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Win2k3EE

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Posts posted by Win2k3EE

    Classic Shell 4.0

    in Windows 8

    Posted

    Another satisfied "customer" today. My friend LOVES classicshell. He just bought a laptop today and came straight to me to "fix" it.

    Thank you again. Can't wait for v4.0. :thumbup

    If v4.0 will replicate the exact startmenu of Win7 you'll make my day.

    :yes:

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    Classic Shell 4.0

    in Windows 8

    Posted · Edited by Win2k3EE

    New "Windows 7" menu style that replicates the look and feel of the Windows 7 start menu

    the programs show in a tree inside the main menu

    search results and jump lists show inside the main menu

    dedicated shutdown button

    the unparalleled customizability you've come to expect from Classic Shell

    I LOVE THIS PART, though. :thumbup

    Can't wait for the final version.

    After installing classicshell start menu on a couple of computers, now a lot of people with brand new laptops with Win8 on it want this on their laptop as well.

    KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

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    Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Google play interface looks like a drawing of an 3 year-old kid. :D It's pretty...if you're in kindergarten. :D

    "Cloud storage"?

    Neah! I like to keep my stuff to myself. If you need mobility, then you create your own VPN or FTP. Maybe the costs are a bit higher, but at least you know that "someone" "somewhere" is not going through your private data without your consent.

    0

    Classic Shell 4.0

    in Windows 8

    Posted

    that's why I don't like it and will NEVER use it.

    I don't like it either. I prefer v3.6.7 I don't want to deal with StartScreen or hot corners at all.

    You can rest easy that Classic Shell is never ever going to force any design choice on users or remove any currently available option.

    :thumbup:thumbup:thumbup

    Thank you, Sir.

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    KernelEx 4.5.2

    in Windows 9x Member Projects

    Posted

    I have to say a big THANK YOU to all the guys involved in this project. I'm a huge fan of Windows 98SE and KernelEx is giving me the opportunity to use Windows 98SE in 2013. So, THANK YOU guys for your wonderful job and the passion you put into it. :thumbup :thumbup :thumbup :thumbup :thumbup

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    Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Win2k3EE

    @JorgeA: I'm talking about this: http://www.webpronews.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-compares-iphone-users-to-sheep-2012-04

    Anyway, the big companies (MS, Apple, Google, Samsung) treat the consumers as sheep.

    Let's be fair on this one, but there's a sheep mentality for a vast part of the consumers out there. It doesn't matter anymore functionality, usability, productivity but "the newest toy around", even though the respective consumer will use only 5%"features and new capabilities" of the of the "newest device".

    I can can create and work on documents and spreadsheets using Win98SE and Office97, but hey, it's much much "cooler" to use" Win1.0+touch when it works" (aka Win8) and Office 2013 (which looks like a neutered blank piece of paper).

    Every dumb-a** "IT analyst" speaks about "security" concerns when it comes to <past> OSes, but praises the new "revolutionary OS" and it's "surprising security" until...the first FIX.After that, they quietly hide behind their desks, because if you take the respective analyst by his cheap tie, we will tremble like a spineless-worm that he is.

    0

    Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Start Screen is sending info to MS about software you have installed on your PC, so security and privacy are down the drain...

    157.54.0.0 - 157.60.255.255

    I did an IP address lookup etc.

    Whois record :

    MarkMonitor is the Global Leader in Online Brand Protection.

    Domain Management

    MarkMonitor Brand Protectionâ„¢

    MarkMonitor AntiPiracyâ„¢

    MarkMonitor AntiFraudâ„¢

    Professional and Managed Services

    and

    OrgName: Microsoft Corp

    OrgId: MSFT

    Address: One Microsoft Way

    City: Redmond

    StateProv: WA

    PostalCode: 98052

    Country: US

    RegDate: 1998-07-10

    Updated: 2011-04-26

    So it seems to me Microsoft is monitoring my internet connections through a third party.

    Update: According to Microsoft, SmartScreen sends a hash of the app installer and its digital signature, if any. A combination of the hash and the user’s IP address is still enough to identify that IP address x attempted to install software y.

    I’ve recently been using the final, Released to Manufacturing version of Windows 8 on one of my computers, to much delight. I’ve been very impressed by how fast, well-designed, functional and capable this latest iteration of Windows is. However, my tinkering around from a security/privacy perspective has left me concerned.

    Windows 8 has a new featured called Windows SmartScreen, which is turned on by default. Windows SmartScreen’s purpose is to “screen” every single application you try to install from the Internet in order to inform you whether it’s safe to proceed with installing it or not. Here’s how SmartScreen works:

    You download any application from the Internet. Say, the Tor Browser Bundle.

    You open the installer. Windows SmartScreen gathers some identifying information about your application, and sends the data to Microsoft.

    If Microsoft replies saying that the application is not signed with a proper certificate, the user gets an error that looks something like this.

    There are a few serious problems here. The big problem is that Windows 8 is configured to immediately tell Microsoft about every app you download and install. This is a very serious privacy problem, specifically because Microsoft is the central point of authority and data collection/retention here and therefore becomes vulnerable to being served judicial subpoenas or National Security Letters intended to monitor targeted users. This situation is exacerbated when Windows 8 is deployed in countries experiencing political turmoil or repressive political situations.

    This problem can however get even more serious: It may be possible to intercept SmartScreen’s communications to Microsoft and thus learn about every single application downloaded and installed by a target. Here is my analysis:

    A quick packet capture showed the following activity happening immediately when I tried to install the Tor Browser Bundle:

    Click for full size and notes.

    SmartScreen appeared to connect over HTTPS to a server in Redmond (apprep.smartscreen.microsoft.com, 65.55.184.60, run by Microsoft) in order to communicate information about the application I was trying to install.

    After running some tests on this Microsoft server, I discovered that it ran Microsoft IIS 7.5 to handle its HTTPS connections. The Microsoft server is configured to support SSLv2 which is known to be insecure and susceptible to interception. The SSL Certificate Authority chain goes down from “GTE CyberTrust Global Root” to “Microsoft Secure Server Authority.” The Certificate Authority model is itself susceptible to some serious problems.

    I haven’t checked whether Windows SmartScreen does in fact use SSLv2, but the fact that the Microsoft servers support it is concerning. Furthermore, SmartScreen is not easy to disable, and Windows will periodically warn users to re-enable it should they attempt to disable it.

    To recap, here are the concerns posed by SmartScreen in Windows 8:

    Windows 8 will, by default, inform Microsoft of every app downloaded and installed by every user. This puts Microsoft in a compromising, omniscient situation where they are capable of retaining information on the application usage of all Windows 8 users, thus posing a serious privacy concern. The user is not informed of this while installing and setting up Windows 8, even though they are given the option to disable SmartScreen (which is enabled by default.)

    Windows 8 appears to send this information to Microsoft to a server that relies on Certificate Authorities for authentication and supports an outdated and insecure method of encrypted communication. It is possible that these insecurities could allow a malicious third party to target a Windows 8 user and learn which applications they are using. This allows them to profile the user and decide how to best exploit their personal selection of applications and their computing habits.

    I find Microsoft’s decision to design SmartScreen in such a privacy-free fashion to be a very bad choice, and I really hope that these concerns regarding SmartScreen will be addressed in near-future updates.

    0

    Should I upgrade ?

    in Windows 8

    Posted

    I am wondering if I should upgrade to windows 8

    You should read the "Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions" megathread on this to get the picture..

    Short answer: Don't "upgrade".

    You took the words out of my mouth. ;)

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    Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Now that Tihiy's brought back the Start Menu and bigmuscle's bringing back the Aero in Windows 8...this OS might become usable. :D

    Just like tune-up cars. Everyone wanted LED headlights and now the car manufacturers are offering that. Some put up a rear-view camera for better parking and now it's available for general public a.s.o. Windows 8 is going on the same road. :D

    I think MS is re-thinking its marketing strategy.

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    Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Win2k3EE

    And, it's important to completely shut down your PC, daily if possible, because there are things that Windows needs to do, that can only be done during a complete shutdown, like re-writing the registry to the hard drive.

    Is that correct?

    The guy is probably referring to the fact that shutdown in Win8 is not a normal power off like in previous Windows versions, but a version of hybrid sleep - and as in hibernation Windows 8 writes to the SSD/HDD the data stored in memory. In complete shutdown as in power off, Windows or any OS for that matter can't do anything. ;)

    0

    Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Seeing StartIsBack and start menu clones out there, it made me wanting to install Windows 8 Pro. But afterwards, an idea came into my mind already set to wipe out the Windows 7 Ultimate installation and to install Win8 Pro. Why do I need Win8 Pro? Why should I switch? Well, maybe I'm too relaxed with Win7 and I need some agitation with Win8. So, in the end I decided to stay with Windows 7. For me, Windows 8 doesn't offer anything much - maybe except the agitation and the stress of customization of Windows 8 to look & feel like Windows 7.

    Office 2013? Same argument as in regard of Win8. There's nothing new that I can't do with Office 2010.

    I have and "old" desktop equipped with an AMD Barton 2500+ (running stable for years at 2500 MHz) that's running Win2003 Server and Office 2007 and I don't see any reason to "upgrade".

    Once, I sought in an OS beauty and bling-bling - but today I want speed & beauty and Windows 7 delivers that very well, when Windows 8 doesn't at all, so I won't change just for the sake of changing.

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