Windows 10

[Davkaus]

They've now pushed down Windows 10 nagware hidden inside an Internet Explorer 'security update'. Not that they're getting desperate for people to move from Win7/8.

It was probably another accident, third or fourth one, I think.

[V01]

I honestly don't understand why someone with 7/8 hasn't already upgraded to 10. Have they taken away some features I've never heard of or something?

[limpid]

22 minutes ago, V01 said:

I honestly don't understand why someone with 7/8 hasn't already upgraded to 10. Have they taken away some features I've never heard of or something?

Some people aren't happy having spyware forced on them. I guess you've not read the T&Cs and what you've allowed them to do with your data.

[Davkaus]

9 minutes ago, limpid said:

Some people aren't happy having spyware forced on them. I guess you've not read the T&Cs and what you've allowed them to do with your data.

Spyware is number 2, for me. Number 1 is their new approach to Windows updates.

In previous versions, there were 3 states for Windows updates, that were accessible from the control panel

1. Off entirely
2. On entirely, all updates
3. Important updates only

Now, there are two states

1. Take all of the updates, including advert updates, and newer versions of drivers that you might not want.
2. **** you, have no updates at all, including security updates. You'll have to disable a service to do this, hidden away in a screen most users don't know exists.  By the way, are you sure you don't want to buy Tomb Raider from the Windows store?

Microsoft is making it entirely clear that it's their device, not the users, and they'll choose what works on it.

Oh, and sometimes the updates will set back the privacy settings to their defaults to allow Microsoft to collect your data again, because they make a lot of fortunate mistakes these days. Best check back after each update, just in case.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Davkaus

[limpid]

My favourite is them having a copy of your disk encryption key, sent to them over the internet.

[V01]

Turning off the relevant settings was enough for me, if it wasn't I would have set up a local account. 

 

Updates isn't a problem for me, but if it is for you then fair enough.

[limpid]

Just now, V01 said:

Turning off the relevant settings was enough for me, if it wasn't I would have set up a local account. 

Updates isn't a problem for me, but if it is for you then fair enough.

While I'm glad you are technically proficient enough to do this, many aren't and so won't upgrade. Also, MS have introduced new privacy breaches with updates. I hope you've been prompt turning off the ones that they let you turn off. Of course, once they've got your stuff, you've given them the right to keep it.

[V01]

It was a follow the steps on google job. My technical proficiency doesn't go much beyond that.

[limpid]

23 minutes ago, V01 said:

It was a follow the steps on google job. My technical proficiency doesn't go much beyond that.

Oh dear  Hopefully MS can't read those sites and send "updates" to turn all the settings back again, but hidden.

[Davkaus]

Regrettably, even with you doing some research online, and turning off the relevant settings, you haven't disabled all of the telemetry, because you can't. Even on the Enterprise edition, Win10 phones home constantly.

[PompeyVillan]

The windows 'start' menu doesn't work on my laptop now. Which is laughable. I suspect for some users it would render the OS unusable.

I can't defend Microsoft this time.

[dubbs]

Yep I've lost the start menu and time display.

[ThunderPower_14]

I really wish i'd checked with you guys before I upgraded.

 

I upgraded yesterday to Windows 10 and a short time later got stuck in a reboot loop where it will tell me on booting that I have either a FAT_FILE_SYSTEM error or a NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM error and reboot and do this over and over again forever.

I downloaded a Windows 10 ISO on another computer and put it on a USB, went into the bios and changed the order so the USB would boot first. It then restarted, began the fresh install sequence, but I only got a few clicks through before it was interrupted by the error screen again.

I then went back into the bios and disabled everything in the boot order list bar the USB, but I have the same problem. I can't get more than a few seconds into the USB booting before the error screen.

I spoke on a chat thing with some asshole from Microsoft who advised me to take it to my local computer repair shop, and then had the gall to try to sell me the microsoft assure software support package for 120 euros a year.

There are about 1,000,000 people on the microsoft forums getting reboot loop error issues, but most are solved by a full reinstall. I can't do that because it's interruped by the reboot error

Someone else has suggested that they had the same issue and just let it reboot over and over again for hours and it eventually sorted itself out, but I don't like my chances.

 

Windows 8 was chugging a bit and I would have just reinstalled that, but Windows 10 seemed like an easy option.

[limpid]

2 hours ago, ThunderPower_14 said:

Windows 8 was chugging a bit and I would have just reinstalled that, but Windows 10 seemed like an easy option.

Genuine question, Why would you think that upgrading a bad windows 8 install would make things better? If you were happy with windows 8, why not re-install it?

Insert mandatory "just use Linux" comment here.

[ThunderPower_14]

Genuine question, Why would you think that upgrading a bad windows 8 install would make things better? If you were happy with windows 8, why not re-install it?

Insert mandatory "just use Linux" comment here.

I don't have a windows 8 disc, so a free upgrade just seemed like the easiest way to do it. Windows 8 was fine but what I'd heard about windows 10 sounded better.

It seemed pretty good for the couple of hours I used it before it wrecked my PC

[limpid]

8 hours ago, ThunderPower_14 said:

It seemed pretty good for the couple of hours I used it before it wrecked my PC

Probably enough time for it to steal all of your data then

[ThunderPower_14]

Probably enough time for it to steal all of your data then [emoji20]

I've taken it to a local repair shop that I've used before.

I might forward the bill to Microsoft.

[PieFacE]

I thought this was pretty cool and something I will definitely be using....

 

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/com...ownload-now-3/ 


 

At //Build 2016, Microsoft announced the ability to run native Bash and GNU/Linux command-line tools directly on the new Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), coming soon to Windows 10 Anniversary Update builds.

We’ve been amazed by the overwhelming outpouring of interest about this new feature over the last week. One of the most frequent questions we’re asked is “When can I get my hands on Bash on Ubuntu on Windows?”

We’ve held-off giving a date until we were 100% sure it’s available … but that date is NOW!

Gabe Aul has just announced the release of the Windows 10 build #14316 to the Windows Insiders Fast-Ring.

This build contains the first public release of Bash on Ubuntu on Windows and the underlying Windows Subsystem for Linux.

Installing Bash on Ubuntu on Windows
Once you’re upgraded to this new build, you’ll need to complete the installation steps summarized below:

Turn on Developer Mode: Settings | Update & Security | For Developers | Check the Developer Mode radio button:
1-DevMode
From the start menu, open “Turn Windows Features on or off”:
2-features
Scroll down and check the “Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta)” feature:
3-WSL
Hit okay and reboot (required step)
Once rebooted, open a PowerShell/command prompt and run “Bash” and follow the simple prompts to accept Canonical’s license and kick-off the download of the Ubuntu image:
4-ubuntu
After download has completed, you’ll be able to start “Bash on Ubuntu on Windows” from the Start menu:
5-startbash
6-bash

Enjoy!

Related Release Notes
As we’ve repeatedly stated, this is the first time we’ve released this feature and we knowthere will be issues – be sure to share your feedback via the channels below
We do know of an issue that crashes settings if you’re running Windows 10 “N” SKU’s – we’re working on a fix for this problem in future builds
In this build, Bash will show you running under the ‘root’ Linux user account
This does NOT give Bash elevated permissions within Windows, unless you run Bash as Administrator
This means that, by default, from within Bash, you will only have access to Windows files and folders that your current Windows user account has rights to
In future builds, you’ll be asked to create a user account when installing Bash. You’ll then be able to use sudo to elevate your rights within the Linux filesystem/environment

[Davkaus]

Step 1: Embrace.

Let's see how they get on with "Extend" and "Extinguish".

I wonder if they'll be continuing to develop and support Powershell.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Davkaus

[snowychap]

More shenanigans

Quote

This morning, the unthinkable happened: My wife, an avowed PC user who long ago swore to never touch an Apple device, started shopping around for a Mac Mini. And it’s all thanks to Windows 10. Or rather, the nasty new way that Microsoft’s tricking Windows 7 and 8 users into automatically updating to Windows 10.

I adore Windows 10, but I’ve long been a vocal critic of the heavy-handed tactics that Microsoft’s been using to force people into the upgrade, all to hit a goal of migrating 1 billion users to an operating system brimming with freemium services and ads. The annoying “Get Windows 10” pop-up began using deceiving malware-like tactics months ago, but it recently received an overhaul that seems purposefully designed to confuse users who have been wearily slogging through the nagging for half a year now.

That nasty change trick resulted in my wife’s beloved Windows 7 PC being sneakily upgraded to Windows 10 this morning. Sure, she has 30 days to roll it back to Windows 7, but she feels so betrayed—like Microsoft forcibly removed her control over her own PC—that she’s strongly considering embracing the Dark Side and buying a Mac, instead.

The change

In December, the Get Windows 10 (GWX) pop-up changed its verbiage in a way that mimicked malware: The only immediate options were to “Upgrade Now” or “Start download, upgrade later.” An offer you can’t refuse! The wording changed slightly since then, but the only way to decline the upgrade has been the same: By clicking the X button in the GWX pop-up’s right-hand corner and closing the window.

Earlier this year, however, Microsoft pushed the Windows 10 download out as a Recommended update. That means anybody using the default Windows Update setting—as you should be!—automatically received the installation bits and a prompt to install the new OS, which again could only be refused by exiting via the X in the corner of the pop-up’s window. 

Last week, Microsoft altered the GWX prompt, as ZDNet covered. On the surface, it’s an improvement; the box clearly states when your PC will be upgraded, and even adds a (still small and easily skippable) line that allows you to reschedule or change the upgrade timing. So far so good!

But here’s the icky part: The redesigned GWX pop-up now treats exiting the window as consent for the Windows 10 upgrade.

So after more than half a year of teaching people that the only way to say “no thanks” to Windows 10 is to exit the GWX application—and refusing to allow users to disable the pop-up in any obvious manner, so they had to press that X over and over again during those six months to the point that most people probably just click it without reading now—Microsoft just made it so that very behavior accepts the Windows 10 upgrade instead, rather than canceling it.

That’s gross.

And if you don’t find that small link to reschedule or cancel the Windows 10 upgrade—or, say, if the pop up appears while you’re away from your computer—your system will begin the process at the scheduled time. In other words, your PC can potentially upgrade to Windows 10 without you asking it to or explicitly approving the upgrade.

That’s gross, too.

...more on link