# Windows 10: Why did this happen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129 "2016-07-17T16:45:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/1 "2016-07-17T16:45:46Z")
Good morning all. Early this morning, I was reading news on my Surface Pro 3. The screen went blank and told me it was restarting to configure a windows update. When the machine came back up a few minutes later, it upgraded itself to Widows 10. Microsoft has been bombarding me with opportunities to make this upgrade but, as far as I know, I did not accept any of them. Is this common? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/2 "2016-07-17T18:00:49Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > Good morning all. > > Early this morning, I was reading news on my Surface Pro 3. The screen went blank and told me it was restarting to configure a windows update. When the machine came back up a few minutes later, it upgraded itself to Widows 10. > > Microsoft has been bombarding me with opportunities to make this upgrade but, as far as I know, I did not accept any of them. > > Is this common? Yes, very common. It was the source of much controversy over the past year or two. Basically, you got tricked into upgrading. It’s not your fault. Tens of thousands of people did. [https://www.google.com/search?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=windows+10+forced+upgrade&oq=&gs\_l=](https://www.google.com/search?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=windows+10+forced+upgrade&oq=&gs_l=) ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/3 "2016-07-17T18:30:58Z")
thanks ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/4 "2016-07-17T18:37:43Z")
The good news is, IIUC, that now that you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 you no longer need to worry about whether or not to authorize further upgrades. _ **There is no way to disable further upgrades.** _ (I think. Hopefully a Doper will fight my ignorance. There are hits if you Google “Disabling Windows 10 updates” but the recommendations appear not to work.) ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/5 "2016-07-17T22:44:40Z")
I’ve upgraded to W10 and I love it. Since I’m just a simple user I’ve turned off a lot of features. It’s been working great. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/6 "2016-07-17T22:50:48Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > The good news is, IIUC, that now that you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 you no longer need to worry about whether or not to authorize further upgrades. _ **There is no way to disable further upgrades.** _ > > (I think. Hopefully a Doper will fight my ignorance. There are hits if you Google “Disabling Windows 10 updates” but the recommendations appear not to work.) Need someone else to confirm, but you have to change a setting to a metered conection. Declan ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/7 "2016-07-17T23:39:07Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Need someone else to confirm, but you have to change a setting to a metered conection. I did make that change, and maybe it worked. What confuses me is the Chrome browser starting automatically and going to [Bing](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/)… But I guess this is unrelated to Windows Update, and is some other strange hijack. (Is it Microsoft malware? Or Microsoft trying to tell me about some other malware? I’d not be surprised if my new laptop already has malware on it, but the specific problems I’ve been aware of went away when I uninstalled _ **anti-malware** _ packages! :smack: ) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/8 "2016-07-17T23:45:14Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > Microsoft has been bombarding me with opportunities to make this upgrade but, as far as I know, I did not accept any of them. > > Is this common? Microsoft now interprets “no” as “yes”. I kid you not. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/9 "2016-07-18T00:06:05Z")
Happened to me too. Some doper told me how to get Win7 games back, but I cannot find the thread. I am slowly adjusting to Win10. Somehow, my wife figured out how to avoid it. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/10 "2016-07-18T02:29:53Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Happened to me too. Some doper told me how to get Win7 games back, but I cannot find the thread. I am slowly adjusting to Win10. Somehow, my wife figured out how to avoid it. Based on the previous thread, I got them [here](http://winaero.com/blog/windows-7-games-for-windows-10-anniversary-update-and-above) (scroll down to the link). I’m generally a tad skittish about such solutions, but I haven’t seen any problems thus far. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/11 "2016-07-18T05:02:49Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Yes, very common. It was the source of much controversy over the past year or two. Basically, you got tricked into upgrading. It’s not your fault. Tens of thousands of people did. > > [windows 10 forced upgrade - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=windows+10+forced+upgrade&oq=&gs_l=) It’s not even “tricked”, in my case the last time it didn’t even ask. It just upgraded (and of course, chose to do so in the location with the slowest 'net connection of the three I routinely use). Microsoft has decided that all our computers now belong to them. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/12 "2016-07-18T05:08:37Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > It’s not even “tricked”, in my case the last time it didn’t even ask. It just upgraded (and of course, chose to do so in the location with the slowest 'net connection of the three I routinely use). > > Microsoft has decided that all our computers now belong to them. I think it always asks, but how it asks gets trickier every time. Like in their latest gambit, clicking the “X” button instead of choosing “No” meant “yes, I’ll upgrade”. Fuck that ☹ ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/13 "2016-07-18T05:34:03Z")
Another important point about Windows 10 updates - check your settings: Start - Settings - Update and Security - Advanced Options- Choose how updates are delivered - There are the options how to get and \*\*\*SEND \*\*\*updates Be sure to select “PC’s on my local network”. If you select “network and _internet_” you will be sending updates all over the world to help others apply Windows updates and lessen the burden on the Microsoft servers. Microsoft was less interested in preserving your bandwidth than preserving its own; it was turning every Windows 10 machine into a giant update share server. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/14 "2016-07-18T07:50:18Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > I think it always asks, but how it asks gets trickier every time. Like in their latest gambit, clicking the “X” button instead of choosing “No” meant “yes, I’ll upgrade”. Fuck that ☹ If it asked, it did so behind the program I was using and interpreted “no response” as “oh yes please”. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/15 "2016-07-18T14:20:26Z")
There are three computers in my household: mine, my girlfriend’s, and her daughter’s. Five or six months ago, when the option to upgrade started showing up, I did something on all three computers to tell them “no, and don’t ask me again.” I can’t remember what it was, but it was something in Windows Update itself, I didn’t install GWX control panel or anything like that. Girlfriend and I have since gotten new computers with Windows 10, and we plan to get Daughter a new computer later this year. That’s the only reason we didn’t upgrade; I’m quite happy with 10. Daughter is still on Windows 7, and her computer has said nothing more about upgrading. The point is, there is some way to disable the upgrade, but I unfortunately can’t be more helpful with that. I know this doesn’t help the OP, but anyone else reading this thread who doesn’t want to upgrade might have some hope. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/16 "2016-07-18T18:12:42Z")
Apple’s not much better. When my iPhone has an update my options are “now” and “later”. If you say “later”, it then wants to schedule the install automatically for that evening. It takes a few screens to say “no”. You will get this pop-up daily and sometimes more than daily until you give in. It’s really irritating on a device connected to an enterprise mobile management server that is incompatible with the new update, so updating will break your phone. And Apple gives you no way to change the phone’s behavior. Or roll back an update if it does occur. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/17 "2016-07-18T21:21:17Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > There are three computers in my household: mine, my girlfriend’s, and her daughter’s. Five or six months ago, when the option to upgrade started showing up, I did something on all three computers to tell them “no, and don’t ask me again.” I can’t remember what it was, but it was something in Windows Update itself, I didn’t install GWX control panel or anything like that. > > Girlfriend and I have since gotten new computers with Windows 10, and we plan to get Daughter a new computer later this year. That’s the only reason we didn’t upgrade; I’m quite happy with 10. Daughter is still on Windows 7, and her computer has said nothing more about upgrading. > > The point is, there is some way to disable the upgrade, but I unfortunately can’t be more helpful with that. I know this doesn’t help the OP, but anyone else reading this thread who doesn’t want to upgrade might have some hope. There is an update that you can uninstall and set to never install again that is supposed to stop any upgrades. I don’t know if Microsoft overrode that. I got lucky in that Windows 10 claims that I’m not authorized for an update. Not an incompatibility, which would make sense, but says I’m unauthorized. Even though I did actually do a manual update to 10 a while back (but have since restored to my Windows 7 backup. The November 2015 upgrade causes a massive slowdown in anything that involved using the disk.) ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Simple\_Mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Mind)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/18 "2016-07-18T23:11:22Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Another important point about Windows 10 updates - check your settings: > > Start - Settings - Update and Security - Advanced Options- Choose how updates are delivered - > > There are the options how to get and \*\*\*SEND \*\*\*updates > Be sure to select “PC’s on my local network”. > > If you select “network and _internet_” you will be sending updates all over the world to help others apply Windows updates and lessen the burden on the Microsoft servers. Microsoft was less interested in preserving your bandwidth than preserving its own; it was turning every Windows 10 machine into a giant update share server. Can somebody confirm that, I have 8.1 and have disabled a lot of things on my machine, I did not get even “one” update invitation and I think what Microsoft is doing is nothing short of a criminal act! Imagine if this is true than obviously they will not only forward updates thru your machine but will also be able to get at all of your data… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/19 "2016-07-19T06:37:18Z")
> [@Simple\_Mind](#): > > Can somebody confirm that, I have 8.1 and have disabled a lot of things on my machine, I did not get even “one” update invitation and I think what Microsoft is doing is nothing short of a criminal act! Windows 10 definitely includes the option to act as a distribution node for updates (it’s sort of like bittorrent for Windows Update). I just upgraded this machine to Windows 10 - and it seems to have set the default to ‘PCs on my local network’, which is fine. The feature can also be switched off completely. > [@](#): > > Imagine if this is true than obviously they will not only forward updates thru your machine but will also be able to get at all of your data… I don’t see that this necessarily follows, nor is it obvious. If they wanted to steal your data, they could anyway - and if they did, I imagine they wouldn’t bolt it on to anything visible at all. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Simple\_Mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Mind)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129/20 "2016-07-21T13:46:10Z")
Well, the French authorities seem to think otherwise as this article explains. > **[France threatens Microsoft with sanctions for tracking & collecting...](https://www.rt.com/news/352417-france-microsoft-user-data/)** > > France has formally demanded that Microsoft stops collecting private user data and tracking browsing habits. Should the corporation fail to fulfill the request within three months, it risks facing further sanctions and paying fines of up to €150,000... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-why-did-this-happen/760129.md?page=2)