These Windows 10 changes are being introduced in a Windows Insider build soon for feedback first and will be rolled out to everyone when the Windows 10 Creators Update becomes available.

Also included will be Dynamic Lock & an end to the BSoD. MS is working on a "new easier" way to diagnose faults to assist with climate change - A Green screen of death.

Of course there's still no 'off' option. And nothing about Windows 7 or 8.1
But for the latter, there's a new app: http://www.getblackbird.net/ Stops the spying on Windows Vista and above!
Do run it as administrator. (do watch out, it'll get rid of the telemetry by uninstalling updates, which may give problems again with the Windows Update Agent being slow.)

This Blackbird thing looked interesting so I gave it a tryout. Just spent the entire day undoing it machinations on two machines, both Windows 7 64 bit. Don't know if I would have run into the slow Update warning or not. What it did do is kill my Internet and network cards by preventing Diagnostic Policy Service from running. The Blackbird command line options to put that back in place never worked or restore LAN connectivity. I also lost all my network peered shares even after restarting the SSDP Discovery Service and the UPnP Device Host Service that the readme said to turn back on after running the program. The program worked a bit better on my Windows 10 machine. I still had network connectivity and peered shares were available. However it also killed the Diagnostic Policy Service which didn't have as dire an effect. What it prevents from working is any Troubleshooting repair on Network connections because it proclaims an error with the Diagnostic Policy Service is not running. Trying to start the Diagnostic Policy Service from Services just says that some programs start and stop the service on their own. Never could get it running. Funny that service says it has no dependencies either.

So my warning, stay away from this anti-spy program and wait for a better baked version.

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Seti@Home classic workunits:20,676 CPU time:74,226 hours

A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association)

VS2015 is as good in leaking your private info as Win10 is:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/31452435/how-do-i-disable-vshub-exe-in-the-system-tray
Especially representative:
https://i.stack.imgur.com/Qp7My.jpg
So, M$ collects info who is working on what !
By default w/o any direct permissions like "participate in app improvement".
Disgusting move from M$ but could anyone still expect smth else?...

Now my concerns are will SETI binary built with VS2015 spy on users and send telemetry to M$ or whatever structure they will sell access?...

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SETI apps news
We're not gonna fight them. We're gonna transcend them.

This Blackbird thing looked interesting so I gave it a tryout. Just spent the entire day undoing it machinations on two machines, both Windows 7 64 bit.

Yeah, I have to say I don't like it either. On one of my systems I found that after I ran it that it had enabled the diagnostic tracking service, while I had that one disabled before.

Perhaps before someone else tries it they better make a backup of their system.

The readme of Blackbird at least says:

- Disables OneDrive
- Disables Cortana
- Disables Bing-integration
- Disables Wi-Fi Sense
- Disables system-wide Windows/Office Telemetry on any Windows version
- Disables all Diagnostic-tracking / CEIP / Telemetry / Compatibility services, tasks and agents
- Disables web content evaluation / URL check-in ("SmartScreen")
- Disables Windows Media Online DRM
- Disables Windows P2P Update sharing
- Disables all AutoLoggers
- Disables Start menu ads
- Disables Windows Error Reporting
- Disables Xbox Live services
- Prevents cross-device synchronization
- Prevents all location/contacts/handwritting/password sharing
- Prevents device meta-data collection
- Patches various data-leaks (IE/EDGE/Defender/Explorer/MRT)
- Removes Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)
- Removes your unique Ad-ID tracking token and disables further Windows advertising profiling
- Removes GWX and all Windows 10 Upgrade triggers, icons, messages and other nagging
- Removes Windows 10 Upgrade setup files on Windows 7/8
- Removes a bunch of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 telemetry updates
- Blocks 150+ different tracking/telemetry/ad servers (supports IPv6/IPv4, Wifi/Eth, custom lists)
- Bonus blocks (some) Youtube, Skype, Facebook ads

Some of those I don't want disabled.

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A problem I have noticed lately on Window$ 8.1 is the 'Automatic Maintenance' feature, it runs continuously and sucks resources from the system. I finally found how to disable it but we'll see if that sticks..........

Also everyone thanks for the help with VM ware. I did manage to setup a Ubuntu VM but it won't connect to my other computers on the local network. I am not going to use this method to run Quicken as it does not achieve my goal of TOTALLY divorcing myself from M$ and it's spyware update. I would still have to maintain a Windows environment to run the program so I'm not gaining anything. I'll just be patient until some very smart people develop a Quicken clone or a version that runs on Linux.

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"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

A problem I have noticed lately on Window$ 8.1 is the 'Automatic Maintenance' feature, it runs continuously and sucks resources from the system. I finally found how to disable it but we'll see if that sticks..........

Also everyone thanks for the help with VM ware. I did manage to setup a Ubuntu VM but it won't connect to my other computers on the local network. I am not going to use this method to run Quicken as it does not achieve my goal of TOTALLY divorcing myself from M$ and it's spyware update. I would still have to maintain a Windows environment to run the program so I'm not gaining anything. I'll just be patient until some very smart people develop a Quicken clone or a version that runs on Linux.

Did you ever give GnuCash a try as I suggested?

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Seti@Home classic workunits:20,676 CPU time:74,226 hours

A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association)

This Blackbird thing looked interesting so I gave it a tryout. Just spent the entire day undoing it machinations on two machines, both Windows 7 64 bit.

Yeah, I have to say I don't like it either. On one of my systems I found that after I ran it that it had enabled the diagnostic tracking service, while I had that one disabled before.

Perhaps before someone else tries it they better make a backup of their system.

The readme of Blackbird at least says:

- Disables OneDrive
- Disables Cortana
- Disables Bing-integration
- Disables Wi-Fi Sense
- Disables system-wide Windows/Office Telemetry on any Windows version
- Disables all Diagnostic-tracking / CEIP / Telemetry / Compatibility services, tasks and agents
- Disables web content evaluation / URL check-in ("SmartScreen")
- Disables Windows Media Online DRM
- Disables Windows P2P Update sharing
- Disables all AutoLoggers
- Disables Start menu ads
- Disables Windows Error Reporting
- Disables Xbox Live services
- Prevents cross-device synchronization
- Prevents all location/contacts/handwritting/password sharing
- Prevents device meta-data collection
- Patches various data-leaks (IE/EDGE/Defender/Explorer/MRT)
- Removes Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)
- Removes your unique Ad-ID tracking token and disables further Windows advertising profiling
- Removes GWX and all Windows 10 Upgrade triggers, icons, messages and other nagging
- Removes Windows 10 Upgrade setup files on Windows 7/8
- Removes a bunch of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 telemetry updates
- Blocks 150+ different tracking/telemetry/ad servers (supports IPv6/IPv4, Wifi/Eth, custom lists)
- Bonus blocks (some) Youtube, Skype, Facebook ads

Some of those I don't want disabled.

If you invoke the program from the command line, you can also use a ton of opt-in/opt-out feature options about what you don't want the program to touch. At least the -r option DOES return your system back to the state it was before you invoked the program.

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Seti@Home classic workunits:20,676 CPU time:74,226 hours

A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association)

I initially tried GnuCash about a year ago but ran into major data validity problems during the export/import of the .QIF files. I have been reading a blog regarding this process and may try it again soon with less data(I currently track and work with 35 separate accounts including investments).

The blog suggested only importing a couple of years of data instead of the entire history so I will try that path.

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"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

I initially tried GnuCash about a year ago but ran into major data validity problems during the export/import of the .QIF files. I have been reading a blog regarding this process and may try it again soon with less data(I currently track and work with 35 separate accounts including investments).

The blog suggested only importing a couple of years of data instead of the entire history so I will try that path.

Yes, the general recommendation is to only import your last couple of years for your daily finance tracking into one database. Then import the bulk of your past years transactions into a separate database that you would infrequently visit. That way you keep your prime database small and fast. I already am noticing a slow down in access in my database of 5 years of transactions. I will likely pare it down to the last two years by splitting off the older data into a new database to speed up my current year access.

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Seti@Home classic workunits:20,676 CPU time:74,226 hours

A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association)

Idle Maintenance update:

Well disabling the task in the scheduler had no effect, the POS restarted on the next boot up. So I have deleted the Idle Maintenance and Scheduled Maintenance tasks from the library. We'll see if Window$ re-installs them(I'm betting it does!).
Big Bother is starting to REALLY annoy me! My Iconia Tablet died permanently yesterday(3 years so I got more life than some I have read). I'm not sure I'm going to replace it. It was handy but limited in apps. I might go with another OS.

Any suggestions?

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"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

Idle Maintenance update:

Well disabling the task in the scheduler had no effect, the POS restarted on the next boot up. So I have deleted the Idle Maintenance and Scheduled Maintenance tasks from the library. We'll see if Window$ re-installs them(I'm betting it does!).
Big Bother is starting to REALLY annoy me! My Iconia Tablet died permanently yesterday(3 years so I got more life than some I have read). I'm not sure I'm going to replace it. It was handy but limited in apps. I might go with another OS.

Any suggestions?

Uhh...............XP 64bit?

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

You still can’t turn off Windows 10’s built-in spyware

Microsoft is reducing the data it collects from your Windows 10 PCs, but what does that really mean? Good question. Microsoft isn’t saying.

Microsoft is promising that, come Windows 10 Creators Update this spring, it will reduce how much information it sucks down from your Windows 10 PC if you choose the Basic settings. There’s only one little problem. Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s top Windows executive, didn’t spell out the details.

Now maybe you can become president of the United States by making big, bold claims without any, you know, real plans, but software doesn’t work that way. Microsoft is asking us to trust it.

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Microsoft is asking us to trust it.

The words 'Microsoft' and 'trust' in the same sentence??
Hoo boy, that's a hoot.

MeowLOLing.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Microsoft is asking us to trust it.

The words 'Microsoft' and 'trust' in the same sentence??
Hoo boy, that's a hoot.

MeowLOLing.

"You knew I was a snake, before you took me in.........."

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"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

End of servicing for Windows 10, version 1507

With the availability of Windows 10, version 1607 to the VLSC on January 26th, the 60-day grace period for Windows 10, version 1507 will begin. That means, after March 26th, 2017, Windows 10, version 1507 will no longer be serviced as only the two most Current Branch for Business (CBB) versions are actively serviced.

Microsoft Technet

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We ALL can relate to this...

Microsoft won't fix the most frustrating thing about Windows
Commentary: The worst feature of Windows 10 is automatic updates -- even when you're in the middle of something.

Maybe you're delivering a presentation to a huge audience. Maybe you're taking an online test. Maybe you just need to get some work done on a tight deadline.

Windows doesn't care.

Windows will take control of your computer, force-feed it updates, and flip the reset switch automatically -- and there's not a damn thing you can do about it, once it gets started.

If you haven't saved your work, it's gone. Your browser tabs are toast. And don't expect to use your computer again soon; depending on the speed of your drive and the size of the update, it could be anywhere from 10 minutes to well over an hour before your PC is ready for work.


As far as I'm concerned, it's the single worst thing about Windows. It's only gotten worse in Windows 10. And when I poked around Microsoft, the overarching message I received was that Microsoft has no interest in fixing it.

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We ALL can relate to this...

Not me.
I'm running WIn10 Pro, and after updating it lets me select a time for it to reboot & finish installing the updates if I don't want to do it then.
*shrug*

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Grant
Darwin NT

We ALL can relate to this...

Not me.
I'm running WIn10 Pro, and after updating it lets me select a time for it to reboot & finish installing the updates if I don't want to do it then.
*shrug*

Ditto x4

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New bit of M$ nonsense.
All 5 boxes here interact for some tasks, and since these are scheduled (non-SETI) tasks it is expected that time & date will be correct to keep them from stepping on each other. Been having some issues and discovered the following:
1) While Internet Time Update remains enabled, all machines have been changed from time.nist.gov to time.windows.com, and
2) The current time on 2 of 5 boxes was incorrect.
So I live 6 miles as the bird flies from the NIST facility, and I'm gonna go to Redmond for my time?
Right.
And M$ made this change without my knowledge or consent for what reason?
FYI, one of the 5 boxes is Win 7, not 10.

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New bit of M$ nonsense.
All 5 boxes here interact for some tasks, and since these are scheduled (non-SETI) tasks it is expected that time & date will be correct to keep them from stepping on each other. Been having some issues and discovered the following:
1) While Internet Time Update remains enabled, all machines have been changed from time.nist.gov to time.windows.com, and
2) The current time on 2 of 5 boxes was incorrect.
So I live 6 miles as the bird flies from the NIST facility, and I'm gonna go to Redmond for my time?
Right.
And M$ made this change without my knowledge or consent for what reason?
FYI, one of the 5 boxes is Win 7, not 10.

Often settings get set to factory default when updates are applied. This isn't new and has been going on since at least XP.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
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