My microsoft rant

[shouldazagged]

I used 7 Home Premium for several years and liked it fine. Then, without my asking or approving it, it was "upgraded" to 10. I had a lot more trouble with 10. When that computer croaked, my son gave me this Dell laptop running 7 Home Premium. It was a huge relief, and updates have been no problem.

 

[TX-Dennis]

One of the big problems with Windows machines is also their big advantage. MACs are all standardized. For the most part you can't upgrade or change out parts. Windows machines are all different. You can change out any part you want for a better or newer version. With so many different configurations of parts from various and sundry mostly Chinese manufacturers the amazing part is that most of the time everything just works.

I like Windows 10, but maybe I'm just weird.

 

[rwsmith]

Au Cpntraire....

Windows updates are "for the birds"! I have my computer set to accept NO NEW WINDOWS UPDATES, EVER! I learned the hard way!

Windows updates are meant for one thing only; to irritate the recipient!

The reason for Windows updates is to make you 'upgrade' to the next version.

 

[paulh]

Microsoft isn't remotely shutting down the system. Most likely automatic updates is on. Critical updates get installed and force a reboot, the user is not allowed to abort it. It can be extraordinarily irritating. I always turned off automatic updates so I could do it on my schedule, not theirs.

How do you turn them off?

 

[NYlakesider]

I'm not sure I understand this. Microsoft shut down your computer? Remotely? Have you given them access (somehow permanent) to your computer? I know that sometimes their help desk will ask for access, but you don't have to give it to them. And if you run their updates, sometimes they'll ask you if you want to restart now or wait.

Your computer might crash sometimes, or lock up...you get the Blue Screen of Death, maybe...but that isn't Microsoft coming into your system and shutting it down. Do you have automatic updates turned on?

I've been running Microsoft/Windows stuff since 1992, and that's never happened to me. Seriously, never.

As stated far from a nerd so I will TRY to answer.

Sometimes when working with the computer a notice will flash up in the lower right corner. It will say something like a update and or restart needs to happen. There is a delay built in if you activate it for a later time. What happens is if your not using the computer at the end of a specified time it will download and or restart your machine with no further notice!

I will have to ask my DIL about the " Do you have automatic updates turned on?" Give me a hammer, saw, socket set, torque wrench, welding machine I know what to do, I realy believe my cats know more about working with computers than I do.

 

[500SNW]

AFAIK, no one has asked yet, but how old is the OP's desktop anyway? In my experience, I've only gotten about 5 years out of any PC...and usually it is sudden death without any kind of warning. I get up one morning, turn it on and Boom something is seriously wrong beyond repair (usually a black screen). The laptop I'm using right now is about 4 years old...so...note to self - get a storage device and load all photos and files onto it before I lose everything.

 

[pluspea]

I got tired of windows after time not supporting a version of their product, wanting you to pay more to upgrade a product that is doing just fine, and is known to be vulnerable to countless viruses. I ordered a ubuntu 18.04 disc for five dollars on ebay and installed it on my older dell desktop, does not need virus protection or defragging and gets updates for an extended period of time. It might not be for everyone but works for me, I also have my pics and music backed up on my phone storage device and a usb drive that I keep in a safe, also cloud storage online.

 

[Watchdog]

How do you turn them off?

See below.

I will have to ask my DIL about the " Do you have automatic updates turned on?"

No need to ask your DIL. In your computer, open Control Panel. Then open "Windows Update", then click on "Change Settings".

Here's a screenshot. Note that in the drop down menu, I have selected "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them."

If you click on this image, it should enlarge and you can see it better.

 

[NYlakesider]

See below.



No need to ask your DIL. In your computer, open Control Panel. Then open "Windows Update", then click on "Change Settings".

Here's a screenshot. Note that in the drop down menu, I have selected "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them."

If you click on this image, it should enlarge and you can see it better.

Thank you, I now think I have it figured out. The computer was set to do this stuff at night. I totally shutdown my computer for the day at about +-5PM, and bring it back to life about +- 8AM the next day. I would guess it tries to do its update and my computer is off line so it just adjusts to do it when the computer is alive.

Necessary adjustments will be made!

 

[Golddollar]

How do I turn off the "Read Aloud" pop-up permanently? It is such a royal pain in the neck and of no use to me.

 

[BC38]

FWIW, I'm still running Windows XP on the laptop I'm using. I have machines running Windows 7, but nothing newer than that. I haven't seen a need to upgrade further since Microsoft is still supporting it.

Watchdog's advice in post #28 is the way to go. I started selecting the same option back when Microsoft first started their automatic updates and have done it on every computer I've owned since.

I check for and allow the updates to run every once in a while, but I never allow them to run until AFTER running the utility to create a new recovery point. That way if the update hoses my OS, I can roll it back to where it was before the update, easy peasy.

Of course I don't have that problem with my XP machines, since they stopped updating the XP operating system. I've also got a USB hard drive enclosure that I can put the hard drive into so I can still copy everything I want to keep off of the drive if it gets messed up to the point of becoming unusable. The only thing that would prevent that is the hard drive itself dying.

A large capacity thumb drive works for backing up the stuff I can't afford to lose.

 

[Pete99004]

Couple years back I got mad at Microsoft and switched to a Samsung Chromebook Plus. Never looked back and must say I have never been happier with a product. They are great.

Pete99004

 

[Rule3]

Ya see this is what happens when you ignore the telephone call that says your Windows Key has expired and Doom and Gloom will soon follow if you do not send the caller money!

 

[rwsmith]

Not 'legacy'....

...have a new laptop with Windows 10...received a large update last night...

...I went through some hassle to download my old favorite Windows 7 game Chess Titans when I bought the laptop a few weeks ago...

...last night...after the update...Chess Titans was gone...

...after a few choice words...I went to my files to run the Chess Titans installer I had saved...

...no dice...a lovely Trojan Virus had been inserted into the file...

...the Trojan had to have come from Microsoft...or McAfee which I recently uninstalled when their subscription ran out...

...I'm guessing Microsoft by the timing...

If it's an old program it may not be compatible with the newer programs.

And this is the first time I've heard of a fellow chess player here. I don't play machines, though.

 

[Watchdog]

Thank you, I now think I have it figured out.

Necessary adjustments will be made!

You're welcome.

I should add that when you've changed your settings, next time Windows notifies you of updates, take a close look at the list of updates offered.

Some of them you simply do not need, they're updates for programs you'll probably never use, or programs you didn't even know you had.

Here's one more tip. Windows updates have sometimes screwed up my computer. Maybe this has happened to you?

So. What you want to do before running any updates is create a restore point. That way, if you don't like what updates have done, you can make your computer revert to its previous settings without losing any files and/or photos or whatever you have in it.

I won't go into how to do the restore point and how to restore your settings here...but you can ask your DIL. Or, send me a PM and I'll give you the details when I have more time.