Now, as we near the end of the free upgrade period, Microsoft’s malware-like upgrade system is becoming even more intrusive by autoscheduling upgrades to Windows 10.I noticed that the Windows 10 upgrade reminder pop-up on a Windows 7 PC was no longer asking me to upgrade; instead, it’s now informing me that it has already scheduled an update for May 17.
Hopefully after July 29, Microsoft will deactivate this overbearing upgrade system, but until then, watchfulness and diligence is the only way to be sure your system does not upgrade to Windows 10 without your knowledge.
Well my PC just automatically upgraded to Windows 10 without my consent. Too bad I didn't see your post Chemgear or I would have probably cancelled it. Have another PC that I did manage to cancel in time.
Has anybody reverted back to Windows 7 successfully? I noticed it is an option just not sure how well it works.
Well my PC just automatically upgraded to Windows 10 without my consent. Too bad I didn't see your post Chemgear or I would have probably cancelled it. Have another PC that I did manage to cancel in time.
Has anybody reverted back to Windows 7 successfully? I noticed it is an option just not sure how well it works.
Wondering about this myself. I have heard under Windows 10 Pro you can revert to previous versions, curious about regular Windows 10 as my wife is getting a new laptop with it pre installed. Would prefer Win 7.
I'm pretty sure anyone can revert to Windows 7 within 30 days, but I'd have to go back to my wife's computer to see what the pop up said. I also canceled the auto-install when I noticed it. Pretty sneaky and her computer likely wouldn't agree with Windows 10.
Rebuilt my computer with Windows 10 (and some new hardware, so built maybe rather than rebuilt) late last week, everything seems to be running quite well, all my devices are running fine, didn't have any problems finding up to date drivers.
Pretty happy with it so far, but maybe that's just not having Windows nag me to install Windows 10 and trying to trick me into installing it via an optional update that it checks for me, and having updates come out every day.
The fresh install worked fine, I downloaded new media and it was updated so that I could just enter my Windows 7 or 8 key.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
So this morning my wife has a Skype meeting. She turns her computer on and it is upgrading to Windows 10!!! WTF? She absolutely did not schedule this. I've heard so many horror stories about the forced theft of the OS you purchased. How is their not a class action lawsuit on this?
It's absolutely unacceptable to do this. I don't know how they are getting away with it. And the fact that they are doing it so forcefully makes me think there is a good reason they are doing it (for themselves) which probably means it is a very bad reason for us.
No means no, Microsoft. Get it through your thick f'n skull.
The Following User Says Thank You to Fuzz For This Useful Post:
I'm pretty sure somewhere in the dense unbrush of the 120 page TOS you agreed to when you purchased/installed a previous Windows version is a caveat related to automatic upgrading.
A class-action suit would likely prove unfruitful.
So this morning my wife has a Skype meeting. She turns her computer on and it is upgrading to Windows 10!!! WTF? She absolutely did not schedule this. I've heard so many horror stories about the forced theft of the OS you purchased. How is their not a class action lawsuit on this?
Hmmm, I didn't realize that Microsoft had purposefully changed this behavior now as well. Crazy ####. So I guess you "gave consent".
But here’s the icky part: The redesigned GWX pop-up now treats exiting the window as consent for the Windows 10 upgrade.
So after more than half a year of teaching people that the only way to say “no thanks” to Windows 10 is to exit the GWX application—and refusing to allow users to disable the pop-up in any obvious manner, so they had to press that X over and over again during those six months to the point that most people probably just click it without reading now—Microsoft just made it so that very behavior accepts the Windows 10 upgrade instead, rather than canceling it.
That’s gross.
And if you don’t find that small link to reschedule or cancel the Windows 10 upgrade—or, say, if the pop up appears while you’re away from your computer—your system will begin the process at the scheduled time. In other words, your PC can potentially upgrade to Windows 10 without you asking it to or explicitly approving the upgrade.
But here’s the icky part: The redesigned GWX pop-up now treats exiting the window as consent for the Windows 10 upgrade.
So after more than half a year of teaching people that the only way to say “no thanks” to Windows 10 is to exit the GWX application—and refusing to allow users to disable the pop-up in any obvious manner, so they had to press that X over and over again during those six months to the point that most people probably just click it without reading now—Microsoft just made it so that very behavior accepts the Windows 10 upgrade instead, rather than canceling it.
That’s gross.
And if you don’t find that small link to reschedule or cancel the Windows 10 upgrade—or, say, if the pop up appears while you’re away from your computer—your system will begin the process at the scheduled time. In other words, your PC can potentially upgrade to Windows 10 without you asking it to or explicitly approving the upgrade.
"Days after angering many users with its so-called "nasty trick", Microsoft has reversed its crazy decision to infuriate users by upgrading them to Windows 10 automatically. Users were angry that clicking the cross to dismiss the box meant that they had agreed to the upgrade. Based on "customer feedback", Microsoft said it would add another notification that provided customers with "an additional opportunity for cancelling the upgrade". Microsoft told the BBC it had modified the pop-up as a result of criticism: "We've added another notification that confirms the time of the scheduled upgrade and provides the customer an additional opportunity for cancelling or rescheduling the upgrade. If the customer wishes to continue with their upgrade at the designated time, they can click 'OK' or close the notifications with no further action needed."
This notification means your Windows 10 upgrade will occur at the time indicated, unless you select either Upgrade now or “Click here to change upgrade schedule or cancel scheduled upgrade”. If you click on OK or on the red “X”, you’re all set for the upgrade and there is nothing further to do.
I'm amazed it doesn't have a confirmation when it reboots or you turn it on saying "Windows will now upgrade to version 10. You can cancel now, or press OK to continue."
Instead it just assumes you are ready, and have an hour or two to waste in the morning, rather than, you know, the crazy idea of using your computer for the reason you turned it on in the first place.
I'm amazed it doesn't have a confirmation when it reboots or you turn it on saying "Windows will now upgrade to version 10. You can cancel now, or press OK to continue."
Instead it just assumes you are ready, and have an hour or two to waste in the morning, rather than, you know, the crazy idea of using your computer for the reason you turned it on in the first place.
Pretty sure MS knows full well what they were doing here. Maybe a whistleblower will come forward at some point and explain what the response was when developers were asking why they weren't including confirmation buttons.
Pretty sure MS knows full well what they were doing here. Maybe a whistleblower will come forward at some point and explain what the response was when developers were asking why they weren't including confirmation buttons.
Of course they know exactly what they are doing. But Microsoft is gonna Microsoft.
Well, I think we have some Microsoft employees on CP. In this thread even.
Well, I think we have some Microsoft employees on CP. In this thread even.
Yup, and this is well talked about amongst many of us.
Here's what I know:
I know that you cannot be automatically upgraded to Windows 10 if you did not, at any point, commit to or agree to download Windows 10 or reserve your copy. Period.
Now, keep in mind, this includes when the GWX prompt was initially released prior to the July 2015 release of Windows 10 build 10240, so the agreement might have happened well in the past, which is why it's confusing so many people now.
This is the KB shared in this thread, and there are some important points to note: Screen: Windows 10 is a Recommended Update for this PC
Screen: Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10
From these screens, you can manage your Windows 10 upgrade schedule.
To schedule or start your upgrade, follow the instructions on the screen.
If you don’t want to schedule your upgrade, you can select either “Click here to change upgrade schedule or cancel scheduled upgrade” or you can click the red "X" to close the window. (If you receive a pop up that says “You’re set!”, click the link at the bottom to reschedule or cancel the upgrade.)
If your upgrade was previously scheduled, you will see the message, Windows 10 is a Recommended Update for this PC. To cancel your scheduled upgrade, click the link to “change upgrade schedule or cancel scheduled upgrade”.
The underline is mine. Essentially, if the upgrade was previously agreed upon in some way (reserving a copy prior to the release, signaling you want to download now but install later, etc.), then it will 'schedule' you for an upgrade and you have to change / cancel the upgrade as said above. That upgrade doesn't get scheduled without the user opting-in.
I ran a little experiment to test the veracity of claims that simply opening the GWX dialog and closing it without any further interaction would result in a download or an upgrade taking place. I have a Windows 7 Pro retail guest on Hyper-V (Home Premium and Pro SKUs are eligible, Enterprise is not). It is fully updated, opted-in for recommended updates, and I have the GWX icon showing on it. The GWX dialog displays "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10". It has been running since... I think early April 2016, maybe even March. It has not been upgraded. I have opened GWX, I've read some of the informational panes, and then closed it with the red X. No upgrade has been scheduled or performed, and the machine runs 24/7.
I speak only for myself when I say that, on one hand, I would agree that the guidance provided to users could be more effective to prevent people accidentally agreeing to upgrade and then getting caught off-guard when it actually happens on its own. But it is inaccurate to report -- as many tech blogs and news sites are -- that it upgraded without any input from the user at any point indicating they desiring the upgrade. Too many people forget things, too many people click on buttons / close dialog boxes and windows without reading what they say.
If you doubt anything I've said, feel free to try the same experiment I did. Install Windows 7 somewhere (VM, spare laptop, whatever you want), and update it with 'give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates' or whatever the check-box is. When the GWX icon appears in your tray, feel free to click it. Take note of what it says, then click the red X. Unless you agree to an upgrade or reservation, it will never upgrade the OS. The only reason I did the experiment was to figure out if it was indeed true -- does the upgrade happen automatically without any permission being given at all? So far, I've seen nothing to suggest it does. The $WINDOWS.~BT folder doesn't even exist on that VM, and it would be the first thing created to store the installer files.
