Microsoft Backtracks On 'Nasty Trick' Upgrade To Windows 10 (bbc.co.uk) 376
Reader Raging Bool writes: Days after angering many users with its so-called "nasty trick", Microsoft has reversed its crazy decision to infuriate users by upgrading them to Windows 10 automatically. Users were angry that clicking the cross to dismiss the box meant that they had agreed to the upgrade. Based on "customer feedback", Microsoft said it would add another notification that provided customers with "an additional opportunity for cancelling the upgrade". Microsoft told the BBC it had modified the pop-up as a result of criticism: "We've added another notification that confirms the time of the scheduled upgrade and provides the customer an additional opportunity for cancelling or rescheduling the upgrade. If the customer wishes to continue with their upgrade at the designated time, they can click 'OK' or close the notifications with no further action needed."
Malware trick (Score:5, Insightful)
A typical malware trick, make the close button install the stuff.
Criminals.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Insightful)
Almost seems like they were betting on the vetted response for popups, which is to hit the X immediately after it pops up.
Re: (Score:2)
You mean they had telemetry which told them people's behavior? On Windows 7? But I thought Windows 7 was safe!
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Informative)
Microsoft retrofitted much of its Win 10 spyware into Windows 7 updates a while back.
Re: (Score:3)
Microsoft retrofitted much of its Win 10 spyware into Windows 7 updates a while back.
How can I check to see if I was infected with this Windows Malware in my Win 7 system?
And second, if it did do that, is there any way to throw the genie out of the bottle? (Get rid of the spyware?)
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Informative)
Unlike with Windows 10, with Windows 7 you actually can remove the spyware. Check out this link: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmas... [reddit.com]
Re: (Score:3)
Correct. Copypasta from the reddit link, user /u/qua-z:
(so a copy is here)
-------
KB3068708 Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry
KB3022345 Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry
KB2952664 Compatibility update for upgrading Windows 7
KB2990214 Update that enables you to upgrade from Windows 7 to a later version of Windows
KB3035583 Update installs Get Windows 10 app in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1
KB971033 Description of the update for Windows Activation Technologies
KB3021917
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Informative)
Here's my personal page I follow for avoiding Win10 & Telemetry:
http://game-point.net/misc/dontEnableAutomaticUpdates/ [game-point.net]
Re: (Score:2)
Does your system run any MS OSes newer than DOS? Then you have Windows Malware.
I was hoping that, in the context of the current discussion, you would understand that I meant the "Telemetry" malware that comes from MICROSOFT.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Informative)
In short, install W7 from a known "clean" source, as much as that exists, and then manually download and update only those pieces that you deem necessary. There's a list out there somewhere with what you need.
While I may be flippant above, it actually is the right answer for 99% of windows users, including most admins. If you're running any still supported windows, you will need to expend significant effort to ensure that you are both "safe"* and not subject to those "bad" updates.
I say this from the POV of someone that has gone through that process with NT/2K/XP/2003/2008/2008R2 in stripping down the OS to only what was needed, removing large amounts of useless (to me) and insecure components and only keeping those that were needed updated. The first step in any of these processes is to remove Windows Update entirely from the system. The second is download all updates you need. If you're lucky, a service pack can be used and then stripped down post install. In others, be prepared for a couple of days of fun getting everything packaged up. Slipstreaming an install disk used to be the way to go. With the latter few OSes we didn't have to install much, because those were appliances that were heavily restricted and cordoned off from just about everything with only 2 services really available. Keeping up with the updates is a different story though, that's almost a full time job.
* "safe" means you have the updates necessary for security for those components you have running, as much as windows can be made "safe". You'll note elsewhere that my opinion on windows (in)security can be summed up as "a castle built on sand". Everything you code in windows has to design around the masked security tokens they use, where each process must have a maximum permission token for the process with permissions masked for anything you wish to reduce. There is no permission elevation, only removal of mask(s). This is why every buffer exploit in windows is a potential System level process, since just about every process starts with System when it's spawned.
Re: (Score:2)
At which point the user can still cancel. The summary on this is really misleading, claiming it automatically upgrades, which would be much, much worse. MS was out of line, but a person would have to be an idiot or a child to accidentally upgrade.
I always thought that was the Microsoft target demographic. Yeah, I have a Windows PC, so I guess I have to admit to being an idiot.
Re: (Score:3)
The summary on this is really misleading, claiming it automatically upgrades
Unless you cancel, it will upgrade. That's pretty automatic.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Informative)
Unless you cancel, it will upgrade. That's pretty automatic.
If you enable automatic updates, that pretty manual. That's what's happening here. Users who have opted to automatically install recommended updates are being notified that there is a scheduled update to Windows 10. Clicking the "x" on the notification doesn't stop the scheduled update, it only closes the notification window -- which is what the 'x' is supposed to do.
It's like a notification that pops up that says "you have new email". You wouldn't expect the system to delete your email if you click on the 'x' to close the notification, would you? Of course not. Well, this is a notification that tells you that there is a scheduled update going to happen. Clicking 'x' closes the notification. If you don't want the scheduled thing to happen, change the schedule.
The issue is NOT that "clicking the x performs the update", because it doesn't. The issue is that Microsoft made Windows 10 a recommended update, which is catching people who have automatic updates turned on.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Insightful)
It's like a notification that pops up that says "you have new email". You wouldn't expect the system to delete your email if you click on the 'x' to close the notification, would you? Of course not.
I also wouldn't expect the e-mail client I've been happily using for years to one day automatically schedule an update that reorganised its whole UI, started randomly cancelling e-mails I was in the middle of writing to reload itself every now and then, started quietly forwarding my mails to some unknown third party, and corrupted 25% of my saved mail if I tried to back the update out, and then just pop up a random notice not even asking for my active consent to go ahead but just telling me how I'm going to be screwed unless I click the tiny text hidden in the middle of the dialog instead of any of the controls I've been using for those past few years.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm sorry, but you are defending the indefensible. If Microsoft were being as reasonable and transparent as you suggest, it wouldn't be literally front page news that they've upset so many people who were surprised at what happened, didn't want it, and in particular explicitly thought they hadn't agreed to it.
The behaviour we're talking about, installing recommended updates automatically, is the default. It's what someone gets if they don't know to actively change it. If someone didn't install Windows 7 themselves but instead bought a PC with Windows pre-installed, it's unreasonable to assume that they would have any idea there was even anything to change. And for about a decade, the default policy was sensible, because it meant users who didn't know these things still received important security and stability fixes.
Suddenly making an entire new OS (let's not insult anyone's intelligence by pretending it's anything like a normal Windows 7 upgrade, please) recommended is a drastic change in the expected behaviour.
Turning back on various updates that users have explicitly and actively declined previously is a drastic change in behaviour.
Bundling nag messages about the update within otherwise unrelated security updates is a drastic change in behaviour.
You can dress it up however you want, but the end result is still the same: users are being tricked into upgrading, and many of them very clearly didn't want to be and didn't intend to make the choice you blame them for. Microsoft's reputation isn't going to do any better because of the dubious technicalities you're basing your argument on. If this winds up in a court, it's unlikely those types of argument will do them much good either.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Insightful)
Yup. Paid close attention to the dialog last night.
My shiny new SSD arrived from Amazon for my upstairs gaming PC, so I decided it would be a good time to do a fresh reinstall.
Did the base install, installed SP1, installed IE11 (Because so much shit wants IE for who knows what gods awful reason), installed security essentials, did the "takes forever and uses lots of ram to check updates" manual update, did the convenience rollup, then checked for updates.
Yup, GWX showed up in an even nastier form than before. It told me proudly that I was scheduled to upgrade on saturday at 11:00am. THERE WAS NO CANCEL BUTTON. I dug through the settings and menu choices. There was no option to cancel the upgrade. The window was just a notification that it had set up the hidden automated task, and when it would happen.
I had to install GWX control panel and use THAT to cancel the update, and remove the GWX components.
From the sound of the summary, microsoft still has "upgrade by default! We KNOW you secretly want it!" as the default, and closing the notification does not cancel the upgrade. They have just begrudgingly added a cancel button, in the disused settings menu, behind a sign that says "beware of the leopard."
It's almost like they simply refuse to accept that what is angering their customers is the "upgrade by default!" behavior, and are acting confused why people dont want to switch.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Insightful)
Nonsense. Why technically clicking cancel did not cause the install (which was pre-scheduled), the effect ws intended to be the same. By having a big button that lets up upgrade immediately they trick people into thinking that anything else stops the upgrade. Once you see the notification, the upgrade is *already* scheduled and *will* happen unless you take action to prevent it. This makes even very smart people able to make mistakes. It is easy to mistake this for yet another Windows 10 advertisement and unless you read and understand every word in the notification you can easily be misled.
Let's make this clear: You will automatically be upgraded to Windows 10 if you do nothing, you will automatically be upgraded if you ignore that notification, you will automatically be upgraded if you reboot your computer. The only way to stop the upgrade is to OPT OUT.
There are three buttons on that notifier, but you only see two. Two buttons are in standard Windows notifier style, the third is in Metro style and is a single word in a small font colored blue, and that third easily overlooked "button" is what must be pressed to cancel the scheduled upgrade.
This current turn around is false. They say "If the customer wishes to continue with their upgrade at the designated time, they can click 'OK' or close the notifications with no further action needed." This is the same behavior as the notification people are complaining about! If you close this second-chance notification by clicking on "x" then it will still install Windows 10 according to the schedule! Theyve given no hints that they will make the second-chance notification be clearer and less ambiguous than the first notification! And they've got the journalists duped as they're reporting a Microsoft "backtrack" when they're still going full speed ahead into the iceberg.
Re: (Score:2)
Agreed. Fuck you, Microsoft. I had already trained my 9yo son to press the X to close the upgrade window whenever he might see it (he uses my computer more than I). Saturday morning, Windows 10 was installed. Goddamn it.
Doesn't Windows auto-generate a System Restore Point when you do an "Upgrade"/"Update"?
If so, I would imagine you can change your mind pretty easily.
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
With your nic you might be forgiven for thinking that a "System Restore Point" actually did something along those lines.
The Rest of Us know better.
Re: (Score:2)
With your nic you might be forgiven for thinking that a "System Restore Point" actually did something along those lines.
The Rest of Us know better.
Thanks for the snarky, but uninformative, response.
And I am (rather obviously) no friend of Microsoft; but isn't there an "uninstall upgrade" that is offered for some sort of limited time, like 30 days?
Ah yes, here it is [cnet.com].
Thanks for NOTHING, smartass. You were so proud of yourself riffing on my username that you completely ignored my question (Can you roll-back from Windows 10).
Good Job!
Re: (Score:2)
You were being trolled. It's not hard to roll back the upgrade.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Informative)
Some people have ended up broken when trying to revert and had to reinstall W7 from scratch.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I rolled back the latest Windows Insider build just a few days ago. It works just fine, even in the bleeding edge versions.
Re: (Score:3)
Windows 8 and 10 have File History that backs up your data files automatically to an SD card, USB or network drive. Few people know it exists.
Data files only? That's like OS X's HFS+ File Journaling, only not as fine-grained. Time Machine backs up EVERYTHING.
In fact, you can literally take a bare, unformatted drive, boot an OS X Install disc/USB Stick, choose "Restore From Time Machine Backup", and in a couple of hours (depending on drive size), you will be EXACTLY back to where you were. I did it with a friend's iMac, and both of us were mightily impressed...
Re:Malware trick (Score:4, Informative)
RTFA.
Re:Malware trick (Score:4, Interesting)
Doesn't Windows auto-generate a System Restore Point when you do an "Upgrade"/"Update"?
Two problems with this:
1) The installation and subsequent restore take a significant amount of time (we're talking 2-3 hours on a laptop hdd). My mom experienced the joys of this when her computer spontaneously decided to update in the middle of her typing a report for work. It took 2 hours to install windows 10 (no way to stop it once it starts), and then another 2 hours to restore back to windows 8.1 when I declined the windows 10 EULA.
2) If the computer can't boot to windows 10 after the "upgrade", restoring it back to the previous OS as if nothing ever happened gets complicated (if not impossible). I haven't experienced it firsthand, but other slashdot users have reported windows 10 spontaneously installing on older computers that couldn't support it and basically requiring a clean reinstall in order to work.
Re:Malware trick (Score:4, Insightful)
That no matter what they do, Microsoft will try to screw them?
Re:Malware trick (Score:4, Insightful)
The notification will install Windows whether or not you have administrative privilege. That notification basically says that you WILL be upgraded unless you take active steps to stop it, administrator or not. Windows is scheduled to be installed and it will install even if you do nothing at all! This will happen even with a guest user account! Though I suspect you do need administrative privilege to cancel the upgrade...
You're still stuck in the mode of thinking that Microsoft is doing everything properly, or that only idiots can misunderstand a notification designed to fool people, or naively assuming that Windows would never upgrade itself without opt-in permission.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
This is common across the ad industry now. Either a fake "X", that takes you to some shitty app or website, or the "close" button brings up AdChoices's "is this ad bad?" menu. This started back in the days of Bonzi Buddy, and is a common trick. Ad blocking extensions have stopped that problem on the desktop, but it is a chronic thing on iOS.
Re: (Score:2)
This is common across the ad industry now. Either a fake "X", that takes you to some shitty app or website, or the "close" button brings up AdChoices's "is this ad bad?" menu. This started back in the days of Bonzi Buddy, and is a common trick. Ad blocking extensions have stopped that problem on the desktop, but it is a chronic thing on iOS.
Might be one of the reasons why Apple is stopping iAd.
Re:Malware trick (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually that "X" is legitimate. It does exactly what any "X" does and closes the notification. The snag is that Windows 10 upgrade is already scheduled to happen even if you do nothing and click on nothing! The way to stop it is to click on the "here" in the sentence "Click here to change upgrade schedule or cancel scheduled upgrade." In other words you have to click on something that is not a button.
The "X" button is probably the only innocent thing in that notification.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Nah...Going after the Windows 10 team would be about as effective as taking down the street thug running a loansharking op. The mob just pulled in more muscle from the streets of Queens, Brooklyn, Chicago...or Sicily if need be. MS would do about the same, albeit skipping the local streets and getting their thug muscle from India. Fighting the symptom but not doing a thing against the disease. A better bet would be using something like RICO to take out Nadella in about the same way they brought down the Gambino family.
Ok, howabout a nice Grand Jury subpoena for Satya and whoever is head of the "Windows Experience" team? THAT might turn a few heads...
Re: (Score:3)
Class Action Lawsuit time (Score:2, Interesting)
For all the people that were already tricked or forced into the upgrade. I know of several people who said no each and every time they were prompted for the upgrade, and yet, when they came back to their PC after being away a few days to find that their PC was now on Windows 10 waiting to show them "all the nice new unwanted telemetry, spying and all-around ass-hattery" that M$ had forced on them.
"an additional opportunity" (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft says they'll give "an additional opportunity for cancelling the upgrade" -- because respecting the user's choice the first (or second, or fifth, or 20th) time clearly isn't considered by those assholes to be an option!
"User's choice" (Score:5, Insightful)
I think the problem is users are confusing the dialog for a typical multiple-choice decision dialog. It's common to click the close button when you're not sure since that typically selects the "safe" option. But the close button does not always do this, it depends on the type of window. If I close Outlook, I expect it to still have all my e-mails when I open it up again; if I find it cancelled my account I would be upset. In that case, clicking close is assumed to mean that the user does not want any changes to happen to their e-mail; they are done with it for now.
Microsoft was a bit overzealous in scheduling upgrades for users. The dialog that shows up is NOT a decision dialog; the decision was already made by Microsoft! It was an informational dialog to notify you of the decision (and gives you an apparently difficult-to-find control to change this decision). Informational dialogs, by definition, do nothing when you close them; the upgrade would have been kept and that was perfectly in line with the standard for Windows UX. Unfortunately it also proved to be confusing, but I don't think it was malicious. Clearly Microsoft needed to change it since it was confusing users, and they are doing so.
Windows Update works the same way. If you start an update and close the window, the update does not stop. Instead it continues running in the background, since it is an important (to Microsoft) process. So it's understandable a similar process, the upgrade, would be designed to work in a similar way. Like I said, actual user experience now shows it was confusing so it's good MS is changing it.
Re:"User's choice" (Score:4, Informative)
The close button does indeed close the notification. But the rest of the notification is designed to fool people. Most of the dialogue is in older Windows GUI style. The "Upgrade now" choice is a classic button. But the opt out method is not a button but is a metro style web like "link" to click on, with only a change in color and thus easily overlooked (especially by people on Windows 7 not used to the metro UI).
Re: (Score:3)
Microsoft says they'll give "an additional opportunity for cancelling the upgrade" -- because respecting the user's choice the first (or second, or fifth, or 20th) time clearly isn't considered by those assholes to be an option!
You clearly could not be bothered to read the article. The pop up stated that Win 10 is now a recommended update, and that the user set their computer to install recommended updates automatically.
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One day someone will get so pissed at Microsoft that they are going postal there.
Re: (Score:3)
That is certainly a possibility, but it would save people a lot of grief if they simply stopped using Windows. There are far superior alternatives, some of which are free as in beer.
Bad to worse (Score:2, Interesting)
One thing is certain, the people at Microsoft are extremely disrespectful to their users. They just don't care. I wonder how many users were tricked with this little stunt? I wonder how many of those people had their computer broken by it? How many of them just bought new computers? A new computer is a terrible way to get people to switch to Windows 10!
Re: (Score:2)
> I wonder how many users were tricked with this little stunt?
Given that they disabled it, the answer is "enough". They knew from the start that this wouldn't fly- the question was how many people they could trick. Clearly, since it happened to everyone all at once, they have achieved their desired percent penetration.
to hell with microsoft (Score:2, Offtopic)
It took the BBC to do this? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:It took the BBC to do this? (Score:5, Insightful)
No, if you look closely there is no apology or backtracking. They are offering a second chance notification that will probably do exactly the same thing.
"If the customer wishes to continue with their upgrade at the designated time, they can click 'OK' or close the notifications with no further action needed."
In other words, if you close the notification then you'll be upgraded to Windows 10. No where have they said that they'll make it easier to opt out, and the statement above means that they will not go to an opt-in process and are still relying on the strategy of fooling the users.
Next, Try this with MS Server, Microsoft. (Score:2)
be ware of the leopard (Score:5, Funny)
something tells me that this additional option will be on "display", like in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
“But Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months.”
“Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn’t exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them, had you? I mean, like actually telling anybody or anything.”
“But the plans were on display ”
“On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.”
“That’s the display department.”
“With a flashlight.”
“Ah, well the lights had probably gone.”
“So had the stairs.”
“But look, you found the notice didn’t you?”
“Yes,” said Arthur, “yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard’.”
Re:be ware of the leopard (Score:4, Informative)
Happy Towel Day!
http://www.towelday.org/ [towelday.org]
Based on "customer feedback" (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
All they do is transfer you to another department...
Its the grandest circle jerk of all time!
Next Try (Score:5, Insightful)
A popup with an "Upgrade to Windows 10 now? [ ]Yes [ ]No" message.
Where the "[ ] No" checkbox is animated and keeps running away from the mouse.
Huh? (Score:5, Interesting)
Isn't that exactly what they were doing already in the criticized "nasty trick" dialog?
Let me quote from the slashdot submission on that thing:
"This means dismissing the box does not dismiss the update."
And now it reads:
"If the customer wishes to continue with their upgrade [...] they can [...] close the notifications with no further action needed"
So they are "listening to user feedback" by doing the exact same thing a second time?
Re: (Score:2)
So true, its still going to force install eventually. Make sure to uninstall kb3035583, then check and hide it in the updates. Eventually though, I expect them to work around that and find some other way to force it on. With all my business customers having windows 7 specific Software(like Point of Sale or medical equipment), this is making a mess out of everything.
It's not a nasty trick (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Let's call it what it is: FRAUD. The "X" symbol in the top right corner of a window has been used to close a window since windows has existed. Therefore there's a pretty clear precedent established that when a user clicks there, he means to close the window. Changing the meaning of this symbol and causing it to do something completely opposite to what is intended without prior notice is a completely deceptive practice.
Let's call it what it is: You only ever read the article summary and for some reason trust Slashdot summaries. Here's a link to the popup [bbci.co.uk]. Notice anything? Keep looking. Oh, that's right, it's a pop up letting you know that Windows 10 is now a recommended update and your computer is set to automatically install recommended updates so click here to change your settings if you do not want to do this.
But, by all means, keep repeating your version.
And yet (Score:3, Insightful)
And yet, I still hear people saying things like "Microsoft has changed", "Microsoft isn't evil anymore", or even "Microsoft is a good guy now".
How many times does Microsoft have to demonstrate that they're still the same old Microsoft before people stop believing this nonsense?
Re: (Score:3)
Well, it is not that Microsoft isn't evil anymore. It is just that others are more evil and, more importantly, much more relevant than Microsoft.
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Re: (Score:2)
Same posters, the difference is purely on whether it might affect them personally.
Since you replied to me, I assume that your amusement is about my comment? If so, then you're incorrect. My stance on these issues does not change as you say. I am 100% opposed to devices or software that automatically updates or applies patches without getting my permission first.
Lesson Number Two in MBA school (Score:4, Insightful)
Lesson Number One is "Steal, rob, and lie at will."
There are no other lessons. Here's your MBA.
So... no end to free upgrades then? (Score:3)
The reasoning is simple: it's very likely that Microsoft has set a threshold number of upgrades to be pushed though by the deadline. The fact that they stooped so low this time around says that somebody is desperate (bye bye bonus). I.e. they realized that they will not hit the threshold in time...
So, the chances are that the deadline for free upgrades will be pushed (they for sure will find some bogus excuse to save face)
Too little too late (Score:2)
Damage to Microsoft brand and reputation already done. Good luck getting it back.
Never10 (Score:2)
Stop this shit with GWX Control Panel or Never10 [grc.com]. I started off using the former on my g/fs computer but once I saw they were stepping up their "optional upgrade" (It's neither), I looked again and found an even better alternative. This is just an executable - I ran it through totalvirus.com first I'm sure you will too.
Personally I have Win 7 Ultimate on my primary machine (gamer here) and have never seen an nag window but other machines have other versions that have and I'm sick of it. I've even seen a few
Re: (Score:2)
Steve Gibson is legit, but his site looks like dog food.
Re: (Score:3)
Maybe everyone shall report the "upgrade" files as suspicious to their favourite anti-virus company.
Proposal (Score:2)
I propose that when you clicked X on the dialog both times and then get a surprise "upgrade" we call it a double-cross. It seems to capture the attitude adequately.
Re: (Score:3)
Sorry, no. MS is knowingly and deliberately defying standards and expectations for the GUI in order to pull a fast one. Sounds like a double-cross to me.
Listen up MS, no means no.
Re: (Score:3)
Note that they have changed the setup multiple times after people have declined the update. They don't get that no means no.
Ms is basically saying "Do you weant me tonot stomp on your foot now?" I suppose it was funny enough in the 3rd grade, but it has no place in a user interface. Once past the third grade, it's the sort of thing almost exclusively practiced by scumbag scammers.
Since the 3rd grade, I've upped my standards, up yours!
[X] instead of Cancel (Score:2)
The window in question informed users that Win10 would be downloaded as a Windows Update and then installed at a specific time set by the Windows Update, and then offered a chance to cancel or reschedule. Clicking the [X] dismisses the dialog box with no action taken... but that equated to "Ok" because you needed to take an action to stop the upgrade. It's a violation of standard Windows conventions due to confusion.
Kinda like a "Would you like to repeal the new tax law? Yes/No" ballot question, where Yes l
How many times do I have to tell Microsoft... (Score:4, Insightful)
from TFA: Based on "customer feedback", Microsoft said it would add another notification that provided customers with "an additional opportunity for cancelling the upgrade".
How many friggin' times do I have to tell Microsoft that I DO NOT WANT WINDOWS 10 ON MY PCs?
.
If Microsoft is this tone deaf about my desires now, what would it be like when/if I ever decide to upgrade to Windows 10, what will I lose control of then?
Last one sucked, so the next one is free... (Score:2)
This is standard Microsoft behavior after a sucky project. Expression Web and FrontPage were discontinued, so their final versions were released as free. Outlook had so many mistakes that Outlook 98 was released as a free standalone download.
Now comes the headache-causing Windows 8, so 8.1 was quickly published as a fix, and Windows 10 was given to all 7/8 users for free... it's a rollback more than an upgrade, so that's why Microsoft is only charging for new computers, and there's no paid-for upgrade SKU.
What about: (Score:3)
What about: () Yes, () No, () Ask me in 10 days, [] Remember my choice, followed by an OK button?
Nicely done, Microsoft (Score:4, Interesting)
Sure thing, remove the feature after all the damage has been already done. This was a calculated move, and everybody knows that. There were voices inside the company who said this was a bad idea, but execs took the Pinto route and calculated the PR damage to be less than the market share gains. Shows us just how crooked they are under all the sweet talk.
My wife was infuriated when her computer suddenly started installing Windows 10. That was the last straw for her, she decided to buy a Mac.
Re:Duh (Score:4, Informative)
They're not the market leader anymore, they don't have the advantages of monopoly,
While i agree with your overall sentiment the above is not even close to true. Microsoft has a stranglehold on the PC market as it pertains to OS. https://www.netmarketshare.com... [netmarketshare.com] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
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If you're not willing to switch to their new subscription-based system
Windows 10 does not require a subscription.
Re: Duh (Score:5, Informative)
> Also, Apple gave away Mavericks for free. I don't see anyone complaining that Apple plans to move to a subscription based model for OS X. Why not?
Because Apple sells hardware.
Because Apple doesn't have a history of absolutely rampant customer abuse.
Because Apple has motivation to keep their ecosystem good.
Because Apple has legitimate ways to make money.
Because Apple doesn't hunt down and delete your old version of Solitaire, put a special flag that doesn't let it run in its most modern OS, offer a new version of Solitaire with ads, and then offer a subscription.
Seriously, if you don't think Microsoft's treatment of Solitaire and Minesweeper is a canary, you're being stubborn. If you want Windows 7 Solitaire- which you payed for and own- to work on Windows 10, you must first back it up, and then you must patch the binary to not demand it only run on Windows 7. At which point it runs fine. But this is absolutely a template for how to force people into a subscription model. At the very least, you can see that disabling ads will become a pay service at some point, right? Given that they JUST DID THAT?
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Re:Duh (Score:4, Insightful)
You don't have the option of purchasing a non-douchy version of windows 10. So instead, I will be running windows 7 SP1, with updates turned OFF for the foreseeable future.
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Re:Sadistic fucks (Score:4, Interesting)
Seriously, what kind of sadistic fucks come up with these idiotic schemes?
The marketing people, likely under the pressure of getting adoption rates up to the C-levels' expectations.
What happened here was they crossed a line into doing something that was directly comparable to malware, and I bet their legal department stepped in to say this was a bad idea.
People keep asking in the comments on these stories why no civil/criminal charges have been brought against Microsoft for these "forced upgrades" and here is an example of the company actually worrying about that.
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Re:Why do people getting so stupid about this? (Score:4, Insightful)
Seriously two simple solutions, either A) Google Aegis Script Windows 7
How the hell do I know to google something that I have never heard of before? (Seriously .. I just had to google it to find out what you mentioned)
or B) Format and install Linux.
This trope has to die. There are many applications that are windows only and will never ever in a million years have a FOSS equivalent, and there just as many exceptions to "just run wine".
And running VM's instead means that you have to be a Linux admin as well as a windows admin.
Re:Why do people getting so stupid about this? (Score:5, Interesting)
Seriously two simple solutions, either A) Google Aegis Script Windows 7 or B) Format and install Linux.
I picked option B, and installed Linux Mint (dual boot) on my laptop. Works like a charm .
Windows upgraded the Win 7 on the Windows partition to Win 10 without permission, and promptly locked me out by asking for anon-existent login and password. I was able to do the "make it fail 3 times when booting" trick and revert to Win 7 on that partition, but it was too little too late. I doubt I'll ever boot into Windows on the laptop again because Mint seems to be working just fine. The best part of doing system updates on Mint is that (so far, anyway) I've never had to reboot after the updates.
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While you never have to reboot, you should reboot after new kernels are installed. Otherwise you don't get the security patches. In addition, while most other things will just work the next time the program starts with new libraries, some things like glibc upgrades are used by most everything and also really need a reboot so all running programs get the new patches. Logging out and restarting the X server will generally make sure that any update that affected the display manager will also get the new change
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You just don't know it yet.
Re:Dear Microsoft (Score:5, Funny)
About as much as I want herpes.
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No. After July everyone will be bitching and moaning that they have to pay for the latest windows again, instead getting a free upgrade.
I get the feeling you'll be the only one.
Better hurry and get your free upgrade!
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Upgrades seldom works well, fresh installations are usually a lot better.
Remove GWX Yourself! (Score:2)
GWX does suck. Two free options to disable it: Never 10 [grc.com] (Peter Thurrott writes about it here [thurrott.com]), and GWX Control Panel [ultimateoutsider.com] (written about here [thurrott.com]).
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The only way to fix this is to migrate to other platforms like Mac/Linux/etc.
Yeah... Because Apple has a GREAT record for giving a fuck about anyone who is on older hardware (3-4 years) that can't comfortably run their OS. I'm referring to OSX and the abortion that they called Mavericks (10.9) and how thoroughly fucked my 3 year old (2010) Macbook Pro was after installing it. I could have opted to not install but to do so would have meant no security updates because my hardware was dead in the eyes of Apple. So there i sat with an OS that was "more secure" despite my battery life
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If you're really ticked off and looking to get rid of Windows, you could do worse than to check out Linux Mint.
However, if you just a need a machine for a little e-mail, web browsing, YouTube, etc. you really can give it a try.
Linux Mint (and nearly all other distros) do the things you mention but they do far more, as you're certainly aware. I do end to end book publishing, among many other things. And that's just one small example.
Mint may not be a drop-in replacement if you have proprietary Windows apps that are mission critical and truly can't be replaced or if you want to be playing the latest Windows only games, etc. What I don't buy is the often-stated argument along the lines of Word or whatever having some obscure niche f