Important Windows 7 & 8.1 updates part of telemetry data collection

[SumTingWong]

Content source

https://news.softpedia.com/news/microsoft-begins-pushing-windows-7-update-used-to-collect-data-to-all-systems-522061.shtml

Source 1: Microsoft Begins Pushing Windows 7 Update Used to Collect Data to All Systems

Source 2: Microsoft makes Telemetry updates for Windows 7 and 8.1 "critical updates" - MSPoweruser

...both KB2952664 and KB2976978, for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, respectively, were previously available for download, but with a big difference: Microsoft listed them as optional updates, which means that those who wanted to deploy them had to do the whole thing manually.

But as it turns out, the two updates are now listed as critical, which means that all devices are getting them via Windows Update...

Microsoft says the two updates are just “compatibility updates for keeping Windows up-to-date,”...

“This update performs diagnostics on the Windows systems that participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program. The diagnostics evaluate the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem, and help Microsoft to ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows. There is no GWX or upgrade functionality contained in this update,”...

The updates automatically activate DoScheduledTelemetryRun , a process that records and sends telemetry data, even on devices that do not participate in the Windows Software Usage Analysis program.

More Microsoft privacy intrusion. I think the best solution now is to move on to Linux.

 

[509322]

More Microsoft privacy intrusion. I think the best solution now is to move on to Linux.

People have known for years that if you want privacy, then don't use Windows.

People continue to use Windows because Linux distros have major annoyances.

Therefore, Chromebook is the only real alternative.