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Reminder that Microsoft installed adware on Windows 7/8 machines to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 10. Even if you hid the update from Windows Update, th

Reminder that Microsoft installed adware on Windows 7/8 machines to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 10. Even if you hid the update from Windows Update, they un-hid it and reinstalled at least once that I know of. Don't reward this behavior by buying Windows 10. Or at least delay the purchase as long as possible.

pennaMan 11y ago
So they pushed an alert to everyone to upgrade? If it were like on os x where you already have the software installed and that software gives an alert to upgrade would it have been fine? I don't see how giving users a heads up to update is considered adware. Maybe a slippery slope at worse.
wfunction 11y ago
> Reminder that Microsoft installed adware on Windows 7/8 machines to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 10. Because Linux distributions like Ubuntu never ever encourage you to upgrade your system to the newest and shiniest version, right?
- deciplex 11y ago
  They stop doing it when I tell them to knock it off, and they don't creep back in and do it again after a few months, either. The update responsible for the notification, even after I removed it and hid the update within WU, found its way back after MS released an 'update' to the package with the totally unintended, honest! side effect of unhiding the package and reinstalling it.
  - wfunction 11y ago
    > They stop doing it when I tell them to knock it off Oh, I wish what you said was true. It's funny because they didn't do that when I was on an older version of Ubuntu (11? 12? I forget). It just kept popping up and telling me to update no matter what I did. Stuff like this: http://askubuntu.com/q/218755 http://askubuntu.com/q/218755
grimman 11y ago
> Don't reward this behavior by buying Windows 10. Or at least delay the purchase as long as possible. There's no buying if you've already got a valid Windows 7/8 license; it's a free upgrade. And as long as it's optional, I don't mind this instance of a notification for a very generous offer (at least generous in terms of regular Microsoft pricing).
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
golergka 11y ago
Living in a world where a lot of users enable global cyber-security threats by disabling their software update system, I would really love to reward this behaviour.
0xffffabcd 11y ago
Upgrade notification is now adware? are you serious? You don't even have to pay for the upgrade and you'll have a lot to gain from it and for us developers, it's a good thing aswell since it might reduce the number of old IEs/plateforms we have to support. I expected more from an HN user..
- frou_dh 11y ago
  Is it a "notification" or a longterm limpet on the hull? I looked at a relative's W7 machine and there was a promotional application ("GWX" - Get Windows X?) running permanently with no apparent way to decline its offer or uninstall it.
  - 0xffffabcd 11y ago
    There is a way to uninstall it by removing update kb3035583
- batou 11y ago
  It's only a notification until you can't turn it off. It's incredibly difficult to get rid of it on a non-domain attached windows 8.1 machine.
  - 0xffffabcd 11y ago
    For me it was an icon next to the clock. Once I reserved my upgrade I just hid it in the action center and it never popped again.
    - batou 11y ago
      It's still there and running though. That's like you know there's a hissing cockroach living under the sink but you just close the door and stick your fingers in your ears.
      - 0xffffabcd 11y ago
        The other option is to remove kb3035583
gambiting 11y ago
It's no different than Windows Update telling you that there is a new update available, except that this time it's an update of the entire operating system to a new version. Calling it "adware" is a stretch of a largest magnitude.
LocalPCGuy 11y ago
It isn't AdWare...sheesh. It's a notification from a vendor you "trust" (I say trust because if you are using their OS, there is some measure of trust).
- dade_ 11y ago
  It also does a system check and confirms for the user that their system supports Windows 10 so it actually does something of value for a user.

pennaMan 11y ago

So they pushed an alert to everyone to upgrade? If it were like on os x where you already have the software installed and that software gives an alert to upgrade would it have been fine? I don't see how giving users a heads up to update is considered adware. Maybe a slippery slope at worse.

wfunction 11y ago

> Reminder that Microsoft installed adware on Windows 7/8 machines to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 10. Because Linux distributions like Ubuntu never ever encourage you to upgrade your system to the newest and shiniest version, right?

deciplex 11y ago
They stop doing it when I tell them to knock it off, and they don't creep back in and do it again after a few months, either. The update responsible for the notification, even after I removed it and hid the update within WU, found its way back after MS released an 'update' to the package with the totally unintended, honest! side effect of unhiding the package and reinstalling it.
- wfunction 11y ago
  > They stop doing it when I tell them to knock it off Oh, I wish what you said was true. It's funny because they didn't do that when I was on an older version of Ubuntu (11? 12? I forget). It just kept popping up and telling me to update no matter what I did. Stuff like this: http://askubuntu.com/q/218755 http://askubuntu.com/q/218755

grimman 11y ago

> Don't reward this behavior by buying Windows 10. Or at least delay the purchase as long as possible. There's no buying if you've already got a valid Windows 7/8 license; it's a free upgrade. And as long as it's optional, I don't mind this instance of a notification for a very generous offer (at least generous in terms of regular Microsoft pricing).

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

golergka 11y ago

Living in a world where a lot of users enable global cyber-security threats by disabling their software update system, I would really love to reward this behaviour.

0xffffabcd 11y ago

Upgrade notification is now adware? are you serious? You don't even have to pay for the upgrade and you'll have a lot to gain from it and for us developers, it's a good thing aswell since it might reduce the number of old IEs/plateforms we have to support. I expected more from an HN user..

frou_dh 11y ago
Is it a "notification" or a longterm limpet on the hull? I looked at a relative's W7 machine and there was a promotional application ("GWX" - Get Windows X?) running permanently with no apparent way to decline its offer or uninstall it.
- 0xffffabcd 11y ago
  There is a way to uninstall it by removing update kb3035583
batou 11y ago
It's only a notification until you can't turn it off. It's incredibly difficult to get rid of it on a non-domain attached windows 8.1 machine.
- 0xffffabcd 11y ago
  For me it was an icon next to the clock. Once I reserved my upgrade I just hid it in the action center and it never popped again.
  - batou 11y ago
    It's still there and running though. That's like you know there's a hissing cockroach living under the sink but you just close the door and stick your fingers in your ears.
    - 0xffffabcd 11y ago
      The other option is to remove kb3035583

gambiting 11y ago

It's no different than Windows Update telling you that there is a new update available, except that this time it's an update of the entire operating system to a new version. Calling it "adware" is a stretch of a largest magnitude.

LocalPCGuy 11y ago

It isn't AdWare...sheesh. It's a notification from a vendor you "trust" (I say trust because if you are using their OS, there is some measure of trust).

dade_ 11y ago
It also does a system check and confirms for the user that their system supports Windows 10 so it actually does something of value for a user.