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Old 5th July 2022, 14:57   #341  |  Link
StainlessS
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VX, does you do got, or does you dont got, safe link to most recent install_wim_tweak.exe ?
(x86 and x64 versions)

Any particular version of Powershell for the 'ps' whotsit ?
('ps' dont do anything on my machine).

I tried your script, but left my machine in a state that requires me to re-install, too many things
that I do like are removed/disabled. [eg proper Hibernation]
So, I'm gonna pick and choose what I allow and make sure that W7 and W10 scripts are separate.

Re-installing from scratch 6 instances of W10-1909. [2 * x64 {1 * desktop, 1* Tablet Laptop 2-in-1 thingy}, and, 4 * x86 {3 * Tablet, 1 * 2-in-1 Tablet Laptop thingy}]

EDIT: I'm installing updates with WSUS Offline Update, W10-1909 Security updates only, so I think the Powershell package aint installing,
so I'l maybe havta see which package I need for that. [I'de recognise it I think, but cant remember what its called - something 'Desktop Foundation', or similar {EDIT: Maybe Windows Presentation Foundation}]

EDIT: This, just so I dont lose it and can find again.
Stuff Removed from W10-1909 ISO with 'NTLite", NO OTHER changes to ISO except removal of un-used editions of W10.

Code:
Components:

    Network:
        Adobe Flash for IE
        Internet Explorer
        Work folders Client

    Remoting & Privacy:
        Remote Assistance

    Windows Apps:
        Apps:
            Feedback Hub
            Mobile Plans
            Office One Note
            Office Hub
            People
            Skype App
            Soliaire Collection
            Sticky Notes
            Store Purchased App
            Wallet Service
            Windows Mail
            XBox App [all]
            Your Phone
            Zune Music
            Zune Video

        System Apps:
            Edge
            Parental Controls
            People Experience Host
            XBOX Game Callable

Features:
        Internet Explorer 11
I dont remove/config anything else, as effects can be a little unpredicable, non reversable. [Only remove stuff or do configs that you are SURE you will not want to reverse]

EDIT: NTLite[mostly free for ISO only changes (live system changes are pay-for)]:- https://www.ntlite.com/
MSMG ToolKit [Totally Free/Donation ware]:- https://msmgtoolkit.in/

:::YouTube:::
NtLite:- https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ntlite
MSMG ToolKit:- https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...y=msmg+toolkit

(There is also an NLite for WXP ISO's {not NTLite, W7->W11 - by the same guys})
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"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", but how many of them are infinitely bigger ???

Last edited by StainlessS; 5th July 2022 at 23:04.
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Old 5th July 2022, 22:53   #342  |  Link
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OK, here the optionals that I've removed in ISO using MSMG_Toolkit, hope I aint screwed it up too much

Code:
Remove Windows Components

    Internet [Remove All]
        Adobe Flash for windows
        Edge Chromium Browser
        Internet Explorer

    Multimedia Components
        First Logon Animation
        Game Explorer [Needed for Microsoft Games]
        Lock Screen Background
        Screen Savers
        Snipping Tool
        Sound Themes
        Speech Recognition [Needed for: Cortana, Ease Of Access]
        Wallpapers
+              Windows Media Player [Needed for some Games - We dont care about games, but include just in case breaks something else]
+              WINDOWS PHOTO VIEWER
+              Windows Themes [We like Black Screen in Dark Mode - dont know if it requires Windows Themes, just in case]
+              WINDOWS TIFF IFILTER (OCR)
+              Windows SYSTEM ASSESSMENT TOOL [KEEP for x64 ONLY]

    Network [Remove ALL]
        Offline Files
        Open SSH
        Remote Desktop Client
        Remote Differential Compression [RDC[
        Simple TCP/IP Services
        Telnet Clientxx
        TFTP Client [Trivial File Transfer Protocol]
        Windows Mail [Needed for: Windows Mail App]

    Privacy
        Assigned Access
        Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
        Face Recognition
        Kernel Debugging [Depends on: Windows Error reporting]
+               Location Services [We want for mobile devices, buses, tubes, maps, but not so bad for Desktop too]
        Picture Password
+               Pin SignIn Support [A bit insecure but we are lazy - dont have to have it active]
        Unified Telemetry Client (Asimov) [Depends on: Windows error Reporting]
        Wifi Network Manager (Wifi Sense) [Your contacts can use YOUR WiFi without a password, eg BAD neightbour that harasses you by email gets free WiFi]
        Windows Error Reporting [Needed for: Out Of Box Experience]
        Windows Insider Hub

    Remoting [Remove ALL]
        Home Group
        Multipoint connector
        OneDrive Desktop Client
        Remote Assistance
        Remote Desktop Server
        Remote Registry
        Work Folders Client

    System
+               Accessibility Tools [Tablet may need onscreen keyboard, + other uses might arise]
        Device Lockdown (Emdedded Experience)
        Ease of Access Cursors [Depends on: Accessibility Tools]
        Ease of Access Themes [Depends on: Accessibility Tools]
        Easy transfer [Move files from old PC to new one - flash drive maybe easier]
        File History [Required for Windows Backup]
+               Magnifier [Depends on: Accessibility Tools. Might be useful]
+               Manual Setup (InPlace Upgrade - Upgrade Windows keeping {or scrapping} old apps and files - small tablets may require it)
+               Narrator [Depends on: Accessibility Tools. Might be useful]
+               NotePad.
+               On Screen keyboard [Depends on: Accessibility Tools.]
+               Paint
        Projected File System (ProjFS). [Make data appear as if directories and files]
        Security Center [Depends on: Windows Defender]
        Steps Recorder [Troubleshoot a problem on your device by recording the exact steps you took when the problem occurred]
        Storage Spaces [Help protect your data from drive failures. It is conceptually similar to RAID, implemented in software]
        System Restore [Depends on: Windows Backup]
        Windows Backup. [Required by System Restore - we use non MS backup s/w]
+               Windows Firewall. [We are gonna use some other firewall, but keep it present]
+               Windows Subsystem for Linux
        Windows To Go [Its gone]
+               Wordpad

    System Apps
        AAD Broker Plugin - Credential Handler for Microsoft Azure Logon [Needed for: Microsoft Account, Windows Store]
        Accounts Control - App to add MS Acc for MS Apps [Needed for Windows Store]
        Add Suggested Folders to Library Dialog
+               App Resolver UX - Modern Open With Dialog.
        Async Text Service - Messaging extensions for People and Maps Apps.
        Bio Enrollment - Windows Hello Setup.
        Calling Shell App - App to host call progress on shell [create a Windows client kiosk, replacing the default shell (explorer.exe)].
        Capture Picker - A system picker UI control to select an item on the screen to capture [Needed for: Screen snip]
        CBSPreview - App for Camera Barcode Scanner
        Content Delivery Manager - Automatic installation of sponsored or promoted apps, suggestions and Ads [Needed for: OOBE & Microsoft Account]
        Cortana - Personal assistant, start menu, taskbar & settings search App [Depends on: Speech Recognition]
        Credential Dialog Host - Authentication (Sign-in) shell support for Windows Hello
        ECApp - Modern UI Dialog App for Eye Movement Control [Depends on: WindowsMixedReality]
        Edge Classic Browser
        Edge Developer Tools Client - An extension to edge containing tools for web developers [Depends on: Edge]
+               File Explorer - Modern File Explorer App
+               File Picker - Modern File Picker Dialog
        Lock App - Container App for Apps and Messages on the Lockscreen
+               Map Control
        Narrator Quick Start - QuickStart Guide for Narrator
        OOBE Network Captive Portal - Captive Network Portals support during OOBE-Phase of Windows
        OOBE Network Connection Flow - Connection Flow Network Portals support during OOBE-Phase of Windows
        Parental Controls - App for Parental Controls
        People Experience Host - People Bar (People Hub)
        Pinning Confirmation Dialog
        PPI Projection - App to project the screen to a Wireless Display (Connect App)
+               Print Dialog - Modern Print Dialog | Needed for: Printing
        Retail Demo Content
        Secure Assessment Browser - Special Windows Mode for Exams (Take Test App)
        Setting Sync - Sync settings between your Windows PCs and devices
        Skype ORTC
        Smart Screen - Windows Defender SmartScreen Functionality for Modern Apps
+               Webcam Experience
        Win32 Web View Host - Desktop App Web Viewer
        Windows Defender App
        Windows Mixed Reality
        Windows Reader (PDF) | Depends on: Edge
        Windows Store Back-end Client
        Xbox Console Companion Back-end Client
        Xbox Game Callable UI - Xbox Live
        XGpu Eject Dialog - Modern Dialog App for safe removal of external GPUs

    Windows Apps
        3D Viewer [Depends on: Windows Mixed Reality]
        Advertising Xaml
+               Alarms & Clock
+               Calculator App
+               Camera
        Desktop App Installer [Install MS Store apps with appx extension, without Powershell]
        Feedback Hub
        Films & TV
        Get Help
+               Google's VP9 WebM Video Codec Plugin
        Groove Music
+               High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) Codec Plugin
+               Maps | Depends on: Map Control
        Messaging
        Microsoft Pay
        Mixed Reality Portal | Depends on: Windows Mixed Reality
        Mobile Plans
        My Office
        OneNote
        Paint 3D [we use MSPaint.Exe]
        People | Depends on: People Bar
        Phone Link
        Photos
        Print 3D
        Screen Sketch
        Services Store Engagement | Depends on: Windows Store App
        Skype
        Solitaire Collection | Depends on: Advertising Xaml, Services Store Engagement, Xbox Live
        Sticky Notes | Depends on: Services Store Engagement
        Store Experience Host | Depends on: Windows Store App
        Tips - Windows tips and tutorials App
+               Voice Recorder
        Weather | Depends on: Advertising Xaml
+               Web Media Codec Plugin
+               WebP Image Codec Plugin
        Windows Mail App | Depends on: Advertising Xaml, Windows Mail
        Windows Store App | Depends on: Windows Store Back-end Client, Xbox Identity Provider
        Xbox Console Companion | Depends on: Xbox Console Companion Back-end Client
        Xbox Game Bar Plugin | Depends on: Xbox Console Companion
        Xbox Game Bar | Depends on: Xbox Console Companion
        Xbox Identity Provider | Depends on: Xbox Console Companion
        Xbox Live In-Game Experience | Depends on: Xbox Console Companion
        Xbox UI | Depends on: Xbox Console Companion


#########################################



TWEAKS
===============================================================================
                      MSMG ToolKit - Apply Tweaks Menu
===============================================================================
# Hash Prefix, do not use the Tweak

Disable Automatic Driver Updates through Windows Update [EDIT: This prevents user change in live system - maybe dont disable next time]
Disable Automatic Download and Install of 3rd Party Apps [EDIT: Seems to try download anyway]
Disable Automatic Windows Upgrade [EDIT: This dont work, still attempts to upgrade]
Disable Cortana App
Disable Microsoft Reserved Storage Space for Windows Updates [EDIT: W10 reserves 7GB of disk space for upgrades - InPlace Upgrade will {I think} allow use USB device instead if not available]
Disable Windows Defender  [EDIT: Security center dont work without this - No problems so far but not sure if best to disable {I use other Anti-virus}]
           # Disable Windows Firewall [Keep, Just in case {We use other firewall}]
Disable Windows SmartScreen
           # Disable Windows Update [We are gonna use WSUS Offline update, dont cripple windows update until after that]
Enable DISM Image Cleanup with Full ResetBase [Clean up WinSxS folder]
Enable Fraunhofer MP3 Professional Codec
Enable Windows Photo Viewer
Force .NET Programs to Use Newest .NET Framework
Hide Taskbar Cortana Icon
Hide Taskbar Meet Now Icon
Hide Taskbar News and Interests
Hide Taskbar Search Bar
Hide Taskbar Task View Icon
EDIT: Above in RED, comments after install]
The items that I'm keeping are preceded with '+' symbol, ALL the rest removed.

Pretty good intro to MSMG_Toolkit [Make A Custom Windows 10 ISO]:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yyiLv0v2BA
EDIT: MSMG_Toolkit is a DOS style app, can right click title bar Menu/Edit/Select All/ Menu/Edit/Copy/ and paste all the text in a txt file,
makes a bit easier to create list of changes.
Above list is from latest June 2022 version, v12.4.7.

EDIT: MSMG_Toolkit, seems quite good, NTLite can do similar, BUT, disables removal of some things in free ver$, maybe to 'encourage' you to pay for full ver$,
MSMG_Toolkit seems a little more reliable as it does not prevent some removals like NTLite.
I experienced a few more 'peculiarities' with NtLite.
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"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", but how many of them are infinitely bigger ???

Last edited by StainlessS; 7th July 2022 at 18:39.
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Old 7th July 2022, 17:09   #343  |  Link
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With MSMG_ToolKit mods as in prev post, installs W10 1909 Home x64 setup to use about 11GB disk space [after removal of Old Windows remains] {x86 would be smaller}.
Some comments added in RED at end of prev post.

W10 1909 x64 ISO {English International, Multi setup, ie Home, Pro, Student, etc} 5.05GB.
NTLite reduction to only Home version x64 ISO, 4.48GB. {You could do this with MSMG_Toolkit too}
MSMG_Toolkit DeBloat mods as in prev post, x64 ISO 3.7GB.

On x64 2-in-1 tablet/laptop install from bootable USB setup and separate post setup install of exported{via Powershell script} drivers,
I found my mouse/keyboard {Full Sized External wireless mouse/keybrd with single 2.4GHz dongle - ie not the tablets keyboard touchpad}
and also other USB devices had occasional problems and sometimes froze.

Re-install using "Inplace Upgrade", ie within W10 run Setup on Extracted ISO image, or directly run setup from the USB setup drive,
will use drivers from current version windows instead of re-install of saved/exported drivers using Windows Device Manager.
This method of keeping original drivers worked for me with no dodgy keyboard/mouse or USB.
Also, very easy, and on very small memory tablets, it is the only way to do an upgrade with an ISO.
{Some x86 W10 tablets have as little as 1GB RAM and 16GB storage, Forced upgrades must be hell for them - DONT EVER buy one, min 2GB RAM, 32GB storage}

EDIT: It is always a good idea to have an image {at least one} of your working system [Ideally how you originally Received the device],
can use eg Macrium Reflect Toolkit on USB drive, [created from Inside installed MacriumReflect via the tools menu] to make an image.
(I only really use the Macrium Reflect USB tools, and uninstall Macrium after USB creation - Macrium Reflect Free ver$ is enough to make the USB tools)

FoxClone is a USB Linux Based Image Clone / Backup solution, for Linux Ext4/Ext3/Ext2 and FAT/NTFS file systems. {currently no other 'Fancy' Linux file systems}
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"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", but how many of them are infinitely bigger ???

Last edited by StainlessS; 7th July 2022 at 18:23.
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Old 8th July 2022, 12:23   #344  |  Link
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x64
Quote:
With MSMG_ToolKit mods as in prev post, installs W10 1909 Home x64 setup to use about 11GB disk space [after removal of Old Windows remains] {x86 would be smaller}.
Some comments added in RED at end of prev post.

W10 1909 x64 ISO {English International, Multi setup, ie Home, Pro, Student, etc} 5.05GB.
NTLite reduction to only Home version x64 ISO, 4.48GB. {You could do this with MSMG_Toolkit too}
MSMG_Toolkit DeBloat mods as in prev post, x64 ISO 3.7GB.
x86
With almost exact same selections for x86 MSMG_Toolkit, install is 5.1GB {after drive C: cleanup to remove remains of Old_Windows, drive C:\ Properties, Disk Cleanup}
W10 1909 x86 ISO {English International, Multi setup, ie Home, Pro, Student, etc} 3.54GB.
NTLite reduction to only Home version x86 ISO, 3.22GB.
MSMG_Toolkit DeBloat mods as in prev post, x86 ISO 2.56GB.

Seems to be big saving for x86 tablet, but has only 2GB RAM [x64 tablet had 4GB RAM], so Pagefile and Hyberfile.Sys are quite a lot smaller.

EDIT: x86 was this one
Win10_1909_EnglishInternational_x32.iso # October2019
MD5 989260c78055cadf4355573c7f1a1685

x64 was
Win10_1909_EnglishInternational_x64.iso # Date uncertain : there was another update issued maybe 2020 or 2021 {I think}
MD5 d1f08aea37586702f6fbe2fe3ea8c3fd
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"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", but how many of them are infinitely bigger ???

Last edited by StainlessS; 8th July 2022 at 12:50.
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Old 9th July 2022, 11:33   #345  |  Link
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katie Boundary View Post
Ah, so in this case, we're talking about allowing modern, unforked versions of Firefox and Chrome to run on XP. Excellent suggestion.
and... we're finally here.
Samuel released a new version of One Core API: https://github.com/Skulltrail192/One-Core-API-Binaries and this time we've got many more interesting programs to run on XP:



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Old 10th July 2022, 02:26   #346  |  Link
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Registry hack to show extra status information during both shutdown and startup.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/tro...tatus-messages

Above also shows Group Policy setting for those with W10 Pro [also works with W7 I think]
I used to use this long ago, but forgot about it. [An old W10-1803 image had it set up]

Here also for W10 Home.

Enable_StartupShutdown_VerboseStatus.reg
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"VerboseStatus"=dword:00000001
Disable_StartupShutdown_VerboseStatus.reg
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"VerboseStatus"=dword:00000000
Some machines may produce more status messages than others [some messages may be hidden behind some eg vendor image].
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Old 11th July 2022, 04:32   #347  |  Link
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Earlier in this thread we mentioned a PowerShell command to backup device drivers, may want to do this before new ISO install,
and then restore drivers in Device Manager from the saved drivers.

EDIT: Alternative to Powershell command using pnputil. From elevated command prompt. (D:\Drivers folder should exist]
Code:
pnputil /export-driver * "D:\Drivers"
Well here is a little utility to backup your drivers, CLI style and GUI versions.
Double Driver[x86 or x64, from 2010, but still works {XP+}]:- https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/det...le_driver.html



Quote:
<<< Double Driver - Readme >>>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

< Description >

Double Driver is a very simple and useful tool which not only allows you to
view detailed information of all the drivers installed on your system but
also allows you to backup, restore, save and print all chosen drivers.

< Requirement >

Operating system :: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 (32-bit or 64-bit)

< Main Feature >

- List, save, and print drivers details
- Backup drivers from current Windows
- Backup drivers from non-live/non-booting Windows
- Backup drivers to structured folders, compressed (zipped) folder, and
self-extracting capability
- Restore drivers from previous backup
- Available in GUI and CLI application
- Portable (no installation required)

< License >

Double Driver is FREEWARE. Read license.txt for more infomation about the
license.

< Distribution Files >

- dd.exe :: GUI application
- ddc.exe :: CLI application
- dd.dll :: Application extension
- license.txt :: License information
- readme.txt :: This file
- whatsnew.txt :: Version history

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Copyright © Budy Setiawan Kusumah. All rights reserved. ***
EDIT:
From "DisableWinTracking" App v3.2.3:- https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/det...able_tool.html
Or on GitHub:- https://github.com/10se1ucgo/DisableWinTracking
EDIT: Or forked v3.2.6, still maintained:- https://github.com/bitlog2/DisableWinTracking
All Microsoft W10 Tracking IP Addresses [maybe block with your FireWall, DisableWinTracking auto blocks these addresses in Windows Firewall, but maybe you use another firewall]
Code:
134.170.30.202    # AS8075 - Microsoft Corporation          : Boydton, Virginia, United States
137.116.81.24     # AS8075 - Microsoft Corporation          : Boydton, Virginia, United States
157.56.106.189    # AS8075 - Microsoft Corporation          : Boydton, Virginia, United States
2.22.61.43        # AS20940 - Akamai International B.V.     : Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
2.22.61.66        # AS20940 - Akamai International B.V.     : Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
204.79.197.200    # AS8068 - Microsoft Corporation          : Redmond, Washington, United States
23.218.212.69     # AS20940 - Akamai International B.V.     : Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
64.4.54.254       # AS8075 - Microsoft Corporation          : Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
65.39.117.230     # AS27005 - Pinpoint Communications, Inc. : Gothenburg, Nebraska, United States
65.52.108.33      # AS8075 - Microsoft Corporation          : Boydton, Virginia, United States
65.55.108.23/22   # AS8075  ·  Microsoft Corporation        : Redmond, Washington, United States
EDIT: Goddam, whole helluva lot more Tracking addresses:- https://gist.github.com/changeme/a2e...dc9f830fdae703
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"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", but how many of them are infinitely bigger ???

Last edited by StainlessS; 13th July 2022 at 22:30.
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Old 11th July 2022, 10:08   #348  |  Link
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StainlessS View Post
Earlier in this thread we mentioned a PowerShell command to backup device drivers
Did you know that Jeffrey Snover left Microsoft just a few days ago after years and years there trying to push the adoption of PowerShell? I wonder what's gonna happen to it next given that everyone else at M$ didn't seem to like it (and as a consequence, they didn't like Jeffrey, its creator, either).
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Old 11th July 2022, 12:08   #349  |  Link
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Quote:
Did you know
No, did not.
I dont much use PS, but gotta be better than the awfull convoluted MS CLI stuff.
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Old 21st August 2022, 21:19   #350  |  Link
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A bit of Windows98 throwback that might make a tear roll down your face... :')

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Old 1st September 2022, 10:52   #351  |  Link
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Micro$oft's plan for world domination via subterfuge (again)

Visual Studio Code is designed to fracture :- https://ghuntley.com/fracture/

Quote:
Meanwhile, from a product perspective, people will try out Gitpod and, unfortunately, experience product papercuts
in the expected value of Visual Studio Code and how users expect the product to function because the developer experience
of Gitpod can never match the seamless developer experience of Visual Studio Code or GitHub Codespaces because the
Visual Studio Code open-source source code is a venus fly trap that is designed to fracture and lure people in...
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"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", but how many of them are infinitely bigger ???

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Old 19th September 2022, 15:14   #352  |  Link
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Google, Microsoft can get your passwords via web browser's spellcheck
Quote:
Extended spellcheck features in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge web browsers transmit form data, including personally identifiable information (PII) and in some cases, passwords, to Google and Microsoft respectively.

While this may be a known and intended feature of these web browsers, it does raise concerns about what happens to the data after transmission and how safe the practice might be, particularly when it comes to password fields.

Both Chrome and Edge ship with basic spellcheckers enabled. But, features like Chrome's Enhanced Spellcheck or Microsoft Editor when manually enabled by the user, exhibit this potential privacy risk.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/new...rs-spellcheck/

I use FireFox, but now hate it on Android, If I wanted a Chrome look-a-like, I'de use Chrome.
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Old 23rd September 2022, 11:56   #353  |  Link
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Quote:
Don’t Spy on Employees to Ensure They’re Working, Microsoft Says
Even though new communication tools are putting bosses in closer contact with employees, Microsoft wants execs to know that workplace surveillance is not the answer to boosting productivity.
https://www.itprotoday.com/end-user-...microsoft-says

Micro$oft seems to have flexible views, considering that they sell a proxy server whose specific purpose is to spy on employees.
They can see where you go, bank acc passwords and everything else too, it pretends to be the employee machine and so everything gets decrypted for the proxy,
kinda like a man-in-the-middle malware software. (communication between proxy and employee may also be encrypted, so the employee machine thinks its safe).

Code:
Employee <== encrypt/decrypt == > Proxy-[EmployerSeesAll] <== encrypt/decrypt ==> Bank
My mate used to work as sys admin for a prestigious UK corporate employer using that proxy, just recently he got 'let go'.
He would never go anywhere he should not on work computers, neither at work, nor at home
[he had a bunch of work computers at home], and would even switch off his work phone when not at work
otherwise he was tracked wherever he went.
[1984 is a long time gone]

EDIT: Man-in-the-middle attack:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-in-the-middle_attack

EDIT: In FireFox, on Doom9 you will see a little padlock to the left of the URL, this is because it is using HTTPS and externally verified secure stuff, [it used to be green but no longer is, by default].
That closed padlock shows that you are not being passed though a spying proxy and that comms are secure.
If you hover over the padlock it will say something like "Verified by Lets Encrypt", meaning 'secure'.
If using FireFox and that little closed padlock is not there, then never access your bank account from there.

Micro$oft Internet Explorer (and presumably Edge) do not have that padlock thing, would be kinda silly of them to let employees know that they are being spied upon when
using a Micro$oft spying proxy. I guess that the dominance of HTTPS now (instead of just HTTP) is maybe part of the reason that M$ has changed its view,
and recognises that its spy proxy is no longer as viable/stealthy as it once was. [of course, an employer could ban installation/use of FireFox on their spying proxy network]

Wikipedia, HTTPS:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTPS
Quote:
HTTPS creates a secure channel over an insecure network. This ensures reasonable protection from eavesdroppers and man-in-the-middle attacks, provided that adequate cipher suites are used and that the server certificate is verified and trusted.
The FireFox padlock thingy is additional checking of security, over and above HTTPS, and implies secure communication between only two parties [no man-in-the-middle spyware].

EDIT: Apparently Chrome browser also uses the padlock whotsit.
And here, more on FireFox Padlock & other used symbols, from Mozilla:- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb...tion-is-secure
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"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", but how many of them are infinitely bigger ???

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Old 23rd September 2022, 17:29   #354  |  Link
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Micro$oft seems to have flexible views, considering that they sell a proxy server whose specific purpose is to spy on employees.
They can see where you go, bank acc passwords and everything else too, it pretends to be the employee machine and so everything gets decrypted for the proxy,
kinda like a man-in-the-middle malware software. (communication between proxy and employee may also be encrypted, so the employee machine thinks its safe).
Hardly news, but yeah, you're right in mentioning it for those who might not know.

Let me also tell you this: if you use Microsoft Teams, HR will be able to read any message you send, including those sent in private groups and private conversations. There's a tool called eDiscovery which allows HR to search for any conversation made by every employee. For instance, if they go to your account and type "kittens" eDiscovery will show each and every chat (public and private) in which you mentioned the word "kittens" and will show the timestamp etc. Oh and don't think meetings are safe either: there's an option to search on transcripts too, so even if you said the word "kittens" in a meeting, it will be reported (but of course it will be shown as a transcription and HR will know that it might be wrong as it has been automatically transcribed by Microsoft.

Oh and of course they can see all your activities, like how many meetings you had in a day, whether you participated or not, if you turned the camera on (no, they can't see your face or the recording of the meeting, don't worry about that) and Microsoft will tell them IF you were actually looking straight into the camera or not.

I'll disclose something (which I shouldn't, but heck, I don't care). Some of my colleagues used to be called and contacted over and over again.
To avoid to be contacted during their coffee break (10 minutes, really, which is fair if you ask me), they used to put a "fake" meeting called "Coffee Break" so that they would appear all as "Red" so as "In a meeting" on Teams etc and no one would actually bother them for 10 minutes so that they could have coffee together.
Well, long story short, they were all caught and scolded.


Now, on to the proxies.
Almost ANY work-computer will have in its settings something that looks like: http:// something /autoproxy.pac

that "autoproxy.pac" is the auto-proxy.
What it does is basically match your Active Directory account and allow you to visit some websites or deny some others and rest assured, anywhere you go will be tracked as it goes through the company's proxy.
This happens anywhere, like literally in any company in the world.

Of course, depending on how much a company wants to "see" there can be different level of logs.
For instance, some companies install different kind of sentinel software to know if you plugged USB sticks to prevent you from "stealing" work-related documents, some others just disable USBs from the BIOS/UEFI, some others install stuff I won't mention for legal reasons but while they're officially meant to protect you from threats and protect the company's intellectual property, the amount of logs they keep and the number of times they "phone home" on your activities makes them essentially legal trojans. Like, they can keep a list of which programs you have installed, which programs you use most, how much time you spend on each program in a day etc.



As a piece of advice, people, IF it's a company laptop, use it for work-related stuff only and assume that everything you do is being recorded.
Behave like you should, like a good employee and nothing will happen.
DO NOT use it to browse your stuff, even if they're innocent stuff like if you wanna see a certain YouTube video or if you want to check which lineup your favorite sport team is gonna have for the game in the evening, 'cause perhaps nothing will happen, but everything is recorded and if they wanna use it against you, they will!


That's my 2¢

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Old 24th September 2022, 00:30   #355  |  Link
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Not just 2c, gotta be at least a good 10c worth.
Scary 5h1t.
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Old 27th September 2022, 09:28   #356  |  Link
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Long story short, everyone should have switched to Linux when extended support for Win7 ended in 2016.
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Old 27th September 2022, 10:43   #357  |  Link
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Long story short, everyone should have switched to Linux when extended support for Win7 ended in 2016.
Yep, which is why I'm happily on Fedora 36 x64 with several VMs if I need Windows, including my beloved XP.
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Old 28th September 2022, 14:54   #358  |  Link
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Virtual machines need better GPU emulation. Have you ever tried watching low-res videos at fullscreen in a VM? They use nearest-neighbor resizing rather than bilinear! And 3D gaming support is atrocious.
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Old 29th September 2022, 16:49   #359  |  Link
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Virtual machines need better GPU emulation. Have you ever tried watching low-res videos at fullscreen in a VM? They use nearest-neighbor resizing rather than bilinear! And 3D gaming support is atrocious.
Yeah, I know, it's painful to watch.
The problem is that those features are driven by investors (I mean paying customers in case of VMWare and partners in case of Oracle). Unfortunately, given that they almost exclusively use them to host servers, databases etc, they didn't progress in GPU emulation that much as they don't care.
During the pandemic there's been one notable exception, namely VMware Horizon, which is essentially a special client that allows you to connect to servers running very specific VMs on ESXi that have some kind of NVIDIA passthrough (no, they don't passthrough the GPU directly, but they basically allow the VM to access a virtualized proprietary NVIDIA card with decent 3D acceleration support so much so that software like AVID Media Composer runs).
Anyway, that's unfortunately nothing a normal home user will ever have or use...

As to home user things, 3D support in Virtualbox is outrageous. Things improved slightly when they moved from the old VboxVGA to the new VboxSVGA, but still having an OpenGL wrapper between guest and host translating things back and forth is really really really bad, especially 'cause it's slow and unoptimized.


Well, in a nutshell, virtual GPU support in Virtualbox is appalling and there's nothing we can do about it...

p.s if you'll ever switch to Linux, DO NOT use an NVIDIA GPU. Unfortunately NVIDIA doesn't give a *bleep* about open source and all their drivers are closed source. Why is this a bad thing? Easy, it has tons of bugs and may (or may not) behave with newer kernels, so either you stick to the very same kernel NVIDIA built its drivers on OR you update and test your luck (hint: it might not even boot). There's the Nouveau project, but it's not an option 'cause NVIDIA made it impossible for the open source drivers to re-clock, so if you use the Nouveau drivers (although stable, sort of) the GPU will always run at the slowest possible clock rate, hence making everything useless. For this very reason, devs don't invest much time into Nouveau, so even support for things like OpenGL is not so great, let alone Vulkan... So, if you get NVIDIA, you'll end up stuck between a slow, poorly supported, stable open source driver OR a proprietary, potentially bugged, boot-failure-prone closed source driver. I made that mistake in 2016 naively thinking I could use CUDA and all the other fancy NVIDIA things on Linux just like I do on Windows and I regret it to this very day.

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Old 30th September 2022, 06:48   #360  |  Link
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My desktop uses an nVidia card and it never had issues with Linux... speaking of which, I need to get around to nuking its hard drive and reinstalling everything again because that's apparently the only way to get rid of the Win10 bootloader.
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