Beware KB3139929

[Sky Ranch]

I think you need KB3123862 installed in addition to KB3146449 via the IE11 security update to get the banner to pop up when opening a new tab. I'm guessing Woody's problem in replicating the behavior is not having W10-related KB3123862 installed, which appeared sometime last week, and what I assume was consequently hidden.

So, even if you downloaded the IE11 cumulative update it won't trigger the banner when opening a new tab.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've been looking high and low for a screenshot of this phenomenon. Lots of people have sent me pictures of msn.com throwing up (I use the term intentionally) a "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10" ad. But msn.com has been running those forever.

I tried installing KB 3123862, as you recommend, and haven't seen an ad on a new tab yet.

I asked Microsoft about it and got the usual "we have nothing further to say" response. Not unexpected.

I'm still looking! Please, if any of you see a "Get Windows 10" ad on a new tab, shoot a picture.

I'm wondering if the sequence of installing KB3123862 and IE11 Cumulative Security update with the attached KB3146449 may have something to do whether users get this mysterious blue banner.

Perhaps when initiating Window Update, it scans and checks to see if KB3123862 is already installed, and if present it selectively includes KB3146449 as part of the IE11 Cumulative update.

I guess the only way of testing this theory would be to uninstall this month's IE11 Cumulative update and then manually check again for Windows Update with KB3123862 already installed.

P.S. Thanks for taking on the role of guinea pig on behalf of all of us who are not ready to upgrade to W10.

 

[Viscon]

I think you need KB3123862 installed in addition to KB3146449 via the IE11 security update to get the banner to pop up when opening a new tab. I'm guessing Woody's problem in replicating the behavior is not having W10-related KB3123862 installed, which appeared sometime last week, and what I assume was consequently hidden.

So, even if you downloaded the IE11 cumulative update it won't trigger the banner when opening a new tab.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've been looking high and low for a screenshot of this phenomenon. Lots of people have sent me pictures of msn.com throwing up (I use the term intentionally) a "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10" ad. But msn.com has been running those forever.

I tried installing KB 3123862, as you recommend, and haven't seen an ad on a new tab yet.

I asked Microsoft about it and got the usual "we have nothing further to say" response. Not unexpected.

I'm still looking! Please, if any of you see a "Get Windows 10" ad on a new tab, shoot a picture.

I'm wondering if the sequence of installing KB3123862 and IE11 Cumulative Security update with the attached KB3146449 may have something to do whether users get this mysterious blue banner.

Perhaps when initiating Window Update, it scans and checks to see if KB3123862 is already installed, and if present it selectively includes KB3146449 as part of the IE11 Cumulative update.

I guess the only way of testing this theory would be to uninstall this month's IE11 Cumulative update and then manually check again for Windows Update with KB3123862 already installed.

P.S. Thanks for taking on the role of guinea pig on behalf of all of us who are not ready to upgrade to W10.

This might be actually true since I haven't installed KB3123862 and there's no trace of KB3146449 in my system either. Looks like IE11 cumulative didn't trigger KB3146449 adware here.

 

[Ranger4]

Having read this Thread, I decided to check whether I had the GWX folder back in my System 32 section in Windows & sure enough it is there again.

The worrying part this time is that you can't delete it as it's locked & "You need permission to perform this action."

I have deleted the GWX settings in the Registry & have run the 10 Forum suggestion as well & the GWX folder still can't be deleted.

It was installed on the 24 Feb & is the latest KB3035583. I will uninstall that again & hide it when it comes back.

Update.

After installing KB3035583, rebooting & then checking for Updates again it reappeared so I have hidden it again & lo & behold the GWX folder in Windows, System 32 has disappeared.

 

[Callender]

I'm beginning to think the culprit of this is KB3123862. The files it replaces are things like explorerframe.dll and shell32.dll. There has been no clear explanation on what it actually does and nobody seems to know.
I've installed all the latest updates including the IE11 updates and used IE (for the first time in years) and I don't see any Windows 10 banner. But I have skipped KB3123862.
Anyone else have that update installed? /QUOTE]

I don't have KB3123862

​

However I'm still offered KB3139929 although I did not install it.

 

[Seffrid]

Callendar, I don't believe the theory is that you'll only have KB3139929 offered if you already have KB3123862 installed, rather that KB3139929 will only activate the W10 banner if you also have KB3123862 installed.

 

[Callender]

Callendar, I don't believe the theory is that you'll only have KB3139929 offered if you already have KB3123862 installed, rather that KB3139929 will only activate the W10 banner if you also have KB3123862 installed.

Thanks for the explanation. I don't see that banner. There's some mention of it here:

Ultimate Outsider: GWX Control Panel Troubleshooting Guide

(Scroll down the page)

Some Microsoft sites (most notably MSN.com) have been displaying some very annoying advertisements for Windows 10 inside desktop web browsers for some time. I've seen the ads take two forms: A banner at the top of the browser window, and an even more annoying blue pop-over ad that you have to dismiss in order to see the web page underneath. Both ads say "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10."

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Callendar, I don't believe the theory is that you'll only have KB3139929 offered if you already have KB3123862 installed, rather that KB3139929 will only activate the W10 banner if you also have KB3123862 installed.

Thanks for the explanation. I don't see that banner. There's some mention of it here:

Ultimate Outsider: GWX Control Panel Troubleshooting Guide

(Scroll down the page)

Some Microsoft sites (most notably MSN.com) have been displaying some very annoying advertisements for Windows 10 inside desktop web browsers for some time. I've seen the ads take two forms: A banner at the top of the browser window, and an even more annoying blue pop-over ad that you have to dismiss in order to see the web page underneath. Both ads say "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10."

Could you quote that? I couldn't find it.

 

[Callender]

If you visit that link and use Ctrl+F in your browser to open the find dialog box you can probably find it by pasting the text:

Some Microsoft sites

Into the dialog box.

I'll quote it anyway!

From the article: Ultimate Outsider: GWX Control Panel Troubleshooting Guide

I USED GWX CONTROL PANEL BUT I'M STILL SEEING ADS FOR WINDOWS 10 IN MY WEB BROWSER
Some Microsoft sites (most notably MSN.com) have been displaying some very annoying advertisements for Windows 10 inside desktop web browsers for some time. I've seen the ads take two forms: A banner at the top of the browser window, and an even more annoying blue pop-over ad that you have to dismiss in order to see the web page underneath. Both ads say "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10."

As of version 1.7, GWX Control Panel does not yet have a way to prevent this, since the program focuses on system-wide Windows settings, not content delivered to your web browser. I am currently investigating whether there's a safe, non-invasive way to stop these ads, but I don't know yet whether it will be possible to fix with GWX Control Panel. For now, I recommend just avoiding MSN or any other Microsoft site that delivers the ads. (Change your browser start page if you're currently defaulting to MSN.)

Here are both types of ads I've seen at MSN:

GWX Control Panel is not yet able to inhibit the "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10" banner ads in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc. but this ability might appear in a future release.

This is another example of the annoying MSN "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10" ads that GWX Control Panel does not (yet) fix. Investigation on how to stop this behavior is ongoing.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

If you visit that link and use Ctrl+F in your browser to open the find dialog box you can probably find it by pasting the text:

Some Microsoft sites

Into the dialog box.

I'll quote it anyway!

From the article: Ultimate Outsider: GWX Control Panel Troubleshooting Guide

I USED GWX CONTROL PANEL BUT I'M STILL SEEING ADS FOR WINDOWS 10 IN MY WEB BROWSER
Some Microsoft sites (most notably MSN.com) have been displaying some very annoying advertisements for Windows 10 inside desktop web browsers for some time. I've seen the ads take two forms: A banner at the top of the browser window, and an even more annoying blue pop-over ad that you have to dismiss in order to see the web page underneath. Both ads say "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10."

As of version 1.7, GWX Control Panel does not yet have a way to prevent this, since the program focuses on system-wide Windows settings, not content delivered to your web browser. I am currently investigating whether there's a safe, non-invasive way to stop these ads, but I don't know yet whether it will be possible to fix with GWX Control Panel. For now, I recommend just avoiding MSN or any other Microsoft site that delivers the ads. (Change your browser start page if you're currently defaulting to MSN.)

Here are both types of ads I've seen at MSN:

​

GWX Control Panel is not yet able to inhibit the "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10" banner ads in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc. but this ability might appear in a future release.

​

This is another example of the annoying MSN "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10" ads that GWX Control Panel does not (yet) fix. Investigation on how to stop this behavior is ongoing.

Thank you!

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Well, that is a new low for Microsoft What a bunch of miserable, misbegotten, "jerks" (I have much better terms but Mama told me not to use those words and forum rules forbid them)

Looks like the Thought Police has struck. Nothing was misspelled; Nigel just doesn't like my spelling of Microsoft.

Stop bleating Debbie.

Stop your braying.

 

[CarlSD]

Haven't seen any Windows 10 ads on MSN in Firefox yet. Just had a look now.

Probably blocked by my combination of NoScript and AdBlock Plus. Good.

(Of course I don't have any of the W10 nag or telemetry updates installed, that probably helps as well).

 

[Brds7t7]

Haven't seen any Windows 10 ads on MSN in Firefox yet. Just had a look now.

Probably blocked by my combination of NoScript and AdBlock Plus. Good.

(Of course I don't have any of the W10 nag or telemetry updates installed, that probably helps as well).

I don't think you'll see those when using Firefox. These seem exclusive to IE after the patches were pushed out.
I'm glad I stopped using IE a few years ago, and I haven't browsed MSN in years. Another annoying and obnoxious tactic pushed by Microsoft to try and get people to upgrade.

 

[Brds7t7]

Okay my last comment was only partially correct. I did browse to MSN using Chrome with Adblock disabled and the popup did appear. Both AdBlock in Chrome and the IE popup blocker seem to stop the popup from appearing though.
It seems it's only the banner ad that is exclusive to the IE patch.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I pretty much knew it would by hiding kb3112343

Yes Mike but I don't think hiding updates works for very long because I have been "hiding" Silverlight and Skype ones now for the last year because I don't want them and also 3035533 often puts in an appearance getting in under the radar of "hiding" and yet the next time I check there is Silverlight and Skype again hence me giving up updating anything apart from my security etc

I know from the last list you have that you mentioned a while ago that there are far more updates than we actually realise are out there and just what do you trust anymore and to research each and every one that comes out is so tedious and time consuming. I take my hat off tho those who do that - must have the patience of Job.

 

[woodyleonhard]

The banner ad on msn.com (actually, there are two, as shown in Josh's GWX Control Panel shot) has been around for a long time - since last August, if memory serves.

This is a completely different, fully documented banner ad that's supposed to appear at the top of new IE tabs.

I still haven't seen it. Perhaps Microsoft saw the overwhelmingly negative response to sticking an ad generator inside a security patch, and decided they wouldn't activate it.

 

[Brds7t7]

All I can get to appear is this popup:



That only appears when turning off any browser popup blocker. I'm thinking both the IE security patch and KB3123862 need to be installed for the upper banner to appear. Can't say for certain though as I have no intention of installing that KB. Will try in a VM later and see if I can get it to appear.
The way MS is aggressively pushing 10, I'd be very surprised if they didn't choose to activate the banner ad.

 

[ThrashZone]

Pretty easy to change a home page and where a new tab opens too,
Internet explorer has always redirected to msn.com... after a new version is installed in another tab when you first start it.
That goes for Any Microsoft website too which again is not all that new.

If there is a new banner like the Favorites bar eventually just go to View and uncheck it :/
But like in outlook.com it might have just a "X" on the right end to click all the time to get rid of the adds

 

[kkehoe]

So I flashed up an old PC that had a clean load of a retail Win 7 Home DVD. Video drivers and .NET 4.6.1 were the only other things installed.

I updated it until it wouldn't update any more, including GWX, telemetry, interstellar currency/timezone updates, and whatever other junk Microsoft thinks we should have. No anti-Win 10 measures were implemented.

I confirmed IE was up to KB3139929, reset it to defaults, and changed the homepage to something neutral, aka non-Microsoft. New tabs opened with Bing search but no blue banner. I changed new tabs to open with a blank page - still no banner.

Interestingly, GWX told me that the machine could not be upgraded to Win 10 due to the video card and lack of RAM. I didn't disagree with that conclusion, although there had been a Win 10 preview installed at one time. I then uninstalled GWX and retried IE - still no banner.

Very strange that it seems impossible to make this banner appear!

Kevin

 

[Sky Ranch]

Methinks this phantom blue W10 banner when opening new tabs in Internet Explorer is a red herring. What started out as speculation somehow ended up turning into fact causing my paranoia getting the better of me.

 

[Callender]

Very strange that it seems impossible to make this banner appear!

Try visiting this page using IE:

MSN.com - Hotmail, Outlook, Skype, Bing, Latest News, Photos & Videos

Then open a new tab and paste this into the address bar:

http://www.msn.com/

Do you get the pop up?