Microsoft To Make Saying No To Windows 10 Update Easier (zdnet.com) 212
Less than a week after a California-based woman won $10,000 lawsuit against Microsoft over Windows 10 upgrades, the Redmond-based company has announced it will make it easier for users to say no to Windows 10 updates. The company plans to change the Windows 10 update prompt to make it clearer and easier for Windows 7 and Windows 8.x users to schedule or reject upgrading to Windows 10. ZDNet reports:Microsoft officials said late on June 27 that the new update experience -- with clearer "upgrade now, schedule a time, or decline the free offer" -- will start rolling out this week. Microsoft also will revert to making clicking on the Red X at the corner of the Windows 10 update box dismiss the update, rather than initiate it, as it has done for the past several weeks. Microsoft officials said they are making the change "in response to customer feedback."
Too little too late (Score:5, Interesting)
In other words, the damage is already done. Now's the time to cry for your government to begin imposing criminal penalties to Microsoft and cancel their contracts with them, or MSFT will get away with it.
risk assessment (Score:3)
I am sure legal risk assessment was done before their sordid attempts to force themsel... win10 on all existing windows installations, and it was deem to be acceptable by the management of highest level.
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If an assessment was done, they ignored it.
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Or they accurately concluded this was exactly as much as they could get away with. $10k to Microsoft is barely worth noting.
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Re: risk assessment (Score:4, Insightful)
CEO: So what's the worst thing that can happen with this plan?
Marketing: The entire world will hate us.
CEO: But the entire world already hates us.
Marketing: That's the beauty of it, there's nothing left to lose.
CEO: Ok, let's pass it by legal.
Legal: We're lawyers, the entire world hates us too. I say screw em!
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To late??
So what happens if the update auto runs after the free time is over so your new windows 10 will not pass activation but you don't get any info about that till after 30 when it is too late for you to roll back what will happen then?
Re:Too little too late (Score:4, Informative)
The trust is already broken, and I have disabled Windows Updates now.
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Perhaps they didn't anticipate the backlash...
Right now a Dota 2 tournament is on hold because a Windows 10 update started in the middle of it.
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Yep. I'm a life long Windows user. But I'm in the process to transitioning to a mix of Mac and Ubuntu as my OS's. I can't trust Windows anymore, so I guess I won't use it.
Re:Too little too late (Score:5, Informative)
There's only another month of the "free" "upgrade", so who's left to take it?
I'll bet you a marsbar that the free offer extends beyond the coming month.
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Probably true. I suspect you're not able to get the free offer now but use it later. You can get the ISOs for it for archiving (I have them), but once you install it's going to ask for your authorization code. You can't even get that auth code until after you install it. So if you want to take advantage of the free offer today but then install it next year when it's not so hectic then you're out of luck. This is not like the old Windows where you get a DVD and a printed auth code.
I tried it out in a VM
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There's an answer right here... http://www.movetoamend.org/ [movetoamend.org]
Take away their grossly overdone influence on legislation/politics and they may decide to play nice with consumers again. As is, they could give a flip about our problems, there is no down-side to abusing their $ enabled power.
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It's all pointless. Who at this moment has not yet heard of the Windows 10 update availability? Are they concerned that someone somewhere hasn't heard about this and so they're intent on pissing everyone off just to reach this one person? Everyone has already either upgraded, ignored the upgrades, or taken active steps block the updates that trick you into upgrading. Why the hell are they still at this? The answer is NO, they gotta LET IT GO!
Re:What are the alternatives for Windows users? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:What are the alternatives for Windows users? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:What are the alternatives for Windows users? (Score:4, Informative)
Using old, potentially-vulnerable versions of Windows long after they're no longer supported isn't a real option, of course.
See here: https://support.microsoft.com/... [microsoft.com]
Windows 7 end of mainstream support: 2015-01-13 (extended is 2020-01-14)
Windwos 8 end of mainstream support: 2018-01-09 (extended is 2023-01-10)
How is that "long after they're no longer supported"?
And yes, I know 2015 is less than now, but it's not long after, and it's still in extended support. For that matter, vista is still in extended support until Q2 2017!
I shouldn't be feeding the trolls at all, but continuing to use those *should* be a valid option. That said, I'd still recommend GNU/Linux or MacOSX.
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The functional updates are generally pointless anyway. Most updates of any value only ever shows up in the latest releases. Once there's a new Windows version the previous version stops getting anything useful except for some crash fixes. Windows 8 has mainstream support until 2018, but I can say with high confidence that they will never port DirectX 12 to it for example.
Re:What are the alternatives for Windows users? (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem goes far beyond systemd and GNOME. Linux is great for servers, not so much for the desktop. When Linux Torvalds first created Linux it wasn't designed to be a mass-market operating system. It was designed by geeks for geeks. A bunch of fucktarded neckbeards who don't give two shits about usability, only blind adherence to an Orwellian mindset of "the only way to be free is to do exactly what I say."
Yes, when it was first designed, it was a school hobby project by a kernel hacker. But that was over 20 years ago. And assuredly you're not going to say that anything that begun as a hobby must be a toy for its entire lifespan?
But you don't need to list all the ways that Linux sucks and is horrendously inferior on the desktop. Just one simple fact says it all. When you put everything on a level playing field -- Linux is free and so is a pirated copy of Windows -- people always choose Windows.
Really? I didn't choose Windows. Nor did the millions of people that use desktop Linux.
People only use (and pirate) Windows because billions of dollars of legacy x86 apps that were written when Microsoft had a monopoly on the OS market due to their lucky deal with IBM. Don't believe me?--how much money has Microsoft written off for Windows Mobile and Windows RT, again?
Even when Windows isn't free (i.e., businesses who need to keep things legal so they don't get shaken down by the BSA Mafia) they still choose Windows. The only place you're seeing any adoption of Linux on the desktop is a few European companies, and that's due to anti-American sentiment more than any technical superiority.
Instead of verifying that you don't know what you're talking about and/or are lying, why don't you do some simple research? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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If Windows is due to legacy of the 80s and 90s then where's the linux freeware, payware and shareware?
There's fuck all on that front. 99% is free and open source software. Typically on a system the only linux proprietary software you'll find is Oracle Virtualbox (some of the "extended" features), Google Earth and (few) Steam games. Some crap like Skype for those who want it.
It's great that way, but I miss the Windows days, with more software and less OS upgrades.
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Yes, when it was first designed, it was a school hobby project by a kernel hacker. But that was over 20 years ago. And assuredly you're not going to say that anything that begun as a hobby must be a toy for its entire lifespan?
No. With well over a hundred different Distros and more petty squabbling and "religious-war" infighting than the U.S. Republican Party, "Linux" is doing a fine job of that all on its own...
I know..... feeding the trolls.... (Score:4, Informative)
The only place you're seeing any adoption of Linux on the desktop is a few European companies, and that's due to anti-American sentiment more than any technical superiority.
Sure, we all know you are trolling. But why not throw in some fun (actual) facts?
There is a company who uses Linux on their desktops. They are slightly technical, and you may have heard of them - Google.
And although it was about 4 years ago, there was a nice article about Goobuntu (their modified version of Ubuntu) on ZDNET. [zdnet.com] Another interesting fact from the article is that they were paying customers for it, and not the largest. Things may have changed since then, I don't know. But I do know that they haven't switched over to Windows.
What I really don't understand is what you get out of your copy/paste trolling. Or do you really believe what you posted? Either way, you're obviously wrong. But then again, you're posting as an AC, so what else could be expected.
I remember back in the good old days when trolls at least had a little bit of skill.
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When Linux Torvalds first created Linux it wasn't designed to be a mass-market operating system. It was designed by geeks for geeks. A bunch of fucktarded neckbeards who don't give two shits about usability
Don't confuse "Linux Torvalds" with the GNOME devs. He does and has given various arrogant developers both barrels when they do something stupid. In fact he specifically called out GNOME3 [slashdot.org] for that exact thing.
A bunch of fucktarded neckbeards who don't give two shits about usability, only blind adherence to an Orwellian mindset of "the only way to be free is to do exactly what I say."
Or a more accurate way to say it, "if you don't like how I do it, fork it and do it your own way." I'd like to hear about how you think proprietary software is any more free than that.
When you put everything on a level playing field -- Linux is free and so is a pirated copy of Windows -- people always choose Windows.
Like the other replier said, not true. You kids and your silly absolute statements.
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Now's the time to cry for your government to begin imposing criminal penalties to Microsoft...
Unless they can revoke their corporate charter there are no penalties that can harm Microsoft. And canceling the contracts and switching systems will be very expensive, but they should not be included in any future contracts.
I disagree. Treat all those computers that were auto-"upgraded" to Windows 10 as if they were hit with ransomware or otherwise intentionally broken by Microsoft.
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Treat all those computers that were auto-"upgraded" to Windows 10 as if they were hit with ransomware or otherwise intentionally broken by Microsoft.
Just because you don't like something doesn't mean that your made-up analogies would ever have any legal bearing.
Treat all those drivers who speed as if it were attempted vehicular homicide. Treat all those Linux distributions as if they stole code from UNIX.
Forcefully altering somebody's OS in order to integrate spyware is illegal. For the people that paid for Windows 7 and 8 and had their computers broken during the forced upgrade, Microsoft actually did break their computers. It's not as far off as your two analogies.
Re: Too little too late (Score:2)
Words are important when talking about legal action.
What you just said is different, that they broke stuff. I'm not debating that, negligence doesn't get them off the hook. But you originally said "ransomware" (which is not at all related to the issue) and "intentionally broken" (which is specifically different from just "broken") and thus you were very much mischaracterizing the situation.
So no, they shouldn't just act like those are the same, because they are very different.
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Okay, and then what?
Then reimburse all of those people of the cost to reinstall Windows 7 or 8.1, or the whole cost of the computer itself.
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Anyone have any advice on the best way to rollout OS X to 1,500 Dell OptiPlex computers?
Quite simple, actually.
1. Fill out Purchase Requisition for 1,500 Mac mini computers. You should be able to use the bottom of the line version, but I would suggest the BTO RAM upgrade option to 8 GB, just because. Other than that, if these are being used for typical front-office applications, you should be absolutely fine. Contact Apple for a Governmental [apple.com] and Large-Purchase Discount.
2. Fill out Purchase Requisition for a volume license for Microsoft Office for Mac [microsoft.com]. Again, Microsoft is likely to give you
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Microsoft loves screwing up the OSX versions of Office. If you think Office sucks on Windows then you don't want to see how bad it is on Mac. Seriously get OpenOffice, LibreOffice, or anything else.
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Why is this informative? It straight up doesn't answer the question since it doesn't roll out OS X to ANY Dell OptiPlex computers. Or am I missing a joke? It's really hard to tell unbridled fanboy idiocy from sarcasm nowadays.
It IS informative and is NOT a joke; because it adroitly sidesteps the weak sarcasm in the original "request" by actually outlining the top-level steps necessary to switch from being a Windows-based office to a Mac-based one.
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It IS informative and is NOT a joke; because it adroitly sidesteps the weak sarcasm in the original "request" by actually outlining the top-level steps necessary to switch from being a Windows-based office to a Mac-based one.
Come on. If it was informative, it wouldn't be missing:
2.5 Read your your e-mails wherein your Purchase Requisitions were denied.
2.6 Goto 5.
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Submit a ticket to Dell to have that added to KACE.
Decline (Score:5, Insightful)
Based on past performance, clicking decline the free offer would lead to Win10 update and the bill in the mail.
Microsoft has no choice now (Score:5, Insightful)
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You have to demonstrate $10,000 in losses. "everybody and their dog" does not run a business on a Win7 machine that got auto-upgraded, and then broke.
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Why was this modded insightful? The woman didn't get a windfall. She didn't get massive punitive damages. She got covered for actual damages and had to take her case through the courts and even into an appeal.
Anyone stupid enough to think this is a financially sound deal and voluntarily entering into it (which would make them pretty much instantly lose their case) won't be laughing to the bank but rather crying into their lawyer's invoice.
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now there is a precedent so next person wouldn't need to go though and the class action lawsuit can go ahead.
fuck MS
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There's a non-binding precedent that Microsoft is liable for harm caused by such OS changes. There's no precedent whatsoever that says that it causes harm in all cases.
Timing (Score:4, Informative)
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all publicity is good marketing... said some marketing guy
How to fix for good: (Score:5, Informative)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Gwx] "DisableGwx"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate] "DisableOSUpgrade"=dword:00000001
Although granted, one shouldn't have to do this...
Re:How to fix for good: (Score:4, Interesting)
I find it faster to google for Never10 [grc.com] and run it than to launch Regedit and find the keys. (Both do the same thing.)
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Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Gwx] "DisableGwx"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate] "DisableOSUpgrade"=dword:00000001
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Yea, you should obviously have to say the magic dword if you want your OS to not be completely replaced while you sleep.
Linux now, man. It's time.
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https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmas... [reddit.com]
No, you need to remove kbs and services.
"Customer feedback"? (Score:2)
Does anyone really feel like they need "Customer Feedback" to understand that deceptive practices are something customers don't want?
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Does anyone really feel like they need "Customer Feedback" to understand that deceptive practices are something customers don't want?
Yes. Marketroids.
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DUH!
Re:"Customer feedback"? (Score:4, Insightful)
"We are making the change in response to customer feedback"
s/customer/litigious bastards/
Funny how there's only one kind of feedback that they actually respond to.
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FTFA :-
Microsoft officials said they are making the change "in response to customer feedback.
New keyboard when I read that part. Microsoft's term for being sued is "Customer feedback"
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To be fair, Microsoft has very little insight into what customers want.
Timing! (Score:2)
I'm sure their management will deny up and down that this had anything to do with the case they just lost and that the timing is "purely coincidental."
But I suspect that their legal department emailed someone in management an Excel spreadsheet detailing the costs of losing that case and how much it would cost to defend similar cases now that there is precedent. The manager probably multiplied that number by some number that may or may not reflect the actual number of users with similar claims and said "Shit
Simple fix. No 3rd party required. (Score:5, Informative)
There are two Boolean flag vars in the Registry which turn off the automatic update and free-offer notifications. Using the builtin registry editor ("regedit") drill down to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows] and look for key entries 'WindowsUpdate' and 'GWX'. If they're not present then use the editor to create new key names WindowsUpdate and GWX in the Windows key list.
Then to disable auto-update add a dword named DisableOSUpgrade under WindowsUpdate and set it to 1 (true)
"DisableOSUpgrade"=dword:00000001
To disable the freeWin10 upgrade offer notification add a dword named DisableGWX under GWX and set it to 1 (true)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GWX]
"DisableGWX"=dword:00000001
That's it. Now you can turn the automatic Windows-update back and not worry about Win10 being installed. Also you won't be nagged about the free Win10 offer.
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> two Boolean flag vars in the Registry
> drill down to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows]
> not present then use the editor to create new key names
> add a dword named DisableGWX under GWX and set it to 1 (true)
> That's it.
Oh, that's it? Well, I see why people use windows. You only have to use a proprietary binary editing tool, move to an address with a hugely named space, instantiate and name correctly a 32 bit binary number, set it to the correct value, and do it all
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I've had multiple machines with those registry keys set for at least 6 months, none of them have shown any sign of a Windows 10 upgrade since.
It's tried, it's tested, it's permanent.
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It does nothing about that. No one ever claimed it did.
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No I don't and no I'm not, but what's that got to do with anything?
The only method I've applied is setting those keys on any machine a customer doesn't want the Windows 10 upgrade happening on.
I couldn't tell you if it's 100 machines or 1000 machines, all I know is no one has ever come back and complained it didn't work.
Apologies if that's not scientific enough for you, I'll try not to bring anything anecdotal to the discussion ever again.
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Be sure to specify her number as a signed DWORD value on architecture with two byte words, or OP might get confused.
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The majority of "average users" won't care, and frankly they're going to be better served by being on the latest OS with security updates and support for many more years. Getting the masses upgraded is a huge positive and will actually save people money by helping older hardware continue to be useful for a longer time.
If options are buried in the registry, so be it. I totally agree with the philosophy of making dangerous options difficult to change.
However, I still do not agree with any tactics that are i
If you didn't know about Microsoft a long time ago (Score:4, Interesting)
You are probably already hosed.
This site had the old school way to block it all if you did the other manual steps using the hosts file.
https://github.com/WindowsLies/BlockWindows/
A slashdot commenter had made a video of "wiresharking" his Windows 10 and posted it on YouTube. For those unfamiliar it is a packet sniffer and detects and displays the nature of each incoming and outgoing network packet. By nature I mean IP address, protocol as in TCP, UDP, RDP, etc name it.
That video was pulled from YouTube nearly immediately, and obviously there was no moral reason to pull a video showing how your OS connects to Microsoft and Markmonitor servers. (among other tracking hosts)
Then there were many articles and they are still around about how to do it manually, and even grc.com has a small portable app called Never10 that is reckoned to block installing Windows 10 over 7/8/8.1 etc.
The problem and pertinent factors are thus. They snuck new server lists in other "security updates" and never disclosed the change. I haven't checked recently but there was a period (maybe still is) that Microsoft decided to not disclose what is actually in their so-called security updates.
What I mean by problem AND pertinent factor is why they even force spyware on you at all. Bill doesn't need the money and it is not for anybody's protection that they track everything you do on your PC. The lies are asinine. The deceit shameful. The employees and Bill himself are forced by the US spy agencies to incorporate every possible tracking you can imagine. This is the same with Google and Facebook and others. The higher the traffic, the higher the priority to force tracking on you. Slashdot connects to myriad CA Cert servers that change on a daily basis it seems. Sometimes more than once a day.
You should use NoScript (and remove the XSS default-to-allow permissions under advanced, and uncheck all boxes on the ABE tab). You should also use Adblock Plus or similar. Ghostery is no good any more because it's settings rely on remote server to change and it chats with it. BetterPrivacy for flash cookies is the 4th I would recommend to run on Firefox.
Now this is important. Spy agencies and Google (gstatic, google-analytics, etc) track you all over the Internet and yes it is cross-reference-able. From your porn likes to your Facebook profile to your bank account to your SMS log on your cell phone to your shopping history at Walmart if you use a card. By face recognition too if you already have their special attention. It is accessible by any US government spy agency at will in the name of "security" but like Microsoft, it is the same lie.
They know all about browser parameters and whatnot but blocking works. THIS IS THE BIG TIP OF THE DAY.
Ready? Set your PC time to an inaccurate time. Change time zones. Make it as screwy as possible unless you need to sync implicitly for something. They rely on time logging and IP addresses as a failsafe tracking mechanism. This totally messes up their monitoring ability. Better than that is to use Tor, but you will notice you bump into Google captcha after Google captcha. I don't intend this to be a long tutorial but just set a wrist watch or your phone next to your monitor and keep your clock on your laptop/desktop coming from Liberia or whatever. That little clock is a itsy bitsy little teeny weeny convenience for you.. and night/day for the monitoring ability of US spy agencies.
Also, your data is shared internationally especially Facebook profiling because the FBI has an unconscionable amount of moles.
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Why mention Bill at all? He hasn't been the head of Microsoft for a long, long time.
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I did the "Wireshark" thing a few months ago. Put a remote packet capture daemon on my router, and pointed a copy of Wireshark at it, and watched what a "castrated" install of 10 talked to, and then, as a control, an UNcastrated, default-install of 10, provided by friends.. Bottom line, there was hardly any difference between the two captures... Which tells me one VERY important thing.. All of the cutesy-tootsie toggle switches that make you *think* you're disabling the spyware aspects of 10 are just a smok
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Genuine question: Did you also do a Wireshark session on a Win10 machine after running both Spybot Anti-Beacon and O&O ShutUp 10? They appear to do more than the regular placebo that the toggle switches, but I definitely would be interested in whether they cause a reduction in that sort of traffic.
Pure Malware (Score:2)
Microsoft also will revert to making clicking on the Red X at the corner of the Windows 10 update box dismiss the update, rather than initiate it, as it has done for the past several weeks.
Nothing more, nothing less...
Translation: (Score:3)
Now that there's legal precedent [slashdot.org], the floodgates of legal action against Microsoft can now open, and they damned well know it.
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What flood gates? The actual number of users who would be able to show in a court of law actual damages sustained as a result of a windows update completely borking a computer would be puny. There wasn't any massive legal windfall here, no major awards of punitive damages. Anyone thinking this makes sound financial sense when their computer didn't royally get screwed and their business didn't shut down as a result deserves the bill they get from their lawyer after losing their case.
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There is, as far as I know, no class action lawsuit. This means that everyone who actually kept the receipt has to individually sue Microsoft. Even in small claims court, it's probably not financially advantageous.
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No precedent. They dropped the appeal and paid her to avoid setting one.
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Dropping the appeal means that Microsoft lost in court and decided not to lose in a higher court. The original decision is a precedent, although a non-binding one. (Note: I am a pseudonymous guy on Slashdot who has never studied law.)
I may be a conspiracy theorist... (Score:3)
Anyone else notice that the "12 month" window to 'upgrade to Windows 10 free' is closing (tomorrow in fact) and so they can now change the behavior and try to act like a poor victim while perhaps posting "1 year adoption rates" much higher than would have been otherwise.
When this crap started I told myself that this will be "rectified" once they have 1 year of Windows 10 being out. Then they can post "their great numbers" which will, naturally include, a lot of accidental upgrades and other people that didn't even want to upgrade.
It really sickens me, and is why I'm still on Windows 7, and dual boot with Linux and FreeBSD. Microsoft's behavior is totally unacceptable.
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It's the 29th July that the offer ends, but yes they've left it a bit late.
is it easier then quitting MS Skype now? (Score:2)
I cant wait for all Windows programs will stop existing and instead go minimize or "better" yet assume 'OK' on any dialog: "format drinve C: Ok Cancel?"
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Following the windows 10 example it wouldn't be Ok / Cancel. It would be format C:? Now / Later.
This was the problem, when the dialog initially appeared there were two selections, either of them gave permission to install windows 10. The only way to reject the install was to hit the close X in the upper right (which microsoft later removed). You're arguably trying to deceive users when you give them a choice to install something but both choices are yes.
Nice Try, Assholes (Score:4, Informative)
In response to customer feedback? (Score:3)
...Microsoft officials said they are making the change "in response to customer feedback."...
Oh please. If Microsoft had cared in the slightest bit about customer feedback, they would not have been on the losing side of a lawsuit in the first place.
.
Instead, Microsoft lowered itself to using some of the sleaziest tactics a vendor could use. Changing Windows UI guidelines to trick the customer into doing something the customer explicitly did not want to do? It is beyond belief that any vendor, much less a reputable vendor, would resort to such low-life trickery of their customer base.
imo, Microsoft knew all along exactly what they were doing and the effect it would have. I would be surprised if Microsoft's legal department were not involved at every step of deception.
In my view, Microsoft blew their reputation. Big time. Blown right out of the water.
It may take years for Microsoft to regain the confidence and trust of its customers once again. But by then, I have to wonder how many of those customers have moved on to Linux or MacOS. I know I am testing Linux on my notebook now. It is doing all that I need it to do, so much so that I have wondered why I even bothered with Windows in the first place.
What coincidence! (Score:2)
A month before ending the "free" offer, they graciously allow us to not update if we so please.
Microsoft? Hi. Listen, please do us a favor? Go play with something explosive, will ya?
Wonderful ... (Score:2)
new rule: let us eat cake (Score:2)
Microsoft Marketing 101 (Score:3)
Axiom #10: It's easier to ask for forgiveness that it is for permission.
So Microsoft is going to learn that NO means NO ? (Score:2)
Win. 8 vs. Win. 10 (Score:2)
Can someone provide a honest non-paranoid schizophrenic listing of reasons to or not to upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 10?
This is for my dedicated Windows gaming machine. I have other Linux servers and Android devices for other things.
I currently run Start 8 on it to make it look pretty much like Windows 7 and I would run Start 10 on it if I upgraded to do the same.
DirectX 12 support is already one big reason to upgrade.
Re: (Score:2)
Windows 8, probably worth upgrading. Older Windows 7 computers may have problems with Windows 10. There's the spyware, but reportedly Microsoft's been putting it into Windows 7 and 8. You lose a media player, IIRC, with Windows 10, and you lose a lot of control over updates, but if it's a gaming machine that shouldn't be a concern.
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Conspicuously missing from your analysis was any benefits to upgrading...
if you've had enough of abusive corporations... (Score:2)
...hit 'em with a leg sweep... http://www.movetoamend.org/ [movetoamend.org]
Mebbe some of them will decide to play nice once we snatch their teeth out.
Are they not merciful? (Score:2)
Well, aren't they?
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but a simple LAN card swap (to play nice with a hackintosh install) triggered the whole authentication process with piracy accusations
Assuming you had a free slot, you could have simply added the new LAN card and not used (and/or disabled) the old one. I have a system with a 10Mbit NIC on the motherboard and added a 1Gbit card w/o any authentication issues. I have still used the original NIC to configure my WiFi AP as it came with a default IP on a different subnet.
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Various commentards on other sites have suggested to me that I should suck it up and just update to Windows 10 already because everyone is going to have to sooner or later...
Meanwhile I have moved to a Mac at home. At work I'm transitioning to a FreeNAS based file server and will be dumping my Windows server in the near future. The minute I can find a suitable (read as cheap), simple Point-Of-Sale / Jobs Manager for my small computer repair business I will be moving to Mac or Linux on my shop PCs.
Pardon t
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At work I'm transitioning to a FreeNAS based file server
Genuinely curious. How does FreeNAS work with OS X? Have you tried it yet?
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Genuinely curious. How does FreeNAS work with OS X? Have you tried it yet?
Amazingly well. FreeNAS supports CIFS/SMB and AFP among others so you can share files with pretty much any platform you can imagine.
Also, when you're setting up an AFP share, there's a check box that just says "Time Machine." If you check the box, when you can use OSX's built in Time Machine backup service to back up to that share. You don't have to dedicate an entire drive as I'm told you have to do with the official Apple hardware and you can even set up quotas for the dataset that the backup is on so th
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Burn yourself a variety of Linux liveCD's to try out and see which one works best with your hardware, and you. You'll really be kicking yerself in the butt for not ditching Microsoft earlier...
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"...Windows 10 install manager, now only available in Windows 10."
Well, you are not to far away: "Windows 10 install manager, now only available in Windows".
So far, it's been quite easy for me to avoid it.
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This. They're killing the "Windows is easier than *NIX" argument. You can trust any free *NIX package manager to only update the packages you need. If you can't, it dies fast and you install one of the many others available.
The trouble is, since these other "vendors" don't sell software you're subject to the whims of their various other funding sources. It used to be we could bypass all that drama simply by ponying up $$$ for Windows, and now we can't because MS is emulating the worst aspects of those o
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They're killing the "Windows is easier than *NIX" argument.
It has always been just an argument, never the truth. What's dieing is the spin.
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Technically, it's always been harder to install Linux than it has been to just use the version of Windows the computer came with. I've had slightly less trouble installing Linux than Windows, when I did the installation.
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I haven't tried it yet (will be trying it this week) but this forum post I found on another forum
https://www.gog.com/forum/gene... [gog.com]
shows what is claimed to be a way to get the free Windows 10 upgrade without actually needing to install Windows 10 or replace your existing Windows install.