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Microsoft's Windows 10 Upgrade Screen Interrupts Meteorologist's Live Forecast (hothardware.com)

Reader MojoKid writes: If you're a Windows 7 or Windows 8 user who hasn't yet upgraded to Windows 10, you've probably been bombarded at some point by Microsoft to upgrade, and not always at the most convenient times. Such was also the case with one meteorologist who saw a Windows 10 upgrade prompt show up during a very inopportune time -- right in the middle of a live forecast. Metinka Slater, a meteorologist with Des Moines CBS affiliate KCCI 8, was going about her business, giving viewers a rundown of the 12-hour rainfall totals in the area when a nagging Windows 10 upgrade screen popped up, just like it has for thousands of everyday Windows users. But rather than get flustered or give into Microsoft's demands, Slater laughed off the annoyance. "Ahh, Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10. What should I do?" Slater joked. "Don't you love when that pops up?"From the looks of it, either the concerned computer is running Windows 98, or is using classic theme.

7 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. Can't Be 98 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    From the looks of it, either the concerned computer is running Windows 98, or is using classic theme.

    Since Microsoft isn't offering the free upgrade to anyone below Windows 7, that kinda narrows it down.

  2. Re:Here's a good idea by Mr.Intel · · Score: 5, Informative

    Having worked IT for a TV station, i can tell you that the weather graphics workstations are often NOT on the local AD domain. This is deliberate and the local IT guy usually doesn't "own" that particular workstation. It's usually up to the weather guy and weather software vendor to provide support. Likely, this little insightful nugget was lost on that pair or they simply didn't care. Either way, it might not be the IT guy's fault at all.

    --
    ASCII tastes bad dude.
    Binary it is then.
  3. Re: Updates are just as bad by MobyDisk · · Score: 3, Informative

    DidgetMaster didn't say it restarted spontaneously.

    When restarting on Windows 8 and 10, if there are pending updates that require a reboot, there is a "restart and apply updates" and another "restart witout updates." Unless the user is paying attention it is easy to click the restart and apply updates option.

  4. Read the second sentence too, idiot by raymorris · · Score: 5, Informative

    > You're either a liar or an idiot.
    It seems you're the idiot who can't read more than one sentence, and you're a jerk too.

    Try sounding out these words, we'll wait:

    > > During a demo, I needed to reboot. Windows decided this would be the perfect time ...

    In case you're not aware, Windows installs updates when you shutdown or reboot. This can be rather annoying when you're in a hurry to leave. You work until time to leave the office, then click shut down on your laptop to leave. At which point Windows pops up with "Installing Updates. Do not unplug or shut down the computer. Time remaining: 12 minutes. "

  5. Re:Here's a good idea by sexconker · · Score: 5, Informative

    What about AllowOSUpgrade in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\OSUpgrade ?
    This was the original, official way to control it. They then decided to ignore anyone who set AllowOSUpgrade to 0.

    Then they put out the second piece you mention.
    The registry location for this is DisableOSUpgrade in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate .
    However the client needs a specific update installed for the setting to actually do anything. This update is not pushed out to WSUS servers, and thus is not pushed out to the majority of clients in a managed domain. It's only available via regular ass Windows Update. Further, there are no complete ADMX/ADML files available containing this definition so you can't set it via Group Policy Editor. They reluctantly put out updated ADMX/ADML files containing the definitions, but they were older, incomplete files. You have to take your existing policy definitions and manually merge the DisableOSUpgrade pieces into them.

    <string id="DisableOSUpgrade_Title">Turn off the upgrade to the latest version of Windows through Windows Update</string>
    <string id="DisableOSUpgrade_Help">Enables or disables the upgrade to the latest version of Windows through Windows Update.

    If you enable this setting, Windows Update will not offer you an upgrade to the latest version of Windows.

    If you disable or do not configure this setting, Windows Update might offer an upgrade to the latest version of Windows.</string>

    <policy name="DisableOSUpgrade_Title" class="Machine" displayName="$(string.DisableOSUpgrade_Title)" explainText="$(string.DisableOSUpgrade_Help)" key="Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" valueName="DisableOSUpgrade">
    <parentCategory ref="WindowsUpdateCat" />
    <supportedOn ref="WU_SUPPORTED_Windows7_Or_Win81Update" />
    <enabledValue>
    <decimal value="1" />
    </enabledValue>
    <disabledValue>
    <decimal value="0" />
    </disabledValue>
    </policy>

    If you already have one of the GWX updates installed you're fucked. DisableOSUpgrade didn't come about until hundreds of millions of machines had already been infected with GWX.

    The DisableGWX piece you mention is the official way to suppress the GWX dialog. It does NOT remove GWX, it merely hides the popup. Anyone who has GWX still has it, and likely still has Windows 10 downloaded. The upgrade procedure can be initiated without the GWX dialog.

    On top of all this, they bundled Windows 10 ads into an IE security update. The ads allow users to initiate the update process, regardless of DisableGWX, DisableOSUpgrade, or AllowOSUpgrade. The only thing saving you here is making sure users do not have the privileges to run the EXE located at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us... . I believe this installer will look for the Windows 10 installer in the default download location that GWX uses the same way the official "Media Creation Tool" for clean installation does.

    This means that if a machine had GWX at one point (and most Windows 7 machines have had it), it likely already downloaded Windows 10. Nothing you mentioned removes GWX or the Windows 10 download. A privileged user running IE will see a Windows 10 ad. In 3 clicks and just a few seconds, they can install Windows 10.

    Yo

  6. Re:Here's a good idea by execthis · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just install GWX Control Panel which not only disables it all, it can actively monitor in the background to prevent it ever becoming enabled again by Windows update.

  7. Re:Here's a good idea by bigfinger76 · · Score: 4, Informative

    This wasn't a system message, or an error. This was an advertisement/nagscreen.