I don't have to filter them with my brain becoming desensitized since there is nothing to be seen with my eyes. The only downside to that is when I use another system with none of the filth filtered out it is extraordinarily annoying because I haven't been desensitized by the nonstop exposure to it. When I use a system that doesn't have all of the garbage blocked or filtered, it feels like I am using a system overrun with malware even though what I am seeing is normal and what most people are accustomed to seeing every day. They also seem really sluggish while navigating the web compared to my own computers. I have to remind myself that the reality is those systems are all 100% " normal" and " functioning as intended [by someone else]" and nothing is broken. If it means my system is "broken" compared to what's normal, I really like it being broken, LOL.
See anything that looks different on this page? Or the second page? I love missing out on the littered digital landscape.
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Robbo99999 Notebook Prophet
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Coupled with AdGuard, I'm not finding much need for additional plug-ins or extensions for this purpose now. Been using it for about 90 days. I use it on my cell phone as well as my computers. The stats for Brave and AdGuard demonstrate how much crap there is on the web that we can live without that we are completely oblivious to.
Last edited: Dec 21, 2019 -
For mobile I either hack root and use adblocks or more recently the Samsung browser allows for plug-in's including adblockers - there are now many that work well.
I also have in the queue for a while to try Kiwi browser that supports desktop Chrome browser extensions:
https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com/how-to/use-desktop-chrome-extensions-android-0196246/Mr. Fox likes this. -
Not blocking this garbage is similar to leaving the front door open and inviting the neighbors use my living floor as a toilet. -
Windows 10 had a disastrous year: Let us count the failsThe list goes on and on laptopmag.com
Toilet 2
As we near the end of 2019, we can't help but think back at everything that happened in tech this year.
Most of the news we covered has been great for consumers. The laptop space is on the verge of a Renaissance, with folding laptops Jokebooks and dual-screen devices entering the market. This year also introduced us to the first 5G laptops, a new tragic Windows operating system, and we even got an ACrApple laptop with a decent keyboard.
As you can see... 2019 was bad. And 2020 won't be any better!Last edited: Dec 25, 2019Raiderman, Vasudev, 0lok and 1 other person like this. -
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Windows 10 data protection splitter: the crux with telemetry…
Published on January 3, 2020 by Günter Born
We have January 2020, Windows 7 has reached the end of live and everyone should switch to Windows 10 - if it comes to Microsoft. Just a short note: The people who are enthusiastically jumping on everything from Windows 10 should keep the keyword telemetry in mind. Just noticed again that even applications like the Windows Notepad editor report their activities to Redmond. So today an article on the topic of 'data protection in Windows 10' - also as a follow-up to a decision of the data protection conference of November 2019, which so far has troubled me.
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Windows 10: Update installs HP Software Component drivers
Published on January 3, 2020 by Günter Born
Yeah, just lovelyOr?
Last edited: Jan 3, 2020 -
" A look at the data protection records
Yesterday I was reminded via twitter to check within my Windows 10 privacy dash board the records collected from Windows 10 telemetry and associated with my Microsoft account. Tero Alhonen posted the following on twitter.
Notepad, really? pic.twitter.com/WTA5JoReS7
— Tero Alhonen (@teroalhonen) January 2, 2020
He once looked at the entries under Privacy within the Windows 10 privacy dash board and checked the entries for apps. He also found, that Windows Notepad records it’s user activities. Microsoft keeps the exact data that is stored secret. You can only find out under ‘Show details’ some (windy) explanation, why Microsoft collects the data.
I immediately opened the browser and viewed the entries under App Privacy on my Microsoft account. I found on a seldom used test machine entries from browsing history to the use of OneDrive to the start menu experience. Even third party applications like PhotoFiltre, which I have called up for testing purposes, can be found there. So we could state ‘Hello Microsoft, we have a problem’ – Windows 10 can’t be used in accordance with European GDPR."
It is a real problem, and always has been. We think we are blocking Microsofts telemetry and other snooping, but really it's a cat and mouse game and we are the mouse.Raiderman, Papusan, 6730b and 1 other person like this. -
Can't collect everything if the users uninstall it.
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killkenny1 Too weird to live, too rare to die.
Hmmm... I guess LTSC it is when the time (unfortunately) will come to downgrade...
Though not sure it's the safe option as well... -
Spartan@HIDevolution Company Representative
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https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html
Sadly Microsoft isn't all good things and it has started since Windows 7 doing some shady sh*t.
OH well. I wish we had an alternative where all apps would work -
Programs cannot find a scanner after another device is disconnected (Windows 10) [Workaround]
good Morning January 7, 2020
Microsoft yesterday described a possible scenario in which an application (program) cannot find a scanner if another device has been unplugged. Microsoft itself confirms that this is a bug in the Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 operating system.Raiderman, Mr. Fox, hmscott and 1 other person like this. -
Spartan@HIDevolution Company Representative
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Microsoft's Software is Malware
Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to mistreat the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers, which puts them in a position of power over the users; that is the basic injustice. The developers and manufacturers often exercise that power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve. This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities.
https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html
@Spartan I didn't have access to the post text at your link, but I knew from the title what it was and who wrote it.
RMS was right about proprietary software long before it was even thought of by more than a hand full of people on both coasts.Last edited: Jan 7, 2020Raiderman, Papusan and Spartan@HIDevolution like this. -
A bug... i call them features at this point..
So ridiculousRaiderman, Papusan, hmscott and 1 other person like this. -
Rotten Apples everywhere
Yet another crazy bug surfaces in macOS High Sierra
I’ve already written, at length, about how Apple must do something to eliminate frequent bugs like this one, and warned the company could damage its reputation. As an increasing number of bugs get uncovered in new releases, the potential for that increases.
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Spartan@HIDevolution Company Representative
That is even older than Mojave. My McDonald's taptop ships with Catalina as it's the only OS that supports it and I have 0 bugs with it.
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"Microsoft Patch Alert: December patches hang Win7 Pro endpoints and force Server 2012 reboots"
- Win7 hang on 'Preparing to configure Windows'
- Server 2012 (not R2) reboots
- Win10 version 1909 bugs continue
https://www.computerworld.com/artic...-endpoints-and-force-server-2012-reboots.html
The Madness never stops!! -
Spartan@HIDevolution Company Representative
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"Microsoft patches Windows 10 after the NSA quietly told it about a major vulnerability"
- The National Security Agency alerted Microsoft in recent weeks to a significant issue affecting its Windows 10 operating system, ubiquitous within corporations and among consumers, two senior federal cybersecurity officials told CNBC.
- The flaw affected encryption of digital signatures used to authenticate content, including software or files.
- Microsoft declined to confirm or offer further details. “We follow the principles of coordinated vulnerability disclosure as the industry best practice to protect our customers from reported security vulnerabilities.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/14/microsoft-to-patch-windows-10-after-nsa-finds-vulnerability.html
Who woulda thunk it! -
More disgusting try out from Redmond...
Microsoft Is Testing Ads in WordPad on Windows 10
Microsoft can’t stop inserting advertisements into Windows 10. The latest experimental advertisement appears in WordPad. It’s a banner inviting you to use Office’s web apps instead of the included WordPad application.
When is enough, enough?
Have time for making solutions to put new ads everywhere, but deliver working patches for their OS? Nope!
MICROSOFT
Final Windows 7 Update Breaks Desktop Wallpaper Functionality
The final update for the Windows 7 operating system has broken some of the desktop wallpaper functionality and caused user's backgrounds to become a blank black screen...Last edited: Jan 22, 2020 -
macOS Catalina 'BAD MAGIC! iBoot panic header 'bug
Published on January 21, 2020 by Günter Born
[ Deutsch ] Apple users are currently suffering from a bug in macOS Catalina that occurs during a new installation. Those affected end up in a hanging boot process because macOS Catalina is not found. The entry “BAD MAGIC! (flag set in iBoot panic header), no macOS panic log available ”, ie no macOS is found.
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BAD MAGIC usually refers to the /etc/magic entries being referred to and being not found in the context of the request.
For example, the first time I helped a researcher port their fortran source to UNIX (BSD) (fortran that was originally from an undeclared system OS), the poor guy was already nervous about the whole idea of UNIX - he had heard of the obscure error messages and difficulties in debugging development.
I had been working for a long time to get him comfortable enough using UNIX - I held classes for him, other scientists, and staff - and he had to request time to do the "port".
We had just transferred the source code (I even had to install IP/TCP in their system(s)) to be able to transfer the source code - tape formats were incompatible - and after all this build up, he started the compile for his code now on UNIX in his account.
He hit return on the command line, and UNIX returned...:
BAD MAGIC NUMBER
Of course he was shocked, and that completely validated his fear of UNIX all in an instant.
He laughed for a long time, and said "he needed that". It broke his tension.
He had forgotten to rename his source files from .f to .for (this was 1980/81 well before f90), and the system was complaining it couldn't find that extension as a valid "magic number". "Unknown File Type" might have been a more user friendly error...
Linux Magic Numbers
https://www.garykessler.net/library/magic.html
magic - Format of the /etc/magic file
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSLTBW_2.1.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r1.bpxa500/mgc.htm
Fortran Wiki - File extensions
A more modern treatment of fortran source extensions
http://fortranwiki.org/fortran/show/File+extensions
IDK if there is some kind of similar simple answer to the MacOS boot issues, but I wouldn't be surprised to find a simple naming error - or it could be a more serious corrupted binary stream edited by the T2 chip, maybe it passed an encrypted stream to the OS - like it should have instead passed the unencrypted stream after being decoded by the T2 subsystem.Last edited: Jan 22, 2020 -
Unfortunately, this happens with many companies. When the people that make a business great go do something else things begin to unravel. Successors don't have as much skin in the game as the founders do.
Apple's quality, innovation and reputation have declined significantly since Steve Jobs passed away and the baton was passed to idiots.
Or, maybe the real reason for the decline of Microsoft and Apple is the abject stupidity of the masses and how low the bar has been set by modern consumers. At this point it is simply obvious: Old tech dudes rock.
- They have already demonstrated malicious intentions and a tendency to commit digital genocide. On this basis, it comes as no surprise and one cannot deny the possibility that malice toward those that refuse to embrace Windoze OS X precipitated these bugs. They may be intentional but done in such a way they can get away with pretending they were accidental.
- Because they cannot even get things right with their latest abortion OS, we should not have a surprised look on our faces that they botched up Windows 7's last updates. This demonstrates their incompetence is universal and agnostic.
I stopped allowing the automatic push of updates before Windows 8.X was released. The notion of "security" isn't even remotely as valuable as a computer that actually works correctly. Botched updates are more frequent than they ever have been, but they're by no means a new and unusual phenomenon. When the world's PCs are indiscriminately updated by zombies that take a Procrustean approach to everything they do, the world will have zombie PCs.Last edited: Jan 22, 2020 -
killkenny1 Too weird to live, too rare to die.
Windows Insider Preview Build 19546 has a nice addition to the calculator:
Definitely could have used it when I was in uni.hmscott, Papusan, Robbo99999 and 1 other person like this. -
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" Finally I can put my math knowledge to use with windows! This is going to be for great usage" <- said no one ever
Wasting time on features no one will use..
Nice!Raiderman, hmscott, Papusan and 1 other person like this. -
killkenny1 Too weird to live, too rare to die.
I personally used Wolfram Alpha and Microsoft Mathematics a lot back in the day, but if this feature was there I would have definitely used it. And most likely a lot of other people who had to study math as part of their curriculum, which isn't a small number.
I will agree with Mr. Fox that Windows 10 clearly has a lot of other problems, but it doesn't mean that MS can't add other "less mass market" orientated features. It's not like there's only one person at MS who works on Windows 10... -
I know there are people who use it..Spartan@HIDevolution, killkenny1 and Papusan like this. -
Great idea, let's have MS Windows be more like Apple and for starters have Windows 10 work only on MS Surface or other MS genuine hardware like Xbox, why bother to make Windows work on all the other computer models? So much simpler and easier to write drivers and other code. And since I seem to be on a roll, I just got another, even better idea: Instead of waiting for MS to turn into another Apple like company, IF I want my computer to work like MAC, maybe I should buy MAC instead of PC, just saying.
As far as calculator having now graph function: no big deal, but frankly what took them so long? graphing calculators have been around for ages, now just watch my words MS going to create Power Toys for Windows, blast from the past. -
Microsoft's IE Zero-day Fix is Breaking Windows Printing bleepingcomputer.com | January 26, 2020
Microsoft's temporary fix for a recently disclosed Internet Explorer zero-day vulnerability is causing numerous problems in Windows, including breaking printing for some users...
Second one for the day...
Windows 10: Installation problems with update KB4528760 due to missing Connect app borncity.com | Jan 26, 2020
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Intel Microcode Updates Windows 10 1909, 1903, 1809 and below (01/30/2020)
good Morning January 31, 2020 6:57
There are new Intel microcode updates for all Windows versions. It is the KB4497165 (Windows 10 1909/1903), KB4494174 (Windows 10 1809), KB4494451 (Windows 10 1803), KB4494452 (1709), KB4494453 (1703), KB4494175 (1607), KB4494454 (1507.
The revised versions concern the CPUs: Denverton, Sandy Bridge, Sandy Bridge E, EP, Valley View, Whiskey Lake U. You can read the individual descriptions here. And if your CPU is in the list, install the update:
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Windows 10 and telemetry - A new test with Windows 10 1909
good Morning January 31, 2020 6:23
The word telemetry has not had a bland taste since Windows 10. Many immediately think of "phoning home", "spying" and what I don't know. Now there is a new report from the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision for for 2019....
While the BSI had undertaken the Windows 10 1607 LTSB, i.e. the enterprise "age-old version", the current Windows 10 1909 Enterprise was used as a test version in the activity report of the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision. This was newly installed in a test environment and all data flows from this computer were still recorded within the laboratory network using a man-in-the-middle analysis.
There the telemetry level "Security" was set, which is only possible in Enterprise and Education. “As part of this laboratory analysis, it was found that the telemetry data from a Windows 10 computer with the Enterprise version can be completely deactivated. Only calls to (Microsoft) servers that supply current cryptographic certificates could not be switched off by this configuration, as these are required for up-to-date secure operation of a Windows 10 system (e.g. when an invalid SSL root certificate is recalled) . "
As a conclusion, it was stated here: "If this result is confirmed in real use of Windows 10 in companies, then at least the handling of telemetry data in Windows 10 Enterprise (even in managed environments) does not constitute a data protection obstacle to the use of this operating system."
This result is not applicable for Windows 10 Pro. Since only Enterprise and Education can completely switch off telemetry via the group policy, as was set in the test.
@Mr. Fox +++ -
Microsoft shovels more dirt on UWP apps, leaving Win32 apps as the future once again pcworld.com | Feb 1, 2020
Microsoft has decided to cut off ad funding for UWP apps via its own platform, leaving their future in doubt. But if Win32 apps are a viable replacement within the Microsoft Store, should users care?
The future is Win32
The debate over whether a multi-gigabyte game should be written as a UWP app or as a traditional Win32 app seems over, with Microsoft’s decision regarding Win32 games in the Store last year. More compact, everyday apps like Twitter, however, seem like they could go both ways.
[ Further reading: The best free software for your PC ]
Ideally, users would neither know or care which version of these apps they’d receive, trusting that they’d simply receive the best, most full-featured version regardless of whether it was written as a Win32, UWP, or even a Progressive Web App (a Web page that acts as an app).
That future may already be here. I previously downloaded the Win32 version of Slack, and downloaded a separate version from the Microsoft Store. Though two apps reside on my machine, clicking on either app appears to launch the Win32 version. Or maybe they’re so identical that I didn’t notice. (Slack doesn’t use in-app ads.) Either way, I’m simply using Slack.
"As users, we can applaud the demise of UWP apps".
Next goal has be removal destruction of Universal Windows drivers in any form and shape -
This is evidence that they're not totally brain dead, but considering it took them from October of 2012 (Windows 8 release) to late January 2020 to figure out their brainchild was extremely stupid and hated by the majority, their intelligence remains in question. But, let's not look a gift horse in the mouth and just be thankful if this digital dung finally dies.Raiderman, 6730b, joluke and 1 other person like this. -
Shall i install this update for the new microcodes? I'm in B4 revision in my 8700k or i better hide it and ignore it completely?
Mr. Fox likes this. -
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Everything Microsoft's engineers touch nowadays will become a disaster
Yet another Windows 10 update is causing problems betanews.com | Feb 3, 2020
Problematic updates for Windows 10 have become pretty common these days, and now it has happened again.
Microsoft released the KB4532695 update last week to address problems with Explorer which were introduced by the November 2019 Update. But this update has itself been found to cause issues, with users complaining of BSoDs, audio problems and more.
Crashes and the blue screen of death are by far the most common problems that users are complaining about with the optional update, but it's certainly not the end of the story. Over on the Microsoft Community site, there is a growing list of posts from disgruntled Windows 10 users.
"Uninstalling the update seems to get things back to normal, but this means you'll have to put up with the previous set of problems that it was supposed to fix."
Surface Pro 7/Laptop 3: Update causes 640 x 480 Mode issue borncity.com | Feb 3,
MS teams down due to certificate error (3.2.2020) borncity.com | Feb 3, 2020
Published by Günter Born
WOODY ON WINDOWS
Is Microsoft messing with your Win10 Search box builds?
Following up on a report that the Win10 Search bar on some machines is suddenly showing “Start a web search” instead of the usual “Type here to search” text, it appears as if Microsoft is updating the Search box without your advice or...
Some good news......
Windows 10 Fails to Gain Significant Market Share Despite Windows 7 EOL
Fresh stats have been released by Netmarketshare revealing a slight drop in Windows 7 usage, but still not what Microsoft would like. The latest numbers for January 2020 put Windows 10 at 57.08% followed by Windows 7 at 25.56% of the market.
It isn't significant but Windows 10 has gained a few points, while Windows 7 usage has lost a little, going down from 26.64%. However, this isn't reflecting what was expected since the end of life deadline for Windows 7 was supposed to bring quite a massive shift in usage numbers.Last edited: Feb 3, 2020 -
Notepad and Paint Become Optional Features in Windows 10
-... future versions of Windows 10, Microsoft is making it so you can now completely uninstall the venerable Notepad, Paint, and WordPad programs from the operating system.
- For now, these programs will continue to be installed by default, which makes sense as they take up little space (Microsoft Paint is 6.58 MB, Notepad is 627 KB, and WordPad is 6.24 MB) and are useful to those who do not need more feature-rich alternatives.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...paint-become-optional-features-in-windows-10/
Who wanted that bloatware anyways?? That ~13MB is needed.(...NOT)Spartan@HIDevolution, Papusan and killkenny1 like this. -
killkenny1 Too weird to live, too rare to die.
It's the MS Store bloatware that should be optional. And even though you can delete some of them, not all are removable...
Speaking of MS Store, I just realized that I might have to install it once MSFS 2020 drops...Robbo99999, jclausius and 6730b like this. -
Office problems after the January 2020 patchday
Posted on February 4, 2020 by Günter Born
Windows 10: Defender / ransomware protection issues
Posted on February 4, 2020 by Günter Born
Notepad Is Going To Microsoft Store, Again winaero.com | Feb 4, 2020
If you remember, Microsoft had first added Notepad to the Store, and made it an optional feature in Windows 10, but later had made announcement that the change wouldn't be pushed to consumers, leaving Notepad bundled as a regular Win32 app in the OS. However, this has changed again.
And I wonder when they will change again for this...
Another nail in the coffin: Microsoft ends its UWP monetization network ghacks.net | Feb 4, 2020
by Martin Brinkmann on February 04, 2020 in Windows - 17 comments
When Microsoft first launched the Windows Store, now known as Microsoft Store, it had big plans for it. It wanted to create a central repository for applications for Windows, that were limited -
Windows 10 V1909: Start menu search failed (5.2.2020)
Posted on February 5, 2020 by Günter Born
Windows search went down for hours because of a Microsoft services outage thewerge.com
Microsoft’s Bing search was misbehaving in Windows 10.
Microsoft’s built-in Windows search went down for many users for more than three hours today. Windows search is built into Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 operating system, and it started presenting blank search results for apps or any other search queries at around 8AM ET today. Windows search uses the Bing backend to search for results across the web, and it appears that this was the source of the issue.
Microsoft confirmed it was investigating access and latency issues “with multiple Microsoft 365 services,” before fixing the issue at 11:35AM ET. Microsoft blames a “third-party networking fiber provider” for experiencing a network disruption resulting in multiple Microsoft 365 services issues. “This issue has been resolved for most users and in some cases you may need to reboot your machine,” says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge.Last edited: Feb 5, 2020jclausius likes this. -
Windows 10 Search Is Broken and Shows Blank Results, How to Fix
- A bug in the Windows 10 Search is causing blank results to be shown in both the Start Menu and in File Explorer.
- Starting today, Windows 10 users all over the world have discovered that when they attempt to use Windows Search from the Start Menu to search for a file or application, the results just come up blank.
-Microsoft has stated that they are aware of the issue and have issued a fix and that it should be resolved for most users.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...is-broken-and-shows-blank-results-how-to-fix/
Is it really fixed?? "Search Me"
This is a follow-up article with a "Fix" to @Papusan's post from Wed.
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Falkentyne Notebook Prophet
Oh man. @Papusan is probably having the time of his life with this one!
Windows 10 News and Announcements...
Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by jclausius, Jan 10, 2019.