Many programs on your computer access the internet even though they don’t need to. They phone home for a variety of reason including telemetry and checking for updates.
I don’t need or want most programs phoning home for any reason. Still, they try.
With programs getting more invasive I thought it would be appropriate to show you how to block their access to the net.
[Read more…] about Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall
Windows 10
Thursday Morning Random Stuff…
EasyBCD 2.4
This is the program I use to dual-boot. First update in over 3 years!
Download. Requires registration.
EasyBCD 2.4 (November 28, 2018)
– Fixed: bcdboot paramters in RepairBootDrive call
– Fixed:/NLT crashes on malformed XML translation files
– Fixed: partitions with 64-bit extensions are not supported
– Fixed: Detect <= Windows 7 and disable metro bootloader to prevent hidden boot menu
– Fixed: Statusbar height shrinks when blank under Windows 10
– New: Add autocompletion to all path textboxes
– New: Add Ability to turn on/off hypervisor state for entries
– New: Verify destination of “change boot partition” is at least 75 MiB
– Include Bulgarian in BCD/BOOTMGR locale list
– Include XML validity checks as part of build process
– Custom SWF high-DPI support in EasyBCD
– High-DPI support in EasyBCD setup
– Do not repeatedly apply existing settings when modifying entry attribute
Intel Graphics Driver for Windows 10
Download | Release Notes
DRIVER VERSION: 25.20.100.6444
DATE: November 28th,2018
12 newly supported games
I reckon this is also supposed to stop your Win10 October 2018 update from being blocked for older drivers.
Other Software Updates
AMD Ryzen Master 1.5.1.0862
EMDB 3.27
Don’t Be Evil and Don’t Be Hypocrites
4,000 Google employees concerned about the U.S.Defense Department’s Project Maven.
Only 1,400 Google employees concerned about Google’s Project Dragonfly, a Chinese censorship program. As of this writing, 514 signed petition. Now we see Google employees actually supporting the censorship efforts in China.
People are seriously arguing that a censored internet is better than no internet. This while we are still discussing Russian trolls influencing our elections with “disinformation and propaganda”. I’m astounded by this nonsensical argument.
Some info here: iVerge – Dueling employee petitions have revealed a deep divide within Google over China
Wednesday Random Stuff…
Win10 Updates
Many “Addresses an issue” fixes.
Build 1809 – None
Build 1803 – November 27, 2018—KB4467682 (OS Build 17134.441)
Build 1709 – November 27, 2018—KB4467681 (OS Build 16299.820)
Nvidia GeForce Game Ready Driver 417.01 WHQL
“Provides the optimal gaming experience for Darksiders III”
Download | Release Notes
Macrium Reflect 7.2.3897
Download | Release Notes
FinalCrypt 2.6.3
Free, open source encryption software.
Download & Info
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
Samsung 860 EVO 500GB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD
List Price: $109.99
With Deal: $72.99
You Save: $37.00 (34%)
Samsung 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD
List Price: $199.99
Price: $127.98
You Save: $72.01 (36%)
DEF LEPPARD – The Stories So Far Episode 1 with Joe Elliott
Joe tells all about the making of Pour Some Sugar On Me.
Def Leppard – The Story So Far CD comes out Friday
Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Animal
2. Photograph
3. Pour Some Sugar On Me
4. Love Bites
5. Let’s Get Rocked
6. Armageddon It
7. Foolin’
8. Two Steps Behind
9. Heaven Is
10. Rocket
11. Hysteria
12. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
13. Make Love Like A Man
14. Action
15. When Love And Hate Collide
16. Rock Of Ages
17. Personal Jesus
Disc: 2
1. Let’s Go
2. Promises
3. Slang
4. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
5. Rock On
6. Nine Lives
7. Work It Out
8. Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)
9. Dangerous
10. Now
11. Undefeated
12. Tonight
13. C’mon C’mon
14. Man Enough
15. No Matter What
16. All I Want Is Everything
17. It’s All About Believin’
18. Kings Of The World
Windows 10 Quality
This blog post by Microsoft VP Michael Fortin has gotten Geeks Irish up. The entire post is delusional and tone-deaf. It spends half the time telling us we think Win10 is great and the other half telling us what a great job Microsoft is doing.
Geeks and Windows Experts have savaged Microsoft for the fiasco that is Win10 and this latest post just made things worse. Some recent comments from the Windows Expert / Geek world:
Paul Thurrott
“You can’t trust anything these people tell you. They literally have no idea what they’re doing.”
Woody Leonhard
“The past four months have shown, repeatedly, that you’d have to be crazy — or ignorant of the past — to continue applying Windows patches as soon as they’re released.”
Chris Hoffman
“We want Microsoft to understand the problem, take it seriously, and make some real changes…We’d be happier if Microsoft would stop breaking things.”
Ed Bott
“Customers who are running an officially released version of Windows should not have to sign up as beta testers to get critical fixes…And don’t get me started on the Microsoft Answers forum, where overwhelmed volunteer moderators routinely paste boilerplate replies to customers reporting genuine issues. Good luck finding actual help there. Mainstream customers running a released version of Windows shouldn’t have to spend hours hunting down information about issues and updates.“
Patch Tuesday
Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 have updates.
Windows 7
November 13, 2018—KB4467106 (Security-only update)
November 13, 2018—KB4467107 (Monthly Rollup)
Windows 8.1
November 13, 2018—KB4467703 (Security-only update)
November 13, 2018—KB4467697 (Monthly Rollup)
Windows 10
Build 1809 –
November 13, 2018—KB4464455 (OS Build 17763.107)
November 13, 2018—KB4467708 (OS Build 17763.134)
Build 1803 – November 13, 2018—KB4467702 (OS Build 17134.407)
Build 1709 – November 13, 2018—KB4467686 (OS Build 16299.785)
Build 1703 – November 13, 2018—KB4467696 (OS Build 15063.1446)
Additionally Windows 8.1 & 10 have Flash updates.
Win10 “October” Update
Windows 10, version 1809 Re-Released
When you have it offered to you is anyone’s guess.
Media Creation Tool / ISOs available here: Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File)
Patch Tuesday Morning
Backup if you have the time.
Win10 users not on 1809 yet may want to assure they are set to delay updates. Speculation is that MS may release it again today.
Adobe Reader Updated
Download (en-US) | Download (all) | Security Bulletin
Windows 10 DistributedCOM 10016 Error
Like many of you I’ve been getting multiple DCOM Event ID 10016 errors after I upgraded to the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.
[Read more…] about Windows 10 DistributedCOM 10016 Error
Wednesday News
Software Updates
Tails 3.10.1
Tor Browser 8.0.3
Winaero Tweaker 0.12.1
Memo to Microsoft: Windows 10 is broken, and the fixes can’t wait
“Windows 10 is officially a shit show…So three urgent changes are required.
Firstly, reintroduce dedicated testers. Don’t rely on automation and the crowd – that clearly isn’t working. Raise the prestige of testers in the company. Secondly, repurpose the Insider programme – reclassify it as a fan club. Anything, really. It’s not a substitute for professional testers. And thirdly, slow down. The rush to bring immature software to market has clearly deteriorated software quality. Are annual releases such a bad thing? Or even delaying the software until it’s actually ready?”
Hear, Hear!
Apple’s Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”
“Our own information — from the everyday to the deeply personal — is being weaponized against us with military efficiency,” warned Cook. “These scraps of data, each one harmless enough on its own, are carefully assembled, synthesized, traded and sold…We shouldn’t sugarcoat the consequences. This is surveillance.”
Preach!
Making it easier to control your data, directly in Google products
“Before today, if you were searching on Google and wanted to review or manage this data, the best way for you to do that would have been to visit your Google Account. Now, we’re bringing these controls to you – from directly within Search, you can review or delete your Search activity and quickly get back to finding what you were searching for.
We’re also providing quick access to the privacy controls in your Google Account that are most relevant as you use Search. For example, to control the ads you see when you search, we give you access to your Ad Settings. Additionally, you can access your Activity Controls to decide what information Google saves to your account and uses to make Search and other Google services faster, smarter and more useful.”
Do you think they would be doing this if Geeks, Privacy experts, and Academics weren’t screaming about this issue?
Patch Tuesday
Windows Update
Windows 7 and 8.1 get over a dozen security updates.
Windows 7 – October 9, 2018—KB4462923 (Monthly Rollup)
Windows 8.1 – October 9, 2018—KB4462926 (Monthly Rollup)
Windows 10, “This update includes quality improvements. No new operating system features are being introduced in this update.”
Win10 also has over a dozen security updates.
Win10 1809 – October 9, 2018—KB4464330 (OS Build 17763.55)
Win10 1803 – October 9, 2018—KB4462919 (OS Build 17134.345)
Win10 1709 – October 9, 2018—KB4462918 (OS Build 16299.726)
Win10 1703 – October 9, 2018—KB4462937 (OS Build 15063.1387)
Win10 1607 – September 11, 2018—KB4457131 (OS Build 14393.2485)
Lessons Learned
This week Microsoft pulled the Windows 10 October 2018 Update because peoples personal files were being deleted. The Windows 10 April Update was delayed by almost 3 weeks due to a “blocking bug”. These are just 2 examples of Win10’s broken update model. With Win10, software quality is as bad as it has ever been. This despite the extensive Insider Program that was supposed to alleviate this problem. I’ve never been bitten by these updates and much of the advice I pass out on this site is designed to help you to not get bitten either. I will try and put that in a convenient list:
– Keep current system image backups.
I use Macrium Reflect Free. Other programs include Clonezilla (free) and Acronis True Image (not free).
I store recent copies on the same computer and older copies on an external hard drive.
You MUST create a boot disc or flash drive.
Use this before EVERY patch Tuesday and Feature Update.
– Keep current personal files backups (docs, pics, etc.).
I either use copy/paste or Microsoft’s free SyncToy.
I store them on an external hard drive, an old laptop hard drive, and burn to DVD.
I also store my music and pics on Google Drive.
I have a copy everything off site too.
– Separate your personal files from your OS (move your pics, docs, etc. folders).
Guides in every Tweak Guide.
– Delay Windows Updates. With Win10, consider skipping release altogether.
If you are using Windows 10 Home consider switching to Windows 10 Pro so that you can control your updates. You can by a legit key very cheap. Contact me if you cannot find one and I will point you in the right direction.
Security Updates for each release are provided for approximately 18 months so there is no rush to update to the latest release.
Win10’s changes and new features have come along at a pitifully slow rate. The only welcome change for me since Win10’s initial release is the Dark Theme.
– Advanced, Make a rescue flash drive.
Multiple tools to save yourself, friends, and family from disaster.
External Hard Drives at Amazon. Prices current as of 07OCT18
WD 4TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive – USB 3.0
List Price: $159.99 – Price: $99.99 – You Save: $60.00 (38%)
Seagate Expansion 8TB Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.0
Was: $149.99 Price: $139.00 You Save: $10.99 (7%)
