How do I get rid of the annoying Windows 10 upgrade nag?

MS Windows is insecure, like its creators. And they insist on making pretty serious changes to the look-and-feel and placement of various functions.

It's a "Personal Computer" designed to let us do whatever we want. If we want to install a trojan, why would it stop us?

Let's not confuse the physical insecurity of a computer with the massive psychological insecurity of Micro$oft! It's merely a coincidence of the English language that we do not have commonly used words to describe different types of insecurity.

it's only as insecure as the user. Sorry about your brother Michael.
Dafydd.

I seriously can't see why anyone would the the trouble to download and install Linux, just to try to avoid upgrading to Windows 10. You would think that Windows 10 is going to bring on the plague or something. Seriously folks, Windows 10 if fine. I have been using it since August and it is no problem at all.
I really get a kick out of the people who want to switch to a Mac because of Windows 10. It's not Vista, it's not ME. Yeah, let's switch to the nice, kind Apple. You think Microsoft wants to control you? Just wait until Cupertino gets its claws in you.

...this thread is about. Some feel differently.

...Microsoft doesn't "give" anything away for free.
To me, there has to be a reason they are "giving" it away.
Either veiled "steering" of searches when using their browser(s), and/or maybe Cortana.
As well, maybe it is their effort to eliminate piracy and licensing problems.

I could be wrong, maybe Microsoft is now in the business of philanthropy? ..not.

How about thinking of Windows 10 as the Google killer? If you use Bing as the search engine, Microsoft gets the ad revenue, not Google. If you use Microsoft's cloud services including Office 365, OneDrive and Outlook.com, that means your eyeballs won't look at Google Docs, Google Cloud, gmail. com. Etc, etc, etc. And Microsoft (Cr)App store will sell you all those great apps and other materials, so you don't use the Google Apps. And maybe you can download recordings and eBooks from the Microsoft Store instead of Apple, Amazon and Google getting your business.

FREE Windows 10! Not on your life. It's as free as the Greek gift of the Trojan Horse.

And there may come the time when there is a pardigm shift in how we all use computers, people will remember what Microsoft did and it did so (unethically), and decide to try something other than Windows. As the world is today, there is no paradigm shift to get people to flock to Linux as an alternative. And Apple computers are too darned expensive. Well the Surface Book is priced at a premium, like the MacBooks.

I have 10 and am not bound by those things.
Dafydd.

The time you can upgrade for free is LIMITED!... I (since I did the upgrades on all the computers in the house) do not care when the free upgrade will end... I still contend that those who do not upgrade will wonder why they didn't in perhaps 180 (+/-) days from now (I think they said it would be free for a year)

However, in EITHER case (or side of the debate) there will be benefits and consequences...

For example, message boards like this become annoying after a bit of time, and as much as I have tried to find the "I DON'T WANT TO GET THESE MESSAGES SENT TO ME AS OFTEN AS I DO OR PERHAPS, NOT AT ALL!!!!" button, I have not been able to find it.

Someone will please point me to the door... I am not afraid of the future. (I grew up there

Then again, you could dimply have a ham and cheese sammich (Nuke it to lightly melt the cheese, then a generous (as you believe you are) application of some spicy brown mustard... enjoy it and after some time with Jimmy, Jim or James, Fluff the pillow and.... ZZZzzzZZZzzzz.....

click on the "unfollow this thread" and it will stop it.

I have installed Windows 10 from scratch on quite a few computers, some mine (like my original guinea pig Thinkpad X240) and some for others. Rather than taking the express settings, I go through the custom settings and say no to those which appear to be the most intrusive, or should I say the most surveillance-like. Then I install either Firefox or Chrome to use instead of Edge, and I set the home page and default search engine to something other than Bing. Last of all, I install LibreOffice, good enough for a lot of people and certainly less expensive than paying the annual tribute to Rome, er. Redmond, for Office 365 or buying a piece of cardboard in the store for $139 (more or less). If someone really, really wants to get away from the tiles, I install ClassicShell, so the computer more or less operates like Windows 7 or even XP, for the people who have difficulty retraining themselves to use the new desktop.

Those are some of the options for minimizing Microsoft intrusion into ones life, despite the use of Windows 10. If the people who get the computers I put in their hands do not like my un-Microsoftization of Win 10, they can change it at their own peril.

I downloaded ClassicShell. During installation, my security 'went wild' with warnings, so I chose to not finish installation. Wondering if it was OK to go ahead and install?
I am not happy with Windows 10, I cannot even do a regular "Search". And the desktop screen flashes unwanted stuff all the time. I'd love my Windows 7 search features back.

But like any app install it did ask permission. Did you get the real Classic Shell from the site or some download.com site?

While I have taken the move where the upgrade was offered, I haven't found it to be free as many write.

My experience is so good that at the office we're moving to 10 without pause. Good job by Microsoft so far.

As to the Bing, Cloud and more, not one of the machines so far seem locked into that. Are you using 10 or just reading the propaganda?

Not free. Requires installer to spend time. Your time and mine are not free and they are finite.

Microsoft would hope that one clicks "Express Settings" to set up Microsoft surveillance and to follow the Microsoft way. It requires intelligence, knowledge and awareness of consequences to change the settings from the way Microsoft wants them. True, you are not "locked" into the Microsoft way, but a lot of people will end up there anyway.

Many people just click right on through without a thought. Look where that got the South Park boys in the (in)famous Apple episode.

Let me remind others here that people on these boards are mostly intelligent, knowledgeable and aware techies. The vast majority of people with a computer in front of them are not. I deal with them every day. It's not that they are stupid. It's simply that they have work to do on a computer, want to get the work done, and take as little time as possible with the care and feeding of Windows, which still manages to poop on the floor occasionally, even with regular care.

Didn't use the email login but a local login. I can't see any mandated cloud or surveillance as you write. Ed Bott and others wonder where folk come up with these crazy ideas.

-> http://www.zdnet.com/article/no-microsoft-is-not-spying-on-you-with-windows-10/

Huh? How on earth does one conclude that I wrote "mandated"?

But if you take the Express Settings unchanged, Microsoft can "automatically" track a lot of stuff about you to "enhance" your web surfing experience with more appropriate ads, for example. And I am suggesting that nobody should ever click on Express Settings, instead reviewing the choices one at a time. Of course, these settings can be changed after the fact, if you click Express Settings hastily. Some people may like to have their info tracked to the nth degree. Others, no.

Windows 8 install and setup is almost the same, by the way. Express Settings or review and select one-at-a-time.

I installed another browser and can't find any advert popping up or targeting.

Again, I did click Express Settings and along with Ed Bott wonder where folk get these crazy ideas.

Some of us are running software that is not available for Win10 or won't run on Win10, including some of Microsoft's own applications. I am using a dedicated PC as a PVR running Windows Media Center. MS has eliminated WMC in Win10, probably because they want everyone to buy an XBOX to provide that function. In any case that is one PC that will never be upgraded to Win10.

I got a great demo of VirtualBox the other day from a customer who bought a Win 10 tower from me. I watched while he installed it, set up its partition, then installed Windows XP and activated XP with product key. Now he can run his fave old applications. Not sure if this will work if one is using XP with older hardware and developing software for industrial use complete with monitoring via serial ports. (Yes, there are still people that MUST do so, to make a decent living.)

In case you have not been keeping up with things.

Microsoft has built in SPYWARE right into the core of this so called best of the best super OS that can not be turned off or UN-Installed.. Microsoft has already stated this on the web

If you ask me. what better way to spy on EVERYBODY for the U.S Gov and / or the NSA WORLD WIDE than to build an OS like Windows 10 with a core of SPYWARE that can NOT be turned off or removed and FORCE FEED it to everyone WORLD WIDE.for so called FREE.

I for one think the free thing is pure B.S, they can and will start charging everyone for it after they get all those Windows 10 computers under their control. It may take a couple years but they will start charging by the month, quarter or year for you to use your own hardware.. if you do not pay they will just reach into your system and shut it OFF. Because they will not want to make software and updates for a FREE OS forever, they would lose too much money.

They can and will track everything you do or look at on your system and even external hard drives or thumb drives you may hook up to it.. be it yours or a friends , key strokes, software installed, software un-installed, CD and DVD's read in the drive be it software or movies, web sites visited, emails sent or received, pass words for every site " even banking" and software keys. They also stated they will backup files THEY DEEM may be important to you to their cloud server. Now I do not care if you are a perfect angel on and off your computer and think you have nothing to hide. I am no Angel nor am I the Devil BUT I do love MY PRIVACY and control over ALL MY STUFF ... AND I will not put up with ANY software, OS or Company THAT IS SPYing on ME and TAKING copies of MY FILES because THEY deem it good, better or safer for me. I also will not let a company hold MY computer HOSTAGE and shut it down because I did not update it, just because THEY TOLD ME I HAVE TO.

Microsoft has gotten WAY TO BIG, POWERFUL and CONTROLLING and needs to be put in its place by US the consumer. Telling them WE will not put up with this kind of thing.

If you wish to let some unknown computer, person or SPYWARE download copies of your files, not even knowing what the files names or content are...TRACK EVERYTHING you do, look at, install and everything else they will be digging into.. be my guest and do it.

I for one will not, I will run Windows 7 till H3LL freezes over and then install some Distribution of Linux and let Microsoft ROT. and if I can't find a nice Linux Distribution I like, I will go back in time 50 years and live without a computer before I let Microsoft SPY and CONTROL MY Computer system....I can and will.

P.S They say the SPYWARE can not be turned off.. I can tell you this, the U.S Gov uses Many Windows driven computers and so do MANY foreign countries Governments. DO you really think that our own Gov. or the others Governments WORLDWIDE are going to let Microsoft Spy on and backup files from them.... I Highly doubt that they will... and they WILL Want it turned OFF or maybe Microsoft makes a special Win 10 OS just for them ?? So why is Microsoft telling US the everyday consumer the SPYWARE that is at the core of Windows 10, CAN NOT BE TURNED OFF COMPLETELY OR UN-INSTALLED ???

Maybe the government doesn't believe all that nonsense? That would explain why they use it.

What copies of what files did Microsoft make when you installed Windows 10?

Kees

Maybe he's talking about the DRM spyware that all media center installed PCs have? Ever wonder why the Event Monitor name is IAANotif.exe ? Reminds me of the RIAA - however, to take my tinfoil hat off for a moment, there are hidden processes that monitor DRM in any machine with hardware that can process protected content, and has been so since before 2007. Removing it will do no good, because the hardware is now hardwired for DRM.

Since there is no more Media Center in Windows 10, I don't think he means that.

Even having a multi-media bay or an HDMI video port will result in the same thing.

Read the truth here: http://www.zdnet.com/article/revealed-the-crucial-detail-that-windows-10-privacy-critics-are-missing/?tag=nl.e539&s_cid=e539&ttag=e539&ftag=TRE17cfd61

Let me repeat my question:
What copies of what files will Microsoft take from you if you are upgraded to Windows 10. That is what you wrote: "TAKING copies of MY FILES".

Kees

From all other replies, including mine (first one), this one is the best from my experience. It is small, simple, effective, and .. with future downloads of it, claims to keep up with future MS 'tricks' to shove W10 down everyone's throat.