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Windows 10 Updates Are Now Ruining Pro-Gaming Streams (theguardian.com)

An anonymous reader cites a report on The Guardian: Perhaps there's nothing more annoying than going in for the kill to suddenly be "pooped on" by a Windows 10 automatic installation taking out your computer mid-stream to your 130,000 or so followers. After deciding to advertise during the weather by attempting to automatically install midway through a forecast, Windows 10 is starting to wreak havoc with gamers. Ex-professional Counter Strike player turned full-time streamer Erik Flom was rudely interrupted mid-game and live on Twitch by Windows 10 automatically installing on his PC. "What. What!? How did this happen! Fuck you Windows 10!" Flom said. "Oh my God! You had one job PC. We turned off everything. Update faster you fuck!"

94 of 500 comments (clear)

  1. oh crap by ambisinistral · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would post an answer, but my Windows is updating

    --

    deserve's got nothing to do with it...

    1. Re:oh crap by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 2

      If that was true, you wouldn't have been able to post a comment. Therefore, you must be using a Mac.

    2. Re:oh crap by rdelsambuco · · Score: 5, Funny

      I replied to you using my raised middle finger.

      --
      I comment occasionally so that I can mod others -1 overrated or -1 offtopic.
    3. Re:oh crap by wbr1 · · Score: 2
      So...
      #@4(^&6...CARRIER LOST

      Becomes...

      REBOOT... Your files are right where you left them!

      --
      Silence is a state of mime.
    4. Re:oh crap by cayenne8 · · Score: 2, Informative
      Uncontrollable Windows updates aside.

      I'm trying to wrap my head around the concept of people not just making a little side money, but actually apparently a few making a decent living by streaming themselves playing fucking video games?!?!?

      I mean seriously...people are paying people to do this?

      Wow. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't suffer anyone that making a buck any (legal) way they can, but really...someone can make up to and over 6-figures just by playing video games?

      Who the fuck is PAYING these folks to sit and watch them...???

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    5. Re:oh crap by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 5, Funny

      You must be using Linux then.

    6. Re:oh crap by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The same (or equivalent) people paying thousands of dollars to watch people run around with a real ball.

    7. Re:oh crap by SpankiMonki · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I feel the same way about golf.

    8. Re:oh crap by lgw · · Score: 4, Informative

      Who the fuck is PAYING these folks to sit and watch them...???

      Last year, more people physically traveled to a stadium to watch the League of Legends finals than did so for the College basketball finals.

      Think about that a bit.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    9. Re:oh crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      No you can't. At least, not as well as the guys getting paid to do it. If you could, you would either be getting paid to do it, or at least know enough to not argue that pro video gaming is any different than pro sports.

    10. Re:oh crap by bev_tech_rob · · Score: 2

      Viewers can subscribe to streamers for $5 a month. Part of which goes to the streamer. Subscribing gets you custom emotes and higher priviledges and perks on the site and elsewhere.

      Most of these streamers also post content on Youtube. If the subscribed numbers get high enough, they can make a pretty penny from Youtube videos.

      --
      You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
    11. Re: oh crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Many streamers have two PCs - one to run the game, and one to do the streaming, connected via an hdmi capture card. Only the game PC started the update.

    12. Re:oh crap by bev_tech_rob · · Score: 4, Informative

      Most streamers use a separate streaming PC that captures the video output from the gaming PC as well as receiving audio and displaying the overlays onscreen. Probably the case here.

      After looking at the video, it appeared to me that the streamer ALREADY had Windows 10. This was just an update (note the screen said "Installing updates FOR Windows 10).

      In my experience, the update doesn't kick off automatically unless you have hit the "snooze" button (told Windows to wait) a few times over several days. Windows then just says "Fuck it" and installs anyway. Usually right when you are in the middle of something.

      I'm not defending the practice. It sucks in my book, but that has been my experience.

      --
      You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
    13. Re:oh crap by cfalcon · · Score: 4, Interesting

      > I mean seriously...people are paying people to do this?

      I watch a little more professional video games in a year than I do other professional sports, though neither uses up too much of my time. Football is fun to watch, but so are pro streamers.

    14. Re:oh crap by Ken+D · · Score: 2

      and....?

      "Not now" is still the same thing as "NO dammit!"

      i.e. No means no. NO three times does mean Yes.

    15. Re:oh crap by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Last year, more people physically traveled to a stadium to watch the League of Legends finals than did so for the College basketball finals.

      That's because League of Legends is at least somewhat interesting.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    16. Re:oh crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Windows popups is by far the most annoying.
      Streamed gaming is much like gay sex. It is very easy to opt out of and it doesn't bother me a bit if others enjoy it without my participation.
      If you have a problem with people streaming themselves playing games or with e-sports having the word "sports" in it then the problem is entirely with you.
      You have to realize that not everyone enjoys the same things you enjoy and sometimes you won't even comprehend what they find enjoyable about their hobbies.

      Windows popups on the other hand is a thing that has a real economic impact. It distracts you from your work, regardless of if you are faking data in a spreadsheet or streaming games.
      The classic FUD mantra "Linux is only free if your time has no value" starts to be relevant again, except that this time it is "Windows 10 is only free if you work has no value"

    17. Re:oh crap by tehlinux · · Score: 2

      >a walkthru video makes sense

      God that is one of my pet peeves. Having to watch a 8 minute long video of some guy that just likes to hear himself talk to get the one piece of information I need. One I could probably find in 10-20 seconds from a written walkthru...

      --
      Most linux users don't know this, but the man pages were named after Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris fsck'ing hates noobs!
    18. Re:oh crap by ctishman · · Score: 4, Informative
    19. Re:oh crap by dwywit · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Same for "how do I.....?" questions about almost anything. I now append -youtube for such queries.

      I respond much better to clearly written instructions - blurry screen caps with a 3-pixel mouse DO NOT contribute to my understanding.

      --
      They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
    20. Re:oh crap by ChumpusRex2003 · · Score: 2

      The other issue is that Windows 7 and 8 would install updates if you shutdown/restarted when there were updates pending installation.

      In windows 10, shutdowns are actually elided into hibernation. This means that if you turn your PC off at night or when you go out, with windows 10, you no longer get updates installed when you are not using the computer. Instead, the updates require you to actively initiate a reboot interactively - in other words, you can only install updates when you are actively using the computer.

    21. Re:oh crap by mea_culpa · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Who the fuck is PAYING these folks to sit and watch them...???

      There's an interesting documentary on Netflix about this called All Work All Play. I had no idea how big this really was. It is really interesting and exciting to see.

    22. Re:oh crap by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I thought that with Windows 10 you no longer had the option of disabling automatic updates.

      --
      The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
    23. Re:oh crap by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      Simple, it works like this. People directly communicating with people has done real damage to the marketing sites pretending to be end user focused magazines. You know the ones, bullshit reviews, crappy exaggerated stories, endlessly hyping product and on top of that selling add space on those advertisements, ads on ads. So people are comparing notes on how things actually come out, compared to those bull puckey marketing sites, pretending to be content magazines and are dropping them as they are dying, taking down their publishing houses with them.

      So the new scam is distributed marketing sites. Sites and hosts being churned and burned, replaced, again and again and again, over and over. Up crops some angry douche youtube et al gamer, earns some advertising revenue and then when numbers are up, revenue spikes and bigger marketing lies are told and then they are abandoned by the audience and have to go back to the food services industry. Rather than a handful of major sites, it is now hundreds even tens of thousands of minor sites, churned and burned over and over again. Only a few will maintain self control amid a flood of bullshitters (even they will succumb as they get older). So they are being paid by the game publishers and game developers and marketing agencies, to bullshit about how great crap games are and DLC is fantastic and early ordering is the greatest and how a shit boring game is super fantastic and VR is the best and the list goes on and on and on.

      Just as an interesting side note. As a lot of this stuff is ageist, when they hit middle age, they do not sell well any more with a younger audience and they become desperate and become targets for the big sell out. There seems to be a genuine hole in the age spread, where middle age just comes off like, dude ain't it about time you got a real job and people just end up by being turned off by them. So it seems older and younger sell better than middle aged (it's cool young dude or dudette or cool old dude or dudette but no such thing as cool middle aged anything), in that market.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    24. Re:oh crap by MysteriousPreacher · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yup. People devote their limited time on this planet to watching TV shows where people just sit around in a house and have inane conversations. They pay to watch people chase a small ball from one of the field to the other. Some consider it a week well spent grinding every night for some imaginary item in a game. And some consider it entertaining and worthwhile to go protest for the social justice cause of the week.

      People like different things.

      --
      -- Using the preview button since 2005
  2. Irony!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How long have Windows gamers been making fun of Linux?

    1. Re:Irony!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      YOU have control over cron jobs.

      MICROSOFT has control over your Windows PC. Not you.

    2. Re: Irony!!! by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 4, Informative

      Unless you're doing something retarded, chron shouldn't be interfering with anything you do. Might consume background resources depending on what you've configured, but shouldn't ever pop any surprise windows or prompts, ever.

    3. Re:Irony!!! by bondsbw · · Score: 2

      Eh, I agree that Windows updates didn't suck this hard in the past. It really is inexcusable.

      Windows 10 otherwise is leaps-and-bounds better than Vista, and in my opinion, it's better than 7 or 8.

      I just wish, just once, Microsoft could put out a version of something that is only better in every way and not compromised by things like the new update/reboot policy.

      --
      All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
    4. Re: Irony!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Windows does a terrible job supporting Linux games. Linux runs Linux games perfectly. This is a software problem.

    5. Re:Irony!!! by cfalcon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Linux is great for gaming. It runs Linux games without issue, and even many Windows games.

      Windows is terrible for gaming: it only runs Windows games.

      What you mean to say goes something like "It sure is unfortunate that developers don't build Linux versions of their games. I guess game developers suck at Linux!"

    6. Re:Irony!!! by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 2

      I just wish, just once, Microsoft could put out a version of something that is only better in every way and not compromised by things like the new update/reboot policy.

      I feel the same way. We were holding off on buying some new machines until Windows 10 came out, because we had no interest in the touch screen focus of 8 and, somewhat, 8.1. We were really hoping 10 would be the better every-other-release version that fixed that but kept the various minor technical improvements. In reality, the privacy and lack of control with Windows 10 mean we can't install it on any work machine (instant compliance violations on several counts) and we won't install it at home (because I value my privacy and I like to control my own PC, thanks). That's too bad, because other than those deal breakers, it does seem to have a few modest but useful improvements.

      Personally, I'm expecting to see a lot of Schadenfreude on the one year anniversary when, as now seems inevitable, Microsoft's senior management have to concede that they haven't been able to convert most Windows 7 users to 10 despite literally giving it away and actively trying to trick many customers into installing it. They had their shot chasing the cloud, but the strategy failed, and it's time for Nadella and Myerson to let someone with a different vision take over.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    7. Re:Irony!!! by cas2000 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Wesnoth? I suppose I could play that. Or one of the many other free games that are worth playing.

      Or I could play one of the thousands of linux native games available on steam (4321 games according to http://store.steampowered.com/...) or gog or from humble bundles etc.

      Many or most of those 4000+ games are probably crap, but the same is true for Windows games. 90% of everything is crap (according to Ted Sturgeon's famously pollyannaish adage).

      Or I could play one of the thousands more windows games that work in WINE.

      10+ years ago, I used to play games exclusively with WINE on Linux. Several years later, I built a Win7 box to play the games I purchased that wouldn't run (or ran badly) on WINE (most of which run perfectly on wine now).

      In a year or two, I expect I'll be dumping the Win7 box and switching to exclusively playing Linux native games + WINE for the handful of windows-only games that i actually care about. I have more games in my steam account (on both Windows and Linux) than I have time to play...I don't feel that there's any lack of games available.

      I certainly won't be running Windows 10, because my computers belong to me, not to Microsoft. And I have no wish to become Microsoft's product to be sold to advertisers and other spies.

      (and, yes, I have removed/disabled/firewalled their spyware from Win7 - whatever it takes)

  3. English translation? by awkScooby · · Score: 5, Interesting

    After deciding to advertise during the weather by attempting to automatically install midway through a forecast, Windows 10 is starting to wreak havoc with gamers.

    ????

    1. Re:English translation? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 5, Informative

      Windows 10 interrupts a live on-air weather forecast. http://betanews.com/2016/04/27...

    2. Re:English translation? by sbrown7792 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Topical reference with no link. Here's what they were referring to.

  4. most powerful windows yet - by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's Windows 10, great new OS with improved abilities, able to annoy users even before it is installed.

  5. windows has the time sense of a three-year old by Pseudonymous+Powers · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Hello, user. Windows here. Listen, I really need to shut down to update myself. Would you like me to do that immediately? Or would you like to be reminded again in four hours?"

    "Remind me again in four hours."

    "Gotcha, see you in four hours."

    [Ten minutes later.]

    "Hello, user. Windows here. Listen, I really need to shut down to update myself. Would you like me to do that immediately? Or would you like to be reminded again in four hours?"

    1. Re:windows has the time sense of a three-year old by stealth_finger · · Score: 2

      "Hello, user. Windows here. Listen, I really need to shut down to update myself. Would you like me to do that immediately? Or would you like to be reminded again in four hours?"

      "Remind me again in four hours."

      "Gotcha, see you in four hours."

      [Ten minutes later.]

      "Hello, user. Windows here. Listen, I really need to shut down to update myself. Would you like me to do that immediately? Or would you like to be reminded again in four hours?"

      Mine's doing that at the mo, what happened to remind me tomorrow? Anyway it's a work pc and I have no admin so the updates fail to install anyway.

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
  6. Why are people using animated GIFs?! by roninmagus · · Score: 4, Informative

    if it's a video, use something made for video. Here's a youtube link to the event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

  7. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why would being a gamer mean that you would actually be any good at administering a computer?

    Most people in the office use computers all day, and still had no idea that you can Ctrl-C to copy selected text.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  8. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why would being a gamer mean that you would actually be any good at administering a computer?

    Why would being good at administrating a computer mean that you could disable Windows 10 -related updates?

  9. Re:What the hell is 'Pro Gaming'? by hesiod · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why are we allowing Video Gaming to become a spectator sport?

    Why do you think you should have a say in "allowing" something to become a "spectator sport"? It affects you in almost no way whatsoever. If you don't like it, don't watch it. Other people do like watching it, so let them spend their time and money on what they enjoy. I think it's idiotic, but idiots will do what idiots do.

  10. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by sinij · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why would being a gamer mean that you would actually be any good at administering a computer?

    Kids these days, real gamers used to know how to free 640K better than anyone else.

  11. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 2

    I guess knowing how to google is a very hard skill to learn.

    I can offer only one datapoint that suggests that it may, indeed, be out of reach for many:
    http://lmgtfy.com/

  12. User's fault. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unlike Linux, where its elitist pricks tell users to RTFM, us Windows users are superior. We just blame the user for being a fucking retard and not selecting the clearly defined "Don't update to Windows 10" option that's not there, and when they manage to hack the registry to disable the update, Microsoft just reverts the setting anyway!

    Windows > Linux

  13. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    It randomly turns itself back on with other updates.

  14. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The problem is not computer literacy but a lack of control over Windows Update in Windows 10. While earlier versions had options like "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them" and "Download updates but let me chose whether to install them" Windows 10 has no such options. Windows 10 just downloads and installs the updates at a set time (3:00am).

    As for turning off Win 10 crapware, Windows Update isn't really crapware but an essential feature to get security updates. Turning it off would not be a good idea.

    This is the issue with Windows Update in Windows 10, your options are to turn it off entirely and get no security updates, or let it do whatever you want. If you don't want a particular update there's not much you can do. If you uninstall it Windows 10 update will just reinstall it. You can use the tool to defer a particular update (which is a separate download and doesn't come with Windows 10), but the update will still get installed when a newer version comes out.

    You basically have no control.

  15. My favorite dirty Windows 10 trick by pezpunk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    on my wife's laptop, it had been asking her for months if she wanted to upgrade to Windows 10, and she kept clicking no thanks. Well, last week it tried a new tactic -- it said "do you want to upgrade to Windows 10 now, or later?" she picked "later" (meaning never), but the thing dutifully upgraded to Windows 10 once she walked away! i guess it figured it was "later" and had her permission. (and yes of course she fucking hates it, it adds nothing of value!)

    nasty trick, Microsoft!

    --
    i could live a little longer in this prison
    1. Re:My favorite dirty Windows 10 trick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      GWX Control Panel FTW.

      http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

      You know your product sucks when other people create and distribute code to prevent your product from succeeding. Tobacco vendors get more love.

    2. Re:My favorite dirty Windows 10 trick by Snotnose · · Score: 2

      The way it got me was it popped up the "pssst. wanna update to Win10?" when the signal from my brain to click was travelling to my finger. It started updating before I figured out what happened.

      I want my Win8 back, Win10 has nothing major wrong with it, just a bunch of minor things that add up to a real PITA. Updating/rebooting when my laptop is closed is at the top of the list, pisses me off everytime I open the laptop in the morning and find out all my programs are closed.

    3. Re:My favorite dirty Windows 10 trick by omnichad · · Score: 2

      do you want to upgrade to Windows 10 now, or later

      reminds me of that great Bugs & Daffy cartoon quote:

      Bugs Bunny: Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home?
      Daffy Duck: Shoot him now! Shoot him now!
      Bugs Bunny: You keep outta this! He doesn't have to shoot you now!
      Daffy Duck: He does so have to shoot me now!
      [to Elmer]
      Daffy Duck: I demand that you shoot me now!
      [Elmer shoots him.]

    4. Re:My favorite dirty Windows 10 trick by Dr.+Evil · · Score: 2

      MS finally got me to run MacOS for work and Linux at home on the desktop.

      Took them forever to break Windows this badly.

    5. Re:My favorite dirty Windows 10 trick by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      The win10 upgrade is, for better or for worse, treated pretty much the exactly same as these other windows 7 updates. Once you've started it, its committed to do it.

      No. Absolutely not. This is the only update Microsoft has ever produced where you agree to do the install one day, while running Windows Update, and then the install happens on another day in the far far future because it was scheduled to do so, and not because it failed and was repeated later.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  16. im sure talk around the watercooler is fierce. by nimbius · · Score: 2

    PHB: any one catch that pro-gaming stream that got interrupted by a windows 10 update? pretty absurd wouldnt you say?
    engineer: The machine that controls card readers has been updating all night and our first shift team cant relieve third shift. Windows 10 is turning out to be a pretty ridiculous product.
    Janitor: you said it guys, Thanks to these unscheduled windows 10 updates my timecard hasnt properly submitted in nearly a month!
    Operator: Yeah, and dont get me started on the SCRAM/status panel for the reactors. Im mostly controlling the whole thing from my geiger counter. but hey, best windows ever am i rite?!

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  17. Re:Simple question by poison1701 · · Score: 2

    Because the simple fact of the matter is it isn't a terrible OS in the eyes of the average consumer. It mostly performs as advertised and is a "free" upgrade. Think about the reasons there was backlash against some of Microsoft's other recent OS busts - Windows ME-Unstable as hell, Windows Vista - slow as a dog, annoying UAC prompts, and lack of driver support. These are all things that most people can see and experience. Unfortunately, being spyed on by media companies is turning into an average daily experience.

  18. Re:What the hell is 'Pro Gaming'? by Scarred+Intellect · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Aside from the whole problem of 'Pro Gaming' in general: what the heck? Why are we allowing Video Gaming to become a spectator sport? Personally I don't care about somebody's spot on a leaderboard. I go into games like World of Warcraft to immerse myself in a virtual world. Once you accept that there are 'winners' in such endeavors, you automatically become a loser.

    Aside from the whole problem of "Pro Sports" in general: what the heck? Why are we allowing football to become a spectator sport? Personally I don't care about somebody's spot on a line of scrimmage. I go into games like football to immerse myself in the physical sport. Once you accept that there are 'winners' in such endeavors, you automatically become a loser.

    What's with all the negative "I don't care, surely no one else does! Why is this on Slashdot?!" comments lately? Go moderate the firehose.

    To respond directly to your comment, most IT professionals aren't even professionals, so it's no wonder that video game professionals don't have the necessary expertise to tune their systems properly.

  19. Re:Simple question by mrchaotica · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why isn't there more mainstream backlash against Windows 10?

    It's gonna have to wait at least until Windows 10 kills somebody (say, by shutting down their hospital life support to install updates) for that to happen, and probably not even then.

    --

    "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  20. Re:What the hell is 'Pro Gaming'? by EvilSS · · Score: 2

    If Gaming 'Professionals' aren't capable and responsible enough to properly firewall away problems like this from the computers they are using as their 'studios' for their broadcasting operations, they aren't really very professional.

    Aside from the whole problem of 'Pro Gaming' in general: what the heck? Why are we allowing Video Gaming to become a spectator sport? Personally I don't care about somebody's spot on a leaderboard. I go into games like World of Warcraft to immerse myself in a virtual world. Once you accept that there are 'winners' in such endeavors, you automatically become a loser.

    I keep saying the same thing about football but no one seems to care.... Watching sports is for lazy mamma's boys.

    --
    I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  21. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by sims+2 · · Score: 2

    Google offers classes.
    http://www.powersearchingwithg...

    --
    Disable advertising broken. Minimum threshold broken /. Please fix.

    --
    Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
  22. Re: Computer literacy is at all times low by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 2

    No, that's not true. At best, windows 10 permits you to defer updates, but not outright refuse them.

  23. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I guess knowing how to google is a very hard skill to learn.

    If you don't know about keyboard shortcuts, have never even heard the term keyboard shortcuts, why would you even think to google "copy keyboard shortcut"? Claiming that people who don't know how to copy text with just their keyboard don't know how to use google, is very arrogant of you. I'm sure there are plenty of topics of which you don't know that you don't know, and thus have no reason to suspect a need to google them.

  24. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We turned off everything

    Apparently these guys suck at turning off "everything". The only way I have found that works to keep Windows 10 away is to completely turn off Windows Update. Yes, Windows will nag at you. Yes, this will leave you (gasp!) unprotected, but malware is depending less and less on OS exploits these days, and more on browser exploits and user stupidity. OS patches won't protect you from your own stupidity.

    Why? Because if you "hide" KB3035583, after a few weeks or months, Microsoft will "update" the patch. A patch being updated to a new version removes its hidden status. It will then install, without asking you. It will then download six and a half gigabytes to your hard drive, also without asking you.

    If you're really scared about evil viruses, you can turn on Windows Update every now and then to manually check updates, look for and re-hide KB3035583, then disable Windows Update again immediately after the patches install and reboot. And hope that they haven't come up with a new patch to sneak Windows 10 in.

    Do not leave Microsoft in control of your updates, as they have clearly proven that they can not be trusted.

  25. Re:So is there a way to disable it? by ITRambo · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can install GWX Control Panel and set it to remove all Windows 10 items. Then turn on monitoring, in the program, so that when Microsoft tries to get around your wishes, you'll get a notification of it.

  26. Re: Incorrect hit piece by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, depending on your windows update settings, windows 10 can fully automatically install without any user intervention, and in fact does so. What happens though is it upgrades you're machine to 10, boots to it, and then shows you an EULA, which if you decline, then it downgrades back to 7.

    This is really not a nice thing to do to your customers, and even automatically uninstalls software that it deems incompatible with 10.

  27. Re:Even worse! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3

    PC: "Hi, Windows here, I'm so glad you decided to shut down your laptop, because now I can install those updates that I downloaded and didn't feel were worth the trouble of asking you about earlier! It'll only take about 15-20 minutes!"

    My friend: "But I want to put my laptop away so I can leave now?"

    Me: (Really, he should at least use Hibernate instead of insisting on shut down every time.)

  28. Re:So is there a way to disable it? by markzip · · Score: 5, Informative

    Steve Gibson (grc.com) has written a tiny freeware program called "Never10" https://www.grc.com/never10.ht... (Warning: GRC has always been an ugly website). It's basically a simple user interface to the Windows GPE and other tools that Microsoft provided but made difficult to find.

  29. Re: Computer literacy is at all times low by rastos1 · · Score: 2
    ( It's not the most use friendly solution but ) Can't you just disable the Windows Update Service?

    sc config wuauserv start=disabled

  30. It happens by ArchieBunker · · Score: 2

    The 10 upgrade was changed to a critical update where previously it was optional. So you can disable updates all together or use something like GWX Control Panel to kill the pending upgrade.

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  31. I love Windows 10! by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 2, Interesting

    people used to ask "why don't you use windows?" but since Windows 10 started pestering everyone, people actually ask serious questions about switching to Linux. :D

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  32. Re:So is there a way to disable it? by richy+freeway · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yes.

    Import this into your registry.

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Gwx]
    "DisableGwx"=dword:00000001

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
    "DisableOSUpgrade"=dword:00000001

    I've done this on 4 or 5 machines at work that we have to keep on 7 and any sign of Windows 10 has completely vanished.

    Hope this helps.

  33. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by Lonewolf666 · · Score: 3, Informative

    So far it should be sufficient to limit Windows Update to "important" updates but don't let it collect "recommended" updates. KB3035583 is only "recommended", not "important".

    If you don't trust Microsoft even that far, you could switch off Windows Update and use a third-party tool like WSUS Offline Update instead (http://www.wsusoffline.net/) which will do essentially the same, with some extra blacklisting by the maker of WSUS Offline Update.
    Obviously this means trusting some guy on the internet more than Microsoft, but WSUS Offline Update has a good reputation so far and my own experience with it is positive.

    --
    C - the footgun of programming languages
  34. One Yorkshireman by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 4, Funny

    You were lucky t'have 640K. Real gamers used t'have t'wait for games t'load off scratchy cassette recordings which often had to be rewound multiple times and even then most of the 32K of memory was tak'n up by the display so parts of the 8-bit OS were overwritten for the game to run.

    But you try and tell the young people today that... and they won't believe ya'.

    [Cue ZX81 owner...]

  35. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by macs4all · · Score: 2

    Google offers classes. http://www.powersearchingwithg...

    -- Disable advertising broken. Minimum threshold broken /. Please fix.

    I'd be happy if they'd just fix the FOREVER spinny-thing when you Post.

  36. Re: Computer literacy is at all times low by Holi · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So to do something like control MY pc I have to shell out an exorbitant amount of money... scratch that I cannot even buy Windows 10 Enterprise as it is only in volume licenses. So while that may work, it is not an option for the majority of people.

    --
    Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
  37. Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Finally this is getting mainstream attention. Windows automatically updating with a big "fuck you" while you're doing work - and not even saving your fucking work - is one of the biggest most blatant lack of regard for their users I've ever seen. I shudder at how many man-years of work have been lost by this process.

    1. Re:Finally! by Tough+Love · · Score: 2

      Linux doesn't do that...

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  38. Dear Microsoft, by marked · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As a somewhat hardened veteran of software installation, and the unbounded stupidity that arises from boneheaded mistakes that occur, I would like to point out the following:

    Windows 10 Update installation does not follow the guidelines for updating as explicitly laid out in your software, that is "we will update when you are not using the computer". To help matters further, we will specifically exclude during the following hours "8am to 5:30pm".

    So WHY THE FUCK WAS THERE AN UNCONTROLLED INSTALLATION OF AN OS UPDATE AT 4PM TODAY DURING THE TIME I WAS ACTIVELY USING THE SYSTEM? And when I say uncontrolled, it was not "oh click later to install, it was "we are rebooting now to install, OK". No deferral, no postponement, just instant notice.

    Not to mention that the reboot occurred during a very intense multiplayer fight that I was the host of, which effectively drop-kicked several players out into the ether without me being able to contact them to let them know what was going on.

    Did you mean 8am - to 5:30pm my local time, or that of the Microsoft HQ, in sunny whereever? It is bad enough that games developers can't actually remember how many days there are in April, yet to fuck up simple time management for updating has to be some fairly serious mismanagement on the part of senior design leads.

    Or could it be that it completely ignores it like the boneheaded mechanism that only allows 10hour "active" windows slot, because there is no possible reason why people at home could not be using it from 7 in the morning until midnight? or am I completely in the dark about usability that requires a 14 hour window to update on a daily basis?

    Of course to further the boneheaded-ness it completely fucked the graphics drivers, where it greenscreened just at idle on the desktop - to the point I had to continuously reboot until I could get to the stage where I could get a CMD prompt up and manage to type "shutdown /o /r /t 1" to get a relatively swift reboot into a mode where I say yes, I want to run a troubleshooting step, and reboot, and then select safe mode, and then reboot into it.

    Not to mention that it has been a known problem with the graphics drivers since the last update, and putting it down to "it is the responsibility of the driver manufacturers (Microsoft Engineer)" is disingenuous at best, as MS is supposed to have WHQL'd the drivers, which means that MS should have caught this problem much earlier in testing during the automated build and test phase.

    To top that then off, I can't run Microsoft EDGE because the "built in administrator account can't run it".... I can't run explorer because you've managed to switch of the command searching in the cortana interface, which means that I can't run taskmanager, command, etc. What stupidity of a design decision managed to get authorised to create this situation?

    The insider fast ring is supposed to be a way to bring light problems that exist in interaction with components. Fucking with AMD graphics drivers in this way isn't an acceptable manner of implementing software best practices.

    Now I have to spend an hour fucking around with Device driver uninstaller, because in the infinite wisdom, you've managed to disable any ability of the driver software to recognise that there is an installed device, so of course the programs bomb out with a "no recognised device" so we won't do anything remotely sensible like uninstall the graphics drivers. Then I have to spend an hour waiting whilst I roll back the installation, then reinstall drivers, then reboot, reset up profiles, and ... then reboot again. That is a considerable amount of unnecessary reboots as you rush to get untested, useless additions out into the population.

    Yours,

    Entirely Hacked Off

  39. Re:Work tool by JustNiz · · Score: 2

    >> Your tools and workplace should be specially tuned for that. ...except you can't "tune" or otherwise prevent updates under Windows 10.

  40. still recompiling by DrYak · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nope, he's the BSD user, *I* am the Linux user.
    But I couldn't show up earlier: I was busy recompiling my kernel, sorry for being late.

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
    1. Re:still recompiling by God+of+Lemmings · · Score: 2

      Are you kidding? There are gentoo users who have kernel build running on cron just for shits and giggles.

      --
      Non sequitur: Your facts are uncoordinated.
  41. Too bad the article was wrong... by cjmnews · · Score: 2

    The Guardian reporting on tech seems not to be good. They reported that Windows 10 installed automatically, when actually it was an update to an installation of Windows 10 that already existed.

    The Twitch stream clearly shows that he had Windows 10 installed already.
    It then shows him looking for a way to delay the upgrade...

    --
    You can lose something that is loose, so tighten the loose item so you don't lose it.
  42. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by nukenerd · · Score: 3, Funny

    Obviously this means trusting some guy on the internet more than Microsoft

    No problem then.

  43. Re:Winblows RealGud Edition by nukenerd · · Score: 2

    I remember when people said that about XP. Yet, here we all are.

    Yes, here I am with XP still in a VM. I boot it up when those Indian guys phone me to tell me I have a virus and let them play with it for half an hour.

  44. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

    I mean would you expect a Construction Worker to use the same $30 drill (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-5-5-Amp-3-8-in-Variable-Speed-Drill-D43K/205216326) that I use at home?

    The difference here is that there is no difference whatsoever between the internals of the different kinds of Windows, and it costs Microsoft literally $0 more to press the pro CDs. The two situations are not at all analogous.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  45. Re: Incorrect hit piece by dwywit · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I've seen two failures to revert to 7. Six hours of troubleshooting and I finally gave up, and started a fresh install of 7.

    It seems that W10 did something to the boot sector of the drive. Recovery fixboot, fixmbr, etc, etc, enable all legacy/UEFI boot in the BIOS - none of it worked. I could see the partitions when the HDD was plugged into another machine, so I was able to rescue the customer's data, but it just wouldn't boot the OS - not even a splash screen. Had to boot to recovery from an installation disc.

    W10 will have to stabilise (and I mean that in the most generous sense) before I'm prepared to recommend it to customers. W7 end-of-life isn't until 2020, it'll do just fine until then.

    --
    They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
  46. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by macs4all · · Score: 2

    I run "Classic Discussion System (D1)" and I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Is that something you see on a particular device or browser or is it a problem with the new "Interactive Discussion System (D2)"?

    A lot of the settings appear to be frozen as changes don't save.

    I don't know what you mean about "Classic Discussion System" vs "Interactive Discussion System". I understand the words; but don't know how to tell which one I am using. If it helps, it is the Discussion System that LOOKS like Slashdot has looked for basically ever.

    It happens on my work Win 7 laptop running Chrome, and on my iPad running Mobile Safari. That's the only two things I browse Slashdot with. And it just started doing this about 2 weeks ago.

    My comments Post just fine; I just have to ignore the "Working..." Spinny thing. It goes away if I use the Browser's "Back" button and then "Forward"; but MY POST DOESN'T SHOW UP until I leave /. COMPLETELY and come back.

    For a "geek" site, Slashdot has some of the LAMEST web coders in the known universe. Seriously. I HATE phpBB with a purple passion; but even IT has a "styled" editing system (I am SO sick of typing HTML Tags just to have a damned Blank Line between Paragraphs, or a FUCKING ITALICIZED WORD, that I could SCREAM), and a way to "re-edit" Posted comments. It isn't a damned LEGAL CONTRACT, FFS. Let us EDIT THAT TYPO AFTER POSTING!!!!

    But I digress...

  47. Re:Computer literacy is at all times low by TodPunk · · Score: 2

    Specifically:

    Right click Start Menu -> Computer Management -> Services -> Windows Update -> Stop and Disable

    Not exactly black magic of Windows administration, albeit well beyond most users. Just pointing out administrating a computer should enable you to do this.

    --
    This forum Sig is licensed under the LGPL.
  48. This happened to me by GrahamCox · · Score: 2

    This happened to me last week. I wasn't streaming or anything, but I was playing Dirt Rally. It was an online stage, which you only get one shot at per day. 30 seconds in, W10 decides it needs to do some upgrading right then, so it collapses my game into a window, throws crap all over the screen and forces a restart. Afterwards, due to Dirt Rally policy of disallowing a stage restart if the game is exited mid-stage, I was unable to have another shot at it. In the overall scheme of things it matters very little, but I was absolutely blown away by the sheer chutzpah of the OS doing that.

    I'm a Mac guy, and only use W10 to run this game - it's nothing but a launcher as far as I'm concerned. Macs may be many things (and a great gaming platform isn't one of them, hence I have a PC for that), but I can't imagine a Mac ever doing something this obnoxious. If they ever do, that's the end of me upgrading for sure.

    If anyone knows how I can disable this I'm all ears. I have everything else disabled that I can see - location, Cortana, etc, etc, but it STILL thinks it knows better.

  49. Re: Incorrect hit piece by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This gamer should be setting the time to not when he's streaming.

    That's by far the wrong answer, enough to the point that the term 'gross incompetence' comes to mind. No well working software should ever automatically do anything that has a high risk of completely trashing your system without i.e. giving you the opportunity to back up your data. (And worse is that this thing sets you up for two high risk operations, in addition to deleting software you have without asking you.)

  50. Common Misconception re windows 10 by Provocateur · · Score: 2

    People seem to think that it is windows TEN that they're getting, when 10 is binary, pure and simple. That is why the question posed to the user is always 1-Yes 0-No There is really no representation for 'later' in binary. MS should simply post the EULA as the real question, with the usual two choices at the end: Agree or decline. This way, you are already familiar with the deception er I mean the EULA, and can respond accordingly

    --
    WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
  51. Let's be fair, here by Gumbercules!! · · Score: 2

    The article talks about an automated Windows 10 installation and quote: "Regardless of how good Windows 10 might be and how automatic installs boost user numbers, forcing it down the throats of unsuspecting gamers, weather people and workers isn’t exactly going to breed goodwill among Windows users" but it's very clearly just a Windows Update on a machine already running 10.

    You may say this is a minor distinction: the PC still rebooted when he didn't want it to - but it's still shoddy journalism with an obvious axe to grind. This isn't a case of Windows being forced down someone's throat - it's a case of a normal Windows Update, which would have been warning him for hours of the pending reboot and he had the opportunity to disable.

    Furthermore, how did Microsoft get into the position of forcing reboots for updates on people? Because people ignored updates, otherwise, resulting in millions of unpatched XP boxes and everyone blaming Microsoft. So Microsoft is damned if they do and damned if they don't.

    As much as I hate the forced reboot effect of patches, I know how we got to this point and I understand why it's like this. Microsoft updates do warn you and allow you to put the reboot off for 1 or 4 hours (repeatedly) so again, I think he had some opportunity to prevent this. Additionally, he's effectively a "professional sportsman", so he should know his equipment. It's not like you cannot turn off automated updates. He should have done that. If his job revolves around needing his PC to not be interrupted in real time, he should have taken the simple steps required to make that happen.

  52. Re:Fixed by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 2

    Actually that's the problem not the solution. It looks like this is the "Fall Update". You can defer a patch for up to 6 months. It looks like he just hit the 6 month mark of deferring all upgrades.

    The real solution isn't to never check for updates, the real solution is to periodically actually install updates when it's convenient to do so. Updates are like peeing. You can hold it for a while, but it's smart to go when you have a minute or else you're liable to piss yourself at an inopportune time when you can't hold it any longer.

  53. Re:Just mark LAN as metered connection by iamacat · · Score: 2

    My browser does not require reboots to self-update. On the other hand, my software DVR, video transcoding jobs or Plex server do not take well to reboots. Also, this is my computer and gaming is a pure leisure activity where threshold of inconvenience is pretty low. I want to pause the game and then instantly pick it up exactly where I left it a couple of days later. Not log in, then sit through 5 minutes of "working on updates", then wait for game to load, then restart from last savepoint. Every other computing device I have manages to not harass me somehow, and so did the gaming PC till Windows 10.

    In any case, if these were infrequent interruptions for highly exploitable security holes, I wouldn't mind. It's just that Microsoft is pushing random crap every few days, often with the effect of breaking previously working software and hardware.