Windows 10

Off-topic discussion and public chitchat.
User avatar
Charlie
Forum Regular
Posts: 160
Joined: February 26th, 2014, 3:49 pm
Location: Calgary Alberta.

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Charlie »

I suppose they will soon be into spamming us with popups and ads having infected a majority of the world's computers if they achieve their goal?
I believe if you read the following thread you will find that is exactly their game plan.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... 2abb117263 I remember reading somewhere Microsoft's future release plans had periodic ads popping up on the desktop similar to the free version of office but I can't seem to find that article at the moment.

The really sad part is there is lots of people flocking to Windows 10 and they're buying into the marketing campaign because they get Windows 10 for free.

This could be a boon for Linux and BSD if there weren't so many sheep in the world.
Allen Dick
Site Admin
Posts: 1824
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 10:09 pm
Location: Swalwell, Alberta
Contact:

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
Forum owner/janitor
---
Customise your experience at Honeybeeworld Forum at your User control Panel
Change the appearance and layout with your Board Preferences
Please upload your own avatar picture at Edit Avatar. It's easy!
Return to main diary page
User avatar
Charlie
Forum Regular
Posts: 160
Joined: February 26th, 2014, 3:49 pm
Location: Calgary Alberta.

How to manage Windows 10 notification and upgrade options

Unread post by Charlie »

From https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080351

It does tell you how to turn the Windows 10 NagWare off. I would caution you to backup the machine before following the instructions. You will be editing the registry manually which is more proof of yet another sneaky Microsoft tactic/trick. When they could've easily given you a button to opt out.

Windows 10 is becoming more stable and more usable. Traditionally it takes Microsoft about a year to work the bugs out of most new operating systems so I expect at some point in the future I will admit Windows 10 is okay if you ignore the spying, the bandwidth that it steals and all the other underhanded crap they've loaded.
Allen Dick
Site Admin
Posts: 1824
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 10:09 pm
Location: Swalwell, Alberta
Contact:

No Support for Windows 7 on new hardware!

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
Forum owner/janitor
---
Customise your experience at Honeybeeworld Forum at your User control Panel
Change the appearance and layout with your Board Preferences
Please upload your own avatar picture at Edit Avatar. It's easy!
Return to main diary page
User avatar
Charlie
Forum Regular
Posts: 160
Joined: February 26th, 2014, 3:49 pm
Location: Calgary Alberta.

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Charlie »

I forget the exact numbers but this breaks of 30+ year old tradition by Microsoft. Effectively they are forcing all new computers to ship with Windows 10 on it. Microsoft is definitely up to no good.

I talk to 1 of my suppliers yesterday and he tells me that every computer in the world that has upgraded to Windows 10 as of yesterday has the same key. He does not know what is going to happen after July when the year is up, if you need to reinstall. Given that Microsoft has stated Windows 10 will be the last version of Windows and they are forcing Windows 10 on everybody at an alarming rate because they can with all their sneaky underhanded tricks I fully believe they will turn it into some kind of subscription service as have they done with their office products. The lesson here would be backup backup backup if you choose to go forward with the Windows 10 upgrade Because if you need to reinstall you will be paying for that privilege. I would recommend two different backup methods which would include all your files and settings in a readable format and some form of DiskClone/Image file of your drive.

There have been many posts in this thread that detail the conniving.
Allen Dick
Site Admin
Posts: 1824
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 10:09 pm
Location: Swalwell, Alberta
Contact:

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Allen Dick »

GWX Control Panel has a new update available.
http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
Forum owner/janitor
---
Customise your experience at Honeybeeworld Forum at your User control Panel
Change the appearance and layout with your Board Preferences
Please upload your own avatar picture at Edit Avatar. It's easy!
Return to main diary page
User avatar
Charlie
Forum Regular
Posts: 160
Joined: February 26th, 2014, 3:49 pm
Location: Calgary Alberta.

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Charlie »

Windows 10 Spying Is Now Out Of Control
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly ... 4a2f967aa9


Here is another patch that you want to avoid
http://www.infoworld.com/article/303021 ... 23862.html
Allen Dick
Site Admin
Posts: 1824
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 10:09 pm
Location: Swalwell, Alberta
Contact:

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Yes there were three patches to uncheck and hide in the last batch. I saw only one offered on one Win 7 64-bit machine, but three on the other. They are fairy easy to identify as they are not .NET installs or security patches.

GWX Control Panel is still at version 1.7.2.0 from January.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
Forum owner/janitor
---
Customise your experience at Honeybeeworld Forum at your User control Panel
Change the appearance and layout with your Board Preferences
Please upload your own avatar picture at Edit Avatar. It's easy!
Return to main diary page
User avatar
Countryboy
Forum Regular
Posts: 605
Joined: November 8th, 2010, 9:37 pm
Location: Central Ohio
Contact:

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Countryboy »

I attended a speech this evening presented by FBI Director James Comey.

He said that 3rd parties gather more information about consumers than the FBI does, and it is more information than the FBI could deal with. (But we all know that with improvements in computers, they may be able to process it within a couple years.) He said it would be a backdoor method of obtaining information of the FBI got a warrant and made the information aggregators give them our personal data.

Over and over and over he kept talking about how they wouldn't do this. Several times he denounced it.

Never believe anything until it has officially been denied.

I took his adamant denials to be an admission that they were getting info about people from companies like Microsoft.
B. Farmer Honey
Central Ohio
User avatar
BadBeeKeeper
Site Admin
Posts: 144
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 2:01 pm
Location: Penobsot County, Maine

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by BadBeeKeeper »

Time to quit being lazy and dig out my Linux boxes.
Allen Dick
Site Admin
Posts: 1824
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 10:09 pm
Location: Swalwell, Alberta
Contact:

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Allen Dick »

CBC's Ideas has several podcasts on George Orwell.

FWIW, CBC has both news and radio apps that permit listening to the many CBC local stations across the country in real time or clips from various programmes across the country. Generally speaking the content is excellent and there are no commercials. My only complaints are that the interviews drag on a bit long and they tend to cover more dark subjects than I really need.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayeditio ... -1.1520153

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/the-orwel ... -1.3513191

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayeditio ... -1.2904663
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
Forum owner/janitor
---
Customise your experience at Honeybeeworld Forum at your User control Panel
Change the appearance and layout with your Board Preferences
Please upload your own avatar picture at Edit Avatar. It's easy!
Return to main diary page
User avatar
Charlie
Forum Regular
Posts: 160
Joined: February 26th, 2014, 3:49 pm
Location: Calgary Alberta.

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Charlie »

I believe every government in the world is guilty of spying on their people. My issue with this mentality is that law enforcement wants to spy on whoever they want whenever they want to do it without the need for a warrant, at least in Canada. I have no problem with the spying if law enforcement can convince a judge that they have probable cause. Without a warrant it is just a bunch of bullies with guns wanting to have their way with you. I fully understand that I painted all law enforcement black and I understand there are some very good police out there that I lumped in with this group and would like to exclude them from the tar and feathery and I have to believe they would agree with me that a warrant should be involved. The need to give up my rights of privacy to the government or the police have not been made self evident to me.

I oppose this mentality just on principle because the government says it is good for us and will help protect us. Income tax was a temporary measure hundred years ago. I guess nobody asked the government to define temporary.
User avatar
BadBeeKeeper
Site Admin
Posts: 144
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 2:01 pm
Location: Penobsot County, Maine

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by BadBeeKeeper »

I think it is the nature of governments and the people within them to attempt to take as much power and control as they possibly can. People who lack the will and means to oppose them become their victims.

Who needs warrants, when you have laws like this?
Any By-Law Enforcement Officer, Peace Officer, or any person acting on the officer’s
instructions, may at all reasonable times and upon producing proper identification, enter onto any property for the purpose of inspecting the property to determine whether there has been a contravention of this By-Law.
(From Mallorytown, Ontario by-laws)
Allen Dick
Site Admin
Posts: 1824
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 10:09 pm
Location: Swalwell, Alberta
Contact:

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Allen Dick »

As mentioned in the diary yesterday, I bought a Windows 10 laptop and also upgraded an old netbook to Win 10, but I continue to defend my main machines against stealth 'upgrade' attacks from Microsoft for the time being.

Now that Win 10 has been out for a while and the worst bugs ironed out, I figured I'd give it a try.

I quit worrying about privacy seeing as Google already has access to my location and the contents of my machines. There are no secrets and in today's world, privacy is just a dream.

In the news today, it is revealed that Blackberry, the supposed last bastion of totally private communication has been co-operating with government agencies and decrypting communications on demand all along. They say only on warrant for criminal activity, but also in today's news is the story of a Canadian University professor summarily imprisoned in Iran. Her criminal activity? Researching womens' rights, apparently.

What is legal today can be illegal tomorrow. How can we know?

In Canada, the following were illegal in the not-to-distant past:
  • birth control
    abortion
    doctor-assisted suicide
    marijuana possession
    ...
As for what was legal that is not now, there are volumes of new laws written every year and nobody knows them all. Be sure you are breaking some law every day.
The man in the trench coat
Badge out, laid off
Says he’s got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off
Look out kid
It’s somethin’ you did
God knows when
But you’re doin’ it again
(Subterranean Homesick Blues
WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN)
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
Forum owner/janitor
---
Customise your experience at Honeybeeworld Forum at your User control Panel
Change the appearance and layout with your Board Preferences
Please upload your own avatar picture at Edit Avatar. It's easy!
Return to main diary page
User avatar
Charlie
Forum Regular
Posts: 160
Joined: February 26th, 2014, 3:49 pm
Location: Calgary Alberta.

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Charlie »

Today is last day that you can get your Windows 10 for free. For those of you who wish to make the jump to Windows 10 but would like to have some reasonable security in your privacy you can try "Disable Windows 10 Tracking"

http://www.technohacker.com/how-to-stop ... -1-second/

I have not tried this, however the screenshots look very promising if it works as advertised.

I switched Linux at the beginning of the year so I do not have to play the silly games with Microsoft any more.
Allen Dick
Site Admin
Posts: 1824
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 10:09 pm
Location: Swalwell, Alberta
Contact:

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Allen Dick »

A few weeks back I bought a laptop/tablet with Win 10 and played with it a bit. I really did not like the GUI and have no use for push ads for software, etc. or live tiles, so far at least. So I continued to put off converting my daily machines over to Win 10 until several days before the deadline. At that time, one was running a bit poorly and the other was running out of hard drive space. It seemed clear that I would eventually move to Win 10 and doing so now would save me $US300+.

I cloned the small drive to a 500GB SSD that I had lying around and installed the larger drive. That was easy. The old drive is my backup. On the other machine, I made and verified a full backup using Macrium Reflect Free onto a 2TB USB drive. I assumed the upgrades would be an easy matter. I assumed I would simply have to reverse the GWX Control Panel settings and proceed.

The actuality turned out to be very different. Without going into all the research and various tweaks it took, I found that my antiransomeware app had locked the machine down hard and all the various mechanisms for upgrading I tried were killed as soon as they were invoked, without any explanation. Uninstalling the app did not reverse the changed permissions and registry entries. There may have been other issues, too.

Sleuthing found tweaking.com's repair utility and running it several times finally allowed a USB installation set up on the newest machine to run. Win 10 seemed to install and at the very end declared on one results page that the machine did not meet the requirements and the next page that it did.

Further sleuthing revealed that Win 10 needs more than 100MB on the system partition and installation quits without explanation if the partition is too small, and the original WIn 7 installation apparently sets it at 100MB in some cases.

So I downloaded, Minitool Partition Wizard Free , moved the main partition and expanded the system partition and repeated the process. The upgrade proceeded, but reported a drive error, so I ran chkdsk with all options and tried again.

Finally the installations on both machines finished successfully by 3AM, beating the deadline by almost a day.

Later, I installed Classic Shell to recover the WIn 7 features and change the GUI to something more suited to my needs. After several reboots, all the patches and updates are installed. The touchpad on one machine is acting oddly, but I suspect that will fix itself in time.

What do I think now? I find the machines look and run like Win 7 and a bit faster and more smoothly. I have suppressed much of the pointless push candy and next I'll tweak the phone home features to what seems reasonable to me.

As for privacy, there simply is none in this day and age.

All in all, this project that happened without warning and without any issues for many took me the better part of three days. I don't know what someone with less experience and determination could have done, short of doing a clean install.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
Forum owner/janitor
---
Customise your experience at Honeybeeworld Forum at your User control Panel
Change the appearance and layout with your Board Preferences
Please upload your own avatar picture at Edit Avatar. It's easy!
Return to main diary page
User avatar
Charlie
Forum Regular
Posts: 160
Joined: February 26th, 2014, 3:49 pm
Location: Calgary Alberta.

Re: Windows 10

Unread post by Charlie »

That is awesome. I'm glad it has worked out for you. I did upgrade one of my notebooks on the last day but have not finished the tweaking (to many irons in the fire). I did the upgrade so I can support windows10 but if I had any say in the matter everyone would stay with Windows7.

To be honest I would sooner be working the bees than windows 10.
As for privacy, there simply is none in this day and age.
While I fear you are hundred percent accurate in this statement. Does not mean that we should roll over and accept it because if we do it will never get any better if we do. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke"


I finally got to installed the latest Linux Mint 18 on a neighbour’s laptop it looks and acts like Mint 17.3. While my neighbour is 60 years old and she has very few computer skills, this should give me an idea how hard it will be for people to switch. In my mind if a 60-year-old grandmother can successfully use Linux that is proof enough for me that Linux is no longer for geeks.


At the end of the day people are actually very fortunate in that they have three computer systems to choose from, Apple, Microsoft and 100+ flavours of Linux. Each operating system has its own pros and cons and being able to choose what is right for you and what works for you ultimately is the best case scenario.
Post Reply