GWX - Block Windows 10 9

[1DMF]

Hi,

I have a user who had an IT company recommend and install a 3rd party program called GWX Control Panel :

http://blog.ultimateoutsider.com/2016/03/gwx-control-panel-release-notes-and.html

It stops Windows 10 being shoved in your face or you accidentally allowing the upgrade through Windows Update.

Is this program legit?

Is there a better way of stopping Windows 10 in its tracks?

Thanks,

1DMF



"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[johnherman]

@strongm - and your proof that this article from Forbes (a very reputable company) is a bunch of web BS is ........ where?

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[strongm]

>a very reputable company

Ah, the appeal to authority argument. So what?

Let's see: did you actually check the date on the article? And did you actually read the Update at the end where they grudgingly accept that their assertion in the main body of the article is wrong, and then try to brush it off.

2 days after the Reuters report - which the Forbes article admits they used as their source - on March 20th 2015, Microsoft issued a clarification (covered by numerous reputable periodicals, eg. PC World in the UK) to state they were not legitimising pirates; this is the 'update' to which the Forbes article refers

Microsoft subsequently made it very clear what their stance on this was, in a statement from the executive VP of the Windows and Devices Group in May 2015. To summarise: Windows 10 upgrade would definitely not be free to pirates. They would be able to upgrade their pirate copies of older Windows versions, but they would have to pay to do so.

This was well known by anyone who was actually following Microsoft's Windows 10 activities at the time.

This is not to say that the speculation in the Forbes article was originally BS, as you put it, when it was written, but that later clarifications rendered it incorrect and obsolete, making it somewhat disingenuous of you to try and present it seemingly as fact.

 

[johnherman]

I'm reminded of a time when a friend of mine had an old TV that he wanted to get rid of. This was like 15 years ago, before flat screens. Anyway, he put it out by the curb and posted a sign that said "Free". No one took it. After 2 days of no action, he changed the sign to say $25.00 and it was "stolen" later that night. :-D

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[goombawaho]

So, if we put Windows 10 on the curb with a sign for $25.00, it will go away? I'm in favor, but please clarify relevance to previous posts.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[cdogg]

Just a quick point about Forbes articles. If it's written by a Forbes "contributor", keep in mind that it's not usually vetted to the same extent that articles from Forbes "staff" writers are. Though sometimes paid, many do not have to submit through the normal Forbes editing process. In many cases, they are just glorified blogs. Those that are paid, are paid based on the amount of traffic driven to the site. So it's not uncommon to see a lot of them exaggerate circumstances and details to help drive that traffic.

I didn't bother reading the one above, but I thought I'd post a little disclaimer!

 

[Beilstwh]

The reason for Microsoft to push windows 10 is because it saves them billions. They only have to support one Operating System. Applications written for windows 10 will run on any windows 10 machine be it a PC, TABLET, PHONE, if it is touch screen or keyboard. We are using it at my company and we just bought a 2 thousand windows tablets for our sales people and wrote the application running on the tablet on a desktop PC and it's solid and just works.

Bill
Lead Application Developer
New York State, USA

 

[johnherman]

Well, Bill, I/we certainly understand what you're saying. But Microsoft is already committed to support the other OS versions for several more years, so they save zero dollars as long as there are customers using Win 7 or 8.1. No, there's something else about Windows 10 that makes it worth giving away for free, and expending extra effort to push it down our throats.

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[cdogg]

@Beilstwh,
There are lots of reasons. Perhaps that's one of them.

@johnherman,
I know nothing will settle the debate for you, but here are two articles that address some of the ways Microsoft leverages a "free" OS as a way to upsell premium licensing and services.

[tab]Why Microsoft is giving away Windows 10 for free

[tab]Why Windows 10 isn't really free: The subtle new world of built-in costs

The old-fashioned model that worked for earlier versions of Windows just doesn't work anymore, especially after the tainted image of their last major release, Windows 8. Since XP, most consumers usually buy the OS once and stick with it until they buy a new PC. "One and done" as one of the articles accurately puts it. Microsoft is attempting to find new ways to get consumers to spend, since dangling a new OS in front of their nose isn't enough anymore to get them to open their wallet.

While I'm beginning to believe Microsoft is fighting a losing battle, their Windows 10 strategy here doesn't really shock or surprise me.



-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

[tab][navy]For this site's posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[goombawaho]

I don't know if it's just me, but I JUST want an Operating System to be an O.S. - not like a phone where you add apps. I don't want any "extras" from Microsoft, those are purchased mostly from 3rd party vendors - "programs". I don't want Cortana nosing into my business or my searches. There's Google for that.

And I don't really even care about tablets or phones - everything from "adult web services" to Powerpoint looks better on a real screen > 15". Not everyone is 22 years old and can actually see a little screen.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[strongm]

You old curmudgeon, you ... ;-)

 

[1DMF]

Is M$ actually going to stop stuff working unless you pay for an upgrade?

I don't care about M$ apps or premium crud, so is Windows 10 still free in that scenario?

>>And I don't really even care about tablets or phones

Same here, I have a Chinese tablet, just because I wanted GPS and something smaller to watch films on planes, but considering the latest news about the Android < KitKat has more holes in it than Swiss cheese and now millions are vulnerable to a new drive-by virus, I certainly wouldn't replace my Windows desktop for my general day-to-day computing regardless of screen size.


"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[Beilstwh]

The problem with android fragmentation is non existent if you buy one of the Google Nexus phones. Not only are they great phones but any updating is done by google, NOT the carrier. I have had the Nexus for years and I got marshmallow within a week of it's release, and they push out a monthly update to handle any security issues. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't buy a nexus. And if everyone started abandoning the other brands, updates would immediately start being pushed out by the manufactures and carriers. The other nice thing about the Nexus is you get NONE of the bloatware that the carriers put into their phones.

Bill
Lead Application Developer
New York State, USA

 

[strongm]

>Is M$ actually going to stop stuff working unless you pay for an upgrade?

You mean regarding the pirates? The answer is yes. Windows Update won't work with non-genuine copies. So stuff will indeed stop working.

 

[johnherman]

@cdogg - the "Popper" article is almost a year old and based on statements from a M$ Marketing Executive. It's Marketing's job to sugar coat everything for the consumption of the general public. I don't trust anyone from Marketing, not even from my client companies, let alone Microsoft. The Chacos article seems a little naive. Both were written before M$ started ramming Win X down our throats, and both overlook the classic phrase "Follow The Money".

Microsoft wants your data; your very personal data. And even if Congress steps in at the ISP level, Microsoft will still get your personal data via their terms in their Licensing Agreement. And with 90% of the world PCs running Microsoft (but not Windows 10, at least not yet), that's a pretty substantial database to analyze and then sell or lease as subscriptions, even if depersonalized. And I still think there's a backdoor in Windows 10 for NSA, which M$ installed either for a covert payment, or for a covert agreement that the NSA won't recommend that the Federal Government ditch Windows (and the moneymaking "Office") for Linux. I've been in IT for 40 years, I've worked for the Federal Government, held security clearances, and maybe even did some consulting for NSA. Call me what you want, but I've seen it happen, which makes me fairly good at recognizing it when it happens again.

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[cdogg]

John,

As evidenced in past posts (even earlier in this thread), you don't tend to read the entire article before spouting off an opinion. I suggest you read more than just the headlines. The "Popper" article is well-balanced and even criticizes Microsoft's approach toward the end (something you would have picked up on had you actually read the article). Most of all, both articles are describing industry trends that are very much the same back in 2015 as they are today. It's these trends that are partly to blame for some of the business decisions we've witnessed from Microsoft - good and bad.

You can over-analyze it all you want. The point is that some of their actions can be justified. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, and even if I were, I wouldn't be preaching it religiously. You've made your point a thousand times over, and if there's anyone left that hasn't already been subdued by your comments, then it's probably never going to happen.

A quote from John Lennon comes to mind:

I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind.

Maybe this site isn't for you. Maybe you need to find a good blog site where the proclamation, "the sky is falling", will resonate well with others. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

 

[johnherman]

@cdogg: The sky is indeed falling, since by your own admission, anything is possible until it is disproved. Oh, and it really is falling as molecules are moving downward under the influence of gravity and atmospheric pressure differences. Not to mention the occasional precipitation event.

==================================
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[Beilstwh]

Except Microsoft ONLY gets your data if you allow it. The first thing I did when I installed Windows 10 was to download the Firefox browser so I wouldn't have to use edge. Turned off/uninstalled all the phone home apps and completely disable Cortana. Do you also believe that the white house ordered 911, there was another assassin on the grassy Knoll, and aliens also landed at Roswell?

Bill
Lead Application Developer
New York State, USA

 

[DSummZZZ]

Aliens landed on the grassy knoll and shot Kennedy.


-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.dave-summers.net/foxprolinks.htm

 

[1DMF]

>> You mean regarding the pirates? The answer is yes. Windows Update won't work with non-genuine copies. So stuff will indeed stop working.

No that's not what I mean at all. I have paid for my copy of Windows 10! - Because M$ ripped me off with my Windows 7 - Anyway, I'm not going to pay for anything else, I still want to be that 'buy it once and forget about it', regardless of what M$ are trying to get me to do.

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[strongm]

If you've got a legit copy of Windows 10 then you don't need to pay for it again. Unless MS change their policy dramatically. I'm not sure I understand what you are asking.