News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Last Phase of the Desktop Wars?. Parent comment

Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by unnouinceput on Saturday September 26, 2020 @02:37PM (#24601076)
I solve it. Here's my setup:

- don't use online account, but offline (local) one

- use WPD to uncheck absolutely everything related to windows telemetry / sending info. I keep only updates and those set to manual.

- and can't stress this enough - get a PiHole, either on RPi or re-purpose a crappy old laptop. This one is also good for your smartcrap you usually get to your spouse/kids

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by alyandon on Saturday September 26, 2020 @05:08PM (#24602128)
In addition to that all that, I once caught Windows Defender submitting places.sqlite out of my Firefox profile directory so I'd recommend you turn off "automatic sample submission" in Windows Defender if WPD doesn't already do that.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by unnouinceput on Saturday September 26, 2020 @07:52PM (#24603083)
It does.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by executesorder66 on Sunday September 27, 2020 @05:01AM (#24605240)
The fact that you have to do any of that in the first place, is reason enough to not use windows at all.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by HeadsUpHigh on Monday September 28, 2020 @02:51PM (#24620020)
Not sure why you are downvoted. Having to use a linux computer on top of your windows computer to make it useable is completely unacceptable.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by eyeball on Saturday September 26, 2020 @03:46PM (#24601590)
WPD?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by eigen on Saturday September 26, 2020 @04:01PM (#24601680)
probably Windows Privacy Dashboard.

https://wpd.app/

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by unnouinceput on Saturday September 26, 2020 @07:53PM (#24603090)
Yup, that one. Thought is well known by now. 1st tool to download after a fresh install, even before I download Total Commander.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by eyeball on Sunday September 27, 2020 @11:20AM (#24607295)
How do you know it's safe? I cringe at giving admin rights to a .exe downloaded from the net.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by aronpye on Monday September 28, 2020 @10:32AM (#24616986)
You don't / can't know it's safe. It's not open source, and it has no good reason not to be open source.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by rfoo on Monday September 28, 2020 @01:07PM (#24618854)
And the "Created and mainteined by" links to maintainers' Steam profile... I'm sorry and I'm sure this is my biased view but gamers usually make very questionable choice on security stuff even they have 0 malicious intent.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Last Phase of the Desktop Wars? by unnouinceput on Sunday September 27, 2020 @05:21PM (#24610219)
Time. Since was released none report it as "bad". I'm using it for over an year now and I found out about it here on HN.
[ Parent | on HN ]