What exactly does KB2952664 do?

KB2952664 was published on April 22, 2014 and appears in my Windows Update List (I am running Windows 7 Pro - 64 bit).

The description of this update is vague:  "This update helps Microsoft make improvements to the current operating system in order to ease the upgrade experience to the latest version of Windows."

Anyone have more information on what this update actually does? If its sole purpose is to ease the "upgrade" from Windows 7 to Windows 8 (or 8.1 or 8.1 update), then I'll just permanently hide KB2952664 (I have no desire or intention to "upgrade" my Windows 7 system to any flavor of Windows 8).

If its purpose is to ease what would be a true Windows 7 upgrade to a yet-to-be-announced Windows 7 SP2, then I'll keep it (but still would like to have more information about what KB2952664 actually does before installing).

Well one thing it, or it's companion KB3083710 did was disable the remnants of Windows Sidebar and Gadgets.  I have always maintained mine just for the quick access to Media Center in W7 Professional x64 via the built-in gadget.  Right after the two updates, poof, it's gone and the Desktop Gadgets applet in Control Panel won't even open.

I have once again hidden KB2952664 and KB303558, which are the two that seem to keep coming back - most other nagware seems to stay hidden. I am not seeing Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro N at all, so it may be that you are getting it as a result of one or more previous updates you have allowed, which would fit the pattern of what seems to be Microsoft's strategy here.

I have taken to allowing only security updates without question, and research every other update, regardless of how it is labelled (i.e. important, recommended, optional). I install only those that I can absolutely confirm are not some form of nagware or spyware, and can be reasonably certain I may actually need. When in doubt, I toss it out - if and when I experience any issues that they may have solved, I will discover that by googling the problem and can then unhide and install the update. So far, that hasn't actually happened, which is not surprising given that W7 has been around long enough for any actual bugs to have been worked out.

With the exception of some mundane stuff like the occasional time zone updates and such, almost all non-security updates do seem related to Microsoft's ongoing efforts to get us to downgrade to the latest version of windows.

Caveat emptor.

Evidenced by the re-issuance of disabling and limiting 'updates', I'd say you're right.  The list of 'downgrades' to Windows 7 is getting ridiculous.  We PAID for this software.  I don't remember telling anyone they could disable parts, pieces, and features.  Anyone else?  The TV Guide service was bare-boned recently in the reduction of movie guide genres and the movie ratings were removed.  Now, they've disabled the Sidebar and Gadgets they installed in the software originally as a value added feature?  (I do agree some gadgets were a security risk, but not all of them).  I have also observed a reduction in my stability index, possibly related to blocking rather than removing software.

Microsoft Fixit saved the day.  Ran Microsoftfixitsidebaron.msi and got it back. 

Now, if I could just restore the TV and Movies Guide in Media Center, I'd be a Happy Camper. 

Of course, like everyone else, I'd be even happier if Microsoft would quit playing secret squirrel all the time.

Microsoft was embarrassed by customer's lack of acceptance for Vista and Windows 8. Microsoft failed to LISTEN to their customers. Microsoft produced versions of Windows that we did not want with features we did not need. Customers rejected those versions.

Now comes Windows 10. Perhaps Microsoft does not want to be embarrassed by customers again rejecting a version of windows that we do not want or need.

One way to avoid having customers reject Windows 10 would have been to actually listen to customers and give us a version of Windows we really want. But apparently, Microsoft does not want to use that method ... instead they appear to be avoiding transparency regarding Windows Updates whose sole purpose seems to be nagging customers into installing Windows 10. And if we try to hide these "nag" Updates, Microsoft unhides them in an attempt to get them installed (regardless of their customer's wishes).

In addition to releasing, re-releasing, and re-re-re-releasing "nag" Updates, it also appears that even in cases where customers do not respond to the nagging (i.e., those customers who do not want to install Windows 10), Microsoft still (in some cases) downloads the Windows 10 installation files. The files total approximately 3 to 6 Gigabytes; the unrequested download uses up network bandwidth and uses up hard disk space when stored on customer's computers. For more info on the huge Windows 10 installation files being downloaded without permission, see http://www.infoworld.com/article/2983777/microsoft-windows/how-to-clean-the-windows-10-crapware-off-your-windows-7-or-81-pc.html

Why would Microsoft download Windows 10 installation files to customers who have not asked for them???? Well, perhaps Microsoft is counting each occurrence of these unrequested downloads as a "Windows 10 installation".

So, when Microsoft releases a statement as to how well customers are accepting Windows 10, perhaps those numbers include cases where customers have received an unrequested download of the Windows 10 installation files.

Rather than resorting to these kind of tricks to boost the numbers, Microsoft needs only to do one thing to get customers to accept a new version of windows ... LISTEN to customer feedback, be transparent about the purpose of Updates, honor customer's request to hide specific Updates, do not force customers to accept/install all Updates (let customers choose which Updates to accept and which to reject), do not send any telemetry data back to Microsoft without customer's explicit permission, and give us a Windows version that meets our needs. For more information on how Windows 10 is snooping, see http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/attempting-to-answer-whether-ms-is-snooping/

Do you think there is any way to get Microsoft to court for what they're doing with us?