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Microsoft Removes the 'X' From Windows 10 Update Leaving No Way Out (theregister.co.uk)

Posted by BeauHD on from the lack-of-options dept.

simpz writes: The Register reports that Microsoft has changed the Windows 10 update dialog and no longer shows the "X" close button. They say once agreed to there is no obvious back-out method and it is now out of step with Microsoft's own documentation on this. They have a screenshot of this. As noted above, the latest move is out of step with Microsoft's Knowledge Base documentation, which says you can re-schedule your upgrade.

14 of 664 comments (clear)

  1. alt-f4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Try Alt-f4. Works on many apps and usually forgotten by most devs.

    1. Re:alt-f4 by WheezyJoe · · Score: 5, Informative

      False. Refuse all the optional updates, accept all the critical updates. You can easily configure windows update to do this.

      THIS. I have Windows 7 with GWX Control Panel (reviewed here) installed,
      and under Control Panel --> Windows Update --> Change settings, I am set to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them",
      and (most important) "Recommended updates" is UN-checked.

      There is also a tool Never 10 (Peter Thurrott writes about it here). But always make sure you make the changes above to Windows Update.

      When updates announce themselves, accept only those updates for Windows listed "critical" and "security", as well as Windows Defender updates. That's it.

      So far, no problems on any of my systems. MS is being pretty shitty about all this, but they haven't yet stooped to calling 10 a critical/security update. However, anyone not savvy enough to take the above steps (e.g., parents) might be in for some trouble. So, spread the word, or suffer endless calls from suffering masses.

      --
      Take it easy, Charlie, I've got an Angle...
    2. Re:alt-f4 by sqlrob · · Score: 3, Informative

      Except it's not easy to disable the updates. I've had to disable it 3 or 4 times at a minimum because they keep re-enabling it.

      I go through the updates one by one making sure something isn't sneaking through, which is incredibly annoying to have to do. I've resorted to leaving my Windows 7 computer off until August.

  2. a fix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    https://www.grc.com/never10.htm

  3. Re:Ransome-ware by SCPaPaJoe · · Score: 4, Informative

    don't agree to the license agreement. Done. End of discussion.

  4. Re:Reject the EULA by by+(1706743) · · Score: 4, Informative

    Not sure why this is modded down -- I walked into the lab one day to realize that our computer had decided to upgrade to 10. I rejected the EULA, and it restored 7 (it didn't even take too long).

  5. Re:get over it by ZipK · · Score: 3, Informative

    it is insanity in this day and age to have to support multiple substantially different versions of an operating system for general population. its unjustifiably expensive and unsustainable.

    Then Microsoft should not have sold WIndows 7 and 8 with support windows that extend to 2020 (Win 7) and 2023 (Win 8). Consumers purchased these products with the promise of support as per Microsoft's published Windows lifecycle. If Microsoft didn't plan to do this, and price their product accordingly, that is very much their problem.

  6. Re:get over it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Microsoft will offer Mainstream Support for either a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product’s general availability, or for 2 years after the successor product (N+1) is released, whichever is longer. Extended Support is not offered for Consumer software and Multimedia products with the exception of Windows Desktop Operating system which follows the Business, Developer, and Desktop Operating System Software Products policy as outlined above." -- https://support.microsoft.com/...

    There is an exception for consumers that specifically includes the OS. So, you are wrong, they are covered until 2020.

  7. Re:get over it by ZipK · · Score: 4, Informative

    Individuals only got support for Windows 7 until 1/13/2015. They aren't included in the 2020 support plan, and Microsoft is under no obligation to support home users for Windows 7 anymore.

    As per Microsoft's lifecycle policy, Extended Support applies to retail purchases, and entitles home users to security fixes until January 14, 2020 (Win 7) and January 10, 2023 (Win 8).

  8. Re:Linux distros aren't much better, unfortunately by mark-t · · Score: 3, Informative

    "Slackware is archaic". Old does not mean bad or even obsolete. Slackware is still quite alive and well and entirely usable on modern systems as a modern OS

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
  9. Re:Hahahahaha FANTASTIC by Lotana · · Score: 3, Informative

    If it is only gaming that keeps you on Windows, you might be in luck. Valve have been pushing Linux as supported platform quite heavily. There are over a thousand titles as we speak.

    http://store.steampowered.com/browse/linux/

  10. Re:Reject the EULA by DaHat · · Score: 4, Informative

    It works, but there can be negative side effects... great example being the TPM.

    If you've a TPM in use under 8.1 (at least), after upgrading to 10 it will be tweaked in such a way that it will only work in 10, even after a reset/reinstall of the OS to a lower version.

    Worse, because of the changes, the 8.1 UI is unable to clear the TPM so you can re-take ownership of it. Even PS TPM Cmdlets fail you... only a non obvious WMI call can get you back to normal.

    Source: I hit this on my personal SP3 after I ran screaming from 10 on it (though run it elsewhere in my home happily).

    --
    Help Brendan pay off his student loans
  11. Re:Hahahahaha FANTASTIC by Imrik · · Score: 3, Informative

    To name a few, Fallout, Skyrim, Civ 4 (because I don't like Civ 5), Deus Ex, and Witcher. I'd list more, but Steam doesn't let me search my library by tag so I have to check each one individually. It's not that any particular title is keeping me on Windows, it's that almost every new PC game is available for windows.

  12. Re:This fixes a UI failure by nurbles · · Score: 3, Informative

    Has anyone actually got this "trick" to succeed? I changed the owner of the GWX folder and everything in it away from Administrator, turned off all of the permissions I could find and it seemed to work great. For about a month. Then it was back and when I looked just now, I see that files in that folder were updated YESTERDAY, even though the folder is not owned by the system and is marked to have NO ONE with permission to write into the folder. Clearly, (to me, at least) Microsoft's updates don't need to worry about pesky little things like file system security settings -- those would only get in the way of a successful update, after all.