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. :(

See also: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/48338-verbose-status-messages-enable-disable-windows-8-a.html When you enable VerboseStatus in Windows by entering this reg key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System] "VerboseStatus"=dword:00000001 you can see what Windows is doing during shutdown and you will see the Diagnostics Tracking Service running during shutdown when it is enabled.

William, try this: 1>Disable Automatic Windows Updates temporarily. 2>Connect to the internet. 3>Open an elevated command prompt. 4>Type this command and press enter:- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 5>On completion, it should display something like "Component store corruption was successfully repaired". If it shows an error, recheck your internet connection and execute the command again. 6>Run SFC/SCANNOW, it should now be able to repair successfully. After SFC completes, restart the computer. Run SFC again and verify that SFC says no integrity violations are detected. 7>Open PROGRAMS AND FEATURES, click on VIEW INSTALLED UPDATES, type KB3068708 and UNINSTALL this update. 8>Open Windows Updates and check for updates again. It should display KB3068708 as an available (important) update. Blacklist this update (right click and click "hide update"). Check for updates again, it should say NO UPDATES AVAILABLE. 9>Re-enable Automatic Windows Updates. Let us know if this works. I have this Diagtrackrunner.exe randomly trying to connect to Microsoft. I don't have the customer experience improvement program checked, but yet it's constantly phoning home. No idea why Microsoft is screwing with us. WE DON'T WANT TRACKERS OF ANY KIND, if we have a problem we will contact Microsoft or our laptop manufacturer, or our administrator on our own, we don't want constant tracking, no matter how noble your intentions are. :( By most chances, this tracker will be integrated into Windows 10 when it releases, it won't be an "Update", and we won't even have a way of uninstalling it. Good job.

monsters, Here's what you do to uninstall it:- *Open CONTROL PANEL. (Switch to "Large Icons") *Open "PROGRAMS AND FEATURES". *On the top left side of this window, click "VIEW INSTALLED UPDATES". -- a list of ALL installed updates will show up. *On the search box in the top right corner of this window, TYPE "KB3022345" (without the quotes). KB3022345 will show up. *RIGHT CLICK ON KB3022345 AND CLICK "UNINSTALL". Close this window. **Immediately after uninstall completes, Open "Windows Updates" in control panel, and check for updates again. Windows update will offer KB3022345 for download again... Right click on KB3022345 in the list of optional updates, and click "HIDE UPDATE". Remember this number by heart KB3022345.. Every time you download optional updates, make sure KB3022345 is NOT selected. Once you complete step ** , Windows Update should NOT offer KB3022345 any more, but I've read somewhere that KB3022345 randomly shows up as an optional update even after the user chooses to hide it, no idea why.. I too would like a proper explanation about what this service does. NOT from FANBOYS DEFENDING EVERYTHING MICROSOFT, but from a real Microsoft employee. It collects HUGE amounts of data in Windows 10. Since it's the exact same service, chances are it collects the same huge amount of data in Windows 8.1 as well. These fanboys will point out that my original citation was actually a page written for Windows 10, but won't point out to any source confirming that this service does a different thing in Windows 8.1.

Diagnostics Tracking Service was an Optional update from Microsoft, KB3022345. It did not install unless you selected it since it was optional. It can be removed by going to Programs and Features, View installed updates and selecting uninstall. Except I cannot uninstall it. I restarted my computer after updating and before trying to uninstall. So how do I get rid of this? Also, I understand it is optional, but I think people would feel more at ease if you explained exactly what information the Diagnostics Tracking Service collects and why Microsoft suddenly wants people to install this. And just because it is optional, does not make non-transparent intrusive software OK. EDIT: I just realized that Lead3 does not work for Microsoft and probably does not know their intentions or details about this service. It would be great to hear from someone at Microsoft. Lead3, can Community Moderators request Microsoft employees to answer a question?

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

2015-06-18T23:29:59+00:00

See also:

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/48338-verbose-status-messages-enable-disable-windows-8-a.html

When you enable VerboseStatus in Windows by entering this reg key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]

"VerboseStatus"=dword:00000001

you can see what Windows is doing during shutdown and you will see the Diagnostics Tracking Service running during shutdown when it is enabled.
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Anonymous

2015-06-09T13:20:41+00:00

William, try this:

1>Disable Automatic Windows Updates temporarily.

2>Connect to the internet.

3>Open an elevated command prompt.

4>Type this command and press enter:-

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

5>On completion, it should display something like "Component store corruption was successfully repaired". If it shows an error, recheck your internet connection and execute the command again.

6>Run SFC/SCANNOW, it should now be able to repair successfully. After SFC completes, restart the computer. Run SFC again and verify that SFC says no integrity violations are detected.

7>Open PROGRAMS AND FEATURES, click on VIEW INSTALLED UPDATES, type KB3068708 and UNINSTALL this update.

8>Open Windows Updates and check for updates again. It should display KB3068708 as an available (important) update. Blacklist this update (right click and click "hide update"). Check for updates again, it should say NO UPDATES AVAILABLE.

9>Re-enable Automatic Windows Updates.

Let us know if this works.

I have this Diagtrackrunner.exe randomly trying to connect to Microsoft. I don't have the customer experience improvement program checked, but yet it's constantly phoning home. No idea why Microsoft is screwing with us. WE DON'T WANT TRACKERS OF ANY KIND, if we have a problem we will contact Microsoft or our laptop manufacturer, or our administrator on our own, we don't want constant tracking, no matter how noble your intentions are. :(

By most chances, this tracker will be integrated into Windows 10 when it releases, it won't be an "Update", and we won't even have a way of uninstalling it. Good job.
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Anonymous

2015-05-08T14:10:25+00:00

monsters,

Here's what you do to uninstall it:-

*Open CONTROL PANEL. (Switch to "Large Icons")

*Open "PROGRAMS AND FEATURES".

*On the top left side of this window, click "VIEW INSTALLED UPDATES". -- a list of ALL installed updates will show up.

*On the search box in the top right corner of this window, TYPE "KB3022345" (without the quotes).

KB3022345 will show up.

*RIGHT CLICK ON KB3022345 AND CLICK "UNINSTALL".

Close this window.

**Immediately after uninstall completes, Open "Windows Updates" in control panel, and check for updates again.

Windows update will offer KB3022345 for download again...

Right click on KB3022345 in the list of optional updates, and click "HIDE UPDATE".

Remember this number by heart KB3022345.. Every time you download optional updates, make sure KB3022345 is NOT selected. Once you complete step ** , Windows Update should NOT offer KB3022345 any more, but I've read somewhere that KB3022345 randomly shows up as an optional update even after the user chooses to hide it, no idea why..

I too would like a proper explanation about what this service does.

NOT from FANBOYS DEFENDING EVERYTHING MICROSOFT, but from a real Microsoft employee.

It collects HUGE amounts of data in Windows 10. Since it's the exact same service, chances are it collects the same huge amount of data in Windows 8.1 as well.

These fanboys will point out that my original citation was actually a page written for Windows 10, but won't point out to any source confirming that this service does a different thing in Windows 8.1.
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Anonymous

2015-05-08T06:34:27+00:00

Diagnostics Tracking Service was an Optional update from Microsoft, KB3022345.

It did not install unless you selected it since it was optional.

It can be removed by going to Programs and Features, View installed updates and selecting uninstall.

Except I cannot uninstall it. I restarted my computer after updating and before trying to uninstall.

So how do I get rid of this?

Also, I understand it is optional, but I think people would feel more at ease if you explained exactly what information the Diagnostics Tracking Service collects and why Microsoft suddenly wants people to install this. And just because it is optional, does not make non-transparent intrusive software OK.

EDIT: I just realized that Lead3 does not work for Microsoft and probably does not know their intentions or details about this service. It would be great to hear from someone at Microsoft. Lead3, can Community Moderators request Microsoft employees to answer a question?
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Anonymous

2015-05-07T11:54:25+00:00

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

HE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO SOURCE THAT TEXT IS FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS TRACKING SERVICE.

That text is for the PREVIEW VERSION OF WINDOWS 10 in general.

Stop spreading his nonsense.
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