Windows 10 Update Reset After Privacy Settings Glitch

If Microsoft wants to carve out a more positive reputation for itself in terms of privacy, the company is going to have to work hard to overcome some of its recent missteps - the latest of which is the sneaky renaming of a data hoovering and tracking service built into Windows 10. "It will not impact future installs of the November update, which is available today".

Microsoft withdrew the download version of its Windows 10 November Update from its website after some users found that it reset privacy settings.

Windows users can rely on the Windows 10 media creation tool to download installation files for both clean installs and upgrades. A problem with the update reset settings on some devices made it easier for advertisers to track users across various applications, and also made user data more vulnerable to other devices with wireless Bluetooth connections - even if they weren't linked to the users' PCs, tablets or smartphones.

Microsoft indicated that the bug concerning the November update affected only a small amount of users, although the company did not provide any specific figure. This, in turn, prompted the company to pull the update. Users said that in some cases the latest version of Windows 10 actually uninstalls user-installed software without the user's permission.

The Windows 10 OS has already endured its fair share of criticism on the privacy front, according to The Register UK, so the added bit of controversy surrounding the November update was something it definitely did not need.

Microsoft started rolling out the update earlier this year, but it was pulled shortly after which prevented people from upgrading their operation system. Consumers may also be waiting until Windows 10 gets over the teething problems that affect all new releases before making the switch.

A freshly-released, meanwhile, became available on November 24 and aims to restore the settings for Windows users who previously upgraded. However, Microsoft would not say how it planned to do that yet. The company further said in an emailed statement that those people who had their settings changed would have the correct configuration restored over the coming days.