Is it possible to update Windows 7 without adding any Windows 10 "features"?

I just built a new machine. I think I remember reading that Microsoft
was adding some of the Windows 10 snooping capabilities to Windows 7
updates. I'm just wondering if that's true, and how to tell which
updates to avoid if it is.

wrote:
Optional comment/name field missing in From header.
Non-authorized use of domain.

I just built a new machine. I think I remember reading that Microsoft
was adding some of the Windows 10 snooping capabilities to Windows 7
updates. I'm just wondering if that's true, and how to tell which
updates to avoid if it is.

Only if you configure the WU client to *not* automatically updates (set
to "notify only") AND disable the WU service (to prevent covert updates
which have happened) and then later, when you are ready (got the time,
incentive, and save an image backup), you reenable the service and run
the WU client. After any updates, disable the WU service again. Then
it is up to you after checking for updates to determine which ones you
want from the list. Look for those that specify themselves as a
compatibility update to Windows 10. Those check if your Win7 install
and hardware are prepared to update to Windows 10 (i.e., they check
compatibility with Win10). If you aren't going to migrate (update) that
computer to Win10, or you intend to do a fresh install of Win10, you
don't need any of those Win10 compatibility updates.

Similarly, the WU service will push updates for software you don't have.
For example, Microsoft will push updates for Skype despite that it is
not installed. When you check for updates, you get a list. It's up to
you, as the admin of your computer, to determine which ones you want,
which ones you can understand, which ones you don't understand but can
research, and those that identify themselves as having something to do
with Win10 compatibility. In the list of proposed updates, you can
click on the link to an MS article that sometimes gives sufficient
information. Often, however, you have to check online what are the
updates and research the features they are touching. For example, some
are relevant only to hosts that are in a corporate domain setup, but if
this is a home PC then you aren't logging into a domain. Might not hurt
to have the update, but likely it won't do anything to help your setup.

When you check for Windows updates, you're still the self-appointed
administrator of your computer, and it's up to you to decide which, if
any or some, updates to retrieve and apply. That means reading up on
each one.

wrote:
I just built a new machine. I think I remember reading that Microsoft
was adding some of the Windows 10 snooping capabilities to Windows 7
updates. I'm just wondering if that's true, and how to tell which
updates to avoid if it is.

Install Windows 7 SP1.

When it comes up for the first time, have the network cable
unplugged.

Find the Automatic Updates control panel in Control Panels
and set it to "don't check for updates".

*******

On some computer, visit wsusoffline.net and get
the latest version. When you run it, it has a section
entitled "Legacy", and it has a few tick boxes for Windows 7.

If you select "include SP1 files", the total size of the downloaded
collection of Windows Updates will be around 8GB. If your install
media already included SP1 (check the version listed in the
System control panel), then you don't need to "collect" the
SP1 x86 and x64 files.

wsusoffline_win7.7z (store mode) 8,102,098,105 bytes

You go to the Client folder and there should be UpdateInstaller.exe
On a machine needing Windows 7 updates, that's the file that
kicks off the install. It takes around 2.5 hours and five reboots
for the whole procedure. (It'll do a few, ask for a reboot,
it knows how many are done and what phase comes next.)

The files come straight from Microsoft, and are not downloaded
from the wsusoffline.net site itself.

http://download.wsusoffline.net/

05.08.2019 Version 11.8 (Hashes, AV check)

When you're in the "collecting" phase of filling up
the folder with the 200 updates, there is a tick
box for "security-only" jumbo updates, the ones
that don't have CEIP and the UWP library files
for running "universal" apps.

Firefox has a Mozilla version of CEIP inside it.
They collect information of various sorts, for
engineering purposes. Like, if a release has
a memory leak, they can scan all the copies of
Firefox running out there, and see what percentage
of browsers leaked 2GB of memory. It allows determining
what kind of a mess they're making.

The Microsoft CEIP adds one twist. A developer adds
CEIP calls to their code. During runtime, the program
can report things. But, the report packets go to a
Microsoft server, not to the developers server.
Later, the developer logs in and uses some tool to
examine the statistics gathered. This means that
Microsoft gets to see everything that is collected.
There are some people who don't think this is a good
idea.

While Firefox could add Microsoft CEIP calls, as far
as I know, they don't. They didn't invent their
elaborate schemes for nothing. They've been working
on instrumenting Firefox for years, and have their
own ideas how best to do it.

Anyway, this is the collecting tick box to note before
starting the Win7 updates collection.

https://i.postimg.cc/sfYGtYyP/wsus.gif

Microsoft also makes a "Convenience Rollup". It includes
CEIP and the UWP library. It is slightly faster than using
WSUSOffline, but by the time you do all the fooling around
to get stuff to run, it comes remarkably close to taking
2.5 hours too.

Whether avoiding CEIP and some library, is enough to
be wearing a tinfoil hat, that's for you to decide.
I think for the people doing this, it's not the technical
issues, it's "the nerve of some people" aspect. Microsoft
doesn't put useful improvements in Windows 7, just the
improvements that enable a business plan. I think that's
the angle people who avoid these things are using.

Paul

On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 17:30:36 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

wrote:
Optional comment/name field missing in From header.
Non-authorized use of domain.

I just built a new machine. I think I remember reading that Microsoft
was adding some of the Windows 10 snooping capabilities to Windows 7
updates. I'm just wondering if that's true, and how to tell which
updates to avoid if it is.

Only if you configure the WU client to *not* automatically updates (set
to "notify only") AND disable the WU service (to prevent covert updates
which have happened) and then later, when you are ready (got the time,
incentive, and save an image backup), you reenable the service and run
the WU client. After any updates, disable the WU service again. Then
it is up to you after checking for updates to determine which ones you
want from the list. Look for those that specify themselves as a
compatibility update to Windows 10. Those check if your Win7 install
and hardware are prepared to update to Windows 10 (i.e., they check
compatibility with Win10). If you aren't going to migrate (update) that
computer to Win10, or you intend to do a fresh install of Win10, you
don't need any of those Win10 compatibility updates.

Similarly, the WU service will push updates for software you don't have.
For example, Microsoft will push updates for Skype despite that it is
not installed. When you check for updates, you get a list. It's up to
you, as the admin of your computer, to determine which ones you want,
which ones you can understand, which ones you don't understand but can
research, and those that identify themselves as having something to do
with Win10 compatibility. In the list of proposed updates, you can
click on the link to an MS article that sometimes gives sufficient
information. Often, however, you have to check online what are the
updates and research the features they are touching. For example, some
are relevant only to hosts that are in a corporate domain setup, but if
this is a home PC then you aren't logging into a domain. Might not hurt
to have the update, but likely it won't do anything to help your setup.

When you check for Windows updates, you're still the self-appointed
administrator of your computer, and it's up to you to decide which, if
any or some, updates to retrieve and apply. That means reading up on
each one.


Yea I already knew about turning off auto-update. I was just
wondering if MS is trying to sneak stuff like the keystroke recording
into Windows 7 by bundling it with security updates or bug fixes,
things that they know people are most likely to download.

thanks for the reply