New Windows 7/8/8.1 updates spy on you just like Windows 10

[Batu69]

Microsoft is pushing KB3075249 and KB3080149 updates for Windows 7/8/8.1 users which can spy on you

Windows 10 has been launched and already installed by more than 50 million users worldwide. It is now a known fact that Windows 10 user data is being reported back to Microsoft servers back in Redmond. The jury is still out whether this a good or bad practice but many of Windows 10 Apps like Cortana depend on getting your preferences correct to serve you better.

This being the case, many Windows users who are not happy with Windows 10 spying ways and have preferred to stay on with Windows 7/Windows 8 and Window 8.1 as the case might be. For these Windows 7/8/8.1 users there are a few updates which Microsoft has been pushing through last few days.

Namely, KB3075249 and KB3080149, if installed are known to report your data back to Microsoft servers.

KB3075249 update adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. The Microsoft support page gives following description for them :

KB3075249 “Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 ”

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3075249

KB3080149 “This update aligns down-level devices on the same UTC binary that’s released in Windows 10. This update would enable all the down-level devices to receive the software updates, design updates, and additional power and performance tuning.”

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3080149

In simple words, both these updates, if downloaded and installed will snoop on you and report back certain data to the Microsoft servers.

Once you have updated your Windows 7/8/8.1 with these updates, your PC is no better than Windows 10 as it will report back your user data.

There is little news about these updates but tech forums are already abuzz about their spying ways. Some users on forums have reported additional updates from Microsoft which are to be avoided :

KB2505438

KB2670838 – Windows 7 Only (breaks AERO functionality and gives you blurry fonts on some websites)

KB2952664

KB2976978 – Windows 8 only

KB3021917

KB3035583

KB3075249

If you are a privacy lover or dont want your data to be sent to unwanted entities, avoid the above updates. All these updates are optional and wont harm your PC if you dont install them.

To stop your Windows 7/8/8.1 PC from downloading these updates, go to your Windows Update, click on the check box besides this updates and hide them.

Do remember, these updates may reappear after a reboot. Therefore keep a check on what your Windows 7/8/8.1 PC is updates before you install them.

Source

[vregu]

I knew it.. sooner or later Microsoft would send his crap to other Windows operating systems than Win 10. :angry:

[Kalju]

Wait a little and have not no more any windows 7, 8, 8.1 - all is one Windows 10. Even if you do not want it any way.
But if the Great Father wants it, he will not ask from you anything. So just is.
Windows is not made for people, but people are Microsoft (forced) slaves.

[vissha]

There are many more updates to be blocked which aren't listed. Here are those.

KB3044374

KB3046480

KB3058168

KB3068708

KB3050267

KB3046480

KB3058168

KB3068708

KB3055323

KB3022345

KB3021910

and many more yet to come.

Also, there are some more updates to be blocked in Win 7, Vista and even the XP[updates enabled till 2019].

[spudboy]

There are many more updates to be blocked which aren't listed. Here are those.

KB3044374

KB3046480

KB3058168

KB3068708

KB3050267

KB3046480

KB3058168

KB3068708

KB3055323

KB3022345

KB3021910

and many more yet to come.

Also, there are some more updates to be blocked in Win 7, Vista and even the XP[updates enabled till 2019].

Not all of those have anything to do with telemetry/sending data & 3 of them are listed twice. ;)

Not sure about 7 since I don't use it, but the only ones 8.1 users need to worry about as of the date of this post are the following:

KB2976978

KB3035583

KB3044374

KB3068708

KB3075249

[ASIO]

Wait a little and have not no more any windows 7, 8, 8.1 - all is one Windows 10. Even if you do not want it any way.

But if the Great Father wants it, he will not ask from you anything. So just is.

Windows is not made for people, but people are Microsoft (forced) slaves.

shity monopoly

[Kalju]

The next step is that all children will be able to get only through Windows update channel.

[OrbingStorm]

I would like to see microsofts response to the backlash all this has caused.The worst thing is we will all have to use win 10 at some point because most programmes work best on windows.Some I have are made for windows and mac only.Im eyeing Linux more and more.Also is google and apple just as bad and if so why do we seem to not mind as much?

In the end we dont have much choice it seems.

[Nedal0]

I really don't see why people are so concerned about Microsoft spying. If you are up to no good then you have a lot to worry about. Stop making noise about Microsoft spying. You are free to exploit other Operating Systems or just build your own since its so easy to do.

Enough Enough Enough already !

[Skunk1966]

I really don't see why people are so concerned about Microsoft spying. If you are up to no good then you have a lot to worry about. Stop making noise about Microsoft spying. You are free to exploit other Operating Systems or just build your own since its so easy to do.

Enough Enough Enough already !

maybe YOU don't care about internet privacy and privacy in general but LOTS of others do.

If you don't like this subject don't follow threads about it!

[res]

Very important thread I think.

Here are some more updates you may want to skip, but I am by no means an expert:

KB3013816 - Dodgy update. Can cause BSOD on x32 systems with Kaspersky installed.KB3022345 - Telemetry and dodgy update, some USB devices "not recognised" after this update. Causes errors in System File CheckerKB3068708 - Same as above but released under new name. Sneaky!KB971033 - Classic update which detects pirated windows activation.KB2990214 - Win10 nagwareKB3044374 - Win10 nagwareKB3035583 - Win10 nagware v4KB3046480 - Win10 upgrade stuffKB3065988 - Win10 upgrade stuffKB3050267 - Win10 upgrade stuff

[Schematic]

A list with all updates that should be avoided with a small description, would be awesome. I need reinstall W7 Enterprise and I wanted to have it in the best shape as possible.

[steven36]

I really don't see why people are so concerned about Microsoft spying. If you are up to no good then you have a lot to worry about. Stop making noise about Microsoft spying. You are free to exploit other Operating Systems or just build your own since its so easy to do.

Enough Enough Enough already !

maybe YOU don't care about internet privacy and privacy in general but LOTS of others do.

If you don't like this subject don't follow threads about it!

Nobody ever cared before much.. only some of us did i used xp anti spy and I blocked stuff from Microsoft as well in windows 8.1. In windows xp , 7 and 8 most all data collecting is turned on by default in windows 10 some of it can be turned off . The thing that scares everyone is the fact they can see it can be turned off. Everyone is on and on about how to block Microsoft data but then they get on there phones were NSA , Google and Sony are collecting there data is sort of hypocritical . If you're worried about privacy you should stay away from Facebook and phones too. :P ;)

[ASIO]

Got this shits

[0veR]

Soon they will put in Windows 7 more extra bloated and spying shit and force users to move to Windows 10. Microsoft is playing durty game!

[steven36]

Soon they will put in Windows 7 more extra bloated and spying shit and force users to move to Windows 10. Microsoft is playing durty game!

what you mean put ? This has been said about windows 7 for years

Windows 7 might be spying on you December 14 2012 21:43 GMT

Information about your computing habits are collected and sent back to MS daily. For example: "this job collects and sends usage data to Microsoft”, what USB devices you use, how you use them and “information about your machine”. Most say “If the user hasn’t consented, this task does nothing”, however I don’t remember being asked. And the history is DISABLED so you can’t see if it’s actively sending data or not.

These scripts are located at CONTROL PANEL → ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS → TASK SCHEDULER → ACTIVE SCRIPTS. The tasks are listed with a short description of what they do. If you disable or delete them is up to you.

Consolidator:

If the user has consented to participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program, this job collects and sends usage data to Microsoft.

UsbCeip:

“The USB CEIP (Customer Experience Improvement Program) task collects Universal Serial Bus related statistics and information about your machine and sends it to the Windows Device Connectivity engineering group at Microsoft. The information received is used to help improve the reliability, stability, and overall functionality of USB in Windows. If the user has not consented to participate in Windows CEIP, this task does not do anything.”

ProgramDataUpdater:

“Collects program telemetry information if opted-in to the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program”

AitAgent:

Aggregates and uploads Application Telemetry information if opted-in to the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program.

KernelCeipTask:

The Kernel CEIP (Customer Experience Improvement Program) task collects additional information about the system and sends this data to Microsoft. If the user has not consented to participate in Windows CEIP, this task does nothing.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/closed-threads/388153-windows-7-might-be-spying-on-you

Windows 8.1 = Spying Machine 8.1 October 19, 2013

Reviewers of Windwos 8.1 are focussing on the wrong things. Ooh, quoth the gullible reviewers, due to popular demand, Microsoft brough back the “Start Button”. Bzzzzzz wrong. More on that later.

The reviewers (the ones that are not mouth-breathing astroturfing Microsoft shills) would have been more wary had Windows 8.1 came with a blinking warning.

“ACTHTUNG! We make your computer covertly report everything you do and send your data (plus, arguably, microphone and web-cam feeds) to the US Government”.

Amazingly, this is not irrational paranoia, it’s all there in the Snowdem documents and the allegations have not been refuted. The EU are drafting new laws to attempt (or seem to attempt) to curtail this American Spying. The diagram below is one of the proofs that Microsoft (and others) cannot be trusted. (PRISM one of the US spying operations implemented by the now-infamous NSA).

There is no way around it. That diagram alone should alert Governments and other organisations worldwide to think extremely carefully about exposing their secrets, communications and data to the risks implicit in using non-open, proprietary operating systems and other software. Like Windows and Mac OS-X for example. These must be treated as suspicious, Trojan Horse computer systems. It is hard to see them that way because they are so familiar and harmless-seeming.

OK, let’s assume that you are happy to have your computer report everything you do to the US Goverment, then what else can we say about Windows 8.1?

That so-called “Start” button – if you click it, brings up a full-screen, flat tiles and icon infested monstrosity. This is bad UI design for desktop and laptop computers in two ways.

The first problem is that the thing is ugly and often difficult to use. The second issue is more subtle. Because this garish UI takes over the entire screen, it instigates something called “context switching” in the mind. Context switching is tiring and causes you to forget what you were doing, because the brain dumps it’s short term the mind’s memory cache to switch to the new interface. This is called the Doorway Effect.

To put it more simply, the “Start” button isn’t a start button at all. It is a “Screen Full of Crap” button masquerading as a “Start” button and, essentially, it is an anti-productivity gimmick.

With all the surveillance and spying going on, you cannot trust Microsoft and you cannot trust Apple and other mega-corps either. So what can you do?

It’s radical, but the only sane way out of the malaise is to use Linux (Linux Mint is good). In recent years Linux has become an incredibly powerful, fast, secure and intuitive system. Yes you have to learn some changes, but then again you would also have to learn even more changes in “Windows 8″, which is completely different from (and worse than) Windows 7. A show-stopper might be that some Windows-specific software might not run, but the same is true of switching to Macs, iPads and Android tablets and they are popular enough. Linux gaffer Linus Torvalds has a zero tolerance of US-Gov back doors used to spy on you and even if he did, such spying back doors would be gleefully detected and eradicated in five picoseconds by the legions of security geeks who work on the (open) source code.

Linux costs $0 because it is free open source software. And, like most operating systems, it doesn’t need a virus checker. Windows, however….

My prediction is that Windows 8.1 will, like Windows 8 before, will be unloved by all but Microsoft fanatics and even some of those are moaning.

Eadon will bring you more geek insanity next week, but meanwhile…

MICROSOFT WINDOWS 8 FAIL

http://bogpaper.com/windows-8-1-spying-machine-8-1/

If you didn't care before why do you care now because windows 10 is out? :lol:

Is everyone just now wakening up or what? Every since I been online 2001 M$ has always spied on there users .

[straycat19]

what you mean put ? This has been said about windows 7 for years

And you think no one has been blocking this all along? Anyone who hasn't blocked all this stuff before should run the following since

the application of this might help, "5" being the highest.

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Level of Stupidity" /v "ReduceStupidityByUsers" /t REG_DWORD /d "5" /f

[Actarusse]

:fun: :tooth:

[steven36]

what you mean put ? This has been said about windows 7 for years

And you think no one has been blocking this all along? Anyone who hasn't blocked all this stuff before should run the following since

the application of this might help, "5" being the highest.

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Level of Stupidity" /v "ReduceStupidityByUsers" /t REG_DWORD /d "5" /f

I bet 9 out of 10 people didn't even know it existed . They never knew tell Microsoft added it in windows 10 or just simply didn't care that it did . Just like most people who use host blocks to block ips from . Microsoft can't post screen caps of it 100% working with and ip sniffer . They just assumes it works because never really checked . :lol:

I'll tell you this I dont use no method of blocking anymore without checking on ip sniffer and I graduated to only using firewalls over a year ago much more effective .

When windows 7 and windows 8 came out all people was studying was how to get around activation witch was kind of interesting . But now days because they got it for free they got nothing better to talk about then to block stuff to M$ something I been doing well over a decade . Paranoia will destroy you . Block it and move on to something better in life dont dwell on it .

[Holmes]

I really don't see why people are so concerned about Microsoft spying. If you are up to no good then you have a lot to worry about. Stop making noise about Microsoft spying. You are free to exploit other Operating Systems or just build your own since its so easy to do.

Enough Enough Enough already !

maybe YOU don't care about internet privacy and privacy in general but LOTS of others do.

If you don't like this subject don't follow threads about it!

I agree your the only one that doesnt care about privacy. I posted this before you got your posts in. Microsoft is doing this to show users there operating system they think is safe isnt as safe as it used to be think of this as a way to scare users to windows ten. Why do this they can and I really didnt use xp antispy stuff and have shut down spy stuff on windows seven not becuase im stupid its because I didnt stop and really think about it the extent microsoft is taking it (then again are they taking it to the extend we all think they are or are we being paranoid). Im very happy I decided to test the windows ten technical preview. The shit is those stop spying programs for windows ten none of them are perfect does. Im amazed at how many programmers are developing these programs and how many programs there are. I think we let those know who aren't thinking about microsoft spying on earlier operating systems know and not stoop to name calling calling people stupid we are all supposed to be on the same team lets act like it..

[948bennett]

Posts like this should be made sticky's for those that do care about privacy, its our basic human right to care.

[steven36]

I really don't see why people are so concerned about Microsoft spying. If you are up to no good then you have a lot to worry about. Stop making noise about Microsoft spying. You are free to exploit other Operating Systems or just build your own since its so easy to do.

Enough Enough Enough already !

maybe YOU don't care about internet privacy and privacy in general but LOTS of others do.

If you don't like this subject don't follow threads about it!

I agree your the only one that doesnt care about privacy..

People who work for NSA ,Microsoft and Google dont care about you're privacy . There jobs depend on you not having none .If you want privacy why do bother coming on a public site and posting on it at all.? Were has Google ,Yahoo M$/Bing and. Facebook bots copying down everything you post. If you really wanted to be anonymous . You would not post in public you be logged out with cookies blocked . If you want privacy go watch TV or something. :P

[Holmes]

I updated my post:

I really don't see why people are so concerned about Microsoft spying. If you are up to no good then you have a lot to worry about. Stop making noise about Microsoft spying. You are free to exploit other Operating Systems or just build your own since its so easy to do.

Enough Enough Enough already !

maybe YOU don't care about internet privacy and privacy in general but LOTS of others do.

If you don't like this subject don't follow threads about it!

I agree your the only one that doesnt care about privacy. I posted this before you got your posts in. Microsoft is doing this to show users there operating system they think is safe isnt as safe as it used to be think of this as a way to scare users to windows ten. Why do this they can and I really didnt use xp antispy stuff and have shut down spy stuff on windows seven not becuase im stupid its because I didnt stop and really think about it the extent microsoft is taking it (then again are they taking it to the extend we all think they are or are we being paranoid). Im very happy I decided to test the windows ten technical preview. The shit is those stop spying programs for windows ten none of them are perfect does. Im amazed at how many programmers are developing these programs and how many programs there are. I think we let those know who aren't thinking about microsoft spying on earlier operating systems know and not stoop to name calling calling people stupid we are all supposed to be on the same team lets act like it..

You think you get privacy on tv with smart tv's out think again you really want privacy go back to the stone age or dont use electronics go back to the type writer oh yea remember the movie mercury rising the autistic boy that cracked a super code the guy thought using a type writer is safe the government went after him grabbed a piece of it out of his trash after killing him point your not safe period..

[steven36]

I updated my post:

I really don't see why people are so concerned about Microsoft spying. If you are up to no good then you have a lot to worry about. Stop making noise about Microsoft spying. You are free to exploit other Operating Systems or just build your own since its so easy to do.

Enough Enough Enough already !

maybe YOU don't care about internet privacy and privacy in general but LOTS of others do.

If you don't like this subject don't follow threads about it!

I agree your the only one that doesnt care about privacy. I posted this before you got your posts in. Microsoft is doing this to show users there operating system they think is safe isnt as safe as it used to be think of this as a way to scare users to windows ten. Why do this they can and I really didnt use xp antispy stuff and have shut down spy stuff on windows seven not becuase im stupid its because I didnt stop and really think about it the extent microsoft is taking it (then again are they taking it to the extend we all think they are or are we being paranoid). Im very happy I decided to test the windows ten technical preview. The shit is those stop spying programs for windows ten none of them are perfect does. Im amazed at how many programmers are developing these programs and how many programs there are. I think we let those know who aren't thinking about microsoft spying on earlier operating systems know and not stoop to name calling calling people stupid we are all supposed to be on the same team lets act like it..

You think you get privacy on tv with smart tv's out think again you really want privacy go back to the stone age or dont use electronics..

Homes if you're dumb enough to buy a smart TV and hook it to the internet you want have no privacy . That's like people who log into to computers though a Microsoft account . I bet if you bought that TV somewhere it states in there terms of use you give up your right to privacy by using there services or they could be sued. if they didn't . :rolleyes:

Theres all kinds of nice tvs out that are not smart TVs that's not something I even want.

Smart TVs Are Stupid: Why You Don’t Really Want a Smart TV (Updated)

Full review:

http://www.howtogeek.com/176392/smart-tvs-are-stupid-why-you-dont-really-want-a-smart-tv/

[Holmes]

A friend of mine got a smart tv and is a very smart guy unfortunately he made a very dumb decision (I know oxymoron) when buying the smart tv and says I dont care if they are eavesdropping on me or anything I warn him about says hes got nothing to hide (I know sad). Ill never buy a smart tv myself Ill buy a HD led 3D realD tv without smart tv features if one exists..