KB2952664 Back From The Dead, Again!

[lehnerus2000]

"I don't believe it! Here we f****** go again." - Dicktaphone, Kevin Bloody Wilson.

Here we go again. Microsoft re-released the Windows 7 telemetry update KB2952664 and the Windows 8.1 telemetry update KB2976978 yesterday.

You can check out our October 2016 article on the last re-release of the updates.

Windows 7 and 8.1 users may still know these updates as they were the prerequisites for Microsoft's infamous Get Windows 10 (GWX) campaign that haunted users who did not want to upgrade to Windows 10 for almost a year.

gHacks - Windows KB2952664 and KB2976978 telemetry updates re-released (again)

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you for the info.
KB2952664 sneaked into my new system.
I just removed it. Checked updates and again and hid it.

Jack

 

[GEWB]

Coming soon to a PC near you!

Return of Wack-A-Mole

A B-run horror feature if there ever was one!

Regards,
GEWB

 

[marsmimar]

Does anybody doubt that Microsoft will be rolling out new nagware to get people to switch to Windows 10? IMO these "updates" are just the beginning.

 

[spc3rd]

Microsoft's 'deviousness' is downright appalling. Glad I still have the GWX Control Panel Monitor program installed on this computer!

 

[ethel]

windows update

Hello Everyone, It is hard to believe how sneaky Microsoft is becoming. If they are for real, supporting
Windows 7 until 2020, why do they keep trying to push this update again. It started originally as an optional update, which I hid, but about 2 months ago I reinstalled Windows 7 and it showed up an an
important Windows 7 update. Do they think we are all imbeciles?

 

[Callender]

Hello Everyone, It is hard to believe how sneaky Microsoft is becoming. If they are for real, supporting
Windows 7 until 2020, why do they keep trying to push this update again. It started originally as an optional update, which I hid, but about 2 months ago I reinstalled Windows 7 and it showed up an an
important Windows 7 update. Do they think we are all imbeciles?

FYI: If you leave this setting checked it turns optional updates into important updates.

​

The question is - will this update be included in the quality monthly rollup?

 

[LevelBest]

Having just checked my list of KB updates to avoid, this is an update to W10. Why doesn't it occur to MS that there are users who are happy with win7 and simply don't want to upgrade?

 

[Anak]

The question is - will this update be included in the quality monthly rollup?

Just speculating, but put me down for a "yes it will vote". I also have GWX panel installed but fear that if 2664 comes as part of the roll-up GWX won't be able to stop it. I have the updates setting unchecked and it showed up as optional so I hid it.

In lehnerus's ghacks link Brinkmann is not sure what 2664 is capable of:

According to the description, the update performs diagnostics on machines that participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program. The program has been part of Windows since Vista, and is designed to collect information on hardware, software and services.

As I mentioned back in October 2016 already when I described how to leave the Windows Customer Experience Improvement program, Microsoft does not reveal the actual data that the program collects.
You could say that these updates are not that bad then if you do not participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program.

Woody Leonhard demonstrated that the last revision of the updates did trigger new scans regardless of the membership status of the Customer Experience Improvement program. While it has not been tested yet with the new version, it seems likely that Microsoft has not changed that.

We don't know an awful lot about what KB2952664 and KB2976978 actually do. They do seem to trigger a new Windows task called DoScheduledTelemetryRun, but it is unclear what is being collected, and whether something else is changed on the system during installation of the updates.

lehnerus, like the Kevin Bloody Wilson reference, would've post the youtube video, but it would violate a few of the forum rules. Especially #1 and 9.

   Warning

Any of the faint of heart searching for KBL, his video's contain risque language and explicit content.

 

[Callender]

Having just checked my list of KB updates to avoid, this is an update to W10. Why doesn't it occur to MS that there are users who are happy with win7 and simply don't want to upgrade?

The latest kb2952664 doesn't include anything to do with updating to Windows 10 and anyway the free upgrade offer has expired. However it may add telemetry.

See: Optional update KB2952664 was republished today

 

[Brds7t7]

I've been telling people for a while that those updates will keep reappearing every time a revised version is issued.

The Windows 8.1 equivalent is KB2976978 and is even embedded into the newest 8.1 ISO's - no way to remove it.
If people are expecting these updates to go away - they won't and MS has no intention of removing them.
And eventually they will (most likely) be included in the monthly rollups when they become fully cumulative. MS said it will include all past patches so I'm assuming this one will be included. Anyone who opts to install the monthly rollups might eventually have no choice but to install it.

This doesn't mean there will be another GWX though (the revised KB article even states it includes no GWX functionality in the update, this was obviously added later). Just my opinion, but I can't see another GWX happening now. MS even admitted in an article recently that they got too pushy with the upgrade.

This update includes Telemetry collection yes, but GWX I highly doubt it.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Installing the security only updates instead of the monthly roll-ups may avoid the nastier stuff.

 

[Painter]

I thought W7 and W8 were no longer issuing individual updates. Everything is supposed to be bundled in either monthly rollups or security-only updates. I know .net, wrt and IE are separate, but these 2 are not in that category.

 

[ethel]

windows updates

Thank you Callendar for the screenshot of windows update settings. I will have to change mine to make
sure it does not pop up again as an important update.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Do they think we are all imbeciles?

Yes they do.

lehnerus, like the Kevin Bloody Wilson reference, would've post the youtube video, but it would violate a few of the forum rules. Especially #1 and 9.

I used to work for Telecom (in the 1980s).

Installing the security only updates instead of the monthly roll-ups may avoid the nastier stuff.

I've been using the Security Only updates for that reason.

Here's a link for those who don't know where to go:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...and-windows-server-2008-r2-sp1-update-history

 

[Brds7t7]

Installing the security only updates instead of the monthly roll-ups may avoid the nastier stuff.

Those are the only updates I install now. Along with the .NET security updates. They're a much better option for me. I'm not looking forward to doing a clean install though as it'll be much more work!

I really wish MS would make the security only updates fully cumulative too. This would mean we could install just one update and be up to date security wise without installing all the extra rubbish!

 

[jadinolf]

As soon as I saw 2664, I hid it.
So hard to find what it is for so..... GOOD-BYE!

 

[Megahertz07]

To uninstall the crap, paste it on a text file and rename as *.cmd
wusa /uninstall /kb:3035583 /quiet /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:2952664 /quiet /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:3068708 /quiet /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:3022345 /quiet /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:3075249 /quiet /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:3080149 /quiet /norestart

On Register, paste it on a text file and rename as *.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection]
"AllowTelemetry"=dword:00000000

 

[SherriBabee]

Microsoft's 'deviousness' is downright appalling. Glad I still have the GWX Control Panel Monitor program installed on this computer!

Tks for posting this spc3rd just downloaded and im good

 

[Callender]

Apparently KB2952664 has been pulled and currently isn't available from the MS Update Catalog.

Source: No February 2017 Patch Tuesday

Some updates, including the telemetry updates KB2952664 and KB2976978 have been pulled from the Microsoft Update Catalog as well.