People Are Claiming Their PCs Are Automatically Upgrading To Windows 10 — Without Permission

BI ^ | 3-15-2016 | Matt Weinberger

[blam]

Matt Weinberger
March 15, 2016

Microsoft's aggressive campaign to get customers to Windows 10 is raising some eyebrows, with scattered reports that some people's PCs are automatically upgrading from Windows 7 — without their explicit permission.

For instance, in a post titled "My PC Upgraded To Windows 10 Without Asking, Then Immediately Broke," Kotaku's Patrick Klepek shares the story of how, last week, his Windows 7 PC installed the Windows 10 update automatically overnight.

"Maybe I forgot to push back the upgrade schedule, maybe I accidentally scheduled it by clicking the wrong button. Whatever the case, I definitely did not intend to install Windows 10," Klepek writes.

In the comments, on Reddit, and elsewhere on social media, other users chimed in to share their own similar stories of their familiar Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs getting suddenly upgraded to Windows 10.

(snip)

[VanDeKoik]

Do people actually have this on video?

Because an OS installing itself via an internet download without any user input, like choosing or creating a disk partition, creating a user account, or picking a wifi network, would what would need to happen for this upgrade to just magically happen.

[Qiviut]

Install this ... it stops the notices & will get rid of the files Microsoft has downloaded, if they’ve gone that far. I have it on two laptops, one of which already had the files on it - got rid of everything, working well:

GWX Control Panel
http://blog.ultimateoutsider.com/2015/08/using-gwx-stopper-to-permanently-remove.html

Per the link:
GWX Control Panel is the easiest way for users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to protect their computers from Windows 10. With GWX Control Panel you can: Remove the “Get Windows 10” icon that appears in your notification area, prevent your Windows Update control panel from upgrading your computer to Windows 10, prevent your computer from secretly downloading Windows 10 installation files, detect and remove the hidden Windows 10 installation files if they’re already on your PC, optionally monitor your computer for unwanted Windows 10-related settings and files- and beginning with version 1.7 you can now easily delete some hard-to-remove program files that are known to cause Windows 10 upgrades and annoyances.

GWX Control Panel is free software that really works, is safe and easy to use, and gives you the option to re-enable the icon and upgrade notifications if you’re ever ready to move forward with Windows 10.

[MeganC]

Internet Explorer is installed with Windows Ten - just go to Start and then in the search bar type ‘Explorer’ and there it is! Your favorites will probably be there waiting for you!

[Mama Shawna]

I got this handy little application from a post right here on FR (GWX Control Panel). I stopped automatic updates months ago to prevent this, and then used this app to further shut it down. So far, I’m ok. Screw MS.

http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

[LostInBayport]

I installed the GWX blocker some time back, and a week or so ago I stopped downloading updates (I have it set where I am alerted that there are updates and it is up to me to download and install them). And kind FReepers have noted which updates to delete from the computer, and I did that too.

And I still worry they will ruin my computer, which I use for work. I usually scoff at class action lawsuits, but this seems like a prime case for one. Malicious destruction of private property for starters and it could rise to loss of income and personal information. I don’t care what it says in the user agreements, and any jury of regular computer users will probably feel the same way.

[jessduntno]

“”Maybe I forgot to push back the upgrade schedule, maybe I accidentally scheduled it by clicking the wrong button. Whatever the case, I definitely did not intend to install Windows 10,” Klepek writes.”

Yep. You won’t get the upgrade without that box checked. I got the upgrade and like it. It’s all a matter of taste, I suppose. Still think XP with SP 2 was my favorite stable platform, but just an opinion. This has some junk on it that you don’t need and requires a little more disk space than an older machine, but I haven’t had any problems with my install. The current version needs to be up to date before the install goes smoothly, so if you had it turned off and missed some updates, then turned it on somehow, that could be the install problem.

I am always puzzled when people get “surprised” by this. It’s almost like people complaining about getting ticketed after going through a stop sign. They’ve been saying this was coming for a long, long time.

[wright2bear]

Found this on the MS website, hopefully it will help.

Windows 10, your old favorites are now pinned to Quick access. If they’re not all there, see if they’re lurking in your old favorites folder (C:\Users\username\Links). When you find one, right-click it and select Pin to Quick access.

[RoosterRedux]

I have downloaded Windows 10 and, as far as I can tell, you can't turn off the automatic update feature.

It runs all the time whether you like it or not.

Definitely not a feature I like.

[musicman]

I installed the GWX control panel fro the link below.

http://blog.ultimateoutsider.com/2015/08/using-gwx-stopper-to-permanently-remove.html

This program lets you (step-by-step) get rid off or stop ALL FUTURE Win10 activity on your puter.

...and I mean STOP!!!

It’s WONDERFUL!!

[gattaca]

I keep unchecking it but it keeps checking itself again.

[taxcontrol]

Linux the ultimate Widows upgrade - I recommend Mint for those that like the windows interface.

[ratzoe]

I’d suspect this is all “user error”. As others have said, you’d have to click do the update and even if it were automatically running on those who chose “later”, declining the ToS would stop it. The fact is most users don’t read what they are clicking on. If they did, that would stop 99% of all malware that has been spreading around in recent years.

Thank you, Jonathon Gruber...j/k

I have heard all these horror stories but I had yet to have a problem with 10. I had 8.1 previously, nothing but issues with it so when Win 10 came available last summer, I installed it. Figured if I was gonna have issues, might as well be with 10. But, lo and behold, haven't had problem 1 with it. I haven't rebooted for anything but updates since last summer.

[heights]

My secondary computer did two days ago...

[Bob434]

not to me it isn’t happening- I now run windows 10 strictly in offline mode in a dual boot with linux which is my online operating system now- The ONLY reason i even bother to keep windows is because I use photoshop and NIK software and onone software to process my photos with- all expensive programs that need windows to work- I also like playing the occasional windows only games— both of these scenarios do not need a connection to the Internet, so I make sure my windows 10 (which is free by the way as an .ISO download) does not have access to the Internet-

Yeah, dual boot kinda sucks- but really, I now just schedule my photo processing for the end of the day when I don’t need Internet service any longer- and finish up the evening processing photos- and then reboot back into linux so it’s ready for the next day online-

I suspect a lot of people are going to go this route now that MS is bullying everyone into upgrading windows against their will-

Linux does everything online that windows does- email, Internet, connection to cloud services or whatever- there’s really no longer any need to run windows online when a free operating system like Linux, which doesn’t bully people and force crap on them is perfectly capable of online activity and work-

Hopefully someday someone will figure out how to run windows programs on linux (WITHOUT using virtual machine which doesn’t work well, or the crappy WINE that doesn’t work well with most windows programs that are cpu intensive like photoshop)- but until then, unfortunately, most peopel still need to run windows off line at least to run programs that are windows based-

[driftdiver]

Even if you turn auto update off they will push updates to your PC. I’ve had it happen numerous times.

[Maceman]

I’m using windows 7. Where do I go to stop automatic updates?

[blam]

"Turn off automatic updates and then be careful about what updates you manually install."

I did that some time back.

Also, I uninstalled these updates:

* KB3068708
* KB3022345
* KB3075249
* KB3080149
* KB2952664
* KB3035583
* KB3021917
* KB3083710

Even so.

Yesterday, I got a prompt to download Window 10 NOW, while it is still free.

[smokingfrog]

Aaaahhhhggggg!!!

http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-block-windows-10-upgrades-on-your-business-network-and-at-home-too/

[Bob434]

[[I keep unchecking it but it keeps checking itself again.]]

Aren’t viruses fun?

[gattaca]

THANK YOU!