Microsoft Spying and Skype

This article relates only to Windows 10, not to previous Windows versions. Microsoft's Windows 10 is sending messages to at least 107 different addresses that get blocked by Spybot's Anti-Beacon program. I've written about their program here.

Some of these links are used for Skype, so you need make an adjustment if you use Skype and Anti-Beacon. Skype complains that "Skype Home in unavailable" if it is not able to contact these places. So, if you use Skype and Anti-Beacon, you need to re-enable sending to those places.

Some of the 107 sites Microsoft sends your information to are:

a.ads1.msn.com
a.ads2.msads.net
a.ads2.msn.com
a.rad.msn.com
a-0001.a-msedge.net
a-0002.a-msedge.net
a-0003.a-msedge.net
a-0004.a-msedge.net
a-0005.a-msedge.net
a-0006.a-msedge.net
a-0007.a-msedge.net
a-0008.a-msedge.net
a-0009.a-msedge.net
ac3.msn.com
ad.doubleclick.net
adnexus.net
adnxs.com
ads.msn.com
ads1.msads.net
ads1.msn.com
live.rads.msn.com
m.adnxs.com
rad.live.com
rad.msn.com
s.gateway.messenger.live.co

Which certainly appear to be advertising sites. Anyway, the four sites blocked by Anti-Beacon which are needed for Skype are:

pricelist.skype.com
apps.skype.com
m.hotmail.com
s.gateway.messenger.live.com

Anti-Beacon stops these by blocking them with entries to the Hosts file. If you are comfortable editing your hosts file, you can simply remove these four entries or have me do it for you.

For most of you, simply open Anti-Beacon, go to the optional tab and Undo the Telemetry Hosts

This will undo those 4 plus 66 more, still protecting your from 37.

Microsoft explains their telemetry information:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/manage/configure-windows-telemetry-in-your-organization

If anyone either believes this or can figure it out, let me know what it means.

Date: December 2016

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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Home Forms About Current Newsletter subscribe Search All Articles Browse by Category Security Internet Mobile Business Hardware Fun		Microsoft Spying and Skype This article relates only to Windows 10, not to previous Windows versions. Microsoft's Windows 10 is sending messages to at least 107 different addresses that get blocked by Spybot's Anti-Beacon program. I've written about their program here. Some of these links are used for Skype, so you need make an adjustment if you use Skype and Anti-Beacon. Skype complains that "Skype Home in unavailable" if it is not able to contact these places. So, if you use Skype and Anti-Beacon, you need to re-enable sending to those places. Some of the 107 sites Microsoft sends your information to are: a.ads1.msn.com a.ads2.msads.net a.ads2.msn.com a.rad.msn.com a-0001.a-msedge.net a-0002.a-msedge.net a-0003.a-msedge.net a-0004.a-msedge.net a-0005.a-msedge.net a-0006.a-msedge.net a-0007.a-msedge.net a-0008.a-msedge.net a-0009.a-msedge.net ac3.msn.com ad.doubleclick.net adnexus.net adnxs.com ads.msn.com ads1.msads.net ads1.msn.com live.rads.msn.com m.adnxs.com rad.live.com rad.msn.com s.gateway.messenger.live.co Which certainly appear to be advertising sites. Anyway, the four sites blocked by Anti-Beacon which are needed for Skype are: pricelist.skype.com apps.skype.com m.hotmail.com s.gateway.messenger.live.com Anti-Beacon stops these by blocking them with entries to the Hosts file. If you are comfortable editing your hosts file, you can simply remove these four entries or have me do it for you. For most of you, simply open Anti-Beacon, go to the optional tab and Undo the Telemetry Hosts This will undo those 4 plus 66 more, still protecting your from 37. Microsoft explains their telemetry information: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/manage/configure-windows-telemetry-in-your-organization If anyone either believes this or can figure it out, let me know what it means. Date: December 2016 This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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