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Microsoft broke into my office and vandalized my work!!

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BradC:

--- Quote from: edpalmer42 on November 11, 2021, 03:11:04 am ---I always run a software firewall on my systems.
--- End quote ---

Years ago I started treating Windows as an appliance to run the windows specific software I needed to run (Office, AutoCAD, Revit and a few others) and constrained it to a VM with absolutely no outside access (not even external DNS resolution).

It's faster, more reliable and more predictable than running on the bare metal, plus all the other advantages of being able to snapshot/backup/rollback the VM filesystem.

I acknowledge it's not for everyone, but it works for me.

edpalmer42:

--- Quote from: AlfBaz on November 11, 2021, 03:17:36 am ---
--- Quote from: edpalmer42 on November 11, 2021, 03:11:04 am ---I always run a software firewall on my systems.  Although it also provides protection against incoming attacks, its main purpose is to block outgoing access.  The only programs that I allow to 'phone home' are those that need the Internet for their basic functions i.e. a browser or email program.

It takes a bit of work configuring it, but after that, all unwanted outgoing accesses from the OS itself are blocked.  Other apps are just as easy to block.  No telemetry, no automatic updates.  Very few problems.  YMMV.

Ed

--- End quote ---
Just wondering what software you use, assuming it's not the router.
I ask because I was under the impression windows firewall is hard coded to allow windows telemetry including updates

--- End quote ---

I've never heard that windows firewall is hard coded, but it is configured to allow almost all outgoing access by any app, not just telemetry and updates.  I'm not that familiar with windows firewall, but I did play with it and I believe that I had it set up to block updates.  But it was supposed to give me a popup when an app tried to access the net and I never got that to work.  In any case, if you load an external firewall program, windows firewall shuts down.  It's likely that any firewall program could be configured to do what you want.

I chose Comodo's Internet Security.  You could also use their Firewall program.  They're both free, just make sure that you click the correct link.  They're similar packages, but have a few different features.  Both include the firewall and a module that runs in memory and pops up if a program tries to do something unexpected.  You can set different notification levels for this.  I normally run 'Paranoid Mode'.   ;D

https://www.comodo.com/home/internet-security/free-internet-security.php?af=3272
https://www.comodo.com/home/internet-security/firewall.php

One thing I like to see is that after I boot up, the network icon in the system tray says that as far as Windows is concerned, I'm not connected to the net!  That doesn't change unless and until I use a program like Firefox or Thunderbird.  Then Windows realizes that I am connected and updates the icon.

Ed

james_s:
Why anyone finds this even remotely acceptable is beyond me, but you'll find corporate apologists justifying it disturbingly frequently. It is the primary reason I absolutely refuse to install Win10 on any of my personal devices. Bottom line is I should not have to constantly fight with my operating system to keep it working the way I want. I almost never shut down my system, I keep all sorts of stuff open that I'm working on and an uncommanded reboot is a huge pain.

David Hess:

--- Quote from: blacksheeplogic on November 11, 2021, 02:29:25 am ---After doing a bunch of 'suggested' fixes and still having the reboots, I found the only way (at least right now without buying PRO) is to enable Metered Connection.
--- End quote ---

Enabling the Metered Connection for all network adapters seems to be the most reliable way to disable unintended updates even on PRO for me.

emece67:
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