You could do it now … or tonight … or maybe we will just do it for you while you are away because we are such nice people and we know you are really concerned about running the latest OS and security patches.
Yes that's right folks, if you have yet to take advantage of Microsoft's generosity they will soon be making you an offer that is impossible to refuse … almost. The nag screens have been updated to offer two obvious choices, Upgrade Now or Upgrade Tonight, with that little red x in the corner being the only way to turn down the offer. By now you have probably had relatives reach out to you about this latest virus, or your friends explain how this proves Microsoft is out to eat your brainwaves or some such thing.
What it does mean is that the average user is going to be rather miffed but will likely upgrade if they are not privy to the secret of the red x. Those who don't use their computers often, or who will be away for the holidays will come home to a shiny new OS in the very near future as Windows 10 has reached Recommended Update status and will install itself on all Win7/8x systems not configured to defer updates. The smell of desperation is in the air, the knowledgeable have already chosen to upgrade or to disable the nag screens while the unaware are about to encounter a surprise and we all know how well unexpected surprises are received lately.
Why Microsoft is so desperate to push this free upgrade out, even to with the risk of alienating their largest user base, barring corporations who they had to exempt, is somewhat of a mystery. Then again, it is better than snatching the upgrade away before the originally announced year and billing full price on the next upgrade cycle. Perhaps they are looking at Amazon's success with subscription based cloud services with a bit of jealousy?
"We spoke to Microsoft about our concerns last month and were told that "the average user … wants to make sure they've got the most secure and always up-to-date version of Windows, and the feedback we get is that people want that to be as simple and seamless as possible""
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Samsung turned our SSD Endurance Experiment into something incredible @ The Tech Report
- Firefox 64-bit for Windows Available @ [H]ard|OCP
- Amazon tells people who bought hoverboards to get rid of them @ The Inquirer
- Ho ho hosed: Asian biz malware pwns air-gaps, thousands of Androids @ The Register
- Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon @ Linux.com
Win 7 until I die.
Win 7 until I die.
One Windows 7 machine in my
One Windows 7 machine in my home is supporting my disabled son want to play solitary and Mahjongg. His is learning disabled and the icons for him are right on the desktop. With Windows 10 these are no longer stand a lone apps they come from the x-box app. This is to complex for him to continue using the previously built in apps. I could disable the upgrade but would instead hope that MS will return the games to home versions of Windows.
sorry but he can play
sorry but he can play Solitaire and Mahjongg but not click a menu to open up the game?
You would be unjustified in
You would be unjustified in assuming a disabled son would not have problems making the mental connection on how launch applications on a new interface, but still have the ability to play the game of Solitaire and Mahjongg. So make the Rain Man connection and you will understand! conceptually, launching an application and playing a game are to different things. Certain mental disabilities may allow for exceptional Solitaire and Mahjongg skills, but things like simple application starting may prove difficult.
Google Savant syndrome!
As of Windows 10, you can put
As of Windows 10, you can put shortcuts to “modern apps” including 3rd party ones, right on the desktop. Minesweeper, Solitaire Collection, and Majong all have their own launch tiles, so you don’t have to launch them from the X-box app, barring circumstances of which I am unaware…
Ms doesn’t actually care
Ms doesn’t actually care about consumers if they did they would keep this upgrade free indefinitely. Ms cares about businesses and regardless of what we think ms makes massive amounts of money from the services they offer and not nearly as much from windows.
LOL
LOL
Personally, I could care less
Personally, I could care less about Microsoft pushing their latest OS upgrade. Most people, unless software or hardware limitations need them to remain on an older OS *should* be on the latest version for security and various other reasons. Most of the complaining here just looks like the usual Microsoft hate train to me. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
Bull$hit, Monopoly apologist!
Bull$hit, Monopoly apologist! M$ hate is the hate for Ma Bell, the hate for the Standard Oil Trust, and all the other Monopolies! There is not enough enforcement of the laws on the books to stop M$’s illegally using their monopoly PC/laptop OS market share to force a vertical market control over the Independent PC/Laptop hardware market, and M$ should not be allowed to use its OS to force its way with end users! No to M$’s spyware OS force feeding its nefarious code base on end users! Spydows 10, never on my hardware!
You are a paied spin doctor!
Your hate of Windows 10 is
Your hate of Windows 10 is not valid. Apple forces its users to upgrade to its latest operating system by giving very life-span to each version of OSX.
Apple does not force it’s
Apple does not force it’s OS/OS update on any third party OEM PC/Laptop hardware, Apple only offers its OS with its Apple branded hardware! M$ has turned the independent third party PC/Laptop OEMs into its De Facto divisions in a illegal monopoly market tactic resulting in the independent PC/Laptop OEMs becoming vertically market controlled via the M$ windows/windows 10 OS software ecosystem and monetization scheme.
This Vertical Market control over the independent third party PC/laptop OEMs is the dictionary definition of a violation of the Sherman Antitrust ACT! M$ is only a supplier of the OS part to the independent PC/Laptop OEMs, and as such this whole Windows OS bundling with the PC/Laptops OEM hardware should have never been allowed! And Now with windows 10 M$ is going even further and taking over control of the end users’ independently produced third party OEM PC/Laptop hardware, this madness must be stopped! It’s time for the US Justice Department to do its duty, or be considered in dereliction of its sworn duty to uphold the antitrust statutes on the books!
This Apple does it, so why not M$ fallacy does not hold up, Apple does not force its closed OS ecosystem on any independently produced third party OEM produced PC/Laptop hardware in the marketplace!
Does it really matter if they
Does it really matter if they control the market with Windows 10 or older versions?
And M$ happens to be already treated like a monopoly around the world. Windows versions however hardly play any role there.
Frankly speaking, MS is bound to piss off quite a few customers. And get bad press to boot. So I am surprised they decided for such a desperate approach.
For a PC site, you guys seem
For a PC site, you guys seem to be Verge-like in your constant whining and digging at Microsoft. One of them run over your Grandma or something?
It’s justified. Fool.
It’s justified. Fool.
Whining and digging? Either
Whining and digging? Either you define those words oddly or you are imaging your own context which has nothing to do with what I wrote.
what jeremy wrote is fair but
what jeremy wrote is fair but we all know that anonymous will show up in the comments with a long diatribe about m$. Then again ms article has almost 20 comments while oculus rift article on same day only has 1.
I’ll bet you love Comcast
I’ll bet you love Comcast too, as well as Ma Bell, and the Standard Oil Trust! Well you sure like to bend over and take a good forced update where the sun does not shine, but others will not bend over for the Royal treatment on their independently produced third party OEM produced PC/Laptop hardware! I get my PC/laptop hardware from a third party OEM and not M$, so M$ is just another supplier to the OEM, and M$ has no rights to squat its windows 10, or windows 8, abominations on my hardware! It’s 7 until its EOL, then M$ can promptly go to HELL!
Come Jan 2016, be sure to
Come Jan 2016, be sure to disable automatic windows updates, and manually check for windows updates on patch Tuesday. Watch out for that windows 10 optional/recommended update/install and be sure it’s unchecked and hidden.
Be very wary of clicking on that little help balloon that appears over the windows update Tray Icon, if you have windows 7’s windows update set up to notify you only but to let you choose when to download and install!! Do not click on the Help Balloon, but instead go directly to the start menu and start windows update from there, clicking on that little help balloon will download and install updates without any review list presented.
Always if any notification appears for an update in the Tray Icon, go to the start menu and manually launch windows update from the link provided there in the all programs section of windows 7’s start menu. Always, only install windows updates clearly marked as Security, the other updates need to be thoroughly researched. Watch out for those KBs that are the nag ware, and uninstall them and expect windows update to try to re-offer the offending nagware KBs, so just keep un-checking and hiding the offending KBs! Be wary of any M$ windows 7 updates not clearly marked as Security Related!
That Nagware windows 10 download Tray Icon and nefarious 10 update offering can be avoided by not uninstalling the Offending nagware KBs, or uninstalling the Offending KB’s that have been previously installed.
Stay Safe and Spydows 10 free!
Edit: not uninstalling the
Edit: not uninstalling the Offending nagware KBs
To: not installing the Offending nagware KBs
I only enable windows update
I only enable windows update when I try to install patch manually(less than once a year) and without internet connetction.
Far easier to disable windows
Far easier to disable windows update service completely and just use wsusoffline, that will grab only security updates and save them, then you can run it’s autmated installer to install them. Even better if you do this from the start with a fresh install you never get the nagware installed.
So how DO you disable the
So how DO you disable the update nag app? What Windows update do I uninstall, or is there more to it then that? I read the linked article(which didn’t say) and then looked at the Microsoft blog that THEY referenced, but couldn’t find anything there either.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll move to 10 at some point. Now isn’t the right time for me though.
Find the KB number of the
Find the KB number of the nagware and uninstall the KB!
KB3035583, and KB2952664 are two of the main nagware KBs, but there may be others!
Great, thank you. I’ll nix
Great, thank you. I’ll nix those two and see how it goes.
Google “gwx control panel”
Google “gwx control panel” for a standalone utility that will not only disable/hide the taskbar upgrade icon, but also check to see if Windows has downloaded the damn thing without your approval. It simplifies things considerably.
“the average user … wants
“the average user … wants to make sure they’ve got the most secure and always up-to-date version of Windows…”
Yeah….sure….and Lenovo was caught with their pants around their ankles, so sure of the idea that their customers would appreciate the ads provided by Superfish.
Yup, as I mentioned I am
Yup, as I mentioned I am somewhat confused by their business plan on the consumer side, frankly by Dell, Lenovo and many other providers as well.
It could well be that the market has changed drastically and isn't on my lawn anymore though.
OEM’s and M$ have no place
OEM’s and M$ have no place messing around with a PC’s/laptop’s Firmware other than to provide boot up/reasonable Boot up security, and it would be better if all UEFI/BIOSs firmware were standardized around open source code for security/privacy auditing purposes!
M$ as a Monopoly PC/laptop OS interest needs to be forced to turn over the entire UEFI secure boot key signing authority over to an open standards industry association. OEMs/OS makers should be prevented from adding any bloatware re-installing, or other security/privacy circumvention features into a PC/Laptop/other device’s firmware.
Whats that video called from
Whats that video called from which you got that pic?
I remember that picture from a funny video long time ago.
It’s a picture used in “crazy
It’s a picture used in “crazy girlfriend meme”. Looks like there’s a Youtube video that it was originally taken from.
“overly attached girlfriend”
"overly attached girlfriend" another chapter the strange world of internet fame
The avg user isn’t crying or
The avg user isn’t crying or bitching about windows 10 at all.
like..NONE OF THEM.
I have yet to have a person look at a machine and go oh nooooo windows 10 oh godddddddd.
Internet comment nerds on the other hand are replacing their keyboards once a week because they can’t stop!
If they have successfully
If they have successfully dodged upgrading till now, I honestly don’t think they want to upgrade. Microsoft has been making plenty of kack-handed moves lately which don’t inspire me with confidence, from “cumulative updates” that have no information as to what they are for, and which are quite frequently breaking important things, to the ridiculously hard-sell upgrade tactics they are employing.
Honestly, I think they’re trying to get rid of 7 and 8.x entirely, so they can cut down on the number of versions they have to support.
No, Microsoft is not getting
No, Microsoft is not getting rid of supporting Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 as they have stated end-of-life support dates already.
It is rather to have larger
It is rather to have larger install base for universal apps and Windows Store, that is currently quite a joke.
Heck, even Microsoft’s own Office 2016 is NOT universal app /facepalm.
Frankly, I would prefer installing all applications from Windows Store (+probably Steam), but the apps that are there are just plain joke.
I think Microsoft pushing the
I think Microsoft pushing the update for Windows 10 is logical for the majority of their users. I personally haven’t upgraded my laptop and desktop from 8.1 yet. I’ll do that when I eventually build a new Skylake desktop at Pascal’s release date.
Jeremy repeatedly expressing his dislike for the automatic updates could be tempered by an article explaining why Microsoft would actually want to push the updates.
I also think that updating to
I also think that updating to Windows 10 is logical for the majority of their users.
I am not part of that majority.
I fully understand the “risks” I’m taking by choosing to stay on 7, and I intend to stay on it anyway. Thanks for offering the free update, Microsoft, but I really really don’t want it. Why? Doesn’t matter. I don’t want it. I don’t want it right now, I won’t want it later – I’m not going to install it until some game that requires W10 and DX12 comes out that I JUST HAVE TO PLAY AND I CAN’T GO ON LIVING IF I DON’T PLAY IT – and then I’ll update.
It’s my computer, it’s my hardware, it’s my right.
If Microsoft had simply included a button for, “I understand the risks and I don’t want Windows 10, please stop bothering me about it,” and then actually stopped bothering people about it when they clicked that button, there would be absolutely zero negative press – and, I’d be willing to bet, there would actually be MORE people updated by now.
Couldn’t agree more, the
Couldn’t agree more, the problem with the auto-forced updates is that there is no obvious way to shut it off, its the ultimate malware. A lot of things aren’t compatible with win10 yet, and unless you do research, its not clear how to stop the nags (even people posting here had to ask which KB’s to install or not install).
So yeah there should have been a way to decline the offer permanently, if there had been it would have not resulted in the negative press, this isnt some sort of anti-microsoft agenda, its just bad sales practices, no one likes a nag, and it also portends something badly out of whack with MS if they feel compelled to do this shit — Whats broken with the other OS’s preceding win10? Is win10 being installed because there is something MS wants from you, or something that the government can now get from you by installing it that they could not get from win <10 ?
Tried win10, stuff was buggy, or didnt work, went back to win7, its easier to use and cant say there is any functional difference with the way apps behave. In other words, im not missing anything by staying on win7.
Also,
"unexpected surprises" aren't all surprises unexpected because they are, well, a surprise?
sur·prise
sə(r)ˈprīz/
noun
noun: surprise; plural noun: surprises
1. an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing.
I’m glad I disabled updates
I’m glad I disabled updates on Win7 before all of this windows 10 and telemetry business. I’d rather have a more vulnerable system and an increased chance of being part of some Russian botnet than a 100% chance of being in Microsoft’s botnet. Please save us, Linux
Russian botnet infection is
Russian botnet infection is nasty. You would not wish it your enemy. So you like crytoware, I see.
I see a number of people pop
I see a number of people pop in here defending M$ but those who have complaints have legitimate reasons to have concerns.
– Several botched updates to windows 10
– Updates in win 10 have no explanation as to what they change
– Telemetry tracking in windows 10 has no real way to turn it off.
– Adding above tracking to win7/8 with no warning and no explanation as to what info is being tracked.
– Forcing updates on users in win 10 with only the PRO edition now having an option to postpone for a period of time.
– reissuing both the nagware and the telemetry updates to windows update so those updates are no longer hidden.
– Adding advertising to windows 10
– No comments at all as to what their business model will be after windows 10 is no longer a free update
I’m sure there is more I can add to this list. I think that many have the feeling of M$ is just giving the consumer the middle finger here and basically trying to force people to do things their way. Quite frankly it feels like their trying to be Apple… I can’t f’ing stand Apple.
Now absolutely honest
Now absolutely honest question, no irony, or whatever: What is the issue with telemetry tracking?
I happen to turn it on, so that the SW vendor knows MY issues and MY preferences and how *I* use the SW, so that they can focus the development in a way, that it benefits MY use case.
As a sidenote:
1) I doubt that more than 0.0001% users understand content of the updates anyway.
2) Business model is simple: Unlimited use for the lifetime of the device (that was confirmed serveral times by MS representatives). Non-OEM versions of Win10 even do not have even that limitation. Where MS would get money? Probably from commissions off Windows Store, which is a sad joke right now.
Absolutely honest answer with
Absolutely honest answer with another question as an answer:
You don’t mind having every keystroke that you make sent to the vendor of the OS on your computer?
When you use cortana, your voice is recorded and saved on a server.
MS is also not transparent about what they are collecting, in total, and how they are anonymizing it, if at all, and how long they are storing it, who they are selling the data to or providing that data to, etc. Use your imagination here, if you can think it, its going to happen or someone else already thought of it.
I will leave you with one last unpleasant thought, if MS can collect that telemetry from you computer, so can the government or some other bad actor that may want to do you harm.
This is obvious stuff here, i supposed you dont object to having your phone calls recorded and emails read by the government either.
My answer to your question
My answer to your question is: I would mind having every keystroke sent to some server.
Even if I trusted Microsoft, and did not mind NSA spying on me, there would still be quite a risk of having data about my keystrokes stolen via interception or hacking MS/NSA servers.
But unfortunately, your question is not that relevant to my question, because
telemetry =/= keylogging
but rather gathering info on the applications you use, etc. (some more transparency would not hurt here)
(not in release versions,it might in insider preview versions, but those are for testing and development)
Telemetry =/= keylogging –
Telemetry =/= keylogging – this is true.
However, keylogging = keylogging.
And Win10 logs your keystrokes.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2974057/windows/how-to-turn-off-windows-10s-keylogger-yes-it-still-has-one.html
I turned that one off and
I turned that one off and Cortana does not work for my language.
Just to be clear, I do consider the default privacy settings very aggressive.
Usage data from multiply
Usage data from multiply sources indicates that Windows 10 has a roughly 9% market share and it’s s growing by roughly 1% a month.
This means people aren’t upgrading machines, instead the rise in marketshare is from people buying new computers with Windows 10 installed.
It’s clear that if Microsoft doesn’t force users to upgrade their machines, Windows 10 will be a minority OS for years.
Still on Windows 8.1 64-bit.
Still on Windows 8.1 64-bit. I’ve heard horror stories about upgrading and it failing halfway through… should I take the plunge and move on?
Upgraded to Windows 10 Pro
Upgraded to Windows 10 Pro from Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit on 2007 Acer Aspire 5630 laptop with 4 GB RAM and 240 GB SSD using the Media Creation Tool for USB. No problems here. Just make sure you realize that Windows Media Center is removed from Windows 10.
I upgraded from Win7 and even
I upgraded from Win7 and even got 10 GB of SSD space as a bonus.
Still on Windows 8.1 64-bit.
Still on Windows 8.1 64-bit. I’ve heard horror stories about upgrading and it failing halfway through… should I take the plunge and move on?
Keeping 7Pro on one rather
Keeping 7Pro on one rather old Dell Core 2 Duo laptop because it runs fine, it probably would not run 10 very well and 10 would not bring to it ANY features I need. That laptop is used for programming two-way radios (Motorola, Tytera, Icom, Baofeng, Harris, Wouxun, GEEricsson, GRECOM, Yaesu Vertex, and more), and is useful BECAUSE it is old and slow and has a hardware serial port and behaves itself with the programming software I use.
7 Pro is all I need and all I will ever need it to run. It has maxed-out ram, a whopping 4 gigs. It has a Samsung SSD it will never ever use to full advantage but solid state makes the laptop far more rugged. It has a superb wifi card. And it works.
I SAID
I SAID NAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUWWWW!!!11