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Author Topic: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.  (Read 3926 times)

AArdvark

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A long random vent re: Win10 Upgrade the reality vs the Dream.

The Download process etc
Very deliberately I have avoided all the 'Insider' beta testing phase and reporting.
I wanted an untainted experience of Windows 10 as MS see it should be when it goes RTM/GA or Gold.
(Although these are no longer meaningful terms as it is 'Windows as a Service' and constantly being updated (read as 'fixed'  ;D ))

I have waited very patiently for my main PC to get 'selected' for the Win 10 Lottery Update.  ;) :D
It has just happened !  ;D
I just so happened to reboot my PC due to a hardware change and on coming back checked Updates and Voila 'Win 10 is Downloading'.

What a busy beastie it is.  :o ;D
I want the download to happen BUT not to update just yet as I still want to get a handle on the changes Win 10 makes, usability and how invasive MS is now.

Aside: I am just starting playing with Win 10 on a Test Machine that can be 'nuked' if necessary.

The download is quite fast but the processing afterwards is intensive.
MS have expended huge efforts into the migration process and it shows.
The Download runs neatly into the 'Preparing your PC' phase, which is rather surprising as I had set my PC to download updates but NOT install them until I say so !

The processing as stated is huge.
It performs an analysis of your machine and all the software/drivers.
The hidden Directory called '$Windows.~BT' in the root of your boot drive fills up with lots & lots of files including the 'Install.esd' which is the equiv of the contents of the Windows 10 .ISO.
(Same delivery format as used by the Select licensing of old) 
Nosing around these files etc could take days if you wanted to fully understand the process. (I am a nosy Techie and this would entertain me no end  ;D )
Once the processing is complete it again runs neatly into the 'Install/Update Phase'
This is yet again ignoring the 'Don't Update yet' option I had set.
(A bit naughty of MS really as the upgrade is very time consuming and may lose you access to some software as well, as certain S/W is not migrated for compatibility reasons etc)
MS really want to 'push' you towards Windows 10 !

I declined the start of the Upgrade and hoped it would not delete all the files so I would not go through this all again later.
It appears to be OK but have not rebooted yet  ;D

Update:
On re-boot the PC is very busy on start and ....... it is going through the same process again and setting itself up to install again.
(So the files are NOT deleted if you abort the install ! )
I am dropped eventually into 'Ready to install .... just press OK' screen.
I aborted this and set the update to hidden in the Windows Updates listing.
I am not in a hurry to see if this is also ignored on re-boot.  :( >:(


Apart from the over eager run towards upgrading my PC, it has performed an upgrade on the same hardware spec OK.

General comments on Windows 10.
I did lose access to Daemon Tools for .ISO mounting etc but MS have relented a bit and are apparently for a 'short time only' giving a free piece of s/w to give access to DVD's as Media Centre is gone.
This is one of the updates that are performed automatically when the Win 10 Upgrade is first installed and running.
My test PC has very little installed, so I expect I will have lots of pieces of s/w that will not migrate.
(I have collected a huge number of tools/utilities over the years that are probably not considered 'Win 10 friendly'.)

Re: Upgrades, they come thick and fast.
It very quickly demonstrates the process but also highlights the downside.
The updates start of their own accord with no warning and can slow your PC to a stop if busy.
This is not useful if you are doing something critical and cannot wait for updates to finish.
Imagine you are trying to close-down your laptop to get somewhere in a hurry and MS/Win 10 decides to install a few updates before you go !

1st impressions are a little Meh!
It is quicker but you lose some speed because it is a hybrid of Win 8.x & Win 7 and you are having to translate 'what you did' to the new UI.
The 1st thing you notice is the UI is not Windows 7 or Windows 8 ??? , it is a strange middle ground between the two.
The start button is back but 'Oh dear!' is the only response. The Start button replacement business has nothing to fear, business will boom ... thanks MS. 
The next thing you notice is the jumping between the UI design of Windows 8 and Windows 7 as you do things especially using the Control Panel.
The merging of the functionality of the 2 OSes has been very clever but obviously getting a consistent UI was never making it to the top of the 'Must Do' list.
Will this happen? ..... I will not hold breath on this one.

The one thing that is immediately noticeable during the setup is that MS really want to emulate Apples approach to Customers/Consumers and the whole Apple Ecosystem Idea.
I mean by this that they want to emulate having total control over all the analytics from your PC.
They collect no end of information as standard from Windows 10 and it includes what you run, when you run it, where you go, who you communicate with etc etc.
Some of the things that are switched on as standard are not controllable unless you read all the small print and go to a few MS sites to opt-out of things you have agreed to by virtue of installing Windows 10 and agreeing to the EULA.

Nice of MS to persist with the 'Opt-in automatically' paradigm, where you have to find out you have Opted in first before you work out how to Opt-out.  >:( :no:

You are giving MS total access to your life to enable them to target advertising and spending opportunities your way. (For a better Experience and your ongoing convenience !  ::) )
There are mad things like giving automatic access to your wi-fi to your contacts, who can in turn give it to others. ??? WTF!
Rather like a web/circle of Trust gone wrong. !

In passing I will mention the MS Store.
Meh! ..... which is more than it deserves.
It is as bad as I expected, full of unknown junk from unknown developers.
I was one of the people who owned a Blackberry Playbook, look at their app store and it will look familiar in terms of the volume of junk.
They need to throw a lot of money at people to fill it with something worth buying.
Quite a big miss for launch time I think.

I am of a mind to wait for the 1st Upgraders to take all the pain and see how MS responds to the feedback.
My gut feeling is that MS are banking on the many millions of people who have just swallowed the 'MS variant Blue pill', being very reluctant to back out to the old reality.
(Which you only have 30 days to do ..... some reports are that it does not work 100% ... Quelle Surprise)

I still can see nothing wrong with Windows 7 but it will have a very limited life if MS have their way, I know  :(

Welcome to 'Windows as a Service' it will run & run  ........ and you will pay & pay. (You did realise that didn't you!!!???)  ;D :lol:  :(

Update:
[See here for more details of what you can and cannot opt out of: http://www.howtogeek.com/224616/30-ways-windows-10-phones-home

Also report on Windows 10 throwing away previously setup Child Safety settings:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/05/windows_10_wipes_child_safety_settings_upgrade/

« Last Edit: August 08, 2015, 02:46:47 AM by AArdvark »
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Chrysalis

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2015, 08:22:14 AM »

yeah the more I use it the more things I find I dont like.

e.g. on the windows 7 start menu, just typing 're' is enough to get regedit to show up (and I dont even have windows search service enabled), on windows 10 it doesnt work anywhere near as well, and of course by default it also searches the web.

On windows 7 I can customise various things such as toolbar height and fonts of the UI, on windows 10 from what I can see you can choose from a small set of pre set themes but have absolutely no way to customise them, I cant find a way to customise sounds either.

As an OS to me windows 10 is a downgrade in the UI, but I feel sort of forced to use it in the future as its needed for DX12 and other new technologies.

The itch to upgrade my laptop has died down again.

Also we have app compatibility assistant which can block apps from running, apparently this cannot be disabled on windows 10.

Windows update I really hate, forced downloads and installation of available updates, even if you changed the forced reboot to the schedule option, it will still auto schedule a reboot within 24 hours.

Also whilst it has a start menu although it may look pretty with the tiles, its way less functional that the win7 start menu.
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AArdvark

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2015, 09:41:31 AM »

The only reply to your post (Chrysalis) is:

YES ..... I Know. :(
Also noticed that it does not save window positions/sizes.

I set windows to set positions and sizes for certain things i.e. Task Manager or 'Computer'

e.g. Open Task Manger, set the position/size of the window and close. Next time you open it repeats the position & size. Win 10 does not.
This means when I open certain progs I have to reset the window every time.

Presentation over usability. It really is still in Beta for sure. >:(
« Last Edit: August 06, 2015, 11:05:17 AM by AArdvark »
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tbailey2

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2015, 10:49:40 AM »

After a lot of farting around tryning to stop/delete the GWX process I finally managed to change permissions away from TrustedInstaller (which stops you deleting gwx.exe and keeps reinstating it) and managed to nuke its folder.

All's I have to do now is wait for MS to reinstall it without asking I guess...
« Last Edit: August 06, 2015, 11:08:08 AM by tbailey2 »
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Tony
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AArdvark

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2015, 11:23:51 AM »

Sorry ... long night, I know who I meant  ;D ;D
Been fixed.
You need to improve your ESP  ;D

To really block it coming back and running do the following: (As Administator user)

1. Recreate the folder you deleted and a 'dummy' file called GWX.exe. (A text file will do.)
You are replicating the previous folder/file structure where GWX.exe was.
[Folder locations: C:\Windows\System32\GWX & C:\Windows\SysWOW64\GWX]

2. Set the permissions to deny TrustedInstaller (RWX.... Everything. The full nine yards) on the dummy exe and the folder.

3. Then Remove all owners/groups from the file and directory.

Nothing can overwrite the folder or File including you.
It can only be removed from Safe Mode where permissions do not apply.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2015, 11:26:03 AM by AArdvark »
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tbailey2

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2015, 11:32:34 AM »

You need to improve your ESP  ;D
To really block it coming back and running do the following: (As Administator user)

Yes I did and deleted it before you posted that  :cool:
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Tony
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AArdvark

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #6 on: August 06, 2015, 11:47:15 AM »

LOL

Ah my Padawan your reach further a little you need to extend.

My instructions recreated again will prevent it being.
So you are half way there.

[So hard to talk/write in the wrong order !!! :) ]

 :D ;)

[Not bad for someone who hates StarWars ..... given the original book and was definitely ROFLOL. ]
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tbailey2

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2015, 01:01:09 PM »

LOL

Ah my Padawan your reach further a little you need to extend.

My instructions recreated again will prevent it being.
So you are half way there.

[So hard to talk/write in the wrong order !!! :) ]

 :D ;)

[Not bad for someone who hates StarWars ..... given the original book and was definitely ROFLOL. ]

Dunno what you are on, but I'd stop taking it and talk some sense....  :'(
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Tony
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AArdvark

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2015, 01:17:16 PM »

Ask a StarWars fan they will get the joke.

Well done for avoiding it all this time and being unsullied.  ;D
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tbailey2

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #9 on: August 06, 2015, 01:37:32 PM »

Ask a StarWars fan they will get the joke.

Well done for avoiding it all this time and being unsullied.  ;D

Oh dear, total confusion takes hold at your end.

I know perfectly well what you are on about, I watched them all as they were released....

Okay, I give up with this thread. Problem is that you are responding to the wrong part of the post I made and thus nothing makes any sense.

I was responding to the ESP remark and that I had deleted the first bit about 'Who were you replying to?' as I had realised which post it was and hence ESP was alive and well. Nothing to do with GWX and deleting files

Some time later after I had made that edit (15 mins) you then replied about the GWX problem and deleting the file instead, hence your confusion as that wasn't the bit that needed the reply  ;D

Anyway forget it.  It still wakes up but every 30 mins now  :'(
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Tony
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AArdvark

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #10 on: August 06, 2015, 02:10:32 PM »

Sorry, we seemed to have entered the 4 dimensional version of 'Sent 3 and fourpence we are going to a dance' territory.
(If you don't get that I give up  ;D ;D ;D :D)

Re: your problem.
You have phantom scheduled tasks, it would seem.
See this http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-7-to-10-gwx-how-to-remove.html
It should help.

I will be gone a few hours but will check if you are still having problem when I come back.

Edit:
To prove a point, edits to posts after the fact are a problem as you cannot ensure they are read after the 1st version is received.
This is an example. :)
« Last Edit: August 06, 2015, 02:15:59 PM by AArdvark »
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Chrysalis

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Re: Random thoughts on the Win 10 'Free' Upgrade ... Just happened to me.
« Reply #11 on: August 06, 2015, 07:22:22 PM »

After a lot of farting around tryning to stop/delete the GWX process I finally managed to change permissions away from TrustedInstaller (which stops you deleting gwx.exe and keeps reinstating it) and managed to nuke its folder.

All's I have to do now is wait for MS to reinstall it without asking I guess...

tony uninstalling the update for it will kill the app.
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