Windows 10 nagware: You can't click X. Make a date OR ELSE

theregister.co.uk ^ | June 1, 2016 | Gavin Clarke

[PROCON]

Microsoft’s Windows 10 nagware campaign has entered a new phase, with all options to evade or escape an upgrade finally blocked.

Recently, Microsoft’s policy had been to throw up a dialogue box asking you whether you wanted to install Windows 10.

If you clicked the red “X” to close the box – the tried-and-tested way to make dialogue boxes vanish without agreeing to do anything – Microsoft began taking that as permission for the upgrade to go ahead.

Now Microsoft is changing gears.

It has eliminated the option to re-schedule a chosen upgrade time once you’ve confirmed it while also removing the red “X” close option from the screen. One Reg reader grabbed the below screenshot from a relative's PC on Windows 7.

[null and void]

Hmmm - wonder if you could set the date to 3016 or 2056 or some other date waaaaay out in the future after the computer isn’t used anymore.

Dunno.

But if you can now, I bet in a month they won't allow any date more than a month in advance.

[Paradox]

Although I am VERY happy with Windows 10, This nonsense of forcing or automatically doing the upgrade is just awful. I work in the tech support business and have seen this far too often for it to be a mistake on the CX’s part.

[ganeemead]

This worked for me...

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2979572/microsoft-windows/gwx-stopper-an-easy-way-to-permanently-delete-get-windows-10-nagware-in-windows-7-and-81.html

[microgood]

I went to my computer last week and the monitor said: Welcome to Windows 10. It installed without my permission. So I just declined the EULA (It asks you to confirm the declination) and it reverted back to the previous OS (which only took a couple of minutes). Since then no problem.

[Moltke]

As regards Gibson Research, I still have a SpinRite CD.

Hey, I've got one those somewhere - you never know. But it took *forever* on a 100 or so Gig drive the one time I used it. 3 TB? Months?

[microgood]

I have a several thousand dollar CAD program that won't run on win10. I will be quite annoyed if I lose the use of it.

If it installs automatically just decline the EULA and it will revert back.

[Navy Patriot]

Never 10 is a free app available to disable M$ ability to "upgrade" and computer to Windows 10. It is safe, not spyware and simple, I have it on my Windows 7 machines.

Never 10

[fireman15]

Never 10 has been working for our family. We installed it on all of our computers after my wife’s laptop started auto installing. I had not had difficulty on my laptop other than the nag window because I never allowed updates to be installed automatically.

I am not sure how much legal difficulty this is going to get Microsoft in. But it reeks of desperation. They are now calling this major update which makes many programs and many peripheral devices such as scanners and printers stop functioning a “recommended update”.

I did install Windows 10 an a hard drive that I installed in my laptop that had a factory image on it. It worked OK with my system. I definitely do not like that there is not a straight forward way to turn automatic updates off in Windows 10. There are many legitimate reasons not to “upgrade” to Windows 10. Many of us have tweaked Windows 7 to the point where it works very well on our systems and just do not want to spend a great deal of time and effort getting the same level of functionality out of Windows 10.

Microsoft insisting that they are doing this to “protect” users is incredibly disingenuous. I really do not get it and do not understand what their true motives are. Their current policies are the biggest PR disaster that I can think of. It is making it look like they know that Windows 10 is a dog that no one wants so they are going to force it on everyone. It looks like they know their “upgrade” is less than worthless. I have defended Microsoft for decades but this one is insane.

[DungeonMaster]

Yes it has impacted our company in a bad way starting yesterday or maybe two days ago.

It seems like a law suit is in order.

[MarineBrat]

Thanks for that link. I stopped listening to security now a couple of years ago because I couldn’t stand their leftist political claptrap and health news.

There’s no doubt where Steve Gibson’s heart lies on matters of “It’s MY COMPUTER!”

[SunStar]

Wow, people really have too much time on their hands and like to complain. This is the same thing I read when Windows 7 came out, and then when Windows 8 came out. Now you all want to keep those versions?

Windows 10 is without a doubt a marked improvement over Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1, and they'vbe made the upgrade free until the end of July. While I'm sure this is self-serving for Microsoft, who I'm sure would probably like to service one primary operating system instead of five+ versions (which is not really my concern), the fact is that there is no reason to not upgrade. Windows 10 is a faster, more streamlined OS, and with outside hacks, malware, and phishing attacks very much on the rise, keeping the old operating systems (without a core need, such as a specific application that doesn't work on the latest version of Windows) is more of a security risk than upgrading to the most stable version of Windows.

And, if Microsoft really wants to spy on you, they can do it in Windows 7 or 8 too, so run for the hills!

Hell, I know someone who refuses to upgrade from Windows XP for no reasons other than "it works fine for me" and "Microsoft is stupid". Talk about a bonehead.

[null and void]

I keep that ‘puter off the interwebs!

[cgbg]

Get ready for the Windows 10 Obamacare phase:

Upgrade or the IRS increases your taxes by 1K. :-(

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

Somewhere I read that after July 29, WIN 10 will not be free. Is that true and what are the other negatives about going past that deadline without upgrading to 10?

I would go ahead and do it now, just afraid my software will then not work. As for the spying aspect.....they are going to force that on us regardless, so best to just go ahead and get used to dealing with it the best we can.

[loungitude]

.

[McGruff]

You think you've got problems.

[Pelham]

” I really do not get it and do not understand what their true motives are. “

I’ve read that it’s a control and marketing issue. Windows 10 is tied in with their ability to gather data and and offer advertising so they want to compel everyone to use it.

I bought my current Windows 7 machine when they stopped supporting XP. I absolutely didn’t want Windows 8 and had to hunt for a builder still offering Windows 7, which I plan to use to the bitter end. I think I’m going to have to take the time to learn how to install Linux on it so that by the time Microsoft sabotages Windows 7 I don’t have to go with Windows 10 or whatever MSFT is trying to force on us.

[tbw2]

Yes, and it is a violation of standard IT practices - AND it is a push of the software despite it not being the end of the support period.
Microsoft looked better than Google when Google was saying your data is our data, and we control both massive amounts of content and search.
Pushing upgrades when THEY want is making Microsoft look bad.
Especially given the repeated Windows 10 updates that turn off privacy settings you set PLUS move and change the menus, such that for the first few iterations, it was clear they wanted to make it hard for you to say “no, you can’t use my data or my bandwidth”.

[PROCON]

How about the great American value of making a personal choice?

If you feel comfortable allowing Microsoft to choose your OS for you, fine.

But why should I have to have something if I don't want it?

You espouse what democrats do; I'm smarter than you, do as I say.

[McGruff]

It's the Linux Lunatics trying to convert everybody to install it instead.