Did you notice the Telemetry features in Windows 7 Patch Tuesday updates?
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Microsoft has once again attempted to push telemetry components as part of this month’s Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 7.
Many Windows 7 users who installed the security-only updates on their systems reported the issue on social media.
The reports suggest that the recent KB4507456 patch brings a Compatibility Appraiser tool. The inclusion of this tool in a security-only update was pretty surprising for many users and it also sparked controversy.
Microsoft basically rolls out two types of updates to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 systems. The Monthly Rollup includes security and non-security updates. The second type of updates consists in security-only patches.
The Compatibility Appraiser tool detects if systems can run Windows 10. The KB2952664 support article explains the feature in the following manner:
This update performs diagnostics on the Windows systems that participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program. The diagnostics evaluate the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem, and help Microsoft to ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows. There is no GWX or upgrade functionality contained in this update.
As a matter of fact, this tool is designed to run on systems that are enrolled in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). All Windows PCs are automatically part of this program.
Not ready yet to switch to Windows 10? Here’s how you can keep using Windows 7 forever.
Microsoft has yet to comment
However, many people are not aware of the fact that you have the option to manually opt-out of CEIP. Many Windows users who opted out of the program also received the Compatibility Appraiser tool as a part of the security-only updates.
The fact is that the tool was pushed secretly and Microsoft failed to inform its users about the purpose of its inclusion. Therefore, Microsoft has jumped into a new controversy with the release of KB4507456.
Today, many people are concerned about their data due to the recent data leaks scandals. This act clearly shows that Microsoft does not care about the consent of its users. Windows 7 is still the second most popular operating system after Windows 10.
As a quick reminder, Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 7 in January 2020. The company wants to push more and more people to upgrade to Windows 10.
We can not deny the fact that this act is part of Microsoft’s efforts to prepare Windows 7 systems for the upgrade. Still, Microsoft was supposed to be transparent and inform its users about the recent changes. The consequences can be disastrous for the tech giant if it loses users’ trust.
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