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If you have been refusing Microsoft's offer to upgrade your Windows 7 or 8* operating system to Windows 10 due to the oft-reported data and telemetry slurping it seems inclined to do, then it is time to be on your toes as to which updates you allow to be installed on your earlier version of the operating system.
El Reg reports that Microsoft are busy pushing similar functionality to those older operating systems by way of Windows Update. The updates in question can apparently be rolled back if required.
They are however very determined in their function if allowed to be installed, going so far as to ignore such venerable solutions as additions to the HOSTS file, which has historically been a way to knobble phone-home behaviour:
Now Microsoft is revamping the user-tracking tools in Windows 7 and 8 to harvest more data, via some new patches.
All the updates can be removed post-installation – but all ensure the OS reports data to Microsoft even when asked not to, bypassing the hosts file and (hence) third-party privacy tools. This data can include how long you use apps, and which features you use the most, snapshots of memory to investigate crashes, and so on.
The updates are KB3068708 ("Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry" and mandatory) KB3075249 ("Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7") and KB3080149 (also an "Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry", both optional).
(Score: 3, Funny) by OrugTor on Wednesday September 02 2015, @04:13PM
I need one more option: Windows Updates permanently off.
I can't believe people take the risk of updates on a home computer. Mind you, that's easy for me to say, I'm on XP.
(Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Wednesday September 02 2015, @05:38PM
I think "superior OS" would fall under XP's umbrella, but I approve of your addition.
Sure, XP doesn't have aero or direct x beyond 9c... that probably is a deal breaker for most. Superior being subjective if the graphics aren't as good. Once my norton AV expired in like 2012 or so, the machines have been very fast. Then again, I don't need much for documentation, telnet and ssh...
I too have a few XP machines in my control; they need nothing more added to them to continue doing what they've been used for. I guess someone could find a way to infect them, but most modern web stuff isn't made for them... and doesn't run right on them (noscript sort of helps in that regard). I even virtualized a few of them, to prepare for the inevitable for when I don't want to replace the hardware or can't find replacement hardware.
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Thursday September 03 2015, @12:46AM
I have never installed any updates on my Windows XP system, and just to make sure, I took the hard drive out of the computer and replaced it with one that contains devuan linux. No update is going to get at my Windows on a shelf.