Windows takes control of holdouts

[earther]

You just think you're in charge of your Windows box. Not for much longer . . .

[Reflective]

You just think you're in charge of your Windows box. Not for much longer . . .

This is Windows 10 by the backdoor for Win 7 and 8.1 users. By bundling security updates with non-security patches and installing them via a rollup, users will be forced to install whatever Micro$oft wants you to have which is undoubtedly going to include telemetry patches and other dubious snooping apps. It wouldn't surprise me to see ads appearing on users' desktops and on the lockscreen in 8.1 as well soon.

A sad day for users like me (I have 8.1 still) because there's just no way I'm gonna give Micro$oft carte blanche to install whatever it pleases and I'll have to either invest in an Apple notebook or switch to Linux.

[Ortho_Fan]

Thanks for posting this. Most everything I want to say about it is echoed in the comments section of the story. Like Reflective, I'm wondering if the "telemetry" (snoopware) related updates for Windows 7, which I blocked, will be bundled into the monthly roll-up/security patches? Probably, from the way things look. At this point, though, I'm more concerned with sloppily written patches that will break applications, or the OS. I've managed to avoid quite a number of these over the years.

OF

[LuvKomputrs]

My Thanks too for posting that article.
Agree with most of the comments in the comments sections of the story.
Especially this comment by Michael Lou:
"Tech savvy Win 7/8.1 users can opt to Never Update, in order not to be "infected" by M$'s "NSA-spyware". Doing so is still secure/safe, as long as they do not do foolish things on the Internet, eg click strange email links, unscanned torrent downloads, download dubious files, use unsecured public Wifi, etc. Hence, there r still millions of people using unsupported or non-update'able Win XP.
....... Anyway, a clean reinstall or reimage of Win 7/8.1 will solve most malware/ransomware infection problems."
This is also IMHO a FUBAR move by Micro$oft.
Can picture a lot of people suing Micro$oft over this debacle.

[earther]

My Thanks too for posting that article.
Agree with most of the comments in the comments sections of the story.
Especially this comment by Michael Lou:
"Anyway, a clean reinstall or reimage of Win 7/8.1 will solve most malware/ransomware infection problems."

These words (not yours from the comment on the site) brought this post to mind. Explains why wipe and reinstall is the standard "Windoze Way" to fix things . . .

[LuvKomputrs]

Thanks for posting the article.
Lost count how many times I've to had to reinstall a Windows OS on a machine.
Hardly at all with Linux or a Mac OS.
And now this with Micro$oft....

[morat]

Resistance is futile. You will be upgraded...

[LuvKomputrs]

Resistance is futile. You will be upgraded...

I know someone who still uses Windows XP to surf the net...
Cannot help but wonder...could this be the end of Micro$oft?

[earther]

Resistance is futile. You will be upgraded...

I know someone who still uses Windows XP to surf the net...
Cannot help but wonder...could this be the end of Micro$oft?

Maybe M$ will buy Ubuntu! Then MS can team up with LP. Now that's a partnership that sends shivers up me spine! Technically birds of a feather - monolithic opaque systems that have tentacles everywhere . . .

[Grumpus]

Related news links:
Comments from EFF
Register article

[Reflective]

OK, you can all breathe a sigh of relief! The security-only package which addresses all the vulnerabilities month by month can be downloaded separately via the Microsoft Update Catalog site. This means you can avoid all the non-security stuff which is bound to include telemetry and the like.

That's been confirmed today in the original technet post Nathan Mercer wrote to introduce the changes: Further simplifying servicing models for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 Scroll down to the post by "Terence" and Nathan Mercer's reply to it.

Although you'll have to use IE at the moment to download from the Catalog site, the author mentioned that Microsoft is proposing to remove the ActiveX control so that other browsers can be used to download patches.

EDIT: the thought just occurred to me that because there's likely to be more than one security patch in each package that the download will be compiled as a .cab file rather than with a .msu extension. That will make the installation a little more complicated for ordinary users. But we'll have to wait and see.

[LuvKomputrs]

@Reflective good to know!
You can use another browser at the Microsoft Update Catalog site to choose an update:
If you prefer to use a different Web browser, you can get updates from the Microsoft Download Center.
I've got IE disabled on my computer that has Windows 7 on it.
I got into the site just fine whilst using SeaMonkey and Firefox.
Cannot help but wonder if Micro$oft will pull the plug on letting users of Windows 7 and 8.1 choosing their update from that catalog.
Wouldn't surprise me at all if they did!
They've been very, very sneaky when they tried to push Windows 10 on users without their consent!

[Reflective]

@Reflective good to know!
You can use another browser at the Microsoft Update Catalog site to choose an update:
If you prefer to use a different Web browser, you can get updates from the Microsoft Download Center.
I've got IE disabled on my computer that has Windows 7 on it.
I got into the site just fine whilst using SeaMonkey and Firefox.
Cannot help but wonder if Micro$oft will pull the plug on letting users of Windows 7 and 8.1 choosing their update from that catalog.
Wouldn't surprise me at all if they did!
They've been very, very sneaky when they tried to push Windows 10 on users without their consent!

Doesn't work on FF48. The message I get is this one:
https://s3.postimg.org/sz53phy2b/MUC_IE.png

But MS indicated on the Technet article that they intend to remove the ActiveX control to allow other browsers to download patches from the MUC site. I guess that hasn't happened yet.

[LuvKomputrs]

I clicked on:
If you prefer to use a different Web browser, you can get updates from the Microsoft Download Center
Took a look there and noticed that there are updates listed at the Microsoft Download Center for Windows 7 and 8.1
Microsoft Download Center
KB3167679 search As an example.
Was able to get into it using both SeaMonkey 2.40/2.45 and Firefox 48
Wondering if there's any major difference between the Microsoft Download Center and the Update Catalog.
I don't need to go in there very often.
I've gone into the Microsoft Download Center before using another browser other than IE for an update for my Windows 0S.
Also got check for updates but let me choose when to install them instead of automatic updates selected.
Don't wanna get any nasty surprises!

[Virtual_ManPL]

It's simple (for now at least),
just disable checking for updates in Windows Update
and manually check them by yourself,
also the main step is to don't forget to check information about patch on the internet before downloading and installing it,
as this on M$ website pages could be incomplete or even missing at first time after patch release.