What date is good for you?
Maybe an option would be to set the date time so far into the future it wouldn't matter?
According to a complaint from a reader, Microsoft’s Windows 10 nagware campaign has entered a new phase, with options to evade or escape an upgrade vanishing. Recently, Microsoft’s policy had been to throw up a dialogue box asking you whether you wanted to install Windows 10. If you clicked the red “X” to close the box – the …
Would a spare $90k fix it?
"No, Thursday's out. How about never? Is never good for you?".
Having also had a family member fall victim to this, I can confirm that you can set the scheduled date to one of the next five days that Microsoft ever so helpfully limit you to selecting.
So, you can have Windows 10 now or anytime in the next five days ... love that MS have given me such a wide ranging choice of dates so far into the future :(
I have a laptop and a desktop both awaiting some TLC from me, but I haven't bothered to even turn them on since all this malarky kicked off. I'll turn them on when the danger's passed.
If they still fuck me about after that they're getting Linux (along with the other systems I've switched over since I couldn't afford to let them stew).
Hopefully, with AMD and Vulcan and HTC Vive all creating the perfect gaming storm that Linux has been awaiting all these years, I will only ever need Windows to do work-related stuff - which is on a work laptop and I couldn't give a stuff what they use on that. If it borks due to Win10 updates then I'm still billing for my time whilst I await a replacement - I can live with that :)
" but I haven't bothered to even turn them on since all this malarky kicked off. I'll turn them on when the danger's passed."
Given the way MS is forcing this, it will probably decide to upgrade NOW, no arguments or alternatively they will keep postponing the drop dead date out until they've achieved the update goal.
Probably both.
Windows - to do work related stuff? I may be out of line here, since I don't know what sort of work you do, but:-
1 Have you checked out Linux equivalents to Win software? Things have moved very fast in the last couple of years, and excellent (and free) Linux software is available for most of the common applications.
2 If you absolutely have to use Win software, a Linux host plus (say) VirtualBox and a virtual copy of Win 7 should do the trick. Of course, it is still essential to GWX the system, just as you would with Win as a primary OS. Alternatively, disable updates and disable internet access (no more Win 10 nags) and feed data in and out through the host. With a stable virtual Win up and running, you do not need "security" updates anyway.
Honestly, nobody actually NEEDS Microsoft for anything any more. All it takes is a little courage to cut the ties and set yourself free.
Linux makes for a slow desktop (graphics still laggy unless you happen to have just the right video card with the OEM driver).
I can't ever see Overwatch, or any PC game, getting ported to Linux world.
In short, Linux could make a case for business desktop, but a gaming desktop-nope.
> And unless VM support for DX12 comes along, I don't trust virtualizing a gaming rig with a Steam collection that's Windows-only and VM- and WINE-unfriendly.
Not saying it's necessarily the right solution for you, but one option would be to do something like this
Edit - making link clicky
So, you can have Windows 10 now or anytime in the next five days ... love that MS have given me such a wide ranging choice of dates so far into the future :(
I don't have to deal with this particular headache (and let me say I've never been so glad to by a Linux user), but knowing the way Microsoft operates it seems likely that the date is set somewhere in the registry. Set it 5 days out to give yourself plenty of time to work then fire up regedit and find the date and change it. January 1, 3016 (Or in the unlikely event that it's a 32 bit system Jan 20, 2038) should give you plenty of time before the machine updates.
Of course that's a complete guess and could be completely wrong. I don't have a Windows 7 box threatening to update without permission to check it on.
I posted this on another Win10 topic and I'll drop it here.... we are not alone in our being pissed off.
And then this past weekend I read that the Chinese are really pissed with the MS tactics and the problems with Win10...
http://fortune.com/2016/05/28/china-microsoft-windows-10-upgrade/
Sent the link to El Reg but so far it seems to have been ignored.
Only because most copies of windows in China are stolen and they are upset that they will have to pay for something they have been using illegally for free.
Lawsuits?
yes sir, i wish to sue microsoft for trying to upgrade the illegal copy of their software i have....
Or make a few registry edits:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"DisableOSUpgrade"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GWX]
"DisableGWX"=dword:00000001
[HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\OSUpgrade]
"ReservationsAllowed"=dword:00000000
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"DisableOSUpgrade"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GWX]
"DisableGWX"=dword:00000001
[HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\OSUpgrade]
"ReservationsAllowed"=dword:00000000
Next week you'll be needing to add
[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"TotallyBlockOSUpgradeAndIMeanIt"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GWX]
"GWXGoDieInAFire"=dword:00000001
There's a decent batch of updates to kill on the PC Master Race subreddit as well https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3g7hr0/removing_telemetry_from_windows_7_and_8x/
But even after disabling/removing bad updates, you will still want to reality check any new updates before installing. I've seen a couple magically reappear after hiding them so they don't get inadvertantly installed
I have GWX/CP on board and tried never10 (but it coincided with an email client problem so I sys-restored out) but I don't expect this to be the last Microsoft strong arm tactic.
Just in case, all Windows/Microsoft updates have been disabled until August. That should do it.
Its getting to the point where it would be better for the world if Microsoft went the same way as Nokia.
So far, so much for code YOU DON'T OWN.
[This HAS TO BE a mistake]. Support Legally until End Of Life of The Product. Microsoft has been in compliment of this forever. You can take a an Win2K WS Frisbee and use it [unplugged of course] as long as you wish.
Are WE into FUD mode?
What I'm wondering is why it says "Legal" at the bottom of their pwnership notice :-|
Is it an abbreviation for "Illegal" ...in much the same way as little red crosses are now an abbreviation for "oooh yes, please erase 'my' OS and a tranche of my applications from 'my' computer and replace it all with that gimped fucking malware you can't even give away"?
Or is it just raw sarcasm?
"...the option to re-schedule a chosen upgrade time once you’ve confirmed it..."
Total change amounts to suppressing abort once committed. Also to suppressing additional rescheduling. So be careful. NOT COMMITTING TO THE UPDATE, to begin with...
THIS COMMITTING, as far as I legally understand, has to come from an ADMINISTRATIVE account, in order to protect the elder, younger, digitally challenged.