Let's marshall the evidence for my contention that Microsoft is not acting in good faith, that they have changed their business plan from serving their customers to preying upon their customers. And, of course, my conclusion that the reasonable course of action is to be on guard and defend yourself against conversion of your property to their use without permission or consent, invasion of privacy in an environment where privacy is expected, using your hardware to transfer cost from Microsoft to you.
Early next year, Microsoft will tap the Windows 10 upgrade so it automatically downloads to consumer PCs and even begin the installation process.
Improved GWX Control Panel does an even better job at keeping Windows 10 off your PC
Review: New Windows 10 version still can't beat Windows 7
Woody's MSDEFCOM system and advice
Good Microsoft, Bad Microsoft
Windows 10 growth sluggish as Windows 7/8.x users stick with their OS
Ghacks.net
Susan Bradley, Attempting to answer whether MS is snooping
Microsoft stays tightlipped as the world rages
Updates relating to nag or install Windows 10 or spy on you as Windows 10 would. Remember, this is only pertaining to Windows 7. If you are unfortunate enough to have the cell phone operating systems 8 or 8.1 you'll have to consult the article above:
KB3055583
KB2976978
KB3050267
KB3068708
KB3022345
KB2952664
KB2977759
KB3075249
KB3080149
KB3090045
MS-DEFCON 3: Patch Windows, but beware the snoops
http://betanews.com/2015/09/11/remov...nd-windows-8-x
http://www.ghacks.net/2015/08/28/mic...and-8-systems/
http://www.extremetech.com/computing...to-windows-7-8
http://betanews.com/2015/08/13/windo...ivacy-settings
http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/31/tech...ter/index.html
From the EULA: "We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your e-mails, other private communications,
or files in private folders) when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary"
How to use Firefox as your default browser
What's left after you disable Microsoft data collection
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=N3Q...BDqAy67krLYggQ
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=N3Q...YyqYc.B8prNRMw
The good thing about Microsoft is that knowing that people no longer believe privacy is one of their inalienable rights and so don't care if they are data-mined any more, is not bashful about telling you exactly how eggregious their invasion of privacy is. They TELL you that people on various friends lists around the Internet have default access to your home network. They TELL you that they will access every part of your computer and its software, taking data from all files that they can hack their way to. They tell you that your microphone and other peripherals will be recorded and sent to Microsoft.
Menus no longer serve the purpose of helping you do what you want, but are for the purpose of hiding what you want and making that increasingly difficult to do. As part of the process for picking Firefox as your default browser you must actually select Edge, for instance. Privacy related issues are menued by a bright shiny button saying "slay me" and a tiny greyed out option out of your attention that allows you to protect yourself.
And after all that the reply comes back "No problem." What would have alarmed us to no end a year ago is now accepted as unavoidable and when people who retain their values from a year ago raise the alarm, they are derided as crazies.