Microsoft Auto-Scheduling Windows 10 Updates

[fuckforcedupgrades]

If you have only important updates set, you will never have to see Windows 10. Windows 7 still has until Jan 14th 2020 for extended support.

Recommended, but still optional. Since most of the images have very few optional they must have Windows update set to install recommended updates automatically.

If you look at this image via the comment section that only shows a link, please had adblock on. These image hosts are very bad for junk.
http://i68.tinypic.com/dnlx8p.jpg

that one's the GWX one, right? I have that one hidden on my updates so it won't be installed. I also just got Never10. I definitely do all I can to resist the 'forced Win10'. By the time they stop supporting 7, I can hope they have something else that won't be so terrible.
Adblock and NoScript are on for everything unless I ok them.

 

[nukemaster]

That is the GWX one. They have other telemetry related ones as well.

Hiding it may not be enough because they reissue it from time to time.

Since it has stayed in optional on all my systems, I have never had to see it.

 

[fuckforcedupgrades]

That is the GWX one. They have other telemetry related ones as well.

Hiding it may not be enough because they reissue it from time to time.

Since it has stayed in optional on all my systems, I have never had to see it.

I'll keep an eye out for it, since I don't install updates automatically. I learned that one back I don't even remember when. Probably back when I built my 56k modem computer or something like that. Trying out the spybot anti-beacon as well, to block off telemetry where I can.

 

[frances-agape]

Firstly, Tom, LOVE your site with it's wonderful, edifying, entertaining and trustworthy info.

Now, concerning the W10 update.

Are you aware of this article about how to claim your upgrade so it's available at no cost when you're ready ?

http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-lock-in-your-free-windows-10-upgrade-and-keep-using-your-old-windows-version/?ftag=TRE5369823

Please share your thoughts and suggestions on the matter ?

THANKS !

 

[JackNaylorPE]

If you have only important updates set, you will never have to see Windows 10. Windows 7 still has until Jan 14th 2020 for extended support.

Yesterdays outdated news. It is now being phased in as a recommended update (Since February) .

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3043526/microsoft-windows/microsoft-upgraded-users-to-windows-10-without-their-ok.html

http://www.eweek.com/enterprise-apps/microsoft-to-make-windows-10-a-recommended-update.html

"We will soon be publishing Windows 10 as an 'Optional Update' in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers," Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, wrote in an Oct. 30 blog post. Come 2016, Microsoft is taking things up a notch.

"Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a 'Recommended Update.' Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device," Myerson cautioned

.

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/222326-look-out-microsoft-shifts-windows-10-to-recommended-update-automatic-download

Microsoft has been increasingly aggressive in its attempts to push consumers to download Windows 10. Starting today, the company is upping the ante once again. As of now, Windows 10 is now classified as a “Recommended” update, which means many Windows 7 and 8.1 users will download and begin the installation automatically.

http://betanews.com/2016/02/01/microsoft-makes-windows-10-a-recommended-update-for-windows-7-and-8-1-users/

Microsoft has been accused of pushing Windows 10 rather aggressively, and the company's latest move is going to do nothing to silence these accusations. For Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, Windows 10 just became a 'recommended update' in Windows Update.

This is a change from the previous categorization of the upgrade as an 'optional update' and it means that there is renewed potential for unwanted installations.

 

[nukemaster]

If you have only important updates set, you will never have to see Windows 10. Windows 7 still has until Jan 14th 2020 for extended support.

Yesterdays outdated news. It is now being phased in as a recommended update (Since February) .

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3043526/microsoft-windows/microsoft-upgraded-users-to-windows-10-without-their-ok.html

http://www.eweek.com/enterprise-apps/microsoft-to-make-windows-10-a-recommended-update.html

"We will soon be publishing Windows 10 as an 'Optional Update' in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers," Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, wrote in an Oct. 30 blog post. Come 2016, Microsoft is taking things up a notch.

"Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a 'Recommended Update.' Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device," Myerson cautioned

.

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/222326-look-out-microsoft-shifts-windows-10-to-recommended-update-automatic-download

Microsoft has been increasingly aggressive in its attempts to push consumers to download Windows 10. Starting today, the company is upping the ante once again. As of now, Windows 10 is now classified as a “Recommended” update, which means many Windows 7 and 8.1 users will download and begin the installation automatically.

http://betanews.com/2016/02/01/microsoft-makes-windows-10-a-recommended-update-for-windows-7-and-8-1-users/

Microsoft has been accused of pushing Windows 10 rather aggressively, and the company's latest move is going to do nothing to silence these accusations. For Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, Windows 10 just became a 'recommended update' in Windows Update.

This is a change from the previous categorization of the upgrade as an 'optional update' and it means that there is renewed potential for unwanted installations.

Clearly my image shows that is not the case(forced install).

It is both recommended yet optional. I am not sure how you users have Windows update set(since I have WAY more optional than you, Your settings must be taking all recommended and security) but on multiple Windows 7 installs and one Windows 8.1 I have yet to see it leave the Optional category.

Set it not to get recommended the same as important and suddenly the issue is gone. I am swapping back to get recommended and then turning it off to ensure it leaves no strange side effect.
Hate for Microsoft gets lots of attention these days(Apple and Google also had a time with the same thing).

Warning to those reading on comments, ad block before clicking this link.
http://i68.tinypic.com/2hd9qmw.jpg

 

[Virtual_Singularity]

If you have only important updates set, you will never have to see Windows 10. Windows 7 still has until Jan 14th 2020 for extended support.

Yesterdays outdated news. It is now being phased in as a recommended update (Since February) .

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3043526/microsoft-windows/microsoft-upgraded-users-to-windows-10-without-their-ok.html

http://www.eweek.com/enterprise-apps/microsoft-to-make-windows-10-a-recommended-update.html

"We will soon be publishing Windows 10 as an 'Optional Update' in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers," Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, wrote in an Oct. 30 blog post. Come 2016, Microsoft is taking things up a notch.

"Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a 'Recommended Update.' Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device," Myerson cautioned

.

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/222326-look-out-microsoft-shifts-windows-10-to-recommended-update-automatic-download

Microsoft has been increasingly aggressive in its attempts to push consumers to download Windows 10. Starting today, the company is upping the ante once again. As of now, Windows 10 is now classified as a “Recommended” update, which means many Windows 7 and 8.1 users will download and begin the installation automatically.

http://betanews.com/2016/02/01/microsoft-makes-windows-10-a-recommended-update-for-windows-7-and-8-1-users/

Microsoft has been accused of pushing Windows 10 rather aggressively, and the company's latest move is going to do nothing to silence these accusations. For Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, Windows 10 just became a 'recommended update' in Windows Update.

This is a change from the previous categorization of the upgrade as an 'optional update' and it means that there is renewed potential for unwanted installations.

Clearly my image shows that is not the case(forced install).

It is both recommended yet optional. I am not sure how you users have Windows update set(since I have WAY more optional than you, Your settings must be taking all recommended and security) but on multiple Windows 7 installs and one Windows 8.1 I have yet to see it leave the Optional category.

Set it not to get recommended the same as important and suddenly the issue is gone. I am swapping back to get recommended and then turning it off to ensure it leaves no strange side effect.
Hate for Microsoft gets lots of attention these days(Apple and Google also had a time with the same thing).

Warning to those reading on comments, ad block before clicking this link.
http://i68.tinypic.com/2hd9qmw.jpg

That's the caveat, though. Because MS has re-categorized their important updates to include KB's the sole function of which is to enable your machine to "upgrade to 10", enable telemetry and dl other various undesirable files, the only way the user can truly retain control of what goes on their system is by disabling windows automatic updates and resorting to the time consuming process of having to choose which updates to install or avoid. If the user chooses to hide an update, it shall reappear soon enough just the same, to boot. The point being, MS should be honest and trustworthy enough to only include absolutely necessary updates for the specific OS of a user when it comes to their recommended updates. Users should be able to feel confident allowing windows to automatically dl important updates won't result in unwanted or unnecessary downloads. Sadly this is no longer the case.

 

[nukemaster]

Until someone shows me what the Windows 7 telemetry is taking, I can not say if it is bad or not.

If they want to know what software people use, fine.
What software crashes to make the OS better, fine.
Personal Information, NOT FINE.

Based on what I have seen on 10, with web search off and only local search they seem to only be told how often the feature is used, not what is typed or anything of that nature. Even with that some users still think ever search is sent to MS. This is only true for web searches and clearly Cortana searches since they use online services.

Microsoft has had access to users email and cloud account for anyone that used those services for years, and most of the spying rumors have come from the terms of service for those services.

Phoning home does not tell anyone what information is being sent. It could be harmless(usage statistics/app crash) or it could be very bad and that is the scary part.

I think I am far enough off topic now, so I will stop.

 

[InvalidError]

Until someone shows me what the Windows 7 telemetry is taking, I can not say if it is bad or not.

If they want to know what software people use, fine.
What software crashes to make the OS better, fine.
Personal Information, NOT FINE.

Crash reports and other similar data is always susceptible of including incidental confidential data. Ex.: a disk defragmenting or data recovery tool crashes and confidential data that was in the call stack or other memory address of interest ends up included in the mini-dump.

 

[nukemaster]

Until someone shows me what the Windows 7 telemetry is taking, I can not say if it is bad or not.

If they want to know what software people use, fine.
What software crashes to make the OS better, fine.
Personal Information, NOT FINE.

Crash reports and other similar data is always susceptible of including incidental confidential data. Ex.: a disk defragmenting or data recovery tool crashes and confidential data that was in the call stack or other memory address of interest ends up included in the mini-dump.

And it is 100% un-intentional(and is also warned about openly), a side effect of the memory dump. The real thing here is the constant comments of users who claim to KNOW that every word they type in any program is being sent straight to ms to put out on sale.

 

[virtualban]

Anyone supporting Micro$oft, even if there was no recorded occasion of M$ paying fanboys to be fanboys, we still would expect that from M$. Tamed once, tamed forever. Please leave people have their echochambers and go give user input and help make an OS worth switching over to, if M$ will even listen to user input.
Thanx.
-start menu

 

[Lolt]

Even if you missed the scheduled upgrade warning, you can still avoid the upgrade. The screen displayed when the event happens has no cancel or close button, just Continue. If you click continue however you are presented with a licensing agreement, if you decline to agree you can cancel the upgrade. However at hat point it will switch to recovery to get you back to your original OS

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Clearly my image shows that is not the case(forced install).

It is both recommended yet optional. I am not sure how you users have Windows update set(since I have WAY more optional than you, Your settings must be taking all recommended and security) but on multiple Windows 7 installs and one Windows 8.1 I have yet to see it leave the Optional category.

Nothing is a forced install cause you still have to push the button but it has been clearly shown, contrary to your assertions, that:

a) It has been moved from optional to recommended
b) Hidden updates do reappear (another did this morning)
c) Win10 does pup up a two option upgrade now / upgrade later option

The pictures aren't good enough you ... what about the multiple quotes from MS executives, bloggers, review sites .... how do you explain away those ? Maybe look up the definition of some of the words the MS execs use like "phased".

-So far user experience isn't good enough for you.
-Published articles, reviews and blogs aren't good enough for you.
-You also claimed MS doesn't pop up a window that says Upgrade Now or Upgrade Later, and seeing the articles, seeing the pictures of the window, and seeing it pop up in a video of a live TV program wasn't good enough for you
-And finally published from MS Executives stating the the Win 10 upgrade would begin as an optional upgrade and then be phased in as a recommended update isn't good enough for you.

Are there ways to stop it, of course... I don't think they'd dare go that far. But, clearly ... and unarguably, they have extended great effort to obfuscate the process in order to fool or wear down the user into just giving up.

Until someone shows me what the Windows 7 telemetry is taking, I can not say if it is bad or not....

Phoning home does not tell anyone what information is being sent. It could be harmless(usage statistics/app crash) or it could be very bad and that is the scary part..

The fact that you (I, and everyone else doesn't know) is in and of itself bad.

Especially the way the prvacy statement is written....

Finally, we will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails in Outlook.com, or files in private folders on OneDrive), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary ...

Who decides what constitutes a "good faith belief" ? ... "Well, I had a good faith belief he was going to pull a gun, so I shot him 6 times."

Even the presumably benign usage statistics ... MS is mining my data to make money, where's my cut ? Someone mines mineral resources on my land, I get a cut ... a farmer uses my land to grow crops, I get a cut.... an advertiser puts an ad on my web site, I get a cut.

And how do they use this data ?.... they sell it to advertisers so they can send [plaster computer users with ads. What would be up front, honest and totally acceptable:

Windows 10 Home (free):

a) Disclose everything that will be mined / monitored.
b) Disclose with whom it will be shared.
c) Provide independent access and verification of what and who, what, when, how etc..
d) Leave all settings ON by default but provide a single privacy window where all items can be turned off (to the extent that MS deems acceptable in exchange for no cost)
e) Provide obvious and full disclose for any changes (how, when, where, what, etc) that come about via WU.

Win 10 Pro ($$):

a) No data mining whatsoever by default
b) User can elect (single panel) to allow such activity in exchange for (whatever MS deems worthy)
c) Disclose what and with whom it will be shared.
d) Provide independent access and verification of who, what, when, how etc.
e) Provide obvious and full disclose for any changes (how, when, where, what, etc) that come about via WU.

 

[nukemaster]

Recommended is not important contrary to what you and bloggers say to get views.

A. I never said it was not recommended(even posted a picture showing it is)
B. I never said hidden updates do not come back.
C. I never said ANYthing about any new popups. Just the old ones

You can see it IS recommended in my image, but still not in the Important category. I know you do not like hearing it, but with the right settings it will NEVER show up.

The only way recommended updates get installed like that is if you say have it set to receive recommended the same as important. Your image due to a lack of optional updates leads me to believe you have that setting enabled.

Ohh look recommended and somehow still in the optional area.

Ohh right a single setting does this.

I also never said this Windows 10 push was a good thing at all. Too many old systems that can not run it. I just said it is easy to stop these recommended updates.

I will not waste more time on you since clearly you will not listen.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

You can see it IS recommended in my image, but still not in the Important category. I know you do not like hearing it, but with the right settings it will NEVER show up.

Please look at your OWN picture. Your window only shows two categories:

Important and Optional.

Your image due to a lack of optional updates leads me to believe you have that setting enabled.

You assume to much; I'm not assuming anything. Again, please actually look at the picture which shows 17 Important and 1 optional update. When receiving notice of new updates, our typical policy is:

a) Wait a week to see what if anything appears in the trade press.
b) Go thru the list and hide all recommended and optional updates that are know to 1) include Win10 stuff and b) include telemetry stuff
c) Read all data for all remaining KBs
d) Do web search on anything looking suspicious particularly those centered on stopping Win10 / telemetry.

No, I do not have that setting enabled but I do install some optional updates and I do HIDE optional and recommended updates which, you should be aware, takes them off the list... at least temporarily.

Again, please look up the definition of "phased". We have 4 boxes here ... at one point all of them showed it as an Optional update and I could have taken screenies showing exactly what you have. At this point in time however, as reported by MS themselves it has moved to a recommended / important update as is clearly shown in the dated (you will note that I took pains to include the date and time in the screenshot) image I posted. The previous time that KB appeared on that box, it was in the optional category .... no longer. As WU settings have NOT changed since the PCs were built your "settings" argument is disproved. MS said they were moving it, the trade press said they are moving it and have personally observed it "switch" on multiple boxes.

With regard to the most recent updates we have done (05-17-2016), 3 of the 4 boxes had the win10 KB, appear on the important list, only 1 of the 4 boxes had it still appear on the optional list. As published, quoted and repeated numerous times, MS is "phasing" this change in and because you have not seen it yet, does not mean that all the rest of us are delirious. I don't know the criteria of how MS phased the downloading of files to peeps computers prior to July 28. I do not know how they are phasing in the move from optional to recommended. I do know that it has happened on 3 of the 4 computers in this room

 

[conomega]

There is actually a KB article to block the upgrade with both GP setting as well as registry settings.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080351

You may need the KB in order for the registry to fix to work but chances are you probably already have it installed, it was posted July of 2015.
To block the upgrade to Windows 10 through Windows Update, specify the following registry value:

Subkey: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
DWORD value: DisableOSUpgrade = 1

 

[REALRabidHamster]

I'm using a free utility called the "GWX Control Panel" that DISABLES the Windows 10 upgrade COMPLETELY ... no pop-up and no forced upgrade !!
You can find more info on it here : http://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-gwx-control-panel-block-upgrading-windows-10

 

[JackNaylorPE]

GWX Control Panel and Steve Gibson's Never10 have been mentioned several times in this thread. And while they do block Win10, they do NOT block the Telemetry tracking features that we see in Win10 that are now being added to Win 7 & 8. So if you are avoiding Win10 because of the tracking issue, those same features are being incorporated into Win 7 and 8, but without the new interface and DX12.

 

[REALRabidHamster]

GWX Control Panel and Steve Gibson's Never10 have been mentioned several times in this thread. And while they do block Win10, they do NOT block the Telemetry tracking features that we see in Win10 that are now being added to Win 7 & 8. So if you are avoiding Win10 because of the tracking issue, those same features are being incorporated into Win 7 and 8, but without the new interface and DX12.

Umm, nah, that's not really why I'm delaying the update, the tracking doesn't really bother me ... I use Win 10 on my Dell Venue 8 Pro Tablet and like it. Just plan to wait till July 20th or so to take the dive with my desktop, and got REAL tired of that pop-up !! 🙂
Thanks for the info though !! :-D

 

[JackNaylorPE]

This tracking is the on-line version of collecting phone numbers for Robo Calling. If ya noticed, robo-calling has increased tremendously in last 6 months and tracking user habits is designed to cash in on this push-ad frenzy.

 

[surphninja]

GWX Control Panel and Steve Gibson's Never10 have been mentioned several times in this thread. And while they do block Win10, they do NOT block the Telemetry tracking features that we see in Win10 that are now being added to Win 7 & 8. So if you are avoiding Win10 because of the tracking issue, those same features are being incorporated into Win 7 and 8, but without the new interface and DX12.

Difference is that in Win 7 & 8 you can manually remove the telemetry updates and block them. No control over updates in 10.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

That was exactly the point. The subject "Microsoft Auto-Scheduling Windows 10 Updates" is blocking Win10 from installing which can in no way include any Win10 installation. Win10 systems are not under discussion here.

The point you are responding to is simply a statement that using either of those utilities, will block Win10 from being installed ... but it they will not block Win10 like features from being installed. You have to block those manually.