Latest Spydish can now prevent the installation of major Windows 10 updates
The latest version of the Windows application Spydish introduces support for preventing Windows Update to offer and install new feature updates on the device.
Spydish is a relatively new program for Windows 10 by the maker of the deprecated program Debotnet. It provides system administrators with options to make important privacy and security changes to the system in a single operation. You can check out our in depth review of Spydish here, or check out our overview of Windows 10 privacy programs here.
The latest version of Spydish is available on the project's GitHub repository. Just download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the application to your system, extract the 44 Kilobyte archive, and run the executable once the extraction completes.
Note that you should run the program with elevated rights and that you may get a Windows SmartScreen warning prompt when you run the application.
You find the new option under Updates, it is called Block major updates. The new feature uses the recently discovered Registry hack to define the desired version of Windows 10 on the device. It can be used to stay on the active version, e.g. Windows 10 version 1909, or specify a version of Windows 10 that the device should be upgraded to.
The Spydish implementation supports the first option. If you enable the option, Spydish will set the keys in the Registry so that the current version is selected as the target version. In other words: Windows 10 won't offer newer feature updates on the device.
The only exception to the rule is when the active version is about to run out of support. Microsoft will push updates to devices that will run out of support before that happens, and the Registry key won't prevent the company from doing so.
It is possible to set the Registry keys manually as well, as described in our guide that we published last week. The main advantage that Spydish offers is that it is nearly automated, the disadvantage that you cannot use it to specify a version that you want the device to be upgraded to.
Now You: Do you use Windows 10 privacy tools?
Spydish becomes Privatezilla and open source
https://www.builtbybel.com/blog/12-company-announcements/39-spydish-becomes-privatezilla-open-source
Thanks!
Yes it is!
@ owl:
Jibber Jabber reply. My point stands.
Clearly, Windows 10 should be outlawed. But because M$ is probably in bed with Intelligence Agencies nothing will happen. They got a wrist slap years ago and now they’re free to fuck the world. They have billions and they have to stoop to using Google’s code for a rebranded, proprietary browser. That’s sad.
You can use all the stupid tools you want to try and plug all of the known holes, but you’ll never plug them all. It should be illegal to gather so much data from users devices. They have root and the power to add/remove software whenever they want. “I could go on forever, baby.”
Please let me know when M$ Windows goes free and open source, with reproducible builds. Then, and only then, will I say, “Well, fuck, I guess M$ loves open source after all.” All other attempts to romance open source is a lie.
Is this software any better than O7O ShutUp10
The author, Mirinsoft, has several applications with overlapping functionality: Debotnet, SharpApp, and Spydish. It appears that development on Debotnet has been discontinued. But what exactly is the difference between SharpApp and Spydish?
See them below:
https://github.com/builtbybel/sharpapp
https://github.com/builtbybel/spydish
Please switch to the replacement apps Spydish or SharpApp:
https://github.com/builtbybel/debotnet/releases
Good! Thanks!
@ owl:
“With the help of the gHacks Tech News article and Comments, The apps I use have transitioned in the following order:
(1) Spybot Anti-Beacon for Windows 10
(2) WPD
(3) O&O ShutUp10
(4) SharpApp
(5) W10Privacy” […]
When you need to jump through hoops in order to partially overcome privacy and/or security issues in your Operating System, at some point doesn’t the rational side of you just think, “What the fuck am I doing!?”
When you have to protect yourself from your own OS, something is very, very wrong.
@that’s just winderz for ya!,
What the app can do and what the user wants doesn’t always match up!
In other words, I only changed because I found another app that was “consistent with my purpose” based on my preferred perspective.
As a matter of course, I actually used it to test whether it would “achieve its purpose”.
That is the transition of the results.
It will depend, Which choice is “best†for the user depends on the system environment and the user’s skills, values and preferences.
Postscript: W10Privacy
Changelog:
https://www.w10privacy.de/deutsch-start/versionshistorie/
FAQ:
https://www.w10privacy.de/deutsch-start/faq/
Cookie Policy:
https://www.w10privacy.de/j/cookies/policy
Privacy policy
https://www.w10privacy.de/j/privacy
Developer Info.
It does not belong to any organization but develops and supports it individually:
Bernd Schuster
location: Wiesenthal 7 58849 Herscheid Germany
https://www.w10privacy.de/about/
As relevant information:
https://www.privacytools.io/operating-systems/#win10
Excerpt from W10 Privacy “Languages.ini”:
ueber=
(c)2020 by Bernd Schuster
W10Privacy has been developed to give users an easy way to clearly display common Windows (security) settings. Desired settings can be activated via the program, or once set, can be disabled, too.
The program offers also a silent mode: you have the ability to check carried out and saved settings at defined intervalls and correct in the meantime changed settings automatically.
W10Privacy is provided as freeware, excluding any warranty or liability!
The software is developed and tested in my spare time to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Of course, there cannot be fully included all constellations of the Windows world!
Feedback on opportunities for improvement, problems or additional options is always welcome.
Some of those settings appear to be gpedit switches that don’t appear in Home versions and will be reset at each boot. Does Spydish reload all its settings at boot?
O&O ShutUp is a good example of a fairly extensive blocker that gets reset in a major way each time Home starts (they tell you this can happen.)
Spydish looks a lot easier than spending forever searching for this stuff.
With the help of the gHacks Tech News article and Comments, The apps I use have transitioned in the following order:
(1) Spybot Anti-Beacon for Windows 10
(2) WPD
(3) O&O ShutUp10
(4) SharpApp
(5) W10Privacy
And at the moment I am using (4) and (5).
It will depend, Which one is “best” for the user depends on the system environment and the user’s skills, values and preferences.
My preference is “W10 Privacy”.
https://www.w10privacy.de/english-home/instructions-1/
However, it is a very advanced tool that allows to adjust hidden settings (It involves a trade-off between convenience and versatility) and even remove system apps (which can be a fatal risk).
In other words, it can be a dangerous tool for the casual user class (with unintended consequences and potential for confusion).
I’ve tried Spydish before and it provides the easiest way to quickly check Windows 10s privacy and security settings when upgraded or updated Windows 10.
In short, it’s not enough for power users, but a “good†tool for the casual user.
Note: Spydish requires “.NET Framework 4.5”.
I use StopUpdates10 (https://greatis.com/stopupdates10) and independently update Windows Security. No problem for months, so far.
I’m still using W10Privacy (portable). This is updated several times per year. I can’t recall if it blocks Windows Updates as I’m not interested in that possibility.
loading this first after every fresh W10 install. Just a great little time saver
Still doesn’t disable windows defender, m$ keeps breaking stuff. Even if you change permissions many registry settings can not be changed.
How to: Boot into Safemode
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SecurityHealthService]
“Start”=dword:00000004
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend]
“Start”=dword:00000004
Tested on 1909
Spydish provides the most beautiful way for just checking or enabling and disabling privacy settings in bulk
Not something most will see in Martin’s Beta News article this week:
Best Windows 10 apps this week:
“Microsoft Launches Windows File Recovery App
An advanced command line tool for recovering files on NTFS, FAT, exFAT and ReFS file systems.”
Yeah, that’s original, a command line “app” to do what Undelete did in DOS and a bazillion third parties since can do.
The average Windows user could be convinced they’re using Wiki, they’re supposed to know files can be deleted? Save everything!
At whom is this thing aimed? :)
So, finally can somebody confirm that this “recently discovered Registry hack to define the desired version of Windows 10 on the device” works on Win10 Home as well?
The articles about the hack itself here on GHacks and on AskWoody.com, etc… keep telling otherwise or usure. This review doesn’t mention using this hack with Spydish would not work on Home edition…
I’d like to know this too.
All I’ve read about this supposed new hack is that it is for Enterprise etc, and does NOT work on Home editions.
“Spydish is a relatively new program for Windows 10 by the maker of the deprecated program Debloatnet”
If I remember correctly it was named Debotnet https://github.com/builtbybel/debotnet
Isn’t it sad that Microsoft Update is so fraught with problems that we have apps that prevent it from updating. I personally have blocked updates after having Windows brick two of my computers. I have two other laptops with Linux OS’s on them and they update flawlessly. Why can’t MS get their act together?
A top Twitch streamer with an average of 5K viewers per stream I watch just had her brand new PC bricked last week. For people able to repair their PCs themselves it’s a problem, for someone like her they have to take the PC to a repair shop. Microsoft doesn’t care how much damage to people’s lives and businesses it is doing with its self-serving forced update policy.
The current MS CEO needs to step down and be replaced with someone with customer satisfaction ideas in mind; and do away with the self-serving greed typical of foreigners running American companies…
Well, Ballmer was born American and we got the travesty that was Vista under his watch, so…