in reply to OT: Sigh ... Windows 10

Hello roboticus,

<rant>

Yeah, this hits a sore spot for me at the moment. At home we have 2 boxes running Windows 8.1. Never really used Windows 7, and 8.1 is a big improvement over Vista; also I don’t use the UI; so 8.1 has been a big step up. Mostly.

Last November, Windows Update stopped working. I Googled and Googled, and — over the course of months — must have tried just about every recommended fix known to the Internet. Except reinstalling Windows, which I just couldn’t bring myself to do, as even a non-destructive reinstall would lose all my carefully installed applications.

Then, a bit over 3 weeks ago, Windows Update just started working again. Great! So I installed all the updates (except the Microsoft Office File Validation Add-in, which I distrust). The updates included KB3035583, which advertises itself within Windows Update as follows:

Install this update to resolve issues in Windows.

(See this useful site.) But it actually installs GWX.exe, the Windows 10 upgrader, which puts an icon in the system tray and periodically issues reminders to upgrade to Windows 10.

No problem, I thought, I can live with that. The box I use has Windows Updates set to “Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them.” But... I forgot about the other box, which was set to the default, “Install updates automatically.” Big mistake. A week ago today, out of the blue, we got an email from our ISP (wireless broadband) advising that we’d used a sizeable chunk of our monthly data quota. After much head scratching, it finally turned out that Windows Update, without being asked, had gone ahead and downloaded the Windows 10 upgrade — all 3 GB of it! — and then told us ... nothing. Only hours later did the message show up in Windows Update history: Windows 10 upgrade failed.

Anyway, reading the reviews, it seems that Windows 10 might be a significant improvement over Windows 8.1. Not that I'll be finding out, though. Luckily, before I allowed my box to upgrade to Windows 10, I stumbled across something: Apparently Windows 10 is going to *force* autoupdates--no compromises.

That was my reading too, and why I don’t currently intend to touch Windows 10 with the proverbial 10-foot pole. (Unless M$ changes its policy and guarantees that all updates will be optional.) In the meantime we’ve still got 6 days to go before our monthly download quota refreshes, and precious little data remaining. All for an upgrade that we didn’t want, didn’t ask for, didn’t authorise — and which didn’t even work, anyway (fortunately)!

Not happy, M$.

</rant>

Update: In case anyone else is in the same position, here’s what I’ve done:

Thanks for listening, :-)

Athanasius <°(((>< contra mundum Iustus alius egestas vitae, eros Piratica,

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^2: OT: Sigh ... Windows 10
by syphilis (Archbishop) on Aug 15, 2015 at 04:51 UTC
    it finally turned out that Windows Update, without being asked, had gone ahead and downloaded the Windows 10 upgrade

    On my Windows 7 machine, I've recently received an offer to upgrade to Windows 10 - in the form of a "Get Windows 10" box.
    There's a "Reserve your free upgrade" button sitting here, that I can press at any time - and I almost *did* press that button.
    After all, why wouldn't I want to reserve the right to upgrade to Windows 10 (for free) at some point in the future, if I so decide.

    However, upon careful reading of other information contained in the "Get Windows 10" box, I've concluded that button should really be saying "Download your free upgrade" - so I haven't pressed it yet.

    Are you sure Windows Update is to blame for your problem ?
    Or could someone have elected to start the download without realising that they were doing so ?

    The fine print of the offer that has turned up on my machine acknowledges that it's a 3GB download and that "internet access fees may apply".
    One would think (hope) that MS would not allow for automatic (unrequested) download of such a package - given that they're obviously aware that such a large download might be a problem for some users.

    Cheers,
    Rob
[reply]

      Hello syphilis,

      Or could someone have elected to start the download without realising that they were doing so ?

      No, I’m positively informed that no buttons were pressed, inadvertently or otherwise. In any case, if permission had been given, even by accident, wouldn’t there have been a message box to the effect that Windows 10 was being downloaded? There was no message of any kind.

      One would think (hope) that MS would not allow for automatic (unrequested) download of such a package...

      Just so. :-(

      Note: when we contacted our ISP’s technical support, their first question was: “Have you recently upgraded to Windows 10?” So, apparently we are by no means the only ones to experience a Windows-10-related and unexpected leap in data usage.

      Cheers,

      Athanasius <°(((>< contra mundum Iustus alius egestas vitae, eros Piratica,

[reply]
[reply]
        wouldn’t there have been a message box to the effect that Windows 10 was being downloaded?

        As regards my particular scenario, I gather that's not the case.
        The instructions I've got are (and I'm quoting):
        1)Reserve your free, full copy of Windows 10 now
        2)Upgrade when you receive a notification that Windows 10 has downloaded and is ready for you.
        3)Enjoy Windows 10 for free!

        This all suggests to me that if I were to "reserve" my copy of Windows 10, nothing noticeable would happen until the download had completed - whereupon I would receive some sort of notification that the download had terminated.
        But, of course, I'm not sure about any of this ;-)

        Just looking at my Windows Update settings, I've gone with the recommended "Install updates automatically", and I'm still on Windows 7.
        (But please don't assume that I therefore have complete faith in Microsoft. It's more a case of laziness, ignorance and apathy.)

        Cheers,
        Rob
[reply]
Re^2: OT: Sigh ... Windows 10
by Athanasius (Archbishop) on Oct 04, 2015 at 04:09 UTC

    Seven weeks later...

    <John McEnroe scream> I can’t BELIEVE this! </John McEnroe scream>

    M$ have done it again!

    I had Windows Update KB3035583 marked as “hidden.” So, I was safe, wasn’t I? That update wouldn’t come up when I searched for Windows Updates, would it? I mean, I didn’t have to worry about installing any new updates, right? Wrong. Two new updates installed, and there was the old “Get Windows 10” icon back on the taskbar. I’d just installed KB3035583 all over again. :-(

    So, surely I must have made a mistake? I must have somehow unhidden that update without realising it, right? Wrong again. Second computer, no possibility of said accident, yet there it is again, unhidden, marked as “important,” and billed as follows:

    Update for Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems (KB3035583)
    Install this update to resolve issues in Windows....
    Published 1/10/2015

    No message to say, “This update has been unhidden because...” No indication that it’s an old update. No mention of Windows 10. Cue John McEnroe...

    OK, so after uninstalling and hiding it all over again, I now have a red post-it note to remind me of the KB number. And my “Restore hidden updates” screen now lists KB3035583 twice (in identical listings, AFAICT).

    M$ are persistent, I’ll give them that.

    Update: Thanks, Anonymous Monk, I wasn’t aware of AutoPatcher, it looks useful!

    Athanasius <°(((>< contra mundum Iustus alius egestas vitae, eros Piratica,

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[reply]
Re^2: OT: Sigh ... Windows 10
by bulrush (Scribe) on Sep 03, 2015 at 12:04 UTC
    Hi Athanasius,

    I have Win 8 and sometimes it reminds me to upgrade to 8.1, sometimes to 10! If I uninstall the KB3035583 update will that stop the harassment?

    There's no way I want to go to either 8.1 or 10. I'd check my PC but that's my home PC and I'm not at home right now.

[reply]

      Hello bulrush,

      I know nothing of Windows 8. I was still on Vista when my HD died, so I took the opportunity to upgrade to the latest Windows, which happened to be 8.1 (64-bit) at the time. I can report that since uninstalling KB3035583 and marking it as “hidden” I’ve had no more reminders to upgrade to 10. Also, Windows Update (which was down for ~8 months for no reason I could find out) has been working fine since around the time KB3035583 came out. Go figure.

      There's no way I want to go to either 8.1 or 10.

      I fully understand about 10, but — since you’re on 8 already — why the aversion to 8.1?

      Cheers,

      Athanasius <°(((>< contra mundum Iustus alius egestas vitae, eros Piratica,

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