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Micro$oft up to its old tricks again...

Do you even have a choose not to install Win 10 or not? That's the problem.

For months now, I’ve complained about the software giant’s heavy-handed tactics in trying to trick customers into upgrading to Windows 10. But a recent change to the Get Windows 10 advertisement that is forced on Windows 7 and 8.1 users takes things entirely too far. This is indefensible.


Frankly, this entire episode has been indefensible, with Microsoft introducing a non-stoppable, non-hideable advertisement on several hundred million PCs from around the world. And then upgrading that advertisement to thwart those who do seek to remove or hide it. It has changed the language of the ad, made no clear cancel choice available, and jammed it into the “recommended” updates that auto-install via Windows Update. If you read this site, listen to Windows Weekly or What the Tech, you know how bad things are. It’s been a constant refrain.


Well, I’ve had it.


Last week, Microsoft silently changed Get Windows 10 yet again. And this time, it has gone beyond the social engineering scheme that has been fooling people into inadvertently upgrading to Windows 10 for months. This time, it actually changed the behavior of the window that appears so that if you click the “Close” window box, you are actually agreeing to the upgrade. Without you knowing what just happened.


Previously, closing this window would correctly signal that you do not want the upgrade. So Microsoft didn’t change the wording in the window. It didn’t make an “Upgrade now” button bigger, or a non-existent “don’t ever upgrade” button smaller. It pulled a switcheroonie. It’s like going out to your car in the morning and discovering that the gas pedal now applies the brakes, while the brake pedal washes the windshield. Have a fun commute!


The violation of trust here is almost indescribable. It’s bad enough that Microsoft has been training Windows 7 and 8.1 users—i.e. most Windows users—to not trust Windows 10 because of this horrible, unstoppable advertisement. But now they will not trust their own sanity because all they’ll remember is that they dismissed the advertisement by clicking the Close windows box. Why on earth did Windows 10 just install on my PC?!?

Why on earth, indeed. Coupled with the growth of clean personal computing platforms like Chromebooks and Macs, and the fact that Microsoft can’t convince its own PC maker partners to not ruin the Windows experience with crapware, one has to wonder: Is this all part of some plan to destroy Windows from within? I mean, seriously. You couldn’t write a dumber story about how to ruin something that is otherwise as wonderful as Windows 10.


My God, Microsoft. Just stop. Paul Thurrott

https://www.thurrott.com/windows/wi...fts-upgrade-deceptions-undermining-windows-10
 
Interesting discussion.

After struggling to control my Window Updates and catching an unwanted update to Windows 10, I now have GWX Control Panel install on my Windows 8.1 and the wife's
Windows 7.0 machines. It's done a good job at catching some of those unwanted updates linked to Windows 10.

As a result of this discussion I checked the website and discovered there was an updated version of GWX Control Panel the end of March. Upon updating both machines, I noted some changes in the update process. I had my machine to check for updates, but let me decide what - that was changed somehow, so now its secure. The wife's machine was set to an automatic update (which I did not select), so that is now back to where I can control the updates.

BTW, the latest recommended M$ updates included two related to Windows 10 which I promptly hid. Even if I didn't hide them, GWX would have alerted me and given me an option to avoid them.

I'm going to fight as long as I can to prevent Windows 10 for getting installed on either my current computers. My intent is to wait until I get a new computer, and get one with Windows 10 already installed. I figured at that point I would have to reinstall my important software anyways and would have to figure out as I go what works and what doesn't, including my flight sims. I learned the hard way in migrating to Windows 8.0 that some older applications just will not work, so I had the added expense of upgrading (e.g., purchasing new) software.
 
let me ask,if everything is so under the board as my dad and his buddy would say,why hasnt law enforcement stepped in?..if the NSA can get "busted" for what some see as spying,and others see as protecting,why is MS so seemingly untouchable?...someone out there in LE land surely must not be on their payroll,and would be able to atleast look into all these accusations of not just merely "spying" on the masses but also collecting data?..



Dave, you’ve actually hit the answer directly on the head without knowing it. I’ll try to explain.

NSA is supposed to operate under strict guidelines, which they say that they adhere to. I would suggest that you Google a gentleman named William Binney and listen to any of his interviews on the subject to get a better perspective of what actually happens at NSA.

Here’s the tricky bit that the agencies and corporations use to get around the law and your rights.

When you agree to the Microsoft EULA, you accept the terms of the contract. In this case you have agreed to accept the terms offered by Microsoft Inc. When you are dealing with a corporation you are under the jurisdiction of Admiralty or Maritime law, which has nothing to do with Common Law or original Constitutional Law prior to 1859.

So…to answer your question, law enforcement takes on an entirely different function in the area of the “commerce”.

To take on Microsoft you would first need to
1. Find a law enforcement agency to investigate a specific charge.
2. Find cause to pursue an indictment for that charge.
3. Find a prosecutor to file the charges in a court who will hear the case.
4. Obtain a judgement in favor of the complaint.

A corporation with the assets and, more importantly political influence, will draw your case out for years until you use up your resources to pursue your complaint.

Let’s use Ted’s example from this post.

Microsoft has coded a pop up to install Windows 10. This is an offer to contract.

You don’t want it so you say no. You have declined the offer to contract.

But lo and behold, the guy who created the button got one tiny thing wrong in the code. He inserted a 1=yes where there should be a 0=no. Simple mistake.

The pop up goes out to hundreds of millions of potential users instantaneously. Let’s say half of them say no, but the software sees it as a yes.

Presto…mission accomplished when you are using the tactics that TF is so angry about…me too.
OK, so now a percentage of those people are angry enough to file the class action suit.

Jeopardy music……………laa deee dahh dahhh….laa deee dahhhh…

Years later the suit is settled for a few tens of millions of dollars.

In the meantime Microsoft has legally harvested and stored everything about you…and I mean everything just like the snowflake said in the video above. You agreed to let them sell that data to any and all takers…..including…..NSA.

Now NSA has had your data for the ten years you waited to get a refund on the OS and Microsoft has made somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 billion dollars from the sale of everyone’s data during the same period. It cost them a few tens of millions in settlements and lawyer costs.

It’s all legal….you agreed to the contract, MS is a corporation under Admiralty jurisdiction and is therefore not bound to the laws that are applied in the United States for America.

To make it worse, new legislation like the Trans Pacific and Trans Atlantic trade agreements now indemnify the corporation from any liability at all….so, thanks to the administration and Congress who never actually reads the legislation before they sign it, you can’t even sue Microsoft for the tiny little coding error that gave you Windows 10 and decimated years of your work.

Multiply this scenario by Pay Pal, Google, Amazon, Twitter, Reddit and all of the pharmaceutical companies and you can see how the system grinds to a complete halt.

Lovely….but it is brilliant in it’s simplicity.
 
I think you Americans should be more concerned by the fact that you could have that barking mad idiot Donald J Trump as your next president. To me that would be more of a concern than having your computer updated to Windows 10.

I also have several programmes that do not work under W10 but by running them in Compatible mode I have them running fine.
 
I think you Americans should be more concerned by the fact that you could have that barking mad idiot Donald J Trump as your next president. To me that would be more of a concern than having your computer updated to Windows 10.

I also have several programmes that do not work under W10 but by running them in Compatible mode I have them running fine.

Oh mannnn Pat....not even going to go near that one. :very_drunk:
 
Pat: Way off base. We don't vote in your elections, stay out of ours.

We are concerned about this election, which is why there are so many more people interested in it. We are, however, multi-tasking.

It has little or nothing to do with M$soft's deceitful practices and their ham-handed attempt to control the pc world, which should backfire on them, but in this world of ever increasing idiocracy, won't.
 
One of the handy little options in GWX is the 'Clear Windows Update Cache'.
Out-bloody-standing!
:encouragement:
I cleared it last Monday and it removed a triple digit number of 'hidden updates' plus any trace of W10 'invitations', ran it a few minutes ago and it nuked another 32 updates!
I'll still check but I'll do it my way.
And a reminder please team, we do NOT discuss anything resembling politics in ANY forum on this site.
:173go1:
 
One of the handy little options in GWX is the 'Clear Windows Update Cache'.
Out-bloody-standing!
:encouragement:
I cleared it last Monday and it removed a triple digit number of 'hidden updates' plus any trace of W10 'invitations', ran it a few minutes ago and it nuked another 32 updates!
I'll still check but I'll do it my way.
And a reminder please team, we do NOT discuss anything resembling politics in ANY forum on this site.
:173go1:


I downloaded and ran the GWX...cleared 37 from the Update Cache.


BTW...
If any one here posts up a fix for the frigging' tool tip balloon in Win10...I'd be extremely grateful. I have coded the darned thing out ten ways to Sunday, but I still get the ridiculous little sucker every time I roll over anything.

Using the mouse some balloons have been suppressed, but with the Wacom Pen and Tablet..no joy, always a balloon. :rocket:

Worst part is in the SDK annotator. Imagine placing every tree and house in a small city one little square at a time...when I go to draw the square, bingo up pops the balloon right on top of the space I want to draw. It is absolutely maddening...

At one point I had fixed it...but when Win10 updates, it comes right back.
 
Going to be interesting to what Redstone 1 update will bring to Win 10. Something like 1200 changes.
 
I was listening on the radio a discussion of Windows 10 by Lauren Weinstein and a lady called in stating that Win 10 was trying to install on her computer. Like others she rejected the process, but found it was installing anyways. The attempted install failed... not enough memory! :biggrin-new: :encouragement:
 
It would seem to me that clicking "no" to an update notice of any kind, from anyone on YOUR personal computer, should be the end of it. Having Windows 10 begin to download and install on your machine after you specifically click "no" because you choose not to have it, or as one gentleman stated in an earlier post.. some of his software won't run under Windows 10, to me is the same as being forced to agree to something without being allowed to read the contract. Not sure if there is any legal implications involved here but "agreeing" to an action, such as allowing Microsoft to install Windows 10 by clicking "no" or closing the update window altogether doesn't seem to be on the level...in any case. I don't like the method MS is using to foist Windows 10 on to my machine... it won't handle it. Windows 10 may be just fine on a different machine that was designed to handle it's requirements.

It's like going to the hospital to have a medical procedure done, and agreeing to what the doctors are going to do to you, without them telling you about what's what. :icon_eek: Just my 2 bits....

BB686:US-flag:
 
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