Posts by Stephen Leslie 39 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Mar 2015
We don't need our cars hooked up so thoroughly with the Internet / communication systems. The basic systems on cars should operate independent of external signals. The Internet should stick to the map display.
It's nutzoid otherwise, and, it appears, potentially a serious hazard. They should back away before governments are forced to writing all those rules and regulations gov'ts are so fond of.
Why do governments fear securable computers? What on earth can people do with computers that's so scary to them? I get terrorists might co-ordinate via email or cell phone .. but otherwise their fear seems overrated? And doesn't email meta-data alert them already? Why is it such a big deal to governments?
Uninstall KB3035583.
Reboot.
Run Windows Update.
When KB3035583 shows up uncheck it and hide it.
Take full possession of the $Windows-bt folder and propagate ownership to all child objects -- give yourself full control over the folder and all child objects.
Delete the $Windows-bt folder.
I have a Stardock subscription, and I've used Start8 for a couple years now on Win 8.x .. and I downloaded Start10 and quite like it on Win 10. It is a little different, actually better, than Start8., It has three major modes: classic, the full on Windows 10 Start Menu (I think it just uses Windows built in version there), and a hybrid "modern" modes that enable you to really set things up the way you want, including translucency and backgrounds. So it looks good. My only criticism, and it is a weak one, is that the "modern" mode is not fully resizable .. it resizes according to how many icons or classic tiles are showing. Yup, you can use the menu to search your computer.
Anyway, I haven't tried other start menu replacements on Windows 10, but I am enjoying my experience with Start10.
Thanks, yes, just create a local account. I install with the computer unplugged too!
You might note that "apps" can be uninstalled either manually or by PowerShell.
Just as a note: you can even use PowerShell to uninstall them all in one fell swoop (except the underpinning platform, Edge, and Settings); but be cautious, that's everything metro on your account.
AFAICT, Microsoft has removed a couple things non-metro from Windows 10 - calculator and sound recorder (a tiny program that's been on Windows for decades) - so if you remove the calculator app, and the sound app, there is no calc.exe or sound recorder on the system to replace them with; you can replace sound recorder with something like Audacity, and there are numerous ways calculators online.
Turn off Cortana and instead search locally, otherwise everything is sent to Bing.
Go through the "Privacy" settings thoroughly.
Lock down Edge, setting your own home page, start page, and set the New tabs to blank.
Lock down IE where appropriate if you know how.
Turn off the tracking service: dmwappushsvc
Turn off the diagnostics service: diagtrack
Adjust the hosts file. In this The Register comments section you might see an extra blank line between each entry, so you might have to adjust the following eliminating the extra blank lines between each entry; but that said, add the following to your hosts file:
#Windows 10 Privacy Blocker#
0.0.0.0 vortex.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 vortex-win.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com
0..0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 redir.metaservices.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net
0.0.0.0 telemetry.urs.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net:443
0.0.0.0 settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 survey.watson.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 watson.live.com
0.0.0.0 watson.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 statsfe2.ws.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 corpext.msitadfs.glbdns2.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 compatexchange.cloudapp.net
0.0.0.0 cs1.wpc.v0cdn.net
0.0.0.0 a-0001.a-msedge.net
0.0.0.0 statsfe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 diagnostics.support.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 corp.sts.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 statsfe1.ws.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 pre.footprintpredict.com
0.0.0.0 i1.services.social.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 i1.services.social.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 feedback.windows.com
0.0.0.0 feedback.microsoft-hohm.com
0.0.0.0 feedback.search.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 bingads.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 www.bingads.microsoft.com
#End Windows 10 Privacy Blocker#
# [Block Microsoft Apps]
127.0.0.1 apps.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 www.apps.microsoft.com
This is probably just a start. You might feel the thing is almost an extension of Microsoft servers, rather than its own operating system. But with some adjustments, you can reclaim your own computer.
If anyone has more ideas, please post 'em.
Well, Windows Vista/7 with MSE, and Windows 8.1.1 with Windows Defender are more secure than Windows XP right now. Windows Vista has been available since 2006, Windows 7 since 2009; I don't think one can say Microsoft has been negligent as they've providing alternatives to XP for 9 years (almost a decade) now.
Odd, isn't it? A few years back a guy had a laptop and the pointer/trackpad would freeze. I tried to help but he had switched out Windows for Linux, so there wasn't much that could be done unless one wanted to get buried in a morass of research and config files, which I didn't have time for. The laptop's trackpad worked on Windows; odd the decisions people make.
That would be nice. They did say in the blurbs that there won't be key logging per se in the RTM.
Could one still be key logged? If you use any Google website on your computer, you are being key logged in the browser. If you have Cortana turned on and employ the search box with Bing running, I don't know. But if you simply use File Explorer, and none of their "free" services, no, you will not be key logged, at least not officially. If you switch to dissident rebel "alternative" Linux, you are probably a terrorist and a highly skilled hacker, and the NSA / CIA / FBI / CISI / MI6/ ASIS kabal will watch your every move.
I cant speak for the situation, but when you use the remove-appxpackage command, a few of the app associated packages do not get removed
E.g. Weather, Sports, Calculator, Finance, Food etc. etc. etc. are all removed. The more "basic" app stuff e.g. the Store app itself and the Settings app (which you need to change the computer's settings), are not removed. I think they must be "protected"; that's all I meant.
In the beta versions of Windows 10 - the "Preview" versions - Microsoft made it clear that for the development period, they will look at feedback. They were quite open about it, and it was done to get the feedback needed to make Windows better. That said: in the official version, the one released to the public come July 29 - i.e. the 'Gold' or 'RTM' version - that will be removed.
They want to achieve some things:
1. In a round about way they are saying sorry about Windows 8.x, without actually admitting it.
2. They are hoping people will adopt Microsoft services e.g. Outlook.com
3.They want businesses to leave Windows XP / 7 behind. If the eco-system is to settle on one Windows, they'd rather it be Windows 10 which is, under the hood, better and more secure, and which is, over the hood, better devised to operate in the PC Plus world (e.g. BYOD [Bring Your Own Device], services, smart phones etc.).
It's easy to get rid of the apps on a Windows 8/8.1/10 install:
Start PowerShell with admin privileges.
Type in:
get-appxpackage -allusers | remove-appxpackage
Hit Enter
All the unprotected packages will be zapped. A couple are protected e.g. Settings, Store etc. but it's best they stay in case you need them at some point.
Microsoft on Windows notice-ware. Nothing is being sold. But Windows is about to be upgraded! If in 20 years of Windows I get one notice like this for no cost upgrade, I'm not going to be upset. You'd have to be the most uptightest of prudes and then some to be upset about this.
No, there won't be. It's just the same as if you went to your local computer store and bought an upgrade copy, only this time the price is $0.00. The no charge price will last for one year when the price is expected to rise to what is usually is 89.00 USD to149.00 USD.
When you buy a new computer either Windows 10 will be preloaded (and included in the price of the computer), OR, if you buy the computer bare-metal, you will be able to purchase an OEM copy and load it on yourself - no subscription.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
