Windows 10 now a 'recommended update' in Windows Update

[shaithis]

Had MS installed a 'nag' that prompted me to upgrade, but gave options like :-

1 - Yes, do it
2 - Remind me later (options maybe 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year)
3 - No, and don't ask again ....

.... then I wouldn't be objecting.

Even though I was an early convert and have upgraded all my machines now, I do think they should have added that. I can see why some people are a bit miffed by Microsofts approach. They could even have let you say no and then hid it until close to the end of the free upgrade period and then sent a few nags as time was running out.....

[AGTDenton]

You might want to uninstall KB3035583 before adding the registry keys you mentioned earlier.

Whilst rolling out to 100s of PC's we decided its easier to just leave it there, the DisableGwx key disables the notification box when you have downloaded the KB so it gets ignored. As of yet we've not seen any further popups or notifications about it. Its very similar to the XP notification that warned you it was going out of support and that you must upgrade.

Also, I've heard somewhere that the "ReservationsAllowed" key may require Windows Professional and higher editions.

You may be right with regards to the "ReservationsAllowed" key according to Windows IT Pro they specifically state Pro editions. I cant find an official page about that specific key.

I'm hoping at least 1 of either DisableOSUpgrade or ReservationsAllowed will still help Home edition users.

[jezza9]

Had MS installed a 'nag' that prompted me to upgrade, but gave options like :-

1 - Yes, do it
2 - Remind me later (options maybe 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year)
3 - No, and don't ask again ....

.... then I wouldn't be objecting. On some machines, I might have said 6 months, but on others it certainly would have been "No, and don't ask again".

I think that is what I and a lot of other people object to most. Since the upgrade now or tonight nag came out, for the hundreds of millions of ordinary users out there it makes it look like you are not given a choice in the matter and have to upgrade. It's shameful that a company resorts to such low ball tactics and is no better than scareware.

We all know why they didn't offer a no thanks option, because most users would have likely chosen it...

[azrael-]

We all know why they didn't offer a no thanks option, because most users would have likely chosen it...

You *completely* misunderstand the situation. A 'No thanks' option isn't provided so as not to confuse users.

[jezza9]

You *completely* misunderstand the situation. A 'No thanks' option isn't provided so as not to confuse users.

Sorry, I forgot that Microsoft treats its users with such disdain that they cannot and should not be able to think for themselves, just in case they do something MS doesn't want.

[ik9000]

Sorry, I forgot that Microsoft treats its users with such disdain that they cannot and should not be able to think for themselves, just in case they do something MS doesn't want.

Google would probably justify such steps for "enhancing user experience" and "ensuring the integrity of the system" . a la no more app-ops. MS aren't the only restrictive ones around!

[DanceswithUnix]

Google would probably justify such steps for "enhancing user experience" and "ensuring the integrity of the system" . a la no more app-ops. MS aren't the only restrictive ones around!

I think the problem with Google is more a lack of usable updates.

I can turn off Android platform updates entirely, but the difference between that and automatic updates seems rather academic when there aren't any.

[Saracen]

Even though I was an early convert and have upgraded all my machines now, I do think they should have added that. I can see why some people are a bit miffed by Microsofts approach. They could even have let you say no and then hid it until close to the end of the free upgrade period and then sent a few nags as time was running out.....

Indeed. And that wouldn't have been unreasonable. Certainly, I'd see no problem with a mechanism that provided a way for those that said "No, and don't ask again" to change their mind, though my preference, personally, would be something initiated by the user rather than a second bag, close to the timeout .... say, a month before expiry of the "offer".

Or even an option on the initial nag screen for those that elected "never", a confirmation dialog that offered that kind of a last-chance reminder.

An initial prompt isn't unreasonable, and nor is that pre-expiry nag. A bit irritating, but even I wouldn't get bent out of shape over a rather presumptuous nag being installed via "update" and a "due to expire" reminder.

It is presumptuous and impudent, though. After all, the update process is supposed to be about maintaining the current OS, about security fixes, bug patches and so on. It is NOT supposed to be about MS bypassing email filters, etc, to nag and pressurise, REPEATEDLY, as a marketing tool.

My personal attitude is that I do, and always have, reviewed any and all updates. Most don't get installed. I have a rather purist approach of not fixing something that isn't broke, and that includes not installjng patches for software I don't, never have and am extremrly unlikely to ever use. It's bad enough getting all that stuff in service packs but at least, historically, it's been MY decision whether to install them or not.

But even given that, an upgrade nag ONCE, and even a final 'due to expire, last chance" nag wouldn't raise my blood pressure.

What does raise it is the underhand, devious, persistent and obnoxious methods used to pester and pressurise, and even to deliberately get around measures people have overtly taken to block previous nags. After all, if you've taken the trouble to locate and uninstall previous unwanted KB patches, let alone registry editing, it's pretty clear you REALLY don't want to be pestered, and then going ahead and pre-downloading vast updates and continuing to badger people is sheer harrassment.

It is, however, absolutely typical of large companies. It's highly reminiscent, for those old enough to remember it, of the hassle of getting unsubscribed to TimeLife "books" if you were ever naive enough to sign up in the first place. You could unsubscribe, several times, in writing, and yet still they came. Followed by the invoice.

That attitude, and a few other company's excesses and reluctance to take no for an answer, was what resulted in the law changing to give consumers property title in "unsolicited goods", and the ability to keep the books and tell the comoany where to stick the invoice. And it pretty much killed that marketing abuse.

Maybe we need a 21st Century, internet-age version, preferably covering not just force-ware but also Google-esque personal data acquisition, storage and use unless they have explicit, informed, opt-in consent.

And I rather expect that that latter, at least, is coming. I hope.

[realstock]

Windows 10 will reach its first birthday at the end of July.

And by then it will be just about ready for the masses to adopt [in my opinion], until then ... Nag away MS.

As an average bloke I have the uncanny ability to block that stuff out. Years of intensive training by the missus (what was that you said dear?)

[Tekkul88]

Iv had auto updates turned off via tethered Internet connection being checked.

Don't understand why they took away the option to not install updates.

[SineWave]

"...the dominant voices have changed to saying 'we know its free, but we are happy using Windows 7 or 8.1 right now, stop bugging us".

Well the dominant voices may be saying that, but the intelligent voices say W10 is only free for a year. What's going to happen afterwards is not completely clear but most people speculate you will have to pay a subscription fee to keep using it. Good luck to you. I have installed Linux 3 years ago and I'm never going to look back as far as OS for Internet and typical usage scenario goes. I really like that I don't have to think about malware and viruses that much.

Speaking of which, just the other day I've been tinkering with Windows 8 and IE9 in a VirtualBox and I got a malware installed just by opening a certain webpage. It gave me a few laughs since all I have to do is restart the virtual machine to get rid of it. That's what I mean by saying "good luck to you". You will never be safe from losing your data for as long as you're using a MS OS. Cheers!

[DanceswithUnix]

You will never be safe from losing your data for as long as you're using a MS OS. Cheers!

The problems are different, but as someone who has been using Linux as their OS of choice since around kernel 0.9 (I bought a state of the art 386 machine to run it on) I have to warn you not to be too happy go lucky.

Nothing can spread malware like a server grade Unix running Wine, so careful what you click on. Windows users don't have to worry about being able to brick their motherboard with a file delete command: https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pa...root-directory

Nothing is perfect.

(Typing this in Windows, as I've been playing Elite Dangerous again which still has no sign of a Linux client).

[tygrus]

Should be read as "Windows 10 now a recomended downgrade". The top 3 reasons why users don't upgrade: MS remove or break more than they replace or fix; and MS can't count.

[ik9000]

doesn't sound great for win10. Even the enterprise version can't be stopped from sending info to MS: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonke...p#3d729abd7aa9