Windows 7 users beware of the Windows 10 wolf
Mircrosoft is preparing, behind your back, to upgrade everything to Windows 10. For Windows 8/8.1 I can understand.
But users of Windows 7 who might not want that, and who have not been paying too much attention to the updates the last three months, probably have already installed updates that will nag you about updating to Windows 10...
This article describes which updates you should NOT install, and if you have already, how to remove them.
▻http://www.ghacks.net/2015/04/17/how-to-remove-windows-10-upgrade-updates-in-windows-7-and-8
Some of these updates collect telemetry data on users...
▻http://www.infoworld.com/article/2911609/operating-systems/kb-2952664-compatibility-update-for-win7-triggers-unexpected-daily-teleme
The Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser task runs %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe appraiser.dll,DoScheduledTelemetryRun with the description “Collects program telemetry information if opted-in to the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program.”
I found that the program runs* whether or not you’ve opted into* the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). And even if you opt out, the program still runs.
Can somebody tell me why Microsoft is performing a telemetry run on PCs that have opted out of the CEIP? This results from an “important” update in the Automatic Update chute, for heaven’s sake.