Microsoft silently preparing your PC for Win 10

[Lady Fitzgerald]

This is what Ed Bott has to say about the matter:

I've seen a handful of people trying to spin this update process as a sneaky move on Microsoft's part, but I have a hard time seeing this as adware. It is, instead, perfectly targeted advertising, offering a free upgrade to a product currently running on the system where the ad is being displayed.

There are no hidden costs (aside from those incurred by the download itself) and the upgrade isn't going to be installed without your explicit consent. It can't, because there's at least one license agreement (and probably several) you're going to have to click through.

Get Windows 10: Microsoft's hidden roadmap for the biggest software upgrade in history | ZDNet

As a spin doctor, Bott would make a better plumber (or shyster lawyer). Software—in this case, delivered as updates—that provides targeted advertising is exactly what adware is. Yeesh!

As far as Win 10 not being installed without our explicit consent goes, M$ is already installing potential adware (the updates) on our computers without telling us exactly what it is, which is the same as doing so without our explicit consent. M$ already tricks people into signing up for M$ accounts when first installing Win 8.x by burying the option to decline where someone who doesn't know to look for it will normally ever find it. Based on what it has been doing on the sly lately, I would not be surprised to see M$ sneaking in an upgrade to Win 10 in the same way.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

There is a quote here from someone to the effect that " a handful of people trying to spin this update process as a sneaky move on Microsoft's part". Nice words, 'spin' and all that!

Anyone is entitled to use whatever euphemism one likes. As far as I am concerned these updates that are being sneaked in, some even as "Important", which are not necessary to the proper functioning of Windows 7, or even W 8 for that matter, is a sneaky and underhand activity by Microsoft.

Thank you,

I think Ed Bott was referring to his peers in the press. Not people like you and me. And the press people always 'spin' things. Think on this one idiot on Fox - I forgot his name.

They are all idiots on FOX; take your pick.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yea it's better to live in a msnbc cave and everything is wonderful

 

[gregrocker]

Microsoft think of your health...training your wrists and fingers to cartoons you through the doors.

At least its not walls!

Spose to be windows.

Speaking of which: Aero borders!

 

[NoN]

I have nothing to hide and do not mind signing to the M$ account. I'm just horrified of the process underneath that matter, processes to go through for a single system error to repair. Better type right away the right things at the right moment, before flow at peak deep, nowadays.

 

[whs]

Hardware is only not compatible because M$ is stuck in the mobile first world adding new Unneeded hyper state crapware
Otherwise it in general works well,
But M$ doesn't care about desktops as far as I can tell otherwise M$ would do away with these new features when a battery is not needed to run it
Instant Go kill it like a rabid dog.

That Instant Go took me a month to figure out. There was very little info on the web. So I decided to create my own info.

Instant Go and Device Encryption is a typical MS deal shoving something down your throat without asking. It encrypts fully automatically and you have no option to avoid it. The result is that you have no more access to your BIOS and some programs do not work any more.

I encountered that first on a small Asus X205 laptop and then on a T100 Transformer. After I figured out how to decrypt the thing I discovered that it left damage behind. Somewhere there is a bit that marks the disk as formerly encrypted which some programs interpret as dynamic disk. If I knew where that bit resides, I would get rid of it with a hex editor.

I am not saying that device encryption for Instant Go devices is a useless function - especially for those guys who have the habit of losing their gear on the beach. But it should be optional for people like me who do not have the habit of losing their stuff. Especially since I always am set for automatic logon with netplwiz which makes the whole encryption useless.

 

[NoN]

I will have a look at the create "my own info" you made...I haven't see any issues yet on the hybrid tablet i am used to check for a close friend of mine with the encrypted drive enabled, saw that straight away on it because it had been asked to me to start it for her the day she bought it. looks interesting infos, thanks much.

 

[ThrashZone]

Microsoft think of your health...training your wrists and fingers to cartoons you through the doors.

At least its not walls!

Spose to be windows.

Speaking of which: Aero borders!

Narr but getting closer Opacity is not aero

 

[NoN]

Microsoft think of your health...training your wrists and fingers to cartoons you through the doors.

At least its not walls!

Spose to be windows.

Speaking of which: Aero borders!

Narr but getting closer Opacity is not aero

:roflmao:

 

[ThrashZone]

lol yea windows glass is complicated

 

[lehnerus2000]

Actually it's not just about prepping your system for windows 10. A couple of the updates have specifically said they are for collecting data and sending back to MS.

I suspected that after this:

It talks to someone somewhere on the Internet too.

I was playing around with my W7 Network Manager (disabled and enabled my NIC) and I had Process Explorer open.
When I enabled my NIC, Process Explorer showed that "GWX.exe" started "talking" via my Network.

Think on this one idiot on Fox - I forgot his name.

Only one?

I don't like having to use a mouse to toss the Lock Screen up, then put in my password.

You can just press the "Enter" key.

It's like a cartoon where there are a dozen doors to get through.

Not quite as bad as the space shuttle in the movie "Lifeforce".

 

[FerchogtX]

LOL, looking at this thread, makes me be grateful for just looking for critical security patches and not having WU enabled...

 

[Jesse Williams]

Anyone know how I can get the "Windows 10 Technical Preview is ready" off of my notifications center from the windows updates notifications?

 

[gregrocker]

Right click to hide any Update.

 

[Jesse Williams]

Greg, I did that. But, it's still coming back.

 

[gregrocker]

That's annoying. Reboot, Check for Updates again, right click it to try hiding again.

 

[Jesse Williams]

Okay. I will try.

 

[Jesse Williams]

It's still saying "Windows 10 Technical Preview is ready" in the notification center.

 

[Jesse Williams]

After hiding the balloon, it still shows up.

 

[Jesse Williams]

I have reset the notifications center. Maybe, that will fix it.