My own implementation presumes Windows as the (very) weak link in the chain, and it's run as a VM inside of Linux. I've given up on ever trusting Microsoft again, in light of the recent, ongoing, and ever-doubling-down, privacy horrors, endless stream of newly-discovered exploitable vulnerabilities, and forced corporateware installations associated with Win 10. So ok. So no Win 10. I went the other way. Win 7 Starter Edition SP1, stripped down to the ground floor, no Windows Updates, no antivirus, no anything, just the bare OS, to run the proprietary software (if the software demands an x64 OS, well then, we'll move up the Win7 hierarchy one notch) that demands Windows, to run smoothly enough, hassle-free. This Win7 VM is considered to be laying on the floor with its legs spread, and it only runs the programs it must run, and nothing whatsoever else. No games. No VOIP. Certainly no web browsers. It's drawbacks are obvious, but with adult supervision, nothing that cannot be dealt with, and it's lightning fast in its stripped-down state.
If he wants a second Linux VM running alongside the Win7 VM inside the first one, well then, ok, so he shall have it. Whatever suits the situation most appropriately.
Toss in a TAILS USB stick with encrypted persistent storage for situations that seem a bit sketchy for the above "standard" setup, and we're good to go.
> I can only presume local law enforcement is either very lax, is complacent ("hey it brings money into our local economy, that's good right?"), or is on the take..
"So, this is quite the operation you have here, isn't it?"
"Yes. Yes it is. Here, here's a little something for your wife. And your children. You are a good man and your family deserves to be well taken care of."
"Thank you. And by the way, you wouldn't be using your operation to be contacting any of the citizens of our fine country, would you?"
The scripting part is interesting in a curious way. To the extent that I must "barehand" everything, that is the extent to which I am forced to actually look at what's been done, what's been left, what's been destroyed, and as time goes on, I discover that this stuff changes in ways both obvious and subtle. So I guess it's like exercise. Who the fuck likes doing pushups? Nobody. But they're good for you, and if you want to stay healthy into your elder years, you'll do what's good for you.
So I hatchet away, and every single time it's a weency bit different, and I stay in shape that way.
I certainly do not recommend that as a method for everybody, or even anybody, but for me, yeah, it works out pretty good in the end.
I'm curious, did you use to make this many changes to previous versions of Windows or it's the first time you've had to make many changes to get a system like you like it?
I've always had multiple test boxes laying around, with multiple hard drives to swap back and forth, and tearing Windows up, just to see what would happen, has always been kind of fun.
That said, it's the goddamned telemetry and all the rest of it that really got me going, and just as soon as I installed my first copy of 10 a year ago, I was very interested in first discovering, and then attacking, and then checking to see if the patient was still breathing or not.
The miscellaneous stuff like the Taskbar, and Desktop Icons, and all of that end of it is stuff I've been doing for a long time, attempting to trim away the bullshit and get the machine more responsive. Windows 8 was my first foray into nuking tiles and forcing a "normal" look to things, but 10 is a whole different level of crap to deal with.
So part of the answer is yes, and part of the answer is no.
Below, the contents of my own personal procedure manual for dealing with a new Win10 machine, with a very strong emphasis on disrupting/removing the spying apparatus. A lot of stuff gets removed. This has been done on numerous machines and so far no failures, no lockups, no blue screens. Some machines are slightly different, some will not have every listed item, some may have a few "extras." The machines seem to run noticeably faster following the hatchetings, and all of them, to date, remain tack sharp, rock solid, and quite nimble. No warranty is provided, express or implied.
Stardock Start10
Revo existing AV program
Reset folder view options including "date created"
Install Unlocker & TakeOwnership
Taskbar properties
Classic Personalize
Screensaver & power settings
Defender to do not send
Desktop icons include & view small icons
Computer, properties, advanced settings, best performance (Leave drop shadows, smooth screen fonts, view thumbnails)
systeminfo verify 10586 or higher.
Windows Update, if not.
ToggleTweaker.bat 12 to kill Cortana (says it kills Edge [ver3.3], but it does not).
IF CORTANA NOT DEAD C:\Windows\SystemApps\Cortana\SearchUI.exe kill with TakeOwnership and/or Unlocker (assume both, or as-required, if only one or none mentioned from here on)
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Windows\SystemApps\ TakeOwnership\Unlocker killkillkill one at a time, starting with Cortana, which takes the longest LEAVE SHELLEXPERIENCEHOST INTACT
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\MicrosoftEdge; C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\Packages\ for special destructive attention to apps BUT LEAVE WINDOWS.IMMERSIVECONTROLPANEL & SHELLEXPERIENCEHOST ALONE! or Windows Update might not work; C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\PRICache
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Program Files\Windows Mail; C:\Program Files\WindowsApps (leave VC &.Net runtimes, there IS NO IMMERSIVECONTROLPANEL OR SHELLEXPERIENCEHOST)
DWS_Lite as administrator, enable professional mode - delete one drive - delete all metro apps - smash everything except defender (mind the checkbox)
Reboot
bcdedit/set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy (via cmd as administrator)
w10privacy.exe (via cmd as administrator)(be patient, it'll come)
Reboot
OOShutUpWindows10 as administrator
Verify Defender still alive, if not:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender -
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiSpyware needs to be set with a Value of 0 -
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiVirus needs to be set with a Value of 0 -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiSpyware needs to be set with a Value of 0
Below, my own text file of procedures which I use to denature both upgraded and new installations of Win10 on the machines I deal with. It's pretty drastic, but it's been working well, and the miserable goddamned Apps seem to not come back, or at least not all at once, which allows me to periodically check on: C:\Windows\SystemApps\, C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\Packages, C:\Program Files\WindowsApps, C:\Users\All Users\Package Cache for any.cabs or whatever that may have insinuated itself back into the system and kill them in their sleep, too.
What follows is my own deal, and I'm not hear to discuss the minutia of what program I should use Ninite for or any of the rest of that OCD bullshit. Use whatever the hell you want to. You're an adult. I am too. Go away and leave me alone with that kind of crap, ok?
What follows is also a bit short-hand-y and since this is Slashdot, I presume you can figure it out, and I'm not here to hold you by the hand, either. See above re: You're an adult.
Ok, on with the show.
Well, maybe not. Slashdot tells me I have too few characters per line. Lovely. Just fucking lovely. Ok I shall reformat. Any groups of multiple dashes can be presumed to be double line breaks, ok?
Stardock Start10
----------
Revo existing AV program
----------Reset folder view options including "date created"
----------
Taskbar properties
----------
Classic Personalize
----------
Screensaver & power settings
----------
Copy Win10 folder to desktop
----------
Defender to do not send
----------
Desktop icons include & view small icons
----------Computer, properties, advanced settings, best performance (Leave drop shadows, smooth screen fonts, view thumbnails
----------
systeminfo verify 10586
----------
Windows Update
----------
DWS_Lite as administrator, enable professional mode - delete one drive - delete all metro apps - smash everything except defender (mind the checkbox)
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Cortana\SearchUI.exe kill with Unlocker
Reboot
OOShutUpWindows10 as administrator
Verify Defender still alive, if not:
\\\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiSpyware needs to be set with a Value of 0
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiVirus needs to be set with a Value of 0
\\\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiSpyware needs to be set with a Value of 0
C:\Windows\SystemApps\ Unlocker killkillkill one at a time, starting with Cortana, which takes the longest
Reboot
Settings, throw all switches to privacy settings and check to see which Apps may have survived while you're doing it
Initiate Ninite Chrome, Firefox, 7zip, TeamViewer, CDburnerXP, VLC, All Runtimes, Irfan, qBittorrent, Google Earth
Revo full decrappification - TaskManager killings if machine sluggish
Manual Directory Pass for shitty programs leftovers search and destroy: Unlocker C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\Packages for special destructive attention to apps, Unlocker C:\Program Files\WindowsApps (sometimes takes forever), Unlocker C:\Users\All Users\Package Cache
Finish/adjust/trim TT&V all ninite installations
Clean Start Menu
Sysinternals autoruns.exe killkillkill right-click, go to image, Unlocker, destroy: C:\Program Files (x86 & x64)\Microsoft Office\Office15\GROOVEEX.DLL all WinMail shit
Reboot
File associations TT&V full WhiteDoom pass for tweaks & trim
Java Suppress Sponsor Offers
Network/Printers
Printers/Peripherals
Go surfing to try to wash all the slime off of you.
Actually, having a crystal clear picture of what the Great Swarm is doing provides an exquisitely crisp background against which one can pick out very fine details indeed when it comes to excursions from that background.
It's the excursions that they're looking for and keeping a close eye upon.
As the detail of the background becomes sharper and sharper, so too does detail of the excursions.
I've been doing home computer repair for the general public for literal decades. I used to do it as a side job or for charity, but it's been my sole income for many years now. Bottom line: I've got a fair amount of experience working with equipment that's on the failing end of its life cycle, all of which has been entrusted to the tender mercies of your typical non-savvy user.
And I'm a pattern recognizer, too.
And nowadays the pattern is one of complete random events, for all classes of home computers.
I've got people with ten year old eMachines running XP who's hardware continues to run without the slightest issue, and I've got people with brand-new three-thousand dollar specialty machines who can't catch a break, with bad motherboards, PSU's dying and taking other components out with them when they go, hard drive failures of every stripe and color, and on and on and on.
I've decided that there's really no sensible difference in equipment anymore, so far as reliability goes.
It all comes out of the same factory in China somewhere, and none of us really know what the hell is going on over on that end of the production cycle.
It has become a crapshoot, plain and simple.
Used to be, more expensive, "quality" computers could be expected to last longer, but no more.
They're all using the same components from the same vendors, and if that's not enough, the batch-to-batch variabilities and imponderables are now completely impossible to keep effective or meaningful track of anymore.
And what once was a clear pattern of "quality" goods giving a nice return on investment, has now become random noise.
Nowadays any of it can fail for any reason at any time. May as well get the cheap stuff and try to cut your losses up front.
> I wasn't aware surfers were such violent degenerates,
> in addition to being the airheads they're traditionally portrayed as.
It's worse than you imagine, by far.
Surfers are dangerous thugs, and they will issue beatdowns at the slightest provocation, or even no provocation at all.
They roam in packs, speak in a near-incomprehensible dialect, and evade all duties to god, country, family, and work in a crazed hedonistic pursuit of some delusional "perfect wave."
The most cursory of examinations of surfing culture as exposed by media fact-finders will inform you that surfing damages its practitioners in some way that reduces their mental capacities to that of a troglodyte.
If you govern, you should always view surfers as an especially insidious fifth column. If you employ, never ever hire a surfer, as they are inveterate shirkers. If you're thinking of entering into a relationship with a surfer, do not, because they are completely unreliable and cannot be counted on to adhere to even the most basic of familial obligations. If you see them in the water, do not approach them, but instead calmly leave the area prior to notifying the authorities.
Despite its malevolent foundation, surfing culture has infected the minds of young people around the world, and seems to still be spreading.
To combat this pernicious infection, it is recommended that you boycott all things associated with surfing and surfers.
Do not buy surfing-related apparel. Do not watch videos of tanned bodies in the peak of youthful health flying as if on magic carpets though crystal blue dreamscapes of water. Do not fall prey to the seductions of charismatic groups of surfers, living lives that you can neither imagine nor approve of, as you perform your tasks as a good conscientious member of society.
Stamp out this virulent infection now, before it is too late!
Where is the spot in Facebook where I tell it my deep dark secrets that I don't want to be shared with anyone?
It's where they interpolate between known datapoints and in so doing, create a more-detailed-and-accurate-than-you-might-like image. And it will be an evil thing, whether the image so drawn is even accurate or not.
I shall leave it as an exercise for the student to determine exactly how this might be so, and to further demonstrate with valid examples how this might be so.
This actually worked at the small enterprise where I take care of things. A user managed to get their machine mucked up with a bunch of spyware and adware by clicking in a forwarded email. I cleaned the machine and then management called a meeting a day or two later. Had every one of the employees in attendance. I gave the standard presentation about email safety, as well as general internet safety. I sat down. The director stood up and informed everyone in the room that the next time a machine needed to be cleaned as a result of operator error, the bill for my services (not cheap) would be deducted from the relevant employee's next paycheck. A sheet of paper was then passed around, with the same directive written on it, and all employees were instructed to either sign or lose their job. They all signed.
That was two years ago. Have not had a SINGLE instance of any malware on any machine, since that time. People now ask me every time they have any doubts about what they're doing, and I've headed off a few potential catastrophes since that started happening.
It's not like we didn't already know the whole damn thing was a charade in the first place.
And I can't know what was "proved," but I can certainly conjecture that he's temporarily made things worse for the rest of us.
Once the eager beavers in security get wind of this little tale, you may rely upon the fact that they're all going to see to it that they never get singled out for being unacceptably lax on the cattle they process for a living.
Great.
Just what I wanted.
More damn bullshit going through security at the airport.
Wonder how many failed test launches the programs that led up to the Titan, Atlas and Apollo rockets had though, before the products was "finalized".
I grew up more or less in the shadow of the launch pads at Canaveral, back in the 50's, and can attest that there were a tremendous number of failures back in those days.
In particular, the Navajo, Atlas, and Polaris programs produced one stupefying fireball after another. And all of the other programs at the time had more than their share of flaming wreckage falling out of the sky.
To this day, when I watch fireworks, it doesn't really do all that much for me. It just doesn't compare.
And, as a small child at the time, I had no feelings of loss or remorse when any of these (thankfully unmanned) launch vehicles met their premature demise in the skies above the Atlantic Ocean, but instead loved every minute of it. Helluva damn show!
They finally got the hang of it (for the most part, anyway), and things quit blowing up on such a regular basis, but for a while there it was really quite spectacular.
SpaceX has their work cut out for them. In spades.
It's even better than you surmise.
When folks like Dell start shipping boxes with components inside that have Open Source drivers, it won't be long before the nVidia's of the world sit up, take notice, discover that there's money to be made, and then start producing drivers for their stuff too.
They'd have to be mad, not to.
There's a tipping point that's being approached, and once it gets crossed, the Open Source avalanche is on for real.
And my gut reaction is that we're closer to that tipping point than most folks imagine.
Forget blocking.
What I want is to be able to fabricate and send completely fictitious data to the sonofabitches, when and where it pleases me to do so.
Can this be done?
Slashdot Mirror
This is the answer.
My own implementation presumes Windows as the (very) weak link in the chain, and it's run as a VM inside of Linux. I've given up on ever trusting Microsoft again, in light of the recent, ongoing, and ever-doubling-down, privacy horrors, endless stream of newly-discovered exploitable vulnerabilities, and forced corporateware installations associated with Win 10. So ok. So no Win 10. I went the other way. Win 7 Starter Edition SP1, stripped down to the ground floor, no Windows Updates, no antivirus, no anything, just the bare OS, to run the proprietary software (if the software demands an x64 OS, well then, we'll move up the Win7 hierarchy one notch) that demands Windows, to run smoothly enough, hassle-free. This Win7 VM is considered to be laying on the floor with its legs spread, and it only runs the programs it must run, and nothing whatsoever else. No games. No VOIP. Certainly no web browsers. It's drawbacks are obvious, but with adult supervision, nothing that cannot be dealt with, and it's lightning fast in its stripped-down state.
If he wants a second Linux VM running alongside the Win7 VM inside the first one, well then, ok, so he shall have it. Whatever suits the situation most appropriately.
Toss in a TAILS USB stick with encrypted persistent storage for situations that seem a bit sketchy for the above "standard" setup, and we're good to go.
Again, your answer is the correct one.
> I can only presume local law enforcement is either very lax, is complacent ("hey it brings money into our local economy, that's good right?"), or is on the take..
"So, this is quite the operation you have here, isn't it?"
"Yes. Yes it is. Here, here's a little something for your wife. And your children. You are a good man and your family deserves to be well taken care of."
"Thank you. And by the way, you wouldn't be using your operation to be contacting any of the citizens of our fine country, would you?"
"No. Certainly not. Not at all."
"Very well then, carry on."
awesome.
incredible you figured out all that.
too bad it's not scriptable.
good job. thanks.
The scripting part is interesting in a curious way. To the extent that I must "barehand" everything, that is the extent to which I am forced to actually look at what's been done, what's been left, what's been destroyed, and as time goes on, I discover that this stuff changes in ways both obvious and subtle. So I guess it's like exercise. Who the fuck likes doing pushups? Nobody. But they're good for you, and if you want to stay healthy into your elder years, you'll do what's good for you.
So I hatchet away, and every single time it's a weency bit different, and I stay in shape that way.
I certainly do not recommend that as a method for everybody, or even anybody, but for me, yeah, it works out pretty good in the end.
I'm curious, did you use to make this many changes to previous versions of Windows or it's the first time you've had to make many changes to get a system like you like it?
I've always had multiple test boxes laying around, with multiple hard drives to swap back and forth, and tearing Windows up, just to see what would happen, has always been kind of fun.
That said, it's the goddamned telemetry and all the rest of it that really got me going, and just as soon as I installed my first copy of 10 a year ago, I was very interested in first discovering, and then attacking, and then checking to see if the patient was still breathing or not.
The miscellaneous stuff like the Taskbar, and Desktop Icons, and all of that end of it is stuff I've been doing for a long time, attempting to trim away the bullshit and get the machine more responsive. Windows 8 was my first foray into nuking tiles and forcing a "normal" look to things, but 10 is a whole different level of crap to deal with.
So part of the answer is yes, and part of the answer is no.
Below, the contents of my own personal procedure manual for dealing with a new Win10 machine, with a very strong emphasis on disrupting/removing the spying apparatus. A lot of stuff gets removed. This has been done on numerous machines and so far no failures, no lockups, no blue screens. Some machines are slightly different, some will not have every listed item, some may have a few "extras." The machines seem to run noticeably faster following the hatchetings, and all of them, to date, remain tack sharp, rock solid, and quite nimble. No warranty is provided, express or implied.
.Net runtimes, there IS NO IMMERSIVECONTROLPANEL OR SHELLEXPERIENCEHOST)
/set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy (via cmd as administrator)
Stardock Start10
Revo existing AV program
Reset folder view options including "date created"
Install Unlocker & TakeOwnership
Taskbar properties
Classic Personalize
Screensaver & power settings
Defender to do not send
Desktop icons include & view small icons
Computer, properties, advanced settings, best performance (Leave drop shadows, smooth screen fonts, view thumbnails)
systeminfo verify 10586 or higher.
Windows Update, if not.
ToggleTweaker.bat 12 to kill Cortana (says it kills Edge [ver3.3], but it does not).
IF CORTANA NOT DEAD C:\Windows\SystemApps\Cortana\SearchUI.exe kill with TakeOwnership and/or Unlocker (assume both, or as-required, if only one or none mentioned from here on)
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Windows\SystemApps\ TakeOwnership\Unlocker killkillkill one at a time, starting with Cortana, which takes the longest LEAVE SHELLEXPERIENCEHOST INTACT
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\MicrosoftEdge; C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\Packages\ for special destructive attention to apps BUT LEAVE WINDOWS.IMMERSIVECONTROLPANEL & SHELLEXPERIENCEHOST ALONE! or Windows Update might not work; C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\PRICache
Manual Directory Pass Destroy Unlocker C:\Users\All Users\Package Cache; C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft OneDrive
Manual Directory Pass Destroy TakeOwnership C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository\ (LEAVE IMMERSIVECONTROLPANEL, SHELLEXPERIENCEHOST, RUNTIMES, STATEREPOSITORY ALONE!)
Manual Directory Pass Destroy TakeOwnership C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository\PACKAGES be careful, watch out, dead "Settings" & "Notifications" (LEAVE IMMERSIVECONTROLPANEL & SHELLEXPERIENCEHOST ALONE!)
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Program Files(x86)\Windows Mail
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\GROOVEEX.DLL; OCHelper.dll; ONBttnIE.dll; ONBttnIELinkedNotes.dll
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\GROOVEEX.DLL; OCHelper.dll; ONBttnIE.dll; ONBttnIELinkedNotes.dll
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Program Files\Windows Mail; C:\Program Files\WindowsApps (leave VC &
Manual Directory Pass Destroy C:\Windows\MiracastView\
DWS_Lite as administrator, enable professional mode - delete one drive - delete all metro apps - smash everything except defender (mind the checkbox)
Reboot
bcdedit
w10privacy.exe (via cmd as administrator)(be patient, it'll come)
Reboot
OOShutUpWindows10 as administrator
Verify Defender still alive, if not:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender - DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiSpyware needs to be set with a Value of 0 - DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiVirus needs to be set with a Value of 0 -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiSpyware needs to be set with a Value of 0
Reboot
win10-unfuck-master data-harvesting-services-removal.bat - gpedit.msc-screenshots (NOTE
...was there ever any doubt?
Below, my own text file of procedures which I use to denature both upgraded and new installations of Win10 on the machines I deal with. It's pretty drastic, but it's been working well, and the miserable goddamned Apps seem to not come back, or at least not all at once, which allows me to periodically check on: C:\Windows\SystemApps\, C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\Packages, C:\Program Files\WindowsApps, C:\Users\All Users\Package Cache for any .cabs or whatever that may have insinuated itself back into the system and kill them in their sleep, too.
/set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy (via superCMD)
What follows is my own deal, and I'm not hear to discuss the minutia of what program I should use Ninite for or any of the rest of that OCD bullshit. Use whatever the hell you want to. You're an adult. I am too. Go away and leave me alone with that kind of crap, ok?
What follows is also a bit short-hand-y and since this is Slashdot, I presume you can figure it out, and I'm not here to hold you by the hand, either. See above re: You're an adult.
Ok, on with the show.
Well, maybe not. Slashdot tells me I have too few characters per line. Lovely. Just fucking lovely. Ok I shall reformat. Any groups of multiple dashes can be presumed to be double line breaks, ok?
Stardock Start10 ---------- Revo existing AV program ----------Reset folder view options including "date created" ---------- Taskbar properties ---------- Classic Personalize ---------- Screensaver & power settings ---------- Copy Win10 folder to desktop ---------- Defender to do not send ---------- Desktop icons include & view small icons ----------Computer, properties, advanced settings, best performance (Leave drop shadows, smooth screen fonts, view thumbnails ---------- systeminfo verify 10586 ---------- Windows Update ---------- DWS_Lite as administrator, enable professional mode - delete one drive - delete all metro apps - smash everything except defender (mind the checkbox)
Reboot
bcdedit
psexec w10privacy.exe (via superCMD inside Win10 directory)(be patient, it'll come)
Reboot
ToggleTweaker.bat
Reboot
Install Unlocker
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Cortana\SearchUI.exe kill with Unlocker
Reboot
OOShutUpWindows10 as administrator
Verify Defender still alive, if not:
\\\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiSpyware needs to be set with a Value of 0
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiVirus needs to be set with a Value of 0
\\\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
DWORD (32bit) DisableAntiSpyware needs to be set with a Value of 0
C:\Windows\SystemApps\ Unlocker killkillkill one at a time, starting with Cortana, which takes the longest
Reboot
Settings, throw all switches to privacy settings and check to see which Apps may have survived while you're doing it
Initiate Ninite Chrome, Firefox, 7zip, TeamViewer, CDburnerXP, VLC, All Runtimes, Irfan, qBittorrent, Google Earth
Revo full decrappification - TaskManager killings if machine sluggish
Manual Directory Pass for shitty programs leftovers search and destroy: Unlocker C:\Users\MainUser\AppData\Local\Packages for special destructive attention to apps, Unlocker C:\Program Files\WindowsApps (sometimes takes forever), Unlocker C:\Users\All Users\Package Cache
Finish/adjust/trim TT&V all ninite installations
Clean Start Menu
Sysinternals autoruns.exe killkillkill right-click, go to image, Unlocker, destroy: C:\Program Files (x86 & x64)\Microsoft Office\Office15\GROOVEEX.DLL all WinMail shit
Reboot
File associations TT&V full WhiteDoom pass for tweaks & trim
Java Suppress Sponsor Offers
Network/Printers
Printers/Peripherals
Go surfing to try to wash all the slime off of you.
Actually, having a crystal clear picture of what the Great Swarm is doing provides an exquisitely crisp background against which one can pick out very fine details indeed when it comes to excursions from that background.
It's the excursions that they're looking for and keeping a close eye upon.
As the detail of the background becomes sharper and sharper, so too does detail of the excursions.
I beg to differ.
I've been doing home computer repair for the general public for literal decades. I used to do it as a side job or for charity, but it's been my sole income for many years now. Bottom line: I've got a fair amount of experience working with equipment that's on the failing end of its life cycle, all of which has been entrusted to the tender mercies of your typical non-savvy user.
And I'm a pattern recognizer, too.
And nowadays the pattern is one of complete random events, for all classes of home computers.
I've got people with ten year old eMachines running XP who's hardware continues to run without the slightest issue, and I've got people with brand-new three-thousand dollar specialty machines who can't catch a break, with bad motherboards, PSU's dying and taking other components out with them when they go, hard drive failures of every stripe and color, and on and on and on.
I've decided that there's really no sensible difference in equipment anymore, so far as reliability goes.
It all comes out of the same factory in China somewhere, and none of us really know what the hell is going on over on that end of the production cycle.
It has become a crapshoot, plain and simple.
Used to be, more expensive, "quality" computers could be expected to last longer, but no more.
They're all using the same components from the same vendors, and if that's not enough, the batch-to-batch variabilities and imponderables are now completely impossible to keep effective or meaningful track of anymore.
And what once was a clear pattern of "quality" goods giving a nice return on investment, has now become random noise.
Nowadays any of it can fail for any reason at any time. May as well get the cheap stuff and try to cut your losses up front.
> I wasn't aware surfers were such violent degenerates,
> in addition to being the airheads they're traditionally portrayed as.
It's worse than you imagine, by far.
Surfers are dangerous thugs, and they will issue beatdowns at the slightest provocation, or even no provocation at all.
They roam in packs, speak in a near-incomprehensible dialect, and evade all duties to god, country, family, and work in a crazed hedonistic pursuit of some delusional "perfect wave."
The most cursory of examinations of surfing culture as exposed by media fact-finders will inform you that surfing damages its practitioners in some way that reduces their mental capacities to that of a troglodyte.
If you govern, you should always view surfers as an especially insidious fifth column. If you employ, never ever hire a surfer, as they are inveterate shirkers. If you're thinking of entering into a relationship with a surfer, do not, because they are completely unreliable and cannot be counted on to adhere to even the most basic of familial obligations. If you see them in the water, do not approach them, but instead calmly leave the area prior to notifying the authorities.
Despite its malevolent foundation, surfing culture has infected the minds of young people around the world, and seems to still be spreading.
To combat this pernicious infection, it is recommended that you boycott all things associated with surfing and surfers.
Do not buy surfing-related apparel. Do not watch videos of tanned bodies in the peak of youthful health flying as if on magic carpets though crystal blue dreamscapes of water. Do not fall prey to the seductions of charismatic groups of surfers, living lives that you can neither imagine nor approve of, as you perform your tasks as a good conscientious member of society.
Stamp out this virulent infection now, before it is too late!
Where is the spot in Facebook where I tell it my deep dark secrets that I don't want to be shared with anyone?
It's where they interpolate between known datapoints and in so doing, create a more-detailed-and-accurate-than-you-might-like image. And it will be an evil thing, whether the image so drawn is even accurate or not.
I shall leave it as an exercise for the student to determine exactly how this might be so, and to further demonstrate with valid examples how this might be so.
Carry on.
If you're going to believe in advertising, you might as well believe in magic anyway
Have a closer look at most of the people all around you.
Now read what you just wrote, once again.
This actually worked at the small enterprise where I take care of things. A user managed to get their machine mucked up with a bunch of spyware and adware by clicking in a forwarded email. I cleaned the machine and then management called a meeting a day or two later. Had every one of the employees in attendance. I gave the standard presentation about email safety, as well as general internet safety. I sat down. The director stood up and informed everyone in the room that the next time a machine needed to be cleaned as a result of operator error, the bill for my services (not cheap) would be deducted from the relevant employee's next paycheck. A sheet of paper was then passed around, with the same directive written on it, and all employees were instructed to either sign or lose their job. They all signed.
That was two years ago. Have not had a SINGLE instance of any malware on any machine, since that time. People now ask me every time they have any doubts about what they're doing, and I've headed off a few potential catastrophes since that started happening.
I'm guessing it's not a coincidence.
Space Shuttle don't cause 'em, but it creates them. (how's that for logic?) Here's some pictures of the Shuttle's vapor trail in the high atmosphere, noctilucent. Pretty cool looking, eh? http://www.flickr.com/photos/35423990@N00/sets/72157600329483616/
It's not like we didn't already know the whole damn thing was a charade in the first place.
And I can't know what was "proved," but I can certainly conjecture that he's temporarily made things worse for the rest of us.
Once the eager beavers in security get wind of this little tale, you may rely upon the fact that they're all going to see to it that they never get singled out for being unacceptably lax on the cattle they process for a living.
Great.
Just what I wanted.
More damn bullshit going through security at the airport.
Wonder how many failed test launches the programs that led up to the Titan, Atlas and Apollo rockets had though, before the products was "finalized".
I grew up more or less in the shadow of the launch pads at Canaveral, back in the 50's, and can attest that there were a tremendous number of failures back in those days.
In particular, the Navajo, Atlas, and Polaris programs produced one stupefying fireball after another. And all of the other programs at the time had more than their share of flaming wreckage falling out of the sky.
To this day, when I watch fireworks, it doesn't really do all that much for me. It just doesn't compare.
And, as a small child at the time, I had no feelings of loss or remorse when any of these (thankfully unmanned) launch vehicles met their premature demise in the skies above the Atlantic Ocean, but instead loved every minute of it. Helluva damn show!
They finally got the hang of it (for the most part, anyway), and things quit blowing up on such a regular basis, but for a while there it was really quite spectacular.
SpaceX has their work cut out for them. In spades.
I wish them nothing but the very best of luck.
Wish I had mod points for you.
Best answer to this question I've seen in a pretty good while.
It's even better than you surmise. When folks like Dell start shipping boxes with components inside that have Open Source drivers, it won't be long before the nVidia's of the world sit up, take notice, discover that there's money to be made, and then start producing drivers for their stuff too. They'd have to be mad, not to. There's a tipping point that's being approached, and once it gets crossed, the Open Source avalanche is on for real. And my gut reaction is that we're closer to that tipping point than most folks imagine.
> The new AT&T feels alot like the old AT&T.
..... it's worse.
Trust me on this one
> Should copyright just be abolished because we want free access to tv shows and movie clips?
Looks to me as if the de facto cat might already be out of the bag on that one.
> Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches.
Absolutely breathtaking!
These are the methods of a tin pot dictator, not the leader of a great and worthy nation.
That Bush & Crew would put their own puffed up egos ahead of the health and well-being of their own countrymen says it all. Sigh.
Lawyers and corporations on the ascendant, backed by a government that is tilting ever more and more fascist.
The whole fucking country is slowly going fully sociopathic.
I've got a bad feeling about this.
It appears to be working just like you said it would, but unfortunately I don't seem to be able to access the universe that it's working in.
Can I now borrow your username and password for that universe?
And apparently no article, either.
Who wants to loan me their account at Nature so I can log in?
> Is there a list of IPs that can be blocked?
Forget blocking. What I want is to be able to fabricate and send completely fictitious data to the sonofabitches, when and where it pleases me to do so. Can this be done?