#$%@^* GWX! $#&^#@ Microsoft!

[NoelC]

As careful as I've been, I now find out that even way back in late April when I set up my new Win 7 x64 Ultimate system some Windows Update must have put in an early version of GWX!

 

My new firewall setup just this evening caught it trying to communicate online!

 

Thing is, I HAD hidden KB3035583 on this system, before it ever was installed.  Apparently an even older update had already brought it in.

 

I've just swept my registry and file structure clean of all evidence of GWX, and fortunately the system still passes an SFC check.

 

 

Even if you think you've never allowed GWX into your Windows 7 system, double check by looking for this folder:

 

C:\Windows\System32\GWX

 

 

If you find it there a number of sites, including some threads in this forum, describe how to expunge that sucker.  The following is a good one, and at the end he describes just how I feel about Microsoft sneaking this shit onto my system.

 

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-7-to-10-gwx-how-to-remove.html

 

-Noel

[351837]

sc config wuauserv start= disabledsc stop wuauservREG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\wuauserv" /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d "00000004" /fREG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\wuauserv" /v FailureActions /t REG_BINARY /d "80510000000000000000000003000000140000000000000060ea000000000000000000000000000000000000" /f

Edited September 10, 2015 by 351837

[NoelC]

Well, that graphic is disturbing.  Almost as disturbing as Microsoft's policies.

 

Clearly at some point one could choose to leave behind all Windows Updates.  That has not been a good idea in the past, and the tipping point is never going to be clear.

 

Noting that today is Update Tuesday, does it make sense?  There are quite a few security updates.  But also note that in some cases there are "non-security-related fixes that are included in this security update"...  You have to do a lot of reading...

 

-Noel

[jaclaz]

That has not been a good idea in the past ...

Wasn't it?

Why? Who? What? Where?

 

Noting that today is Update Tuesday, does it make sense?  There are quite a few security updates.

I thought that in the "continuous upgrade model" a notion like "patch tuesday" would have lost any meaning

jaclaz

Edited September 9, 2015 by jaclaz

[NoelC]

Nonetheless, a lot of updates showed up here yesterday, for Wins 7, 8.1, and 10.

 

I already installed the cumulative update and its friends on Win 10, as for me that's just a test system.  Amazingly, it didn't even undo my registry change to eliminate the "Desktop" entry under "This PC" this time.  I think that's a first.

 

I looked through the list of Windows 7 updates and found the [lack of] descriptive text for several of them disturbing, and the "update to Windows Update" especially worrisome, so I think I'll wait to install them until some additional reporting on what others are experiencing with this set of updates appears online.  On the one hand being very conservative seems a good idea now given Microsoft's recent history.  On the other, it's not hard to see that if they had to beef up their network presence to handle Windows 10, that they'd want to port some of the Windows Update changes into the older systems.

 

I started looking through the list for Windows 8.1 and I got so tired of vetting updates that are under-documented I just put it aside for now.

 

None of my systems is malfunctioning and I don't visit sites that are likely to give me the malware that's developed by the black hats who finish analysis of the patches.

 

-Noel

[351837]

Well, that graphic is disturbing.  Almost as disturbing as Microsoft's policies.

 

I was disturbed too back in 2013 when i installed famous KB2670838 since then i added that part to my script and install only security updates manually.

 

 

I looked through the list of Windows 7 updates and found the [lack of] descriptive text for several of them disturbing, and the "update to Windows Update" especially worrisome, so I think I'll wait to install them until some additional reporting on what others are experiencing with this set of updates appears online.

 

 

That is exactly what i do.

Edited September 10, 2015 by 351837

[albator]

I have a issue too with windows 7 home premium, I am unable to block this huge windows 10 download !

[NoelC]

Bear in mind that there is at least one "back door" way Microsoft can force an update into a system.  Jaclaz pointed out that they had used it once before (and had to apologize).  No apologies any more.  They know best.  Anyway, I've instituted a deny-by-default firewall policy that will likely stop any further back door activity.

 

So far for me GWX hasn't returned.

 

-Noel