They're BAAACK: Windows 10 nagware team loads trebuchet with annoying reminders to GTFO Windows 7

The Register ^ | Mar 13, 2019 | Richard Speed

[dayglored]

Hail of notifications incoming... just be thankful 8 passed you by

Updated Windows 7 holdouts have been warned to expect a notification suggesting that perhaps an upgrade might be in order.

Matt Barlow, corporate veep for Windows, has promised Windows 7 users are to receive a "courtesy reminder" that support is running out for the venerable OS as 14 January 2020 looms large.

Barlow also noted that Office 2010 ends its support run shortly thereafter, but for now the focus is on Windows 7.

The helpful notifications will doubtless send a shiver of déjà vu down the spines of users who found themselves on the receiving end of Microsoft's increasingly shrill exhortations to switch to Windows 10 for free during the operating system's first year.

The "free upgrade" notification back in the day was a bit confusing, and some users reported Windows 10 sidling up to their systems without permission.

Microsoft quietly killed the nagware – after all, 350 million or so devices running Windows 10 after the first year was mission accomplished. That billion couldn't be far away, right?

While the official freebie upgrade offer is long gone, Microsoft has clearly learned lessons from the nagware experience. This time around the notifications will only appear a "handful" of times, and users will have an option to "do not notify me again".

Barlow also insists the notification is for "information only" and clicking "learn more" will send the user off into a world full of shiny new hardware and software.

We checked with Microsoft to find out what "handful" actually meant. Some people have pretty big hands (although the claws of this Vulture have been described as "Trumpian" after remarking on the size of the iPhone XR). We also asked whether enterprises would be able to able head the things off before weary PFYs start fielding the inevitable support calls. ®

[dayglored]

> Oh I’ll keep windoze around - but only in a VM.

That's how I'm doing it too. So when it goes sideways, just delete the old system VMDK (virtual disk) and copy in from the most recent backup. 5 minutes later it's running fine again.

[867V309]

That's how I'm doing it too. So when it goes sideways, just delete the old system VMDK (virtual disk) and copy in from the most recent backup. 5 minutes later it's running fine again.

VM:   frankly, that's how the os should always run. a fresh, junk-free copy on every boot.

[CarmichaelPatriot]

Save up for a used Mac and upgrade to MacOS. You’ll never look back.

[CarmichaelPatriot]

MacOS is better.

[Carriage Hill]

I’ll stay w/ 2009 Win-7 Pro x64, even at gunpoint. Eff MS!

[dayglored]

There’s a load of us feel that way.

[SunkenCiv]

Heh, yeah, I think XP was the most popular installation of W, ever, I've got a kooky little embedded XP box around here somewhere.

[867V309]

I've got a kooky little embedded XP box around here somewhere.

>I've got an XP blob for VM, nothing kooky about it.       ms can go screw themselves trying to force me into renting their increasingly deleterious cr@p.

[wastedyears]

I prefer being able to buy the parts I want and put it together, instead of paying $1000 for bragging rights.

[867V309]

I prefer being able to buy the parts I want and put it together, instead of paying $1000 for bragging rights.

if it weren't for iphone, apple would just be another sony.     and iphone is playing out.

[DAC21]

Remember folks if you haven’t updated to Win 10 because you don’t like the tiles desktop. Classic Shell is a free program that turns your Win 10 desktop back into the Windows 7 style desktop / start menu.

[ducttape45]

Enterprise LTSB edition?

What version?

[ducttape45]

I have XP and 7 dual-booted on one hard, and W10 1607 on another.

The XP/7 hard will forever stay that way. XP has Office 2003, 7 has Office 2010, both of which run way better than 2013 and 2016 ever will.

I have software freezing W10 at that version and it go no further, until, of course, MicroThief gets around my defenses and updates against my wishes.

I'm content.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Barlow also noted that Office 2010 ends its support run shortly thereafter”

Since I”m still using Office 2003 (on Win 7), I guess I’m screwed. ;). Fortunately, 2003 is so damn good, I haven’t needed support on it for over 10 years. Hubby has the 365 “rental plan” , or whatever it is, and it’s a hot mess.

[MayflowerMadam]

“we’d all be using WordPerfect right now.”

If only... I could do magic with DOS WordPerfect in the early ‘90s. The best program. And Lotus and Paradox. Gates sure did mess up everything with his godforsaken bundles.

[MayflowerMadam]

“I think this whole computer thing is just a fad that won’t last”

LOL! We just watched a “Madmen” episode where a moving crew lugged an IBM 360 in to the office. Some said the whole computer thing would never catch on.

[Chickensoup]

Mine started an unrequested upgrade years ago. I couldn’t stop it so I turned the lap top upside down and removed the battery.

[Chickensoup]

I have office 2003 on Win7 a nice stable couple.

[Baldwin77]

You don’t have Double Trouble, do you?

[newfreep]

As an entrepreneur working from my home, I’m using Office2007...and it works just fine for my requirements.