Microsoft Starts Collecting User Data from Windows 7 and Windows 8 PCs

By LimeMaster
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Grand Master

LimeMaster

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Microsoft has been accused of spying on its users with some of the features that it implemented in Windows 10, and the company not only refrains from commenting too much on these claims but it has also released some updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers, which appear to enhance data collection on older OS versions.

A number of updates that Redmond has recently released “introduce the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service” in Windows 7 and 8.1 and “add telemetry points to the User Account Control (UAC) feature to collect information on elevations that come from low integrity levels,” as the company says in the official KB pages.

The updates in question are KB3068708, KB3022345, KB3075249, and KB3080149, and you can find their full description in the box after the jump.

Basically, once you install any or all these updates, Microsoft can start data collection from your Windows 7 or 8.1 computer in the same way it does on Windows 10.

Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/microsoft-starts-collecting-user-data-from-windows-7-and-windows-8-pcs-490302.shtml 

So it turns out Microsoft really does want your data. I'm honestly not sure I like what is happening here. :s

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Grand Master

The Evil Overlord

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Shame you can't buy mac os as a 'disk in a box'

Although it's probably to see why users aren't switching.. alongside advertisements, and anti terrorism stuff

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Grand Master

FloatingFatMan

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Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/microsoft-starts-collecting-user-data-from-windows-7-and-windows-8-pcs-490302.shtml 

So it turns out Microsoft really does want your data. I'm honestly not sure I like what is happening here. :s

Glad I still use XP.

You realise that MS have been collecting usage telemetry from Windows since XP, right?  How do you think they discerned that most folks aren't using the Start menu as part of their reason for dropping it from W8?

It's just usage data, used to help them improve features and provide a better user experience. There's no personal data involved, and you can always turn it off.

More silly FUD.

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Grand Master

Active.

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discerned that most folks aren't using the Start menu as part of their reason for dropping it [...] usage data, used to help them improve features and provide a better user experience.  

The process might need some work. :rofl:

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Grand Master

LimeMaster

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You realise that MS have been collecting usage telemetry from Windows since XP, right?  How do you think they discerned that most folks aren't using the Start menu as part of their reason for dropping it from W8?

It's just usage data, used to help them improve features and provide a better user experience. There's no personal data involved, and you can always turn it off.

More silly FUD.

I realize that. Though you could opt-out of pretty much all of it. But If you install those, you won't be able to opt-out. And honestly, the data collecting seems unnecessary on the older OSes, as they aren't going to add new features or improvements to the older OSes as far as I'm aware.

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Grand Master

FloatingFatMan

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I realize that. Though you could opt-out of pretty much all of it. But If you install those, you won't be able to opt-out. And honestly, the data collecting seems unnecessary on the older OSes, as they aren't going to add new features or improvements to the older OSes as far as I'm aware.

I guess you didn't use XP before SP2 then, or Vista before SP1, or really ANY Microsoft OS before the service packs came out.  Or in fact, any Microsoft OS at all from XP onwards.  Where do you think the metrics for the improvements seen in the SP's or newer OS versions came from?

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Grand Master

LimeMaster

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I guess you didn't use XP before SP2 then, or Vista before SP1, or really ANY Microsoft OS before the service packs came out.  Or in fact, any Microsoft OS at all from XP onwards.  Where do you think the metrics for the improvements seen in the SP's or newer OS versions came from?

I've used both, but Vista's CEIP was optional.

I'm not saying it's bad anyway, I was just posting some interesting news I found, because It's good to stay informed after all. Though I won't deny that I find it a pointless addition to add to the older OSes. 

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Grand Master

Raa

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You people and all this privacy crap. If you're not doing anything illegal why do you give a damn? So many paranoid schizophrenic people out there   LOL 

Would you please email me your bank details then? After all, you don't give a damn...

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Grand Master

Crisp

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Would you please email me your bank details then? After all, you don't give a damn...

What do I get in return? I will take no less than 3 magic Nigerian beans.

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c.grz

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Would you please email me your bank details then? After all, you don't give a damn...

Yeah, because bank details and usage telemetry are 100% the same.  Why not compare Microsoft to the Nazi's while you're at it?

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Grand Master

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You people and all this privacy crap. If you're not doing anything illegal why do you give a damn? So many paranoid schizophrenic people out there   LOL 

How incredibly naive and/or ignorant about these matters do you have to be to still spout that crap after having lived through the past two years ?!

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Grand Master

MikeChipshop Member

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"Oh noes, MS is watching me! This mean they want to rob me blind and have sex with my mother. It absolutely has nothing to do with improving the product that i spent all this money on!"

 

Better not fill out those customer feedback forms you find at restaurants then, they'll also rob you blind.

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Rising Star

Neu B

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How incredibly naive do you have to be to still spout that crap after having lived through these past two years ?!

Here's another one...It's true, there is a LOT of you out there   LOL

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Grand Master

Active.

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Funny thing is. Two things would bring this discussion to an end incredibly quickly.

- 1 All ‘user data collection’ turned off by default / opt-in
- 2 An obvious way to turn telemetry off *completely* 

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tompkin

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Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/microsoft-starts-collecting-user-data-from-windows-7-and-windows-8-pcs-490302.shtml 

So it turns out Microsoft really does want your data. I'm honestly not sure I like what is happening here. :s

I had a list too. The last two on your list are on my list

However, I have 3 on my list that aren't on yours, and your first two are not on MY list.:shifty:

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Grand Master

LimeMaster

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I had a list too. The last two on your list are on my list
However, I have 3 on my list that aren't on yours, and your first two are not on MY list.:shifty:

Come on, list them! :p

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