Any of you remember the GWX insanity – “Get Windows 10” and its associated deceits? I’m assured that Microsoft has learned its lesson. Microsoft has j
[See the full post at: GWX Redux: We’re going to get “upgrade to Win10” nag notices in Win7]
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GWX Redux: We’re going to get “upgrade to Win10” nag notices in Win7
- This topic has 67 replies, 35 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 12 months ago by
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AuthorViewing 29 reply threadsAuthor-
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To me (and possibility Many others) these are meaningless. Look Ms, I want nothing to do with 10, And you bugging me about it is only going to make me want to have even less to do with you. I can not see the point of your “updates”. Not only do you throw all updates together, instead of like when you DID care and release individual one for just one item, but your track record is very bad and it seem you can now not release an “update” without a bug that you update to add another bug to fix the bug in the earlier one. Please do not think for me. I can do my own thinking. I loved the ability to be able to pick and choose the updates that I needed and not be forced to not only get all updates whether or not I need it, but be forced to get the buggy ones as well since the part that might had no bugs is undone by the buggy parts.
If one really want to help, help me pick the best DISTRO of linux for my computer. That is the way I think most Windows 7 users are going to go. Help us make the transition to linux.
By the way it is not too late to reverse course and become the Great company you once were, but your current path will only move more users to better OS’s like Linux.
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I’ve been very happy with Linux Mint 18.3. I have not yet upgraded to 19.1.
Want to know why? Because I am free to wait and upgrade on my time.
Linux Mint is not asking me to upgrade. In fact, when Linux Mint 19 came out, people were encouraged to take their time. If there was no pressing reason to upgrade, then we were encouraged to wait. Linux Mint 18.3 will be supported until April, 2021.
I have received exactly zero upgrade pop-ups, notices, or anything. It’s nice.
I encourage others to try it. And you can try it on your current Windows device. You can create a bootable flash drive that will allow you to boot into Linux Mint and see how it works.
Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop pretty much functions right after the install. OpenOffice will read and write all of your MS Office files. The most challenging thing I had to do was get my Canon color laser printer working, but I found a way. The second most challenging thing I did was to mount the hard drive that’s connected to my network hub over WiFi.
Yes, there’s a slight learning curve, although it’s nothing like it used to be. And you can wait to learn how to do the more sophisticated things via command-line until you’re comfortable doing that. If you aren’t really all that interested in learning how to gain more control over your machine, and you’d rather just have something that works without a lot of fuss, there are other alternatives, such as Chromebook.
But you definitely don’t have to stay stuck on Windows’ treadmill.
4 users thanked author for this post.
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I have a cheap, low-end AMD-based Lenovo 11e laptop which shipped with Windows 8.1 and it ran fine – slow, but fine. At least, until I “upgraded” to Windows 10 (1607). The Windows 10 drivers for the integrated AMD video were awful, to where just trying to move the mouse cursor would have it pause for one or two seconds every three or four seconds. Unusable. I didn’t use it for several months and tried the next Windows 10 version (1703) and it was the same nonsense.
The laptop sat on a shelf for a few more months, but instead of waiting and trying yet another version of Windows 10, I wiped it and installed Linux Mint 18.2 (Cinnamon) and it ran flawlessly. Periodically, I update to a newer version of Mint and it continues to run flawlessly to this day.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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This stuff seriously needs to be turned off for Pro or domain joined computers. I don’t need every person coming to tell me they got a pop-up on their computer about Windows 10. Microsoft should let us manage our computers how we see fit.
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SSU will never have anything suspicious, nor it will harm the system
if you are that worry, you should not be installing any updates
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From Microsoft’s Windows 7 End of Support page:
While you could continue to use your PC running Windows 7, without continued software and security updates, it will be at greater risk for viruses and malware. Going forward, the best way for you to stay secure is on Windows 10. And the best way to experience Windows 10 is on a new PC. While it is possible to install Windows 10 on your older device, it is not recommended.
Microsoft is never one to miss an opportunity, notice the blanket recommendation to get a new device… of course, my family/friends have been on Windows 7 because W10 didn’t play nice with their devices in the first place… so, perhaps, that isn’t an unreasonable assumption.
However, their older devices will work well with Linux Mint, or lighter distro (depending on the hardware’s specific specifications), saving all of us the cost of a new device with W10 running on it.
Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter
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Further down the page:
Although, if your computer is more than three years old, it might be time to consider upgrading to a new device.
Really? I know there are technology advances… but upgrading hardware after three years? Microsoft is also featuring their ‘valued retail partners’- Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Costco.
I always double check iFixit, to get ratings regarding how easy to repair a device is, and value repair-ability and longevity… which are about a product’s value to me… not to mention the problem that disposable devices bring to recycling and the environment… but I notice that Microsoft does not ever say that massively churning devices will be contributing to global warming. It is about increasing their usage and profit, and that of their ‘valued retail partners’…
There is a real sadness that they have developed the technology to provide a good, if not great, operating system, but that they have chosen to offer non-enterprise and education users a much degraded version, with less end user control, privacy, and stability. What we really want is not available, at any cost, within the Microsoft environment.
Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter
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@Elly, one of my oldest laptops is a HP C2D (2008) which came with Vista 32bit pre-installed and has run all the OSes from XP Pro 32bit right through to W10 1803 64bit and different linux 32/64bit distros without an issue at all.
The only upgrades being an SSD and Maxing out the memory, so their claim is absolute tripe!
Not having the ‘newer’ hardware may have advantages over new ‘unused’ hardware baked in.
I do realize that a time will come to retire this device from W10 which won’t really bother me that much as I’m fortunate to have newer devices to use instead for W10, should I wish to pursue/test W10 further. It’s destined to be a Tux device should it last beyond 2023. It’s been my most economical device alongside a 2010 10″ roadwarrior Tux netbook.If debian is good enough for NASA...3 users thanked author for this post.
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@Microfix Thank you – you have given me hope. My two PCs are 8 years old (laptop) and 7 years PC. Perhaps I can keep them a bit longer than I thought and put off the transfer to Win10. My only concern is for failing hardware – I can live with slower performance for the time being.
Chris
Win 10 Pro x64 Group A1 user thanked author for this post.
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Although, if your computer is more than three years old, it might be time to consider upgrading to a new device.
All of my computers except one are “more than three years old.” They’re running Windows versions from 3.1 to 98 to XP, Vista, and 7. (No, the first two don’t go on the Web anymore…)
And Microsoft, guess what: my one machine that’s less than 3 years old–is running Kubuntu Linux.
That’s what any future machines that come in will get installed on them. -
My gaming PC is 8 years old. Still runs everything I want to on max settings.
Three years is nothing.
4 users thanked author for this post.
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I completely agree. The technology juggernaught has come with significant environmental cost, not to mention many other arguable costs. It’s why I kept my old Dell 5000e running for years, purchasing parts off eBay to keep her running. It survived for many years and was kept out of the e-waste stream while running Win ME > Win 98se > XP before finally biting the dust.
So in about 2012, I picked up two off-lease, corporate Lenovo Thinkpads and docking stations, both in excellent shape, for around $300 each – a tenth of their original cost. They’ve served me well running Windows 7, then dual-boot with Linux Mint and even the ‘free’ Win 10 upgrade – which I quickly swapped out for Win 7 / Mint again. They have a lot of connectivity when docked and one of them sits docked with lid closed under my usb keyboard, connected to my Samsung monitor and numerous external harddrives. This is my daily driver and it’s still a useful machine. I’ve upgraded the ram and may add an SSD but there is nothing broken hardware-wise. I will continue to use both laptops until they break or become “vintage hobby” machines.
I’ve recently purchased a new generation desktop that is reasonably future-proof for my needs and I plan to keep her going for years.Point is, computers of higher build quality can last a long, long time in serviceable condition. I understand why corporations think they have to stay constantly on the leading edge but I think the environmental and other downsides are considerable.
It’s sad that modern society has mostly become a “throw away” society and that Microsoft is banging loudly on that drum.
Win10 Pro x64 22H2, Win10 Home 22H2, Linux Mint + a cat with 'tortitude'.
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As Anonymous ( #340749 ) has written: ” If one really want to help, help me pick the best DISTRO of Linux for my computer. That is the way I think most Windows 7 users are going to go. Help us make the transition to Linux. ”
Well… there are only three ways most people now running Windows 7 (and those running 8.1 at a later date) could take their PC’s (in theory, at least), as far changing to anther OS goes: macOS, Windows 10, Linux (some flavor of).
The macOS is only for Macs, so not available, in practice, for repurposing and older Windows 7 PC with it. Windows 10 is out of the question, in this line of discussion, so what is left? Linux, that’s what. Trying to persuade to “upgrade” to “the best Windows ever” those who, by now, have not chosen to switch from Win 7 to Win 10 seems like a kind of harassment, like trying to win by wearing down, or scaring away, the opposition. And probably that is exactly what is intended here. Unless it is also a trap.
For my part, I already have a Mac and have no intention of mothballing any time soon my 7 1/2 year-old Windows 7 laptop that, as far as I can tell, is still in rude health, hardware-wise, if one ignores a couple of minor signs of its advanced age that, to me, are not troublesome at all. So now it is Linux, and only Linux, for it.
Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).
MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV6 users thanked author for this post.
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Well, it looks like Defcon 2 will be my personal default until the delivery vector for the ‘new’, what at best description is “nagware” for many of us, sorts out. Since it allegedly has an off switch, it may be OK, as long as that off election, or the presence of the patch, does not enable some future, waiting ‘kill or disable switch’ for EOL.
Hopefully, it will be a separate patch, as originally mentioned, and not a rollup or baked into the Month Security Only Patch.
That said, to me, I see it as a mixed message. I like that Microsoft is informing the less-informed users of the coming demise of support, but only if it is a “Notice Only” and does not alter behavior of the OS, even after the EOL date. Given past behaviors since GWX, that is my concern.
On to alternative, I am a fan of Linux, especially Mint-Cinnamon. But while I hate to be the curmudgeon and a negativist, I keep thinking that while Linux may be a good (even great) alternative for many PC users, I do not see it as really providing an alternative. Why? Because it is a self-initiated interest, is self-installed, and self-taught. Without some OEM attention, it is actually beyond most users’ self-assessed capabilities. I say self-assessed, because the majority of PC users are often unwilling, and very uncomfortable with diving into an OS or opening the box.
I say self-assessed because on this site there is ample evidence of members who have had their interest sparked, and have taken the plunge cautiously, but successfully. Will that behavior be applicable, and repeatable, in the mass market where there is a techphobia to looking beyond the intended use of the device in question? My gut feeling is unfortunately, no.
I base this on the status a PC has for many, many users. It is a necessary appliance to be used to accomplish a need or task. As an appliance, like a TV or refrigerator, or even a car, how many are willing to actually become knowledgeable about how it works and be able to change settings, and do maintenance. I often think about how many PCs have been discarded and new devices bought because of OS and software glitches. When faced with the costs of repair, many choose to buy a new device rather than pay for a repair and are unwilling to try themselves. Many of these devices would have been great for Linux.
The other negative is the fear of not having MS Office. No matter how well an alternative (WordPerfect?) or open source productivity suite works, the vast majority of colleagues, friends and employers of the average user are on MS Office. So, that fear is out there. On that track, I wonder how many people on Macs would be so if there was not a Mac version of MS Office. Most of my friends using Macs do have MS Office for Mac.
My one note of optimism is that for the folks I know who have made the switch because I or someone else did the install, have been very pleased. Many have said they will NEVER go back. I see the barrier not to Linux as an OS, but to getting is as an OEM as varying price points. I am familiar with some OEM products (I see more in Europe than the US), but how many offer machines at various price points. Change that, and I think Linux usage would grow.
4 users thanked author for this post.
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One reason that OEMs do not offer consumer PCs with the option of choosing a distro of Linux preinstalled is that their Windows OEM licensing agreement with MS prohibits them from offering OEM installs other than Windows. The consumer PC builders such as System 76 only offer Linux installs but not Windows. This is another area where MS abuses its dominance to muscle the market. Actually, if someone walked into a Best Buy and there were laptops with Linux installed, the adoption rate might improve as they would appreciate OEM support. But that is not going to be the case anytime soon given political influence these companies currently enjoy.
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The first question that comes to mind is: Just exactly how do they plant a popup on my machines–expecially the one that is not online?
–The necessary stuff is already there, without my knowledge or consent? (In which case, how do I exterminate it?)
–They’re saying it will be in forthcoming patches?
–Some other method?
There’s a touch of the Wizard of Oz in all of this.
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When Windows XP was approaching its death date, an “End of Support” dialog box was added in an update that would pop up upon booting up the computer on the 15th of every month. My guess is that Microsoft will silently bundle the “Get Windows X” notification in an update sometime soon, if they haven’t already. If you haven’t updated in a while, you’re probably safe.
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Can anyone confirm if this will be happening on Windows 8.1 as well? If so, then I’m ready to jump to Linux Mint 19.1 Cinnamon by the end of this month.
I am no longer an active member of the forums.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Unbelievable… they’ve learnt nothing since the last time they ran operation malware. So which update are they going to sneak this into? Bundled into a security update? How assured is everyone that this won’t force windows 10 on to your system because i’m not, i do not trust them and you shouldn’t either after last time.
4 users thanked author for this post.
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One reason that OEMs do not offer consumer PCs with the option of choosing a distro of Linux preinstalled is that their Windows OEM licensing agreement with MS prohibits them from offering OEM installs other than Windows. The consumer PC builders such as System 76 only offer Linux installs but not Windows. This is another area where MS abuses its dominance to muscle the market. Actually, if someone walked into a Best Buy and there were laptops with Linux installed, the adoption rate might improve as they would appreciate OEM support. But that is not going to be the case anytime soon given political influence these companies currently enjoy.
That simply is not true. Dell offers and supports Linux. HP offers and supports Linux. Other OEM’s offer Linux, as well. One can indeed get several Linux PC’s from Best Buy. There are not doubt other reasons that Linux has not overpowered Windows in the personal computer OS marketplace.
Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.We were all once "Average Users". -
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Unbelievable… they’ve learnt nothing…
I know…it’s like listening to Sgt. Schultz: “I know NOTHING, I heard NOTHING, I know NOTHING, I didn’t even get out of bed that day…”
<sigh>
Sad part about all this is that for anyone running well into four figures of software that won’t run on anything higher THAN Win 7 they’re between a rock and a hard place. I’ve had this fun before with a CG workstation I built running XP; hardware drivers and compatibility issues with WIN 7, Linux and 3D/CG software nuked that OS upgrade fast. But, at last check, it was still running, does what I want it to, and it’s 10 years old. (Yes, I did way overbuild it in late 2008.)
Win 7 users of the world, revolt! You have nothing to lose but your shackles!
Oh, Mr. Gibson…help!
Win7 Pro SP1 64-bit, Dell Latitude E6330, Intel CORE i5 "Ivy Bridge", 12GB RAM, Group "0Patch", Multiple Air-Gapped backup drives in different locations. Linux Mint Greenhorn
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"The more kinks you put in the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the pipes." -Scotty1 user thanked author for this post.
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What a surprise. One has to wonder if any of this stuff was already snuck into updates over the last year which was a big concern of mine and part of the reason I stopped patching some nine months ago. I’d always believed that GWX never really ended, but simply changed it’s stripes. I hope there isn’t another fiasco like how it was before, but I know I won’t be installing it on my PC for them. I will never use Windows 10. Linux Mint is my future.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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I went along with it for a while, thinking I’d take the plunge in July 2016, giving time for the new OS to “stabilize” and work out the initial bugs. Well, we all know THAT never happened, and upon seeing the writing on the wall in July 2016, I promptly read up on how to disable the b***** via a few registry entries, and promptly did so. Then when MS offered KB318whateverwhatever to actually remove the thing, I wasted no time taking them up on their offer, and haven’t looked back! By the way, I left the registry entries intact in case they try sneaking GWX back onto our computers again in the near future. If they try it, GWX will still be neutered!
However, I’m open to the possibility of MS using newer, different entries for the upcoming campaign, so I’m waiting for the word on which entry(ies) to neuter for this newer campaign.
We’ve been upgraded to Win10 at work, first with 1607 last year and now, as I’m writing this, to 1803. Right as I was getting used to things and where they were with 1607, 1803 changes them up a bit. Since many folks are loathe to call the help desk when things don’t work out for them, I’m the informal IT support center for them along with another coworker. These changes are making it kinda difficult to stay on top of things so we can help the other users who don’t want to call support for things such as mapping a network printer or changing settings for screen resolution or the sound profile. This informal IT support is in addition to my normally assigned duties I was hired for!
Due to being kind of used to Win 10 through the exposure at work, I plan to take the plunge next January and get two new machines with Win10 Pro 1809 x64 on them. They’ll be from a local shop that’s got great support if I ever need it, and not from a big box retailer or Internet seller. That way I can spec out just which processor, chipset, video card, system memory, etc. I want without having to settle for something like Dell, or HP or others can make you do. Both machines will have SSD’d and nary a sign of a spinning platter for storage! Our current home machines are both a decade old, so no use in keeping them alive much longer. We’ve gotten more than our bang for the buck out of them! One has an I5-750 and the other has an I3-2120 Intel chip, to give you an idea of how old they are. Both were built when their CPU’s were first released and have Intel motherboards in them.
Sorry for the long, rambling post, I honestly didn’t mean for it to be that long!
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I never had GWX on any of my machines either, as I have always screened every update offered by Microsoft since the ability to update over the internet began. Anything that mentioned “upgrade to the latest version of Windows” didn’t see the light of day.
I did, though, see a lot of screenshots. Here’s a quick (well, as quick as any post from me can be) history of GWX.
The initial GWX effect was to pop up a message saying Windows 10 was coming, and suggest that people reserve a copy now. Not really crossing the line in the ethics department there, other than using the Windows Update system to deliver adware. It’s a little disingenuous to suggest that there was any need to reserve a copy given what we were to witness in the coming months, but overall, not too bad.
After that, it was discovered that GWX had been downloading the full Win 10 installer on PCs whose owners had not reserved a copy. Some of these people were on metered connections, and they had not planned on an extra 5 GB or so of downloads. That should not have happened.
Some time after 10 had been released, there were reports of popups that told people that their computers had been scanned and found compatible with Windows 10, and that they should take the free upgrade now. They were informed that if they did not like it, they could go back to their previous operating system.
Nowhere did it mention that there was a small but real chance that the upgrade process would fail and leave the user with an unbootable PC. An in-place upgrade to a new OS is an inherently risky procedure, but nowhere did GWX inform anyone about this. The average user doesn’t necessarily understand the subtle difference between compatibility and advisability. If MS themselves said their computer is compatible, that’s as good as it gets, right? It’s a virtual guarantee things will go well.
By not including a simple warning that a backup is a really good idea, MS led people to believe that the process was safer than it really was, and that the “go back to your previous OS” won’t help them if the upgrade process fails catastrophically. If MS had let on that there was any risk at all, there would have been some people who ended up saying YES who would have said NO, and that was something MS would not tolerate in their goal to get to a billion Windows 10 devices. They may have managed to get consent from people (who otherwise never would have attempted an in-place upgrade), but it wasn’t informed consent if people didn’t understand the risks. MS, of course, knew the risks, but chose not to let anyone know about them.
Then there was the pop-up that presented people with the options “Upgrade now” or “Upgrade later,” without a “Cancel” button. Sometimes “later” was “tonight,” but the effect was the same. The “later” button was where the cancel button usually is. By the time they’d seen the GWX nag screen, users had undoubtedly seen a ton of website popups asking people to subscribe to their newsletter, and seen that the choices were “Yes, sign me up!” or “maybe later.” It’s obvious why they would want to word it that way instead of “Cancel,” of course. They plan to ask again, and they don’t want the person to think they’d given a definitive answer.
The effect of that is to train people to think that “Maybe later” means “Cancel” when there is no actual button for “Cancel.” So when MS came along and offered “Upgrade now” or “Upgrade later,” where “Upgrade later” is in the Cancel position, people would quite naturally conclude that “Upgrade later” means cancel. They were meant to, obviously, or else MS would have had an actual Cancel button, as their own UI guidelines dictated.
This is the first dark pattern GWX used to try to trick people into saying yes when they meant no. That’s what malware does, not legitimate software. Even otherwise legitimate programs that are packaged with installers using dark patterns are detected as a form of malware, known as the “PUP,” or potentially unwanted program. The entirety of Windows 10 became the world’s largest PUP at that point.
Even if someone was savvy enough to recognize that “Upgrade later” isn’t “Cancel,” they certainly would have thought that it would mean “ask me again later,” not “pick some time in the future and begin installing with no more approval from me required.” That was another dark pattern.
The real way to cancel was to click the little X to close the upgrade window. People soon learned about this, and not long after, MS introduced a new GWX dialog that informed the user that an upgrade had already been scheduled for the future. Clicking the X would simply close the dialog, but not unschedule the upgrade. The user would have to click a new link to reschedule or cancel the upgrade that had not been there before to do that.
Changing the dialog so the secret way of saying no became a way of saying yes was another dark pattern. MS knows that people don’t read carefully, and that’s why one of their UI guidelines is consistency. Not only was this inconsistent with their other GWX dialog, but it was also in violation of the guidelines in and of itself, as the initial GWX upgrade nag was.
Then, of course, there were the reports of upgrades of PCs whose owners/users had not approved the upgrade. Many MS defenders said this was simply not possible, but there were way too many unrelated reports to simply ignore them all. One woman sued MS successfully for such an upgrade that had gone wrong and rendered her PC unbootable.
The entire GWX was a sordid tale of MS trying to push their agenda of making everyone use Windows 10 regardless of what users of 7 or 8.x wanted. It was to be a sign of things to come, as MS demonstrated the same attitude in every other aspect of Windows 10, and it still does. And as I’ve mentioned, we are still in the period of time where MS is trying to entice people over to 10. Once everyone’s onboard with nowhere else to go, then it’s no more Mr. Nice Guy. This right now is them being nice!
Dell XPS 13/9310, i5-1135G7/16GB, KDE Neon 6.2
XPG Xenia 15, i7-9750H/32GB & GTX1660ti, Kubuntu 24.04
Acer Swift Go 14, i5-1335U/16GB, Kubuntu 24.04 (and Win 11)
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If you want to stop the GWX malware just download and run the GWX control panel app,from here http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Words can’t express how grateful I am that our CTO elected to ditch all Microsoft software in favor of Linux and OpenSource. It was a surprising move considering we are a software business that sells a lot of titles for Windows…but apparently a significant chunk of our customers are also not happy with Microsoft nannying/web based/subscription software and are also migrating to Linux.
Linux in 2019 is nothing like it was 20 years ago. Today, novice users can easily install Linux and when their IT Department provisions it for them, it’s even easier.
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I never previously saw a reason to uninstall GWX Control Panel, and I don’t see one now.
How about the fact that it hasn’t been updated since April 2016?
I would be surprised if Microsoft were to implement their clearly-vital information message* in a way which the now-ancient GWX Control Panel would catch…
* [sarcasm]
BATcher
Plethora means a lot to me. -
This. The GWX control panel had a very specific target and it’s unlikely the nag notification will be delivered in the same way. I’ve yet to read any hint as to how it’ll be delivered, assuming it hasn’t already been snuck in through a prior update which wouldn’t at all surprise me.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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That’s a perfectly valid point of fact, but it doesn’t negate the reason to keep GWX Control Panel installed and running. Nobody has ever given a disadvantage in keeping it running, and those who argue that MS are too bright and clever to repeat their earlier mistakes or to do so in the same way are displaying a level of optimism and confidence about MS that events of recent years demonstrate all too clearly is misplaced. Nobody thought we would see any more forced upgrade announcements on our Windows 7 screens and yet here we are again!
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My Windows 7 computer is quite long in the tooth and is still running okay. If I “upgrade to Win10” it would kill it. If the reasoning here is to force me to go out and buy a new computer, I can only say that as one of the many seniors living on my mega fortune of a social security check, that ain’t gonna happen M$. Unless you want to buy it for me, and in that case I’m already half way to the store. Meet me there, okay?
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“Just closing the pop-up using the X in the right corner won’t prevent users from getting more of these notifications, however….”
Do you remember when using the X in the right corner actually triggered the Windows 10 update? That was surely one of Microsoft’s very worst offenses.
3 users thanked author for this post.
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Steve Gibson provides a tool to prevent an automatic “upgrade” to windows10: https://www.grc.com/never10.htm
As for GWX Control Panel (see above), Steve Gibson’s Never10 was last updated in mid-April 2016…
BATcher
Plethora means a lot to me.1 user thanked author for this post.
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You have powerful gaming PC, are you sure you want Linux? I am staying on Win 7 with my gaming pc, but i never want Win 10. So what can i do? Should i stay with Win 7 forever or move to Linux?
You should try out Linux to see what you think about it. You can create a Linux Mint flash drive and boot with it, and use Linux Live. You won’t be changing anything on your current computer setup by doing this. If you have USB3 on your computer, then set up a USB3 Linux Mint flash drive – it will run faster than USB2.
If you decide to stay with Windows 7, you always have the option of upgrading to Windows 8.1 and installing Classic Shell (if you can find a license for Windows 8.1). With Classic Shell installed, you can configure Windows 8.1 to look and feel exactly like Windows 7. Best of all, Windows 8.1 will be supported till January 2023. And all of your Windows 7 software should work without a hitch in Windows 8.1.
Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server -
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Finding Microsoft Office 2021 product key
by 1 hour, 43 minutes ago
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Over-the-Top solves it!
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To Susan – Woody Leonhard, the “Lionhearted”
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Extracting Data From All Sheets
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Use wushowhide in Windows 11 24H2?
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Hacktool:Win32/Winring0
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Microsoft Defender as Primary Security Question
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USB printers might print random text with the January 2025 preview update
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Google’s 10-year-old Chromecast is busted, but a fix is coming
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Expand the taskbar?
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Gregory Forrest “Woody” Leonhard (1951-2025)
by 1 hour, 53 minutes ago
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March 2025 updates are out
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Windows 11 Insider Preview build 26120.3380 released to DEV and BETA
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Update Firefox to prevent add-ons issues from root certificate expiration
by 2 days ago
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Latest Firefox requires Password on start up
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Resolved : AutoCAD 2022 might not open after updating to 24H2
by 2 days, 12 hours ago
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Missing api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-11-2-1.dll
by 1 day, 11 hours ago
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How Much Daylight have YOU Saved?
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A brief history of Windows Settings
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Thunderbolt is not just for monitors
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Password Generators — Your first line of defense
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AskWoody at the computer museum
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Planning for the unexpected
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Which printer type is the better one to buy?
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Upgrading the web server
by 2 days, 12 hours ago
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New Windows 11 24H2 Setup – Initial Win Update prevention settings?
by 3 days, 8 hours ago
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Creating a Google account
by 3 days, 6 hours ago
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Undocumented “backdoor” found in Bluetooth chip used by a billion devices
by 3 days, 13 hours ago
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Microsoft Considering AI Models to Replace OpenAI’s in Copilot
by 4 days ago
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AI *emergent misalignment*
by 4 days, 1 hour ago
Remembering Woody
