It also turns out the Windows 7 and 8 *MAY* have received updates that allow this to occur as well - although the story is more complicated than just an automatic update, it seems.
This article explains the removal of said updates:
http://thehackernews.com/2015/08/windows-spying-on-you.html
And this one, which explains the story without as much bias (I think, anyway):
http://www.infoworld.com/article/29...s-kb-3068708-3022345-3075249-and-3080149.html
If its removable, fine. If its a simple act of "disabling" something in Control Panel or the Registry - I wouldn't trust 'it' and would rather implement firewall rules to ensure Windows 7/8/10 cannot "phone home" to Microsoft. The only way you can really tell if the off switch works would be with network connection analysers.
To be honest - I don't see any need for this sort of activity to take place. There are plenty of other means Microsoft can check up how their OS is working in the wild.
Speaking of Windows 10 - It ended up on my Father's computer, thanks to the idiotic "GET WINDOWS X" prompt that behave more like malware or a virus than anything else. In an episode of frustration, he allowed it to proceed.
Well - the system still works but takes an eternity to actually work. And Windows seemed to forget what the default printer was, but caught on after we printed a document to it... Then it proceeded to jam up the print queue attempting to print to a software printer Windows uses... Obviously finding the print queue has to be different and far more difficult than Windows 2000, XP or 7 - and Control Panel isn't even one continuous application, its now split into a "Metro App" and the other part chucked into the traditional control panel.
UGH. I took a bite and didn't like the taste. I'm spitting it out again.
These experiences make me wonder sometimes whether anyone actually bothers to test their products before releasing half-baked and lumpy!
This article explains the removal of said updates:
http://thehackernews.com/2015/08/windows-spying-on-you.html
And this one, which explains the story without as much bias (I think, anyway):
http://www.infoworld.com/article/29...s-kb-3068708-3022345-3075249-and-3080149.html
If its removable, fine. If its a simple act of "disabling" something in Control Panel or the Registry - I wouldn't trust 'it' and would rather implement firewall rules to ensure Windows 7/8/10 cannot "phone home" to Microsoft. The only way you can really tell if the off switch works would be with network connection analysers.
To be honest - I don't see any need for this sort of activity to take place. There are plenty of other means Microsoft can check up how their OS is working in the wild.
Speaking of Windows 10 - It ended up on my Father's computer, thanks to the idiotic "GET WINDOWS X" prompt that behave more like malware or a virus than anything else. In an episode of frustration, he allowed it to proceed.
Well - the system still works but takes an eternity to actually work. And Windows seemed to forget what the default printer was, but caught on after we printed a document to it... Then it proceeded to jam up the print queue attempting to print to a software printer Windows uses... Obviously finding the print queue has to be different and far more difficult than Windows 2000, XP or 7 - and Control Panel isn't even one continuous application, its now split into a "Metro App" and the other part chucked into the traditional control panel.
UGH. I took a bite and didn't like the taste. I'm spitting it out again.
These experiences make me wonder sometimes whether anyone actually bothers to test their products before releasing half-baked and lumpy!
