Original title: Microsoft is installing SPYWARE thru Windows Updates? Windows updates installed something called "Diagnostics Tracking Service" in my Windows 8.1 Pro. Take a look at THIS website. http://thepcwhisperer.blogspot.in/2014/10/microsofts-windows-10-preview-has-built.html It says what this service does in Windows 10 TP. Data We Collect When you acquire, install and use the Program, Microsoft collects information about you, your devices, applications and networks, and your use of those devices, applications and networks. Examples of data we collect include your name, email address, preferences and interests; browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data ; device configuration and sensor data; and application usage. For example, when you: install the Program, we may collect information about your device and applications and use it for purposes such as determining or improving compatibility, use voice input features like speech-to-text, we may collect voice information and use it for purposes such as improving speech processing, open a file, we may collect information about the file, the application used to open the file, and how long it takes and use it for purposes such as improving performance, or enter text, we may collect typed characters and use them for purposes such as improving auto complete and spell check features. While this might make some sense in a TP (although I consider collecting so much personal information as email addresses and keystrokes to be extreme), it makes no sense in a released Windows version. It's not like I have downloaded it myself from their website as a loving gesture and I want to share whatever I do in my personal life with Microsoft. They slipped it in as an "update" to Windows 8.1 This is definitely spyware behavior in some sense. It's collecting too much personal data. I don't want to share ANYTHING with Microsoft. I have NOT turned on the customer improvement program thing in Windows. WHY IS MICROSOFT DOING THIS? WHICH KB DO I NEED TO UNINSTALL AND BLOCK IN ORDER TO GET RID OF THIS? WHY IS MY ANTIVIRUS NOT REMOVING THIS? HAS MS PAID THE ANTIVIRUS VENDORS? SHOULD I DISABLE AUTOMATIC UPDATES? I'M LOSING TRUST ON MICROSOFT. THEY CAN INSTALL SPYWARE ANY MOMENT, I CANNOT INDIVIDUALLY CHECK THE KB ARTICLE ON EVERY UPDATE JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'LL SEND PERSONAL INFORMATION BACK TO MS. I'm really upset about this. :(

no it really is not optional , I have my updates set for deferred yet every day they run, I set time on which they can run , yet they run all day long, I have everything I can see turned off , which I want no part of your spy ware on MY COMPUTER . there is nothing that pops up and asks me if I want this to download like in windows 7 , if there is it is well hidden in the system. and yes this is abuse of OUR PRIVACY

I just tried to shut down that process in Task Manager and got this reply: "Ending this process will cause Windows to become unstable or shut down, causing you to lose any data that hasn’t been saved. Are you sure you want to continue?" There are two choices: “Abandon data and shut down” and “Cancel” What kind of **** is this? This is absolutely unacceptable. I did a search for utcsvc under Windows and found nothing. I did another search under "Program Data." Nothing. So, where is this little bugger? This is yet another good reason never to install any "Optional" updates for Windows.

KB3022345 does not show up when I search, but utcsvc.exe still is running. So, where else did they sneak it in?

PATCH TUESDAY !!! The KB3022345 has morphed into a recommanded "important" update and selected by default ! While it's still the same "service"... We are still waiting for more informations...

I agree with you completely. It would be nice to hear from someone from Microsoft. Even if if this service turns out not to be intrusive, they still went about distributing it the wrong way. As BritFox pointed out it, they were not honest in the way they categorized this update. The update had the the generic optional update description which said "Install this update to resolve issues in Windows." This does not resolve anything and should not have been labeled as such. It adds a new feature/service, and just like when skype was offered as an optional update (which was labeled as "Skype"), it should have had it's own label... maybe called... drumroll please.... "Diagnostic Tracking Service." I will be scrutinizing future optional updates much more carefully before installing them. About uninstalling: I had already tried doing what you suggested and got an error message (see screenshot in my last post). Any other ideas? I submited a new issue about having problems uninstalling the update: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-windows_update/having-trouble-uninstalling-windows-optional/3a972cda-3246-456a-92e3-be1da9aead96 Hopefully it will help other people if they are having the same problem.

What is Diagnostics Tracking Service which was installed from Windows Updates?

Anonymous

Original title: Microsoft is installing SPYWARE thru Windows Updates?

Windows updates installed something called "Diagnostics Tracking Service" in my Windows 8.1 Pro.

Take a look at THIS website.

http://thepcwhisperer.blogspot.in/2014/10/microsofts-windows-10-preview-has-built.html

It says what this service does in Windows 10 TP.

Data We Collect

When you acquire, install and use the Program, Microsoft collects information about you, your devices, applications and networks, and your use of those devices, applications and networks. Examples of data we collect include your name, email address, preferences and interests; browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data; device configuration and sensor data; and application usage. For example, when you:

install the Program, we may collect information about your device and applications and use it for purposes such as determining or improving compatibility,
use voice input features like speech-to-text, we may collect voice information and use it for purposes such as improving speech processing,
open a file, we may collect information about the file, the application used to open the file, and how long it takes and use it for purposes such as improving performance, or
enter text, we may collect typed characters and use them for purposes such as improving auto complete and spell check features.

While this might make some sense in a TP (although I consider collecting so much personal information as email addresses and keystrokes to be extreme), it makes no sense in a released Windows version.

It's not like I have downloaded it myself from their website as a loving gesture and I want to share whatever I do in my personal life with Microsoft. They slipped it in as an "update" to Windows 8.1

This is definitely spyware behavior in some sense. It's collecting too much personal data.

I don't want to share ANYTHING with Microsoft. I have NOT turned on the customer improvement program thing in Windows.

WHY IS MICROSOFT DOING THIS?

WHICH KB DO I NEED TO UNINSTALL AND BLOCK IN ORDER TO GET RID OF THIS?

WHY IS MY ANTIVIRUS NOT REMOVING THIS? HAS MS PAID THE ANTIVIRUS VENDORS?

SHOULD I DISABLE AUTOMATIC UPDATES? I'M LOSING TRUST ON MICROSOFT. THEY CAN INSTALL SPYWARE ANY MOMENT, I CANNOT INDIVIDUALLY CHECK THE KB ARTICLE ON EVERY UPDATE JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'LL SEND PERSONAL INFORMATION BACK TO MS.

I'm really upset about this. :(

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51 answers

Anonymous

2017-09-16T04:17:25+00:00

no it really is not optional , I have my updates set for deferred yet every day they run, I set time on which they can run , yet they run all day long, I have everything I can see turned off , which I want no part of your spy ware on MY COMPUTER . there is nothing that pops up and asks me if I want this to download like in windows 7 , if there is it is well hidden in the system.

and yes this is abuse of OUR PRIVACY
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Anonymous

2016-07-09T18:10:01+00:00

I just tried to shut down that process in Task Manager and got this reply:

"Ending this process will cause Windows to become unstable or shut down, causing you to lose any data that hasn’t been saved. Are you sure you want to continue?"

There are two choices: “Abandon data and shut down” and “Cancel”

What kind of **** is this? This is absolutely unacceptable.

I did a search for utcsvc under Windows and found nothing. I did another search under "Program Data." Nothing. So, where is this little bugger?

This is yet another good reason never to install any "Optional" updates for Windows.
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Anonymous

2016-07-09T16:56:35+00:00

KB3022345 does not show up when I search, but utcsvc.exe still is running. So, where else did they sneak it in?
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Anonymous

2015-05-12T19:47:13+00:00

PATCH TUESDAY !!!

The KB3022345 has morphed into a recommanded "important" update and selected by default !

While it's still the same "service"...

We are still waiting for more informations...
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Anonymous

2015-05-08T21:04:35+00:00

I agree with you completely. It would be nice to hear from someone from Microsoft.

Even if if this service turns out not to be intrusive, they still went about distributing it the wrong way. As BritFox pointed out it, they were not honest in the way they categorized this update. The update had the the generic optional update description which said "Install this update to resolve issues in Windows." This does not resolve anything and should not have been labeled as such. It adds a new feature/service, and just like when skype was offered as an optional update (which was labeled as "Skype"), it should have had it's own label... maybe called... drumroll please.... "Diagnostic Tracking Service." I will be scrutinizing future optional updates much more carefully before installing them.

About uninstalling:

I had already tried doing what you suggested and got an error message (see screenshot in my last post). Any other ideas?

I submited a new issue about having problems uninstalling the update: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-windows_update/having-trouble-uninstalling-windows-optional/3a972cda-3246-456a-92e3-be1da9aead96

Hopefully it will help other people if they are having the same problem.
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