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Fix Windows 10

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Re: Fix Windows 10

#61
I think Microsoft messed up the messaging and wording of their features, bigtime. Many products these days are integrating analytics to see how their users use their products. Personally, I prefer to disable such tracking, but I don't view it as malicious.

MS should have realized by now that people don't quite trust them with this stuff, and they should have make it clear at the outset that they are never going to use this data for "sharing with their partners" or any purpose other than explicitly as a signal for improving specific Windows features.

They used legal language that allows them much more latitude than what they require. This is most likely intentional (probably for future competition with Google), but IMO they should have gone with a very narrow data use policy.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#62

Uhm.. As someone who havn't used Windows for a long time, can't you just create a PowerShell script to do all these things?

Very possible. However, consider:

• 10 just came out.

• The authors possibly want to show just how complicated and arduous it is to disable this utter disrespect of user privacy, thus teaching the users that all these screens and settings amount to a so-called dark pattern (assuming the best case).

――――

I advise you to omit "uhm" from your online forum posts. It comes across as condescending because it makes it sound like you think your conversation partners are morons.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#63
post #44
post #5

I look at this list and I think of my grandmother, who would never do this, never even think to do it. "The windows" is her friend, and she's relatively tech savvy for a person of her generation. Heck, people my mothers generation would not think to do this. Heck, even my brother would not think to do this, or to look for this. If it's not a single place, if you have to open the command line (on windows) then the abi…

Of course not, you're turning off most of the features of the Operating System. Normal people don't want to disable their OS.

"Features" that never existed on previous Windows versions anyway, so they could care less.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#64
post #31

I can't help but feel like some of this is fear mongering. There are some good features in there that are being disabled for the sake of "privacy" like sharing of Windows updates with other computers to speed up downloads. And how do we expect things like Windows Defender or Microsoft's handwriting and voice recognition to improve if we refuse to share back any anonymized information with Microsoft?

Unless you have an internet connection with an unlimited upstream data allowance you probably should disable sharing updates with other computers

Or just enable it for LAN only, an option they provide.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#65

Shutting off smartscreen is short sighted and wrong. Its no different than the lists Chrome and FF use to block malicious sites. These lists are shared via a shared security initiative between the major browser makers. Disabling this is a good way to make sure you get cryptolocker. Shutting off cloud-based protection in Defender is equally stupid. Now you're not getting instant and up to date virus definitions from t…

The issue is that both SmartScreen and Defender 'cloud' protection upload or otherwise inform Microsoft about what you are downloading. For example, it could conceivably track and prevent you from downloading and using Tor. For most Western countries that's not a problem, but is the data sent encrypted? Could an adversary (nation-state) MITM your connection (e.g. GFoC) and immediately be informed about who downloaded…

Here's the exact wording from Windows Defender settings:

"Get better, faster protection by sending Microsoft information about potential security problems Windows Defender finds"

The 'Privacy Statement' underneath links here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-privacy-s... (and yes, this was a Windows 8.1 -> 10 upgrade, not a tech preview install).

Under 'Data We Collect', the third bullet point:

"when you open a file, we may collect information about the file, the application used to open the file, and how long it takes to use it for purposes such as improving performance (e.g. to help retrieve documents more quickly)"

Note, I have 'Cloud-based protection' disabled and I'm still getting (near daily) definition updates, so the two definitely are not related.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#67
post #50
post #32

In my opinion, if those privacy issues bother you, the first step should be an overview of non-Microsoft operating systems.

and the alternatives are? osX invented all this. MS is just catching up. and apple don't even allow you to disable things. android? chrome alone sends more info than whole windows 10+edge. now, you could say Linux. but sadly your grand mother has no publicly available product she can buy with that OS.

You can now buy laptops preinstalled with Ubuntu directly from dell.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#68
post #21
post #18

> 7. To disable telemetry (...) Why should I disable that? What does it do? My understanding is that it's only statistics on data usage, which I find useful?

Nearly all of the windows privacy issues come from useful features. If cortana wants to automatically recommend appointments from emails? Guess what? She has to read your emails. If you want to be blocked from downloading malware? Guess what? You have to check with a central db first. etc Apple, Google devices etc have had this stuff on for ages.

Apple is moving to local processing of "intelligent" stuff, actually.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#69
post #50
post #32

In my opinion, if those privacy issues bother you, the first step should be an overview of non-Microsoft operating systems.

and the alternatives are? osX invented all this. MS is just catching up. and apple don't even allow you to disable things. android? chrome alone sends more info than whole windows 10+edge. now, you could say Linux. but sadly your grand mother has no publicly available product she can buy with that OS.

I think there are a few Dell Linux machines, Linux laptops are available.
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