“Microsoft continues to go overboard to push Windows 10 updates,” Gene Steinberg writes for The Tech Night Oowl. “Indeed, the approach might be regarded as of questionable legality, approaching that of spyware. So loads of Windows use[r]s are complaining that Microsoft evidently pushed downloads on their PC, in the background, without their approval. On some occasions, the update was even installed without an OK of some sort.”
“One Windows evangelist recently reported that Microsoft had pulled a fast one with a common user interface object. So on clicking the “X” of an information dialog, the act was taken as approving the Windows 10 upgrade,” Steinberg writes. “This is a clear reversal of the usual convention, where the ‘X’ dismisses a dialog rather than approve a positive action. It’s even documented somewhere so Microsoft can say, ‘see we already told you about it.'”
“Microsoft’s forced upgrade scheme got so bad that some people who run businesses have watched their PCs undergo a Windows 10 upgrade while they are trying to do real work,” Steinberg writes. “One published report told the tale of a small businessperson who sued Microsoft and got an award of $10,000 in damages as the result of the negative impact of an unwanted upgrade. Microsoft evidently decided not to appeal, and they would no doubt prefer to bury such news. I just wonder how many many other lawsuits have been filed as the result of this unsavory practice.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Beleaguered Microsoft’s desperation is delicious! At this late date, if the Windows sufferers haven’t learned their lesson by now, they deserve to wallow in their misery.
An upside-down and backwards Mac isn’t a Mac. Get a real Mac.
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s OS X El Capitan vs. Microsoft’s Windows 10: A tale of two upgrades – May 31, 2016
Microsoft makes Windows 10 automatic spying even worse – November 30, 2015
Microsoft admits Windows 10 automatic spying cannot be stopped – November 3, 2015
Privacy activists alarmed: Even when told not to, Windows 10 won’t stop phoning home to Microsoft – August 13, 2015
Beleaguered Microsoft’s Windows 9… er, ’10’ is more like Apple’s OS X than ever before – July 29, 2015
Where’s that Dell guy when you need him?
He needs to buy out Microsoft so they burn it in a bonfire and burn the place down!
Interesting my Partner has suffered this with older OS so this is not new. She too has been forced to give up work for up to an hour as enforced ‘upgrades’ took place especially at start up. On one occasion the ‘upgrade’ bricked her computer so she was unable to connect to the internet for 2 days while she got it fixed. Going back to a previous state had no effect by the way, the computer would have none of her attempts to override.
I wonder if there are trolls calling for their leader’s head for such behaviour. Too busy on this forum no doubt.
Do you mean that reinstalling a clone would not allow the machine to run ???
That would mean they are forcing firmware/bios updates without warning that would then deliberately force a user to never go back to a previous OS version.
Pitiful.
It gets even worse when you had auto-logon switched on 4 years ago and it reboots in W10 asking for that password… If your drive is unencrypted you can hack it using Linux and restore a registry key. Encrypted? Kiss your files goodbye.
Well, If you are forced to use this OS, I’m sure you want this thing to be patched, no matter what. As far as selective updates, most users wouldn’t know whether it is a good or bad update. The sad part is patches come every month like clockwork.
“I’m sure you want this thing to be patched … ”
There are sensitive, serial # license controlled applications ($5000 & up) in the Windows world which don’t run on Win10 yet. A forced update means your expensive software could possibly no longer work, depending on whether the application vendor is ready or not.
Very true. I was referring to Windows 10 updates on installed OS only. There is a way around the so called ‘forced update’ All you need to do is click the schedule later or turn off dialog, once it appears and you will not be forced to update.
My neighbor just went through this…
He has an old HP laptop he bought from the local elementary school. It *barely* runs Vista and it upgraded itself to Windows 10.
Now his sound does not work as there is some driver issue. I told him if that is all that is broken then he had a pretty damn clean “upgrade” by MS standards. haha
If we are talking about Windows Vista, it should not have upgraded or prompted to upgrade.
Based on my experience, the problems are showing up on older hardware with older drivers etc, where unsigned drivers and 32bit installs, don’t make the cut. It sounds as if the upgrade happens without proper vetting of the current system.
Bad news no matter how you look at it.
He may have been on Windows 7, I just know the POS had Vista stickers on it from the factory.
At the same time Apple needs to provide more viable products for the pro market and not over-designed minimalist expensive trinkets few want that take us back inside of forward. Or using radical designs (just because you’re Apple) in search of a problem that doesn’t or didn’t exist. Let’s hope they’re listening but time is running out. And in many cases has already run out.
Seems like the only good PC is one not connected to the Internet. I see a Windows app solution that blocks Microsoft action to do anything unless getting unambiguous user approval. Something built-in to macOS.
Apple neglect of the true pro market it bewildering and dengerouse for their reputation..
They should shine in this segment ..not for direct dollars and cents profit but for estabilishing a solid top notch reputation for their computer engineering and software prowess.
And enjoy the halo effect on all their products.
By he same tocken their neglect of kids mindshare is a huge mistake as well … This is where seriouse gaming and customization come in the pic.
Kids prefer the pc as a gaming platform.. They spend hours on windows sys.. And naturally grow more accustomed to it than their mac or macos .
Next neglect.. Schools… They are loosing ground in this space as well.
If i were Tim the Above would be on my A list of priorities.
Agreed.
M$ is picking up users in the very segments Apple should outright dominate.
The ‘surface’ tablet is now only a few points behind the vaunted iPad in customer satisfaction ratings, and it’s no longer uncool for pros to sport one in public. The new guy at M$ has turned the barge around and is giving Apple serious competition for a change.
Calling a device ‘pro’ but keeping all of the consumer restrictions intact is not logical and though I’m sure a few will find it satisfactory it’s still a giant pain to use as a pro tool.
Certainly, this year’s WWDC did bring some much needed improvements in some areas (see below) but it’s far too little and far too late. Time has already run out for Apple in the pro space and I don’t believe they care.
https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2016/505/
Almost happen to my new work PC. Luckily I noticed the downloading occurring and was able to stop it. The language in the window was cryptic enough that the average person would not realize what had happened. Even the IT guys weren’t aware of this behavior.
Don’t you mean the IT guys knew about and let it happen anyway?
I predict that within a year M$ will have a solution to all the bad publicity that Window$ 10 generates; it will be called Windows (or Win) OS. A new publicity campaign will ensue praising the attributes of Win OS, and denials by senior programmers that Windows 10 was based on Borg technology. /s. 🖖😀⌚️
How desperate can you be and how shitty can your product be when you have to FORCE somebody to take your “UPGRADE” for FREE and they STILL will not take it?
That is pathetic beyond belief even by M$ standards.
Hey Microsoft: You know that bitter taste in your throat that is kind of wrapped around your uvula? That’s what’s left of your pride.
Microsoft was sued in the past for Internet explorer monopoly practices and was ordered to pay 1 million dollars for every day they don’t give the user the option to install other browsers. Microsoft decided to pay that Million dollar every day and keep forcing internet explorer to every user. So now with Windows 10 force upgrade, I think they will prefer to pay the 10 thousand dollars instead to stop bothering people with an upgrade they don’t want.
What strikes me more is how big the escandal in the media was when Apple gave for free the U2 album that was very easy to remove with out causing any damages and now with Microsoft, the media does not see it as a big deal.
Anybody else see similarities in media coverage between MicroSloth and, as someone here has put it, the pantsuit succubus?
Someday in the future…while surfing the Internet; suddenly the screen goes blank and then the following message appears: “It has been determined that your computer is using one of following inferior OSs, UNIX, Linix, Mac, Android. You will be upgraded. Resistance is futile. All your applications will be upgraded, your credit card will be charged. Resistance is futile. Starting upgrade to WinBorg OS…/s 🖖😀⌚️
In theory if the IT department knows what they’re doing, they can suppress the update by using group policy. Not much comfort for the idiots who buy home editions of Windows for business use!
sounds like the last few uodates to ios9
Read the EULA’s, folks. Microsoft owns the OS, not the LUsers. They only leased the product from Microsoft and never really owned it. And Microsoft states perfectly well that they can go in at any time and take the OS back on any system their product is “sitting” on. They also have distributed cease and desist letters to those who refuse to pay the renewal fees. I know. A company I used to work for got them. The company no longer exists. The IT manager refused to pay and removed all licensed copies from machines and went Mac – too late. Company got “absorbed”.
Resistance is futile… 🖖😀⌚️