How Microsoft's tricky new Windows 10 pop-up deceives you into upgrading

PCWorld, ^ | 5/23/2016 | Brad Chacos

[rockrr]

Users who depend upon DOS support should be careful about a Windows 10 upgrade. I found that it does not support redirection of output such as in “type file > outputfile”.

Starting with Vista even if your user account is in the local administrators group there is still something called "UAC" or User Account Control. In order to access the full functionality of some applications - including the command prompt - you need to explicitly run it with elevated privileges.

Instead of just clicking on the link to launch the command prompt, right click on it and choose "Run as Administrator" then try your script or command.

[mancini]

I upgraded and my system behaves faster.

[DaxtonBrown]

My main machine is now Fedora Linux with KDE desktop. It is still a little grumpy compared to Windows, but this is now a fully functiona and slick system. I still have to use Microsoft Word for some applications (I write books, LibreWrite is fine otherwise). Otherwise I am free at last. No viruses, no Microsoft tax, plenty of specialty software. And it will only get better.

[TheCipher]

I’ve installed Never 10.I don’t see Microsoft nagware urging me to upgrade.

Yeah, I installed it a few weeks ago and have not seen the nagware.

Never 10

[bert]

What is the problem with windows 10?

windows 10 is great if you have the balls to accept the present

[SandRat]

I’m using Windows 9.7 and lots of those annoying pop-ups Screaming UPGRADE NOW to Windows 10. I just ignore them.

HEY! Microsoft.

I'm giving you the Magical Middle Widget Finger!

I'm STAYING on Windows 9.7!

[New Jersey Realist]

I have no problems with Windows 10.

[tflabo]

I use a utility program named GWX Control Panel from the Ultimate Outsider website. It helps make sure that Windows does not get you into Windows 10 when you do not want to.

Ditto here--- did the same last Thursday. Had to do a hard power down to prevent MS Gestapo from forcing OS 10 stop installing. My business computer I want to stay Windows 7. My personal laptop I did the upgrade to Windows 10.

[JimRed]

Call them.

I did. Got some dude in Bangladesh or some similar location who, after a half hour of my explaining the problem couldn't help.

Called the Staples store too, they said bring it in and they'd look at it. All I need is the damned code, which I cant find 'cause I cant find the packaging. They want a service charge, apparently.

[Mrs. B.S. Roberts]

thanks to my IT department for protecting me....

[Lazamataz]

My computer was unplugged and the hard drives were removed and when I put it back together and booted, Windows 10 was installed.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***the only issue I have so far is Microsoft Edge,***

Same here. I downoaded Windows 10. As a result my computer works faster, but I also have problems. I always kept two browser windows, IE and Mozilla on my computer. All reloaded with Windows 10, but IE(Edge) will not open at all. It says it can’t get to the page I am looking for. Also, on startup, the Windows 10 page has some weird foreign language for the date.

So I use Mozilla Firefox, and have downloaded Google Chrome as IE still will not open. When I tried to r-edownload Windows 10, it said I already have it and will not download anything to clear up the problem.

So I am getting used to Chrome along with Firefox.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The issue is not whether 10 is better than 7.
It’s that Microsoft is being underhanded and duplicitous.

[r_barton]

Microsoft is pushing Windows 10 because it has links to the Microsoft Store, to sell more stuff (apps, games, music, videos, etc) like the Google Play Store or the Apple Store.

Windows 7 doesn’t have links to the Microsoft Store. So that’s why Microsoft is pushing Windows 10. The upsell.

If you keep Windows 7, Microsoft doesn’t make any more money from that. From inside of Windows 10, Microsoft can sell you more things. Follow the money.

[McGruff]

You were distracted, so I updated to Windows 10 for you.

[DesertRhino]

Windows 10 upgrades are essentially date rape of the computer world. You wake up and realize what has happened when you were asleep.

[CatOwner]

I upgraded and my system behaves faster.

Windows-based operating systems always run faster at first. The registry is lean and not cluttered. Probably an artifact of performing the upgrade. Wait a few months, and your system should start slowing down.

[mkjessup]

I walked away from my computer doctor's office for a few minutes, and when I came back Windows 10 ObamaCare was being installed.

These sorts of things happen all over the place.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

This happened to me last week, turned the PC on and went to do something while it booted. Came back to find I was in the middle of the upgrade that I had declined about 70+ times over the past months. Well....you do not want to interrupt that process.

It installed fine, looked OK, because if I didn’t have 18,297 ways to reconfigure my opening screen and 1,825 ways to resize the tiles and 7,289 variations of desktop wallpaper I simply could not work the way I do.

But neither could I work the way I do with my second monitor dead and the card invisible to the OS so I could not see it nor get a new driver for it. A call to the mfr of that card determined that there was no suitable driver for WDOs 10. So back to 7 I went.

If your computer is over ~~5 years old and you have almost anything lashed up to it via a card, in other words, in anything but a very very vanilla configuration, you’ll almost certainly lose the driver to that device and it won’t work any more. This is just a fairly plain two-headed video card for driving two monitors.

I too was deeply offended by the unagreed-to upgrade and let MSFT know in no uncertain terms.

[Organic Panic]

The problem with win 10 in my case was the auto updates didn’t kill my installed engineering software until after the thirty days. It all just stopped working. Then, the engineering software companies refused to support win 10