Windows Vista Harvests User Data for Microsoft

[Dude111]

Not surprising in the least.........

Are you using Windows Vista? Then you might as well know that the licensed operating system installed on your machine is harvesting a healthy volume of information for Microsoft. In this context, a program such as the Windows Genuine Advantage is the last of your concerns. In fact, in excess of 20 Windows Vista features and services are hard at work collecting and transmitting your personal data to the Redmond company. [more]http://news.softpedia.com/news/Forget-about-the-WGA-20-Windows-Vista-Features-and-Services-Harvest-User-Data-for-Microsoft-58752.shtml

[buf]

I was just reading some of the threads in this forum and found this one by Dude111 of interest.
Some time ago I read about MS collecting info from windows user's computer. That thread, where ever it was or by whom it was posted, said that disabling this would keep MS from getting "that info". True or not, from then on I began disabling Userdata persistence that is found in Internet Options under the Tools menu>Security tab>Custom and scroll toward the bottom of the list of choices to find Userdata Persistence and Disable. Ok out and that should take care of MS collecting your computer info. This feature is on the XP OS, and prior OSes, but I would not know about Vista.
I suspect there will be others addressing this but, like I said, I do not know if this works or not. I just do it and causes me no trouble--that I am aware of :D

[Dude111]

What is "Userdata persistance"??

It is enabled on my "Internet" zone (I have Win98se)

I havent ever thought of that before...........

EDIT:

I found some info

http://www.ibj.com/qfie/userdata_persistance.htm

[emty]

So, what else is new? If you don't want your information "harvested" by the evil microsoft, don't use a computer. OR spend your hard earned dollars on basically useless anti-this, anti-that worthless software. :confused: :confused:

[frebo]

thanks for the info buf

[buf]

Dude, a simple "I don't know" is all I can say about the userdata persistence. I have to assume I respected the person's intent and knowledge when she/he posted that a looong time ago. I never gave it much thought---I just disabled it and have kept doing that on any new PC I got.
I did Google for a meaning tonight and now I am even more confused. I don't seem to have many of the troubles with our computers that I read about people having. I do not notice anything amiss on our PCs. But. then again, I am still learning and probably always will be.
EDIT: A P.S. is in order here. I should have said that the errors I have with our computers are usually user induced :D