Thom Hartman has discovered the "joy" that is windows 10...

[Bubzer]

Second computer in the studio that updated WITHOUT permission. ‪#?Microsoft‬ ‪#?windows10fail‬ should be illegal.
https://www.facebook.com/ThomHartmannProgram/photos/a.10151513680439448.1073741825.113201214447/10154188118574448/?type=3&theater

[Old Codger]

1. Here

All my stuff is win. 7, Microsoft doesn't tell you but if you allow auto updates they are installing a folder that is prepping your computer for windows 10..

[1monster]

27. I've got a button on my Windows 7 that will allow me to switch to Windows 10...

But I don't wanna. So I avoid that button.

A few days ago, with no reason for doing so, my computer came up with a window that said that my computer couldn't hand Windows 10 and that I should update by getting a newer computer!

Not a chance.

[Old Codger]

46. There is a program

Out there called GWX monitor that stops it

http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

[pstokely]

50. for the past week, GWX monitor has been nagging me about Win10 settings being detected

I disabled them and restart but the message comes up again

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

51. You have to go in as administrator, take over the directory GWX installs

delete crap out of it, delete it, then recreate it with only yourself having permissions on it, deliberately denying privileges to updater and other system programs. That's how I got rid of that nagging thing on my box.

[pstokely]

52. how do I do that?

where's the directory?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

53. I believe this is the guide I used to get it off my system.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-7-to-10-gwx-how-to-remove.html

It's been a while, but I hope it's still behaving the way it did when I did it.

I did have a little trouble with figuring out how to get the permissions set to unlock the directory to ME so I could delete it - permissions aren't handled as cleanly as they are in linux. I might have had to change the permissions on the directory above that directory as well to let me get at the subdirectory, I can't remember. If I did, though, I only opened them up to me, I didn't block anyone else from any directory above the one they told me to - that could screw up other things in the system.

[Holly_Hobby]

55. Wow, thank you! Works perfectly. n/t

[Rex]

2. The way Windows 10 shares bandwidth is terrible, they actually went backwards from 7.

I know they are trying to make a buck off of every single item they have branded, but this is coming off as rather desperate on their part. Having only 300 billion not enough I guess?

[csziggy]

5. I know the WiFi is horrible with Windows 10

We bought a laptop for my MIL to use while she is in the hospital (she's been there since December 29). The best deal was a Windows 10 one but she cannot consistently connect to the WiFi at the hospital even though the sons and grandson have double and triple checked the settings and made sure the WEP and other security things are correct. The hospital techs say it is a problem with Windows 10.

When my husband goes back over on Sunday he's taking our ancient Vista laptop over to see if it is any better. If Vista works better, that will really suck.

[Rex]

6. If Vista has all the service pack updates on it, it works just as well as Windows 7.

10 shares bandwidth like it was cable and not a dedicated line. Good luck with Vista.

[csziggy]

7. I'll have to get my husband to bring that laptop downstairs so I can update it

It hasn't even been plugged in for a while so it will probably take all day to get all the updates.

One major advantage - a Vista computer will NOT be nagging us to "upgrade" to Windows 10!

[Rex]

8. True and it will work great, the only problem with Vista was it was released half baked like Win 8.

I have Vista Business on a mini and it runs very fast.

[napkinz]

11. Hi Rex. I'm not very computer literate ... so I hope I'm saying this correctly

I have Windows 8. Every day I get a pop-up box asking me to upgrade to Windows 10. Should I do so?

Thanks

[Rex]

16. If you only have one computer and don't plan on having more than one I would say yes do so.

If you have more than one, let me ask is it Windows 8 or is it Windows 8.1?

[napkinz]

18. we have two computers and I don't know if it's 8 or 8.1

I have avoided clicking on the upgrade because I see posts from time to time warning against upgrading to 10. I admit I don't understand the discussions on why Windows 10 is bad, but I trust what my fellow DU members who are knowledgeable have to say on this subject.

[Rex]

21. There is a process called GWX.exe always running in the background.

I would recommend http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/gwx_control_panel.html as small app that gets rid of that annoying Get Windows X pop up AND will prevent an accidental upgrade.

[napkinz]

22. thank you Rex

[Rex]

24. Anytime my friend.

It will also allow you to turn back on the Win10 update if in the future you do want to update so it doesn't hurt anything and won't prevent upgrading if you want to do so.

[napkinz]

26. OK, thanks again so much!

[Rex]

28. Thanks for all your time and pics! I look for those threads.

You would do Old Swampy proud!

[napkinz]

31. You're welcome. What happened to Swamp Rat???

I saved the link to all his work: http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/swamprat/

[Rex]

32. I don't know, I wish I did know.

He just kinda vanished, was a DU treasure and I miss him almost daily.

[napkinz]

33. other members have asked about him; no one seems to know

it's our loss

[csziggy]

15. Now my husband tells me he pulled out his old Windows 7 laptop

But it has not been reliable - either a motherboard problem (most likely from the symptoms) or possibly a hard drive problem (not as likely). He set it up to do updates - I hope he had the sense to not let it do them all automatically or it will get upgraded to 10.

BUT: When we were troubleshooting it months ago, we tried to upgrade it to 10 but 10 wouldn't install - said there was a problem with the computer. So I don't know what will happen now with that laptop. But since my husband decided to do it without asking for my help, he's on his own. I spent a couple of weeks last summer trying to "fix" that laptop before I gave up and bought him a new one. I'm not messing with that thing anymore. I'd rather work on the Vista laptop!

[Rex]

19. Goodluck, either one fully updated will work great.

It is just 8 and 10 that use the different net framework. See which one of you can get it done the fastest and tomorrow the winner buys lunch!

[csziggy]

23. He's got the extra laptops stashed upstairs somewhere.

So unless I get him to ferret out the Vista laptop I can't do anything with it. By tomorrow we'll know if the Windows 7 laptop will work well enough for his mother. If not, he can locate the Vista one and we'll run the upgrades on it - if they are still available, that is.

[Rex]

25. April 11, 2017.

You still have a year of support.

[localroger]

14. GWX Control Panel

If you have a computer that's nagging you to upgrade, google "GWX control panel" (that's Get Windows 10, get it?) It's a program that ferrets out all the places Microsoft hid "GWX" crap (that's what Microsoft calls it) including the nag bubbles, the hidden downloads, and the update permissions. It has to be a program because they hid that shit all over the place but it doesn't have to be installed, you can run it off a thumb drive. I spent a whole morning running it on all the computers at my office and it seems to have cured both the nag and the auto-upgrade problem. (Though we do have one sales guy who clicked "upgrade" before I got to him and doesn't want to roll it back. Whatevs.)

[csziggy]

20. Just downloaded it - will check it out tomorrow

I've already decided to NOT go to 10 on my desktop computer. 10 still has issues with multiple monitors and I have two on my desktop - very helpful when scanning, photo editing, and when researching genealogy.

The damned Windows 10 upgrade window has been popping up several times a day and I'm sick of it. I hope the GWX Control Panel can help. Thanks for the recommendation!

[pstokely]

34. the display issues might be your graphics drivers, have you updated them?

?

[csziggy]

37. I haven't gone to Windows 10 - I basing my statements on reports online

That many people with multiple monitors, especially when using nVidia graphics cards (such as I have) have had problems. Some of the people have had to re-set their monitors every single time they reboot.

I do need to update my graphics drivers - nVidia has been nagging me but I've been sick and haven't felt up to dealing with anything like that.

Between me being sick and my MIL being in the hospital my poor husband has been run ragged!

[scscholar]

9. Wireless is a serious problem with 10

Our office is a dangerous mess with all of the cables not strong across doorways and hallways because Microsoft no longer supports the vast majority of Dell laptops we have.

[Peregrine Took]

3. With all due respect....he does Windows???? n/t

[TheProgressive]

10. Hartmann today said they are trying to migrate off of Windows...

[TM99]

38. Good.

Ten is forcing me to fully make the switch to Linux on my main workstation. I am really like Xubuntu these days.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Mine did that today, as well.

Pissed me off. I have to figure out to revert back to 7 now, and I HATE messing with computer stuff.

[TheProgressive]

12. That's why I never connect my personal/secure computers to the Internet...

I have a iMac that I use to access the internet.

[pstokely]

13. download GWX panel

http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

[localroger]

17. This is the link for what I mentioned upthread

Fixes both the nags and the upgrade-without-permission problem. Free, simple, and effective.

[Duckhunter935]

30. That is what I used

[Omaha Steve]

29. Great

[Cleita]

35. I dumped them ten years ago and use only Apple products.

I also like that if I have technical problems I can go to the Apple Store and get help from a real human.

Yeah, I know they aren't perfect and have a lot of criticism surrounding them, but I have fewer headaches from their products.

[SheilaT]

36. I have two computers, a laptop and a desktop.

The laptop is Windows 8 (I think, how can I check?) and I hate it. I have enormous difficulty navigating around.

The desktop is probably 7, again, I don't know how to check it. Both of them constantly nag me to update to 10. So far I've avoided it.

A while back I had a computer with Vista, which I truly despised.

My problem is that as a user, I started out in 1969, as an airline employee. It was a very simple data base for the reservations system, and of course everything was a command line. So I've actually been working on a computer for close on to 50 years now. I've been saying that I think a computer should be as easy to use as my toaster. Okay, maybe not my toaster, but how about my stick shift car? Yeah, I drive a stick shift, and even though I do understand why lots of you might prefer an automatic, computers are a lot harder to operate any more than driving a stick shift.

Pisses me off. I can get rather hostile, especially when I'm talking to some 25 year old, born a couple of decades after I first started using computers, and I get treated like some senile person. I'm NOT senile. You computer designers have made things a LOT harder and more complicated than they need to be.

[cui bono]

39. To find out your OS...

click on the windows icon on the bottom left, select "control panel" from the right hand list, then find "system" and click on that.

A couple people mentioned a program you can run to stop the nags and accidental update to 10. I'm going to get that for myself. I'm perfectly happy with 7.

.

[SheilaT]

40. There is no windows icon.

Bottom left or bottom right. How else might I find it?

It makes me crazy that I've been using computers for 2/3 of my life and simple things like this trip me up.

[cui bono]

42. Hm...

Look for this:



Unless you've customized it it is usually on the bottom left, on the task bar.

How do you get to your list of programs? However you do that, there should be another column with the control panel listed.

.

[SheilaT]

43. The start button?

I'm not clever enough to customize my task bar.

[SheilaT]

44. I can easily access the control panel.

Even the Systems and Security thing does not give me a clue as to what version of Windows I have.

[cui bono]

45. When I click on system I get a good sized window that tells me the OS, which service pack...

what my Windows Experience rating is... Computer manufacturer, model, processor, RAM...



.

[SheilaT]

47. Hmmm. I appreciate your help, and have no idea why

I can't access that.

Because I have the Geek Squad thing, I could call them and find out. I get much more than my money's worth from them.

I have considered bringing my computers in to the store to have Windows 10 installed. It just does not seem to make sense to me that a new OS could be placed on top of an old one without all sorts of problems, even though I admittedly don't know a whole lot about this stuff.

Anyway, I appreciate your attempt to help me.

I often say the Technology Gods do not like me, and often technology does not work correctly to me. It has actually happened more than once that I've had tech support on the line, and I'm recalling one time when they took possession of my computer remotely to try to fix whatever the problem was, and it still wasn't going very well. So I mentioned the Technology Gods, and the tech support guy laughed out loud. It really is ludicrous, but it makes the most sense of any explanation I can invoke.

On the other hand the Parking Gods totally ADORE me. I get excellent parking spaces every time. And if I'm a passenger in the car, we get good spaces. I've often suggested to younger people that they bring me along on a date, as I can guarantee a good parking space. I've driven into a parking garage with the FULL sign out front, and as I drive up, someone pulls out right next to the entrance to the place I want to be. I've gone to downtown Santa Fe on a Friday night and gotten a space directly in front of the venue I'm headed to.

But something as simple as the correct icon on my screen? Ha! The Technology Gods mock me!

[cui bono]

57. Yeah, if you have free tech support go for it!

I agree with not wanting to install a new OS over an old one. I like to have the disc of the new one so I can wipe my hard drive and do a clean install.

I also have good luck getting parking spaces, unfortunately, I've been pretty good at getting parking tickets too! But what I really wonder is if that's the real reason you want to go along on young people's dates!

.

[SheilaT]

58. I'll never tell!

[cui bono]

59. =)

[Rosco T.]

41. GWX Control Panel

here - http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

will stop Windows 10 cold.

[pstokely]

48. for the past week, it's been nagging been about the Win10 being detected

I disble them in GWX panel but the message pops up again

[Rosco T.]

56. means they keep sticking it back in

[killbotfactory]

49. The way modern exploits work, you should want the system auto updated.

That's how all smartphones work. I know Microsoft lost a lot of trust for legitimate reasons, but the way win10 updates in theory is a good idea. If you don't update, you are vulnerable. You can always run Linux if it rubs you the wrong way.

[B Calm]

54. I'm on dish internet and limited to 5 GB per month. I keep getting the message to download

Windows 10, but this one single download is over 5 GB. Not that I want windows 10 because I'm happy with 7, but I'll be damn if I'm going to use a whole month of downloads and only get part of one download.