofsky on this in his "Building Windows 8" blog - no change occurred to correct it!
No, instead, what did MS do?
Attack hosts files via Windows Defender in VISTA/8!
* Hey Microsoft? In the end mark my words here??
YOU PEOPLE ARE F'ING YOURSELVES!
Trying to shovel shit folks do NOT want down their throats (stupid interface, disabling browser addons & hosts), telling them "Want to know what's good for you? LET US TELL YOU!" never, EVER works - good businesses give customers what THEY want - you've lost sight of that & it will END you - only a matter of time. Makes me sad: You're taking a GREAT THING, largest programming artifact in existence afaik, & ruining it... for what?? "GOLDEN DREAMS OF GREED" - don't you folks already have all the money you could ever want? Guess not (that's the problem w/ guys w/ 2" penises boys)...
APK
P.S.=> Lastly: Folks 1st upmodded this here & trolls downmod it 2x -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen... & http://yro.slashdot.org/commen...
(Tells anyone WORLDS trying a downmod to try "hide" my posts (which only spoke truth)) - apk
I shutter to think at what will be mined from the Windows 10 mobile update. Is there any hope of this being less open to Microsoft since Data rates apply and the FCC is involved?
How To Keep Microsoft's Nose Out of Your Personal Data In Windows 10?
The only way I know for preventing MS from accessing your personal data for their own purpose is to not install MS software.
Then use this list.
I'm with Windows since 3.11, had all versions. I'm also professionally MCSE/MCITP.. blablabla.. so really invested in the company... I was totally fine with Millennium. Vista was slow, I had good hardware at the moment, so it was alright for me. Put effort to like Metro on 8.1, sucks... (sigh) but I had to keep up with progress... Did upgrade to 10 few days back. But this ends here.... The last callback\telemetry MS will have from my home PC is that I'm downloading Ubuntu 14.04 and Universal USB installer.
There is a user over on voat.co that has made a VBS+Batch Script that blocks the suspected windows 7/8 updates that add the tracking and telemetry "features". A breakdown of the what updates are blocked are listed and since is VBS and a Batch file, you can check the internals of the tool (aptly named "Aegis") yourself. https://voat.co/v/technology/comments/459263/new
"Biggness Does Not Equal Greatness" -- Adam West
Your Uncle Samuel.
See subject - & use this command (in Windows' ping @ least):
ping -a (insert ip address here)
E.G.-> ping -a 216.34.181.45
(YIELDS BACK slashdot.org)
APK
P.S.=> Lastly: My hosts file program does that for you, in its "Speedup Favorite Sites" tab pictured here -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...
(You supply it that list of favorites, where YOU spend MOST OF YOUR TIME ONLINE mind you, so they resolve faster than calling out to remote DNS servers which MAY be redirect poisoned mind you, since my program places them @ the TOP of your custom hosts file, for best speed from ram where it will be cached)... apk
See subject - AND, so you know: Not all servers reply to pings either (that can be set @ server level via EnableICMPRedirect , which can be used as a security measure vs. attacks).
* For the majority though? That command will work...
APK
P.S.=> If you're a *NIX user, I *think* "dig" requests can do the job for you, but don't quote me on it... apk
In addition to my other replies to you, see subject: That can take 24 hrs. or so...
APK
P.S.=> Good luck, hope that was of some assistance to you... apk