Microsoft accused of nasty trick!

[Arthur]

Even the MS fans have had enough.

Surely users could simply dismiss the second upgrade prompt and remain on their current OS?

 

Microsoft has confirmed this behavioral change and provided the following information:

 

“As we shared in October, Microsoft has been helping customers who received the Windows 10 upgrade as an ‘Optional’ (and now ‘Recommended’) update, to schedule their upgrade. The scheduling UI that customers are seeing began on 1st February 2016, and has evolved over time based on customer feedback. Once a customer’s upgrade is scheduled, they will receive a notification that states the time their upgrade is scheduled for, with options to reschedule or cancel if they wish. If the customer wishes to continue with their upgrade at the designated time, they can click ‘OK’ or close the notification with no further action needed.”

[Cazale]

Surely users could simply dismiss the second upgrade prompt and remain on their current OS?

 

The only way to do this is to click X on the update window. As someone pointed out above, this is training users to quit out of update dialogues when they appear. It is also counterintuitive, and is the sort of thing we, as IT professionals, should be continually telling people to NOT do!

[Arthur]

The only way to do this is to click X on the update window.

Unless I have read it wrong, according to the article @jinnantonnixx linked to there should be a second prompt after the one you're talking about.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Arthur

[Trojan]

Surely this comes down to choice, an individuals choice - and they are being denied that choice to determine how a piece of equipment they have purchased with their own money functions. Regardless of the pros and cons of W10.

[JRowley]

So basically what is happening is that a pop up is appearing saying that it is a recommended upgrade, and now closing it schedules the upgrade. However closer to the time it pops up again reminding you of this with this line "Click here to change upgrade schedule or cancel scheduled upgrade", which is fairly obvious. There is also a popup from the taskbar which appears from time to time with the same link and a 15 minute final notice that the upgrade is about to take place once again with the same link.

 

You have plenty of opportunity to abort the upgrade.

 

Edit: Microsoft have since U-Turned over it, so this is no longer the case.

Edited May 25, 2016 by JRowley

[gshaw]

You know something is up when MS resort to a) spyware tactics and b) changing basic functionality of the UI to try and push this upgrade. If a user explicitly opts out of an action MS have no right to force their will against that choice. Another ill-advised decision, probably from the same bunch who came up with Windows 8.0, always-connected Xbox DRM, OneDrive storage reduction and forced W10 upgrades. Every single one a shoot-self-in-foot moment that erodes whatever little trust users had left in MS and their products.

 

The way MS are trying so hard to get people on W10, along with their recent form on OneDrive means I really don't trust them not to do a bait-and-switch on W10 going subscription based in the not-too-distant future...

[LeMarchand]

The way MS are trying so hard to get people on W10, along with their recent form on OneDrive means I really don't trust them not to do a bait-and-switch on W10 going subscription based in the not-too-distant future...

 

I suggested this a while ago and was told not to talk rubbish! I still believe that's the end game.

[gshaw]

I suggested this a while ago and was told not to talk rubbish! I still believe that's the end game.

 

I remember reading somewhere they'd already trademarked Windows 365 and some talk of subscription based OS. Nadella also talked about SaaS being the main focus in future and Windows effectively being reduced from a core product to a runtime to get people into the ecosystem. May end up being some sort of bundle to stay on a supported branch of W10 or crippled feature set if you don't subscribe.

 

Edit: here it is http://www.computerworld.com/article/2881899/microsoft-files-for-windows-365-trademark-hints-at-future-service.html

 

After seeing some of their recent behaviour with telemetry etc. nothing wouldn't surprise me now, which is a shame as W10 as a product is generally pretty good and basically what Win8 should've been had MS listened at the time.

[ChickenDhansak]

The discussion isn't about whether or not upgrades are a good thing or not, neither is it about the lifespan of the operating system. Nobody is arguing about these topics.

The point is that Microsoft have effectively 'trained' millions of people to dismiss the upgrade window by clicking the 'X'. In a move that can have no other purpose than trick this training, they change this behaviour.

 

It's devious

[sonofsanta]

Lo and behold, just had to help a teacher with their laptop. Turns out this utility is very handy: https://www.grc.com/never10.htm

[ChickenDhansak]

Lo and behold, just had to help a teacher with their laptop. Turns out this utility is very handy: https://www.grc.com/never10.htm

 

Good old Steve Gibson

[Gibson335]

The Register suggesting MS have already backtracked on this I'm hearing?

[JRowley]

The Register suggesting MS have already backtracked on this I'm hearing?

 

Yeah they U-Turned, mentioned it on my post on Page 2.

[NokiX]

I'm glad they changed it back however I saw this and felt it needed to be posted here:

 

[mikes]

I can't believe people are fine with MS arbitrarily upgrading people's OS's... we've all seen the havoc it caused with that weather station video, the gamer streaming videos... I also can't believe that people use Microsoft software for important things such as TV weather reports. My advice to inexperienced users at work is to keep in mind that you cannot rely on Microsoft software for anything important. Expect it to go wrong.

[zag]

Shocking behavior from Microsoft!

[sted]

I can't believe people are fine with MS arbitrarily upgrading people's OS's... we've all seen the havoc it caused with that weather station video, the gamer streaming videos... I also can't believe that people use Microsoft software for important things such as TV weather reports. My advice to inexperienced users at work is to keep in mind that you cannot rely on Microsoft software for anything important. Expect it to go wrong.

 

i dont think people are ok with it as much as resigned to it as they are about the last os company to force updates on people. as to weather stations/streamers that use it for work you could argue its up to them to stop it happening as whose fault is it if an email toast pops up the notifications are no worse than that

[Sheridan]

It's not Microsoft's place to tell me what software I run on my equipment.

 

It's not Apple's either, which is why I don't buy Apple kit personally. I want to be in charge of my own configuration.

 

 

This 100% for me - I'm getting a little tired of both Apple and MS rushing OS's out and then ramming a series of updates down our throats. Big updates as well not just patches. How about they spend some time preparing an OS in advance for a change!

 

They're as bad as other for doing this, Apple's updates are now comical - has anyone read the 40+ pages before they 'Agree' to the latest IOS update

 

If I bought a PC for home use with 7 on it, or even 8 then it is effectively my right to continue to use it, if I choose not to update then its my tough luck!

[2ilent8cho]

 

They're as bad as other for doing this, Apple's updates are now comical - has anyone read the 40+ pages before they 'Agree' to the latest IOS update

 

 

Even the iOS engineer i was with last year joked about that saying you can read all 40 pages if you wish and laughed and just pressed accept.