Microsoft starts pushing Windows 10 upgrades to users

iTnews (AUS) ^ | Mar 14 2016 10:00AM (AUS) | Juha Saarinen

[Utilizer]

A number of Windows 7 users were taken by surprise this weekend when their operating systems started to automatically upgrade to Windows 10, causing hardware and software issues for some.

Problems reported by users included hardware drivers no longer working after the upgrade, software incompatibilites, and users getting large bills for using several gigabytes of cellular data.

Microsoft copped flak last September for quietly downloading Windows 10 components onto users' computers in preparation for a later upgrade, taking up storage space and eating into data caps.

The company has since published instructions for users who want to opt out of the upgrade. One method is to install the KB3065987 and KB3065988 updates that enable a new setting meaning Windows Update will not detect, download or attempt to install the Windows 10 upgrade.

Users comfortable with editing the Registry system settings database in Windows can also add the DWORD value DisableOSUpgrade = 1 to the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate subkey.

[Whenifhow]

There are some out there. Unfortunately no one seems to be certain how long the BSOD-makers will allow users to continue opting out and eventually simply force everyone who uses an earlier version to switch to the company’s preferred version.

***

Thanks, guess maybe its time to give it up or switch to apple.

[Utilizer]

You might consider doing what some others have elected to do, namely not allowing your machine to access the internet when you are running the ‘doze OS.

Here is a good place to start finding some bootable discs:

http://distrowatch.com/

...with a specific current distro for browsing and email prominent:

http://porteus-kiosk.org/

...or for REALLY secure browsing:

https://tails.boum.org/

(but it requires a bit more set-up than other distros).

[Utilizer]

Good for you. Fedora is a quite respected OS derived from the Red Hat days and so glad you found it to be of use.

Your machine should be under YOUR control, not under microsoft or any other OEM.

[Utilizer]

Apple works. Hopefully they will in the future not elect to do the same thing microsoft is attempting to do today.

You might consider other options...

[smokingfrog]

Yeah. Windows 7 actually works pretty well. Microsoft screwed the pooch with Win 8, and could never make people like IE. Even though Win 10 might be halfway decent, they don’t like having to support the older software, I guess.

[smokingfrog]

lol

[Still Thinking]

I see. And exactly how will they be doing that?

[Utilizer]

? “They” who, exactly? MS? They appear to be doing that and more with each passing day.

The BSOD-generators are doing that continuously it would appear, but if you are enquiring about opting out of the “automatic upgrade” *cough* “feature” *cough* there are many individuals who are working quite hard to ensure you are not forced to “upgrade” without your permission.

[Windflier]

Tonight I got something new on my desktop, called “Home Group”.

I didn’t click on it, but ran a Bing search on the term. Seems it’s part of Windows 10, which I have not downloaded to my machine.

Damn this thing is pernicious. Anyone have any advice for what I should do with this intruder?

[Windflier]

Don’t set your older computer to update automatically if you want to put off switching to Windows 10.

I set my Win 7 machine to check for updates, but allow me to choose which ones to download. Since doing that, I haven't had a single update alert from Microsoft.

A few days ago, I just went ahead and updated my machine without checking the list of updates (couldn't find a list anyway), and it did so. Now I've got an icon on my desktop called, "Home Group". Seems it's part of Windows 10 ..... grrrrr.

[Windflier]

GWX Control Panel

works great

What is this, and will it help me to stop Microsoft from automatically installing Windows 10 on my computer?

If so, where does one get it?

Thanks in advance.

[catnipman]

I’ve made some tools to help put an end to this coerced Windows 10 installation nonsense. They can be downloaded from here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_hrA7ihzIPlVXpRUnJyc1AyNkU/view?usp=sharing

The three included tools uninstall the Windows 10 nagware and the Microsoft “telemetry” (spyware) “updates” from Windows 7 and Windows 8.x Operating Systems if they are installed, prevent the updates from being reinstalled, and remove the Windows 10 installer folder $WINDOWS.~BT if it is present.

These tools must be run from an account with Administrative privilege, which is the case (unfortunately) for most accounts. They can also be run from a non-Administrator account by right-clicking them and then left-clicking on “Run as Administrator”.

The tools are most effective when run in the following order:

1. Run PreventW10InstallationUAC.exe to set Microsoft Update to “manual only” mode and modify a couple of registry variables that tell the OS to never allow a newer OS to be installed. This tool will run quickly unless you accept the optional request (recommended) to make a System Restore Point before the tool makes it changes, in which case the Restore Point will take a while to make.

Note that after this procedure finishes, no more Microsoft updates will be applied unless you manually request a check for updates and then decide which updates to accept, though making such decisions requires knowledge that the average user usually does not possess. However, for mature operating systems I personally believe that blindly accepting Microsoft updates at this juncture has more downsides than upsides.

(If you DO want to attempt to manually check for updates, you’ll first have to change the Windows Update setting from “Never Check for Updates” to “Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them” before you click the “Check for updates” button.)

2. Run RemoveW10NagwareTool.exe to remove a set of Microsoft updates that relate to Windows 10 nagware (”white flag”) popup, Microsoft spyware, and the Windows 10 installer itself if any of them have been installed. Detection and uninstallation can take a few minutes to complete.

If any of this set of updates is found, you’ll need to reboot the system.
“info about preventing an automatic unwanted “upgrade””

It might also be necessary to run this tool again after rebooting if the nagware update had previously been slated to be installed AGAIN, in which case after rebooting, you’ll STILL see the Windows 10 (”white flag”) nag. If that’s the case, just run this tool again and reboot again, and then run PreventW10InstallationUAC.exe again.

3. Finally, after you’re sure the Windows 10 nagware has been removed, run RemoveW10Folder.exe to detect and remove the Windows 10 install folder if it is found.

[TChad]

Tonight I got something new on my desktop, called “Home Group”.

That Home Group icon bug has appeared in other versions of Windows. It's not a sign of Windows 10. If you enable and then disable display of the "Network" desktop icon, the Home Group icon may go away.

[TChad]

...stop Microsoft from automatically installing Windows 10 on my computer

To do that, start an administrator command prompt (right click on Command prompt and choose Run as administrator), then copy and paste the entire line below into it. Verify that the entire line is present, then hit enter:

reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /v DisableOSUpgrade /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f

To re-enable the Win 10 upgrade, run this:

reg.exe delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /v DisableOSUpgrade /f

Editing the Windows registry is always somewhat risky, and I offer no guarantees of anything. It would be reasonable to create a restore point before running the command above.

More info from Microsoft about the upgrade is here:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080351

The commands provided above just create or delete registry modifications described on that Microsoft page.

[GailA]

WIN just took control and updated on my lap top. Have no idea what they “patched”. I have WIN 8 and I don’t want WIN 10. No use for it.

Half my programs won’t run on it. WIN 8 is as high as it will go and some don’t work well on WIN 8. I’d have to buy new very expensive programs. These just don’t update, you have to buy a new program.

Keep your crap I don’t want it.

[GailA]

Why can’t we sue Microsoft because our existing after market programs won’t work on WIN 10? My quilt program is $150+ and there are no updates, you have to buy a whole new program. Have several others that just barely run on WIN 8 as it is.

I don’t want to update.

[proxy_user]

Yes, but it is spelled correctly in the registry entry - just checked it.

[Allen In Texas Hill Country]

“Every time you’ve “upgraded” from 3.1, 3.11, WFW, 95a, 95b, 98, 98SE, Millenium, Win2k, Vista, XP, Win7, Win8, and Win8.1”
********************************
Forgot about 98SE. In its day it was like XP is today. Never did Millenium, Vista, 7 or 8. About 3 or 4(?) years ago I went from 98SE straight to XP Pro.

But I would have to learn Linux and I probably will do it.

[Windflier]

Thank you for that fix, Chad. I really don’t want to be absorbed by the Borg.

[Windflier]

Thank you, catnip. Much appreciated.