If you’re using Windows 7 or Windows 8 and have been using Windows Update, you no doubt have been updating your computer with every update you can find. It’s important to protect yourself from vulnerabilities, and staying up to date with windows updates is paramount in the fight against worms and viruses. However, not all of the updates that Windows has released are in your best interest.
Did you know that Windows has released many different “telemetry” updates which are essentially keyloggers? In additon to that, some of these updates break font functionality, add annoying helpers, and one even goes as far as using a modified malware virus to try and get you to upgrade to Windows 10.
Go into your Windows Update and check your previously installed updates. If you have installed any of the updates on this list, I highly recommend uninstalling them, and hiding them from your future updates list. It took me a while to hide all of these updates and finally get my computer free of all of their nasty bugs, but it feels good to be done with it. I highly recommend everyone goes through this process. I was disturbed to see how many of these updates they have released. Sources are posted below.
WINDOWS 7/8 TELEMETRY & WINDOWS 10 PREPARATION. DO NOT INSTALL/NOT NEEDED.
KB2505438 (Although it claims to fix performance issues, it often breaks fonts)
KB2670838 (The EVIL Update, breaks AERO on Windows 7 and makes some fonts on websites fuzzy, Windows 7 specific update only, do not install IE10 or 11 otherwise it will be bundled with them, IE9 is the max version you should install)
KB2882822 (Very fishy update that just popped up with not enough detail about it)
KB2902907 (Microsoft Security Essentials)
KB2952664 (“Get Windows 10” Assistant)
KB2976978 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation for Windows 8)
KB2977759 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation for Windows 7)
KB2990214 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation for Windows 7)
KB3012973 (Force Trigger Download and Install of Windows 10)
KB3015249 (Adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 7 & Windows 8)
KB3021917 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation + Telemetry)
KB3022345 (Telemetry)
KB3035583 (GWX Update installs the “Get Windows 10” app in Windows 7 & Windows 8)
KB3042058 (Microsoft claims its a security update but it contains Winlogon Spying)
KB3044374 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 8 systems)
KB3050267 (Windows 10 upgrade preparation but also adds the option in GPEDIT to disable Windows 10 upgrade altogether so you may want to actually install this)
KB3064683 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 8)
KB3065987 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 7)
KB3065988 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 8)
KB3068708 (Telemetry)
KB3072318 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation for Windows 8)
KB3074677 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB3075249 (Telemetry)
KB3075851 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 7)
KB3075853 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 8)
KB3080149 (Telemetry)
KB3081437 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB3081454 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB3081954 (Telemetry Update for Windows 7)
KB3083324 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation for Windows 7)
KB3083325 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation for Windows 8)
KB3083710 (Update for the Windows Update client with sketchy details for Windows 7, see this thread)
KB3083711 (Update for the Windows Update client with sketchy details for Windows 8, see this thread)
KB3086255 (Flagged as an Important update. It disables SafeDisc games in Windows Vista, 7, and 8/8.1)
KB3088195 (Miscorosft Claims it’s a security update but also has a key logger on the Kernel Level)
KB3090045 (Windows 10 Upgrade Update for Windows 7/8)
KB3093983 (Microsoft claims it’s a security update but it contains IE spying)
KB3102810 (Fixes an issue regarding long wait while searching for Windows Updates but also has Windows 10 Upgrade preparation for Windows 7)
KB3102812 (Fixes an issue regarding long wait while searching for Windows Updates but also has Windows 10 Upgrade preparation for Windows 8)
KB3107998 (Removes Lenovo USB Blocker)
KB3112336 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 8)
KB3112343 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 7)
KB3118401 - Allows Windows 10 dependant Universal Runtime apps to run on earlier versions of Windows.
KB3123862 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 7 & 8)
KB3135445 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 7)
KB3135449 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 8)
KB3138612 (Fishy update to for Windows Updates)
KB3138615 (Security update for IE11 which adds Windows 10 preparation.)
KB3139929 (Fishy update for Windows 7/8 to Windows 10 Upgrade) - (Security update for IE11 which adds Windows 10 preparation.)
KB3146449 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 7/8)
KB3148198 (Cumulative update for IE11. Includes previous Windows 10 preparation.)
KB3150513 (Windows 10 Upgrade for Windows 7/8)
When I pasted all the commands (at once) into the prompt and pressed enter, it simply skipped to the next line without many indications. I hope it’s supposed to be like that?
But thanks for the commands, I really need to defend myself from MS’s aggressive acting of trying to get me to upgrade to W10.
Leave me alone MS, I don’t want your W10, ok?
Also I see that all my windows and stuff just like to occassionaly freeze and become untouchable by my cursor, I can’t move the window and can’t click anything in it. And it’s getting really annoying. This has been happening since just today, could I possibly blame a windows update for this?
All of those look fine.
Also I see an update is still installed actually (so maybe it didn’t work). When I tried to uninstall that update, the confirmation window is screwed, there’s only one corner that is responsive (with which I can move around the window), but the buttons just don’t react at all, clicking on Yes or No does not work.
And when I close that window through the task manager, it says Program is not responding, and then reloads my entire windows theme/graphics (what?)
EDIT: So I just tested this a bit more, and I figured that it’s a specific area on my screen that is dead, it’s just about the center. This should be more of a hardware issue than a software issue, in the worst case my GPU is a bit fucked (I just got it last year come on). I could try updating my drivers, although this is an unlikely fix and the latest drivers came out not very long ago.
So, I ran those commands through a .bat file, and they were ran all individually. But the updates still show up in my installed updates tab, is that normal? I can still see KB3150513.
Did you see a screen stating that your computer was configuring updates? I think an emergency restart might be bypassing that screen (we need this screen because it goes through the uninstall process).
Try shutting down your computer via the Start Menu GUI instead of doing an emergency restart.
Well that’s certainly not good. It’s very important to get the updates they release, ASAP. They usually fix vulnerabilities and weaknesses that hackers can exploit to gain control/information over your computer.
Are you still able to check for them? If your windows update doesn’t even connect to their servers you may be infected with a virus/malware.
The taskbar is part of Explorer.exe, which is why it died when you killed it. If you do as TheWalkingToast said however, you can easily restore it in seconds.
With Explorer.exe gone… Press ‘Ctrl+Shift+Esc’ to open the Task Manager. Under the ‘Applications’ tab, there is a button in the bottom right that says, ‘New Task…’ Click the ‘New Task…’ button, and type: ‘Explorer.exe’
Then, within a second or two your task bar will reappear and the running programs will populate the list. (With the exception of explorer windows. If you were browsing through your file system, those windows are part of the explorer.exe and will disappear with the task bar)
Or the long way is to just do something that reloads your profile, like you did. Eg: Restart or log off and on.
I would definitely update those drivers. That sounds like a very strange issue and I am not familiar with it.
I found out what it’s caused by and why it’s happening. It was my Antivirus opening an invisible window at that area after giving me a script error for an ad function. Ending the process ipmgui.exe fixes this.
