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Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Edition Will Have Some Group Policy Settings Removed
For their forthcoming Anniversary update, Microsoft have decided to remove some Group Policy settings from all editions of the operating system except for Windows 10 Enterprise. These Policies affect your ability to control "Cloud Content", "Personalization", and "Windows Store".
The corresponding Registry keys for these policies will also be removed. Manually adding those keys back into non-Enterprise editions of Win10 will have no effect.
Looking at the list of Policies to be removed, many home/power users of this operating system will almost certainly be up in arms and annoyed at this move, but it seems they are just innocent bystanders in a bigger game/pressure-tactic Microsoft is playing out with the corporate and business world.
Unfortunately for home/power users, purchasing a license to use the Windows 10 Enterprise edition is all but impossible. Divorcing from the MS Windows ecosystem may end up being the only palatable option for many such users.
Here is the list of Policies to be removed:
- Cloud Content > "Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences" -- personalized recommendations from Microsoft ...notifications about your Microsoft account.
- Cloud Content > "Do not show Windows tips" -- may see contextual popups ...Microsoft uses diagnostic, telemetry and usage data to determine which tips to show.
- Personalization > "Force a specific default lock screen and logon image"
- Personalization > "Prevent changing lock screen and logon image"
- Personalization > "Do not display the lock screen" -- before signing in, users will see their selected tile and must dismiss the lock screen using touch, keyboard or mouse drag.
- Store > "Disable all apps from Windows Store" -- turns off launch of all apps from Windows Store that came pre-installed or were downloaded; also will turn off Windows Store.
[Continues...]
Microsoft faces two new lawsuits over aggressive Windows 10 upgrade tactics
Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956
Microsoft is facing two more lawsuits over the company's questionable Windows 10 upgrade tactics. Both suits are seeking class-action status.
The first suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Florida. It alleges that Microsoft's Windows 10 upgrade prompts "violated laws governing unsolicited electronic advertisements," as reported by The Seattle Times . The suit also says Microsoft's tactics are against the Federal Trade Commission's rules on deceptive and unfair practices. The second suit was filed in June in Haifa, Israel alleging that Microsoft installed Windows 10 on users' computers without consent. Microsoft already paid out a $10,000 award in a previous U.S. suit over similar circumstances.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Hyperturtle on Monday August 01 2016, @01:55AM
Resume fodder?
Those guys are going to be rich, they already are! You're the product! Those guys don't care about your *opinion*, they care about ad image displays per unit!
Worse still, they have now donned the One Ring and announced their mastery over it -- with any version of windows 10 available to the IT pro and common person, outside of a large business -- Microsoft can install anything they want on your PC with Windows 10, and you *can't do anything about it*. If ads get us upset, what about people living under oppressive regimes? This puts companies that sell spyware to governments out of business; think of their jobs!
If there ever was a time to not let down the guard with windows updates, now is the time.
Don't be fooled that windows 10 isn't free anymore -- they may not be able to push these same ads to you on 7 and 8 in the same way, but chances are many people will be logging into o365 and skype and will be uniquely identifiable. They are sure as heck going to capture as much about you as they can so that when you are on a system they can properly communicate to you through -- look out. Windows 10 is a new delivery mechanism, but it isn't the only one collecting.
Remember, they do state in the EULA they comply with all local and federal governmental laws. They wouldn't do anything illegal and the only thing any of these sorts of spyware companies get in trouble for... are tax related.
I guess the real harm that is punishable by law is when someone exploits you without paying first.
I remember when I was shocked when I learned what SMS (their original patch management software) could do; turn things off in group policy, change backgrounds, remove the ability to log off or reset--all sorts of things. Power that would be horrible to put in the wrong hands--I recall some people getting jailed for pushing SMS out over cable modem networks and screwing with entire communities.
Now, MS has control of the very same things--by default and as a feature-- and is presently selling everyone out after luring them in with FREE. And most people will grumble and accept it.
You have to inconvenience people signifcantly to get them to rise up against a power -- eroding their rights or privileges slowly is a time tested way to keep people compliant. George Orwell even outlined this in Animal Farm. People may wake up and realize what is going on, but it may already be too late; you're already exploited as a product (and if you are the poor horse realizing what his reward is... glue)
This also sort of reminds me of invasion of the body snatchers, too. In the end, even the people you trust will fall and betray you if you haven't fallen already. Online privacy and security is very much like that with the social networking expectations and how google and microsoft are treating their products.
Or maybe there is a utopia in this ad dominated internet? Maybe I won't see ads I find to be unpleasant?