[WIN7] Attention to Telemetry updates 'preview' for Win 7 / 8.1

[Gwalk900]

Watch those Win7/8.1 updates or be assimilated by the Borg.

[WIN7] Attention to Telemetry updates 'preview' for Win 7 / 8.1Microsoft previews telemetry push with new Win7/8.1 patches KB 3192403, 3192404
October 18, 2016

"It sure looks like Windows 10-class snooping is coming to Windows 7 and 8.1"

"Yesterday Microsoft released seven new patches through Windows Update. Three of them -- KB 3192403 for Windows 7, KB 3192404 for Windows 8.1, and KB 3192406 for Windows Server 2012 -- confirm a trend we've long expected: Microsoft is adding new telemetry/snooping capabilities to Win7, 8.1, and Server 2012 by growing out its Diagnostic and Telemetry service subsystem, DiagTrack. The big push will come in November"

Woody @ Infoworld gives a good rundown on it.

The article is well worth the read.

[Liz]

Thanks for the heads up, Gwalk! Good to keep in mind for the non Win 10 users out there.

-Liz

[BirdDog]

Thanks! Will be watching for it to show up in Services and disable it pronto.

EDIT: Oh my there it was. Disabled it and may do the registry hack down the road.

[Gwalk900]

Beyond the privacy concerns there is the matter of yet another  process running unseen in the background and using data.

It is an uphill battle at times now to try and get a novice user to understand the concept of background processes and the data they use.

Just what we need, another one!

[GW]

Thanks for the tip. I wondered about that "Optional" update before I made it hidden. Jeez, just when I thought we were good after they quit with the incessant W10 upgrade updates, it begins again.

[Gwalk900]

Sadly there is money to be had in that "telemetry" and Microsoft is going to get it.

Just ask Google what the value is in collected data.

[GabeU]

I didn't know you could disable the telemetry service.  Interesting.  Now that I have Windows 8.1 back on my notebook I'll have to do this, though I'm not using it for anything sensitive and I'm leaving it local as opposed to switching it to a Microsoft account based computer. 

[GW]

I'm leaving it local as opposed to switching it to a Microsoft account based computer.

I never have associated a computer with a microsoft account. I always assumed that would make you log in to your computer every time. I hate logging in.

I wonder if I should revert our two notebooks back to 8.1? I hate 8.1 too but it really seems less despicable than 10.

[GabeU]

You don't have to type in the password whenever you boot.  If you type the following into the command prompt, uncheck (or check, then uncheck if it's already unchecked when it opens) the "user must enter name and password to use this computer", and fill in your password (two places), you'll never have to enter it when the computer starts.  It will just go to the desktop automatically.

Type the following into the command prompt...

control userpasswords2

Both my desktop and my laptop have Windows 10 and are associated with my Microsoft account.  I'm only keeping the Windows 8.1 notebook as local because I won't use it for anything other than basic browsing and as a test bed for programs that I'm not familiar with. 

[GW]

Will that negate the need to hit enter twice malarkey to get to the desktop out of sleep?

[GabeU]

That I'm not sure of, as I don't use sleep, but it might make it so you just have to click on the start screen to get it to go back to the desktop on waking up without having to enter a password.  I think you would only need to enter a password again if you actually log out of that user profile.