Beware: Windows 10 May Update Windows 7-8 While You Are AFK - Update

[nickpy]

As Direkiller above noted, the relevant update is KB3035583. Nuke that and all the popups and downloading-without-your-consent goes away. Uninstall it and then "hide" it to stop it from re-installing. Unfortunately, you also have to keep your eyes peeled because MS keeps on releasing new "versions" of 3035583 to bypass your having hidden it beforehand, because apparently hiding an old version of the same update doesn't count for the new version. I've lost count of how many times I've had to re-hide it, and I know the number off by heart now!

You may also wish to uninstall and hide KB3123862: it changes the Windows Update UI to heavily push Win10 and hide (though not remove) the ability to do normal Windows Updates to your Win7 installation. This one isn't critical because AFAIK its only a visual change, but not a helpful one.

 

[Joccaren]

And yet another reason I'm happy I disabled Auto-updates the day I installed 7, and stopped updating 7 when they announced 10. Never received the update that adds the code for Windows 10 update on any of my machines, and my system will never receive that code by itself, so I am thankfully safe from this until August? This year when I might swap across to take advantage of the freeness of it, though I'll be tossing it up for a while before that.

 

[sonicneedslovetoo]

I actually found and uninstalled the update that nags you about upgrading to windows 10, can anybody tell me when the free upgrade period ends? I'm getting very, VERY tired of Microsoft and their opinion of me at this point, judging by the way they've designed their OS Dora the Explorer has more respect for my intelligence.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

I just ran this hours ago: http://blog.ultimateoutsider.com/2015/08/using-gwx-stopper-to-permanently-remove.html

GWX stopper; no more fucking pop-ups, and no more risk of this bullshit happening!!!

 

[WeepingAngels]

Why the hell aren't people suing Microsoft for this shit?

 

[Lightknight]

Why the hell aren't people suing Microsoft for this shit?

Due to the lack of prompts and the potential problems of rolling this back (you can lose data and break applications), this is sure to be a class action suit soon. Everyone it happens to can essentially claim losses just because it destroys the license they had previously been using.

 

[Xeorm]

I'd be really interested in knowing how much of all this screwup was intentional on Microsoft's part, and how much is due to the people coding and designing that make stupid mistakes.

Still doesn't mean too much difference for how much I dislike Microsoft's handling of the situation, but I try to limit how evil I think people are when they're really just stupid.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

This is going to make me paranoid now to the point that I'll probably have to turn off my PC when not around until I have time to go through one of the solutions above.
Microsoft can go fuck themselves with a barbed-wire cock. I'll update when I'm ready, if I'm ready, and if I don't it's not their place to fore me.

Spoiler: This image suddenly became even more true.

http://www.beheadingboredom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/the-shining-microsoft-update-to-windows-10.jpg

 

[WeepingAngels]

I'd be really interested in knowing how much of all this screwup was intentional on Microsoft's part, and how much is due to the people coding and designing that make stupid mistakes.

Still doesn't mean too much difference for how much I dislike Microsoft's handling of the situation, but I try to limit how evil I think people are when they're really just stupid.

This is intentional, there is no way disabling updates, uninstalling the hot fix and then hiding it so it doesn't come back and it still comes back is an accident. I already have Windows 10, have had it since day 1 and I installed it on purpose. This kind of thing just pisses me off. Microsoft is basically saying "we will tell you what OS/software to run on your PC".

 

[Supernova2000]

Use GWX Control Panel, it handles everything for you, deleting the unwanted W10 installation files (all 6GB in my case!) and changing updates settings to prevent any more 10-related files being smuggled in.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

They've gotten awfully brazen about this shit.

Now serving free updates to the future:

Heh, haven't updated my copy of Windows 7 since...2014, I think.

It's been a while, but I'm good with this.

I'm both surprised and not surprised by this level of bullshit MS is employing here. They want everyone on board with Skynet. Whether they want to be or not.

 

[XDSkyFreak]

Oh ... this is so much fun. Please go on microsoft, I am having so much fun watching you be complete absolute morons. I mean sure, you've lost a bunch of class action law-suits in the past, but hey, with this BS and the universal windows app-store I guess a bunch more won't hurt your company and public image too much.

The best thing about all this? It might finaly wake up software and hardware makers to look to support alternative OSs when the (I hope) smart majority of people avoid using the shit-hole that is windows 10. So all I got to say: profesional multimedia suported user friendly linux when? (Note: I am fully aware linux is actualy quite robust is the multimedia department depending on what mint you use and has even received gaming suport, and compared to the old days, it's become extremely user friendly. The problem, IMO, is: it's still not a wide market ready OS, it does not have full proper support from hardware makers and it still needs more work done to give it a full gaming support)

 

[snintendog]

Please do a PSA on the GWX Control Panel So less people can worry less about this problem.

 

[Something Amyss]

Not sure why, but my Windows 7 machine hasn't gotten a single message regarding Windows 10 ever. I think I bought my OS disk from Fry's 1-2 years ago, so maybe that's why? Not sure.

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to be spared this spam lol

I've been told that you don't get the notifications if your specs are below a certain threshold. I don't have access to a weak enough computer to test, so this may be crap.

Then again, if this is a machine you game on, it's probably better than the threshold, so maybe I just wasted your time.

 

[shrekfan246]

Nope, the messages still pop up even if you have automatic updates disabled.

Not necessarily, my Windows 7 laptop hasn't had an update in years (Windows Automatic Update has never worked for me on Vista or 7) and I've never gotten a Windows 10 upgrade prompt.

OT: I'll be installing Windows 10 on my new PC (whenever it finally bloody arrives), but holy wow, Microsoft. They really just can't abide the thought of not having total control over their customers anymore, can they?

 

[Candidus]

I'm a Windows 7 user and this doesn't happen to me at all. No prompts for Windows 10 whatsoever...

But there again, I haven't had Windows update enabled at all for at least two years. Hah.

 

[Xeorm]

This is intentional, there is no way disabling updates, uninstalling the hot fix and then hiding it so it doesn't come back and it still comes back is an accident. I already have Windows 10, have had it since day 1 and I installed it on purpose. This kind of thing just pisses me off. Microsoft is basically saying "we will tell you what OS/software to run on your PC".

You underestimate the power of stupidity.

 

[frizzlebyte]

I wonder if the people who've had this happen accidentally clicked the "download now, upgrade later" button, or "reserved" their copy? That would seem to make the most sense in this case, and the reason I chose not to reserve a copy.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I heard about this dick move over a month ago and sought out a solution, which can be found here [http://www.howtogeek.com/228551/how-to-stop-windows-7-or-8-from-downloading-windows-10-automatically/]. Read up on the matter and then use the GWX Control Panel. I can't say with absolute certainty, but it seems safe, plus it works.

One of the sites I visit frequently (DSLReports.com) has a security forum where that program is recommended highly. I trust the forum pretty well, so I'll back you up on this recommendation.

 

[njrk97]

Now this is just getting ridiculous,if people don't want the OS they shouldn't be forced to get. Like isn't this breaking some sort of law or something ((forcefully changing a product without the user having a option to stop it)). Besides, its forcing you to upgrade from you PAID windows package to a FREE windows 10. Like wat? Where has my money gone then,cause i paid for a windows 7 license.

Regardless people are talking about this GWX panel thingy, but for me i actually just run a batch file on startup that gets rid of it,stops it from reinstalling and checks every start up whether it has returned,then precedes to nuke it again.

I cant find the website i got it from, but I can throw up what my batch file code(That would work right,just copying my ones code to your own batch file),so if anyone is interested in doing it like that instead of GWX Control just ask?