Softpedia >Windows >Portable Software >Antivirus & Antispyware >Blackbird V6 >  Changelog

Blackbird V6 Changelog

What's new in Blackbird V6 1.0.85.3

Dec 7, 2022
  • Supports Windows 10 v22H2 update.
  • Added /J switch; Disable/enable application access to local devices.
  • Disabled Network Connection Broker service.
  • Disabled all "Flighting" scheduled tasks: ReconcileFeatures, UsageDataFlushing, UsageDataReporting
  • Disabled WDigest clear-text credential revealing.
  • Fixed Blackbird getting stuck at service recovery when restoring from a backup file under some rare conditions.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.85.2 (Aug 13, 2022)

  • Disabled Hiberboot/"FastStartup"/That-session-saving-half-ass-non-reboot-bullshit.
  • Disabled Windows 11 OS Upgrade.
  • Disabled OneCore speech collecting.
  • Disabled services: fdPHost, FDResPub
  • Disabled scheduled tasks: LocalUserSyncDataAvailable, MouseSyncDataAvailable, PenSyncDataAvailable, TouchpadUserSyncDataAvailable, RecommendedTroubleshootingScanner, WiFiTask
  • Fixed diagnostic Tenant/Heartbeat registry key not properly set.
  • Fixed Blackbird not starting due to insufficient user rights even when running as admin in some rare cases.
  • Fixed host blocker still setting incorrect metric values when using an external list.
  • Fixed /i switch description not shown properly when executed.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.80.2 (Nov 10, 2020)

  • Reupload due to Google giving us shit.
  • Changed compiler.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.80.1 (Oct 22, 2020)

  • Supports Windows 10 v2004 update
  • Added more hosts to blacklist
  • Changed the way Blackbird scans for installed KB updates and blocked hosts for performance reasons (still testing)
  • Disabled End-of-Servicing notification tasks on Windows 7
  • Disabled scheduled task: Agent Activation Runtime, PcaPatchDbTask
  • Fixed "ConfigureAppInstallControlEnabled" regkey set to wrong value.*
  • Fixed Blackbird not recognizing OS version when running on Windows 10 v1909
  • Fixed Blackbird not backing up a few network interface settings
  • Fixed App Manager sometimes not properly restoring a previously blocked system application
  • Fixed App Manager not being able to block the latest Edge-Chromium browser
  • Fixed "Access denied" error appearing for some users when Blackbird failed to start with admin rights
  • Fixed /i switch service conflicts

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.79.3 (Nov 3, 2019)

  • Added more hosts to blacklist. *
  • Fixed "Service_-DSN- not found" errors when restoring a backup file on Windows 10.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.79.2 (Oct 18, 2019)

  • Blackbird is now forced to always run with Administrator rights (still testing this).
  • Added more hosts to blacklist.
  • Disabled scheduled task: SQM Data Sender
  • The /i switch will now also enable changing the user account picture on Windows 10.
  • Fixed another bug that may cause Blackbird to crash when restoring a backup file.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.79.1 (Sep 16, 2019)

  • Fixed Blackbird crashing when restoring a backup file. Feel bad about this one, no idea how I managed to miss it during testing.
  • Fixed scheduled tasks sometimes not getting properly disabled.
  • Fixed hosts always reported as blocked regardless of actual state.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.7 (Jul 1, 2019)

  • Added /G switch: Disable/enable Games Explorer (gameux.dll; injects into games at startup and connects to MS servers)
  • Added an update to blacklist: KB4493132 (Windows 7 end-of-support nagware)
  • Added more hosts to blacklist
  • Disabled additional Nvidia telemetry tasks and registry keys.
  • Disabled scheduled tasks: Metadata Refresh, Notify1/Notify2 (Win7 end-of-support)
  • Fixed username not getting defined in some rare cases, resulting in a fatal error.
  • Fixed the weird file-deletion bug for reals this time.* Turns out I was the dumbass all along! Never saw it coming.
  • Boring Tech Details(tm): In some rare cases an undefined variable caused Blackbird to delete, apparently randomly-selected, contents of the root drive instead of removing temporary Blackbird files.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.52 (Apr 28, 2019)

  • Fixed boot problems caused by disabling UPFC.exe on older versions of Windows 10. My bad, shit happens :/
  • Fixed Xbox services not properly enabled when using the /X switch.
  • Fixed some services not getting turned back on when using Blackbird's Recovery mode to restore default settings.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.5 (Apr 19, 2019)

  • Added /Color switch - Alternative color scheme for my color-blind folk. Changes green to blue, red to yellow.
  • Host blocker now attempts to use ICMP pings to grab IP addresses if DNS resolving fails.
  • Date/time stamps are now ISO 8601 compliant.
  • Disabled removable drive indexing.
  • Disabled UPFC.exe running in the background on Windows 10.
  • Fixed a stubborn service dependency bug that caused network connectivity problems to sometimes still be present after using the /L switch.
  • Fixed Blackbird pausing if a fatal error is encountered even when using silent/script mode (/S switch).
  • Fixed /ShowHost switch displaying and counting the same blocked address if multiple network interfaces are active.
  • Fixed /ASLR and /NoUpdate switches not working correctly in some cases.
  • Fixed services sometimes reported as 'Not secure' when they shouldn't.
  • Fixed crashing when the local username contained various special characters (hopefully).
  • Fixed progress bar acting weird when using an external HOSTS.TXT file with 400+ listed addresses.
  • Fixed registry key values not getting properly backed up if they contain empty spaces.
  • Fixed various errors and alerts when creating/restoring a backup file (something,something,hex-code parsing,nerd-stuff,etc.)

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.4 (Feb 5, 2019)

  • Improved OS version detection.
  • (Boring tech details: Now reads the OS version as a numeral 'value' instead of a 'string', which was admittedly dumb in the first place.
  • This should prevent any weird compatibility issues popping up in the future when running Blackbird on newer/updated or unsupported Windows versions.)
  • Added new switch /ShowHost - displays all active host blocks set by Blackbird (IPv4/IPv6 addresses).
  • Added new hosts to blacklist
  • Disabled more services; DiagSvc, LxpSvc, ShpamSvc, SmsRouter, WaasMedic, WerCplSupport, WiSvc, WlidSvc
  • Disabled more scheduled tasks; Notifications (Location Activity), NvTmMon/NvTmRep (Nvidia), RefreshCache (OneSettings), Installation/ReconcileLanguageResources (LanguageComponents), PerformRemediation
  • Disabled 'Timeline' user activity publishing/tracking/uploading.
  • Fixed host blocker not working correctly when using some system languages/localizations. Should be much more robust overall as it no longer checks server replies for hardcoded strings.
  • Fixed recovering to defaults getting stuck at restoring services when ran on Windows 10.
  • Fixed various compatibility issues with the latest Windows 10 version (v1809); Errors shown during backup, scan, etc.
  • Fixed App Manager failing to disable apps when ran from a non-admin user account on Windows 10.
  • Fixed Autologgers sometimes not getting disabled due to registry permission conflicts on Windows 10.
  • Fixed "reg key not found" errors appearing on some Windows 7/8 versions during the startup scan.
  • Fixed UI glitches when running Blackbird in a console with screen size buffer width set to 290 or more.
  • Fixed multiple bugs that sometimes caused switches and/or menu-options to not run as expected.
  • Code optimizations resulting in small speed increases and reduced executable size.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.3 (Nov 10, 2018)

  • Full Windows 10 v1809 support (October 2018 update)
  • - Disabled more services; cbdhsvc, ConsentUxUserSvc, BcastDVRUserService, BluetoothUserService, CaptureService, DevicePickerUserSvc, PrintWorkflowUserSvc
  • Disabled more scheduled tasks; Schedule Scan Static Task, USO_UxBroker
  • Disabled Clipboard history & cross-device logging.
  • Disabled Edge silent background startup.
  • Disabled SmartScreen startup app control
  • Disabled all "AI Insights/SwiftKey" keylogging-text-prediction bullshit.
  • Fixed unresponsive W-key option (enable/disable Task View) when selected in the main menu.
  • Fixed /U switch not disabling automatic updates on Windows 10 in some cases.
  • Fixed the 'Current User' Ad-ID token not getting removed properly.
  • Fixed "Invalid console session size" error appearing for some users even when running with 80+ columns width.
  • Fixed KB update hiding script not getting properly generated and executed when it's filepath contains whitespaces, causing syntax errors.
  • Fixed temporary files not getting created under some circumstances, causing Blackbird to quit due to a fatal error.
  • Fixed the 'loopback' bug that caused Blackbird to re-apply itself when running Verbose Mode (/v) with any other switches.
  • Fixed a bug in versions 1.0.27/28 that caused scheduled task states to sometimes not get properly backed up.
  • Another attempt to fix the /L switch not restoring LAN connectivity in some cases. Shut up.
  • Added system speaker beeps support. Currently only used if fatal errors are encountered.
  • - Added support for partial Blacbird execution by starting with the following switches;
  • /updates Only secure/remove KB updates.
  • /tasks Only secure/disable scheduled tasks.
  • /services Only secure/disable services
  • /registry Only secure registry.
  • /hostblock Only run IP/host blocker.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.28 (Sep 23, 2018)

  • Fixed App Manager failing to disable apps that have been restored during a Windows update.
  • Added more hosts to blacklist

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.27 (Sep 19, 2018)

  • Improved STD mode; Now users have the option to confirm or skip force removal of any found task.
  • Added new switch /W - Enable/disable Task View on Windows 10 (virtual desktops).
  • Added new hosts to blacklist.
  • Disabled 'PushToInstall' login/registration scheduled tasks.
  • Fixed 'Network Connectivity Assistant' service not getting disabled properly, causing Event Viewer error entries.
  • Fixed a localization issue that caused invalid scheduled task states for some users.
  • Fixed unavailable keyboard accessibility features after applying Blackbird (ctfmon.exe not loading).
  • Fixed /B switch (Enable/disable Runtime Broker) not doing anything.
  • Fixed /O switch not enabling OneDrive.
  • Fixed the /L switch not restoring LAN/NAS/DLNA connectivity, for reals this time. Only took 2 years

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.15 (Aug 12, 2018)

  • Minor scanning speed optimizations (Scan Mode/startup).
  • Fixed various crashes and glitches when using certain system languages/localizations.
  • Fixed menu selection sometimes not responding correctly to user input.
  • Fixed WiFi connection breaking for some users after applying Blackbird.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0.11 (Aug 6, 2018)

  • Fixed the "Invalid column size" startup error experienced by some users.

New in Blackbird V6 1.0 (Aug 3, 2018)

  • Complete rewrite
  • Improved Scan Mode/startup scanner; Now properly detects all problems instead of checking for hardcoded predefined values.
  • Improved scheduled task handling; Now reports found tasks, changes and displays any errors encountered correctly when ran in Verbose mode.
  • Improved service handling; Should be much faster with proper verbose info and the ability to block low-level driver services.
  • Improved autologger handling; Now detects all active system autologgers instead of relying on a static list.
  • Improved OS detection; Fixed Blackbird defaulting to a Windows 7/8 policy template when ran on an unknown/updated Windows 10 system.
  • Improved general file/folder operations in regards to permission/access manipulation.
  • Improved host blocker; Now supports multiple network interfaces and can block a broader range of IP's.
  • Improved -U switch (Disable/enable automatic Windows Updates) to allow Windows 10 users to disable updates
  • Improved -D switch (Disable/enable Defender) to fully support newer Windows 10 versions.
  • Added Backup Mode functionality (blackbird -bak switch); Saves current system state to an external file restorable at any time.
  • Added App Manager for Windows 10; User-friendly system app blocking.
  • Added Enable/Disable Address Space Layout Randomization switch (blackbird -aslr) -- wiki_link
  • Added prompts at startup so users can access certain features directly from the menu (Backup/Recovery Mode, Scan Mode,..)
  • Added support for custom external KB updates list
  • Added notice at startup if running on an unsupported Windows version.
  • Added support for console window size detection and UI resizing
  • Added new hosts to blacklist
  • Added new updates to blacklist (KB2976987, KB3064683, KB3068708, KB3072318, KB3080351, KB3081437, KB3081454, KB3090045, KB3124275, KB3134814, KB3140166, KB3146449, KB3140185)
  • Added -I switch to fix Bluetooth connectivity issues (hopefully)
  • Now reports WSUS policy anomalies and unauthorized proxy servers on Windows Vista/7/8.
  • Now attempts to hide blacklisted KB updates to prevent automatic re-installation (64bit version only).
  • Updated STD definitions
  • Disabled more services; Now removes NVTelemetryContainer, HPTouchpointAnalytics, VisualDiscovery/VDWFP services completely.
  • Disabled more scheduled tasks
  • Disabled the 'Advertsing.Xaml' system app on Windows 10
  • Disabled Suggested Apps & Tips advertising
  • Disabled Teredo/IPv6-tunneling
  • Disabled SMBv1 by default for security reasons
  • Disabled GameDVR
  • Disabled Remote Assistance
  • Disabled additional application access to Account Information, Radios and "Unspecified" on updated Windows 10 versions.
  • Fixed custom HOSTS.txt file not being detected when running Blackbird from the command line
  • Fixed Remote Desktop not working after using Blackbird (is now available after using the -L 'Fix network/LAN connectivity issues" switch)
  • Fixed issue with slow network speeds in some browsers
  • Fixed improper extended service name resolving, in some cases causing constant disk usage when applied to certain Windows 10 versions.
  • Fixed problems when running under non-administrator user accounts when authentication is used.
  • Fixed -X switch not restoring all Xbox scheduled tasks and user not receiving session notifications such as game invites.
  • Fixed -L switch (Fix network/LAN connectivity issues) not fixing LAN connectivity for some users.
  • Fixed small STD detection bugs
  • Changes to switch system:
  • /S Silent Mode can now be used with other switches without applying Blackbird to allow proper scripting.
  • /V Verbose Mode now reports all current states and changes correctly, like it should have in the first place.
  • Most switches are now Enable/Disable. For example, if OneDrive is currently enabled it will be disabled when running -O switch and vice-versa. The user is notified of the current state.
  • All switches are now executed properly when also applying Blackbird and are not overwritten.
  • Only switches and functions supported on the local system are now available to the user (depending on Windows version).

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.98 (Nov 11, 2016)

  • Added a switch to fix LAN connectivity problems after running Blackbird v0.9.97 or later (blackbird -l)
  • Fixed Recovery mode not properly restoring some registry keys
  • Fixed startup scanner sometimes not detecting autologgers as disabled

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.97 (Nov 9, 2016)

  • Full Windows 10 Anniversary/Redstone support
  • Disabled several new scheduled tasks
  • Disabled several new services
  • Disabled new Autologgers
  • Disabled settings syncing on Windows 10
  • Disabled telemetry uploading on Windows 7 and changed the authorized proxy to localhost (due to October Rollup update - KB3192403)
  • Disabled network auto-tuning (speed tweak)
  • Patched Windows SMB user crendentials leak
  • Patched Web Proxy Auto Discovery
  • Patched Smart Multi-Homed Name Resolution
  • Patched Link-local Multicast Name Resolution
  • Added new hosts to blacklist
  • Added switch to disable SmartScreen application checking (blackbird -a)
  • Added switch to disable all default Background Access Applications on Windows 10 (blackbird -c)
  • Added switch to kill all System Apps on Windows 10 (blackbird -kall)
  • Added switch to kill Lockscreen on Windows 10 (blackbird -kl)
  • Added switch to enable the Diagnostic Policy Service (blackbird -p)
  • Added switch to disable SMB over NetBIOS and close listening port 445 (blackbird -e)
  • Changed /f switch and default Blackbird behaviour to not disable Start menu most-used apps list
  • Changed folder cache rebuilding to no longer get disabled on Windows 10
  • Updated STD definitions
  • Improved registry editing by getting proper SID of current user, better 64bit and extended ControlSet support
  • Improved disabling of Windows Defender on Windows 10 (blackbird -d switch)
  • Multiple small improvements and fixes (too many to list)
  • Fixed progress bar bug that caused multiple bars & file-not-found errors to appear during usage. Bad devs.
  • Fixed System Apps unable to be killed again when Windows updates revive them (backup issue)
  • Fixed duplicated STD output bugs when removing/disabling tasks
  • Fixed some temporary files not getting properly removed
  • Fixed some scheduled tasks not getting disabled
  • Fixed OneDrive background app not getting removed from startup
  • Fixed Defender file reviewing/uploading not getting properly disabled
  • Fixed Recovery mode not restoring DPS service
  • Fixed Diagnosis folder-not-found errors
  • Fixed Scan mode not detecting some registry strings correctly

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.95 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • New, more awesome, logo and icon
  • Reduced binary size significantly
  • Added support for up to 9 simultaneous command line switches
  • (Excluding: -r, -std, -scan ; Currently these modes can only be executed one at a time for stability reasons)
  • Added full system scan switch (blackbird -scan)
  • Added switch to skip update removal (blackbird -noupdate)
  • Added switch to skip host blocking (blackbird -nohost)
  • Added switch to skip system optimization/speed tweaks,etc. (blackbird -nospeed)
  • Added new hosts to blacklist
  • Added new update to blacklist (KB3173040)
  • Additional P2P-UpdateSharing & WiFiSense registry keys disabled, just for kicks
  • Additional Office 2015/16 logging/telemetry disabled
  • Disabled Scripted Diagnostics remote server query on all Windows versions
  • Disabled Scheduled Diagnostics on Windows 10
  • Disabled Error Reporting completely on Windows Home editions and reset consent to zero
  • Disabled unattended execution of CEIP and Error Reporting on Windows 10
  • Disabled Cloud Experience Host ETW logging on Windows 10
  • Disabled Peernet on all Windows versions
  • Defender, MRT, CEIP data-leaks are now also patched on pre-Windows 10 versions
  • Using external hosts.txt file now skips the internal blacklist (easier management)
  • Better registry handling when keys are added dependent on system architecture (32/64bit)
  • Improved setting of Diagnosis folder permissions on all Windows versions
  • Fixed an issue with IPv6 addresses not getting blocked properly in some cases
  • Fixed SpyTask Destroyer output errors when removing tasks
  • Fixed Windows Defender data-leaks not getting patched properly
  • Fixed duplicate entries in host blocker
  • Fixed switches being case-sensitive
  • Fixed progress bar errors when removing multiple Windows updates
  • Attempt to fix an issue with Blackbird getting stuck at 99% for some users
  • Small UI fixes
  • Removed -e switch ("eMule LowID fix"), couldn't verify it helps anything

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.93 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Added automatic Lenovo/Dell "Superfish" removal (including certificates,registry,files,services)
  • Added switches to kill Windows 10 system apps:
  • blackbird -kc (Kills Cortana, previously was -k)
  • blackbird -ke (Kills Microsoft Edge)
  • blackbird -kf (Kills Windows Feedback/ContactSupport)
  • Added new hosts to blacklist
  • All blocked hosts are now set as metric=1
  • Turned UPX compression back on for both 64 & 32bit versions. Let's see what happens.
  • Better switch/exit handling (returns to prompt instead of closing window)
  • Disabled "Cloud Consumer Experience Features" on Windows 10
  • Disabled additional scheduled tasks
  • Fixed Error Reporting registry keys not getting set properly
  • Fixed OneDrive not getting removed from Explorer in some cases

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.92 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Added support for external hosts file (see README.txt for more details)
  • Added beta version of Blackbird STD (SpyTask Destroyer). See README.txt for more information
  • Added 'Enable OneDrive' switch (blackbird -o)
  • Added 'Enable Sensors' switch (blackbird -t) to re-enable auto screen-rotation on tablets
  • Added 'Disable Runtime Broker' switch (blackbird -b)
  • Added 'Remove Blackbird Network Blocks' switch (blackbird -n)
  • Added new KB update to blacklist (KB3150513)
  • Disabled folder-cache rebuilding
  • Disabled auto-reboot after installing updates on Windows 7/8
  • Disabled additional scheduled tasks
  • Disabled 'Program Compatibility Assistant' service on Windows 10
  • New registry tweaks for Windows 10
  • Now alerts the user if automatic updates are turned on (but does not disable them by default)
  • Minor Verbose mode verbosity upgrades
  • Fixed host blocker not resolving hostnames to IP addresses when DNS queries fail
  • Fixed CloudServiceSync registry key unintentionally set to enabled
  • Fixed a small output error in Verbose-mode when removing updates
  • Fixed several GWX-trigger tasks not getting properly disabled
  • Fixed a few scheduled tasks not getting properly restored when using Recovery-mode
  • Attempt at fixing localization issues causing Blackbird scanner to report false information

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.89 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Disabled Windows 10 LockScreen ads
  • Disabled Windows 7/8 "Recommended updates received the same way as important updates" to prevent Windows 10 silent download
  • Added new KB updates to blacklist

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.88 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Partial rewrite/restructure;
  • AV false-positives should be less of a problem,
  • Removed KB update-hiding script for the time being (worked only on critical updates anyway).
  • Host-blocker changes:
  • No temporary files created,
  • Should be a bit faster.
  • Verbose-mode changes:
  • Fixed some updates not getting removed,
  • Fixed minor output errors,
  • Displays IP data of resolved host,
  • Scheduled tasks and hostnames now display in realtime as they're being disabled/blocked.
  • Improved progress bar accuracy
  • Small UI cosmetic tweaks
  • Fixed Administrators-group permission bug when attempting to claim Diagnosis folder
  • Fixed startup scanner bug that caused inaccurate 'Windows updates' info to be shown
  • Fixed UI scaling errors on Windows 10
  • Fixed 'Kill Cortana' switch not closing processes properly
  • Fixed Office 2016 telemetry not getting fully disabled

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.85 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Added checks at startup to prevent Blackbird applying to Redstone builds as they are not currently supported and may damage your OS
  • Added network tweak (ecn capability)
  • Added new KB updates to blacklist
  • Added experimental "eMule LowID fix" switch (blackbird -e)
  • Added "Show frequently used apps at Start menu" switch (blackbird -f)
  • Added "Enable Xbox Live services" switch (blackbird -x)
  • Fixed multiple Recovery mode bugs (biggest of which caused most used apps to not show in Start menu after recovery)
  • Another attempt at fixing the W10 startup scan bug for realsies this time

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.82 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Switches can now be ran independently without applying Blackbird (excluding Verbose mode and Silent mode)
  • Made some additional attempts at Skype ad blocking
  • Dropped UPX compression (making the exe a little bigger) to evade AV false-positives
  • Fixed (hopefully) a startup scan bug on Windows 10 that caused "reg key not found" errors to be shown in some cases

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.8 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Disabled additional AIT agents on Windows 7/8
  • Disabled all currently known GWX triggers
  • Added new servers to blacklist
  • Added new KB updates to blacklist
  • Disabled additional startup scheduled tasks
  • Disabled additional global device access applications
  • Multiple Recovery mode optimizations
  • Fixed startup scanner bug that caused inaccurate Windows Updates info to be shown when running on Windows 8/8.1
  • Fixed a scary bug that caused unresponsive start-menu on Windows 10 in some cases

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.7 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Added new servers to blacklist (Lenovo spyware included)
  • Added disable hibernation switch (-h)
  • Fixed some variables in IPv6 blocker (version 0.9.6 users should not be effected by this bug)

New in Blackbird V6 0.9.6 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • Full IPv6 support (all interfaces;wifi/eth)
  • Added new KB updates to blacklist
  • Added removal of Windows 10 Upgrade pre-install files/folders on older Windows versions
  • Fixed backgroundtaskhost.exe not getting temporarily killed on Windows 10 Home
  • Fixed cleanup issue where in some cases not all Blackbird temporary files get deleted at exit
  • Fixed some updates not properly hidden as of version 0.9
  • Fixed security scanner not finding proper privacy keys causing "not found" errors on Windows 10 if custom settings were applied at Windows 10 setup