My GOG games are working! They're working! lol

You know, I'd hate to go to all that effort only to have windows revert back to the win firewall. Are you sure that couldn't happen?

Oh, whatever firewall outside Windows you use, it wouldn't revert back to Windows Firewall, it would run instead of it, or along side it (though Windows Firewall should turn off if you have another firewall running.)

Windows Firewall rules tend to revert back, since programs can freely add their own rules, and windows tends to add ones you removed.. i found it a pain to deal with. If you use your own firewall and not Windows, it's fine.

Assuming that MS chooses not to override you, and my experience is that's precisely what they do whenever you try to disable the forced updating. Perhaps they'd draw the line at what you've outlined, as the vast majority of us aren't savvy enough to do it, but I have no doubt that they *can* do whatever they want to re administration via the backdoors we know are there -- and this is why I consider Windows to be malware at this point.

Unless you're talking about hardware, of course, which is always the optimal choice.

Honestly if they did have a backdoor, it would basically open Windows up to a whole load of shit, as if you properly set up a software firewall that isn't Windows own, nothing can connect out once that firewall has loaded, however there is a possibility that something could connect in the time Windows has basically started up, to the point your firewall has kicked in, but interms of Windows Updating automatically, no that setup will prevent it.

Even if the windows update service is enabled, it will still be prevented from connecting out, unless you allow it.

To Windows, it would basically look like you're offline, well almost.

I've been using my setup for over a year, and i've enabled said setup on a friends computer. Both are Windows 10, his an unmodified basic version and mine a modified pro version.

Honestly i'm not going to come out and say "my shit is the bomb nothing will get through" as nobody can really guarantee that in the digital world, too many variables, if they do, they don't know shit.

That's why i ain't good in business, i don't overexaggerate and i don't make false claims, honesty sucks in the business world, as people think you ain't upto the task simply because you can't guarantee anything.

I could, and i could get away with it, but intruth it would be a false claim.




As for backdoors specifically, trojans and the like, a setup like this should basically treat it as any application and block it, however if they circumvent the software, then sure backdoor access would be a given. But obviously it may likely happen if you get infected, even virus scanners suffer from that.

But you should know if it does happen, like i said, nothing is guaranteed, it used to be the virus scanner wouldn't load on boot, so you'd know something was amiss, i'd imagine they would have to do the same for the firewall, but i havn't kept up on that side of things.

But if that did happen, you'd be no worse off than you are now, if it gets round that setup, it would get around the one you had/have now.


Next stop is Firefox, and setting that securely, which should then prevent you getting anything dodgy, with the exception of you downloading something dodgy, for that you'd need a virus scanner... yeah i don't use any of that.

The NSA insists on these backdoors -- literally. But even if that wasn't the case, they'd still be there, because that's the sort of people they are.

As for overriding the firewall, that only requires admin privs, not a connection, so if win detects it's being blocked it could shut down everything that isn't hard coded, almost like safe mode with networking, except that it would raise eyebrows *way* high. lol

Hey man, if you don't have anything to hide just let these fine benevolent gentlemen of the government snoop around at what you do. They're sent from the government, almighty and good, and you are common rabble who should appreciate that your betters are looking out for you. Save you from yourself, if you so will.

I'm fine with it, until they start FCKing up my games and try to force me to abandon my performance rig for the sake of their cloud computing schemes. lol

NSA may not care, the US may not care, but Europe would, it would be a big black hole for m$ as it would cost them dearly to purposely put a backdoor, i doubt they would and it honestly wouldn't be worth what it could cost them.

Sure basically yeah you can turn off the firewall, like you can a virus scanner, but you're gonna know about it, but circumvent without you knowing about it, it's a fair bit of work, doable, but worth the effort? not really.




Think of it this way, if someone wants to crack your PC, they will and you won't be able to do anything about it but remain permanently offline, the idea is to make it not worth the effort, the more secure you are, the bigger the effort, it's like your own home, someone can break in, but is it worth the effort?


There are millions of easier targets to choose from, with bigger bank balances, and there are better ways of getting their money.




But yeah the #1 thing you need to understand is that, if someone wanted to, they could get your data, as soon as you connect to the net or any wireless device, you are opening yourself up. Like opening a ground floor fire window, easy to get out, but easy to jump in too, grab something and get out while you're taking a leak.

The main thing, again, is it worth it? is what they can take worth the effort? if it's a quick job, might aswell try, if you have barbed wire and prison bars on your windows, they probably won't bother, they could, but they probably pick an easier target

Someone like you or me will know about it, but thery don't care about that. They literally forced people off of Win 7 onto 10, and got away with it. That was a gamble, and it paid off -- which shows just how powerful they are.

Again, I watched Win launch Edge to undo a reg edit. But yeah, I think your outline here should work fine, but you can make sure of it by opting for a hardware firewall.

Yeah shame they are a bit expensive.. any other questions feel free to add me.

You could also use the internet through a proxy, where it only accepts http/https/ftp requests. Then it can't update.

Though depends on the configuration and setup of your network.

I wonder....

Or in the case i know of, where they are using your own network to push updates back out effectively becoming an unwilling torrent. So you'd be using bandwidth and updates WHILE LIVESTREAMING making it jerky and unviewable.

I still say stick with Win7. Win8 they clearly said they don't care what you think, and touch devices are the future with UWP.

Honestly? lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XdcPegud5c

I noticed that option after I updated. How's that for innovation? lol

No point, he may worry about it, i don't, as i know Windows Update will never connect on my machine, it's tried and tested, but i can't say how it will go on someone elses machine i havn't worked on as he may need Microsoft .NET Framework for a piece of software, download the latest, install and it probably will re-enable Windows Update, i've seen that happen, but that firewall base rules i provided, aslong as it's done correctly will not let Windows Update connect.

As everything but those rules applied, will be blocked.

It's not just about Windows Update for me, it's about everything that tries to connect, and the amount of m$ crap that connects that shouldn't need to is ridiculous.

As i said i dislike Windows 10, not only because i'm forced to update as a gamer, but of what it is; collecting & selling your data for a quick dime, thats M$ future revenue stream.

When i made the move my end goal was to control what it did, and i have, it's as fast or faster than any other Windows OS i've had, and i've modified every single version, as each of them had bloatware on, so anyone whose used the the previous versions, whether Vista, 7 or 8, you should have known this was coming, what do you expect from a free OS?

As for a backdoor, if they have, someone else can use it, i'd worry little about the NSA at that point.