Problem with disabling taskbar widgets

[clarensio]

Even with version 2.1.2.8035 despite having "disabled" the following Settings -> Explorer:
1) Meet Now - Taskbar widget: disabled
2) News An Interests - Taskbar widget: disabled
the widget in TaskBar continues to be up and running

Idem for services --> Windows Update (NTLITE by default "manual") even changing it to "auto" remains as a "manual" service in the ISO
Win 10 21H1 Enterprise
Tnx

 

[clarensio]

Even with the 8041, the reported anomalies remain. I would also like to point out that the new option
Settings / Privacy / Allow Telemetry = Security | Deactivate
telemetry remains active/enabled.
PS I first tried to update 21H1 version to build 1081 (online updates - All) and then to the remaining configurations but the problem remains.

Am I wrong something?

 

[nuhi]

Hi,

regarding News And Interests, fix is in the next version, more info here.
Regarding Meet Now, will check before next update and report back, may also need reapplying.

Btw both of these are correctly set and tested, under Live/deployed Windows, images are sometimes different as the values get reset/created after install.

Windows Update service config, probably Windows Update Medic Service is "healing" it, try with it also disabled.

Regarding telemetry, what do you mean by enabled, how was that confirmed?

Thanks.

 

[clarensio]

Hi,

regarding News And Interests, fix is in the next version, more info here.
Regarding Meet Now, will check before next update and report back, may also need reapplying.

Btw both of these are correctly set and tested, under Live/deployed Windows, images are sometimes different as the values get reset/created after install.

Windows Update service config, probably Windows Update Medic Service is "healing" it, try with it also disabled.

Regarding telemetry, what do you mean by enabled, how was that confirmed?

Thanks.

By querying the registry key that was enabled "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PushNotifications".

Intervening with the attached script, telemetry is definitively disabled.

 

[nuhi]

I'm confused, (Push)Notifications are not telemetry in themselves, can you please elaborate?

 

[clarensio]

O&OSU confirms the same situation ... then you check too since I personally solved the incongruence a posteriori but it would be nice if NTLITE could natively produce this.
It is a bit the same situation of MS Store that in order to completely eliminate it it is necessary to resort to third party products in post production ...

 

[nuhi]

There is no difference from O&O and NTLite telemetry disabling, feel free to compare on a C:\Windows edit.

If O&O disables Notifications under the telemetry option, I would be very surprised, especially since it doesn't in my tests.
Maybe you mixed it with other Recommended options it has, but ToastEnabled, as far as I know, is not directly telemetry related - feel free to correct me, love to learn.

Unless someone classifies notifications as a written log of what the app partially did, then we could say Windows logs are telemetry, search, error reporting etc. It all influences privacy, true, but it's not exactly telemetry addition that we first saw with Win10.

In NTLite there are "Notifications network usage" and 'Notification Center' settings, which may interest you.
Will add this ToastEnabled in the 'Notification Center' disabling from the next update, just in case and turning it off in two ways can't hurt.

 

[nuhi]

Uploaded build 8044 with ToastEnabled added in the notifications disabling.
One more thing, are you sure that Meet Now disabling didn't work?
Let me know, it works in my tests, but I'm willing to try your preset.

 

[clarensio]

Uploaded build 8044 with ToastEnabled added in the notifications disabling.
One more thing, are you sure that Meet Now disabling didn't work?
Let me know, it works in my tests, but I'm willing to try your preset.

On Meet Now O&OSU confirmed it to me and I am also attaching the screenshot of News An Interests post installation.

Thanks anyway for your attention and take a look at this post [Changelog 2.1.2.8033 and following] where I also reported an Italian translation error:
<S2507> Acoda </S2507> should be translated to "Accoda" (2c)

 

[nuhi]

If the news and interests was not disabled with this new version (8044), then please attach the preset which demonstrates that.
Thanks.

 

[clarensio]

That screehshoot refers to a native processing done with the 8039.
During the week it will repeat the native processing (from scratch) with the 8044 and it will be my concern to post you any discrepancies.
Thanks again

 

[clarensio]

Test on the new version 2.1.2.8044.
1) Meet now: OK is DISABLED in the taskbar on this device
2) News and interests: NOT DISABLED in the taskbar on this device (what was expected) while it is DISABLED in the taskbar only for current user
3) Privacy / Allow Telemetry = Security | Deactivate: OK is DISABLED
4) Italian translation <S2507> Acoda </S2507> should be translated to "Accoda"

Between the options "set" in NTLITE (see attached NTLITE file - Autosalvataggio.xml) and the final result (installation from scratch of the ISO produced) I note the following differences in results:

• Advertising ID: è DISABLED esclusivamente for current user e NOT for the machine
• Cortana: is NOT DISABLED
• Geolocation: is NOT DISABLED
• Feedback reminders: is NOT DISABLED

All selected (disabled) in NTLITE see autosalvataggio.xml.
These reports follow your verification request, since in post installation I can easily set my personal preferences as necessary (O&OSU).
All this in order to have an increasingly functional NTLITE.
Tnx

 

[nuhi]

Thanks clarensio, will review the not disabled list, and edit the language file - it's always best to contact the translator directly.
Email link in the File - Settings next to language selection.

I'm just left confused with 2) News and interests, you say it works, but it doesn't on a machine level.
HKCU overwrites HKLM, it's more important to be set to HKCU, and it is set in the default user so each new user will have it properly set. If not, let me know.
Is there a reason I should write to HKLM as well, or the tweak didn't work for you in general?

 

[clarensio]

No problem. In my humble opinion it would be preferable to have the option (for all users even new ones) disabled but that's fine too.
I want to explain the ultimate goal: I have been optimizing the Enterprise and Professional versions (updated builds) as an LTSC for corporate installations for years.
Thank you and let me know

PS: But really NLITE can't do anything about the complete uninstallation of MS STORE (which is possible via powershell) ???

 

[toomuchpie]

No problem. In my humble opinion it would be preferable to have the option (for all users even new ones) disabled but that's fine too.
I want to explain the ultimate goal: I have been optimizing the Enterprise and Professional versions (updated builds) as an LTSC for corporate installations for years.
Thank you and let me know

PS: But really NLITE can't do anything about the complete uninstallation of MS STORE (which is possible via powershell) ???

Integrate the .reg file that I posted here:

News and Interests

Will the next version of NTLite have the option to remove or turn off the "News and interests" that was introduced in the recent cumulative updates?

www.ntlite.com

That disables News and Interests by default, including for new users created after the first account, from my testing. I haven't had time to test the built in function of disabling news and interests since it was fixed, but the registry that I integrated in the version prior to the fix worked to disable news and interests by default for new users.

 

[clarensio]

Integrate the .reg file that I posted here:

News and Interests

Will the next version of NTLite have the option to remove or turn off the "News and interests" that was introduced in the recent cumulative updates?

www.ntlite.com

That disables News and Interests by default, including for new users created after the first account, from my testing. I haven't had time to test the built in function of disabling news and interests since it was fixed, but the registry that I integrated in the version prior to the fix worked to disable news and interests by default for new users.

Thank you. I had already tested it and it works perfectly, only I was trying to get the same in native on NTLITE; in post production/first installation I can get EVERYTHING with 2 scripts (delete MSStore, privacy, security etc.) but I repeat I try to do the same things natively in NTLITE.

Thanks anyway