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

+1 on GWX Stopper v. 1.4!! It tells you what you have and what you don't, and how to temporarily or permanently remove. I believe it is best to use GWX Stopper in conjunction with the program: "Win 10 WiWi" (WIn 10 when I want it) here: http://www.win10wiwi.com/#download the Win 10 WiWi will effectively remove the Win 10 download Folder if it is found with the GWX Stopper. These are the files that MS is downloading to your HDD in the background, despite what you may have checked for preferences. On one desktop, I had not even taken the first step of "reserving" a Win 10 upgrade, and yet I found 5 GB of downloads in a Win 10 download folder. Win 10 WiWi removed all.

I use it too, works fine.
What I like is you can change your mind.
I will put Windows 10 on all my computers (my family has 7). But not before the big update scheduled for 02/16. So I'll reenable the upgrades then...

We have W10 installed on two laptops that had been purchased with W8.1. W10 is fine because it can easily be tweaked to look almost like W7. But I won't install W10 on my desktop which runs W7.

The major issue is Windows Explorer from W7 had very nice features to support tags/keywords of files which I use extensively for photo files. The File Explorer of W8/10 tossed those great features out. If I could have a copy of Windows Explorer on W10 I might make the move.

My other issue is the missing window borders. Actually my real issue is Microsoft won't provide a user control field so I could set the thickness of the Windows borders.

I agree 110% with Dan. I've loved my Windows 7 for years and Windows 10 is clearly an upgrade. I purchased the "MISSING MANUAL" on Windows 10 and it's an investment. Better than finding your way on your own, it gets you to the things you want to do quickly and easily without frustration.

Enjoy !!! And hey, it's free.

Ray

It is always nice when folks agree with someone who has been through 90% of the hoops (since DOS 1.2... OK, I got to play with DOS1.1 but only after 1.2 was released - so I am talking the 70's I think, there of course was the TRaSh-80 which I had in 1969 at the time of the moon landing... How cool?)

I suggest that anyone who has not found that Win10 is one of the best updates since Win3.1 (sr2)... {even though I went happily enjoying the subsequent upgrades since Win3.1)

Most of y'all only notice problems with the software programs you use... VERY VERY rarely are those the fault of the OS (but on the occasions they are there is usually a work-around to get you back to it, I have posted many of those over the years)

Keep the faith, find the truth

Here's why. Read the link below. You are just lucky so far that you don't suffer with this. MS has been working to fix this for 2 months, claimed an October patch fixed it but didn't, and all that has been accomplished so far is a temporary fix that isn't obvious to implement for most computer users. If someone only has one computer and a job, meaning they don't have access to the internet and don't have time to be on hold for hours, then they don't have a working computer.

When MS makes something ready for prime time, ie; this problem disappears completely, then and only then is it time to upgrade. Oh and while they are at it, restore Windows Update to be a manageable program like it always has been.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-start/critical-error-start-menu-and-cortana-arent/5256ebee-2c77-4003-87be-1597ab10cb4d?auth=1

This "message board" sux far more than... I should not want to change the topic with every post, unless I WANT to change it

Although I do not participate at the level I once did, I am/was both an Alpha and Beta tester for a large swath of MS products (having been a network/system administrator for a few of the largest native tribes in the US (Navajo, Apache, and the Pueblos in New Mexico, and even employed by the Isleta Pueblo until I had to retire) I have also been an MSCE and several other things I cannot even remember most of the time.

I am sorry you and others have difficulty when the OS/world? changes. Change is the ONLY thing we can count on to be a permanent part of our life. Become accustomed to that !!!

Because on my Lenovo notebook, the upgrade failed TWICE - once when first released and again about two weeks ago. On both occasions, I got all the way through to the reboot when it tosses up some cryptic failure notice and then likely leaves some orphan installation files on my hard drive.

Maybe it has something to do with having a few Linux multiboot partitions but that is only speculation since the Microsoft error code is essentially meaningless.

Can I count the reasons not to get the update?
1. The update fails. (Did for me first time I tried on a spare and very modern laptop. Happened to others whom I know.)
2. High-priced and very specialized licensed software used by a professional in his/her business fails to work.
3. Maybe the owner of the computer is not a computer wizard (I hate WIZARDS!) like we all are, and has difficulty adjusting to the sparkling new Windows 10. (Someone who bought a Win 7 computer from me clicked the Windows 10 update. It installed. She hated it, could not navigate around in it, and paid me to reinstall Windows 7.)
4. Maybe people do not have enough hours in a day to babysit a Windows 10 upgrade, which might even fail.

This is all very sad. Windows 10 on my laptop is 1000x better than Windows 8, so it should be a win-win for those poor people who got scammed into buying Windows 8 computer. But "better than Windows 7?" Gimme a break! It is just another operating system, nothing special. Tell me how better. Don't be afraid to include quantitative measurements and lengthy factual comparisions, rather than Microsoft Kool-Aid. "Why live in the past?" This implies that Windows 10 is the present. Is it? Or is it just another futuristic beta?

It appears you are not familiar enough with how Win10 works (you mentioned old software that doesn't seem to work) there is (like there has been since WinX.XX - I forget which version started the Compatibility Mode thing, where you could effectively roll back the OS to a version that the software would run in (I have at least a half dozen lame programs that needed that)

But, I have had enough fun tonight discussing things in a group about Win10, which has been in existence for at least a few weeks/ maybe months?(-: If you are still having trouble getting it to work, ask for hep

Don't ask me... I am too tired and would rather look for a hard boiled egg my Win10+ is working better than Win8.1 did, and Win8.1 was great... well it was good compared to Win10 (serious!)

"t appears you are not familiar enough with how Win10 works." That's a marvelous leap to an unsubstantiated conclusion. As to old software that doesn't work, where did I say anything about that?

And once again, you are taking the point of view of a Windows elitist who knows his way around Windows, and knows what to do. There aren't that many of us. I am a long-time Windows elitist, too, going back to the the original Windows 1.03 seminar with Steve Ballmer in attendance. But keep in mind that there are hordes of the unwashed who use a computer as a tool to get work done, who do not know the ins and outs of Windows, will NEVER know the ins and outs of Windows, and will not ever figure out on their own how to run a program in some sort of compatibility mode (started with Windows 7, I think. I never have done much with Vista, which may also have its compatibility mode.)

One other observation: The Windows 10 beta testing program had a built-in bias, because the millions who tested it were among the Windows elite, not the unwashed. Now we are seeing what happens when the unwashed try it.

touchpad would not scroll. OEM said the update for its drive 'will come from MS UPDATE'. Over two months later, MS UPDATE finally delivered it .... and it now scrolls. The same machine, .. 6GB of memory passed the 'compatibility' test ... so I upgraded from W7-64 to W10-64. The machine is noticeably slower. Last time I looked, cannot change the default download folder in their new browser ... EDGE ... except just now discovered you can ... but not from within EDGE. It is done through File Explorer. I have another laptop ... it passed the 'compatibility test', .. so I installed W10 on it. So many things would not work, I went to the OEM ... only to find out they are not going to support that model on W10. Had to roll that one back to W7. I WILL go to W10 ... will HAVE to .... on those machines that run it ... but it won't be until the last minute. I just don't like the way MS has gone about the whole thing. Don't like it at all.

There are things under the hood of Win10 that will help adjust the OS to make almost all older programs function... look for that, but do not expect MS to offer assistance unless you know where to call, or get hooked up with a kind and gentle script reader

update for touchpad drivER

Two reasons:

As a cable-cutter, I use Windows Media Center. MS decided not to produce WMC for W10.

I do not want a Siri-like experience on my desktop and laptop computers, and I do not want MS or Google 'predicting' my needs.

Due to pressure from others that prompted me to jump off the same bridge I, too, was encouraged to upgrade to W10.
Like many others my internet was poky and all kinds of weird things took place. Upgrade to W10 and get with the program. Well, I did and inherited an whole ne batch of problems.
Many I tired to resolve on CNET. There are mechanics and there are mechanics. There are doctors and there are doctors. I found the same with computer geeks. Too many just repeat what they hear and don't really know.
Admittedly I don't know much about computers much less software or apps. I help others with mechanical and RF needs and I depend on others for my computer needs.
We do help each other, right? (ok, enough sob)

due to a sluggish system, I upgraded my modem, Then I upgraded to Internet Explorer 11. I suppose things were a little quicker but not by much.

All my friends told me to upgrade to W10 and that's when it started. All kinds of funky stuff started to manifest. When I asked here and there everyone was guessing as to how to fix my problems Now, according to some, I don't have enough RAM to support all these upgrades ( I presently have 4GB) and to upgrade my RAM, and others, my existing mother board won't handle it more RAM. One person told me I need a new computer. I've heard of built-in obsolescence but all this for a Windows upgrade?

I'm on a pension, I need new car tires, my TV is dying and the dishwasher needs to be replaced (oops, there goes more sob).

If an upgrades should be needed then most people, in the know, should advise for possible ramifications and to be prepared for this or that

That needs Windows, unless you go to the web-based variants or the apps.

But you can use Windows 7 without any issues till 2020 at least. So no need to upgrade.

Kees

I guess I'll have to be vigilant and turn off auto update for my WIN7 machine. It's next in line to be replaced, but I'd like to keep it another year or two. It has to run Office 2013.

Microsoft Office won't work directly under Linux, but there is a Linux distro, RoboLinux, that claims to set up a nice virtual machine to run Windows inside. Sounds like a bit of a kludge to me.

Then, too, you could always break the chains of the Microsoft Office monopoly. Install Linux, then begin to use LibreOffice, which has a pre-ribbon user interface and very good (not perfect!) compatibility with Office. Because Office document formats are closed and under Microsoft's control, Microsoft can change the formats at any time. And they do. So the task for LibreOffice and other similar products becomes like Charlie Brown kicking a football held by Lucy. Still, I have been perfectly satisfied with LibreOffice on my laptop-for-the-road. After all, why pay yet another $139 (or whatever) for another copy of Office used infrequently? Free IS good.

linux has its own office which is identical to Ms office, it is open source application, so it is free!!

Look up LibreOffice.