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posted by on Friday March 10 2017, @03:28PM   Printer-friendly
from the malware-or-spyware,-you-decide dept.

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

Windows Update came roaring back today [Mar 7] after more than a month in a semi-comatose state, and the chute filled up quickly this morning. Windows Update seems to be working well -- even more reason to check your Win7 and 8.1 systems and make sure it's turned off

[...] More disconcerting are the re-re-releases of KB 2952664 (Win7) and KB 2976978 (Win8.1). As I explained last month, those two patches have, in the past, triggered a new Windows task called DoScheduledTelemetryRun.

Even proponents of installing all Win7 and 8.1 patches balk at those patches, which were born in the crucible of the Get Windows 10 (GWX) marched upgrade madness. The series was renumbered, with no explanation: KB 2852664 was renumbered from revision 25 on Oct. 4, 2016, to revision 12 today. Microsoft states:

This update performs diagnostics on the Windows systems that participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program. The diagnostics evaluate the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem, and help Microsoft to ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows. There is no GWX or upgrade functionality contained in this update.

Yet it appears as if the scheduled task runs whether CEIP is enabled or not. If there's a reason for installing the patches, other than increased telemetry, I haven't heard about it.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/article/3177812/microsoft-windows/windows-snooping-patches-kb-2952664-kb-2976978-are-back-again.html


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  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Saturday March 11 2017, @04:06PM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Saturday March 11 2017, @04:06PM (#477773)

    You can still do all that stuff by hand; I used to, years ago. The IRS has long provided fillable PDF forms that make it pretty easy to make nice-looking forms, and it isn't all that complicated really once you learn it. It's obviously not quite as convenient as software, but it is doable.

    But if you're retired with low income, it's super-easy. All you really need to do is the standard 1040 (or maybe even 1040EZ), unless I'm missing something. Taxes only get hard when you have a more complicated situation like running a business or doing real estate.

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