'X' removed From Windows 10 Update, Nagware causes potential disaster in remotest Africa

I don't have Windows 10 installed on my desktop PC, and until recently installing additional software (GWX control panel), I was nagged incessantly by Microsoft to update my system. I have heard positive things about Win 10, but I have a very stable Win 7 installation and I use my computer for producing music, so I don't want to go through the rigmarole of ironing out the bugs in a new OS (and there are some privacy concerns I also have).

I am no longer nagged to upgrade, but it seems MS have gone a step further in their attempt to strong-arm users into upgrading, utilising methods commonly found in malware. Firstly they decided clicking on the commonly used 'X' button which closes a window will instead be taken as permission to download the new operating system.

www.theregister.co.uk...

Recently, Microsoft’s policy had been to throw up a dialogue box asking you whether you wanted to install Windows 10. If you clicked the red “X” to close the box – the tried-and-tested way to make dialogue boxes disappear without agreeing to do anything – Microsoft took that as permission for the upgrade to go ahead.

Then they made the nice decision to remove the 'X' altogether.

Microsoft has stood behind its operating system’s nagging reminders. A spokesperson has tried to excuse the “reminders”, telling The Reg that the “your upgrade is scheduled” notification has been part of the UI motivation “for months.”

Well thanks Microsoft, but some of us don't want to upgrade yet for reasons of our own, and we don't appreciate being tricked and aggressively pushed to do so.

Of interest is that MS could have been responsible for potential bloodshed in remotest Africa.

www.theregister.co.uk...

When you're stuck in the middle of the Central African Republic (CAR) trying to protect the wildlife from armed poachers and the Lord's Resistance Army, then life's pretty tough. And now Microsoft has made it tougher with Windows 10 upgrades.

The Chinko Project manages roughly 17,600 square kilometres (6,795 square miles) of rainforest and savannah in the east of the CAR, near the border with South Sudan. Money is tight, and so is internet bandwidth. So the staff was more than a little displeased when one of the donated laptops the team uses began upgrading to Windows 10 automatically, pulling in gigabytes of data over a radio link.

And it's not just bandwidth bills they have to worry about.

"If a forced upgrade happened and crashed our PCs while in the middle of coordinating rangers under fire from armed militarized poachers, blood could literally be on Microsoft's hands," said one member of the team.

Dick move Microsoft, dick move.

I went to bed one night with Windows 7, with no problems playing any of my favorite games and completely stable. I woke up the next morning with Windows 10, which I never agreed to. Now I have issues with quite a few games, mostly older ones but one current early access one in particular likes to freeze/lock up the entire computer ever since the computer upgraded.

I'm entirely convinced that Windows 10 is an unstoppable malware being forced upon every PC, but for what true, more sinister purpose?

a reply to: Aldakoopa

Well old Bill Gates does fund a foundation of the same name that was responsible for illegally sterilising million's of african's with tainted vaccine which is of course like a Nazi eugenic's program or the worst day's of the racial eugenic's that was practiced in the state's so I no longer have any faith in microsoft at all and now think that there founder is a rather evil little twerp of a man.

I am currently using window's 10 64 ultimate because I was one of the loon's who could not wait to download it thinking it was going to be great and of course the new DirectX API but before this I had 7 ultimate and was exceptionally happy until it installed 10, I hate 10 now with a passion and it has killed my computing experience, it is I have to say the worst bag of Sh"$ microsoft have ever produced let alone forced on anyone and I have used microsoft since the DOS day's, through 3.1, 95, 98, ME and XP (XP being like 7 another great operating system they killed off) and Vista before moving to Seven though admittedly 10 does keep OTHER people's malware off your system quite effectively as this time Defender is nearly as good as retail AV program's but that does not excuse the inbuilt key logger and other spyware that is built into the system at kernal level which who know's what back door's and the ability to uninstall or delete your software at the whim of microsoft.

The more I look at it the more I am considering moving to Linux but it is that old argument, compatibility with all my old software.

When something as critical as that can be modified by a user, then blame the IT management for it, not Microsoft.
I, and many others are 7 diehards, and are not fond of Win10, however, a system that lets this occur ad-hoc has only itself to blame.

I reinstalled my Windows and turned off the feature that puts that Win10 Icon on your desk bar. I never get bothered at all anymore with it.

Windows 10 is way too invasive for It's like the Ultimate Borg Network.

originally posted by: charlyv
When something as critical as that can be modified by a user, then blame the IT management for it, not Microsoft.
I, and many others are 7 diehards, and are not fond of Win10, however, a system that lets this occur ad-hoc has only itself to blame.

The problem is Microsoft has actively deceived those who use their software by changing known behaviours in software to something different.

tech.slashdot.org...

Yes, Microsoft has changed the one action which previously stopped a Windows 10 upgrade and turned it into a confirmation. Furthermore the user is not notified of this prior to the upgrade starting.

The problem is not whether users can accept or reject a Windows 10 upgrade. It is that in continually changing what users have to do and even how specific buttons behave, Microsoft is deliberately causing confusion and increasing the chance the wrong option will be picked. This is a tried and trusted tactic of malware.

My problem is Microsoft clearly no longer respects any of this. Over the last year, forced Windows 10 downloads (even if you say ‘No’) have escalated to hardware restrictions, automatic upgrade recommendations and support cuts. Now even successfully rejecting Windows 10 upgrade prompts has become a game of cat and mouse.

originally posted by: Aldakoopa
I went to bed one night with Windows 7, with no problems playing any of my favorite games and completely stable. I woke up the next morning with Windows 10, which I never agreed to. Now I have issues with quite a few games, mostly older ones but one current early access one in particular likes to freeze/lock up the entire computer ever since the computer upgraded.

I'm entirely convinced that Windows 10 is an unstoppable malware being forced upon every PC, but for what true, more sinister purpose?

Direct X 12 in Windows 10 . Good stuff , but not for older games. Google" installing direct x (whatever version) in Windows 10" the game relies on

You WILL be assimilated!

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: Aldakoopa
I went to bed one night with Windows 7, with no problems playing any of my favorite games and completely stable. I woke up the next morning with Windows 10, which I never agreed to. Now I have issues with quite a few games, mostly older ones but one current early access one in particular likes to freeze/lock up the entire computer ever since the computer upgraded.

I'm entirely convinced that Windows 10 is an unstoppable malware being forced upon every PC, but for what true, more sinister purpose?

Direct X 12 in Windows 10 . Good stuff , but not for older games. Google" installing direct x (whatever version) in Windows 10" the game relies on

Don't be mad, man. You're implying a level of tech savvy that belies the ability of the average user who can't figure out how to stop Win10 from auto installing. Can't turn of auto updates. Can't create a local account and not have to sign in to your M$ account.

I'm no fan of M$. But I used to support people who always complained about any upgrades. So I have a special place in my heart for them lol..

I mean, I understand the frustration people may go through having a stable OS that works perfectly, being nagged and this imposed. But it can be stopped, it's a feature of Automatic Updates. TURN THEM OFF !!! Update your machine and then turn them off. Or get a program called Never10 if you find lost in the control panel.

idk, just seems easy to me. I can get in a car and drive it too, and I don't blame the car if I drive it into a brick wall..

a reply to: cuckooold

I get no more nag screens -- set updates to 'I choose when to install, and only install important updates--any 'recommended' update should be looked at in details.

To stop ALL Nag screens, you just need to go to the GWX directory in explorer. Take control of the dir with FULL privilages, and rename ALL files to *.NOWAY or whatever... I did xxxx_NOWAY.xxx

Be warned, remember, if you ever do a file check via "SFC /scannow" which check all major windows files making sure they are REAL, and have the right CRC, etc... but doing this will RESTORE the GWX files, so if you ever have to do the SFC, remember to redo the GWX dir.

Since doing it, I never even SEE a screen.. lol. Screw MS forcing us to spyware windows 10.
I HOPE when its no longer free, they update and remove the nag screens. because I don't plan to update until they remove all the tracking/downloading YOUR files/info.. you want that, you PAY ME. Who's to say they couldn't steal your latest song or art design/blueprints you're working on? Just can't be bothered with that. Plus, I have 2 $4000 programs that won't work with 10, and I am fine with 7 for at least another 3 years...

originally posted by: Parafitt

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: Aldakoopa
I went to bed one night with Windows 7, with no problems playing any of my favorite games and completely stable. I woke up the next morning with Windows 10, which I never agreed to. Now I have issues with quite a few games, mostly older ones but one current early access one in particular likes to freeze/lock up the entire computer ever since the computer upgraded.

I'm entirely convinced that Windows 10 is an unstoppable malware being forced upon every PC, but for what true, more sinister purpose?

Direct X 12 in Windows 10 . Good stuff , but not for older games. Google" installing direct x (whatever version) in Windows 10" the game relies on

Don't be mad, man. You're implying a level of tech savvy that belies the ability of the average user who can't figure out how to stop Win10 from auto installing. Can't turn of auto updates. Can't create a local account and not have to sign in to your M$ account.

I'm no fan of M$. But I used to support people who always complained about any upgrades. So I have a special place in my heart for them lol..

I mean, I understand the frustration people may go through having a stable OS that works perfectly, being nagged and this imposed. But it can be stopped, it's a feature of Automatic Updates. TURN THEM OFF !!! Update your machine and then turn them off. Or get a program called Never10 if you find lost in the control panel.

idk, just seems easy to me. I can get in a car and drive it too, and I don't blame the car if I drive it into a brick wall..

Or just set the mystical Windows Update to Windows 10 as hidden in the Update Control Center. No more bother unless you unhide it.

I was one of the foolish people to sign up for win10 early release, iv had nothing but problems since, my internet is slower, streaming movies used to be a little painful on my old win8 as I have crappy internet speeds but 5 mins buffering would sort it, win10 has killed it, I have to buffer for 10-15 mins before I start watching and if its a long movie it will buffer a few times during
Theres loads of crap running that I don't even use like skype, it actually uses a lot of cpu and memory even tho I don't even have an account!! and Cortana, I hate it, I don't use it, iv disabled it over and over just for it to pop back up in task manager, I followed steps online to remove it but somehow it keeps coming back. There are dozens of programs all using bandwidth that I don't use or have used at all so wheres all this data going and what the hell is it? Iv managed to disable a lot of the useless stuff but a few keep coming back on reboot

It chews through ram as well, I never had a problem before on win8 but since "upgrading" I get out of memory warnings if I try to do any sort of multitasking even tho I have the recommended amount of ram set by MS

I want my old xp rig back, it done exactly what I wanted when I wanted, I still used it up till last year as my daughters minecraft server and media server for my tv and laptops, oh the good old days

originally posted by: Aldakoopa
I went to bed one night with Windows 7, with no problems playing any of my favorite games and completely stable. I woke up the next morning with Windows 10, which I never agreed to. Now I have issues with quite a few games, mostly older ones but one current early access one in particular likes to freeze/lock up the entire computer ever since the computer upgraded.

I'm entirely convinced that Windows 10 is an unstoppable malware being forced upon every PC, but for what true, more sinister purpose?

Honestly? Could be anything. What matters is that they're doing it. I would suggest that people who really want to make this stop should do whatever they CAN realistically do to hit MS where it hurts. What can you do? Their closest true competition is Apple. Now of course Apple is no better than MS in the grand scheme of things but they are a viable alternative to Windows.

If you're not a gamer and you just need a reasonably functional computer that will play music and games you'll probably pay more for an Apple computer (of some kind) than you would for a Windows system. BUT, overall, MS would really feel the consequences if enough people start doing this.

Unfortunately, I just don't think Linux is a realistic solution for most people as it sits. It's too complicated and when something goes wrong with a Linux system, you have to really know what you're doing to fix it without reinstalling and starting all over. Frankly, it's the old "you get what you pay for". You complain about Linux and people just shrug and say "Hey. It's free. What do you expect?"

Unfortunately, MS has a monopoly and it's not going to be easy or fun to try and crawl out of this crater we've (collectively) dug for ourselves.

Add to that the fact that MS probably doesn't even care if they effectively make the desktop PC obsolete in the process. Although the desktop is still incredibly useful for the average person, TPTB are doing everything they can to push us all towards those chintzy little mobile devices. There's all kinds of reasons for it. Not the least of which is the fact that they have a lot to lose by having people get too comfortable sitting around in front of a desk enjoying their free time.

Yes. It is possible that MS is actually trying to kill the PC off entirely. They tried (hard) to push Windows 8 with it's garbage Metro interface that was obviously designed to only to really be functional on mobile touchscreen devices. A lot of people probably thought that was a mistake on their part but no. I think it was intentional. Now maybe they miscalculated how willing the public was going to be to give up their desktop but I think they did this on purpose and it backfired. They THOUGHT they'd be able to bully people into moving away from the desktop with an interface that makes using a desktop a nightmare. But they were wrong for a number of reasons. They left too many options. For example, it probably didn't occur to them that people could just install Classic Shell and effectively turn Windows 8 back into Windows 7 and continue on happily using their desktop as though nothing happened.

So what Windows 10 REALLY is (I think) is their move to simply remove all of your options to control your own computer. When they decide to make you do something, they need an OS that will force their will on the user. It's obviously desirable for a control freak who makes operating systems to be able to tell you that your computer is going to continuously update itself and it's just going to suck to be you if you don't like the updates.

a reply to: cuckooold

I switched to W10 a few months ago and haven't noticed any problems.

I left the computer on last week and had a shower and got ready for going out. Half hour later and the damn thing was automatically downloading W10 again and installing it without any say-so from me - the owner of the hardware. There was no warning at all and I certainly gave no permission or clicked anything.

Dick move Microsoft, dick move.

^^^ definitely a dick move.

I thought that you could revert back to your O/s if it had been less than 30 days since windows 10 was downloaded on the machine ?

a reply to: BrianFlanders

Good grief, I'd go without a computer before I bought an Apple.

I've tried using Linux before, and as you said, it's not very user-friendly when things don't work... and that, combined with gaming, is why I still prefer Microsoft. I wish there was a better alternative...

However, the desktop is far from dead. UHD (4K) video/gaming is still relatively new and VR is just getting started, and both require powerful desktop computers. Whatever evil plans Microsoft may have, if they can provide the only desktop platform that is capable of VR gaming, they will not kill it. They will try to monopolize it and make as much money from it as possible.

I have a friend who is a programmer who claims that the future of gaming will be in Steam OS, which is Linux based. This will remove the availability of DX12, but with the recent creation of the Vulkan API, PC gaming on Linux may actually be in our future. Now, this is all just speculation and Microsoft isn't going to quietly hand over the throne, so we will see where this goes soon...

originally posted by: Aldakoopa
a reply to: BrianFlanders

Good grief, I'd go without a computer before I bought an Apple.

I've tried using Linux before, and as you said, it's not very user-friendly when things don't work... and that, combined with gaming, is why I still prefer Microsoft. I wish there was a better alternative...

However, the desktop is far from dead. UHD (4K) video/gaming is still relatively new and VR is just getting started, and both require powerful desktop computers. Whatever evil plans Microsoft may have, if they can provide the only desktop platform that is capable of VR gaming, they will not kill it. They will try to monopolize it and make as much money from it as possible.

I have a friend who is a programmer who claims that the future of gaming will be in Steam OS, which is Linux based. This will remove the availability of DX12, but with the recent creation of the Vulkan API, PC gaming on Linux may actually be in our future. Now, this is all just speculation and Microsoft isn't going to quietly hand over the throne, so we will see where this goes soon...

Well, the people who are running things at MS clearly just don't care what their customers want anymore. I think they will just keep on doing what they're doing as long as people keep using their software. That keeps them on top. Even if they're not exactly selling Windows for a huge profit anymore, it keeps them where they want to be in terms of what they can do with it.

Like I said, we (the public) generally kind of dug ourselves into this hole by forsaking choice for the sake of comfort and compatibility. I'm as guilty as anyone else. When it comes to sitting back and enjoying my computer, I just want things to work. I don't want to fight with Linux or learn to program just to play a song with Foobar. Foobar is fully compatible with Windows right off the bat. It's comfortable. It's convenient. Everything is compatible with Windows. Want a new mouse? Do you even have to check to see if it will work with Windows? OK. You might get the one freak of nature mouse that doesn't work with the latest version of Windows but what are the chances?

If you were ever even thinking of moving away from Windows, you always had to think about that and contend with it. This is why Windows owns us and Linux can be free and still not even really be on the map. Because if you were even thinking of moving to Linux, there are about a billion free programs that work flawlessly with Windows that absolutely will not work with Linux. If Linux doesn't like your hardware, you're screwed. At pretty much every intersection where you come to a point where Linux needs to do something right in order for you to move on, Linux hits a wall and (if you're lucky) you'll spend at least a couple of hours pulling your hair out trying to figure out why and what you can do about it.

So we just let MS pamper us and we didn't wonder what would happen if the people running MS ever went insane.

Anyway, I've never actually used a Mac but at this point, I think I'd try it if I could afford it. I don't game. I've spent years with Windows and I've never been anything less than happy to continue with it. Until now.

a reply to: cuckooold

I have downgraded more than five dozen client computers from Windows 10 to Windows 7 in the last few months. I use a Linux type e2b system on a flash drive, very fast and efficient. A lot of people don't like the 48 or mallard components or their inability to access the gpt formatted hard drive from another computer when using Windows 10.

If you have a problem with 10 and want to revert, go to the e2b website, follow the instructions. Dump all your personal files onto an external fat32 formatted drive. Use DISKPART and clean the windows 10 drive followed by reformatting. Install Windows 7 from the e2b flash drive. Reinstall your applications and then copy your personal data back from the external drive.

Takes a couple of hours but when your done your running 7 and you have a backup of all your personal data.

Once windows 7 is updated, get rid of Ms update 3035583, that is the gwx nagger application.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: cuckooold

Something has happened with the last firefox update aswell. Once installed, it locks down firefox and the browser can't be opened. Have to do a system restore.

Everytime it shows itself now, I click the red cross.

a good thing doesn't need to be forced on people.
nagging is annoying and often counter-productive.

my windows 8.1 works fine. i never update.