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Do NOT ever use Microsoft's Express Settings in Windows 10

Koopax
By Koopax
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Go to solution Solved by GoodBytes,

This is a repost:

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/418021-according-to-8chans-tech-windows-10-could-be-fairly-malicious/

It was covered already by Microsoft during the Insider Preview program. It is for for Microsoft ad framework. It is aimed for free apps which the developers choose to use and implement in their apps (which Windows 8 had. Nothing changed here.) And also for Cortana, which clearly asks you for access of information, like location to give you alerts when you reach them, like if you ask Cortana to remind you of stuff when you get there and weather, your Calendar to remind you of event and write stuff inside, and interest for news. Interests can be add/removed via Cortana options.. if you choose to enable Cortana(turned off by default). The Privacy Policy also include microphone listening if you enable voice recognition of Cortana, so that.. well it works with Cortana when you go "Hey Cortana <say request>" to your PC. This is also disabled by default.

Telemetry data is always been collected since Windows XP days. There is nothing used to identify you. Microsoft collects system specs, and what app is used or not. That is how Microsoft knows how many monitors configuration most people have, what software people use or don't. For example, they killed off Media Center because only extremely low number of people used it. As you can see, no one is really affected by this. This is good action taken takes to telemetry data collecting. Once again, no personal information or any information to identify you is collected. There is no key logger.

Another feature, which is covered in the privacy policy is if you use share your WiFi SID and password with your contact. Disabled by default of course. It allows you share your wireless info to your all your contacts that have Windows 10 or Windows Phone 8, or Windows 10 Mobile. The idea is that they can come to your place and can connect to your network automatically. They never see your password, and it doesn't share with their own contacts. If you are worried about privacy, all you care, is your neighborhood, because they are the ones that can connect to your wireless, anyone else will be too far away to get a signal to even see your wireless connection.

Lastly, you have the feedback app. If you post screen shots of a problem for example, these screen shot could contain private information. For example, you take a screen shot and there is Chrome/Firefox running on your bank account statement with your name and address written on it. Well, Microsoft can't help you there. You just gave that information to them. So to protect the company from legality (else it would be easy, where a person takes a screen shot and there is personal information displayed, and sues Microsoft because his/her personal information was sent over the web (the screen shot).

Oh and a GUID (Global unique identifier, a randomly generated code) generated by installed, to manage your devices your account is used for using purchased apps (and their micro transactions if any) on another system, explained, and covers how to manage your devices here:

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/410816-mini-news-windows-10-app-store-install-limit-detailed/

Some information MUST be collected to identify you, such as your name, address, and credit card information for stuff like app purchases, or upgrading from Windows 10 to 10 Pro. And of course anything you put on Microsoft servers to use their services: e-mails, files from OneDrive, etc.

However, yes, Windows 8 and 10 both has something called AppID. An ID generated used to track your interest based on what Windows app you use that implements it (free apps with ads, for example. This does not include desktop apps), and what you feed Cortana (in the case of Windows 10 that is), if you choose to use the service. I don't mean what you search on your PC with the search box, but actually using Cortana if you enabled it, and configure it to be your interest or search the web with. In Windows 8 it was when you use the web searching feature in 8.1. Cortana collects what you enable it to have: Location, mail, calendar, etc. So yes, you reveal some of your data. But: If you use Microsoft Outlook for your e-mail, MS already knows, same for the calendar. If you use Bing, it knows your general location as well to show you things in your region. For example, if you search for McDonald , it will show you McDonald for Canada, if you are in Canada, and not one from Europe or something. However, yes, it is a game of trust. You trust that Microsoft would keep that information safe. Much like you trust Google for when you use Chrome web browser and Android, and also stores which you are confident in giving you your credit card information weather be online or not.

And yes, you can't turn it off, but it is not there to identify you directly per se.

You can customize apps and Windows privacy settings under Start > Settings > Privacy.

You can read the full privacy policy here:

https://www.microsoft.com/products/ceip/en-us/privacypolicy.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement/Default.aspx

If you have concerned, please read it in FULL, as it explains everything.

If you would like to discuss it, no problem, please post it in the appropriate forum section or original news post.

Thank you.

Posted

Windows 10 is mostly free for everyone in the first year. But as it seems as Microsoft is going down the Google road and collecting all you personal data. But it is even worse as they are collecting it on the level of the operating system.

https://jonathan.porta.codes/2015/07/30/windows-10-seems-to-have-some-scary-privacy-defaults/

 

There's as a reddit on how to disable most of the data logs: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3f38ed/guide_how_to_disable_data_logging_in_w10/

 

I personally will move on and use Linux for all my personal stuff and use Windows only for gaming from now on.

 

Moreover you should change some default settings for update delivery, because otherwise Microsoft will just plain use your bandwidth to update other people's OS 

http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2015/07/30/windows-10-steals-your-bandwidth-to-send-other-people-updates/

 

I was really excited for Windows 10, until I read all of this. F*** you Microsoft

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Posted

Windows 10 is mostly free for everyone in the first year. But as it seems as Microsoft is going down the Google road and collecting all you personal data. But it is even worse as they are collecting it on the level of the operating system.

https://jonathan.porta.codes/2015/07/30/windows-10-seems-to-have-some-scary-privacy-defaults/

 

There's as a reddit on how to disable most of the data logs: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3f38ed/guide_how_to_disable_data_logging_in_w10/

 

I personally will move on and use Linux for all my personal stuff and use Windows only for gaming from now on.

 

Moreover you should change some default settings for update delivery, because otherwise Microsoft will just plain use your bandwidth to update other people's OS 

http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2015/07/30/windows-10-steals-your-bandwidth-to-send-other-people-updates/

 

I was really excited for Windows 10, until I read all of this. F*** you Microsoft

You act like Google doesn't do this with Android?

Please spend as much time writing your question, as you want me to spend responding to it.  Take some time, and explain your issue, please!

Spoiler

If you need to learn how to install Windows, check here:  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/324871-guide-how-to-install-windows-the-right-way/

Event Viewer 101: https://youtu.be/GiF9N3fJbnE

 

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Holy... crap. No wonder they made it free for a year, collect as much data as they can. "Turning it off" probably solves the problem, but who knows if microsoft coded it to turn back on in a set amount of time or perhaps an update turns it back on, maybe.

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am i the only one that reads what i'm installing?

i turned everything off the first time.

We can't Benchmark like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to shove more GPUs in your computer. Like the time I needed to NV-Link, because I needed a higher HeavenBench score, so I did an SLI, which is what they called NV-Link back in the day. So, I decided to put two GPUs in my computer, which was the style at the time. Now, to add another GPU to your computer, costs a new PSU. Now in those days PSUs said OCZ on them, "Gimme 750W OCZs for an SLI" you'd say. Now where were we? Oh yeah, the important thing was that I had two GPUs in my rig, which was the style at the time! They didn't have RGB PSUs at the time, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big green ones. 

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You act like Google doesn't do this with Android?

 

That's why I don't use Android.

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We are already giving all of that to Google...

And I think it's been a thing in Windows 8 as well.

 

Honestly, they can get all that data from me.They collect that data to improve their services and algorithms for the most part, and also send some personal info for ads. It's not that bad.

 

Going to keep using Windows till more games reach Linux.

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am i the only one that reads what i'm installing?

i turned everything off the first time.

90% of all the Windows users will just go with the Express Settings without knowing what they just did.

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At this point, who even cares? google has my entire life, what's the difference if microsoft does to?

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Hasn't Microsoft done this before, even before Windows 8 became a thing, but less obviously so?

 

Holy... crap. No wonder they made it free for a year, collect as much data as they can. "Turning it off" probably solves the problem, but who knows if microsoft coded it to turn back on in a set amount of time or perhaps an update turns it back on, maybe.

Who knows if that switch is just for show, and in reality does not switch it off...

 

 

That's why I don't use Android.

Are there much choice though? Every smartphone OS practically counts as dataminers. Apple does it, Microsoft does it (obvious), and so does Google (this too was obvious)... Apart from that, there's not much.

 

 

At this point, who even cares? google has my entire life, what's the difference if microsoft does to?

Both Microsoft and Google have every user's private data already, so yeah... It doesn't really matter anymore.

Never trust my advice. Only take any and all advice from me with a grain of salt. Just a heads up.

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am i the only one that reads what i'm installing?

i turned everything off the first time.

Honestly, it's your own fault.

 

If you think they won't collect data to try and improve the product, then you're kind of dense.

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am i the only one that reads what i'm installing?

i turned everything off the first time.

As soon as I saw the hints of a keylogger, I manually went through all setup options and the EULA (its a bloody long read BTW). As it stands, I'm pretty much testing Windows 10 and letting my family know whether or not they should upgrade to Windows 10, and if not, whether or not they should wait for the next Windows OS to be shit out.

"We also blind small animals with cosmetics.
We do not sell cosmetics. We just blind animals."

 

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90% of all the Windows users will just go with the Express Settings without knowing what they just did.

 

I read everything and dint turn off anything, who the f*ck really cares?? You are all so paranoid...

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90% of all the Windows users will just go with the Express Settings without knowing what they just did.

90% of those users need to go get an apple product. 

 

windows is a fine tuned machine that you need to understand to operate. 

 

it's a manual high performance racing car.

it isn't an automatic prius. 

 

you need to maintain it, you need to replace parts, you need to read the fucking manual.

but it is the fastest, best preforming machine you can make. and you do have to make it. 

We can't Benchmark like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to shove more GPUs in your computer. Like the time I needed to NV-Link, because I needed a higher HeavenBench score, so I did an SLI, which is what they called NV-Link back in the day. So, I decided to put two GPUs in my computer, which was the style at the time. Now, to add another GPU to your computer, costs a new PSU. Now in those days PSUs said OCZ on them, "Gimme 750W OCZs for an SLI" you'd say. Now where were we? Oh yeah, the important thing was that I had two GPUs in my rig, which was the style at the time! They didn't have RGB PSUs at the time, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big green ones. 

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Why do u think this is a Windows 10 thing?

 

Google, MS, and ur ISP know everything u do the second u plugged the ethernet cable to your pc or connected through wifi, stop acting like having everything enabled or disabled makes a big difference

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Honestly, it's your own fault.

 

If you think they won't collect data to try and improve the product, then you're kind of dense.

 

I don't think people understand that Microsoft's terms state they show you what data they keep.  And the data is things like "How many times you click the start button" and "How many icons you have on your desktop"...  thus the reason why they made the changes they did with Windows 8.

Please spend as much time writing your question, as you want me to spend responding to it.  Take some time, and explain your issue, please!

Spoiler

If you need to learn how to install Windows, check here:  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/324871-guide-how-to-install-windows-the-right-way/

Event Viewer 101: https://youtu.be/GiF9N3fJbnE

 

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I don't think people understand that Microsoft's terms state they show you what data they keep.  And the data is things like "How many times you click the start button" and "How many icons you have on your desktop"...  thus the reason why they made the changes they did with Windows 8.

I kind of hate people who complain about someone looking at your data.

 

Like do you not want them to improve their product for further enjoyment?

 

And as long as you have nothing to hide, what the fuck is the problem?

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90% of those users need to go get an apple product. 

 

windows is a fine tuned machine that you need to understand to operate. 

 

it's a manual high performance racing car.

it isn't an automatic prius. 

 

you need to maintain it, you need to replace parts, you need to read the fucking manual.

but it is the fastest, best preforming machine you can make. and you do have to make it. 

Sorry but that's the ridiculousest argument ever.

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I kind of hate people who complain about someone looking at your data.

 

Like do you not want them to improve their product for further enjoyment?

 

And as long as you have nothing to hide, what the fuck is the problem?

Sir, you are actually intelligent.  I'd like to sit down and have a coffee with you one day.

Please spend as much time writing your question, as you want me to spend responding to it.  Take some time, and explain your issue, please!

Spoiler

If you need to learn how to install Windows, check here:  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/324871-guide-how-to-install-windows-the-right-way/

Event Viewer 101: https://youtu.be/GiF9N3fJbnE

 

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I kind of hate people who complain about someone looking at your data.

 

Like do you not want them to improve their product for further enjoyment?

 

And as long as you have nothing to hide, what the fuck is the problem?

Looking at your data isn't that good, if you have a problem, or want a feature added, you talk directly to Microsoft, thus having some form of input without sacrificing privacy.

"We also blind small animals with cosmetics.
We do not sell cosmetics. We just blind animals."

 

"Please don't mistake us for Equifax. Those fuckers are evil"

 

This PSA brought to you by Equifacks.
PMSL

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Holy... crap. No wonder they made it free for a year, collect as much data as they can. "Turning it off" probably solves the problem, but who knows if microsoft coded it to turn back on in a set amount of time or perhaps an update turns it back on, maybe.

Yeah that doesn't happen.

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Looking at your data isn't that good, if you have a problem, or want a feature added, you talk directly to Microsoft, thus having some form of input without sacrificing privacy.

The amount of people that will take time out of their day to actually go and criticism what Microsoft did right and wrong would be a lot less than just checking what people do all the time and collecting data yourself.

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