Windows 10: What You Need to Know

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Upgraded to W10 yesterday and added Classic Shell and set Google as default search engine....no problems thus far.

You are now being stalked.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

You are now being stalked.

Yes, some would have me believe

[STEED]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

You are now being stalked.

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Yes, some would have me believe

Day and night all year round even when your on the bog.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Upgraded to W10 yesterday and added Classic Shell and set Google as default search engine....no problems thus far.

Don't go anywhere, I hope to have my first PC with Win 10 in a couple of weeks.

I want to make it as much like XP/Win7 as possible, unless some Win10 feature blows me away with how awesomely useful it is in comparison. I helped a friend a set up his PC last week, and Win 10 seemed to be less organized than Win7, but that was my first impression.

Meanwhile: Windows 10: Control Panel Set To Be Killed Off

[Jimbuna]

I'm usually around here most days

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I'm usually around here most days

Not good enough you should be on the case 24/7.

Get your pubs and curry houses fitted with WIFI jim.

[Rockin Robbins]

Life has gotten much more complicated in the past several weeks. Not only is Windows 10 determined to be malware, but Microsoft is turning Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 into spyware as well. I just did my weekly research on what Microsoft is up to and it's really bad. Read this article and contemplate. Don't worry, I've done due diligence to validate the news.

I have Windows 7 and am not interested in "upgrading" to 8, 8.1 or God forbid, 10. Here are the updates have come down the pike so far to snoop, download Windows 10 installer surreptitiously, or nag you against your will to install Windows 10 with awful and intrusive pop-ups which have really condescending come-ons. It's like they WANT us to hate them.

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

Some of these updates are duplicates to catch you if you deleted and hid the update that it reinstalls under another number, absolute proof of Microsoft's official function as malware pusher. This really stinks but so far it's manageable. When and if they roll up all this smelly stuff into a service pack there will be some hard decisions to make.

Each of these updates should be removed, a time intensive process as the update function has no search function (wouldn't want you deciding what you wanted your own computer to function like, would we?). Manual scanning and identification is what you're stuck with. Once they are all deleted you'll have to ask for available updates and hide each one so it doesn't do the zombie thing and return to haunt you.

The purpose of all this, and the dishonest Microsoft descriptions of the above updates is clearly to develop a trusting relationship with valued customers so they will be sure that Microsoft is trustworthy and there is nothing to be concerned with in installing Windows 10.

Had anyone said that Microsoft would resort to these sleazy tactics 10 years ago, he would have been called a lunatic. Now, not only does Microsoft do it and lie about it, but most people seem to be actually in favor of it. "Take my freedom, PLEASE!" Sorry, I choose not to participate.

[Rockin Robbins]

By the way, one of the things in the article above is a download for the GWX Control Panel. No, this will not help you control the Grey Wolves Extension for Silent Hunter 3, Microsoft has stolen the GWX label for its automated nagware/spyware program. Turns out you can use the trojan's settings against it and tell it to just go to sleep and not wake up. You do it with the GWX Control Panel.



Now here's the GWX control panel after I destroyed the above "Dirty 10" upgrades. See it doesn't find GWX anywhere because it's been uninstalled. But it does find something very interesting: Windows 10 download folder found? YES. And it's 5.4 GB of crap I didn't ask for, downloaded on MY bandwidth without my consent and without even advising me that it was taking place. This is my work computer (read small hard drive) and 5.4 GB is NOT chicken feed here. Crap! Let's push the Open Folder button:



There it is, in its entirety, snuck onto my system by a trojan horse that if any other company did it they would have executives in prison. Nobody has the right to do that to my machine. If you're running GWX Control Panel, push the button to turn Operating System Upgrades off. Don't worry, you can still VOLUNTEER to upgrade your operating system, it just can't happen without your knowledge or consent now. No system functionality has been compromised.

Now to go delete that $Windows.~BT load of bull excrement. How much you want to bet there are some illegal characters in the folder name that make it impossible to delete? Here goes!

How can ANYBODY trust Microsoft with an operating system "upgrade" after all this? This makes Sony's 2005 rootkit look like a free game of tic-tac-toe.

Update: $Windows.~BT is a hidden directory of course because Microsoft wants you to know that they value you as a customer and informed consent is a hallmark of their respect for you and your property. Once I ran Windows Explorer as administrator, I was able to delete all of it except for a directory called Sources. It's chock full of subdirectories, but when you tunnel down they are full of .avi files and .mui files. I'm not going to make the rookie mistake of assuming these .avi files are harmless videos.

It's time to dig out the Ubuntu Live install disk. You can boot Linux right off the CD/DVD and Linux does not respect Microsoft's rules. It'll delete anything I tell it to. And, of course, as Microsoft amply proves, its rules are no longer worthy of respect.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Don't go anywhere, I hope to have my first PC with Win 10 in a couple of weeks.

I want to make it as much like XP/Win7 as possible, unless some Win10 feature blows me away with how awesomely useful it is in comparison. I helped a friend a set up his PC last week, and Win 10 seemed to be less organized than Win7, but that was my first impression.

Meanwhile: Windows 10: Control Panel Set To Be Killed Off

Forgot to mention, if you're currently using Google Chrome as your web browser be sure to export and save your bookmarks as an HTML file/document onto one of your hard drives.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Forgot to mention, if you're currently using Google Chrome as your web browser be sure to export and save your bookmarks as an HTML file/document onto one of your hard drives.

Ok, thanks for that tip. I'm nothing without my bookmarks.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Ok, thanks for that tip. I'm nothing without my bookmarks.

I'm confident you're probably already aware but just in case not....

Top right of Chrome page 'Customise and control Google Chrome' click on that and move cursor down to 'Bookmarks' sub menu appears, choose 'Bookmark manager' click on that and a page opens, click on 'Organise' and a further sub menu appears, choose 'Export bookmarks to HTML file' and save wherever you want. I choose MyDocs on E drive.

It's a good idea to give the saved file a date so you can choose the latest selection should you ever want to import said file in the future.

[Rockin Robbins]

Whoever heard of surrepticiously installed crapware (Windows 10) you couldn't delete? Doesn't matter. Booted Ubuntu 15.04 Live CD. Chose Try Ubuntu, which lets you use Ubuntu without installing it. When the desktop came up clicked on the Nautilus file manager icon in the Unity launch bar. Selected OS disk (C: in Windows land), found the $Windows.~BT directory, pressed delete and a quarter second later it's all gone. No "you don't have permission" popup and no "you must have trusted installer's permission to delete this," Windows is not my mammy, the trojan the other trojan installed is gone forever.

Reboot into Windows and my work computer is once again mine. For now. Now I have to do the entire process for my home computer. Wonder if Win 10 lives there? If so, not for long.....

[Onkel Neal]

A Massive Windows 10 Update Is Coming: Here's What You Need To Know

http://www.ibtimes.com/massive-windo...dstone-2139331

Man, I hope I a choose to download this when I am ready, not automatically; this could kill my montly bandwidh allotmet.

(Sorry, mykybaoad s actin up)

[Rockin Robbins]

If you're running Windows 7 there is another update you have to add to my "dirty 10" in order not to be retrofitted with Windows 10 spying tools and not to be pestered to update to Windows 10. Here's the updated list so far:
KB2952664 KB2976978 KB2977759 KB3022345 KB3050267 KB3055583 KB3068708 KB3075249 KB3080149 KB3083710 KB3090045

These updates' only function is either to spy on you and consume bandwidth tattling to Microsoft what you are doing with your computer, to download all of Windows 10 installation files (over 4 GB at your expense!) onto your computer without your knowledge or consent or just to bug you incessantly about why you haven't "upgraded" yet.

Aside: when you have a good product, do you have to plant spyware everywhere to promote it? Do you have to force customers to download it? Do you have to spy on customers who haven't chosen to "upgrade" yet? I am really crazy and definitely wrong, I guess, but I thought when you have a great product that people line up outside stores, camp out all night and fight each other to get in the door first to buy your product. What is Microsoft saying about what they think the quality of Windows 10 is by pursuing these malware/malicious methods to force you to adopt Windows 10? These ARE the exact behaviors you install antivirus, antimalware, firewalls and other tools to prevent, aren't they? I say resorting to these tactics is a tacit admission by Microsoft that "upgrading" is not in your best interest. It is an admission that they believe that without coercion, you will not buy this product, even for free.

Okay, you have Windows 7, you have the list, what do you do now? From your start menu (Windows 10 doesn't have a start menu, it has a billboard for ads) select Windows Update. On the left panel select View Update History. It will take a few minutes to load all the updates, so take a few minutes to marvel at the transparent, three dimensional program frame, the rounded corners, the tasteful and nuanced colors, the three dimensional buttons, all the great stuff you lose with Windows 10, nerfed in favor of garishness and brutish right angles and flatness not seen since Windows 2.0. Many DOS programs had superior UI to Windows 10 and hear the minions praise it! Windows 7 says Apple doesn't have the corner on art within a computer UI. Windows 10 says "we got nothin'"

Your updates should be loaded now. In the upper right hand corner is a search window. Type "KB295" and press search and you'll get a short list to pick your first "update" from. Right-click it on the list and select "uninstall." It will ask if you want to reboot and say "no." You'll reboot only after all have been uninstalled. Then type "KB297" and find and uninstall the next two. Go down the list until they are all uninstalled. Now you can reboot.

But these are zombies and they will return unless we defang Windows update. So do the Start Menu/Control Panel/Windows Update thing again and now we will be looking at the Windows Update home screen where it will tell you that you have a certain number of important updates and a certain number of optional updates available. Our job is to make the "dirty 11" unavailable.

So click on "xx important updates are available." There's your list. Scan it for members of the "dirty 11." When you find them, right click on each and select "hide update." Now go back and click on "xx optional updates are available" and do the same thing, hiding each update in the "dirty 11."

You have now reestablished ownership of your hardware! Congratulations and thank you for your vote for freedom over coercion. Government is not the only entity against which we must be on our guard. All large organizations with too much power are equally susceptible to corruption. All you socialists and lefties out there forget that applies to government. All you right wingers and free traders forget that applies to all corporations, labor unions, trade organizations and other private entities. Corruption respects nobody and loves it when we fight over things like government vs private enterprise, labor unions vs corporations and other artificial "struggles" which are entirely fraudulent. The real struggle is between right and wrong, respect and predation, income from serving others and income from preying on others, freedom and corecion. Nobody talks about that. Many pretend it is naive to think that way. They are wrong. This is reality.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

A Massive Windows 10 Update Is Coming: Here's What You Need To Know

http://www.ibtimes.com/massive-windo...dstone-2139331

Man, I hope I a choose to download this when I am ready, not automatically; this could kill my montly bandwidh allotmet.

(Sorry, mykybaoad s actin up)

It's interesting that with Android I have the controls to update only on WiFi if I want, but with Windows 10 Home there is no such control. Updates are downloaded and installed when Windows decides you will.

I understand that with Windows 10 Pro versions you have some control over when updates and downloaded and installed. Apparently you cannot decide not to install them but have some control on when or how.