Windows 10 Now a 'Recommended Update' For Windows 7 and 8.1 Users (betanews.com)

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Windows 10 Now a 'Recommended Update' For Windows 7 and 8.1 Users (betanews.com)

Posted by timothy on Monday February 1, 2016 @04:07PM from the better-look-into-that dept.

Mark Wilson writes: Microsoft has been accused of pushing Windows 10 rather aggressively, and the company's latest move is going to do nothing to silence these accusations. For Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, Windows 10 just became a 'recommended update' in Windows Update.

This is a change from the previous categorization of the upgrade as an 'optional update' and it means that there is renewed potential for unwanted installations. After the launch of Windows 10, there were numerous reports of not only the automatic download of OS installation files, but also unrequested upgrades. The changed status of the update means that, on some machines, the installation of Windows 10 could start automatically.

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MS Wants to Own Your Machine for Good by Kunedog · 2016-02-01 16:14 · Score: 5, Interesting

Microsoft is sick and tired of customers resisting their latest shiny upgrade, and downright pissed off when they resist successfully, as with Vista and 8. So they are going all-in on establishing the capability to push any and all code/UI they want, for any purpose they want (DRM/adware/spyware/forced account login/whatever), to your machine at any time. If the current Windows 10 updates are this evil, imagine what they'll be like when users have no alternative.
1. Re:MS Wants to Own Your Machine for Good by houstonbofh · 2016-02-01 16:54 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  And after all they work of training users to keep systems patched, Microsoft goes out and makes patches a bad thing. Nice move!
2. Re: MS Wants to Own Your Machine for Good by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2016-02-01 19:04 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Because it's MY MACHINE, perhaps?
  
  --
  Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
3. Re:MS Wants to Own Your Machine for Good by AmiMoJo · 2016-02-01 21:57 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  If the current Windows 10 updates are this evil, imagine what they'll be like when users have no alternative.
  No need to imagine, just look at iOS. Updates are pushed quite forcefully on users, and within a few months more than 90% will upgrade. New "features" include more ways to give Apple money, extra DRM, closing any holes that let you take control of your device. And after a few years, the updates slow your system down so much you are either forced to run an old, unsupported and insecure version or buy new hardware.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
4. Re:MS Wants to Own Your Machine for Good by arglebargle_xiv · 2016-02-01 22:03 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  stupid loosers
  Literacy isn't your strong point, is it?
  It is if he's talking about incompetent archers.
5. Re:MS Wants to Own Your Machine for Good by Anonymous Coward · 2016-02-01 22:05 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I just turned off windows updates on my win8.1 netbook. Sure, it might get rooted by random internet script-kiddies, but that's still better than a 100% chance of immediately getting rooted by Microsoft's own script-kiddies.
  Windows Update is simply no longer trustworthy.
6. Re: MS Wants to Own Your Machine for Good by ihtoit · 2016-02-02 03:30 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  The first-sale doctrine creates a basic exception to the copyright holder's distribution right. Once the work is lawfully sold or even transferred gratuitously, the copyright owner's interest in the material object in which the copyrighted work is embodied is exhausted. The owner of the material object can then dispose of it as he sees fit. Thus, one who buys a copy of a book is entitled to resell it, rent it, give it away, or destroy it. However, the owner of the copy of the book will not be able to make new copies of the book because the first-sale doctrine does not limit copyright owner's reproduction right. The rationale of the doctrine is to prevent the copyright owner from restraining the free alienability of goods. Without the doctrine, a possessor of a copy of a copyrighted work would have to negotiate with the copyright owner every time he wished to dispose of his copy. After the initial transfer of ownership of a legal copy of a copyrighted work, the first-sale doctrine exhausts copyright holder's right to control how ownership of that copy can be disposed of. For this reason, this doctrine is also referred to as the "exhaustion rule."
  See: 17 USC section 109, and Bobbs-Merrill -v- Strauss (1908).
  Obligatory car analogy: I buy a Ford F150 flatbed. Who are Ford to say I can't install an aftermarket roof over the deck of MY VEHICLE THAT I PAID FOR rather than pay over the odds for the stock one?
  
  --
  Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
Farewell to the soulskill and samzenpus by Anonymous Coward · 2016-02-01 16:16 · Score: 4, Informative

Whipslash arrived and fired you immediately. Farewell and thanks for all the stories and dupes over the years.
1. Re: Farewell to the soulskill and samzenpus by Frosty+Piss · 2016-02-01 18:30 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  And now poor Timmy is working his fingers bloody posting stories day and night! But at least we now have Unicode support...
  
  --
  If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
2. Re:Farewell to the soulskill and samzenpus by Anonymous Coward · 2016-02-01 21:39 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  soulskill's profile says "former editor" when before it had some info on it. The foss article was updated with this:
  All this goodwill towards the user community might be coming at a cost, however. I’ve heard reports from credible sources of layoffs at Slashdot, with many longtime employees being shown the door, with their jobs either eliminated or handed over to less costly and relatively inexperienced staff. Goodwill or no, this can’t have a positive effect on the site’s users’ experience. We can expect that the same cost cutting is probably happening at SourceForge, which is already struggling.
3. Re:Farewell to the soulskill and samzenpus by drinkypoo · 2016-02-01 23:08 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  " Iâ(TM)ve heard reports from credible sources of layoffs at Slashdot, with many longtime employees being shown the door, with their jobs either eliminated or handed over to less costly and relatively inexperienced staff. Goodwill or no, this canâ(TM)t have a positive effect on the siteâ(TM)s usersâ(TM) experience."
  It can hardly get any worse, can it? The longtime employees weren't doing their jobs. The editors didn't edit, we still can't copy and paste without stupid characters appearing in the copy, they would post at least one dupe a week...
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Family member's WIN computer got locked out by Trachman · 2016-02-01 16:17 · Score: 5, Interesting

Rather than fiddling with keys and password recoveries, we have just installed Linux Mint.
No complains or further questions. People use computer for browsing mostly.
Why WOULDN'T It Be Recommended? by zenlessyank · 2016-02-01 16:17 · Score: 5, Funny

MSoft only has our best interest. Sheez. So sensitive.
As someone who "upgraded" to Win10 by Snotnose · 2016-02-01 16:23 · Score: 5, Interesting

Let me just say, "don't".

Never mind the spyware. I had Win8.1 for 18 months before I "upgraded" to Win10. Since the upgrade I've had:
1) ctl + left mouse to move a window. Release the wrong button first and the window goes full screen instead.
2) Random mouse locations when clicking left button. Ex: in a web browser hit the back button, it goes full screen. In a web browser click a bookmark group, it minimizes. etc etc etc
3) Close laptop, go to bed. Get up in the morning, laptop has installed updates and rebooted, wants your permission to continue.
4) Default app behaviours change suddenly. Just this morning I opened a pdf on my hard drive and Edge opened it,, not the pdf file viewer I've used for the last few years.
5) Uptime seems to be a week. If it's not updating then when you open your laptop it just doesn't respond.

I bought this laptop November 2013, it came with Win 8.0 and I immediately upgraded to 8.1. Had no issues. Mistakenly "upgraded" to Win10 last summer, all the above issues have plagued me since. If I had to do it all over again I would, in order, stay 8.1 (I'm a gamer, need Windows), go Linux, go Mac, go Win10.
Microsoft Recommendations by rcase5 · 2016-02-01 16:27 · Score: 5, Insightful

I've made it my business to never do what Microsoft recommends. That has served me well over the years.
This is what happens when monopoly revenue falls.. by Anonymous Coward · 2016-02-01 16:37 · Score: 5, Insightful

Windows Revenue is down 50% because of the mobile revolution. Then there are technologies like Citrix that are challenging Microsoft's dominance in corporate America.
The new business model is obvious; monetize non-business customers by trapping them in a windows through a walled garden while selling their personal information to the highest bidder while protecting the corporate deployment base.
Microsoft thinks all their customers are mom and dad surfing e-mail on their home pc's when in reality they just killed tens of thousands of small businesses, small pc shops, SOHO offices and so forth running windows PC's with legacy code. This is the knucklehead moment where they behead themselves and the market realizes just how dangerous Microsoft really is. They are going to tick off a lot of people and impress nobody if they pull this off successfully; given the state of the market and computers in general I doubt they are going to get out of this unscathed.
Another FU for M$ by n0w0rries · 2016-02-01 16:49 · Score: 5, Informative

They don't consider how this crap works in a slow internet environment. I'm on boat in Mexico. Internet is slow when you can get it at all. I don't have the bandwidth for your ads and your spyware. I need weather data! Ever try and use outlook on slow internet? it spends most of it's time [not responding]!
I had a situation where my long range wifi usb port pulled out. So I figured I'd just change my mac address on my notebook to the one that died so I can keep using the internet service I paid for... but NOOOOO they block me from doing that.
What happened to when a computer used to be a tool? Now it's a spyware machine I'm supposed to pay for?!
1. Re:Another FU for M$ by camperdave · 2016-02-01 18:06 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  What happened to when a computer used to be a tool? Now it's a spyware machine I'm supposed to pay for?!
  It's still a tool, just one for the other team.
  
  --
  When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
Re: And when are they going to allow 7 Enterprise. by houstonbofh · 2016-02-01 16:50 · Score: 4, Funny

It's very confusing how Mucrosoft says they want everyone to upgrade, but they block Vista and all Enterprise versions.
Well, that does make Enterprise worth the money...
Make sure Windows 10 does what you need it to do.. by mykepredko · 2016-02-01 16:51 · Score: 5, Interesting

Just in case you're looking for another reason not to switch.
I put this conversation up as a discussion topic here on /. - http://answers.microsoft.com/e...
Com port management has never been great in Windows and in Win 10, if you are doing device development work or working with different devices which allocate com ports, you may find yourself running out of them and/or applications no longer working because the allocated port number is higher than the range the application handles.
Very disappointing non-response by Microsoft and their employees.

--
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
Re:This is what happens when monopoly revenue fall by houstonbofh · 2016-02-01 16:59 · Score: 4, Insightful

Yep. They just made all those alternatives (Android tablets, chrombooks, Mac, Linux...) a lot more attractive.
Re:fuck you microsoft! by epyT-R · 2016-02-01 17:16 · Score: 5, Funny

I know, right? That's pretty sad that they can't even give it away for free. They have to force it.
Re:But why? by SeaFox · 2016-02-01 17:36 · Score: 4, Interesting

Why does MS feel its so important for us to upgrade?
I don't understand why MS feels they have to force Win 10 on us when many are perfectly happy with the Win we have.
Because Microsoft wants to spy on you for financial gain.
People running 7 and 8.1 can avoid the updates that add the spying to them, but since it's baked into Win10 you can't avoid it so easily then, so the obvious course for Microsoft is to trick people into upgrading to 10.
Given the overwhelming majority of people are on Windows -- I kinda wonder if Microsoft is really the only one doing the collection of data off of it.
Re:This is what happens when monopoly revenue fall by Anonymous Coward · 2016-02-01 17:43 · Score: 4, Insightful

in reality they just killed tens of thousands of small businesses, small pc shops, SOHO offices and so forth running windows PC's with legacy code.
So what? The value of a Windows 7/8/8.1 user is $0 to Microsoft. The value of a Windows 10 user is $x per year. The only thing that matters is converting as many people as possible to Windows 10. If in the process they break a PC that cannot possibly run Window 10, then it's not a loss.
Reading between the lines by scdeimos · 2016-02-01 17:59 · Score: 4, Insightful

From TFA:

...we are committed to making it easy for our Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers to upgrade to Windows 10.
In other words they're making it as difficult as possible to avoid upgrading.
Re: And when are they going to allow 7 Enterprise by camperdave · 2016-02-01 17:59 · Score: 4, Funny

Why don't you test to HTML standards instead? That way your website will work no matter who browses it.

--
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
Just follow these simple instructions by safetyinnumbers · 2016-02-01 18:14 · Score: 4, Informative

"How to manage Windows 10 notification and upgrade options:" https://support.microsoft.com/...
Re:"Close laptop..." OMG!!! by ITRambo · 2016-02-01 18:17 · Score: 4, Funny

Windows 10 is terribly unpredictable. It'll sleep with your wife if you leave the room.
Re:I am wondering what would happen after 1 year by Scorch_Mechanic · 2016-02-01 18:35 · Score: 4, Insightful

At this point I expect that the supposed cutoff date will roll around, and then one of two things will happen:
1) They start charging whatever they're charging for it. But it won't stop being a "Recommended" update for 7 and 8.1. Meaning of course that some loser will turn updates back on or boot up a laptop that spent seven months without a battery, get updated, and suddenly find their copy of Windows 10 isn't licensed and they have a thirty day countdown. Pay up, sucker.
2) Nothing happens. It remains free. Eventually Microsoft will get around to yanking the updates, but probably not before something like option one happens. Credits to carrots the nagware will stick around though, just different. And no way are the telemetry updates getting removed.
Look deep into your heart. Which one do you think is gonna happen?

--
You should turn signatures off.
Re:"Close laptop..." OMG!!! by Harlequin80 · 2016-02-01 18:39 · Score: 4, Informative

I had one worse than that. Playing Fallout 4, not triggered an autosave in a while, hit esc so its paused while I have dinner, come back to my linux log in screen. Windows had decided to reboot my machine for updates WHILE a full screen program was running. Brilliant.
"Free from Microsoft" is an oxymoron by shanen · 2016-02-01 19:08 · Score: 4, Interesting

I've been posing (and pondering) this question ever since I was convinced that Microsoft was not charging money for the upgrade to Windows 10:
Why?
One of the major business model innovations underlying Microsoft's "success" is ignoring the end user. Microsoft has increasingly focused on selling to the makers and the end users are basically forced to go along. Yeah, Apple survived (after a near death experience), but I'm still doubtful that the most creative accountants can show profits from the OS side of their business model. Linux remains a niche player for lack of any good business models, but MS got fat from the manufacturers.
Now Microsoft suddenly bites the hands that have been feeding it? Actually, more like gnawing off the arms at the elbows. The makers are in a commodity business of the nastiest, lowest-profits sort, and many of them can't afford to skip the new-box sales for a year or so, just because so many older machines suddenly become like-new again.
MS has plenty of cash in the bank. "Honey badger don't care" which makers survive. There will be at least a couple of makers around to sell new computers, and Microsoft will just pick up where it left off. However, it has also become pretty clear they are trying to muscle in on part of Apple's business model, and maybe the google's, as well.
Evidently all the makers can say is "That hurts."

--
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Re:Most people don't defend against creeping abuse by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2016-02-01 19:27 · Score: 4, Insightful

When a business no longer provides a worthwhile product or service which it can sell, it switches to lock-in/rent-seeking mode.

--
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
Re:Number, please? by omglolbah · 2016-02-01 20:11 · Score: 4, Insightful

http://blog.ultimateoutsider.c...
Works a treat :p
Re:Hands up everyone by Opportunist · 2016-02-01 20:18 · Score: 5, Informative

What do you mean by "misread"? That's basically the recommendation of every security researcher.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:"Close laptop..." OMG!!! by arglebargle_xiv · 2016-02-01 22:10 · Score: 5, Funny

Windows 10 is terribly unpredictable. It'll sleep with your wife if you leave the room.
That happened to me the other day. My wife said the laptop went to sleep on her after ten minutes, just like me.
Re:"Close laptop..." OMG!!! by drinkypoo · 2016-02-01 23:02 · Score: 4, Interesting

I had one worse than that. Playing Fallout 4, not triggered an autosave in a while, hit esc so its paused while I have dinner, come back to my linux log in screen. Windows had decided to reboot my machine for updates WHILE a full screen program was running. Brilliant.
This technology was pioneered by Microsoft waaayyyyyy
back in Windows 95. LAN game, midnight hits, all the Windows PCs drop to the desktop and show a dialog saying that Windows is about to be rebooted for daylight savings time. All the windows users scream, all the DOS users laugh and laugh, and those of us familiar with Unix as well point and laugh, because a system that needs to reboot because the clock needs to change is beyond hilarious.
Microsoft is the retard in the room. They are completely beyond incompetence, technically. If it weren't for their illegal anticompetitive behavior under Bill Gates, Career Criminal, today it would be "Microsoft who?"

--
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:"Close laptop..." OMG!!! by PopeRatzo · 2016-02-02 00:13 · Score: 4, Funny

My wife said the laptop went to sleep on her after ten minutes, just like me.
Ten minutes? What do you do for the other eight?

--
You are welcome on my lawn.
Re: And when are they going to allow 7 Enterprise. by JustAnotherOldGuy · 2016-02-02 04:24 · Score: 5, Insightful

Jeebus, look at how complicated those instructions are just to disable it. If they had wanted to they could have made it a simple checkbox in the install pop-up.
Yes, but then people would have used it.

--
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...