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> Remember: There’s a reason we gave the %localappdata%\lxss\ folder ‘hidden’ & ‘system’ attributes They already did that, but as usual "with great power comes

by sgift 10y ago

> Remember: There’s a reason we gave the %localappdata%\lxss\ folder ‘hidden’ & ‘system’ attributes They already did that, but as usual "with great power comes great responsibility", so if you ignore the safeguards installed .. well .. bad things can happen.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
Indeed, even with my level of tinkering, I almost am never dealing with system attribute files. The cool thing is that Microsoft ALLOWS you to do anything with your computer, they don't hold the sort of superiority complex other companies do about telling you what you can and can't do on your own PC[0]. So yes, if you decide to grant yourself permission to see and modify those files, you can give yourself a bad time. Or maybe you could develop an application that handles them intelligently, after researching how they work extensively. [0]Someone's gonna ask: With the right amount of registry and file tampering, yes, you can absolutely render automatic updates and telemetry nonfunctional. Results may vary, but it's definitely doable.
- jsjohnst 10y ago
  I have to assume you are alluding to Apple when you say "other companies". If that's correct, it's relatively trivial to disable the protections on system files in all versions of OS X / macOS. Furthermore, automatic updates and Apple's less invasive version of telemetry are both opt-in, not opt-out and certainly not requiring the magic mojo Windows requires to do so. Sure, iOS is a police state in comparison, but you explicitly stated "on your own PC", not mobile device.
  - ocdtrekkie 10y ago
    I was actually thinking of Google at the time. Chrome OS devices, for example, wipe themselves if a system file is changed. The new Pixel needed an exploit to root it. Companies like Google (and yeah, Apple too to some degree) believe that you should only experience your own computer the way they intended it to be experienced.
    - jsjohnst 10y ago
      For Chrome OS, all you need to do is enable developer mode to fix that. It's a supported feature in the OS and documented in detail on Google's website.

by sgift 10y ago

ocdtrekkie 10y ago

Indeed, even with my level of tinkering, I almost am never dealing with system attribute files. The cool thing is that Microsoft ALLOWS you to do anything with your computer, they don't hold the sort of superiority complex other companies do about telling you what you can and can't do on your own PC[0]. So yes, if you decide to grant yourself permission to see and modify those files, you can give yourself a bad time. Or maybe you could develop an application that handles them intelligently, after researching how they work extensively. [0]Someone's gonna ask: With the right amount of registry and file tampering, yes, you can absolutely render automatic updates and telemetry nonfunctional. Results may vary, but it's definitely doable.

jsjohnst 10y ago
I have to assume you are alluding to Apple when you say "other companies". If that's correct, it's relatively trivial to disable the protections on system files in all versions of OS X / macOS. Furthermore, automatic updates and Apple's less invasive version of telemetry are both opt-in, not opt-out and certainly not requiring the magic mojo Windows requires to do so. Sure, iOS is a police state in comparison, but you explicitly stated "on your own PC", not mobile device.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  I was actually thinking of Google at the time. Chrome OS devices, for example, wipe themselves if a system file is changed. The new Pixel needed an exploit to root it. Companies like Google (and yeah, Apple too to some degree) believe that you should only experience your own computer the way they intended it to be experienced.
  - jsjohnst 10y ago
    For Chrome OS, all you need to do is enable developer mode to fix that. It's a supported feature in the OS and documented in detail on Google's website.