TweakHound

Computer stuff...

Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Dual Boot openSUSE Leap and Windows 10 UEFI

By

This is how I dual-boot my Windows 10 rig with openSUSE Leap.
This article is virtually unchanged from: Dual Boot openSUSE 13.2 and Windows 8.1 UEFI

Notes:
– BACKUP your computer with a disk image before attempting this!
– Please do not contact me with questions on this topic.
That’s what the openSUSE forums are for.
– For how I dual-boot with a standard BIOS (legacy) see here: Dual-Boot openSUSE 12.3 And Windows (article is NOT compatible with BTRFS)

Interesting Links
openSUSE:UEFI
BCD System Store Settings for UEFI
Dual booting with Windows 8, not as painful as expected.

Preparation
1 – Full disk image backup using Acronis True Image.
2 – Make or leave unpartitioned space on OS drive for openSUSE. (If you can’t do this without a tutorial, well…..)
3 – Make UEFI boot usb flash drive with Rufus.

Installation
Pardon the odd screenshots. I used Vmware player for this article.

I should note that I am not a believer in using multiple partitions for my Linux installs.

Boot up, go through setup until you get to the partitioning section.
I do not use BTRFS and I always use Create Partition Setup…
os132_uefiboot_1

Choose Custom Partitioning (for experts) and click Next

os132_uefiboot_2

Right-click on the DRIVE where you want to install openSUSE and choose Add Partition
Make a swap partition, 2-4GB is fine.

os132_uefiboot_3

Below are the options I use. Ext4 for file system, noatime, discard* (=trim)
*note – I am not using discard at the moment because it was causing errors on my Samsung 850 Pro SSD.

os132_uefiboot_4

This next step is critical as your system will not boot without it.

Right-click on the Windows EFI boot partition and choose Edit

os132_uefiboot_5

Choose Mount partition
Choose /boot/efi
Click Finish

os132_uefiboot_6

Done?  click Accept

os132_uefiboot_7

Last chance to bail…
Click Next

os132_uefiboot_8

I don’t use Secure Boot. It can be disabled here:

os132_uefiboot_9

Boot Screen:

os132_bootmenu_1

 

Everything should run just peachy until you boot into Windows again.

Windows will usually try and make its bootloader default again which means openSUSE isn’t an option.

While in Windows, open an Elevated Command Prompt and copy/paste this command (source):

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\opensuse\shim.efi

That’s it!

openSUSE Leap 42.1 Released

By

opensusegeekoMy Linux distro of choice has received a significant update. openSUSE Leap changes the way openSUSE does things. Once divided between an enterprise and regular version openSUSE has merged these into what they are calling a hybrid system. You see the enterprise version (SLE) was a more stable version that was slow to implement changes. The regular version was considered “bleeding edge”. That meant stuff was either not quite done or could break stuff, a permanent beta version if you will. IMHO, his had the effect of frustrating many non-Linux Geeks. openSUSE Leap aims to speed up inclusion of software that is ready for the average users but leave the “bleeding edge” stuff to a version best left to Linux Geeks called “openSUSE Tumbleweed“.
Also includes: Kernel 4.1.12, KDE Plasma 5, GNOME 3.16.2

Release announcement: openSUSE Leap 42.1 Becomes First Hybrid Distribution
Download (I highly suggest you try this in a virtual machine first)
Release notes (very important to read these)
OpenSUSE Forums

Monday Random Stuff…

By

hardocpGet The Latest SSD Info
[H]ardOCP has a great article detailing the recent goings-on with SSD’s. They have buying advice too.

Threshold 2
The “experts” told us TH2 would be released today.
Instead Microsoft will apparently release it on Patch Tuesday, which kinda makes sense, even though Patch Tuesday was supposed to go away.

Firefox 42 Hits Mirrors
Not official yet.
Download (en-US)
Download other systems and languages
Release Notes

AMD Drivers
Changes are afoot.
“AMD is ditching Catalyst Control Center in favor of newly architected solutions dubbed Radeon Settings, which is a critical part of what AMD is calling the Radeon Software Crimson Edition.”
Head over to Hot Hardware for more info and videos!

New Star Trek Series
Oh hell yeah!
“CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new Star Trek television series in January 2017. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.“

It’s A Matter Of Honor

By

thpinpostlogo

honor
noun
1.honesty, fairness, or integrity in one’s beliefs and actions:
a man of honor.

Last week Microsoft doubled down on trying to force Windows 10 on Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. This despite the outrage that has sprung up around the internet since GWX and it’s related telemetry issues came to fore.
In his blog post, Terry Myerson claimed “you can choose to upgrade or decline the offer”. That’s a statement the Washington D.C. spin doctors would love.
1 – By default Windows 7 and 8 downloads and installs updates to examine your computer and send that info back to Microsoft. They never ask you, they just do it.
2 – Starting next year, Microsoft will make Windows 10 a recommended update. Most folks computers are set to “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates.” This means starting next year Microsoft will download Windows 10 to your computer WITHOUT ASKING YOU.
[Read more…] about It’s A Matter Of Honor

Windows 7 Diagnostics Tracking Service

By

*last updated 24OCT2016
Well it’s official. The Diagnostics Tracking Service is now a permanent part Windows 7.
Microsoft first introduced DiagTrack with KB3022345. Then they tried to sneak it back in with KB3068708 and again with KB3080149.
With these patches you could install or uninstall them and everything else was fine.
Now it is back with KB3192403 – October 2016 Preview of Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.
As the name suggests, this update is a preview of what is to come and is an optional update. It will become a standard update next month.
So, if you are a responsible and intelligent Windows user who keeps your system patched you are stuck with DiagTrack being installed. Since as Mary Jo put it, “Each monthly rollup will supersede the previous month’s rollup. The ultimate goal is for these monthly rollups to become fully cumulative, which will happen as the team adds patches released in the past, so users need only to install the latest single rollup.”
Now you must disable it via services.msc or in the registry.
Aren’t update rollups awesome! Welcome to the new Microsoft, “Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.”

Diagnostics Tracking Service
“Start”=dword:00000002 is default . 2=auto, 3=manual, 4=disabled
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DiagTrack
“Start”=dword:00000004

*edit 25OCT2016
I’m not sure what the confusion is but apparently I did not make myself clear above…
DISABLE this via the Services snap-in (services.msc) or manually via the registry. I provided the key above.

 
 
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
For some time now I’ve been seeing posts about disabling the Diagnostics Tracking Service in Windows 7.
This is unnecessary. Uninstall it instead.

Go to Control Panel > Windows Update > Installed updates (bottom left of windows) > find and uninistall KB3022345 (right-click > Uninstall)
Re-run Windows update > find KB3022345 and hide it (right-click > Hide update)

Microsoft continues to play games with its customers. The new update is below.

Go to Control Panel > Windows Update > Installed updates (bottom left of windows) > find and unnistall KB3080149 and/or KB3068708 (right-click > Uninstall)
Re-run Windows update > find KB3080149 and/or KB3068708 and hide it (right-click > Hide update)
Done

Diagnostics Tracking Service
“Start”=dword:00000002 is default . 2=auto, 3=manual, 4=disabled
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DiagTrack
“Start”=dword:00000004

 

More info: KB3080149 – Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry

Remove And Block GWX In Windows 7

By

Last updated 12DEC2019

This is version 8 of my scripts to remove and block Windows 10 updates and related telemetry.
I’ve seen multiple posts at websites and forums telling folks how to deal with GWX. Most of them either don’t go far enough, or usually, they go way too far and break stuff.
This applies to Windows 7 ONLY.

Comments are closed after a while for security reasons. You can comment here if you like:
Remove And Block GWX In Windows 7 UPDATED 2

Since it has become obvious that this will be a running battle with Microsoft I’ve decided to make this page the permanent place to these scripts rather than a new post every time I update it.

You’ll need to check back here monthly for updates as Microsoft keeps re-releasing updates that in effect unhides them.
You’ll also want to keep the script handy and rerun it monthly for the same reason.

Thanks to:
Though info on all this stuff has come from dozens of sources, much of this info has come from the MDL forums.
In particular this thread: Remove Telemetry and Windows 10 Related Updates from Windows 7

Download my batch file: https://www.tweakhound.com/downloads/block_GWX_V8.zip
YOU MUST read the README.txt file.
The second half of this calls HideGWXetcV8.vbs to hide updates.
This will take a while.
DO NOT CLOSE WINDOW UNTIL YOU SEE: ” – Finished … All operations complete. Reboot now. Press any key to continue . . .”
Inspiration for this came from a variety of sources but started HERE.
The level of support you will receive is equal to the amount you paid for this 😉
This folder contains:
BlockGWXetcV8.bat – Removes and Hides GWX related updates like in step 2 above.
HideGWXetcV8.vbs – Automatically run by the above .bat files. This hides the updates the batch file uninstalled.
README.txt – Instructions
th_add_CMDandTO.reg – Adds open command windows here (standard and admin) ,and Take Ownership to right-click.

The .bat file and the .vbs files MUST be in the same folder!

(code is listed below)

To do this:
Either right-click the folder and choose Open Command Window Here as Administrator.
In the resulting command window type BlockGWXetcFINAL.bat and hit enter.
OR
right-click the BlockGWXetcFINAL.bat file (see above) and choose Run as Administrator.
If you do not have these right-click options, double-click in included th_add_CMDandTO.reg file and logout/reboot.

Let it run, when the .bat file runs HideGWXetc.vbs it will take a while.
It may look like things have stopped, they haven’t.
DO NOT CLOSE WINDOW UNTIL YOU SEE: ” – Finished … All operations complete. Reboot now. Press any key to continue . . .”

block_gwx_1

 

-END-