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'Get Windows 10' Turns Itself On and Nags Win 7 and 8.1 Users Twice a Day (infoworld.com)
LichtSpektren writes: As you may recall, Microsoft has delivered KB3035583 as a 'recommended update' to users of Windows 7 and 8.1. What this update does is install GWX ("Get Windows 10"), a program which diagnoses the system to see if it is eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10, and if so, asks the user if they would like to upgrade (though recently, the option to decline has been removed). Some users have gotten around this by editing Windows Registry values for "AllowOSUpgrade", "DisableOSUpgrade", "DisableGWX", and "ReservationsAllowed" in order to disable the prompt altogether. This advice was endorsed by Microsoft on their support forums.
According to a report by Woody Leonhard at InfoWorld, the newest version of the KB3035583 update includes a background process which scans the system's Windows Registry twice a day to see if the values for the four aforementioned registry inputs were manually edited to disable the upgrade prompt. If they were, the process will alter the values, silently re-download the Windows 10 installation files (about 6 GB in total), and prompt the user to upgrade.
According to a report by Woody Leonhard at InfoWorld, the newest version of the KB3035583 update includes a background process which scans the system's Windows Registry twice a day to see if the values for the four aforementioned registry inputs were manually edited to disable the upgrade prompt. If they were, the process will alter the values, silently re-download the Windows 10 installation files (about 6 GB in total), and prompt the user to upgrade.
Try GWX Control Panel to disable GWX and OS updates entirely:
http://ultimateoutsider.com/do...
Also Spybot Anti-Beacon which disables telemetry:
https://www.safer-networking.o...
It works perfectly for me on Windows 7. And yes I know that all of what it does can be done manualy but these tools do their job and work well so why bother...
I had a family member who had a (smallish SSD) C: drive, with most data and applications on their D: drive. The C: drive had just enough free space to download the Windows 10 update, and then fail and crash attempting to install it. The update process is smart enough to check for and unset registry keys, but apparently not smart enough to check if there is actually enough disk space.
Ideology: A tool used primarily to avoid the bother of thinking.
Microsoft is tired of supporting old ass insecure software. They can't rely on people who won't run patches, so they are going the Apple route. They know what you need, just submit and deal with it.
I like Windows 10, using it on my surface 4 right now. Edge isn't awful, but I still use FF and Chrome.
I would say that let the upgrade happen, and while it's happening, adjust the onion on your belt and go outside and yell at some clouds.
No, Microsoft is tired of people using perfectly serviceable old software that is no longer a revenue source for them. Forget that it's a "free" upgrade...they make money on each and every installation by selling off YOUR data to third parties. It's NOT out of the goodness of their hearts that they want everyone to upgrade here.
So you're OK with the fact that Microsoft will bypass your settings and download 6 GB without prompting you?
This - especially this! For the majority of rural Internet users, 6GB represents roughly 50-60% of their monthly bandwidth allotment - and it ain't cheap ( a typical 12GB monthly plan runs around $50-60 or so.)
I wonder if anyone has tried to sue Microsoft yet over being shorted on bandwidth? On my part (yeah, I live in the sticks), I have only Linux and OSX at home, and given Microsoft's recent intrusions, I've become rather happy with my OS choices...
Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
Apple users tolerate it.
No, we don't. Because Apple to the best of my knowledge has never overridden user-configured settings when it comes to downloading or installing automatic updates. For years now I have disabled all of the relevant "automatic update" checkboxes in System Preferences, and Apple has never reenabled them and has never downloaded system updates without my permission. I have several old iPhones with various versions of iOS 6-8 on them and apple has never applied an OS update without my permission. Okay, I do remember being asked once or twice during major OS upgrades if I wanted to enable some of the automatic update settings, and once (*once!*) got a notification popup on my Mac asking me if I wanted to download Safari, but there's a clear difference between displaying a one-time popup and downloading 6GB of data to my machine *when I specifically asked you not to*, or installing Safari anyway, or even changing settings that you *know* I set manually!