Report: Windows 10's Mandatory Updates Are Breaking Data Caps

[Doom972]

What the hell is a data cap? I don't think that is anything I have heard of outside of 4G and mobile data over here!

I would also put some blame on the service providers too. As tech increases (not just windows 10, but almost everything) there is more and more of a strain of constant data flowing. Companies know that most people have broadband speeds on wireless where they are, so they make programmes and sites update themselves more and more so that you can remain connected in the world.

As this increases year on year though, do you see the service providers raising their limits to match? Or is it a case that you are now expected to pay more for the new baseline?

I know, right? It sounds ridiculous to have data caps for home Internet service. I would be more angry at that than the constant updates of a brand new OS.

 

[Strazdas]

Unable to control updates manually = im never installing that shit. I got no data caps, i just like to, you know, be in control of my own machine.


And how the hell does windows 10 updates manage to take hundreds of gygabytes of download. the entire OS does not need tenth of that space.

On the one hand, Microsoft has a good reason to default t automatic updates: Online security.

Default to - yes. Force - no.

I thought that Microsoft dropped the mandatory updates on, like, the the eve of Win10's launch day? This story would imply that isn't the case - or am I missing something?

They did not drop anything.

What the hell is a data cap? I don't think that is anything I have heard of outside of 4G and mobile data over here!

Its a relic from the early 00s that was used when the network throughput was lower than user needs. Nowadays it is often used by con artists to trick people out of their money by intentionally limiting ones services to gouge money.

 

[Elfgore]

This wasn't even I reason I complained about auto-updates either! Once again Microsoft seems to think that everyone in the world lives with 100 TB a second internet with unlimited caps. Gives me another reason to stick with 8 when I get my new PC.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

Its a relic from the early 00s that was used when the network throughput was lower than user needs. Nowadays it is often used by con artists to trick people out of their money by intentionally limiting ones services to gouge money.

You know... that doesn't surprise me in the slightest. There is no need to have anything under unlimited in the developed world nowadays.

 

[vallorn]

And this is why the wise. never update to a new WIndows OS for about 3 months at least.

Three months? Try a year, it's like a Bethesda or Obsidian game only it can cock up your entire PC rather than just crashing repeatedly.

How the hell could anyone have thought this was a good idea?

Easy, for the same reason they thought the Xbox one was a good idea.

Oh, and it also seems like Windows 10 keylogs you and sends it to MS, I don't have much of a confirmation on this but if I get one I'll update this post.

 

[FalloutJack]

So, let's see here...

Windows Fantasy 7 was good.

Windows Fantasy 8 SUCKED (of course).

Windows Fantasy 9 was skipped because they couldn't give it a quirky title like Windows Boogie Nights to get around the naming issue.

And now, Windows Fantasy 10 also sucks.

Go figure!

 

[alj]

How is this any different to older version of windows as automatic update was enabled by default anyway. You can turn off the automatic download of updates.

I hate to blow Microsofts trumpet again but this is a user incompetence issue not a windows 10 issue.

 

[Metalrocks]

So, let's see here...

Windows Fantasy 7 was good.

Windows Fantasy 8 SUCKED (of course).

Windows Fantasy 9 was skipped because they couldn't give it a quirky title like Windows Boogie Nights to get around the naming issue.

And now, Windows Fantasy 10 also sucks.

Go figure!

lol. they really seem to have a habit of making a good OS, followed by a bad OS. so lets see how far back i can still remember of windows OSs.
3.11 = ok
95 = ok
98 = very good
2000 = very bad
millennium = very bad
XP = excellent
vista = average
7 = damn good
8 = bad
no 9 which could have been good
10 = bad

thats how i saw the OSs operating in these 2 decades i can recall from my life.

 

[RicoADF]

How is this any different to older version of windows as automatic update was enabled by default anyway. You can turn off the automatic download of updates.

I hate to blow Microsofts trumpet again but this is a user incompetence issue not a windows 10 issue.

Actually no you can not turn it off which is the issue. I have 10, I was even part of the preview, and there is no option to turn it off. I have checked and looked online, there is no "check but let me decide" option. You can stop it from updating by setting your connection to monitored or other work arounds but that is not giving the option, its find a way around the fucken stupid issue that has never previously been an issue because you could set it to "let ME, the owner of my bloody computer" decide.

 

[Sonicron]

Unable to control updates manually = im never installing that shit. I got no data caps, i just like to, you know, be in control of my own machine.

I very much agree. This is MY computer, and I use it for important things, which is why I see the need to protect it from any software I deem dubious. For fuck's sake, about a year ago there was an issue with a Windows Update (on Win7 no less, so even that one still has its quirks despite years of hands-on experience) that set hundreds of thousands of PCs on tilt... and now Microsoft won't even ask me before it shoves its software onto my system?

A lot of what I've been hearing about Win10 is still part of the rumor mill, but it would appear that the OS regularly sniffs through all of your files to check if there's a possibility of any of it being unlicensed. If this turns out to be true, Microsoft is going to get dragged into court here in the EU, as EA was because of Origin when it first launched; we don't like massive violations of electronic privacy around here.

Suffice it to say, I won't be going anywhere near Win10 any time soon.

 

[yellost]

But don't they have a solution for those people living in the countryside without a proper internet connection ? Didn't call it the XBox 360 or something ?

 

[RJ 17]

In that case, they might could paying astronomical internet bills, thanks to mandatory updates which tear through data caps.

Just your friendly neighborhood English Major pointing out a little error in your article since I've very little else to do with my degree :3. I'm guessing that's supposed to be either "might be" or "could be".

OT: Personally I've been enjoying what Windows 10 has to offer thus far, it certainly "seems" much better than 8. That said, it's still incredibly new so I'd imagine we'll be seeing more news such as this as the OS gets vetted out.

Oh well, a free upgrade is a free upgrade.

 

[Strazdas]

A lot of what I've been hearing about Win10 is still part of the rumor mill, but it would appear that the OS regularly sniffs through all of your files to check if there's a possibility of any of it being unlicensed. If this turns out to be true, Microsoft is going to get dragged into court here in the EU, as EA was because of Origin when it first launched; we don't like massive violations of electronic privacy around here.

Suffice it to say, I won't be going anywhere near Win10 any time soon.

According to what i read today, it seems that it is only sniffing for unlicensed software that is for sale on Windows Marketplace and not for unlicensed software overall. As in, it tries to find pirated products that Microsoft is distributing. It still shouldn't do it, but its not a blind search.

 

[Politrukk]

Wow, neither the article nor any of the comments so far have worked out that this is not due to the updates being mandatory...

(Seriously, a whopping 7 updates have been released so far

Spoiler

and I can't imagine any of them being multi-gigabyte downloads yet)

No, the culprit is rather Windows Update's new peer-to-peer implementation which shares the updates you've downloaded with other Windows 10 users over the internet.

Spoiler

Just like turning one's PC into an always-on bittorrent seedbox, this can chew through one's bandwidth cap like no one's business, especially if one's ISP differentiates between upload and download bandwidth caps.

Fortunately, as my screenshot shows, you can disable this, or enable it only for other PCs on your network. Not only does the latter option not increase your bandwidth usage, if you have multiple Windows 10 devices it can actually decrease it by letting the update download only once and be shared among those devices.

I think you may not have read or heard about the part where Windows doesn't just update Windows for you anymore, but everything.

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

How the hell could anyone have thought this was a good idea?

You know all those viruses and malware windows always get? Odds are it's cause people didn't update. So when shit hits the fan people whine and scream about thet aren't doing enough. Blame morons who defer updates as long as possible and then get affected.

 

[RaikuFA]

"It's their own fault for not knowing beforehand." -Every IT guy ever.

OT: I hope MS does something to fix this ASAP. Smells like something a lawyer might want to take MS to court over.

Hey, I'm IT and I don't say that. Mainly because it is one of those things that most users wont think about. It's actually not a bad idea, to force updates since most people turn those off if given the choice. You need updates to help plug security holes on your machine, an un-updated machine is just a security risk. But obviously microsoft didn't really take data caps into account. Which kind of makes sense, they are in a connected city.

Calm down, it was just a joke.

 

[visiblenoise]

It wasn't enough to just make the automatic update delivery on by default? I think a lot of people would have just left it on. I would have.

 

[kasperbbs]

I checked my data usage history since i installed 10 and it says that 'system' has already used 6,41gb's of data, If i still had my old plan then ~1/3 of my data cap would be gone and if i summed it up with everything else then i would be in debt for the next 5 years or so. :F

 

[Steve the Pocket]

How are these updates so huge in the first place? Or is it the caps that are tiny? I know there are some landline Internet services that come with data caps, but they're massive. So why... Wait, we're talking about people getting these updates over their cellular Internet, aren't we. Because Windows 8+ "laptops" are actually tablets with snap-on keyboards and SIM cards inside. Well, no wonder then.

Still, Apple's never had this problem, probably because they treat their tablets like actual tablets and understand that people are limited in how much Internet they can use on them, so they only update when you're connected through wi-fi or plugged into your computer.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Shades of Adam Orth.
Microsoft: "Their internet sucks and has ridiculously small data caps? Too bad. Deal with it."