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Topic: "Permanently" Remove Get Win 10 |
Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 2:41 am |
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Found this utility that is supposed to "prevent" Win 10 upgrade.
I have installed it on my Win 7 (dual boot with Win 10 that is my operational OS). I have one RS232C interface application that will not work on Win 8/10 that is used for transferring embroidery patterns to my wife's old Singer Embroidery machine. Thus I have to keep Win 7, just for that. I had considered just disabling the NIC so Win 7 would not go on line but if this works (I've only had it installed for two days) I won't have to do that when I run Win 7.
GWX Control Panel
I don't have problems with Win 10, like some, and my home recording studio software (Cakewalk Sonar) and hardware all works perfectly on Win 10. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 5:22 am
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GWX Control Panel worked for me for one month. Then, a Windows Update overwrote its registry keys and the icon and deselected/hidden updates returned. One would have to play cat and mouse to stop the Get Windows 10 events from happening.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Scott Duckworth
From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 7:08 am
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I installed Linix Mint on an older Dell desktop that had a corrupted Win 7. It sits beside my XP machine, and I use the Linux box for everything except a couple of ham radio applications, and my projection software for church. Normally, the screen on the XP machine stays dark.
R.I.P. Windoze.. almost...
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it
I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus! |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 9:33 am
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No Linux for me - life's too short to spend wrestling with it, and it's unable to cope with resource-intensive applications like multi-media. There are other options. But Microsoft's odious and persistent agenda to totally control users and to aggressively invade their privacy has convinced me it's time for some preemptive planning.
This article, which I just ran across, may be of interest to some. It turns out that a lot of Microsoft's agenda has been in place long before Windows 10 was released on unsuspecting beta testers, er, users. Much of this same type of invasion of privacy through daily telemetry collection and reporting to the MS Mothership is alive and well inside our Windows 7 computers, and reporting home daily. The article details how much of it can be defeated. This is needless, intrusive activity that not only threatens users' privacy, it also takes up CPU cycles that could be better used to enhance system performance. I'll be working my way through it.
Since MS has announced they will orphan Windows 7 in July 2018, and unless things have radically changed by then, those users will have to make a decision. I now have money invested in a high-performance system running Win7 64-bit for the apps I use that need it. As a result, my best option will be to keep using it, but only locally. I intend to unplug all my Windows devices permanently from the net when that time comes, and use non-Microsoft devices for the internet - Android, Chromebook, etc. Microsoft's arrogance will have lost them a life-long loyal customer - forever.
If I find I need to run a Windows-based app that must be internet-connected to operate, running it under BootCamp on a Mac is always an option. And, as more users get fed up with Microsoft's heavy-handed corporate attitude, new choices will emerge to replace aging Windows-based hardware for high performance applications. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 11:01 am
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| I can't run Sonar on Linux. Same way there are no Linux drivers for my recording hardware. As Sonar is a Windows only application, it would only work on a MAC if I had Windows installed. No use buying a 3 times as expensive MAC only to run Windows. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 11:48 am
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... and you'd better hurry up and do it. I kept declining the "offer" to upgrade me to Win10, thinking that would suffice to keep them at bay. Then one Wednesday morning I awoke to discover that MS had installed it WITHOUT my express permission and restarted my computer! WTF??
When I clicked to say that I didn't want it, I got a popup saying, essentially, 'Well, we could give you your old OS back, but it's gonna take a while...'. !!!! Naturally, I didn't have time to waste while they reinstalled my old OS so I had to accept the unsolicited offer. Pissed me off, though.
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 1:40 pm
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| Jack Stoner wrote: |
| No use buying a 3 times as expensive MAC only to run Windows. |
I agree - and a Mac is at the end of the options I envision. There is a loyal following in the multimedia creation crowd for Macs, though,and it might be fun to see why, down the line.
I'm just thinking about how to keep my favorite apps running, once Windows 7 is unsupported. If I can keep them going on my Win7 box after I unplug it from the internet, I think I'll be OK using non-MS devices for that. Just no more Windows upgrades for me unless/until MS shows some respect for its customers, and gives them back the control lost lately - and I'm not holding my breath. World domination looks too sweet to them. 
| Jim Cohen wrote: |
| ...Pissed me off, though. |
Yeah...but you made Mother Microsoft REALLY happy that day.  |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 6:21 pm
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| Dave Potter wrote: |
I'm just thinking about how to keep my favorite apps running, once Windows 7 is unsupported. If I can keep them going on my Win7 box after I unplug it from the internet, I think I'll be OK using non-MS devices for that. Just no more Windows upgrades for me unless/until MS shows some respect for its customers, and gives them back the control lost lately - and I'm not holding my breath. World domination looks too sweet to them. ;-)
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Maybe I can help you, Dave. Computer security is one of my specialties. I'll get back to this after NCIS LA...
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 8:42 pm
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| Wiz Feinberg wrote: |
| Dave Potter wrote: |
I'm just thinking about how to keep my favorite apps running, once Windows 7 is unsupported. If I can keep them going on my Win7 box after I unplug it from the internet, I think I'll be OK using non-MS devices for that. Just no more Windows upgrades for me unless/until MS shows some respect for its customers, and gives them back the control lost lately - and I'm not holding my breath. World domination looks too sweet to them. ;-)
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Maybe I can help you, Dave. Computer security is one of my specialties. I'll get back to this after NCIS LA... |
Some steps you can take to secure an out of support Windows 7 computer include...
- Stay off the Internet
- Use the Internet, but: uninstall Adobe Flash, Silverlight, Adobe Reader, Adobe Air, Oracle Java, Apple Quicktime and any other exploitable/exploited browser plug-ins.
- Subscribe to Trend Micro Internet Security, or equivalent from a major security company which offers continuing support for Windows 7.
- Use only the most secure browser (currently Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox). If for some reason you decide to use or keep using Internet Explorer as your default browser, disable third party extensions and automatically empty Temporary Internet Files when you close the browser, then set the security zone to high.
- If you use Firefox, install the NoScript! Add-on and learn how to use it to allow and deny scripting on various websites.
- Optionally, install AdBlock Plus, or whatever it morphs into. Learn to whitelist certain content delivery networks (aka: CDNs) in order to view protected web pages and content. Some websites will lock you out of certain content if you come there with an ad blocker. Some features of ad blockers also block otherwise desired content, so be careful. I finally uninstalled AdBlock because of things it caused to break on important websites.
- Definitely operate as a "Standard User Account" rather than any type of Computer Administrator! This in itself will stop about 90% of drive-by exploit attacks in their tracks.
- Set a password on the Administrator and Standard accounts!
- Make sure UAC prompts are fully enabled so that you are prompted to input the Administrator password to install, update, or uninstall programs that affect the entire PC.
- Secure any wireless router and networking equipment you have and connect any devices to. Apply the strongest protections your router can provide. This means disabling remote administration, setting an unguessable admin password to the device interface, make sure you run the latest firmware, etc.
- Shut down, log off, or "lock" the computer when you are going out of your residence or office. Thieves will need your passwords to log into your accounts.
- Be careful about personal details you post on social networks and forums.
- Turn off the mic and camera if they are not in use.
IHTH
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2016 5:42 am
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I'd like to add another couple of security suggestions that apply whether your OS is supported or not.
- Use Microsoft's Word "Viewer" to inspect Word .doc attachments in emails you receive. The current trend among attackers is to use the Word "macros" feature to forcibly download malware using obfuscated Macro scripting. The Word Viewer does not run macros at all.
- If you have MS Word and other components, disable macros. If a document you open appears scrambled and demands that you enable macros to view it, it is almost certainly a malicious script!
- If you are not attached to Adobe Reader, try the free Foxit Reader instead. It is safer and offers most of the features of Adobe reader. Foxit also sells a PDF writer that is similar to Acrobat, but not as insecure and not nearly as expensive.
- Install CCleaner. Set it up to clean the Recycle Bin and also the custom location: %AppData%\Roaming\ *.exe and *.bat and run it before you shut down your computer.
- If you use a desktop email client, like Windows Live Mail, try out MailWasher Pro to screen and filter out malware and scam links before you download messages to your inbox. It is a process and I have a couple of pages devoted to MailWasher on my website. They are at: MailWasher Pro and MailWasher Pro Filters.
- Even if your version of Windows becomes unsupported it doesn't necessarily mean that your installed software won't continue to receive updates. So, check for updates until the vendor tells you that the end of life has arrived for your OS or program version.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 22 Mar 2016 8:32 am
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Thanks, Wiz. It turns out that for most of that stuff, it either doesn't apply for me, or I'm already doing it. Pressing on after darkness falls on Win7 might not be so bad...
But for now, at least, snuggling up under the "protective wing" (sarc) of Microsoft ("we only have your best interests at heart"-yeah, right) isn't looking too inviting, and any future upgrades to my PC won't happen without some serious policy changes from them.
And I'm working through the list of Windows 7 telemetry stuff listed in the document I linked to earlier, getting rid of them. My system has better things to do with its time than spend it telling Microsoft "what it did today". |
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Dale Foreman
From:
Crowley Louisiana, USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2016 12:46 pm Windows
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Have you tried to download Windows XP Mode and run it as a VM?
_________________
Rittenberry Prestige(2) |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 22 Mar 2016 2:30 pm
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No. But why would I want to do that? I don't have any software designed to run under Windows XP. 
FYI, and quoting from Microsoft:
"As of April 8, 2014, technical support for Windows XP and Windows XP Mode is no longer available, including updates that help protect your PC. This means that if you continue to use Windows XP or use Windows XP Mode on a Windows 7 PC after support ends, your PC might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Therefore, to keep your Windows 7 PC secure after support ends, we recommend that you only use Windows XP Mode if your PC is disconnected from the Internet." |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 23 Mar 2016 5:33 am
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I realize that this is like asking if Winter will come this year, but at some point, will support for Win 8 end?
When will it be too late to get on the bus? |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2016 6:02 am
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| Charlie McDonald wrote: |
I realize that this is like asking if Winter will come this year, but at some point, will support for Win 8 end?
When will it be too late to get on the bus? |
Support for Windows 8.0 has already ended, effective January, 2016. If you have upgraded to Windows 8.1, mainstream support ends on January 9, 2018 and extended support (major security fixes only) ends on January 10, 2023. You must either update to Windows 8.1 or 10 to continue to receive patches for a Windows 8 machine.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 23 Mar 2016 6:13 am
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| Thanks, Wiz. |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2016 8:34 am
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| Jim Cohen wrote: |
MS had installed [w10] WITHOUT my express permission and restarted my computer! WTF??
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Does your audio hw and sw still work? |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 23 Mar 2016 8:38 am
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| Earnest Bovine wrote: |
| Jim Cohen wrote: |
MS had installed [w10] WITHOUT my express permission and restarted my computer! WTF??
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Does your audio hw and sw still work? |
Yes, it does. But it set its new player as the default, etc.
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2016 9:42 am
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| I have GWX Control Panel (no shield against tentacles of W10) and I try to read about the many many KB313xxxx and allow only the safe ones, but still I worry that one of these Wednesdays I'll wake up and find that I can no longer do overdubs at home because there is an impossible re-authorization for Cubase, and no W10 drivers for my A/D interface. Of well, I guess I could always use Pro Tools and Eleven rack, which is not a bad alternative. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2016 3:50 pm
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| Earnest Bovine wrote: |
| I have GWX Control Panel (no shield against tentacles of W10) and I try to read about the many many KB313xxxx and allow only the safe ones, but still I worry that one of these Wednesdays I'll wake up and find that I can no longer do overdubs at home because there is an impossible re-authorization for Cubase, and no W10 drivers for my A/D interface. Of well, I guess I could always use Pro Tools and Eleven rack, which is not a bad alternative. |
Then this PC should not be on the Internet. If your recording programs are all up to date and everything you need to work offline is installed, take it offline. You can buy a laptop for a few hundred dollars and use it to browse the web, do email, instant messaging and create/send documents to the cloud. Let that PC get all the updates that are available. Protect it with commercial anti-malware software.
Most importantly, air-gap the recording computer from the Internet facing one. Do not network them and be wary of using a thumbdrive to transfer files unless your anti-malware program scans removable drives when they are plugged in and when they are activated.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Michael Haselman
From:
St. Paul
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Posted 25 Mar 2016 5:30 pm
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There's another option for people with old OS's like 7 and Vista. I have an old Dell laptop with Vista, which is going away shortly also. I installed Linux Lite as a dual boot so I have both OS's on the same machine. Having fun with it so far, and Linux Lite makes it fairly easy. If you like Linux, you can eventually make the Linux partition bigger and bigger and finally get rid of Windows.
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Mullen RP D10, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. Hound Dog reso. Piles of other stuff. |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 26 Mar 2016 5:19 am
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| Michael Haselman wrote: |
| If you like Linux, you can eventually make the Linux partition bigger and bigger and finally get rid of Windows. |
Once things get to that point, and Windows is gone, is there any workaround for running apps that need Windows registry entries to run properly? |
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Michael Haselman
From:
St. Paul
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Posted 26 Mar 2016 7:48 am
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Dave, I'm not sure of the answer to that question. I have a desktop that I'm running Windows 10 (with no problems) so all my windows stuff is on there. My laptop is a spare, and I like it for Band In A Box because it's portable. Really not doing much of anything else with it. I do know there is a Windows emulator program for Linux, though. No need for it at this time. Read up on Linux and you will get answers.
_________________
Mullen RP D10, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. Hound Dog reso. Piles of other stuff. |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2016 9:32 am
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| Wiz Feinberg wrote: |
| be wary of using a thumbdrive to transfer files unless your anti-malware program scans removable drives when they are plugged in and when they are activated. |
Does MBAM Home (Premium) do this? |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2016 9:40 am
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| Brint Hannay wrote: |
| Wiz Feinberg wrote: |
| be wary of using a thumbdrive to transfer files unless your anti-malware program scans removable drives when they are plugged in and when they are activated. |
Does MBAM Home (Premium) do this? |
No, MBAM does not auto-scan removable media when it is plugged in. It can scan afterward using a custom scan option.
Trend Micro does scan all USB drives as they are plugged in.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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