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Dual-booting Windows 7 and Windows 8 -- both operating systems side by side

Every fourth dimension Microsoft releases a new version of an operating arrangement, there's always a few users bitterly unhappy at the visitor's determination not to support new features on older products. Microsoft has finally listened to these dice-hard devotees of older operating systems. If you felt like Windows seven and Windows 8 offered you a little likewise much privacy, rejoice: Microsoft is updating those operating systems with the aforementioned telemetry gathering software it deployed on Windows 10.

What? Yous wanted DirectX 12?

Ghacks.cyberspace has discovered four KB updates for Windows vii and eight, each of which is described equally an "Update for customer feel and diagnostic telemetry." Each is detailed beneath:

KB 3068708: This update introduces the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to existing devices. By applying this service, you lot tin add benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights.

KB 3068708 is listed equally collecting diagnostics near functional issues on systems that take part in the Customer Experience Improvement Program. Determining whether or not you are a member of the CEIP, yet, is less than obvious. The KB as well notes that "Nearly programs make CEIP options available on the Assistance menu, although for some products, you might accept to check settings, options, or preferences menus." This is a recommended Windows update.

KB 3022345: This update has been superseded by KB 3068708, but previously provided the aforementioned telemetry-tracking services. It's not clear how the two updates differ, just if you want to remove all traces of telemetry tracking, you lot'll want to remove this update too.

KB 3075249: This update adds telemetry points to the User Business relationship Control (UAC) feature to collect information on elevations that come from low integrity levels. What this appears to mean is that MS wants more data about the kinds of applications that trigger UAC in the starting time place, presumably because it wants to know what they do and why they need that access. This update is classified as Optional.

KB 3080149: This update is described in identical language to the first two. "This bundle updates the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to existing devices. This service provides benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights." It is provided every bit an Optional update, fifty-fifty though the commencement was classified a "Recommended" update.

Hard-coded phoning home

One of the assumptions fabricated by various privacy advocates and journalists, including me, is that 3rd-party utilities would be able to close down the tracking Microsoft deployed in Windows 10. To some degree, that's already happened, but there are certain new "features" of Windows 10 that tin can't be blocked by whatsoever Bone-level tweaks, including the hosts file. The updates listed in a higher place connect to vortex-win.data.microsoft.com and settings-win.data.microsoft.com. These addresses are difficult-coded to bypass the hosts file and cannot be prevented from connecting. It'southward been reported that software firewalls aren't sufficient to cake them, though this is unclear. (Meet update above).

Telemetry2

It'due south non clear if setting this flag in Windows 7 withal disables all telemetry with the new patches installed.

The only way to block some of these connections is if your router has a firewall yous tin can configure and if that firewall allows yous to block HTTPS connections instead of just passing them through. Some users have reported that they tin block these connections, only plenty of other devices can't, at least not completely. Information technology'due south still possible to reduce the amount of information flowing to Microsoft, only disabling it completely seems to be impossible unless you build a software router or supervene upon your electric current hardware with a dedicated box.

Windows 7's GPEdit.msc contains a setting that allows users to disable all awarding telemetry, and some other setting that tin can close off user participation in the Consumer Experience Improvement Program. Whether these options continue to function after the latest patches isn't known. Users who do non wish to send Microsoft their own telemetry should uninstall the updates and tell Windows Update to hibernate them from now on.

Update (viii/31/2015): This mail originally reported that a firewall can't be used to block the Windows connections that featherbed the hosts file. There appears to exist confusion on this point as to whether the ranges can exist blocked on Windows 10 or non and conflicting reports on how the Windows Firewall treats such rules. We discussed the state of affairs with Ars Technica's Peter Bright, who has confirmed that these new connections can be blocked. Reports that they can't exist may have been confused or related to different Bone settings.