That just sent a shiver down my spine. But than I loathe Apple, despite the fact that many other products and companies are far worse and far more deserving. It probably stems from a combination of sticker shock when I see the prices for equivalent features and how hard it is to make anything work with it.
LMN8R
1722
Not that it’ll convince everyone, but Microsoft did just update the privacy policies for Windows 10:
I also just saw this site, which may have been live for a while, but it details exactly what’s collected in the Basic level (the lowest level you can use on Home/Pro):
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt577208(v=vs.85).aspx#BKMK_MoreUTC
[ul][li][B]Basic device info.[/B] Helps provide an understanding about the various types of devices in the Windows 10 ecosystem, including:[/li]> [list][li]Device attributes, such as camera resolution and display type[/li]
[li] Internet Explorer version[/li]
[li] Battery attributes, such as capacity and type[/li]
[li] Networking attributes, such as mobile operator network and IMEI number[/li]
[li] Processor and memory attributes, such as number of cores, speed, and firmware[/li]
[li] Operating system attributes, such as Windows edition and IsVirtualDevice[/li]
[li] Storage attributes, such as number of drives and memory size[/li]> [/ul]
[li][B]Telemetry client quality metrics.[/B] Helps provide an understanding about how the telemetry client is functioning, including uploaded events, dropped events, and the last upload time.[/li]
[li] Quality-related information. Helps Microsoft develop a basic understanding of how a device and its operating system are performing. Some examples are the amount of time a connected standby device was able to fullsleep, the number of crashes or hangs, and application state change details, such as how much processor time and memory were used, and the total uptime for an app.[/li]
[li] App compat info. Helps provide understanding about which apps are installed on a device and to help identify potential compatibility problems.[/li]> [ul]
[li] General app info and app info for Internet Explorer add-ons. Includes a list of apps and Internet Explorer add-ons that are installed on a device and whether these apps will work after an upgrade. This app info includes the app name, publisher, version, and basic details about which files have been blocked from usage.[/li]
[li] System info. Helps provide understanding about whether a device meets the minimum requirements to upgrade to the next version of the operating system. System information includes the amount of memory, as well as info about the processor and BIOS.[/li]
[li] Accessory device info. Includes a list of accessory devices, such as printers or external storage devices, that are connected to Windows PCs and whether these devices will function after upgrading to a new version of the operating system.[/li]
[li] Driver info. Includes specific driver usage that’s meant to help figure out whether apps and devices will function after upgrading to a new version of the operating system. This info can help to determine blocking issues and then help Microsoft and our partners apply fixes and improvements.[/li]> [/ul]
[li] Store. Provides info about how the Windows Store performs, including app downloads, installations, and updates. It also includes Windows Store launches, page views, suspend and resumes, and obtaining licenses.[/li]> [/list]
Anybody complaining about telemetry is ignorant about what every single app on your phone, tablet, smart TV, competing operating system, and every Internet appliance and website is already doing.
wumpus
1724
I asked on Twitter and the only promising lead was “this happens on machines with multiple drives” and indeed my HTPC and home computer have multiple drives.
Still can’t get the update to install on my HTPC at all. This is fucked up; I run very vanilla installs on regular hardware and I am not a tweaker at all.
If multiple drives is the culprit, I’m screwed. My main PC has four internal drives, plus one external. I’ll try creating a USB installer next.
Another notification setting that doesn’t keep after Windows 10 update: “Your touchpad has been disabled” (after closing lid of laptop). I certainly didn’t use ShutUp10 to change that one. The notification setting is simply forgotten, after every single reboot so far.
To be fair, Windows 10 seems to forget lots of settings, major update or no. I can’t get it to remember which screen my primary taskbar should be on for more than a few days.
rei
1728
That’s the thing, there’s no warning to indicate that this “point” update was potentially more serious. The update initially bricked my system in a hung boot loop (I reimaged and tried updating 3x times and it bricked each time) until I powered everything off and disconnected all my USB and eSATA drives. Some people may not have the ability to revert to a previous daily whole disk image.
LMN8R
1729
If you’re concerned about updates and what problems they may have, simply don’t interact with the updates at all.
Sure you can take the unsupported step of disabling updates entirely, but the recommended and supported way to handle this is to simply leave it alone and let it do its thing. This is in addition to configuring the setting to notify you before restarting instead of restarting automatically.
See, the way updates work is that they’re always rolled out slowly. A very small percentage of devices to start with, and ratcheted up slowly from there. This especially includes the 1511 updates, which I believe still today nearly a week later, is still going out in single-digit percentages.
If you go to the update UI and trigger updates manually, you’ll always get everything that’s available. If you wait for it to do things on its own, you probably won’t get it until later, so if there were any problems in the beginning, those problems would likely be fixed by the time you get it.
What’s odd to me is that many of the people in this thread complaining about the inability to disable updates are also the people going and forcing those updates immediately once they’re available.
Which is why i’ve never done most of those either ;) But let’s not black/white the situation as it all depends on the type of data being gathered.
What makes you think people aren’t blocking/combating and are aware of these facts as well, or do you just discount anyone disagreeing with how MS decided to chase Apple/Google (as opposed to MS offering an alternative computing platform) as being ignorant micro$oft bashers.
Based on the last few years of botched MS updates I’d think most people who disagree with the forced W10 update regime are waiting a long time before they install anything to their W7/W8 systems.
The list of “hidden”/“ignored” updates on my W8 system grows every month. (52 and counting)
Just a few days ago: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/11/patch_tuesday_downloads_buggy_ms_patch/
“Luck” would have it that it was for Windows 7.
With W10 it is obvious that the power users are not the target, and I suppose with the previous versions as well we never were.
Someone had an interesting comment at the release of Windows 10 – “now you are the user”, in reference to how we as IT administrators in companies set policies and force updates the normal office worker lives with (and probably ignores until it stops them from installing Spotify or connecting some unauthorized device). With Windows 10 “we” are now living “life” like all the other cubicle workers.
And I believe all it would require to make most people happily use Windows 10 would be an option to “Opt out” of these “Features” and returning their Windows Update to how it functions under W7/W8 – which would include having the patch notes actually describing what they contained as opposed to a list of files.
rei
1732
So the people who decline security updates are all vulnerable eh?
which would include having the patch notes actually describing what they contained as opposed to a list of files.
That’s what I’d like most of all. The update notes are a joke in Win10.
stusser
1734
What an insulting stupid thing to say.
I expend significant effort to protect my privacy on all those other devices and services too.
Why is that odd? I’m not opposed to keeping my devices up to date, I just demand control over the process.
Editer
1735
Weirdly, the TH2 update installed fine from Windows Update on my desktop, which has four drives. But I was getting a failure on my Surface Book, and used the ISO to update that.
How about Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB?
stusser
1737
I don’t believe MS sells Win10 enterprise to end-users, do they? Even if they did, it would mean re-purchasing Windows when I already have a licensed copy of Pro, just to get back to the privacy allowed in previous versions. That would suck.
I can buy Win10 Education through HUP (then again, I work at a Uni), which as far as I can tell is Win10 Enterprise + Stuff. Presumably this means I’ll have control over my own PC. . . once I finally get around to ponying up the ten bucks and two days it’ll take me to salvage useful bits from my thoroughly fucked up Win7 install (e.g., iTunes library/playlists, Pidgin conversation history, etc.) that are auto-stored in the C: drive. Current install’s dead enough it’s not worth trying to upgrade from AFAICT, and it’s honestly worth the $10 to me to just start fresh. . .
stusser
1739
Yep, Win10 education version also allows “security” setting for telemetry.
I wasn’t aware the education version was an option. Does one just need an EDU address to purchase such a thing?
