Windows 10 - Deeper Impressions

[TELVM]

Lets just enjoy the last years we have with win 7 8

And hope for the best ...

 

But prepare for the worst.

 

 

 

Microsoft Finds Another Way to Force Windows 10 Upgrade on Businesses

 

... So what is Microsoft doing this week? No less than altering how it supports Windows 7 and 8.1 going forward, mid-stream, so that it can force more businesses to upgrade to Windows 10 ...

 

... Microsoft is altering its support policy, not just for one or two Windows versions, but for Windows in general. And I am reasonably sure this has never happened before ...

 

... Microsoft is not actually supporting Skylake generation hardware for Windows 7 and 8.1 at all. And that’s because there isn’t a business on earth that would go to the trouble of deploying on Skylake hardware now only to have to upgrade to Windows 10 in the near future. The net result is that only Windows 10 is really supported on Skylake, e.g. on new hardware.

 

Put another way, this isn’t Microsoft building Windows 7/8.1 “support” for Skylake. This is Microsoft building a guaranteed upgrade for Windows 10. In other words, this is more of the same: Microsoft pushing customers to Windows 10 by any means necessary ...

If it's just that the "unsupported" system not receiving updates, well, that sounds like a feature given Microsoft's current trustworthiness ...

Exactly.

[Formfiller]

Windows is going to be a subscription service sooner or later.

 

Modern hardware can last quite easily over ten years (C2Ds from 2006 are still serving). No way in hell it's desirable for MS that businesses put W10 on a machine and run it for ten years or more.

 

What would be the difference to their dreaded "XP/W7 forever" scenario in this case?

 

The home/pro versions of W10 could stay free due all the spying and profiling they do (a business model like Facebook), but having the less spy-happy LTSB version running for ten years or more in businesses without upgrading? No way.

 

They will introduce subscription for the enterprise versions some day. It's obvious.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Formfiller

[NoelC]

FYI, since security strategy was discussed a few pages ago, I figured I'd mention that I've just implemented a DNS server.

 

I have a small Win 7 system that's online 24/7, so I installed an open source package called "Dual DHCP DNS Server".  I configured it to run only the DNS part, and prepared a derivation of my big hosts file (black list), which was assembled from freely available lists online.

 

I reconfigured my router to deliver the address of my server as the DNS server, so all the systems on my LAN / wifi now ask my server for DNS resolution.

 

If an address can be resolved by the server from its list (i.e., the black list that has entries explicitly pointed to 0.0.0.0) then it will do so, returning a "host not found" error (a specific feature of using 0.0.0.0), but if a DNS request comes in for a good server not in the black list it will forward it to a remote DNS server (I have it set up to use the OpenDNS servers for that), then return the response when it comes back.

 

Voila, additional protection for all devices, e.g. for our iPad, with essentially no downside.  I'm working on an automated job now to update the blacklist regularly, much as I do to create the updated hosts files.

 

Edit:  Done.  The job now uses the same sources as I was using to generate hosts files to generate a file of the proper format to be read by Dual DHCP DNS Server.  The service is restarted each day to load the new list once it has been updated. 

 

List entries are simple, and look like this:

...lakai.com=0.0.0.0lakefrontvacationsuites.com=0.0.0.0lakeshore.d1.sc.omtrdc.net=0.0.0.0lalamomo.com=0.0.0.0laliga-fans.ru=0.0.0.0lamaisondeloiselier.com=0.0.0.0...



 

The iPad now seems MUCH snappier to browse the web without all the tracking and ad crap loading!

 

Server logs look like:

[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Dual DHCP DNS Server Version 7.29 Windows Build 7035 Starting...[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] DNS Logging: All[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Starting DNS Service[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Server Name: SVN[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Default Host Expiry: 36000 (sec)[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Default Forwarding Server: 208.67.220.220[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Detecting Static Interfaces..[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Domain Name: workgroup[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Default Forwarding Server: 208.67.222.222[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] DNS Service Permitted Hosts: 192.168.2.2-192.168.2.254[16-Jan-16 14:51:29] Listening On: 192.168.2.44[16-Jan-16 14:52:33] Client 192.168.2.32, www.prodigitalsoftware.com A forwarded to Forwarding Server 208.67.222.222[16-Jan-16 14:52:33] Client 192.168.2.32, www.prodigitalsoftware.com A resolved from Forwarding Server as 66.96.147.110[16-Jan-16 14:57:54] Client 192.168.2.32, connect.facebook.com A not found[16-Jan-16 15:05:37] Client 192.168.2.32, platform.twitter.com A not found

If it can help you with ideas, coding, or whatever, here's the batch file I wrote that compiles hosts and dns_hosts files.  I don't expect you to be able to run it directly.  It is augmented with the Gnu Toolkit for Windows and some of my own tools.  However, it can give an idea how I've automated the process of creating these lists.  You may use the information within it freely.

 

:! =============================================================================:! =                Copyright (C) 2015-2015 ProDigital Software.               =:! =                            All Rights Reserved.                           =:! =                                                                           =:! =  This computer program is protected by copyright law and international    =:! =  treaties.  Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program,    =:! =  or any portion of it, may result in severe civil or criminal penalties,  =:! =  and will be prosecuted accordingly.                                      =:! =============================================================================:!:!+=============================================================================:!:! Name:        MalwareDomainCompiler:! Ident:       1.3:! Type:        User Command Task:! Language:    MS-DOS Batch:! Index:       Gather lists of malware domains and compile into a hosts file:!:!:! Function::!:!      This script gathers several well-managed lists of malware domains from:!      sites online and reduces the list into hosts file that will help protect:!      the local machine from visiting known malware sites.:!:!      It also generates a dns_hosts file for use LAN-wide via the:!      Dual DHCP DNS Server software running on the SVN server.:!:!:! Synopsis::!:!      MalwareDomainCompiler  NoPrompt:!:!      NoPrompt -  (Optional) If specified, will avert the request for confirmation.:!:!:!:! Additional Information::!:!      Malware domain source information includes::!:!      http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.txt:!      http://malware-domains.com/files/domains.zip:!      http://mirror1.malwaredomains.com/files/immortal_domains.txt:!      http://www.malwaredomainlist.com/hostslist/hosts.txt:!:!      The information from above is reduced for uniqueness and appended to::!:!      %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\BaseHostsFile.txt:!:!-=============================================================================:!:!  Start of process.:!        @ECHO OFF:!:!  Get a unique temporary area subfolder to work in:!        CALL UniqueTemp:!:! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =:!:!  Check for incorrect parameters.:!        IF NOT "%2" == "" GOTO DISPLAY_HELP        IF "%1" == "" GOTO CONFIRM_RUN        IF "%1" == "NoPrompt" GOTO CONFIRM_RUN:!:DISPLAY_HELP:!        ECHO.        ECHO ERROR:  Incorrect parameters specified.        ECHO.        ECHO Function:        ECHO.        ECHO     This script gathers several well-managed lists of malware domains from        ECHO     sites online and reduces the list into a hosts file that will help protect        ECHO     the local machine from visiting known malware sites.  It also generates        ECHO     a dns_hosts file suitable for use by the Dual DHCP DNS Server.        ECHO.        ECHO.        ECHO Synopsis:        ECHO.        ECHO     MalwareDomainCompiler  NoPrompt        ECHO.        ECHO     NoPrompt -  (Optional) If specified, will avert the request for confirmation.        ECHO                 This is of course useful for unattended operation.        ECHO.:!        GOTO CLEAN_UP:!:! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =:!:CONFIRM_RUN:!        IF "%1" == "NoPrompt" GOTO START_RUN:!        SET /P _MDC_CONTINUE="This script will acquire input data from sources online and compile a hosts file.  Continue (Y/N)? "        IF "%_MDC_CONTINUE%" == "Y" GOTO START_RUN        IF "%_MDC_CONTINUE%" == "y" GOTO START_RUN:!        ECHO Aborted run.        ECHO.        GOTO CLEAN_UP:!:! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =:!:START_RUN:!        CD /D "%TEMP%":!        ECHO.        ECHO Retrieving malware domain information from various sources...:!        SET MALWARE_LIST_1=http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.txt        SET MALWARE_LIST_2=http://malware-domains.com/files/domains.zip        SET MALWARE_LIST_3=http://mirror1.malwaredomains.com/files/immortal_domains.txt        SET MALWARE_LIST_4=http://www.malwaredomainlist.com/hostslist/hosts.txt:!        WGET -O List1.txt %MALWARE_LIST_1%        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO ONLINE_FAIL        echo.>>List1.txt:!        WGET -O List2.zip %MALWARE_LIST_2%        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO ONLINE_FAIL        UNZIP List2.zip        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO ONLINE_FAIL        REN Domains.txt List2.txt        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO ONLINE_FAIL        echo.>>List2.txt:!        WGET -O List3.txt %MALWARE_LIST_3%        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO ONLINE_FAIL        echo.>>List3.txt:!        WGET -O List4.txt %MALWARE_LIST_4%        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO ONLINE_FAIL        echo.>>List4.txt:!        GOTO PROCESS_FILES:!:ONLINE_FAIL        ECHO.        ECHO ERROR:  Could not retrieve one or more of the specified online data files.  This is as far as we got:        DIR        ECHO.        GOTO LOG_FINAL:!:! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =:!:PROCESS_FILES:!:!  Now strip out comments and extra whitespace:!        SED -r -e "s/#.*$//g" -e "s/[ \t]+/ /g" -e "s/^0.0.0.0 //g" -e "s/[ ]+$//g" -e "s/\n\n+/\n/g" -e "/^::/d" -e "/^[ \t]*$/d" -e "s/^/0.0.0.0 /g" List1.txt >NewHostsData.tmp        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDIT_FAIL:!        SED -r -e "s/#.*$//g" -e "s/[ \t]+/ /g" -e "s/^ //g" -e "s/^[0-9]*[ \t]+//g" -e "s/ .*$//g" -e "s/^notice$//g" -e "s/[ ]+$//g" -e "s/\n\n+/\n/g" -e "/^::/d" -e "/^[ \t]*$/d" -e "s/^/0.0.0.0 /g" List2.txt >>NewHostsData.tmp        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDIT_FAIL        SED -r -e "s/#.*$//g" -e "s/[ \t]+/ /g" -e "s/^notice$//g" -e "s/[ ]+$//g" -e "s/\n\n+/\n/g" -e "/^::/d" -e "/^[ \t]*$/d" -e "s/^/0.0.0.0 /g" List3.txt >>NewHostsData.tmp        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDIT_FAIL        SED -r -e "s/#.*$//g" -e "s/[ \t]+/ /g" -e "s/^127.0.0.1 //g" -e "s/[ ]+$//g" -e "s/\n\n+/\n/g" -e "/^::/d" -e "/^[ \t]*$/d" -e "s/^/0.0.0.0 /g" List4.txt >>NewHostsData.tmp        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDIT_FAIL:!:!  Sort and eliminate duplicates:!        "C:\Program Files\GnuWin32\bin\sort" -u NewHostsData.tmp >NewHostsData.txt        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDIT_FAIL:!:!  Put it all together in the main system hosts file.:!        ECHO. >Banner.txt        ECHO #--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>Banner.txt        ECHO. >>Banner.txt        SHOWTIME # Entries added automatically by MalwareDomainCompiler.bat on %%s from:>>Banner.txt        ECHO. >>Banner.txt        ECHO #   %MALWARE_LIST_1% >>Banner.txt        ECHO #   %MALWARE_LIST_2% >>Banner.txt        ECHO #   %MALWARE_LIST_3% >>Banner.txt        ECHO #   %MALWARE_LIST_4% >>Banner.txt        ECHO. >>Banner.txt:!        COPY %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.last        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDIT_FAIL:!:!  Create the final hosts file - /B switch averts a hex 1A from being tacked on the end:!        COPY /B %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\BaseHostsFile.txt+Banner.txt+NewHostsData.txt %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO RESTORE_HOSTS:!:!  Now make a dns_hosts file with a slightly different format for the DNS server.:!        COPY \\SVN\C\DualServer\dns_hosts \\SVN\C\DualServer\dns_hosts.old        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDIT_FAIL:!        SED -r -e "s/^0.0.0.0 //g" -e "s/$/=0.0.0.0/g" NewHostsData.txt >NewHostsData.dns_hosts        IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDIT_FAIL:!:!  Remove any entries we want to ensure are not blocked, which have been seen to be needed,:!   and write the final file.:!        FGREP -v "s.ytimg.com" NewHostsData.dns_hosts >\\SVN\C\DualServer\dns_hosts:!        ECHO.        DIR %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.*        ECHO.:!        ECHO -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------        diff -y --suppress-common-lines --width=125 %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.last        ECHO -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:!        GOTO LOG_FINAL:!:! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =:!:!  If an error occurred in creating the actual hosts file, restore the file we started with:!:RESTORE_HOSTS:!        COPY %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.last %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.:!:EDIT_FAIL:!        ECHO.        ECHO ERROR:  Could not process one or more of the data files.  This is as far as we got:        DIR        ECHO.:!:! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =:!:LOG_FINAL:!        ECHO.        SHOWTIME MalwareDomainCompiler.bat finished on %%s.        ECHO.        ECHO ====================================================================================================================================:!:! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =:!:CLEAN_UP:!        CD /D "%OriginalTEMP%"        RD /S /Q %TEMP% >nul        SET TEMP=%OriginalTEMP%        SET OriginalTEMP=:!:!==============================================================================:!:END_OF_PROCEDURE:!:!==============================================================================:!:!  End of file.:!:!==============================================================================

 

-Noel

Edited January 16, 2016 by NoelC

[helpdesk98]

I believe in the future you are going to start seeing more businesses/schools moving to remote application servers. At least two places near were I live have done this. My high school has done this they installed the necessary client software and locked the old (mostly xp) systems down best they can and every year they are replacing these desktops with thin clients. They really don't want to upgrade. If MS dose not improve the desktop in Windows 10 I will move to another system when my Win 7 machine usefulness diminishes.

[NoelC]

I guess I work in graphics software more than most, but I never found an application server type setup to be a sufficient provider of services.  Nowadays, with more and more software using the GPU, centralizing the computing somewhere else - necessarily removed from the display - just seems silly.

 

Centralizing hardware is a way to cut costs, but it's not like computer hardware isn't cheaper than ever, or more powerful than ever. 

 

-Noel

[helpdesk98]

I guess I work in graphics software more than most, but I never found an application server type setup to be a sufficient provider of services.  Nowadays, with more and more software using the GPU, centralizing the computing somewhere else - necessarily removed from the display - just seems silly.

 

Centralizing hardware is a way to cut costs, but it's not like computer hardware isn't cheaper than ever, or more powerful than ever. 

 

-Noel

yeah you are right. I didn't even consider that it would be a nightmare to work with any thing like PS or Video/audio especially if the network could not handle it. In my case with the school it works because the main programs they are running are office/productivity apps I forgot they have separate mac lab for multimedia.

[dencorso]

Then again, by tying newer processors to Win 10, MS may hoist Intel under together with itself, while AMD may balk out any moment and start providing hardware compatible with XP-7-8.1, for those intent on keeping using that.

Moreover, just like this quote from another thread well illustrates, those users who use their computers for Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, maybe e-mail and even sometimes getting news (like CNN, etc.), aren't going to keep having desktops nor notebooks anymore, very soon, so Intel will lose customers galore, anyway...

 

And the next trend: A relative just bought a new iPhone and told me that they don't need a computer, they're just going to use the iPhone! It does all they need a computer to do!

[TELVM]

Two consecutive epic posts from OCN
 

... They are effectively threatening to cut the global support period of 7 and 8.1 for any Skylake system not on the list to NOW and for the others in 18 months, which is even before 8.1 reaches the end of the mainstream support period.
 
How can a company that was buying new systems based on the policy as it was and do their migration until 2020 or 2023 trust another company that does something like this? This isn't peanuts we're talking about. Validation takes time and money. Also, people that bought a retail copy of 8 or 8.1 thinking that it wasn't bound to their current system and that they'd be able to upgrade within the mainstream support period will also have their expectations defrauded.

 

 

... With this sort of strategy, they will literally have to pull out my beloved Windows 7 out of my cold, dead hands before I even think about upgrading to Windows 10 ...

 

[JorgeA]

 

Windows is going to be a subscription service sooner or later.

 

If and when that does happen, you and I will have a field day going back to all the old threads on various forums, and posting new replies to the fanbois who claimed "that will never happen," "how absurd, "stop the FUD," and so on. 

 

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

 

Two consecutive epic posts from OCN

 

How can a company that was buying new systems based on the policy as it was and do their migration until 2020 or 2023 trust another company that does something like this?

 

That's key, IMHO. Once lost, trust is very hard to win back.

 

--JorgeA

[Drugwash]

I'll be LMAO when M$ buys Apple. "You want choices?! Here's your choice: our way or the highway!"

 

Unless they pass some law that says you either use WinX or get shot in the head because you are a terrorist.

[ZortMcGort11]

I'm sure civilization will crumble before we have to worry about future Windows versions like 11, 12, etc.... so let's just enjoy our favorite Windows system, whatever they may be, while we can. Because, without sounding too pessimistic, in the future we'll probably have to worry about more important things like, oh, food, shelter, guns, ammo, clean water, how to find/grow food... stuff like that.

Defending ourselves from the violent mobs of people searching for food and who might be just killing people in general because they don't (a) don't share similar philosophical beliefs (b) don't look the same.

I'm personally investing more of my time and energy and cash into "survival gear".

I'm amassing knives, hand-crank flashlights, magnesium fire starters, emergency parts and supplies for my car, water filtration, maybe some rain barrels, weapons, etc.

I mean, just look around, the fabric of society is crumbling before our very eyes.

Furthermore, if some central "cloud" of computer banks happens to "give up the ghost" then how will people's computers get back on-line if everything is run from a centralized could. Sounds like De-centralization would be a better scenario to survive any attacks on infrastructure, or global financial meltdown, or whatever doomsday scenario plays itself out. Just saying....

Edited January 18, 2016 by ZortMcGort11

[ZortMcGort11]

If everything is controlled by a central cloud, it means that, it's just a quicker way for them to knock everything out, then they can swoop in and declare martial law. That was easy. See, it's all part of their master plan.

So, in conclusion, the cloud is just a way for them to hurry up and get closer to declaring martial law :-)

[NoelC]

That's key, IMHO. Once lost, trust is very hard to win back.

 

A corollary to that, from Microsoft's perspective: 

 

Trust, once lost, means we no longer have to act in a trustworthy way, and that opens up all KINDS of possibilities.

 

-Noel

[BudwS]

 

That's key, IMHO. Once lost, trust is very hard to win back.

 

A corollary to that, from Microsoft's perspective: 

 

Trust, once lost, means we no longer have to act in a trustworthy way, and that opens up all KINDS of possibilities.

 

-Noel

 

In spite of those who choose to be untrustworthy, you still have the option to choose trustworthy!  You are not obligated to blindly follow the untrustworthy. 

 

In spite of the negative blasted out by media, I look around our world and I see the majority of people still help others in need, give the helping hand, and don't worship gold.

 

Just look at the people in these forums who go way out of their way to help others with computer problems for free.

 

Just remember, there are way more computer users than computer makers.  The power is in the people.