Microsoft 'accidentally' upgrades Win7 and 8.1 PCs to Windows 10 ("Ooopsie! Sorry about that!")

InfoWorld ^ | Oct 16, 2015 | Woody Leonhard

[dayglored]

Microsoft forced the Windows 10 upgrade on unsuspecting users for a week before correcting the 'mistake'

Yesterday Peter Bright at Ars Technica posted a jaw-dropping statement from Microsoft about its latest attempts to force Windows 10 down Windows 7 users' throats. Bright asked his Microsoft contacts why the "Upgrade to Windows 10" item appears in Windows Update's Optional list with a check mark.

For those Windows 7 and 8.1 users who have Automatic Update turned on, the check mark indicates that Windows should blithely start the Windows 10 upgrade. While there are at least two dialog boxes to prevent full automatic installation, Bright notes:

If you're not paying attention, though, you may find yourself upgrading sooner than you expected.

More than that, initiating the Windows 10 upgrade process and then stopping it leaves your PC in a limbo state. We've had zero information from Microsoft about the various stages of Windows 10 installation -- how can you stop it, when are you destined to reenact bug on windshield? -- and this forced upgrade leaves all sorts of unanswered questions.

Microsoft's official response, in case you haven't read it yet, is:

As part of our effort to bring Windows 10 to existing genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers, the Windows 10 upgrade may appear as an optional update in the Windows Update (WU) control panel. This is an intuitive and trusted place people go to find Recommended and Optional updates to Windows. In the recent Windows update, this option was checked as default; this was a mistake and we are removing the check.

Golly. Imagine that.

[dayglored]

Grrrrr. That is all.

[dayglored]

You vil LIKE zee new Vindows 10, yah? ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

Geez, no matter how wonderful it might be, forcing major OS upgrades on users is kinda rude, eh?

[dayglored]

> While there are at least two dialog boxes to prevent full automatic installation, Bright notes: If you're not paying attention, though, you may find yourself upgrading sooner than you expected.

How many of you folks actually READ ALL THE DETAILS when you're approving (or watching automatic) Windows Updates?

Seriously. Nobody does that except IT personnel. (I'm one, so I know; but I guarantee you my users don't read a thing. They just CLICK!)

[Mr. K]

Something about this new version makes me not want it at all

First, Microsoft is giving it away FREE (!!!)

Second, Microsoft is pushing this every which way it can. I tried to download some new development code from the Microsoft web site- it seems you have to install Windows 10 before you can do almost anything there anymore.

Third- no one is reviewing it, telling us what is in it, telling us the features it has that would make you want to get it

It looks like Microsoft wants everyone to have Windows 10 way more than anyone else.

[McGruff]

I could see this happening if you aren't paying attention. Only a few clicks and the install is off and running.

[Lazamataz]

For those Windows 7 and 8.1 users who have Automatic Update turned on, the check mark indicates that Windows should blithely start the Windows 10 upgrade.

Looks like Automatic Update will be turned off today.

[Lazamataz]

It is, however, *very* NSA- and DOJ-compliant.

[arthurus]

I have put all my files on my Ubuntu box and am learning Ubuntu. I have not found programs yet to satisfactorily replace the ones that I can’t use on Linux, my photo program especially, an ancient MGI. I don’t feel any need to do all the things the advanced programs can do and really don’t care to invest the time to learn how to use them but I suppose I will have to try to learn Gimp or something. I have W7 which I reluctantly went to from W2000 when I couldn’t get stuff to work on 2K any more. I won’t go to W10.

[Dalberg-Acton]

I have automatic updates turned off for my Win7 desktop. Had it check for updates yesterday and didn’t see any way to get the updates without installing Win10. So I didn’t update.

[Steely Tom]

I am So. F*****g. Sick. Of. This.

Microsoft is constantly trying to worm their stupid beta test version of Windows 10 onto my computers. I don’t want it. I don’t care if it’s free. I don’t care IF THEY PAY ME TO TAKE IT.

I will buy it when I am ready, and I will pay for it when I do. In a year or two, when it’s ready for prime time. Not before.

[corkoman]

I have made every attempt to prevent "auto" updates and yet MS finds a way to trip me up. I do not want Win 10 and every time I shut-down I look to see if there is that icon that indicates updates are about to be installed.

In the past month I have had to intervene 3 times to prevent a Win10 "upgrade". On Monday evening I found this "optional" update box checked-off as this article mentions.

Sneaky bastards. Now I am motivated to delete all those Win 10 upgrade files sitting on my local drive.

[jsanders2001]

> Second, Microsoft is pushing this every which way it can. I tried to download some new development code from the Microsoft web site- it seems you have to install Windows 10 before you can do almost anything there anymore.

my church has it installed on their computers. I don't on mind though. I started looking through it and noticed all the different ways it can spy on your online activities if you jusy download and don't change the settings. It almost felt like it was on one giant network constantly connected to Windows servers. Since Billy Boy Gates and the AntiChrist are hood buddies I just get this feeling it probably has built in keyloggers and activity monitors that are hidden and built into it. I just don't trust it. Not upgrading anytime soon.

[jsanders2001]

> Sneaky bastards. Now I am motivated to delete all those Win 10 upgrade files sitting on my local drive.

i did.

[zeugma]

Does anyone have a good list of updates that shouldn't be applied? There are several updates related to allowing data to be sent to MS, but unless you go through each, and every update and look at the KB article for them, it's hard to tell what the updates are actually for. I don't mind bug fixes, but I really don't want some of microsoft's new "features".

[prisoner6]

> Third- no one is reviewing it, telling us what is in it, telling us the features it has that would make you want to get it <

Really? It’s been, and is still being, covered extensively many places around the web. This is my favorite.

https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

You’ll have to go back months to see all the coverage.

If that is too much trouble simply go to

https://www.thurrott.com/

and

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/

For mostly text rather than video coverage. The Windows Weekly show on TWIT...This Week In Tech...

https://twit.tv/

is a weekly show that usually runs 2+ hours a week so it can become a little much to search through.

You might know Leo Laporte from the old The Screensavers show on G4, Tech TV or whatever it was called on cable. There is a NEW SCREENSAVERS as well on TWIT.

[tbw2]

They see themselves as having the right to all your data for marketing and analytic purposes, including files you never save to the cloud, unless you go through a multistage process several tech sites had trouble identifying.

[sheikdetailfeather]

A few days ago my Windows update had a Win 7 update which looked like it was for Win 7 (KBxxxx) so I checked it to update it and it said it was beginning to install Win 10! I stopped it and declined the license. I restarted my computer and it started again. I restarted the computer again and it did not attempt again. I just went and looked in Win Update after reading this and the Win 10 update is checked to be installed at the next update! I unchecked it!

[tbw2]

Do you know of a good financial management program like Quicken that runs on Linux?

[GingisK]

I saw the creeping crud, and knew what it was. I went back to XP, turned off all automatic updates, set a Linux firewall in front, installed MalwareBytes, and settled in for the siege.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

It’s listed as a cumulative update for win8.1. Only after download starts does any mention of win10 appear. It almost got me yesterday.