Posted on 03/14/2016 2:17:19 PM PDT by dayglored
As Microsoft auto-upgrades more PCs to Windows 10, some users are complaining that they weren’t adequately notified.
Reports of unwanted Windows 10 upgrades have been circulating for the past few days on Reddit and Twitter, after the last Patch Tuesday. These users say they never approved or initiated the upgrade, and were dragged away from their Windows 7 (or perhaps Windows 8) installs anyway.
This is all part of Microsoft’s plan, of course. Last October, the company announced that it would reclassify Windows 10 as a “Recommended” update from older versions starting in early 2016, at which point many more users would get the upgrade without explicit permission. That reclassification began on February 1, and auto-upgrades have been rolling out ever since. If complaints are reaching a higher volume now, perhaps it’s because the rollout is getting more aggressive.
Here’s what the Recommended update looks like, according to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley:
First, users will receive a notification saying their PCs are scheduled to receive Windows 10 in the next three or four days. Users can click a small link to cancel or postpone the update, but simply closing the window will cause the notification to appear again one hour before the scheduled update time. If users don’t cancel or postpone within that timeframe, the update will begin automatically.At that point, the only way to back out of the Windows 10 update is to “Decline” the End User License Agreement that appears during the installation. This will cause the system to roll back to the previous Windows version (though this is a somewhat time-consuming process).
(Excerpt) Read more at pcworld.com ...
At least now, I am getting pesky pop-ups telling me i should upgrade to 10, but I "x" them out. If they auto-upgrade, I'll never buy another MS operated system, or program the rest of my life.
Apple must be dancing in the street with this MS PR disaster.
she looks psychotic
These updates have played havoc with a lot of people, especially BREAKING existing programs and Accessories.
Shouldn’t MICROSOFT be PROSECUTED under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?? They Willfully and Knowingly INVADED Hundreds of millions of Personal COmputers and caused countless BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in DAMAGE.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Act
I am about ready to get a Linux laptop to learn on.
Win7 is usable. Win10 is not. Win10 has too much glitz and glitter that hinders actual productivity. I can load an old version of Excel or Word and do what I need immediately. I load the Win7-10 Excel or Word or similar and spend 10 minutes just trying to figure out the menu and where they put the functions I need.
My next forced upgrade will be from Win7 to Linux, I think.
How do you turn off the updates in 7?
I’ve got updates shut off. I have W7 64 bit, about a year old, bought new software for it. It works to perfection, zero problems. All is easy to use.
Just why in the world would I want to change operating systems? The mere fact that it is free sends up a huge red flag.
“Must.
Learn.
Linux.”
Gandalf: Breathe the free air again, my friend.
Theoden: Dark has been my operating system of late.
Gandalf: Your fingers would remember their old strength better, if they grasped your keyboard...
I belive that it is still a Criminal Offense to put anything on someone's computer without their approval or permission .
It's called Breaking and Entering , Burglary 3rd (which is a Felony in this State ).
bttt
Do tbey have equipment fees for each box? Thats how they really make a tonmof extra dough for nothing.
Definitely give it a try Tom- if you have a computer you can experiment on all the better- I think you’ll really like it- Try linux mint cinnamon edition for a mostly familiar feel and look and for compatibility - also if you’re adventurous, after you install it on the laptop- install virtual machine workstation and install a few different flavors of linux to see which you prefer- I’ve tried lots- and boiled it down to the cinnamon flavor of linux- I never could get used to hte menus at the top in some linux flavors- or on the side- I prefer linux menus like windows- at bottom-
First mini box is free for 1 year, then $2/month. Additional mini boxes are $2/month.
Those ‘mini’ boxes, however, do not grant access to upper tiers or premium channels, even if subscribed to. Those require a main box which currently rents for $8.50/month.
Search for “DWX Control Panel”. It’s a utility that cleans out the Win 10 crap and blocks it from coming back.
I’ve made some tools to help put an end to this coerced Windows 10 installation nonsense. They can be downloaded from here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_hrA7ihzIPlVXpRUnJyc1AyNkU/view?usp=sharing
The three included tools uninstall the Windows 10 nagware and the Microsoft “telemetry” (spyware) “updates” from Windows 7 and Windows 8.x Operating Systems if they are installed, prevent the updates from being reinstalled, and remove the Windows 10 installer folder $WINDOWS.~BT if it is present.
These tools must be run from an account with Administrative privilege, which is the case (unfortunately) for most accounts. They can also be run from a non-Administrator account by right-clicking them and then left-clicking on “Run as Administrator”.
The tools are most effective when run in the following order:
1. Run PreventW10InstallationUAC.exe to set Microsoft Update to “manual only” mode and modify a couple of registry variables that tell the OS to never allow a newer OS to be installed. This tool will run quickly unless you accept the optional request (recommended) to make a System Restore Point before the tool makes it changes, in which case the Restore Point will take a while to make.
Note that after this procedure finishes, no more Microsoft updates will be applied unless you manually request a check for updates and then decide which updates to accept, though making such decisions requires knowledge that the average user usually does not possess. However, for mature operating systems I personally believe that blindly accepting Microsoft updates at this juncture has more downsides than upsides.
(If you DO want to attempt to manually check for updates, you’ll first have to change the Windows Update setting from “Never Check for Updates” to “Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them” before you click the “Check for updates” button.)
2. Run RemoveW10NagwareTool.exe to remove a set of Microsoft updates that relate to Windows 10 nagware (”white flag”) popup, Microsoft spyware, and the Windows 10 installer itself if any of them have been installed. Detection and uninstallation can take a few minutes to complete.
If any of this set of updates is found, you’ll need to reboot the system.
It might also be necessary to run this tool again after rebooting if the nagware update had previously been slated to be installed AGAIN, in which case after rebooting, you’ll STILL see the Windows 10 (”white flag”) nag. If that’s the case, just run this tool again and reboot again, and then run PreventW10InstallationUAC.exe again.
3. Finally, after you’re sure the Windows 10 nagware has been removed, run RemoveW10Folder.exe to detect and remove the Windows 10 install folder if it is found.
I tried it as well. Messed with my entire machine. I went back to 7 but IE Explorer still is wonky. Have been using Chrome. My machine is still running super slow.
I just found it, and “hid” it, waiting for installation in CP:
Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, v1511, 10586
Damn!
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