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w_r_ranch

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Windows 10 to automatically download on your PC

Not interested in installing Windows 10 on your computer after reading news reports indicating Microsoft will track your online behavior and save your search queries, private emails and contents of private folders, including photos?

Too bad. You may not be given much of a choice.

Microsoft’s Windows 10 is preparing to automatically download onto computers currently installed with Windows 7 or 8 – without the computer users’ knowledge, London’s Guardian reported.

According to the report, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will become a “recommended update” in 2016, and anyone who has automatic updates activated will have the new program installed automatically on their PC.

After it has downloaded, the Windows 10 installer will begin. At that point, users will need to actively cancel Windows 10.

That is, if they aren’t in the habit of just hitting “OK” when presented with a prompt, as many users often do.

In the meantime, until 2016, the Windows 10 upgrade will be considered “optional” and could still be downloaded if a user has the computer set to install automatic updates, which can be disabled.

“If you choose to upgrade (our recommendation!), then you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous version if you don’t love it,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Windows and Devices group.

Just weeks ago, Forbes reported Microsoft claimed an “accident” caused the downloads to begin installing on many computers without user permission.

As WND reported in August, a report from Newsweek warned: “From the moment an account is created, Microsoft begins watching. The company saves customers’ basic information – name, contact details, passwords, demographic data and credit card specifics.”

“But it also digs a bit deeper,” the report says.

“Other information Microsoft saves includes Bing search queries and conversations with the new digital personal assistant Cortana; contents of private communications such as email; websites and apps visited (including features accessed and length of time used); and contents of private folders,” the warning explains.

“Furthermore, ‘your typed and handwritten words’ are collected.’”

All of the warnings come from the company’s software privacy statement, which includes the statement that Microsoft collects information “to provide you a personalized user dictionary, help you type and write on your device with better character recognition, and provide you with text suggestions as you type or write.”

Alec Meer at the RockPaperShotgun blog warned it’s not something that should be ignored.

What’s America coming to? Find out in “Police State U.S.A.’

“Unless you pay close attention to the fluffy options offered when you first install Microsoft’s new operating system, it’s going to quietly track your behavior and use it to fire targeted ads at you, as well as keeping tabs on your location history, data from messages, calendars, contacts and God knows what else.”

The blog noted that “some of this stuff” can be turned off, but the key point is that people “aren’t so hot” about paying for tools to access the Web and such, so “the money comes from harvesting data and flogging it to advertisers and other organizations who want to know exactly what we’re all up to online.”

He continued, “If you ever wondered why they’ve made the Windows 10 upgrade free to Win 7 & 8 users, here’s one possible answer. Windows 10 has all sorts of user tracking baked right in.”

The Daily Mail reported another complication with the software last summer.

The update to Windows 10, the report said, “automatically made [a man's] porn collection into a slideshow and used it as a screensaver. And to make matters worse, the malfunction was discovered by his wife, who was greeted by the explicit images first thing in the morning.”

The report said a user posted the story online so others would not repeat the mistake, which reportedly happened when the images were saved into the “My Pictures” folder. It is from that folder the software draws data to build slideshows, the report said.

“I have no idea how to shut that feature off and that computer is staying shut down until I do,” the man wrote, according to the Mail. “Free Windows and a free trip to the doghouse. Thanks Microsoft!”

In August, Newsweek reported an estimated 14 million machines already were running Windows 10.

“The company says it uses the data collected for three purposes: to provide and improve its services; to send customers personalized promotions; and to display targeted advertising, which sometimes requires the information be shared with third parties.”

The report said Microsoft’s practices actually are similar to Google’s, which analyzes the content of users’ emails to provide a “more personalized product.”

Online privacy group European Digital Rights told the Times that the MS policy not only was bad news for privacy.

“Your free speech rights can also be violated on an ad hoc basis,” the group said.

Kirsten Fiedler, of EDR, told the Mail, “Microsoft basically grants itself the right to collect and process everything you do, say and write on your device – which is contrary to the fundamental right to privacy.”

The RockPaperShotgun blog posted some instructions for opting out of the Microsoft data collection plan.

The actions won’t, the blog said, reduce the ads seen.

“But they do mean that not quite so much information about you will be gathered and sold, and also that the ads you do see won’t be ‘relevant’ to what algorithms have decided your interests are.”
 
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Mr_Yan

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So what would other options be:

Windows 7 - Manage updates manually daily and be stuck with the hardware we have.

Apple OS - I don't like the Apple UI and environment and the really expensive hardware that comes with it.

Google Chrome - limited use, being folded into Android if WSJ and other sources are to be believed. And just as bad as MS in tracking

Linux - This would lead to a lot more work than I have on my hands. But heck Apple OS and Android are really just thick skins over a Linux kernel.
 

w_r_ranch

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I have found that Linux (especially Mint 17.2) to be a real time saver when it comes to maintenance & almost impossible to screw up. From the 'user' point-of-view, even Mrs. Ranch didn't have a problem with it & immediately noticed that her system is much quicker as there are no need for anti-virus/internet security or system 'tuning' programs hogging resources.

Migrating a single home system to Linux (start to finish) takes less than 2 hrs. & you will be back on the internet & reading your email. Customizing it to make it uniquely your own takes a little time, but you are functional after the initial installation.

Linux has changed a lot since since my days of doing everything via a terminal. The GUIs (graphical user interfaces) are self-explanatory & well thought out.
 
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ErnieCopp

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We all know that Sam provides accurate, well researched information, so i doubt there is any thing wrong in the posting. But for those of us that had our Windows 7 OS crash, and had to replace with Windows 8, Windows 10 is a blessing.

On the privacy concerns, we all lost our privacy many years ago, and the recent added details are only a minor addition. If someone can see into your underwear, it does not matter much if he adds the ability to see what color it is.

And for the guy that had his Porno collection revealed, my opinion of that is this. When a married man has to sneak around and hide his fondness for Porn from his wife, that man has a helluva lot bigger problems with himself, than Windows 10 will ever cause him.

Ernie
 

w_r_ranch

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I believe privacy concerns run a little deeper than a person viewing porn or TSA viewing your underwear... Your information is being selectively sold 3rd parties and/or turned turned over to the government (probably for a 'fee'). Microsoft also uses your system to push out updates to others so they don't have to spend their money on infrastructure... all of which they do without people being aware of it (because they simply didn't read the licensing agreement). I won't even get into them being able to activate a 'webcam' on a tablet/notebook if 'someone' requests that they do so (then they will know the color of your underwear)...

Microsoft is not alone in this, Apple, Google & Yahoo are also guilty of some of these infringements.

Windows 10: Here are some of the privacy issues you should know about

The standard GPLv2/3 & related licenses used by Linux omit data collection because they do not do it. Plus the source code is readily available for anyone's inspection.

Everyone has the right to privacy, it does not mean you are doing something wrong. Privacy is one of the few things a free individual deserves. Its why we have blinds/curtains on our windows & lock your door at night... Nothing to hide, nothing to fear right???
 
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ErnieCopp

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Sam,
We often agree with the same things and have a different perception of how they affect us.. They started collecting private information on me about the same time i lost my Virginity, before WW2, when i signed up for SS.

Then when credit cards and Bank loans became available, more of the information was collected, and since the advent and development of the internet became avaliable, it has increased tremendously as you say. I have no argument with that, but i cannot recall one single incident where any of it has personally, physically, or financially done me any harm.

If i have secrets i want to keep, i keep them to myself. The internet is just a little bit faster than the Bush Telegraph or Small town gossip, but the damage done by people knowing your secrets was just as bad.

But the one example you gave that some poor pussy whipped fellow was damaged because his wife found out he was a secret porno freak is just not a good example of a reasonable cause for concern. A man that values his freedom like you and I do, should certainly not need to hide.

. i do not use my webcam, but i do recall seeing a notice that it has to be turned on to function..

So share with us, in a broad way, no details necessary,examples of some real serious damage you have personally observed or saw, of any damage being done, simply because some one now knows what brand of something you ordered on the internet, or some other information that has been collected en masse. . That could possibly change my mind, but i do not put much faith in undated, anonymous statements posted in extreme blogs.

Then do a Cost/Benefit review of the conveniences we derive from having our purchases tracked so the next time we go to buy a duplicate of something purchased before, they will have restocked. Or other examples of this. .

I do protect my banking and financial information from hackers and crooks, by simply not using electronic banking for certain accounts. But even with those, the government gets all the information from the banks, so the only way we could prevent that is putting our money under the mattress.

Finally, progress never happens without also producing some problems and drawbacks. And as long as we have enough freedom to choose whether to use or refuse the benefits, i think we will be okay. In this situation you have chosen to refuse as much of it as you can, which is fine, but i believe the benefits outweigh the liablilities, which i think is also okay..

But by far the best and quickest way to learn new things is by discussing them and considering the different aspects of it. So I look forward to hearing some examples that may change my mind.

Ernie
 

Mike

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So what would other options be:

Windows 7 - Manage updates manually daily and be stuck with the hardware we have.

Apple OS - I don't like the Apple UI and environment and the really expensive hardware that comes with it.

Google Chrome - limited use, being folded into Android if WSJ and other sources are to be believed. And just as bad as MS in tracking

Linux - This would lead to a lot more work than I have on my hands. But heck Apple OS and Android are really just thick skins over a Linux kernel.
@Mr_Yan I would say the alternative would be to manually manage what upgrades you install on your Windows 7 box, but this only goes so far as updates for Windows 7 stops in 2020.

Another possible alternative would be a Chromebook / Chromebox which runs ChromeOS (based on linux) and for many users who are just surfing the internet, checking email, writing papers, they work great. But they also come with their own possible issues whereas Google has been named a company that shares info with the NSA - so something to keep in mind.

Then of course running a linux os like Sam has mentioned. Linux has certainly come a very long way, but when things go wrong they typically go really wrong and it requires a bit of computer and in many cases command line knowledge - something many people DON'T have.

I think it really all depends on what you're goal is and what you're trying to prevent.
 
M

Mr_Yan

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Well I forgot to shut off the auto update on my Win 7 until today. I logged in and found that there was a large "Upgrade now or Upgrade tonight" window. I X'ed out of it and turned off the MS auto updates.

For the last few months I've thought about buying a Chrome book. I was all ready to do it when I read the story that Google was going to merge the Chrome OS with Android and I took a pause. Then on Thanksgiving my wife bought the Amazon Fire 7" for $35 and it seems to work for much of our use.

I am still temped to buy a Chrome book and it looks like there are several good lower elementary learning apps for Chrome OS. We have a kindergartener and a pre-schooler who go to traditional schools but we essentially home school them. Because of this teaching my kindergartener has to leave her class room and go to a second grade class for reading.
 
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ErnieCopp

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I am just a computer user, not an expert, but i use mine a lot, and I have Windows 10 upgrade on a computer that was boughtt as a Window 8 upgraded to 8.1 OS.

There were some problems between Edge and Internet Explorer because i wanted to keep Internet Explorer, but after getting that problem resolved, I can say this is by far the best computer i have had.

I have never used Linux or Apple, so i am not comparing to them, just to all the MS Operating systems, So i am very pleased with it for general usage, Excel, and Word 2013.

Ernie
 

Mike

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I am still temped to buy a Chrome book and it looks like there are several good lower elementary learning apps for Chrome OS. We have a kindergartener and a pre-schooler who go to traditional schools but we essentially home school them. Because of this teaching my kindergartener has to leave her class room and go to a second grade class for reading.
Chromeboxes are great little machines and do internet surfing, email checking and word processing very nicely.
 
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Mr_Yan

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@Mike @w_r_ranch
Do either of you know of a good win 10 avoidance app? GWX and never10 come to mind. Have you used any of these to recommend?
 

Mike

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@Mr_Yan, I've used Never10 on several PC's and it works great. Uses the recommended Microsoft way to disable Win10 upgrade and doesn't require a program to run in the background like other programs. I'd suggest Never10.
 
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ErnieCopp

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Mike, or Yan,
What kind of problems are you having to avoid? I use Windows 10, Word, and Excel and do not have any problems. I had more problems with upgrades on the older versions messinng things up, so just curious as to why you disable or block W 10.

Thanks,
Ernie
 

Mike

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@ErnieCopp, there are a few reasons why I've disabled Windows 10 upgrade, most notably I don't like the privacy concerns that comes with Windows 10 and conveniently enabled by default instead of opt-in (because most people would never opt-in), some of which can't be disabled, as well as the built in ads that are shown in Windows 10. There is also less control when it comes to Windows Updates in Windows 10 which means that it pretty much installs anything that Microsoft tells it to.

My older versions of Windows works just fine for my needs in addition to my Linux machines.
 
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ErnieCopp

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Mike,
I have MSN Premium email, and the Security Programs that keep all of the advertising clutter out, unless i am using something that is supported by the ads. But i well remember how much i hated those pop up ads in the past.

In earlier versions, I would delete the updates but with or without, they were continually interfering with the operations. I have seen instructions on how to block the updates, but just never felt the need. I do not have the Linux machines,

Thanks,
Ernie
 
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