It was assumed that the unbearable saga of telemetry and upgrade offers had come to an end for Windows 7 and Windows 8.x users. One of the last hotfixes aimed specifically at removing all material related to that campaign, but in Redmond they decided to reactivate data collection with two "new-old" patches, KB2952664 and KB2976978. For some users, this is the fourth or fifth time that these updates have appeared in Windows Update. What does Microsoft want...?
Microsoft's Troubles Continue
Despite what its spokespeople may say, users have come to the conclusion that Microsoft is going through a very difficult moment. The lack of commitment to the mobile space, the definitive cancellation of the Band accessories, the technical problems affecting its Surface tablets, the constant complaints about warranties in the United States and Canada, and the last mandatory hotfix in Windows 10 that knocked out a notable number of computers present a bleak picture for the Redmond giant, and even more for its users. The feeling is that everything Microsoft has published in the last year and a half is broken in one way or another, courtesy of a nonexistent quality control. And now, the lack of trust causes every new hotfix to be watched with eagle eyes on their operating systems, which brings us to the return of KB2952664 and KB2976978.
The Patches Explained
Brief recap: KB2952664 is a hotfix for Windows 7 SP1 users, while KB2976978 is distributed to Windows 8 and 8.1 users. The function of both updates is the same: to carry out "diagnostics" on systems participating in the so-called WCEIP or "Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program" to check if there will be "compatibility issues" when the latest version of the operating system is installed. What worries users is that both hotfixes served as a prerequisite for KB3035583, the update that offered Windows 10 ad nauseam, and which, by the way, ruined several systems. Defenders of the new operating system say this is an overreaction, and Microsoft has repeatedly said that the free Windows 10 offer is over, however, Windows 10 adoption rates remained virtually frozen during the month of September. With the exception of Steam, none of the measurements place Windows 10 above 23 percent.
Of course, in the case of Windows 7 and Windows 8.x, the last word belongs to the user. I imagine the hotfixes won't cause any harm, but anyone who decides to deny them the benefit of the doubt only needs to hide both updates... at least until Microsoft decides to change their category and offer them again.
