in my view, this is a big concern, and your making it a new
thread will help to re-focus us on the problem. . Thanks! -- john
.

You mean as a new thread? Sure, will do. I'll do some re-wording to make it more suitable as a lead post. 'Sorry for digging up an aging post, but had been on vacation for most of November, and this Windows 10 issue still rankles.

DriveTrain, would you consider posting this as a new post?
there are many people in here who are quite concerned
about this, and they may not be checking back on this post
from a month ago. . I'll do it for you, if you would like. . Thank You! -- john
.

This is part of something I posted on the thread about antivirus software, but since it's more relevant to this one...

With news that Windows 10 is basically a comprehensive spyware suite written right into the fabric of the OS itself and which therefore cannot be removed, that's an absolute no-go and grounds for boycotting MS if not switching to something else altogether (Apple is run by a goose-stepping eco-fascist, so they won't get a dime from me. Maybe Linux?) I urge everybody here to make complaints to MS about this outrage and to encourage others to do the same. Perhaps more alarming than the spyware that is Windows 10 itself, is the mentality at MS that thinks personal privacy is obsolete and can be blithely violated - also the sheeplike acceptance of that gross violation by the millions who've clicked the "I Accept" block during their Windows 10 install. The time to draw a clear line on privacy is now. [On a tangential note, I think the advent of the digital age has made it necessary to enact some explicit and sweeping protections of privacy in the electronic age, codified in law - protections against governmental and private violations of privacy alike. I'm not a lawyer and therefore have no idea how much of this is feasible, but I'm thinking the penalties attached to violating people's privacy via electronic means (or any other for that matter,) should be among the the most harsh this side of those for murder convictions. This party has to be brought to a screeching halt and the mess cleaned up, like right now.]

Since MS is even pushing elements of Win10 at users of Windows 7 and 8, along with the normal practice of disabling multiple startup services it's now imperative to turn off Windows Updates from the outset of any drive-wipe and Win7/8 clean install.

The updates are supposedly there to fix security holes and functionality bugs, but since Microsoft has left us no choice but to sever ourselves from their updating service altogether, I'm doing a standard "Nuke it from orbit - it's the only way to be sure" workaround:

1. Leave nothing personal on your system. Save any and all documents, photos, videos, whatever, to external media, not your system's HD;
2. To ensure that any data leftover from surfing is eradicated - usernames and passwords used for log-ins that may still be lurking in your browser's auto-fill or whatever; form data, cookies, etc. - do a complete drive-wipe / OS clean install every month or so.

If there's nothing residing on your system that's of use to any hacker, my thinking is that surfing with a system whose updates aren't installed only exposes you to here-and-now threats. True, I suppose it's possible you could pick up malware that could load a keylogger that steals your passwords on the fly, as you input them - so maybe this strategy too is flawed. Obviously it's vital to do regular password resets for every place you frequent, but if someone's able to harvest them immediately, that won't help much. (If there are any IT techies here, feedback and advice on this strategy is welcomed.)

Other than instant malware exploits, if you're doing a monthly drive-wipe and saving everything externally I don't see how the bulk of the Windows updates are needed in any case. There's a variety of alternative 'Net browsers from which to choose (for the moment I'm using Epic Privacy Browser,) so the latest-lousiest IE is not needed either. There're those functional elements like "Net framework 4" and Direct X that are bundled within the Windows updates, but I'm thinking those can be located and downloaded independently.

If Microsoft does not reverse this outrageous intrusion, presumably at some point the OS versions prior to Windows 10 will no longer run newer software or internet programming. At that point I guess I just stop using the internet altogether - or maybe do the occasional necessary bit of shopping during lunch hour at work?

I'm also wondering why, a full two decades after the internet really took hold on a world wide basis, there are still only three different OS options available to computer users - Microsoft, Apple and Linux. There should be dozens upon dozens of them by now, particularly with the violations of rights Microsoft is shoving at us and the ethical problem with buying anything from the noxious Apple company. Maybe it's just the sheer complexity of the product, but why aren't there as many OS brands as there are athletic shoe brands, microbrew beer brands, fast food franchise brands, toothpaste brands, clothing brands, soft drink brands, etc. Instead there are: three. Why?

Some articles on the subject:
http://www.techworm.net/2014/10/micro...
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/co...
https://boingboing.net/2015/08/10/win...
http://bgr.com/2015/07/31/windows-10-...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/8/...
.

.

oh, but a cellphone isn't off unless the battery is out
and it's been long enough for the capacitors to discharge!!! -- j
.

water which is hard to retrieve might be like the aquifer
below my home, when I have no drill rig.
water can be separated into its parts, but making potable
water on mars....... might be a tough process. -- j
.

We now know that Mars has water too. And it has raw materials galore. The little matter of Oxygen to breathe...

Jan

but mars is so inhospitable that you have to take everything
with you -- all "they" have is sunlight!!! -- j
.

The Martian, The Martian, The Martian...

Looking forward to some of the upcoming Star Wars in December.

Jan, total SF geek
(let me know if San Andreas is good - that one caught my eye in the trailers)

movies? . we love movies! . bought a copy of Torpedo Run recently;;;
we also got a copy of San Andreas ... both of which we have yet to view!
seen any good ones lately? -- j
.

Probably, but it has the advantage of being a 'movie blog'. I hope that will trivialize a lot of what is said here, though I wish people would be a bit more careful in how they phrase things.

Jan

it's been "a week or two" but we got trojans and other stuff
which my brother-in-law could remember ... shut down the machine
until he could remedy the situation. . I learned the lesson heartily. -- j

more and more, I live my life in constant wariness for intrusions
on freedom, life and property -- it's sad that we have dipped
to that point with this nation. . this forum is about the only place
where I feel healthy ... and it's being monitored by the NSA
in my firm opinion. . gee whiz. -- j
.

Yeah, me too. We need to reconsider what the word 'public' means, and we need to have virtual walls that we can erect - against even (or especially) the gov - that have Constitutional protection against being casually breached. (Of course, it would be nice if our real walls had that protection...!)

Jan

Most interesting. After reading the posts on this site and several others re: W10 I went into my laptop and found the "virus" and uninstalled it. Then removed the notification from the whatchamacallit at the bottom. Now it doesn't bug me anymore when I turn on the laptop. Turned off the auto updates. Just for good measure.
Now I've just recently added a Mac and am learning that as I post. Not running MS on this one. Already seems to be easier to do stuff.
Easy is good in my world of computing. I don't have the mind for the code or something. That would be my son who is gifted that way.
Thanks to all on Galts Gulch for the education re: 'peters.

Nonsense. You are right on target there, Prof.

another reason for my flip-phone!!! -- j
.

the era I mentioned was years ago, and it's too late now
for all of the above ... it is a fond memory, though!!! -- j
.

OK, and from my previous observations (NOT experience...) if you're REALLY having trouble conceiving, one of the best routes to a pregnancy is to give up and ADOPT an infant.

High probability of pregnancy within a year or two... I've seen it happen! Good luck, no matter what technique(s) you choose. :)))))