Microsoft reissues snooping patches for Windows 7 and 8.1

This week, Microsoft re-released the telemetry updates KB2952664 (for Windows 7) and KB2976978 (for Windows 8.1).

While we don’t know what these will do this time around (Microsoft’s description is giving little away), in the past they triggered a snooping Windows task called DoScheduledTelemetryRun, and were linked to the infamous GWX (Get Windows 10) campaign that forced OS upgrades on unwilling Windows 7 and 8.1 users.

Microsoft’s description says there’s no GWX or upgrade functionality in the updates this time around however. The KB information says simply:

This update performs diagnostics on the Windows systems that participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program. The diagnostics evaluate the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem, and help Microsoft to ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows. There is no GWX or upgrade functionality contained in this update.

The patches are currently marked as Optional, so are easily avoided, but in the past they have been upgraded to Recommended quite quickly.

If you’ve blocked these updates previously, you’ll need to do so again now they’ve been reissued.

You can block the relevant update by right-clicking it in Windows Update and selecting 'Hide update'. It shouldn’t reappear again, unless Microsoft reissues it once more.