...but please, please, please keep this thread alive and up to date, cause it is momentary really the best resource for keeping your (my) flawless running 7s and 8.1s systems relatively clean - very much appreciated - thanks a lot! :)

It's just a shame that it now has no relation to what the thread was originally started for.

So...........start a new thread then.

Meow.

About 1,900 posts too late for that.

Never too late for the truth.

---

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

About 1,900 posts too late for that.

And the the answer is which or both of the Yae or Nay?...


Baaa! :-)


Happy malware free crunchin,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/unfiltered-opinion/windows-10-forced-upgrade-fighting-decades-long-institutional-insanity.html?google_editors_picks=true

Wrapping Up: A Future of Forced Upgrades

The world has changed a lot since we first saw PCs. Now we are surrounded by smart devices that automatically get updates whether we want them or not, largely because of a combination of bug fixes and constantly changing security exposures. Recently, the GSA began to put in place policies that force all U.S. government suppliers to aggressively assure all parts of their business from the citizenship and background of workers to the source and content of their software. This will quickly trickle down to every company that is in the supply chain of these firms. But it is very likely that in the next decade, we will face a security problem of national if not global proportions and that will force laws, and vendor liability, that will make keeping platforms current not only more acceptable but potentially illegal to avoid.

---

...but please, please, please keep this thread alive and up to date, cause it is momentary really the best resource for keeping your (my) flawless running 7s and 8.1s systems relatively clean - very much appreciated - thanks a lot! :)

It's just a shame that it now has no relation to what the thread was originally started for.

Actually, what is being posted is exactly in relation to what the thread was created for. When I created this thread it was to get the opinions and experiences of those of us who installed the malware, now known as Win 10, whether the opinions were either positive or negative. Even though there have been few positive posts to this thread, the majority of posts have been in the negative. If M$S had not forced updates on every version of 10, except for Enterprise, and if M$S did not pulled the wool over everyone's eyes when it came to the security an end-users machine in regards to the privacy of that end-user, I think the outcome would have been completely different.

I installed this malware on my machine on 30 July and deeply regretted it. It corrupted the machine so badly that I could not even revert back to Win 7 via the process provided by M$S. I had to do a complete fresh install of Win 7 on 31 July, with the saving grace being that my data was saved, including BOINC, because it resides on a separate physical drive (D:). So the system drive (C:) and the backup drive (E:) had to be completely reformatted to be of any use.

I am a retired IT professional, in my 70s, and unless M$S comes to its' senses, I may have to learn a completely new OS and it's associated languages and software. As it is now Win 7 will be like XP and will last until HE@ll freezes over. As it stands at this point is time, I may not be able to upgrade my CPU beyond Skylake because M$S changed hardware requirements for supporting older versions of Windows, by only supporting new silicon on Windows 10 moving forward.

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/microsoft-will-not-support-older-windows-versions-on-upcoming-pc-hardware.html

So HE@LL YES, it is continuing to be in complete relation of the intentions of its' creation.

---

I don't buy computers, I build them!!

...but please, please, please keep this thread alive and up to date, cause it is momentary really the best resource for keeping your (my) flawless running 7s and 8.1s systems relatively clean - very much appreciated - thanks a lot! :)

It's just a shame that it now has no relation to what the thread was originally started for.

Actually, what is being posted is exactly in relation to what the thread was created for. When I created this thread it was to get the opinions and experiences of those of us who installed the malware, now known as Win 10, whether the opinions were either positive or negative. Even though there have been few positive posts to this thread, the majority of posts have been in the negative. If M$S had not forced updates on every version of 10, except for Enterprise, and if M$S did not pulled the wool over everyone's eyes when it came to the security an end-users machine in regards to the privacy of that end-user, I think the outcome would have been completely different.

I installed this malware on my machine on 30 July and deeply regretted it. It corrupted the machine so badly that I could not even revert back to Win 7 via the process provided by M$S. I had to do a complete fresh install of Win 7 on 31 July, with the saving grace being that my data was saved, including BOINC, because it resides on a separate physical drive (D:). So the system drive (C:) and the backup drive (E:) had to be completely reformatted to be of any use.

I am a retired IT professional, in my 70s, and unless M$S comes to its' senses, I may have to learn a completely new OS and it's associated languages and software. As it is now Win 7 will be like XP and will last until HE@ll freezes over. As it stands at this point is time, I may not be able to upgrade my CPU beyond Skylake because M$S changed hardware requirements for supporting older versions of Windows, by only supporting new silicon on Windows 10 moving forward.

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/microsoft-will-not-support-older-windows-versions-on-upcoming-pc-hardware.html

So HE@LL YES, it is continuing to be in complete relation of the intentions of its' creation.

+1

---

I Desire Peace and Justice, Jim Scott (Mod-Ret.)

I completely agree that 99.999999999 % of all the posts here are excatley what you wanted everybody giving their feedback after trying win10 and as far as I am concerned from everything I have read here and experienced myself we cannot all be wrong M$ has so completely removed itself from the real world that I cannot describe it. I did try win10(spare drive and oem win 7 key) and did not like the attempt to blend mobile and desktop(it failed with 8 as well) and once I found out about the privacy INVASIONS and DATA THEFT that was the end but 1 big problem when I rolled back to 7 it messed with my primary drive and I had to do a reinstall of 7 and 2 days later I had to change my product key because the key it was showing(M$ tool) was like nothing I had in my posession I could not possibly have mis-entered 25 characters(the entire key was wrong) so even then M$ was trying to force people to switch to win 10. In response I have been working with Linux Mint which is likely my OS of the future I tried Ubuntu as well but I like Mint better.So please everyone keep giving you opinions and try to tell people that you know or work with(I have given cosmic oceans list to 4 or 5 people that I work with to help them) So please tell everyone you know about this and maybe Bill Gates will come out of retirement and refocus his company if not then we will all be looking for a new OS.

---

ME AND MY BOY LOOKING FOR ET

+1

Not sure if this is related to the Win 10 issues but since Tuesday have received 72 updates. Since GWX control panel installed before those updates, I'm now getting the security updates failing while all others installed.

Like Cliff, I keep all data on a seperate drive, should M$ bypass GWX CP next February & install 10 on my computer without my authorisation, it will be Mint on all my machines.

More of a warning: http://www.infoworld.com/article/3030211/microsoft-windows/experts-recommend-dont-install-microsoft-patch-kb-3123862.html

On Wednesday Microsoft released another mystery patch, KB 3123862, which appears as an optional, unchecked patch in Windows Update and closely parallels last year's reviled Get Windows 10 patch, KB 3035583 -- a patch we're still fighting.
The patch itself seems innocuous. According to the KB article it delivers "Updated capabilities to upgrade Windows 8.1 and Windows 7." The entire description for the patch consists of exactly one sentence:

The update adds capabilities to some computers that lets users easily learn about Windows 10 or start an upgrade to Windows 10.

There's no indication which computers, what the upgrade cycle looks like, or how systems will be modified to let users easily learn about Windows 10. I suppose there's an itinerant sheep herder on the Mongolian steppe who hasn't learned about Windows 10 -- come to think of it, probably not.

If you install the optional update, you find that KB 3123862 gives you brand-spanking-new copies of the following:
* Explorer.exe, the Windows File Explorer, and ExplorerFrame.dll, which contains supporting files -- icons, menus, bitmaps -- for Explorer.exe
* Shell32.dll, the heart of the Windows interface
* Authui.dll, which controls logins

If that doesn't send a chill up your spine, you haven't been following along.

The parallels to KB 3035583 are uncanny -- and disquieting. The original Get Windows 10 patch appeared in Windows Update on Mar. 27, 2015, without explanation, as an unchecked optional patch. The title was "Update enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1," and the entire description was:

This update enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user. It applies to a computer that is running Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

We didn't discover the true nature of the patch until a week later, when Gerard Himmelein at heise.de uncovered a nascent subsystem called GWX that was installed and set in motion by KB 3035583. Since that time, an entire industry has evolved to deal with the ramifications of the GWX infection, with GWX Control Panel leading the charge.

This new patch doesn't install anything in the GWX folder, nor does it flip any of the registry settings users have been using to block the forced march to Windows 10. As a matter of fact, at this point nobody seems to have any idea what it does.

How does the old Scotty saying go? "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

---

Slightly off topic.

I never got round to upgrading this machine to win 7, tried win 8 but after an unrepairable crash gave up with that.

I am now running into problems accessing some web sites, IE9 is getting too long in the tooth and Chrome has started giving warnings that it will no longer be supported in vista.

So it may not be to much longer before I have to upgrade to Linux.

---

Kevin

Slightly off topic.

I never got round to upgrading this machine to win 7, tried win 8 but after an unrepairable crash gave up with that.

I am now running into problems accessing some web sites, IE9 is getting too long in the tooth and Chrome has started giving warnings that it will no longer be supported in vista.

So it may not be to much longer before I have to upgrade to Linux.

Could try Firefox. That's all I'm running these days, on XP, 7 and 10. I missed Vista by luck, but had put it on a Vista box for a friend a while back and it performed well there.

---

Slightly off topic.

I never got round to upgrading this machine to win 7, tried win 8 but after an unrepairable crash gave up with that.

I am now running into problems accessing some web sites, IE9 is getting too long in the tooth and Chrome has started giving warnings that it will no longer be supported in vista.

So it may not be to much longer before I have to upgrade to Linux.

Could try Firefox. That's all I'm running these days, on XP, 7 and 10. I missed Vista by luck, but had put it on a Vista box for a friend a while back and it performed well there.

I am using Seamonkey as my primary browser on my 7 daily driver.
I do have an older version of Firefox loaded as well, which I very rarely have to use for an occasional website compatibility issue.

---

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

Chrome has started giving warnings that it will no longer be supported in vista.

There are other Chromium based browsers - I use Slimjet and SRWare Iron (Portable versions - No installation, all Preferences/Bookmarks/Extensions... are written in unpack directory)
http://www.slimjet.com/en/

https://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron_download.php
https://www.srware.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8855

They have more Settings
(e.g. to:
Disable WebRTC
choose Minimum SSL Version
Custom cache size
Automatically optimize memory usage
Confirm when closing browser window with multiple tabs
Automatically check newer version [Never]
...)
They do Not update automatically as Chrome do (the auto-update was the main reason I stopped using Google Chrome years ago)


I still use the ones based on Chromium 35 & 40 (with disabled "Check for updates")
Older versions are here:
http://www.slimjet.com/release/archive/

https://www.srware.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8004
http://download1.srware.net/old/iron/win/portable/


Maybe I will try the newest IronPortable 48.0.2550.0 (on Windows XP)
 

---

 


- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

They do Not update automatically as Chrome do (the auto-update was the main reason I stopped using Google Chrome years ago)

Although I don't often use Google Chrome, I do keep it on my system for those rare occasions when I run into a problem with Firefox on a particular web page. However, I have the Chrome update function disabled through the Task Scheduler. There seem to be two Goggle tasks in the Task Scheduler Library, "GoogleUpdateTaskMachineCore" and "GoogleUpdateTaskMachineUA". I've got both disabled.

---

I’ve been reading this thread regularly. I am not surprised by any action perpetrated by M$. It’s almost 15 yrs to the day, and it would appear that some things, appallingly, do not change. I followed this case closely, and the U.S. government had an excellent chance of winning. Alas, if Penfield Jackson hadn’t behaved in a reckless manner, Bill Gates would not have been victorious and M$ would have been split in two. All we are left with are his refreshingly poignant quotes on the defendant and its chief conspirators.

Years ago, I remember reading a tech news site article that translated an article from a German tech site which discovered something unnerving about the (then) shiny and new OS known as WinXP. They discovered that whenever Windows Media Player (or Center) was used to play a DVD, XP would contact Redmond and inform them of what was being played.

To wit, I offer this. When does paranoia turn into pragmatism? When the truth is revealed.

A shout out to Cosmic_Ocean for updating ’the list.’

---

Years ago, I remember reading a tech news site article that translated an article from a German tech site which discovered something unnerving about the (then) shiny and new OS known as WinXP. They discovered that whenever Windows Media Player (or Center) was used to play a DVD, XP would contact Redmond and inform them of what was being played.

I remember that. You could put a random CD into the PC drive, and after a few seconds it would identify the artist, track titles, and even display the cover artwork. I thought it was a dead cool feature at the time.

Years ago, I remember reading a tech news site article that translated an article from a German tech site which discovered something unnerving about the (then) shiny and new OS known as WinXP. They discovered that whenever Windows Media Player (or Center) was used to play a DVD, XP would contact Redmond and inform them of what was being played.

I remember that. You could put a random CD into the PC drive, and after a few seconds it would identify the artist, track titles, and even display the cover artwork. I thought it was a dead cool feature at the time.

I still use Windows Media Player. With ALL Privacy Features turned off of course. I also use Soundspectrums Gforce visualization. It works just as it did with XP or Win 7. I wouldn't trade it for another media player, at least as far as music is concerned.

---

I remember that. You could put a random CD into the PC drive, and after a few seconds it would identify the artist, track titles, and even display the cover artwork. I thought it was a dead cool feature at the time.

Glad to know that I my memory is intact.

That feature, when implemented like this, is cool. However, when implemented a la WinXP, the term used back then was "spyware." Today it’s called "Telemetry."

---

They do Not update automatically as Chrome do (the auto-update was the main reason I stopped using Google Chrome years ago)

Although I don't often use Google Chrome, I do keep it on my system for those rare occasions when I run into a problem with Firefox on a particular web page. However, I have the Chrome update function disabled through the Task Scheduler. There seem to be two Goggle tasks in the Task Scheduler Library, "GoogleUpdateTaskMachineCore" and "GoogleUpdateTaskMachineUA". I've got both disabled.

Google Chrome still sits here on version 7 :)

It was not that simple to stop its desire to update (at any time, not asking for permission, even if not started for months)

It have 3-4 ways to start the Updater:
From "Run" in Registry (when the user logs-in)
By "Scheduled Tasks" - 2 tasks with multiple triggers
By Services
(?) When you start Google Chrome (not sure about that, was long ago) or looking in "About Google Chrome" (was window, not tab, if you remember)

If you forget to Disable one of them - the Updater is started and it "fixes" all places to re-enable again

I used Autoruns to Disable all


P.S.
Google Chrome was the first program I know of that intentionally circumvents the Microsoft protection of "Program Files" in Vista - only to be able to Update without UAC prompt.

The installation directory (chrome.exe, chrome.dll, ...) is:
E:\Users\A n L\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\7.0.517.44\

The "User Data" (Bookmarks, Extensions, History, ...) is:
E:\Users\A n L\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\

They may think they do good - to not bother the user lets do the Update in the background and he will not notice.
But it was very noticeable on 1 core CPU + 1 GB RAM for Vista - they installed new >100 MB package every 1-2 weeks - no matter what the user do at the moment - and the computer was almost unusable for 10-15 minutes because of HDD swaps/paging.

(now also µTorrent installs to %AppData% since ~year ago - but it is small and do not automatically update - there is a Setting as should be)


P.P.S.
!!! Just noticed: Sysinternals seem to intentionally ban Windows XP now!
New minor versions released which claim on site "Client: Windows Vista and higher"
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/processexplorer

e.g. I have:
Autoruns 13.5 (October 26, 2015) (Windows XP and higher)
Autoruns 13.51 (January 4, 2016) (Windows Vista and higher)

Process Explorer 16.05 - 2015.03.09 - I use it on Windows XP
Process Explorer 16.1 - 2016.01.02 (Is it still for Windows XP and higher?)
Process Explorer 16.12 - February 2, 2016 (Windows Vista and higher)
 

---

 


- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

I still use Windows Media Player... I wouldn't trade it for another media player, at least as far as music is concerned.

Do they still use Ctrl+P for Pause and [Space] do nothing? (as is on XP)
I use Media Player Classic (K-Lite_Codec_Pack_710_Mega - 2011), VLC media player, Daum Potplayer (for video/movies) and Winamp 5.51 2007 for MP3

---

 


- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

Google Chrome still sits here on version 7 :)

It was not that simple to stop its desire to update (at any time, not asking for permission, even if not started for months)

It have 3-4 ways to start the Updater:
From "Run" in Registry (when the user logs-in)
By "Scheduled Tasks" - 2 tasks with multiple triggers
By Services
(?) When you start Google Chrome (not sure about that, was long ago) or looking in "About Google Chrome" (was window, not tab, if you remember)

If you forget to Disable one of them - the Updater is started and it "fixes" all places to re-enable again

I used Autoruns to Disable all

You're right about the "Run" entry, but I found that I already had that disabled, too. I couldn't find a "Services" entry.

FWIW, I actually just updated Chrome about 10 days ago (for the first time since 2011) because when I tried to use it (due to some Firefox issue I was having on a particular web page) I discovered that the version I had was so old that it wouldn't work right, either.

I suppose I should update my Autoruns, too, since I'm still using v9.02, from 2008. On the other hand, if it ain't broke, I don't usually try to fix it! :^)