How to avoid Windows 10 [Archive] - Page 4

jones1913

26th January 2016, 18:17

I mean that backports arent done generally in Linux, and if they are done, in say the case of the Ubuntu backports repository, they arent supported. So what MS is doing with only Windows 10 support with for example Kaby Lake only on WIndows 10, is entirely consistent with what Linux has done for more than a decade.
Do you expect that all new features are backported to older kernels? Correct me but I think this is not common in software development. Whats backported are security updates, even the old kernel 3.2 get still security updates.

Linux would only apply them to the newest version as well, I think that is all Nullack was saying. If you are annoyed you need to update your OS to Windows 10 to get support for the new hardware the same is true when using Linux.
This is not comparable, on Windows you have to upgrade your complete system, on Linux you can simply ugrade the kernel and the rest of your installation remains intact.
How the kernel update works is depends of course on your chosen linux distribution.

Having issues with the kernel being too old or too new for a particular driver or software package is a very common problem when running Linux, in my experiance.
I think today the situation is slightly better than a few years ago. Mostly I see problems with proprietary graphics drivers.

I wouldn't be so sure, what Dash (default in Ubuntu) does seems pretty much identical to Cortana as far as privacy concerns go.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2141952

Thats not Linux' fault, its Ubuntu's fault. It applies only to their Unity desktop, and in contrast to W10 it can be disabled with a few clicks...

Asmodian

26th January 2016, 20:46

This is not comparable, on Windows you have to upgrade your complete system, on Linux you can simply ugrade the kernel and the rest of your installation remains intact.
How the kernel update works is depends of course on your chosen linux distribution.

I have had this go very very bad before, maybe it is better now (depending on the distro, of course)? Anyway it isn't super straight forward and Windows 10's upgrade from 7 or 8.1 has worked very well for me. It seems pretty similar really.

Thats not Linux' fault, its Ubuntu's fault. It applies only to their Unity desktop, and in contrast to W10 it can be disabled with a few clicks...

I was simply using it as an example, just because it is Linux doesn't mean you can be sure it isn't doing something similar. It isn't that hard to disable it in Windows 10 (http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-telemetry-and-data-collection-in-windows-10/) either.

hello_hello

29th January 2016, 07:44

Me loves dis thread.
Hello, hello-hello,

Me just done download !inux Mint 17.3,
You gave me incentive to retry, mucho grassy ass.
Life without Windows does no longer seem such an impossible dream.

I'm glad to be of inspiration.

I know it'll be a long process, but I'm not in a particular hurry. Most of the negative Linux comments I've read are criticisms of Linux as it is today, or based on it's history etc, and while perfectly valid, I'm looking at it differently and mostly concerned with what the criticisms will be in 2020 and how familiar I'll be with using it by then (I think that's when Win7 support ends). I can run Win7 on my main PC until at least then, probably longer, or run it in a VM on Linux along with XP, and if it takes me five years of playing around with Linux in my spare time before I have a working (for me) setup, at least I'll have a working alternative to Win10 when I need one. If not..... I guess I'll feel pretty foolish..... but already I can do the basic stuff..... surf, email, listen to music (foobar2000 runs in Wine), and share files with Windows computers on the network. I just need time to become familiar with a new OS and experiment with different software.

My Linux experience is based on one distro I've been using for all of ten seconds, but as an OS I think I already prefer Linux Mint KDE to Windows. It seems remarkably good for an OS relatively few people run. I wonder where it'll be in 2020, especially if more than a handful of us attempt to switch before Win7 support ends..... rather than run Win7 solely as a way of postponing an inevitable Win10 upgrade.

smok3

29th January 2016, 09:50

^ That's the spirit IMHO, mint is a good nooby distro and whatever learned should apply more or less directly to entire debian branch.

Nullack

30th January 2016, 01:48

KDE recently went through a prod release for bug fixes and minor enhancements that I think youd find useful. I think as you progress mate with Mint, youll become more interested in what other distros have to offer. One of the best KDE Linux experiences is Opensuse. Or if you wanted to stick with Debian based package management like you have know with Mint, you can go further up the Debian tree from Mint to Ubuntu to Debian direct running say the Debian stretch test repos for more current software. IMHO Mints biggest problem is poor patching from uostream - theyre way behind in linux kernel releases for example and that many people who try to use Mint dont have a working experience if they have newer hardware.

WorBry

11th March 2016, 06:51

They're at it again. Now planting Windows 10 upgrade nags in critical security updates:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3042155/microsoft-windows/windows-patch-kb-3139929-when-a-security-update-is-not-a-security-update.html

4Dude

19th March 2016, 22:36

videobruce

21st March 2016, 14:15

I'm still dealing with Win7 in spite of using Winreducer EX-70.

I tried Linux Mint Mate, but gave up on it due the the ridiculous lack of printer support and other reasons. Almost like buying a vehicle than had no tires and had to use a very rare size almost no one makes.

raffriff42

31st March 2016, 00:21

Good Old Games (gog.com) is starting to run a disclaimer:https://www.gog.com/game/flatout_2
Please be advised that Windows 10 operating system will receive frequent hardware driver and software updates following its release; this may affect game compatibility.

Yeah, it might: no software or hardware can be said to be "Windows 10 compatible" in the long term. Granted, bit-rot is everywhere (by which I mean, software and hardware updates slowly making your old programs unrunnable) but Windows 10 is bit-rot on crack.

Also, I'm sure GOG (and Steam, and iTunes, and Amazon, and Netflix...) are not happy about the oncoming Windows Store business model.

LigH

31st March 2016, 07:06

So hey, let's just switch to Linux as target OS for gaming: Windows 10 will emulate Ubuntu (http://blog.dustinkirkland.com/2016/03/ubuntu-on-windows.html), like a reverse WINE. :rolleyes:

raffriff42

31st March 2016, 09:46

So hey, let's just switch to Linux as target OS for gaming: Windows 10 will emulate Ubuntu (http://blog.dustinkirkland.com/2016/03/ubuntu-on-windows.html), like a reverse WINE. :rolleyes: Windows 10 will not emulate Linux exactly; it will support the Ubuntu front-end with the Windows backend.

Like the "Windows POSIX subsystem" back in the 90's
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_POSIX_subsystem

or "Windows Services for UNIX" in 00's
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Services_for_UNIX

this one is similar, and it's called "Windows Subsystem for Linux"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Subsystem_for_Linux

except this time it won't suck... right?

Atak_Snajpera

31st March 2016, 13:37

My first convincing find was the GWX Control Panel which removes/changes several files and registry settings, and also offers to install a monitor service which watches over important places Microsoft might silently revoke, like it does with KB3035583: You may have it removed from the list of updates to be offered, but next time it is offered again.

Which alternatives can you recommend?
Yes I have alternative for you.

You can easily block GWX.exe with this entry in registry.

Run cmd.exe as administrator and then execute this command
reg.exe add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\GWX.exe" /v Debugger /t REG_SZ /d rundll32.exe /f

After reboot gwx.exe won't start. Any calls to GWX.exe will be redirected to rundll32.exe (43.5 KiB). rundll32.exe does nothing without extra parameters. (It basically acts like DoNothing.exe program)

To unblock GWX.exe
reg.exe delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\GWX.exe" /f

Advantages
1) No need to use external applications (security)
2) No need to run monitoring process in background

LigH

1st April 2016, 08:13

Today (note the calendar date!) the German magazine CHIP reports (http://www.chip.de/news/Windows-10-illegal-Downgrade_91392152.html) that the free but forced Windows 10 upgrade has been ruled illegal due to unfair competition, and Microsoft was sentenced to have it revoked during the coming 3 months... Including altered GWX messages displaying the opposite content than before.

WorBry

1st April 2016, 14:38

Interesting.....although suspicious. I'm afraid I don't speak German. So, who is it exactly that has made this ruling ?

Even if it's a prank (no reports of this "breaking news" elsewhere today), there have been complaints about the Windows 10 upgrade installing automatically, without permission, on some computers?

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/15/windows-10-automatically-installs-without-permission-complain-users

Some other recent articles of interest:

"Microsoft backtracks on Windows 7 support deadline"

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3046032/windows-pcs/microsoft-backtracks-on-windows-7-support-deadline.html

And meanwhile... on the orchard side of the fence:

"Apple designing its own icloud servers to avoid surveillance"

http://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-designing-its-own-icloud-servers-to-avoid-surveillance/

StainlessS

2nd April 2016, 10:43

Worbury, there is something about it here on Wikipedia:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools'_Day

Brazil2

2nd April 2016, 10:56

Which alternatives can you recommend?
Never10
https://www.grc.com/never10.htm

WorBry

2nd April 2016, 14:25

Worbury, there is something about it here on Wikipedia:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools'_Day

Nope, can't see any mention of this Windows 10 upgrade ruling there either - I must be missing something very obvious :rolleyes:

Edit: Oh I get it now - mis-spelling WorBry as WorBury. LOL, good one - you got me there.

LigH

2nd April 2016, 14:46

The German article about the sentencing of MS to downgrade Windows 10 upgrades again was of course an April Fools' prank. Of course ... because which jurisdiction would dare to sentence the real government behind the government, the Almighty Profit? Remember, America brought us the "Free™" market economy (free from social responsibility).

Katie Boundary

14th April 2016, 19:57

My Windows XP system never bugs me about upgrading to Windows 10 :)

LigH

26th April 2016, 09:33

Resistance is futile...

http://frupic.frubar.net/shots/33621.jpg

;)

Groucho2004

26th April 2016, 09:54

Resistance is futile...

http://frupic.frubar.net/shots/33621.jpg

;)
Awesome. :D

filler56789

26th April 2016, 11:14

Resistance is futile...

http://frupic.frubar.net/shots/33621.jpg

;)

Translation:

INSTALL NOW <Y/Y> ? :devil:

LoRd_MuldeR

28th April 2016, 19:12

http://cdn3.spiegel.de/images/image-988322-galleryV9-hqki-988322.jpg

:p

Brazil2

28th April 2016, 22:34

http://cdn3.spiegel.de/images/image-988322-galleryV9-hqki-988322.jpg
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMPeTrHNX1U

StainlessS

28th April 2016, 23:14

HoHo, great link Brazil2 :) :) :)

EDIT: I had to go back and watch a couple more times, fabulous.

Brazil2

29th April 2016, 19:38

More 'fun':

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36157806

http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10s-built-in-search-now-supports-bing-and-microsofts-edge-exclusively/

LigH

5th May 2016, 10:52

^LoRd_MuldeR...

Imagine you are a pro gamer showing your skillz on a Twitch live stream to about 130,000 viewers, when suddenly you get a head-shot by your OS (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/04/windows-10-updates-ruining-pro-gaming-streams)...

Now I'm expecting regular memes what else Windows 10 will interrupt.

Groucho2004

6th May 2016, 08:47

I'm glad I bought a few Win7 Pro licenses for less than 20 bucks a pop before they won't be available any more.

LigH

16th May 2016, 22:10

Time is running out ... but just before you decide to upgrade anyway, Microsoft will already schedule your upgrade without your explicit consent (http://news.softpedia.com/news/microsoft-schedules-upgrade-to-windows-10-without-users-consent-504095.shtml), so you won't forget.

foxyshadis

17th May 2016, 04:33

The surefire way is to do what I did -- just don't ever have enough C: space. In the end, I had to clear off 16 GB or so before I could get the update.

WorBry

17th May 2016, 04:44

So is Never10 not a secure safeguard ?

Never10
https://www.grc.com/never10.htm

Groucho2004

17th May 2016, 08:13

The surefire way is to do what I did -- just don't ever have enough C: space.
My c: partition has 64 MB. I guess I'm safe? :D

LigH

17th May 2016, 08:30

The surefire way is to do what I did -- just don't ever have enough C: space.

In this case, it was a wise idea to partition the harddisk... :D
__

64 MB? ... :eek: Makes me wonder how Windows could get installed at all. Because the boot partition is usually mapped as C:.

Groucho2004

17th May 2016, 09:41

64 MB? ... :eek: Makes me wonder how Windows could get installed at all. Because the boot partition is usually mapped as C:.
I have Windows on d:
Partition c: is just a FAT12 minimal DOS partition with Symantec Ghost on it. I know I could run Ghost from a stick, it's just a habit to partition my drives this way.

LigH

17th May 2016, 09:49

mandarinka

17th May 2016, 10:47

Understood. Probably not the worst idea, there will be some stupid malware trying to infect C: and failing... ;)

But MS can be stupid in just the same way. I know a PC where upgrading from IE9 to IE11 failed because the default "Program files" directory was redirected in the Registry. This results in IE11 closing immediately just when its window appears.

Yeah, I would expect troubles to happen. At one point for example LibreOffice was impossible to install on such configs outside of C: (as in, not expecting the scenario at all and implicitly putting stuff into C:\, install failing). Many programs are probably not handling small non-OS C:\

Groucho2004

17th May 2016, 11:52

Yeah, I would expect troubles to happen. At one point for example LibreOffice was impossible to install on such configs outside of C: (as in, not expecting the scenario at all and implicitly putting stuff into C:\, install failing).
The portable version of LibreOffice (or any other portable software) doesn't have any problem with that. I love portable programs, pretty much everything I use is portable (or, if it wasn't portable I made it portable :D).

Many programs are probably not handling small non-OS C:\
In that case I wouldn't use it since it probably is crap anyway. There are morons who hard-code "c:\program files" in their code and if that doesn't exist the "software" fails.
Other idiots assume that there is ample space on "c:" and use it as a dump for temporary files. Early versions of Sun Java did that.

One of the most important axioms for software developers:
"Assumption is the mother of all fuckups"

StainlessS

17th May 2016, 14:50

My first 3 partitions are all C: drive :) [well P3 is currently Linux Mint, but would be C: if MS installed on it].

EDIT: I use XOSL boot controller (can install on any partition [even logical partition, but MUST BE in 1st 128GB of drive])
and you must install OS with all other primaries hidden so they are all drive C:, XOSL hides other MS boot primaries
when specific partition chosen to boot.
XOSL is old, but still my favorite means of OS selection, also not as brain dead as using MS boot control which is
a complete non-starter as far as I'm concerned.
In XOSL, you can temporarily un-hide an alternate MS OS partition so that maintenance can be carried out on it [where it
will be given a non C: drive letter], or to recover data from a broken OS before reinstall.

EDIT: Incidentally, you can run Ghost32.exe from an alternate (to target) Win OS partition [usually most convenient way].

EDIT: There is also another little MS nicety that I HATE, when it installs eg MSOCache to a non drive C:, I will not have
any of that stuff on MY DRIVES, C: is OS and Office and stuff like that, everything else is MINE and liable to be reformatted
or whatever I choose, keep your hands off my drives MS. [and why do I need copies of everything on hard drive anyway ?].

filler56789

17th May 2016, 16:03

There are morons who hard-code "c:\program files" in their code and if that doesn't exist the "software" fails.
Other idiots assume that there is ample space on "c:" and use it as a dump for temporary files. Early versions of Sun Java did that.

IrfanView assumes that the drive letters A: and B: cannot be anything better than "floppies". Prassi ONES doesn't detect a CD/DVD drive that uses one of those letters. M$ Office 97 had its issue with the Tahoma font, when this latter was installed outside of %windir%\Fonts. MP4Box cannot create directories, but it checks the (non-)existence of the output folder only "after all is almost said and done"...

LigH

19th May 2016, 21:17

Now I'm expecting regular memes what else Windows 10 will interrupt.

http://frupic.frubar.net/shots/33770.jpg

Resistance is futile...

:o

jones1913

5th June 2016, 19:55

I suspected it for some time, M$ products can be bad for your health:

"Lives could have been put at risk by pushy upgrade" :eek:

Even in remotest Africa, Windows 10 nagware ruins your day: Update burns satellite link cash (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/03/windows_10_upgrade_satellite_link)

Sparktank

6th June 2016, 04:36

I've just been assimilated. :(

I was in the middle of a game and then it just restarted on me. I spent about an hour updating and re-installing things.

huhn

6th June 2016, 05:06

kill windows update. not that hard.

Atak_Snajpera

6th June 2016, 15:13

I've just been assimilated. :(

I was in the middle of a game and then it just restarted on me. I spent about an hour updating and re-installing things.

This will block GWX and automatic os upgrade.

Run cmd.exe as administrator and then type these two lines.
reg.exe add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /v DisableOSUpgrade /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg.exe add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Gwx" /v DisableGwx /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Sparktank

7th June 2016, 02:35

This will block GWX and automatic os upgrade.

Run cmd.exe as administrator and then type these two lines.
reg.exe add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /v DisableOSUpgrade /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg.exe add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Gwx" /v DisableGwx /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Thanks, I'll do this on my laptop. That one still runs on Win7. It's far too old to learn anything new.