Windows 10 Now a Forced Download

[stick47]

Windows 10 Is Now a "Recommended Update" That's Automatically Downloaded

There goes several of the programs that I use all the time into the
dumpster. Looking to go windowless now

[bchris02]

Windows 10 Is Now a "Recommended Update" That's Automatically Downloaded

There goes several of the programs that I use all the time into the
dumpster. Looking to go windowless now

I can see this for Windows 8 users, but it shouldn't be forced on Windows 7 users. It's interesting because I have Windows 7 but have not received the Windows 10 upgrade. I will probably eventually go 10, but I want to hold out for longer and when I do it, it will be a clean install. In-place upgrades are never pretty, especially going from 7 to 10 which are significantly different. 8 to 10 is probably a lot more seamless as Windows 10 is very similar at its core to Windows 8.

[hoya]

I turned off updates a long time ago. Once you're out of date enough, they don't even make viruses that affect you anymore. I'd still be on Windows 98 if that computer hadn't died.

[zookeeper]

This will put a stop to that. Also, expect an update to address any new issues with this forced download. Though, this version should stop that anyway...

You want the GWX Control Panel from this page - Ultimate Outsider - Software Downloads

You can get a portable non-installer version. Good reviews all over.

If you prefer, MajorGeeks has it as well. Download GWX Control Panel - MajorGeeks

[TheTravellers]

You can block or uncheck (since it's "Recommended" and not "Important") the download, I've done it on my Win 7 machine. And even if it downloads, just rename the folder it puts it in (c:\windows10upgrade or something equally easy to find), or hack the registry - multitude of ways to not upgrade until you want to and quite a few are pretty easy, google is your friend.

As far as compatibility, though, yeah, that could be a problem. Want to upgrade the wife's laptop first 'cos it's 8.1, which is total crap (and 10 is supposed to be the best of 7 and 8.1, heard it really is decent, and this is coming from a UNIX sys admin), and there's still enough uncertainty about Edge (IE's replacement) and its compatibility with websites requiring older IE versions, but I think MS is putting IE 11 in Win 10 to alleviate that. Other programs could just barf all over Win 10, though...

[SoonerDave]

One emerging issue with Windows 10 upgrades that's kind of a "backdoor" issue is that people are finding medium-to-older applications cannot work under ANY circumstances in Windows 10 (short of a virtual machine solution most people I know won't even begin to contemplate). The solution is to go buy a later version of xyz software. There's no "compatibility settings" option, because the core DLL's on which that app depended no longer exist.

Somehow, one friend of mine - totally a non-tech person - was having trouble with Quicken, and somehow was led down the path of upgrading his Win7 box to Win10, and suddenly his version of Quicken stopped working. Another friend did the same thing, only this time with a different set of apps, and they were left with a non-working machine.

For myself, I'm in a frustrating bind. I'm an IT guy, a developer, so I want to stay current, thus part of me would like to go to Win10, but I don't have (and have no desire to spend $$ on) a touch-screen laptop and EVERYTHING I have works just the way I need it. So from the "end-user" end of the telescope, I sure empathize with the broader user base arguably more than I ever have. I've already upgraded one of our laptops to Win10, and find the interface to be a complete nuisance even when tweaked to be more "Win7 like."

Then, I go back to my LInux server in my office and it's three Linux VM's that manage the rest of the network, and they just hum along, and I write the occasional BASH script to tweak backups, and they just hum along happily. Then I hear about another Win10 snafu, and my stomach starts doing flips. Ugh. Doing Win development has paid my family's bills for the last 28 years, but I've never felt more alienated from it or Microsoft either as a user or as a developer than I do now.

[FighttheGoodFight]

No problems with Windows 10. Runs all my stuff well.

I only have Windows on my gaming machine and it seems to run well.

[White Peacock]

I recently bought a 2-in-1 with Win10 and I love the OS overall. I was, however, one of the few that didn't hate Windows 8, which I found especially useful on touchscreens. Hell, I even saw how superior Windows RT was in function to other OSes that ran on ARM processors, as my Surface 2 was infinitely more useful and fluid than an iPad or Android tablet (I've used all three platforms extensively). RT didn't have the greatest app selection, but with the full Office suite running like a champ alongside a powerful Internet Explorer (the best browsing experience on any ARM platform), the lack of apps never bothered me.

[jerrywall]

Meh, a forced download isn't a forced install.

[Thomas Vu]

Meh, a forced download isn't a forced install.

In addition to this, its not like its eating up any data plan.

[shawnw]

How to uninstall the Windows 10 'Recommended' update and go back to Windows 7 or 8.1

[shawnw]

Also... Build your own Windows 10 update blocker with Aegis

[bchris02]

For myself, I'm in a frustrating bind. I'm an IT guy, a developer, so I want to stay current, thus part of me would like to go to Win10, but I don't have (and have no desire to spend $$ on) a touch-screen laptop and EVERYTHING I have works just the way I need it. So from the "end-user" end of the telescope, I sure empathize with the broader user base arguably more than I ever have. I've already upgraded one of our laptops to Win10, and find the interface to be a complete nuisance even when tweaked to be more "Win7 like."

I feel the exact same way. Part of me would like to upgrade to Windows 10, but I like 7 so well I really don't want to mess with it right now.

I was an early adopter of every new version from 3.1 all the way through 7. I even jumped on the Vista bandwagon early. I didn't understand so many people clinging to XP when, after the bugs were worked out, Vista/7 was a significant step forward. However, 7 is so good that I personally don't see a need to move beyond it. I can now somewhat empathize with those who clung to XP all the way to 2014. 10 is a great upgrade from Windows 8 in my opinion, but from 7, I don't see the need.

[adaniel]

No problems with Windows 10. Runs all my stuff well.

I only have Windows on my gaming machine and it seems to run well.

I have Windows 10 on both my laptop and Surface Tablet and I love it. Only complaint is I couldn't use my older youtube video downloader program, but it was nothing a reinstall couldn't fix.

I know its trendy to hate on Microsoft, but I am really impressed. Embrace Win10!

[FighttheGoodFight]

I have Windows 10 on both my laptop and Surface Tablet and I love it. Only complaint is I couldn't use my older youtube video downloader program, but it was nothing a reinstall couldn't fix.

I know its trendy to hate on Microsoft, but I am really impressed. Embrace Win10!

I find people just hate any change when it comes to Windows OS. I enjoyed Windows 7 then 8 then 8.1 then 10. My computer boots extremely fast since 8.1 and 10 have the faster booting SSD protocol.

I believe Microsoft is trying to force the update so they can get rid of all the overhead of support for old OS. It works well for Mac OSX giving out free updates. I assumed they are trying a similar approach.

[jerrywall]

That's something that's amuses me. It's OK and even expected on other platforms for force or at least pressure users to upgrade. I certainly understand some folks needing to stay with an older version for compatibility reasons (although there really is no reason technologically speaking for a windows 7/8 compatible program not to run in Windows 10.) I find that folks that need to remain on an older version for specific reasons tend to be out of the norm cases. Obviously anything has exceptions of course.

It's like the whole Windows 8 interface complaints. I simply never used the metro view. It took a single button press to switch back and forth between the metro and the classic desktop. People acted like it was something so earth shattering. Windows users seem to be the user group most resistant to any type of change.

[ctchandler]

I feel the exact same way. Part of me would like to upgrade to Windows 10, but I like 7 so well I really don't want to mess with it right now.

I was an early adopter of every new version from 3.1 all the way through 7. I even jumped on the Vista bandwagon early. I didn't understand so many people clinging to XP when, after the bugs were worked out, Vista/7 was a significant step forward. However, 7 is so good that I personally don't see a need to move beyond it. I can now somewhat empathize with those who clung to XP all the way to 2014. 10 is a great upgrade from Windows 8 in my opinion, but from 7, I don't see the need.

Bchris,
I thought I was the only one old enough to remember 3.1, the rushed update to 3.0 which made every fast pc it was installed on a complete dog. Actually, I ran Windows 286 until 3.0 came out. The last pc I owned had XP. I finally got smart and moved to the "Dark Side". I bought a Mac and I have never looked back. I love it, I started with a Mac Pro, and now have a screaming IMac.
C. T.

[bchris02]

Windows users seem to be the user group most resistant to any type of change.

Well only speaking for myself, its because Windows upgrades have historically been a big hassle and in-place upgrades suffered from performance issues and other weird quirks as opposed to doing a clean install. The 98 to XP upgrade was the absolute worst in this regard. This is why when I format, I will probably install Windows 10, but until then I am sticking with 7. To contrast, Mac OS X and iOS upgrades are usually seamless and don't run into the same types of issues.

A lot of it has to do with the fact Windows is an open platform, and after doing an in-place upgrade, incompatible applications and drivers can cause numerous issues. That's one of the benefits of using a Mac. It's a closed platform, but because of that, you know everything (or most things) will be compatible when you upgrade.

[shawnw]

Microsoft isn't delusional enough to think it can be rid of older systems any time soon. The U.S. government presently pays millions of dollars to Microsoft for extended support for Windows XP, which is now a teenaged operating system.

source: US Navy paid millions to stay on Windows XP | Computerworld

(and I promise, the Navy is not alone in this endeavor, I have personal experience with XP in use at multiple government entities)

[SoonerDave]

That's something that's amuses me. It's OK and even expected on other platforms for force or at least pressure users to upgrade. I certainly understand some folks needing to stay with an older version for compatibility reasons (although there really is no reason technologically speaking for a windows 7/8 compatible program not to run in Windows 10.) I find that folks that need to remain on an older version for specific reasons tend to be out of the norm cases. Obviously anything has exceptions of course.

It's like the whole Windows 8 interface complaints. I simply never used the metro view. It took a single button press to switch back and forth between the metro and the classic desktop. People acted like it was something so earth shattering. Windows users seem to be the user group most resistant to any type of change.

1) Until I saw what some friends experienced after their upgrade from Win 7 to Win 10, I would have agreed with you. And they had perfectly happy Win7 apps that they used on a daily basis that they can't anymore, and it will suddenly will cost them $$$ to fix. It shouldn't be a problem, except that, well, real-world, it is. Granted, it may be noise level for the broader user community, but for the folks for whom it's a hassle, it's a hassle.

2) You've crystallized the whole issue - "it only takes *xyz* to get back to what I had." That's almost as simple as doing nothing at all, eg not upgrading, to avoid functionality I didn't want in the first place.

The user community doesn't owe Microsoft an upgrade. As far as "willingness to upgrade" goes, I was using the Win98 interface on Windows NT 4.0 fully two years before it was "formally" released, because I knew the fundamental architecture of NT was so superior to Win98. So I get the value in upgrading. That marginal value was a lot higher with such upgrades then compared to now, IMHO. The migration from Win7 to Win10 is as much about MS trying to stay (become?) relevant to the hipster-tech community as it is imbuing the computing world with bold new technology....(I mean, get real, has there been a worse commercial for anything than the Dancing Conference Room Hipsters pushing Surface tablets? gag).

[bchris02]

The user community doesn't owe Microsoft an upgrade. As far as "willingness to upgrade" goes, I was using the Win98 interface on Windows NT 4.0 fully two years before it was "formally" released, because I knew the fundamental architecture of NT was so superior to Win98. So I get the value in upgrading. That marginal value was a lot higher with such upgrades then compared to now, IMHO. The migration from Win7 to Win10 is as much about MS trying to stay (become?) relevant to the hipster-tech community as it is imbuing the computing world with bold new technology....(I mean, get real, has there been a worse commercial for anything than the Dancing Conference Room Hipsters pushing Surface tablets? gag).

This.

With previous upgrades (3.1 to 95, 95 to 98SE, 98SE to XP, XP to Vista, Vista to 7) there was a significant step forward in functionality and/or performance that made the upgrade make sense. For me, 7 was the last upgrade that offered enough value to me to make it worth it. Moving from 7 to 10, for me, would be upgrading for the sake of upgrading. I don't have a touch screen and I do not use (nor do I intend to) any of the apps in the Microsoft ecosystem. 7 works and offers everything I need in an operating system.

Microsoft desperately wants to recapture the excitement that it bolstered with Windows 95, with each release claiming that its the biggest upgrade since 1995, but unless they can come out with something that can radically change and improve the way we work with computers, it isn't going to happen.

[jerrywall]

YMMV for everyone. Depending on how you use your PC, there are HUGE leaps between windows 7 to windows 10. Gaming for one is unbelievably major. Virtual desktops, changes to search, the Edge browser, etc. It will really depend on what people use.

I do like how windows 10 has the quick downgrade feature if someone tries it and doesn't like it. Between that and the free upgrade, I like this trend.

[stick47]

Forbes Welcome

Last week changes to the Windows 10 upgrade path mean it is going to become increasingly difficult for any non-techy users to avoid being pushed to Microsoft MSFT -1.92%’s new operating system. But given Windows 10 is better than Windows 7 and Windows 8, why would that be a problem? Because of policies like this…

Speaking to PC World, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Joe Belfiore explained that Windows 10 is constantly tracking how it operates and how you are using it and sending that information back to Microsoft by default. More importantly he also confirmed that, despite offering some options to turn elements of tracking off, core data collection simply cannot be stopped:

“In the cases where we’ve not provided options, we feel that those things have to do with the health of the system,” he said. “In the case of knowing that our system that we’ve created is crashing, or is having serious performance problems, we view that as so helpful to the ecosystem and so not an issue of personal privacy, that today we collect that data so that we make that experience better for everyone.”

This backs up detailed data that some had chosen to dismiss as conspiracy theories.

Still, whether or not you agree with Belfiore’s standpoint that this doesn’t invade user privacy, it does seem strange that it has taken Microsoft so long to come clean and admit core Windows 10 background data collection processes cannot be stopped. Instead it gave the impression that turning off all user accessible spying options in Windows 10 settings would provide owners with full privacy – that’s tantamount to spying.

To his credit, Belfiore does recognise the controversial nature of this decision and stresses that:

“We’re going to continue to listen to what the broad public says about these decisions, and ultimately our goal is to balance the right thing happening for the most people – really, for everyone – with complexity that comes with putting in a whole lot of control.”

Interestingly Belfiore himself won’t be around to oversee this as he is about to take a year long sabbatical. When he comes back, however, I suspect this issue will still be raging as Windows and Devices Group head Terry Myerson recently confirmed Windows 10 Enterprise users will be able to disable every single aspect of Microsoft data collection.

This comes in combination with Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise users’ ability to permanently disable automatic updates which are forced upon consumers and shows the growing divide between how Microsoft is treating consumers versus corporations.

So how concerned should users be about Windows 10’s default data collection policies? I would say very.

By default Windows 10 Home is allowed to control your bandwidth usage, install any software it wants whenever it wants (without providing detailed information on what these updates do), display ads in the Start Menu (currently it has been limited to app advertisements), send your hardware details and any changes you make to Microsoft and even log your browser history and keystrokes which the Windows End User Licence Agreement (EULA) states you allow Microsoft to use for analysis.

The good news: even if Belfiore states you cannot switch off everything, editing your privacy settings will disable the worst of these. To find them open the Start menu > Settings > Privacy.

The bad news: despite Belfiore’s pledge “to continue to listen”, Microsoft’s actions (including the impending Windows 7 and Windows 8 upgrade pressure) suggests the company’s recent love for Big Brother tactics is only going to get worse before it gets better.

[SoonerDave]

YMMV for everyone. Depending on how you use your PC, there are HUGE leaps between windows 7 to windows 10. Gaming for one is unbelievably major. Virtual desktops, changes to search, the Edge browser, etc. It will really depend on what people use.

I do like how windows 10 has the quick downgrade feature if someone tries it and doesn't like it. Between that and the free upgrade, I like this trend.

YMMV for everyone. Depending on how you use your PC, there are HUGE leaps between windows 7 to windows 10. Gaming for one is unbelievably major. Virtual desktops, changes to search, the Edge browser, etc. It will really depend on what people use.

I do like how windows 10 has the quick downgrade feature if someone tries it and doesn't like it. Between that and the free upgrade, I like this trend.

Jerry, I see where you're coming from, but as someone on the tech side of the house I know those "improvements" aren't nearly as OS-based as they are user-interface based. Much of the underlying plumbing for graphics (DirectX have been evolving for years. Virtual desktops have been available through third-party downloads or extensions. Elements of "Edge" have been creeping into IE11, at least on the debug side, even though the underlying browser engine is being rewritten from the ground up.

Bottom line, you generally don't have to rebuild the OS to provide a decent browser or play good games. But it sure makes a great sales pitch.

And then we get forced data collection and forced ads as the post above mentions, and the hits just keep on rollin'. Makes a Linux laptop just that much more attractive.

[Jim Kyle]

Doing Win development has paid my family's bills for the last 28 years, but I've never felt more alienated from it or Microsoft either as a user or as a developer than I do now.

I can't agree with you more, except that I gave up on Redmond some seven years ago and now do all my serious work on a pair of Xubuntu boxes that form a tiny LAN in my home office. I have more than a dozen virtual machines on one of them, all but a couple running either Win2K or WinXP, and that's where I do my support for Windows customers. It all works quite well and backup of a VM is simplicity itself -- just copy the VM's directory tree to a different drive!

But the "normal" user finds it hard to comprehend that a VM can even exist, much less learn to be comfortable using one. I've tried to teach my wife to do that; it didn't work. All three of my sons (who are older than most folk on the board here) have abandoned Microsoft and now use Macs -- and one of them is, in fact, a Windows developer who maintains C# packages all day, then comes home and relaxes with his Mac!