Has Microsoft permanently damaged Windows 7?

[michael diemer]

I have been spending my time mostly on Vista and Zorin, avoiding Windows 7. With all the updates "preparing" our computers for W10, I have lost confidence in W7. I don't know which updates to uninstall. I know there is a thread on this, but it just keeps getting more complicated, leading me to fear that W7 may be hopelessly damaged. I am considering doing a System Restore to before these updates started, and then leaving it alone. but that might not work at this point. A system image may be needed. but then there would be security problems. So I'm leaning toward staying on Vista until 2017, and then leaving windows for good in favor of Linux. Am I crazy? Is it really this dire? Whatever the case, it's certainly depressing.

 

[strollin]

I have all of the updates installed on my Win 7 computer. Twice, a GWX folder showed up in my Windows\System32 folder which I renamed. My system is fine, not "damaged" and I don't get nagged to upgrade to Win 10.

 

[michael diemer]

Well, I'm happy for you, strollin. But I just have this sneaky suspicion that they are going to to do everything in their power to force people to W10, including messing up W7. Ms is just like Google and Yahoo. All they care about now is tracking you and selling your data to advertisers.

 

[sgage]

Well, of course the huge story right now is that MS is downloading Windows 10 to Windows 7 systems that did not in fact opt in. My first thought was 'the hysterical anti-MS fanbois are at it again'.

But guess what? I did not opt in/reserve a copy/whatever, and in fact uninstalled and hid the relevant updates, but today I find myself with a 3.4 GB folder full of the Win10 installation files. This is insane. This is beyond 'encouraging people to upgrade'. This is really going to bite MS on the ass, big time. And they were so close to getting some good feelings around Win10.

Who thought this was a good idea? Who signed off on this abomination? How are we supposed to trust MS if they pull stunts like this? Very bad move, very bad move... snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, as only MS can do.

 

[krc52]

Should one delete a GWX folder if we see it?

 

[michael diemer]

Unsolicited downloads...one hopes that this is a mistake, not what ms really intended....man, they must really be desperate if this the new game plan. I feel sorry for folks who aren't savvy enough to protect themselves from this kind of strong-arming.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I did not opt in/reserve a copy/whatever, and in fact uninstalled and hid the relevant updates, but today I find myself with a 3.4 GB folder full of the Win10 installation files. This is insane.

Sgage:

What's the name and location of that 3.4 GB folder? GWX in C:\Windows\System32? Or?

Do you have any insight into how or when those Win 10 installation files were downloaded?

I've tried to keep up with the list of Windows Update KBs that are supposedly related to Win 10, but I dread having to manage that list and prevent those updates for years into the future---particularly during a clean install.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Windows update settings are pretty straight forward and Optional software is just that optional but you do as we all have to research the optional/ recommended offerings before downloading and installing or you get what you don't research

So is it under handed not really if you understand what optional updates mean

If 1 is reclassified as important then that's another thing all together but that to is depending on the update settings
These have never shown a optional/ recommended update as important
View attachment 371238

 

[sgage]

I did not opt in/reserve a copy/whatever, and in fact uninstalled and hid the relevant updates, but today I find myself with a 3.4 GB folder full of the Win10 installation files. This is insane.

Sgage:

What's the name and location of that 3.4 GB folder? GWX in C:\Windows\System32? Or?

Do you have any insight into how or when those Win 10 installation files were downloaded?

I've tried to keep up with the list of Windows Update KBs that are supposedly related to Win 10, but I dread having to manage that list and prevent those updates for years into the future---particularly during a clean install.

The folder is named $Windows.~BT - the same as it always has been all through the Insider Program. First you'll see the folder created, and it quickly goes to around 160 MB. Then, even though data is pouring in, it goes to a temp folder where install.esd gets built, and then all of a sudden the ~BT folder goes to 3.4 GB or thereabouts.

I am not sure which of the updates triggers the download - this is a different thing from the 'make a reservation' updates. I'm sure we'll find out soon. I do know that people are hopping mad. Check out the comment section of this article:

Microsoft is downloading Windows 10 to your device, whether you've reserved it or not

 

[strollin]

I wonder why MS seems to only be downloading these Win 10 install files to certain machines? I have several Win 7 and Win 8.1 machines, all set to auto update, yet none of them have had the Win 10 install files downloaded. None of them show the multiple Win 10 install failures in Updates History. One of my Win 7 machines is powered on and connected to the 'net 24/7 so MS has had every opportunity to download the files to that machine, yet hasn't done it.

 

[sgage]

I wonder why MS seems to only be downloading these Win 10 install files to certain machines? I have several Win 7 and Win 8.1 machines, all set to auto update, yet none of them have had the Win 10 install files downloaded. None of them show the multiple Win 10 install failures in Updates History. One of my Win 7 machines is powered on and connected to the 'net 24/7 so MS has had every opportunity to download the files to that machine, yet hasn't done it.

Yes, there is a certain amount of mystery around the way this stuff gets pushed out. It seems to come out in waves. I was in the Insider Program (still am I supposed), and each time there was a new build, some people would get it right away, and some people wouldn't see it for days. So you may get it yet, or maybe there is some other parameter that we don't know about. Who knows!

 

[maxseven]

I read about the GWX thing but when I checked my computer there was no such directory and I've luckily set the Updates options as on the first page.

I thought this thread might be about the sfc problem where it no longer runs w/o error. Does anyone know if THAT little glitch has been fixed in an MS update yet?

 

[ThrashZone]

Apparently the fix for sfc errors was included in this update
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080149

 

[torchwood]

Whats even stranger is that I've set my WU to manual.
But MS is installing updates anyway, checked via events log.
I was merrily playing CandyCrush, ( NO comments please), lost internet thought whats going here.
WU had gone straight into restart mode to install updates

Roy

 

[NoelDP]

Whats even stranger is that I've set my WU to manual.
But MS is installing updates anyway, checked via events log.
I was merrily playing CandyCrush, ( NO comments please), lost internet thought whats going here.
WU had gone straight into restart mode to install updates

Roy

MS has always reserved the right to install updates without user intervention.
Tough

 

[sgage]

Whats even stranger is that I've set my WU to manual.
But MS is installing updates anyway, checked via events log.
I was merrily playing CandyCrush, ( NO comments please), lost internet thought whats going here.
WU had gone straight into restart mode to install updates

Roy

MS has always reserved the right to install updates without user intervention.
Tough

This is getting ridiculous. I have always reserved my right to not use Windows, and if MS keeps up this garbage, I will exercise that right. I've been dual-booting with Linux for over 15 years - it would not be a big yank for me to just say good-bye to Windows. As it is, my Windows partition is essentially a data partition. I do like the way Win7 looks and operates for the most part, and I really hope that MS will see the idiocy of gratuitously alienating people who would otherwise cheerfully use their product. Oh well.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Apparently the fix for sfc errors was included in this update
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080149

Which is a shame since that is one of the spyware (telemetry) from MSpy.

 

[torchwood]

Im not to worried about the fact they download em its the fact the've gone into auto restart which is more annoying.

Besides ive got 10 on another, why try and cripple me twice

Roy

 

[Alejandro85]

MS has always reserved the right to install updates without user intervention.
Tough

Software that does things without and specially against user choices is called malware and should NEVER be allowed to perform whatever action it plans to do. If the user choses not to install updates, then updates must never install, for no reason, unless the user explicitly choses to install them, that's simple. Every program must obey its user, no matter what, that's its reason to exists.

Microsoft, or anyone else, has NO right to install whatever they want into our computers, it's the user decision what to do with its computer, plain and simple. The fact that they've decided to deliver malware though Windows Update clearly shows that they don't care at all about its users.

 

[ThrashZone]

Apparently the fix for sfc errors was included in this update
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080149

Which is a shame since that is one of the spyware (telemetry) from MSpy.

Yes but the update is supposed to correct the sending of info if a user does not participate in CEIP.

But it just shows why early releases of Optional/ Recommended updates should be passed on until they mature and M$ fixes them
Confirming some updates cause more issues than they're supposed to fix.

Bandwidth belongs to me not M$ unless they would like to pay my AT&T U-Verse bill that is