Windows 10: What You Need to Know

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by STEED

What is that fart smell in the air? Yes it's the come back patch the 11th version of KB3035583...Get Windows 10 installer. Yes the bad fart was expelled from MS's rear end yet again yesterday afternoon. Talk about pressure salesman on your door pointing a gun in your face.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/304...ler-again.html

And think about it. This again demonstrates that Microsoft believes that Windows 10 is so terrible that nobody will voluntarily buy it, even for $0.00. If you don't believe anything we've been saying about how bad it is, for God's sake, pay attention to what Microsoft says through their actions.

Windows 10 is so bad that you have to be forced to take it for free. If they could sell it they would. There would be huge kickoff parties, Internet forums crammed with joyful Microsoft lovers, lines streaming from the doors of stores hours from opening with news crews covering the craziness of Windows 10 mania.......but we have none of that. All we have is a desparate company pointing a gun at us and askng us to pretend we're enjoying the experience. I think they're hoping that Stockholm Syndrome kicks in so we start saying nice things about them.

Not gonna happen from this guy!

All this bizarre thuggery from Microsoft proves that they are a defacto monopoly which needs to be busted up into tiny autonomous pieces so market forces again force them to excellence. It worked for Ma Bell and Microsoft needs a little "tough love."

[vienna]

A bit of a heads up regarding a problem I ran into on a tablet running Win 10: the tablet began to run rather lethargically, so I went to the Task Manager to see what was running and observed a high amount of CPU usage from a process called the Windows Shell Experience Host; this process cannot be ended, so I went online to see if there were other reported cases; there apparently is a problem regarding this process and it not only affects overall performance, it also seems to cause problems with some graphics cards; the solution is very simple and all you have to do is go to Settings -> Personalization -> Colors, find the Accent Color switch, and change it to OFF; on the tablet I did this on, the CPU usage dropped to 0%...


<O>

[Skybird]

What is freshly angering me is that Microsoft has talked hardware manufacturers into artificially blocking high performance hardware - to be bought in the near future - from being able to run W7 or updating W7 on such machines, even if in principle the hardware/system could run W7 perfectly and is fully compatible. This is to enforce buyers of high end hardware (gamers) to go W10 even if technically they would not need to do that at all.

The lousy quality of Windows 10 updates so far, causing troubles and troubles and then more troubles for millions of users who are unable to avoid these updates since it all is not remote-controlled and enforced from the distance, also is - well, obviously it is not enraging at all. The masses stay silent for the most, and obey. Microsoft gets away with it so far. Most, absolutely most people still reject to turn their back son Microsoft.

I would say they do not deserve anything better then. My sympathy is zero. You get what you are willing to arrange yourself with.

I checked what leaving Windows completely would mean to me. I only launch games under Windows these days, nothing else anymore.
Played games over here these days are The Hunter, ETS2, Fallout 4 (already dying out again, its overplayed for me), Assetto Corsa, Raceroom Racing, sometimes Tennis Ellbow 2013, and then NHL 16, sometimes Golf, sometimes FIFA and NBA 2K. Steel Beasts and Flight Simulator I have not touched in ages.

NHL, NBA and FIFA, not played often anyway), are all PS4. Assetto corsa I will move to console as well in June when it is released, I have all trust in the team when they say they will do the migration without any losses in feeling and realism. ETS2 and Tennis Ellbow also are available for Linux (I think even ArmA is for Linux, I think I read somewhere, its surprising to read that some major titles are on Linux now these days). The loss of Fallout 4 I can live with. I will lose The Hunter and Raceroom, both losses are sad, I play both titles a lot. Still - the losses are somewhat limited. Regarding chess I can get along with what is on Android, for my laid-back needs at least.

No, I do not really need Windows.

For the same reason I may not want to embark on the Oculus any time soon. I would need it only in the racing titles, and if Assetto goes PS4 for me, I would take Sony's goggles.

[Rockin Robbins]

Taking inventory for me on any games I play, Silent Hunter 4, check! Borderlands 2, check! Unreal Tournament III, check! Kerbal Space Program, question mark. Counterstrike Source, check! Counterstrike Global Offensive, check! Kayodai Mah Johg, check! Big Jig, check!

I don't need Windows. At all. It's a fine position to be in. It means I can play the Windows game with nothing to lose. Interestingly, Fallout 3 won't run under Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 but will run under Linux! Yuk, yuk, yuk!

Now, similarly to the slimy hardware deals that make new machines not compatible with Windows 7, UEFI is not for customer protection, it's to keep competing operating systems from running on new hardware. Linux already has the fix and I'll bet that fix will be applied to Windows 7 after the fact. And I'll bet Microsloth will sue to keep it from being used. That will open the door to antitrust prosecution and congressional action against Microsloth as a monopoly.

Bring it on! Where's Europe's gumption lately? In the 1990's they carried the torch against Microsloth and its bundling of IE with the operating system. Get back on that horse you on the other side of the pond! Microsoft isn't going to reform itself.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

Bring it on! Where's Europe's gumption lately? In the 1990's they carried the torch against Microsloth and its bundling of IE with the operating system. Get back on that horse you on the other side of the pond! Microsoft isn't going to reform itself.

Government's desire for establishing total surveillance and total vulnerability of citizens in the face of the allmighty state, and Microsoft's desire for total system hijack and customer profiling and dependence, go hand in hand, I fear.

Maybe, not even unlikely, the first have ordered the latter to make W10 the way it is meant to be. I indicated this possibility to Woody once, I saw him agreeing and saying that he also thinks that the US government/NSA most likely has demanded Microsoft to do what it does. Mind you, it is announced NSA policy to enforce the NSA'S ability to get access to every computer device in the world, private smartphone as well as company mainframe.

Reference to be made to the FBI vs. Apple showdown.

P.S.
Unreal, eh? I recall my own wild years with the series, since the very first Unreal there has been. I become 50 next year. Maybe I should give it another shot before it is too late.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

Get back on that horse you on the other side of the pond! Microsoft isn't going to reform itself.

Got any tanks bombers tactical nukes you have laying around the place if so send them my way and I will blow MS off the planet.

Originally Posted by Skybird

I become 50 next year.

Stop giving out your personal info Sky you know they will sell it to someone.

[STEED]

A friend I know bought a laptop Win8 over a year ago and from day one turned off the updates and has never had a issue. He thinks all these updates are BS and they muck up your OS.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by aanker

I thought I'd do an update check. Nothing happened for approx 25 minutes and I shut her down. I tried again on a couple other days with the same result, nothing.

I doubt there will be any more Win 7 updates in the future worth installing.

I met up with a friend at the weekend he too is on Win7 and has been unable to do any security updates from MS for the last month. Anyone here can throw some light on this?

[STEED]

Sent to Woody.

http://www.askwoody.com/

snippet near the end -

Microsoft’s clumsy, desperate, visionless push to get PC users to adopt dumbed-down mobile-oriented apps purely for their own commercial benefit; the unrelentingly persistent, unethical, and highly deceptive way they’re trying to trick less tech-savvy Windows 7 and 8.1 users into “upgrading” to Windows 10; and their insistence on reducing user choice and control over Windows have all left a very bad taste in my mouth.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by STEED

I met up with a friend at the weekend he too is on Win7 and has been unable to do any security updates from MS for the last month. Anyone here can throw some light on this?

Right there: --> http://www.askwoody.com/2016/the-win...tive-solution/

Cannot claim I understood it really. That private users are expected to gain knowledge of SUCH stuff by now, shows how insane things have become.

[Rockin Robbins]

I am taking a different road from Skybird for two reasons: there are legitimate security updates in the updates and there is a flurry of Windows attacks out there taking advantage of the fact that many are totally opting out of the update process.

Hold it while I put on my Skybird hat.......okay. But I am running a laptop on Windows XP since February. There have been NO PROBLEMS with incursions. I am running Zone Alarm firewall and Avast anti-virus, along with an occasional Malwarebytes scan and it's clean! Predictions of XP death have been greatly exaggerated. It works as well as the day it was made.

But for 7 I am taking Woody's advice. Defend myself, exclude carefully chosen updates and proceed with updates when found safe. Since I don't need it, Windows 7 is disposable as far as I'm concerned so experimenting with it is a harmless exercise. And I can remain relevant on what the lay of the land is like for normal users. So on March 27, with my updates turned off, guess what happened?



Cool! Let's take inventory with GWX Control Panel. Is the GWX application installed? NO! Amazing! That is what KB3055583 IS! The only thing that changed was that operating system upgrades were turned back on. But with GWX not resident on the machine that can't happen. Windows 10 installation files are not on the machine. This shows that GWX Control Panel can fight pretty well and I was still safe in spite of the 13th (?) return of KB3055583. We've been plagued by that piece of malware for a year and for now we need not fear the beast.

So I'm taking Woody's advice in his last MS-DEFCON update. Go ahead and update. First fire up GWX Control Panel as I did and set all anti-update options properly. Then fire up Windows Update. Find and hide KB 3139398, the Windows 7 and 8.1 USB driver fix; and KB 3139852, the kernel mode driver patch. Those aren't spyware, they're seriously broken security updates.

Now apply security updates only, for Windows as well as any Microsoft applications. Reboot. Run GWX Control Panel and reerect any fences that were opened by updates.

Take a deep breath and wait until next month.

Is it perfect? No. But you are protected from Windows 10, which continues to be exposed as a deeply flawed operating system, and with Spybot Anti-Beacon you are still protected from built in spyware. For now.

This gives Microsoft time to find and see the wizard, kill the Wicked Witch, return to the wizard and get a brain. This looks like a company that will accept a medal as a substitute for a brain and die happy. I wish them well in Valhalla.

[Rockin Robbins]

Another very interesting thing. I just checked my list of hidden updates. It was entirely empty! Microsoft has taken it upon itself to say "you don't want to hide those updates. Here let me install them for you! I won't tell you I did it. No need to thank me! I've got your back! Trust me."

Thank you Microsoft for again demonstrating why you are so despicable. A once great company is now the Keystone Cops, Colonel Klink, Barney Fife and Handsome Jack, all rolled into one comical evil character. It's better than a movie!

[STEED]

Any help with this one...

Friend of mind has bought a new win8.1 laptop and after going though what was installed by the factory found one bad one. KB2976978 classed as Win10 nagware installed on Nov 11th 2014, he came across some advice on removing it as their was not right click option to remove it, anyway he tried this different method and was told it was vital and part of the OS that can not be removed.

Should he panic like hell or think he got off lightly, it looks like part of that feed back crap as well. Where should he look to close down all this feed back crap on his laptop? I advised turn off updates check them your self and hold off for a month so he gets the good ones and not those bad ones. Also told him to get GWX and Spybot Anti Beacon as well.


Footnote

On a lighter side I have noticed prices of laptops and desktop win8 have gone up costing up to £50 more than win10. Seems to me sales on win8 are better and retailers have seen this and stuck the prices up.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

I am taking a different road from Skybird for two reasons: there are legitimate security updates in the updates and there is a flurry of Windows attacks out there taking advantage of the fact that many are totally opting out of the update process.

Hold it while I put on my Skybird hat.......okay. But I am running a laptop on Windows XP since February. There have been NO PROBLEMS with incursions. I am running Zone Alarm firewall and Avast anti-virus, along with an occasional Malwarebytes scan and it's clean! Predictions of XP death have been greatly exaggerated. It works as well as the day it was made.

But for 7 I am taking Woody's advice. Defend myself, exclude carefully chosen updates and proceed with updates when found safe. Since I don't need it, Windows 7 is disposable as far as I'm concerned so experimenting with it is a harmless exercise. And I can remain relevant on what the lay of the land is like for normal users. So on March 27, with my updates turned off, guess what happened?



Cool! Let's take inventory with GWX Control Panel. Is the GWX application installed? NO! Amazing! That is what KB3055583 IS! The only thing that changed was that operating system upgrades were turned back on. But with GWX not resident on the machine that can't happen. Windows 10 installation files are not on the machine. This shows that GWX Control Panel can fight pretty well and I was still safe in spite of the 13th (?) return of KB3055583. We've been plagued by that piece of malware for a year and for now we need not fear the beast.

So I'm taking Woody's advice in his last MS-DEFCON update. Go ahead and update. First fire up GWX Control Panel as I did and set all anti-update options properly. Then fire up Windows Update. Find and hide KB 3139398, the Windows 7 and 8.1 USB driver fix; and KB 3139852, the kernel mode driver patch. Those aren't spyware, they're seriously broken security updates.

Now apply security updates only, for Windows as well as any Microsoft applications. Reboot. Run GWX Control Panel and reerect any fences that were opened by updates.

Take a deep breath and wait until next month.

Is it perfect? No. But you are protected from Windows 10, which continues to be exposed as a deeply flawed operating system, and with Spybot Anti-Beacon you are still protected from built in spyware. For now.

This gives Microsoft time to find and see the wizard, kill the Wicked Witch, return to the wizard and get a brain. This looks like a company that will accept a medal as a substitute for a brain and die happy. I wish them well in Valhalla.

Please, whenever you quote me with "Skybird says shut down all updates for W7", also include my warning to do so without leaving most use of W7 behind as well and to use an alternative OS via dual boot or second system. I do not say you should not update W7 while using it for your everyday surfing, work, and anything else you do with it. Minimise your use of W7 as much as you can, for reason's sake. In my case that means to use W7 exclusively for launching a simulation or game - AND NOTHING ELSE anymore.

Also, a fully patched professional security suite and a tightened W7 system are mandatory as well. I update daily my Malwarebyte'S Antimalware (payware), my G-Data Internet Suite (payware), I frequently immunize with Spyware S&D, and shut down several background online-connecting tasks via XP-antipsy. There is also Spyware Beacon and GWX monitor running.

Also you do want to maximise all security-relevant settings of Explorer, since it is embedded into W7 and is used by W even for Windows-related tasks that have nothing to do with surfing. Seal it off, and forbid it anythign to do or to run or to download - push the prohibition policy to the max for Explorer.

Do not have more stuff installed under windows than what you absolutely need it for, in my case: certain games. No browser. No email client. No text editor. No nothing. NOTHING. Do all that use via another OS installation. That implies you must also not worry to get Adobe updates (PDF, flash player, both of which are notorious nightmares since years), Google updates, or any other security-breaching stuff known for being notorious security disasters. Java RTE - oh mein Gott rette sich wer kann...

If doing like this, you reduce the risk of new malware finding you via W7. The best protection against Microsoft is not to use Microsoft stuff. Or better: its the only trustworthy protection.

If you do not use games, immediately deinstall Windows and wipe the HD, then throw the DVD into a shredder. I hope I will one day be ready to give up on games, and then happily will cut my last remaining wire to MS.

[Rockin Robbins]

And for anything but games and some very specialized software used at a high level, switching to Linux will leave you not missing Windows one bit. Even my astronomy photographic program, Deep Sky Stacker, works perfectly under Linux. GIMP will do most anything Photoshop will. Open Office or Libre Office are great replacements for Microsoft Office. Steam runs great. Firefox and Chrome run great. E-mail programs are decidedly BETTER than Windows.

That is why Microsoft is pushing UEFI and other harware schemes to force you to use Windows. They know they cannot compete and you're going that way some day. They're closing the door before you get to it. If they do it now you won't complain. Once you get there it's a done deal. Don't worry. The Linux guys are smarter about getting on hardware than Microsoft is in keeping Linux off.

How about a little cell phone astrophotography? It's my LG G4 with about 50 stacked frames, plus calibration photos processed with Deep Sky Stacker. Streaking at upper right and lower left are caused by the camera not being at thermal equilibrium. While taking the photos the camera either expanded or contracted enough to distort the corners. This is just the cell phone clamped to the cheapest digital tripod I could find (<$10.00)--no tracking, no trix.