Windows 10

[Wes]

Will be in a holding pattern until I hear these things have been remedied in Win 10:

Horrible driver support.

Auto update can be disabled permanently.

Key logging is removed completely.

Copies of my files stored automatically in the cloud is removed.

Turning on any cameras and mics automatically is removed.

And this statement is removed from the EULA/Privacy Agreement:

Finally, we will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to: 1.comply with applicable law or respond to valid legal process, including from law enforcement or other government agencies; 2.protect our customers, for example to prevent spam or attempts to defraud users of the services, or to help prevent the loss of life or serious injury of anyone; 3.operate and maintain the security of our services, including to prevent or stop an attack on our computer systems or networks; or 4.protect the rights or property of Microsoft, including enforcing the terms governing the use of the services – however, if we receive information indicating that someone is using our services to traffic in stolen intellectual or physical property of Microsoft, we will not inspect a customer's private content ourselves, but we may refer the matter to law enforcement.

TANSTAAFL when it comes to M$.

Or in other words, looks like I'm headed back to Linux :)

[JudgeDredd]

I put Windows 10 on over the weekend but to be fair, I'm about to go back to 7.

Just niggling things - nothing major. The transition to 10 was easy enough - no dramas. Everything major seems to be ok, though I'm not a system nut - I don't go into the nuts and bolts.

But there's enough wee bits to make me want to go back to 7

I'll let you know what the reversal goes like

[Bison]

JD I'd backup anything truly valuable and then just do a clean OS install of Win 7.  My HD completely crashed during the rollback to Win 7.

[JudgeDredd]

JD I'd backup anything truly valuable and then just do a clean OS install of Win 7.  My HD completely crashed during the rollback to Win 7.

I rolled back my daughters Windows 8.1 laptop from 10 and it went ok.

I'll give it a go. Worst case = fresh install. I don't have anything of huge importance...it's my gaming rig and I like to keep it that way. I'll of course back up my documents and photos.

The one worst thing about it is the various ways you need to deactivate various games...but even then, I'm like "wth".

Thanks for the heads up though.  O0

[mirth]

30 ways Win 10 phones home

http://www.howtogeek.com/224616/30-ways-windows-10-phones-home/

[bbmike]

30 ways Win 10 phones home

http://www.howtogeek.com/224616/30-ways-windows-10-phones-home/

That's a good article because it also pretty much tells how to disable each one.

[JudgeDredd]

The problem with not upgrading because of snooping - and I do believe it's a real issue - is that if it's being introduced (and for free just now with the free upgrade) then it's likely going to be there - forever...and get worse.

It's kind of a necessity to accept it. What's the alternative? Sure - I can uninstall (and probably will) Windows 10 or someone can choose not to take it up - but eventually - somewhere down the road, you will have to move to a newer operating system. It's been that way since Dos and Windows 3.1 and it will be that way forever.

In the infamous words of a civilisation not of this planet - "Resistance is futile"...no?

[mirth]

When the time comes that I have to move on from Win 7, I'll be looking at a Linux distro. No way am I going to accept all this bullshit from MS. They're already trying to sneak some of the Win 10 spying shit into updates for Win 7. I no longer install Win 7 updates without reading the fine print first.

[Huw the Poo]

30 ways Win 10 phones home

http://www.howtogeek.com/224616/30-ways-windows-10-phones-home/

That's a good article because it also pretty much tells how to disable each one.

You have to trust that Windows respects your settings though.  Again, this is the company who voluntarily disclosed zero-day vulns to the NSA.  Arstechnica already published a story wherein they prove that Windows still contacts a whole host of servers regardless of these settings.

I realise it's a very bitter pill for hardcore gamers to swallow, and I'm not without sympathy, but honestly, if you value your privacy you shouldn't be using Windows.

[mirth]

^Or Google. Or Apple. Or any of big tech.

[JudgeDredd]

30 ways Win 10 phones home

http://www.howtogeek.com/224616/30-ways-windows-10-phones-home/

That's a good article because it also pretty much tells how to disable each one.

You have to trust that Windows respects your settings though.  Again, this is the company who voluntarily disclosed zero-day vulns to the NSA.  Arstechnica already published a story wherein they prove that Windows still contacts a whole host of servers regardless of these settings.

I realise it's a very bitter pill for hardcore gamers to swallow, and I'm not without sympathy, but honestly, if you value your privacy you shouldn't be using Windows.

I value my gaming experience more than I value my privacy tbh. I'm not happy about it - and I'd rather they allowed me the privacy - but at the end of the day, I do nothing wrong and I want to play a whole host of games - not missing out on some because of my choice of OS and not having to jump through hoops for others...I just want to use my rig for gaming.

At the end of the day, there's a whole plethora of data gathered on me by all sorts of means that I already have no control over - so I'm not fussed about a bit more.

I know - if you want it to stop, vote with your feet - but I'm more bothered about my gaming being affected than what their "snooping" has in store for me.

Jesus - I use Photobucket which I believe has some sort of clause that says all photos uploaded by me belong to them (or at least they have the rights to use). It's just how it happens. Unless you're going to cut yourself off from all sorts of technology, you're going to be giving information away.

How many people out there who steer clear of Windows because of snooping have a mobile phone? Use apps on it? Have a tablet? Buy things online? Use credit cards? Buy insurance online? Holidays?

Just sayin'

[mirth]

That's what they're counting on. The indifference. Not picking on you, JD. Billions of people think the same way.

[bbmike]

30 ways Win 10 phones home

http://www.howtogeek.com/224616/30-ways-windows-10-phones-home/

That's a good article because it also pretty much tells how to disable each one.

You have to trust that Windows respects your settings though.  Again, this is the company who voluntarily disclosed zero-day vulns to the NSA.  Arstechnica already published a story wherein they prove that Windows still contacts a whole host of servers regardless of these settings.

I realise it's a very bitter pill for hardcore gamers to swallow, and I'm not without sympathy, but honestly, if you value your privacy you shouldn't be using Windows.

I've always assumed anything on the computer isn't private. Kind of like talking on the phone. If I used Linux (and I might start) I'd feel the same way. Nothing is secure. If you truly value your privacy you shouldn't be using anything that can transmit electronically. But in the modern world that's becoming increasingly impossible. 

[mirth]

Anything you do online is not secure. You can take steps to reduce how much of your personal data you willingly hand over.

[JudgeDredd]

ok - so here's my problem.....

I decided to go back to Windows 7. However, when I selected that option, all I got was a blank white square....nothing in it. No options. Nothing.

I tried to do a restore to go back to a restore point - see if that worked. Same thing.

In the end I chose to go the reset option. I chose the option to keep my stuff, just reinstall Windows. It did this. However, Steam is gone, icons for some of my programs on my desktop are gone. Microsoft Office is gone.

In addition to all that bollox, my option to revert to Windows 7 has gone. It wasn't working anyway, but I was hoping "resetting" the Windows 10 thing would just do that...reset Windows 10 and maybe fix whatever shite problem it was.

So - now I will be doing a full reinstall of Windows 7 and I won't be downloading this shite again.

Fair play - I was warned...but I didn't have a lot to lose except going the route I am now having to travel.