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Windows 10 Upgrade Activates By Clicking Red X Close Button In Prompt Message (bbc.co.uk)

Reader Raging Bool writes: In a move guaranteed to annoy many people, Microsoft has "jumped the shark" on encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft has faced criticism for changing the pop-up box encouraging Windows users to upgrade to Windows 10. Clicking the red cross on the right hand corner of the pop-up box now activates the upgrade instead of closing the box. And this has caused confusion as typically clicking a red cross closes a pop-up notification. The upgrade could still be cancelled, when the scheduled time for it to begin appeared, Microsoft said The change occurred because the update is now labelled "recommended" and many people have their PCs configured to accept recommended updates for security reasons. This means dismissing the box does not dismiss the update.Brad Chacos, senior editor at the PC World wrote about this incident over the weekend, and described it as a "nasty trick".

33 of 564 comments (clear)

  1. So it's our fault by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For following years of best practice of automatically installing updates on home machines.
    Got it.

    1. Re:So it's our fault by cfalcon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You could get started with a dual-boot partition now. When 10 happened, it was the final straw. I couldn't believe the bizarre technical workarounds everyone started doing. I knew I couldn't even leave Windows 7 updates on, and I could certainly never use 10. Since a machine without updates is a problem waiting to happen, I installed Linux onto a second drive, and tried to spend as much time there as possible. Obviously, this meant I was still booting Windows for many things, but every week I would make time to get a new thing working in Linux. Usually, it was easy- the nvidia drivers were painless, Steam client could then install and run any of a ton of Linux games, LibreOffice was a lot better than I remember. Sometimes it was a bit of a pain- MAME needed a code modification and compile to not have a nag screen (windows would have this problem too, but often people post nagless binaries for Windows, if you like to run random binaries straight off the net), WINE needed some configuration, etc.

      But eventually I noticed that my reasons to boot Windows were finally very slim. Every game I cared about I could get running in WINE (but obviously not every game, and you could easily find that your games you care about don't work). Productivity stuff seems to work great for my needs, at least. Not everything works- currently I can't get itunes to work, and there's that tax software that I'll need again next year. I might run a VM, I don't know yet.

      If you plan to stay with Windows 7 until 2020, you don't need to act now. But you might still consider it. Vulkan should eventually really help games on Linux, and you might find that your games are already well supported.

      Windows 7 got the telemetry patched in last spring, and then they turned it on in the summer. You can wusa uninstall those updates, or you can just go without updates at all. But that deliberate mislabelling and stealthing in of the technology made me flip my shit. How does the saying go? "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me... you can't get fooled again!"

      I just think running an OS from a known-hostile entity is bad news, if you can avoid it.

  2. Red X? by The-Ixian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Perhaps you mean the white X inside the red square?

    But, yeah, this is the kind of thing that malware authors use. It's pretty shady.... if people don't want to upgrade, they don't want to upgrade. You gave them the box and you downloaded (and expanded) all of the files... you have already done everything you can to "promote" Windows 10 (intrusively) on people's computers...

    Why are you stooping to this Microsoft?

    You may as well just not give people a "choice" at all and just install the damn thing... why the pretense of having a user click something?

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    1. Re:Red X? by number6x · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The opposite, I think. The MS lawyers would have tried to stop this. This will absolutely lead to a class action lawsuit, and probably a shareholder lawsuit as well. Even if Microsoft wins the lawsuits, it will cost them tens of Millions, at a minimum.

      I think the lawyers would have tried like hell to stop this, so they must have been over-ruled. However much MS is expecting to make from user data over the next few years must be estimated to be vastly greater than they are expecting to pay out in lawsuits over this upgrade tactic.

      Now this could be good or bad. If the people at MS who estimated how great a market share Windows phones would have, or how much Windows 8 would be loved did the estimation, MS has just destroyed its own future. They would have projected that the money to be made by mining and selling data from Windows 10 users would have made $ trillions, when it will actually be worth a few $ thousand. If actual actuaries and accountants with a realistic view of the world did the estimation and were able to still over-rule the lawyers, MS is going to be selling their windows 10 users down the river to make a ton of money, be prepared to be assaulted by advertising.

  3. Re:Security by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I could give you many reasons for why you are wrong, but it's simpler to tell a troll like you to go f*ck yourself.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  4. Adult Supervision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It seems like all adult supervision has disappeared at Microsoft.

  5. Mimics Malware by Luthair · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Amusing that Microsoft wants us to love their stuff when they employ the same tactics as all the sites trying to confuse users into installing malware use.

    1. Re:Mimics Malware by stradric · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's not just this either. Have you upgraded Skype recently? It tries to set your homepage to MSN and make Bing the default search. It's like Java trying to install the Yahoo toolbar. It's almost like Microsoft and Oracle know they're headed toward irrelevance and are trying all the slimy tactics instead of actually just making better products.

    2. Re:Mimics Malware by Darinbob · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Malware authors don't have PR specialists on staff. Microsoft does. And the PR people probably suggested that at least allow the victims to click a button first so that MS can claim they didn't install anything without permission.

      Just look at the naive excuses Microsoft gives out, even with this latest fiasco.

      "Based on customer feedback, in the most recent version of the Get Windows 10 (GWX) app, we confirm the time of your scheduled upgrade and provide you an additional opportunity for cancelling or rescheduling the upgrade." (it's what customers wanted!)

      "With the free Windows 10 upgrade offer ending on 29 July, we want to help people upgrade to the best version of Windows." (they're being helpful!)

      ""Customers can choose to accept or decline the Windows 10 upgrade." (so it must be the customer's fault)

  6. Re:Security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ha! I call "FUD!" on that. Everyone ASSUMES the devil they don't know is better than the vulnerabilities that have been teased out over time (sometimes a long time) on a previous software. It can never be proven as true since time is forward.

    It's been my experience that people are way more vulnerable in other ways, and most of these OS updates are dubious at best when it comes to being more secure.

    An embedded firmware guy

  7. Re:Security by LichtSpektren · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you don't move to Windows 10 then you deserve all the security problems you will inevitably have. GUI and "principle" issues aside - it is a smart move.

    Most people should be forced to switch. If you are too dumb to prevent the switch then you are in the camp of people who should be forced to switch. The tears mean its working.

    Windows 10 fits more criteria for "malware" than the most well-known malware suites do. Forcefully installs itself? Check. Spies on you? Check. Displays ads to you? Check. Uninstalls competitors' programs? Check. Doles out your security keys to people on your contact list? Check.

    It's one step away from literally being ransomware.

  8. Almost as stupid as Skype by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The X button means fucking **quit**, not "minimize", you UI retards. If you're going to hijack the last 40 years of WIMP then give users an option to enable / disable this shit. Preferably the default would be OFF.

    /Oblg. Microshift joke:

    Microsoft Windows: noun, A 64-bit compilation of 32 bit extensions and a graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit operating system originally coded for a 4 bit microprocessor written by a 2 bit company that can't stand 1 bit of competition with 0 bit of understanding good UI.

  9. Time for a class action. by geekmux · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Microsoft, you gave us this OS and introduced the masses to the concept of windows in a UI. You were even arrogant enough to name your UI Windows.

    And all this time, we have gone through several iterations of your UI, but one constant has remained; the general understanding that if you click the fucking X located in a specific area of any window in your UI, it closes.

    This has been by design since the dawn of Windows.

    And since you've now taken the path of malware authors with this shady bullshit, we should treat you as such. It's one thing to ask users. It's one thing to force users. It's another matter entirely to trick and deceive users.

    Bottom line is it's time to start the class-action lawsuit. This should not be tolerated in any way. Put another way, if malware was introduced into the core OS and deceived users against Microsoft's wishes, you better believe they would be attacking the cause of that problem and look to put a stop to it.

  10. It's already scheduled, not caused by "X" by BenJeremy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From what I see, it schedules the upgrade, and you have to opt out by going into some other settings to cancel.

    It's not that the "X" activates the upgrade - at that point, it's too late.

    Still, it's very shady not to give users an obvious choice on the popup, let alone not making it an "opt in" choice.

    All of my machines are running Windows 10... shrugs... at this point, all the bitching is basically all about the point of the matter. Win 10 runs fine on the machines I've installed it on (several laptops, 9 or 10 desktops, some 10+ years old). Unless you have some particularly specific niche software or hardware (that can't run in Win7, therefore, not in Win10, since the drivers are mostly the same), people really shouldn't have too many complaints.

    I'd be more concerned if Microsoft was pushing people to Win8 and the crappy fail that was the Metro Start Screen. Win10 dialed it back and makes more sense in the case of a desktop/mobile hybrid OS. Still, the exec who is pushing this sort of tactic needs to be fired ASAP.

    1. Re:It's already scheduled, not caused by "X" by StormReaver · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Unless you have some particularly specific niche software or hardware (that can't run in Win7, therefore, not in Win10, since the drivers are mostly the same)....

      Windows 10 auto-installed on a customer's newish Windows 7 computer, hosing the entire installation. I installed Kubuntu 15.10, and now he's a happy camper. He said his computer works better now than it did before.

      Windows 10 is a gift to the Linux world.

    2. Re:It's already scheduled, not caused by "X" by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The lack of control over updates and when the computer reboots is pretty awful too.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:It's already scheduled, not caused by "X" by Motherfucking+Shit · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you carry a smartphone (iOS or Android), you *ALREADY* are carrying around a device that generates reams of telemetry back to the cellular carrier, manufacturer, and OS maker and generates a full record of your movement by which cell towers you connect to or which wi-fi hotspots it sees.

      Enough with this red herring.

      My phone doesn't have access to the files on my computers - I repeat, my computers, not Microsoft's - where I keep my private data. My computers, not my phone, store my tax documents, source code, proprietary work product and trade secrets, client data and invoicing, my passwords to everything, backups of family members' computers containing much of the same personal information, etc. My computers, not my phone, are where I conduct online banking and shopping and do anything else involving financial transactions and credentials. All of that data is private, and no one has permission to go fishing through it trying to "monetize" me or "enhance my experience." This is non-negotiable.

      Google (or NSA) can siphon whatever they want off my phone. They'll find out I play Words with Friends, check Slashdot and Ars while I'm taking a dump, send and receive mostly boring emails on the account connected to the phone, and probably am overzealous about the number of server monitoring texts I have set up. If I really don't want to be physically tracked for some reason, I can leave the phone somewhere or pull the battery and drop the phone in a Faraday bag.

      Just because I'm relatively OK with my phone being "leaky," and therefore rather cautious about what winds up there, does not mean I also must accept anyone mining through my private data on my computers. They are two entirely different worlds.

      --
      "BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.
  11. Re:Security by NatasRevol · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Microsoft security support for Win7/8 for the next decade or so?

    --
    There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  12. Re:Security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Define "consent" in the no-means-yes world of Windows 10

  13. Not misleading in the least by asvravi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Look, there are a zillion things that MS did which are sneaky and downright reprehensible with regards to pushing Windows 10, but this is NOT one of them. Has anybody seen the actual dialog? It is NOT a question asking whether you want to upgrade. It is only a notification informing you that your PC is scheduled to upgrade since you have recommended updates turned on. Your PC would have updated to 10 in any case even if that dialog were not to popup, because 10 is a recommended upgrade. This notification is in reality offering you a chance to opt of it - I remember "click here if you want to change your update setting or cancel the upgrade" or something of that sort. Then an OK button. Clicking on "X" is not somehow "activating" an upgrade. It actually does nothing, as required of a notification dialog - it is just letting the already scheduled upgrade proceed, which is what one should expect.

    If anything is sneaky, it is TFA which portrays the dialog box in a false light. The entire media just repeats without once stopping to think - it has become fashionable in tech media to hit on MS pushing Win 10, but this kind of reporting only detracts from the credibility of reporting on all the real sneaky things that MS is doing.

    1. Re:Not misleading in the least by cnaumann · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The message used to say something like "Do you want to install Windows 10 now, or do you want to schedule your Windows 10 installation for later?" Clicking the X was the only way to say 'neither'. Now clicking the X says yeah, go ahead. You don't see this as sneaky in any way?

      Remember a month ago when people were saying that there was no way you could accidently consent to installing Windows 10?

      The only sane solution is to turn off all updates from Microsoft.

  14. Gaming and Linux by pablo_max · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Disclaimer, I do use Windows 10 on my machines at home and especially my gaming rig.
    The laptops, because that was what came installed, but the gaming rig, obviously since it is actually pretty good for gaming.

    I do not really mind the OS itself, but I am growing tired of this constant crap they are pulling. Like forcing my to use Bing! I fucking hate Bing. If I accidentally search with Bing, I will go to google and search again even if the Bing answer may have been correct. I HATE Bing!

    I really hope that this year, with Vulcan coming online, my biggest reason for not switching to Linux will be gone. I can imagine that Steam can really help to push Linux on gaming with the HTC vive. I have ordered it myself.
    I'll need to update my graphics card, but I need to see what's on tap from AMD first.
    It could finally be time for the Linux desktop.

  15. Free Software Is Necessary by mx+b · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is exactly why free software (in the vein of what Richard Stallman calls for) needs to be supported. *YOU*, the user, must own complete control over your computer and the software it runs, not developers (much of the more liberal open source licenses are about developer rights, not user rights -- big difference!) or corporations.

    I know many of you would object, "But I bought this computer, it's not Microsoft's!". Well I wholeheartedly agree, but the thing is, Windows being proprietary closed source means that Microsoft has a claim to intellectual property rights. Microsoft believes that you license Windows, not own it. Essentially, they still own the software on your computer. Again, I know that *you* disagree, but it kinda doesn't matter what you think -- Microsoft has money and lawyers and they push for the outcome they want. Which is to own your computer. And if they own it, they're technically allowed to do whatever they want with it, including force upgrades. That is the nature of licensing agreements -- you agree to their licensing rules, which means they can do whatever they want.

    If this bothers you, switch to a free software OS. Some flavor of Linux or even BSD. Get involved in the free software community, both the technical community (making more/better free software) and the political community (that lobbies for changes to copyright law, tries to get government to adopt open standards, etc.). We have to fight back, or you can expect more behavior like this from Microsoft, Apple, etc., in the future.

  16. Re:Security by phishybongwaters · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Oh the security keys again? Look, it's this simple, if you can be bothered to actually know what you are complaining about, just shut the fuck up about it. Windows 10, a no point, gave your security keys away. It at no point gave your contact list your wifi passwords without your consent. The system was turned on, yes, to allow you to choose to use it. It never, ever, gave your keys unless you specifically told it to do so. As well, it never actually exposed your key, just a hash. But like I said, if you are still whining about that, you are an idiot

  17. Re:Windows 10 by whoever57 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Even Windows fanboi Thurrott is fed up ...

    It's people like him that have caused this. Their uncritical fandom of Microsoft has encouraged Microsoft to abuse its customers ever more, resulting in the (almost) forced upgrades (downgrades?) to Windows 10.

    Paul: don't start complaining now. You should have been complaining over the last 10 years.

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  18. Re:And people say Apple is arrogant? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yes the upgrade tactics have been heavy handed. But so has the push back

    This is akin to excusing rape because the victim refused consensual sex. Microsoft needing to resort to underhanded tactics to get people to use win10 does not excuse Microsoft needing to resort to underhanded tactics to get people to use win10.

  19. Re:And people say Apple is arrogant? by TangoMargarine · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes the upgrade tactics have been heavy handed. But so has the push back, the FUD from sites like Slashdot and other supposed "tech" blogs. If you have an Android phone and are bitching about Windows 10 you're a fucking hypocrite, full stop.

    Saying "Company X is doing this bad thing, but if given the chance, Company Y would do the exact same thing" does not prove that the thing is fine to do.

    So no, not hypocrisy. If Google were in this situation I'd be criticizing them exactly the same.

    Honestly, I can't 100% blame them. We witnessed how hard people hung onto XP. I still see companies with Windows Server 2003 in play (some of them still DEPLOY 2003). We know there are large swathes of people that simply do not accept change, no matter how good it might be (there are legitimate debates about win10 being better).

    Their marketshare is not my concern. My ability to use my own computer is.

    --
    Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
  20. Re:Security by taustin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's one step away from literally being ransomware.

    That comes in July, when it stops being free, but doesn't stop being an automatic install.

    "You're copy of windows is unlicensed. Pay us $100+ or you will never see your own data again."

    I wish I thought this was an exaggeration, but frankly, I expect exactly that.

    Microsoft should be prosecuted for racketeering for how they've handled Windows 10.

  21. OK by ArchieBunker · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Enjoy winning your lawsuit in a decade and getting a coupon for $10 off Office 2026.

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  22. Re:And people say Apple is arrogant? by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I agree with you except for one small change:

    Their market share is not my concern. My ability to own my own computer is.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  23. Re:Security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Then you should have better control over your computers.

    I think a whole lot of people agree on this point. We, the people who OWN the computers, should have much better control over them. Such as being able to say NO to an upgrade, and have that preference stick, and not be surreptitiously reset or otherwise bypassed AGAINST OUR WILL.

  24. Re:Security by taustin · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I understand it perfectly. That's why I know what a sleazy bunch of malware distributors Microsoft has become.

    We have little choice on software that we use for point of sale. What we use is the only system that interacts with the national franchise, so if we don't use it, 300+ employees are out of a job. We don't write hardware driver for printers, and we don't write the software that interacts with those drivers. We can't. No retailer our size can. The resources simply aren't there. If you believe otherwise, you have no idea what you're jabbering about.

    The only alternative to keeping a close watch at Microsoft's malware attempts is to go out of business. We finally have the option of moving to Windows 10, but I'm still not convinced it's possible to turn off enough telemetrics to be PCI compliant. It's entirely possible that we cannot continue to use Microsoft products without committing fraud against our merchant service. That not only has Microsoft resorted to being a criminal enterprise, they're going to force their customers to do so as well.

    Thanks. Microsoft.

  25. Re:Security by taustin · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Since the Windows Drive Model hardly changed between Windows versions I've not found a driver that existed in Windows 7/8 that didn't currently work in 10.

    You've apparently never worked with Epson receipt printers. When I tried the Win 7 drivers on Win 8, it blue screened so hard the blue screen crashed. That's 7 to 8, not 7 to 10. Our receipt printers would cost at least $100k to replace, and until two days day, our point of sale vendor (they have the only software that works correctly with the national franchise) did not sell a printer that had working Windows 8 drivers. Yes, they are very slow updating stuff; they test thoroughly, and yes, they suck in many ways, but it would cost us seven figures to replace them, and nothing we could build ourselves would actually work.

    Microsoft knows there are millions of computers out there that cannot be upgraded without destroying the ability to perform the work they were bought to perform. And they don't care.

    And that's fraudulent.