Fearing forced Windows 10 upgrades, users are disabling critical updates instead

[steven36]

Some Windows 7 and 8 users would rather chance a malware infection than an involuntary Windows 10 upgrade.

 

 

Microsoft stepped on the gas in its quest to drive Windows 7 and 8 users to Windows 10 over the past couple of weeks, rolling the upgrade out as a Recommended update. Watch out! The only behavior that could deny the Windows 10 upgrade before—closing the pop-up by pressing the X in the upper-right corner—now counts as consent for the upgrade, and worse, the upgrade installation can automatically begin even if you take no action whatsoever.

 

It’s nasty business, and it’s tricking legions of happy Windows 7 and 8 users into Windows 10. Over the past week, I’ve received more contact from readers about this issue than I have about everything else I’ve written over the rest of my career combined. But beyond merely burning bridges with consumers, these forced, non-consensual upgrades could have more insidious consequences.

 

 

Quote

 

10 installing on the sly will likely result in a segment of consumers turning off WU... and then their 7/8 systems will likely be infected.

— Wes Miller (@getwired) May 24, 2016

 

“I fear some segment of consumers will turn off Windows Update as a result,” Wes Miller, research vice president at Directions on Microsoft, told me. “Which is a very bad side effect.”

 

Indeed it is. Windows Update delivers critical updates to your PC, plugging holes in the operating system and slamming the door on potential hack attacks. Keeping your operating system patched is a crucial part of staying secure on the modern web. That’s why PCWorld and many other technology experts advise users that the best course of action is usually to leave the Windows default intact, letting the OS download and install Recommended updates automatically. Doing otherwise is dangerous, unless you’re an expert yourself.

 

Using that critical avenue to push Windows 10 on people—pardon, “make it easier for consumers to upgrade to Windows 10”—violates the trust people hold in the sanctity of Windows Update. And, yes, as a direct result of Microsoft’s actions, at least some people are disabling Windows Update on their Windows 7 and 8 PCs.

 

Here are just a couple of the readers who reached out to me directly to say they’ve disabled Windows Updates to avoid being forced into Windows 10.

 

Quote

 

Why I completely disabled all updates on my laptop, right here https://t.co/UbMT4ckZpw

— Peter Skerritt (@PeteSkerritt) May 22, 2016

 

 

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@BradChacos I actually turned off Win updates for 5 months because they kept unhiding the one update that installs Get Win 10 app

— Rooker (@JMRooker) May 26, 2016

 

 

Reddit and other forums around the web hold more tales of woe and disabled updates…

 

Comment from discussion Microsoft criticised over ‘deceitful’ and ‘nasty’ Windows 10 upgrade.

 

Comment from discussion Warning: Windows 7 computers are being reported as automatically starting the Windows 10 upgrade without permission..

…and users explicitly encouraging other people to disable Windows Update.

 

Comment from discussion Warning: Windows 7 computers are being reported as automatically starting the Windows 10 upgrade without permission..

 

Comment from discussion Microsoft criticised over ‘deceitful’ and ‘nasty’ Windows 10 upgrade.

 

Ironically, improved security is one of Windows 10’s selling points. But by pushing it on users in such a heavy-handed way, Microsoft is encouraging users who have very valid reasons to stick with Windows 7/8 to perform actions that leave their machines open to attack. That’s bad. Very bad.

 

For the record: Don’t disable Windows Updates unless you’re an advanced user who wants to parse and manually install Windows patches. Instead, leave them active but also install GWX Control Panel or Never10, free tools that block the Get Windows 10 pop-ups and behavior. Microsoft’s been known to push out new patches that work around those tools in the past, however—again, violating Windows Update’s sanctity to push its new OS. Be sure to read the fine print if a GWX pop-up does appear in order to avoid being tricked into Windows 10.

 

Or you could try this clever trick if you have old hardware lying around collecting dust.

 

Quote

 

@BradChacos I keep an outdated GPU in my computer just so Windows 10 isn’t compatible.

— The QueQue (@BaronVonQueQue) May 24, 2016

Further reading: How to escape the Windows 10 update you mistakenly agreed to and How to go back to Windows 7 or 8 after an unwanted Windows 10 upgrade

 

Windows 10 updates

While the decision to abuse Windows Updates is clearly burning goodwill with numerous Windows users, the people who suddenly find themselves on Windows 10 won’t be able to prevent actions like this from occurring in the future.

 

The consumer versions of Windows 10 don’t allow you to disable or manually install Windows Updates. If Microsoft pushes out a Windows 10 update, you will receive it eventually. Some versions of Windows 10, including Windows 10 Pro, allow you to defer feature updates—though not security updates—which bumps your computer off the consumer update path and onto the Current business branch, effectively delaying new features from hitting your PC for “several months.” How-To Geek has an excellent write-up explaining Windows 10’s deferred updates.

 

That’s likely part of the reason Microsoft’s willing to take this dangerous roll of the dice. A significant portion of average users won’t have the technical knowledge to roll back to Windows 7 or 8 after a surprise upgrade. If you’re a standard, non-technically inclined PC user pushed into Windows 10, there’s no way to cut off Windows Updates even if you don’t trust them anymore.

 

But angry Windows 7 and 8 holdouts certainly can, and some are. Microsoft’s aggressive Windows 10 upgrade push began by adopting malware-like tactics to deceive users into upgrading, and it’s evolved into something so annoying that users are now willing to risk malware infection in order to make the pop-ups and non-consensual upgrades stop.

 

And they should stop. Windows 10 is the best Windows yet and can speak for itself. Please, Microsoft. End this madness. Your users are begging you.

 

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@BradChacos agreed. I loved win7....but have lost faith in Microsoft. Maybe they should stick to phones - #microsoftphonesfailed

— Pat Wit (@GoaliePat27) May 24, 2016

 

 

 

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@BradChacos Work at a repair shop. So many customers called complaining about how they hit the “X” as usual and got upgraded to Windows 10.

— Trevor Darby (@MakingTrevenue) May 22, 2016

 

 

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#Microsoft this time you really have crossed the line - https://t.co/gIo5AqDiQ1

— Martin (@whosyagamer) May 25, 2016

 

 

 

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@BradChacos I fixed mine for now. This is a sad state of affairs.

— KayOrton (@KayOrton) May 25, 2016

 

Quote

. @BradChacos gets it. The stupid “x” @Windows update happened to me last night. Shameful @Microsoft. Now looking how to install @ubuntu

— Aaron Rostad (@aaronrostad) May 25, 2016

 

 

 

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Forced into upgrading our office PC with no option to go back. Older people in office now very confused with new os -https://t.co/mAgEd5elbb

— Steve Chandler (@butcherboy9691) May 25, 2016

 

 

 

Quote

 

@BradChacos Add me to the ‘pissed off’ list. Forced updated took place 3am Monday here, Win 10 caused repeated freezing - rewound to Win 7 ?

— David Pride (@davejavupride) May 23, 2016

 

 

 

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@BradChacos oh look the thing I refused countless times is happening Post-computer restarting itself with no warning pic.twitter.com/7Ym1rVR6C1

— Karina Hunt (@sundialNshade) May 24, 2016

 

The Source

[BALTAGY]

Simple just disable Windows updates, i been disable windows update for years (more than 15 years) with no problem, and about security it's up to you what sites you open and what links you click + a good antivirus

 

If you think the company that spy on you will care about your security then good luck with that

[steven36]

11 minutes ago, BALTAGY said:

Simple just disable Windows updates, i been disable windows update for years (more than 15 years) with no problem, and about security it's up to you what sites you open and what links you click + a good antivirus

 

If you think the company that spy on you will care about your security then good luck with that

im a advanced user who's been patching for 15 years with no problems ,i think truing off updates and applying patches once a month is easy, but for most its not so easy i have to patch others windows 7 for as long as they decide to put get windows 10 updates on PCs.  i really dont trust 3rd party tools too stop it ,  but seems so far it has.  Antivius  is not a cure all  i rather use layers of security and patching is a part of it.

[BALTAGY]

Just now, steven36 said:

im a advanced user who's been patching for 15 years with no problems ,i think truing off updates and applying patches once a month is easy, but for most its not so easy i have to patch there windows 7 for as long as they decide to put get windows 10 updates on there pc i really dont trust 3rd party tools too stop but seems so far it has.

I been using last Win7 SP1 with my customers without any updates and without any problems, when i must install an update to install a program like Office 2016 in Win7 i just install the update nothing more, but i disable updates for my customers and alot of them using the system for years now without problems or even need to install a fresh one

 

I only watch topics about people have problems with Microsoft updates like BSOD, Slow system, etc

[steven36]

13 minutes ago, BALTAGY said:

I been using last Win7 SP1 with my customers without any updates and without any problems, when i must install an update to install a program like Office 2016 in Win7 i just install the update nothing more, but i disable updates for my customers and alot of them using the system for years now without problems or even need to install a fresh one

 

I only watch topics about people have problems with Microsoft updates like BSOD, Slow system, etc

I never had much BSOD on windows since XP  really and was because i installed software that was not compatible with each other , I used windows 7 and never reformatted with all updates. Im and advanced user who keeps a eye on any botched updates and  uninstall any that gets pulled. 

I never use registry cleaners , i use  Revo Pro , CC Cleaner the file cleaner only and Raxco PerfectDisk ,Process Lasso to disable unneeded process and it runs better than when i bought it with all updates but Telemetry and ,  get  Windows 10 updates .

[BALTAGY]

Just now, steven36 said:

I never had much BSOD on windows since XP  really and was because i installed software that was not compatible with each other , I used windows 7 and never reformatted with all updates. Im and advanced user who keeps a eye on any botched updates and  uninstall any that gets pulled. 

I never use registry cleaners , i use  Revo Pro , CC Cleaner the file cleaner only and Perfect Raxco PerfectDisk ,Process Lasso to disable unneeded process and it runs better than when i bought it with all updates but Telemetry and ,  get  Windows 10 updates .

Same here never use registry cleaners only disk cleaners from time to time, and i use the system for some years like 2 years then go to updated system like from Win8.1 to Win10, normally don't install same system twice lol

 

Only did some updates to Windows 10 to see if some problems will be fixed but they never been fixed so no more updates for me until a new system come out i think

[Sylence]

 

[steven36]

22 minutes ago, BALTAGY said:

Same here never use registry cleaners only disk cleaners from time to time, and i use the system for some years like 2 years then go to updated system like from Win8.1 to Win10, normally don't install same system twice lol

 

Only did some updates to Windows 10 to see if some problems will be fixed but they never been fixed so no more updates for me until a new system come out i think

I used Windows 10 on my gateway  tell  the HD  went out it ran fine for like 2 years with Windows 8.1  when i replaced hard drive  i decided  i put something else on it so i dual boot 2 flavors of Linux  on it and leave my new pc windows 8.1 and  i still have a windows 7 PC  i use for video editing mostly , it still has the windows 7  upgrade i put on it back in 2011, and never been reformatted even been upgraded to windows 10 and rolled back too windows 7 once because of compatibility issues with some of my old software on it.

[Rastus_BoJangles_Johnson]

lol

[Karlston]

2 hours ago, steven36 said:

Some Windows 7 and 8 users would rather chance a malware infection than an involuntary Windows 10 upgrade.

 

That pretty much says it all about the effect of Microsoft's Windows 10 marketing strategy.

 

Microsoft = zero trust.

[Conley Powell]

     I've been using XP since shortly after it was released, I've never installed any update other than a service pack, and I've never had one malware problem. I have a lot more confidence in the better anti-malware programs than in Microsoft's "security patches".

     Why am I still using XP? I gave 7 a fair trial, and I hated it, for purely subjective reasons. But I wouldn't use it as a matter of principle even if I liked it, because it takes up five times the disk space that XP does and gives me not one thing I want that XP doesn't. I trust no one will ask me why I don't switch to Vista, 8, 8.1, or 10.

[Ryrynz]

9 hours ago, Karlston said:

 

That pretty much says it all about the effect of Microsoft's Windows 10 marketing strategy.

 

Microsoft = zero trust.

I personally think it says more about people's general unwillingness to embrace updating their OS or perhaps their personal grudge about how Windows 10 does things.

7 hours ago, Conley Powell said:

     I've been using XP since shortly after it was released, I've never installed any update other than a service pack, and I've never had one malware problem. I have a lot more confidence in the better anti-malware programs than in Microsoft's "security patches".

     Why am I still using XP? I gave 7 a fair trial, and I hated it, for purely subjective reasons. But I wouldn't use it as a matter of principle even if I liked it, because it takes up five times the disk space that XP does and gives me not one thing I want that XP doesn't. I trust no one will ask me why I don't switch to Vista, 8, 8.1, or 10.

Really.. Disk space? ~looks at his 512GB SSD with half of it free~

[Karlston]

14 hours ago, Ryrynz said:

I personally think it says more about people's general unwillingness to embrace updating their OS or perhaps their personal grudge about how Windows 10 does things.

 

If it was just a simple update, I'd agree more with you.

 

The reality is that it's a major upgrade for Windows 7 and 8.1 users, a significant change in UI, and applications needed by users may not work properly. Read the comments in the OP.

 

And then there are the (IMO) distasteful Windows 10 features. The lack of control over updates and the inherent flakiness of cumulative updates, and the privacy concerns are the main ones for me.

 

I'm glad you're using and enjoying Windows 10, but please try and understand that there are legitimate reasons why some users do not want it. It's pure fantasy that all Windows 10 avoiders are just Microsoft/Windows 10 hatebois or change-haters, most are neither.

[Ryrynz]

12 hours ago, Karlston said:

 

If it was just a simple update, I'd agree more with you.

 

The reality is that it's a major upgrade for Windows 7 and 8.1 users, a significant change in UI, and applications needed by users may not work properly. Read the comments in the OP.

 

And then there are the (IMO) distasteful Windows 10 features. The lack of control over updates and the inherent flakiness of cumulative updates, and the privacy concerns are the main ones for me.

 

I'm glad you're using and enjoying Windows 10, but please try and understand that there are legitimate reasons why some users do not want it. It's pure fantasy that all Windows 10 avoiders are just Microsoft/Windows 10 hatebois or change-haters, most are neither.

Well you say major but it hasn't really changed much the way I work with my OS. I grabbed startisback and I was basically done. Everything works as it should.
Distasteful features don't need to be used, updates can be controlled (so it's not a lack of exactly) just not how some users would prefer but this brings stability anyway which is the reason why it's being pushed.

Privacy.. yeah there's tools out there to improve on that as you'd know.. and yes I do use one of them. It's a small price to pay really but at the end of the day this stuff isn't going to identify me anyway..
So I'm giving MS some data.. big deal, are they encroaching on my life in any way? No they're not. I don't have people calling or knocking asking me to buy things based on my search history or app downloading etc.
Anyway, would you rather be marketed to based upon history or upon nothing at all? I get that it sucks, I show no love for capitalism but it is what it is.. MS has always said none of the data held personal info.

Sure, there are legit reasons.. I just think most users don't really have many, I think people just generally like to create issues from things that are fairly inconsequential.
Pay attention to the various remarks regarding not upgrading to 10 in future.. and I think you'll see what I mean.
 

[pc71520]

http://www.ghacks.net/2016/05/28/microsoft-alienating-customer-base/

[steven36]

19 hours ago, Karlston said:

please try and understand that there are legitimate reasons why some users do not want it. It's pure fantasy that all Windows 10 avoiders are just Microsoft/Windows 10 hatebois or change-haters, most are neither.

They need to keep in mind Windows period is only less than half of the internet there's  like 1.5 billion people on some flavor of windows over 3 billion on the internet in general  and only 10% of people are on Windows 10 it dont matter if look at statcounter or  User Agent Breakdowns Wikimedia Foundation all O/S if you include mobile O/S  there's only 10%  on Windows 10 .

 

If you look at statcounter  it shows Android  overtook Windows back in DEC  2015  great job there doing with windows 10 !

 

 

Source  http://gs.statcounter.com/#all-os-ww-monthly-201507-201605

So seems more and more people are switching to Android O/S and not everyone levees windows 7 goes to windows 10 compared to the growth Android  has since windows 10 was released . Microsoft will never be the top used O/S in the world again.

[dMog]

it is  not that they are switching to android steven.... it is  that ANDROID  smart phones are taking over  and as we know...newer  smart phones are pretty powerful  and getting better all the time....android is  even taking over from apple's phone market share...those same android users  are les ans reliant on a home pc ...but when on their home pc are on windows ... and they will eventually migrate to  windows 10 when they buy a new pc... unless adroid comes out with a viable pc ios .to compete with windows   and no    ubunto or any other flavor of that will never be able to compete against windows or ios...if it was going to happen it would have happened years ago..    the main reason win10 is cross platform is that microsoft thought it was going to be their big entry the smart phone market... they have yet to actually get their foot in the door on that front as yet

[steven36]

1 hour ago, dMog said:

it is  not that they are switching to android steven.... it is  that ANDROID  smart phones are taking over  and as we know...newer  smart phones are pretty powerful  and getting better all the time....android is  even taking over from apple's phone market share...those same android users  are les ans reliant on a home pc ...but when on their home pc are on windows ... and they will eventually migrate to  windows 10 when they buy a new pc... unless adroid comes out with a viable pc ios .to compete with windows   and no    ubunto or any other flavor of that will never be able to compete against windows or ios...if it was going to happen it would have happened years ago..    the main reason win10 is cross platform is that microsoft thought it was going to be their big entry the smart phone market... they have yet to actually get their foot in the door on that front as yet

Thing is maybe business may buy a PC one day , but will home users  its not happen since 2013? The 10% that use windows 10 the majority didn't buy nothing   For what i do on windows most  of it i can do on Linux  witch can do more things than a smartphone even and what i cant do i can do on my windows 8.1 machine  i bought last fall  witch has updates tell 2023 and  keep in mind Windows 7 is still 4 years away from running out of updates  theirs only 10 years of service you get from buying windows

 

XP was a exception it got 12 years and that was Microsoft fault for doing it ,now they want to punish there paying costumers  because there afraid windows 7 will be the next XP thats a lame excuse because Microsoft were the ones who give two more years too it too began with,  I left XP after i used it 10 years. What do you think they will do too free windows 10 users in the future ?  The days of Microsoft playing nice ended after updates for XP ended ' See when this happened they forced most people into buying Windows 7  this happened a little over 2 years ago  and now there doing it again. This is why the public dont like it.  Now they trying force everyone on windows 10 every  since Windows 7 was only halfway trough its update cycle  you will be lucky if you're free upgrade last 3 to 5 years .

 

By the time 2020 comes  everyone may be on Android desktops for all we know . No one really knows what will happen in the future  but one thing is for sure all old tech gets replaced with new sooner or latter and still Windows is based on the NT kernel . witch has been around since OS/2  and O/S 2 was removed in Windows XP but it still has the NT kernel  witch has  not evolved very much like the Linux Kernel Android uses .  So part of the code that exist in Windows 10 existed in Windows 2000 .

 

If Microsoft does away with free upgrades July 29th  then we will see for real how windows 10 is doing  . But as long as its free and no one is buying new devices with it on it its not doing shit  but collecting money from ads .

[dMog]

1 hour ago, steven36 said:

Thing is maybe business may buy a PC one day , but will home users  its not happen since 2013? The 10% that use windows 10 the majority didn't buy nothing   For what i do on windows most  of it i can do on Linux  witch can do more things than a smartphone even and what i cant do i can do on my windows 8.1 machine  i bought last fall  witch has updates tell 2023 and  keep in mind Windows 7 is still 4 years away from running out of updates  theirs only 10 years of service you get from buying windows

 

XP was a exception it got 12 years and that was Microsoft fault for doing it ,now they want to punish there paying costumers  because there afraid windows 7 will be the next XP thats a lame excuse because Microsoft were the ones who give two more years too it too began with,  I left XP after i used it 10 years. What do you think they will do too free windows 10 users in the future ?  The days of Microsoft playing nice ended after updates for XP ended ' See when this happened they forced most people into buying Windows 7  this happened a little over 2 years ago  and now there doing it again. This is why the public dont like it.  Now they trying force everyone on windows 10 every  since Windows 7 was only halfway trough its update cycle  you will be lucky if you're free upgrade last 3 to 5 years .

 

By the time 2020 comes  everyone may be on Android desktops for all we know . No one really knows what will happen in the future  but one thing is for sure all old tech gets replaced with new sooner or latter and still Windows is based on the NT kernel . witch has been around since OS/2  and O/S 2 was removed in Windows XP but it still has the NT kernel  witch has  not evolved very much like the Linux Kernel Android uses .  So part of the code that exist in Windows 10 existed in Windows 2000 .

 

If Microsoft does away with free upgrades July 29th  then we will see for real how windows 10 is doing  . But as long as its free and no one is buying new devices with it on it its not doing shit  but collecting money from ads .

 

 

I will always have the need for a home computer...i take about 900 or so photographs every 6 months sometimes 900 in a 1 week period.... ain't no tablet out there or phone gonna handle my requirements or any Linux flavour for that matter ... the thing is I ain't alone either...there is a whole big world out there just outside the fringes of our own  needs we can not afford to look at our small portion of the world and expect everyone to think similarly.... and that is not to say myself or yourself is wrong.... just that unlike mathematics, life has many different and  correct answeres

[steven36]

36 minutes ago, dMog said:

I will always have the need for a home computer...i take about 900 or so photographs every 6 months sometimes 900 in a 1 week period.... ain't no tablet out there or phone gonna handle my requirements or any Linux flavour for that matter ... the thing is I ain't alone either...there is a whole big world out there just outside the fringes of our own  needs we can not afford to look at our small portion of the world and expect everyone to think similarly.... and that is not to say myself or yourself is wrong.... just that unlike mathematics, life has many different and  correct answeres

It dont matter to me if the world can stay attached  to a cell phone   so  people could  adapt too Linux , The good thing about windows is there's many free apps on it if there was not any , the poor would have  left it long ago. I started out on windows me and it always costs me money unless i pirated it . I'm not beyond using closed source apps on Linux  if i cant find a open source app too replace it . Same as i'm not above using open source on a closed sourced O/S like windows .  the more i hear  windows users going at each other the more i love Linux . I dont care what the rest of the world does .As long as you're happy with what you have I'm happy  but dont try too force it on me . Because everything that makes you happy want make me happy because I'm not you.

[humble3d]

Microsoft's Deceptive Tactics Push Customers to Mac, Linux

 

Over the past few months, Microsoft has maintained a course that continues to anger and alienate users. Having converted the Windows operating system into a suite of spyware tools designed to harvest users’ data through recommended updates that it has forced on users, the Redmond giant has given many of those users reason to abandon Windows for another operating system.

 

As Windows continues to lose users, Microsoft — rather than adjust course —has instead ramped up the very tactics that angered users in the first place.

 

Last summer, Microsoft announced that anyone currently running Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 would be able to upgrade to the new and “improved” Windows 10 for free. Many wondered why the company would give away licenses to use the new operating system, especially considering that in the past users have paid good money to purchase new iterations of Windows.

 

Within days of the release of Windows 10, the reason was clear: greater data-mining opportunities. The entire operating system is designed to harvest users’ data for Microsoft’s financial gain.

 

Despite optimistic predictions from Microsoft of one billion Windows 10 devices within three years, adoption slowed after the spyware nature of the operating system became known.

 

In fact, there are currently still almost as many people using Windows XP as are using Windows 10. This is particularly astounding considering that Windows XP reached end-of-life — and stopped receiving security updates — more than two years ago.

 

And even after months of Microsoft pushing its free offer, Windows 7 still has almost three times as many users as Windows 10. It appears that given the choice, many would rather have an older (in the case of Windows 7) or even increasingly unsafe (in the case of Windows XP) operating system than to accept a free upgrade to the newest version of Windows if it means giving Microsoft free run of their data.

 

Other users decided to jettison Windows altogether and switch to either Mac or Linux. The data indicate that most of them are switching to Linux, which is free to download and offers greater privacy and freedom to users.

 

Rather than miss their one-billion-user goal, Microsoft began a long and weary game of forcing the Windows 10 upgrade on users via downloads in the form of security updates. Over a period of several months, Microsoft forced one user after another to upgrade by downloading all the necessary files to their computers and scheduling the upgrade to happen automatically when the computer was rebooted.

 

As this writer reported then:

As more and more people have become aware of the spyware nature of Windows 10, many have decided not to take Microsoft up on their "free upgrade." People all over the world decided to either switch to some other operating system (such as Linux) or just stay with Windows 7, 8, or 8.1. Now Microsoft admits that it is forcing the update to those who are using those previous versions of Windows, even if they have declined the "upgrade."

 

After users learned of this, many of them changed their settings to not allow the Windows 10 download masquerading as a security update. To get around those users’ choice, Microsoft changed the update from an optional update to a recommended update. More and more users were forced to accept the downloads.

Then the pop-ups began.

 

 

In December, 2015, Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users began getting notifications that all files were downloaded and it was time to approve the update to Windows 10. This notification — known as the Get Windows 10 (or GWX) pop-up — initially offered the update and gave users the choice to accept, decline, or postpone the upgrade. Even after declining the update, users continued to get the GWX pop-up at increasing intervals.

 

Then, Microsoft changed the wording of the GWX pop-up to remove the option to decline the upgrade. The only two options were to accept or reschedule. Many — too many for Microsoft’s comfort — simply clicked the red x in the top right-hand corner and went back to what they were doing.

 

As if Microsoft had not already crossed the line, it has recently changed the way users accept the upgrade.

 

The new method of saying yes? Click the x. That’s right. The method Microsoft trained users to use to reject the update for the past six months is now the method to accept it. And it is working.

 

 

After a lag in Windows 10 adoption, it is finally picking up again, not because people are choosing Windows 10, but because Microsoft is tricking them into accepting it.

 

As Brad Chacos wrote for PCWorld, his wife was forced an upgrade by this method. Her response? Time to shop for a Mac. As he expressed the frustration felt by many including his wife, he wrote:

 

By forcing out Windows 10 as a Recommended update and changing the behavior associated with exiting the GWX pop-up, Microsoft’s actively striving to push the operating system on people who actively don’t want it.

 

That is not the only dirty trick Microsoft has played to increase its Windows 10 numbers, either. In March, the company rolled out a “security update” to fix a problem it had created with another update.

 

 

The problem was that Bitlocker — the built-in encryption software for Windows — was crashing on machines running Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The update (KB3133977) began causing a Secure Boot error on any system that includes an ASUS-based motherboard.

 

Asus has been around for nearly three decades and provides motherboards for some of the biggest names in computer manufacturing.

 

That is a lot of computers. The good news is that KB3133977 was an optional update instead of a recommended update. Because of this, it would not be a problem for many users. Then in May, Microsoft — though aware of the problem — inexplicably upgraded the update from optional to recommended, guaranteeing it would affect a much larger number of computers.

 

Computer users all over the world began reporting that their computers would not boot after the update.

 

After Microsoft caused the complete failure of so many systems (along with the possible loss of data), what was the company’s response? Did it fix the problem? No. Instead, Microsoft simply recommended that those users upgrade to Windows 10, since KB3133977 does not cause any problems with that operating system. The Microsoft page for this “known issue” says:

 

The Secure Boot feature is supported in Windows 10. To learn more about the security advantages of this feature and about the upgrade path from Windows 7 to Windows 10, go to the following Windows website:

 

Let that sink in. Microsoft was aware that KB3133977 would cause the failure of any computer with an Asus motherboard before making it a recommended update.

 

Accepting recommended updates is the default setting for Windows.

 

Once all those users were tricked into accepting the update and it crashed their systems, Microsoft said — in essence — “Hey! You know what? You should consider upgrading to Windows 10 now that you have to reinstall everything anyway.”

 

It’s transparently self-serving for a company to create a problem so that it can propose a “solution” that the user has repeatedly rejected.

 

This writer would not be surprised to see Microsoft wind up in court over some of these tactics.

 

The end result of all these (and other) shenanigans is that though 270 million users have switched (or have been force-switched) to Windows 10, Microsoft is steadily losing users to both Mac and Linux. Data from NetMarketShare indicate that Microsoft has lost more than 14 million users in a growing market since the release of Windows 10 while both Mac and Linux have gained market share.

 

It appears that Microsoft misjudged how willing users would be to give up their privacy.

 

http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/23322-microsoft-s-deceptive-tactics-push-customers-to-mac-linux

 

[Batu69]

Moved from the chat bar forum & merged.