Banishing 'Get Windows 10' nagware isn't as easy as you think

[steven36]

In spite of what you've read, dodging Microsoft's 'Get Windows X' campaign takes more than two registry changes

 

If you're running Windows 7 or 8.1 on a computer that isn't attached to a domain, you're no doubt familiar with the "Get Windows 10" ads that try to convince you -- sometimes subtly, sometimes forcefully -- to install Windows 10. Microsoft's intrusive campaign has drawn much well-deserved ire among Windows customers. I think it represents a new low in Microsoft marketing -- right down there in the Scroogled end of the gene pool.

 

Back in August, Microsoft posted KB 3080351, a discussion of new Group Policy settings and two obscure registry entries -- DisableOSUpgrade and ReservationsAllowed -- that, taken together, are supposed to "prevent Windows 7, Windows 7 for Embedded Systems, Windows 8.1, and Windows Embedded 8.1 Pro clients from upgrading" to Windows 10.

 

Yesterday, my old friend and erstwhile co-author Ed Bott ran an article on ZDNet that explains how to change two different registry entries -- AllowOSUpgrade and DisableGWX -- to "block Windows 10 upgrades on your business network (and at home, too)."

 

Both approaches temporarily block the immediate threat of "Get Windows 10" by removing the GWX icon in the Win7 and Win8.1 system tray and by derailing some of the Windows 10 update programs that are currently installed. Neither approach, however, will remove background tasks that bring GWX back, reclaim the 3GB to 6GB of hidden installation files Microsoft may have surreptitiously stored in the $Windows.~BT folder, nor will they keep your system protected if future Microsoft-initiated GWX attacks similar to the old ones occur again.

 

I've been talking about Microsoft's scummy GWX campaign since April, when researchers first identified KB 3035583 as the source of the attack. As best I can tell, KB 3035583 was modified, fortified, and re-released nine times in 2015. Through it all, Josh Mayfield, the inventor of GWX Control Panel, has kept his program updated to protect against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

 

I asked Mayfield about the registry edit approach to protecting against GWX. He reminded me that GWX Control Panel (then GWX Stopper) started out last August as an easy way for nonprogrammers (and others afraid of manually editing the Registry) to keep themselves protected. But it's evolved into much more.

 

Here's what Mayfield told me:

• The DisableGWX value, which GWX Control Panel has been setting since version 1.0, does one thing, and one thing only: When the scheduled GWX.EXE task runs, it checks for that registry value, and if it's set, GWX.EXE quits itself. That's how you remove the icon from your notification area. but this doesn't do anything about the several background tasks that Microsoft installs along with GWX.EXE.
• Beginning in version 1.3 of GWX Control Panel, I've included additional logic to help people whose Windows Update control panels get hijacked by Windows 10. Version 1.4 and beyond can even rescue you from an already-initiated unwanted Windows 10 upgrade.
• As your own AskWoody.com visitors (and mine) have confirmed many times over by now, KB3035583 needs to be rehidden each time Microsoft pushes a new version. If you don't want to install it, and if you happen to get more than one version installed, uinstalling it no longer gets rid of the update. (I walk through this in more detail in my troubleshooting guide.) This is why I added the new Delete Windows 10 Programs feature in version 1.7.
• Beginning about a month ago the KB3035583 update started installing a new background task -- beyond the ones previous versions already installed -- that resets the AllowOSUpgrade value to 1 (enabled) twice a day. Not all users have this background task -- I don't know how Microsoft decides how these things get distributed -- but for those who do, changing this value like [Bott] suggests will only help you for 12 hours or less.

 

Of course, changing any of the four Registry values won't delete the 3GB to 6GB of files Microsoft surreptitiously installed on many machines in the hidden $Windows.~BT folder. Changing Registry values won't uninstall or hide KB 3035583. Changing the Registry is a good starting point, but it doesn't clean out the crapware underneath.

 

 

It's important to realize that nobody has any idea how Microsoft will circumvent these protections in the future. What we do know is that Microsoft has wiggled around the stopgaps in the past -- having new versions of KB 3035583 reset the AllowOSUpgrade value, for example -- and it's clear that Microsoft has no fear of alienating diehard Windows 7 users. As Mayfield said this morning, "I'm still hearing from people who've had their Windows Update control panels hijacked, and Microsoft said they were gonna stop that nonsense months ago. Windows is a moving target, and Microsoft can and do change their policies/tactics at will."

 

Last October, Windows honcho Terry Myerson promised: "You can specify that you no longer want to receive notifications of the Windows 10 upgrade through the Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 settings pages."

I haven't seen anything in any Win 7 or 8.1 settings pages that allow you to just say no to the Windows 10 upgrade process. If you've seen something, please hit me in the comments.

 

As Mayfield says, "[GWX Control Panel is] based on both my first-hand experience and reports I've received from hundreds of users (most of whom are IT consultants and tech support professionals). The Windows 10 push is much bigger than what those Registry values cover. Period."

 

If you want to keep Microsoft from nagging you about Windows 10, you can change a couple of Registry values and hope that history doesn't repeat itself. Or you can hit it with a full barrage. Neither comes with a guarantee that Microsoft will play fair as it pushes the Win10 juggernaut. But I know which one I'll choose.

 

Source

 

 

[Holmes]

Im pretty familiar with the GWX routine now I dont need GWX control panel I can manually remove everything and I havent had the threeGB of windows ten files downloaded onto my computer maybe it only happens to some and not to all.  The reason I installed the updates is so I could get familiar with the gwx routine that way when friends or family or customers accidentally download and install it and ask me for help to remove it I CAN completely not just stop the icon from popping up.

[Airstream_Bill]

Sounds like a full time job.  I used GWX Control Panel ver.1.5 on a friends machine months ago and have had no reappearance Windows 10 wanting to put itself back on her machine.  I think GWX Control Panel is up to ver.1.7.    

[steven36]

10 minutes ago, Airstream_Bill said:

Sounds like a full time job.  I used GWX Control Panel ver.1.5 on a friends machine months ago and have had no reappearance Windows 10 wanting to put itself back on her machine.  I think GWX Control Panel is up to ver.1.7.    

I never had to use it on my windows 8.1 machine  i found a batch over at github  that removed  all the updates spy and  Windows 10 when i bought it new . I never has GFX  installed to began with. I just turned  windows updates off  and windows 8.1 always  tells you what and update is for when you click on it . I just hide these bad updates every time they appear .  Now in the past on Windows  Microsoft  added updates were if  you didn't take them you system would stop installing updates if they do this again were all screwed .

[Holmes]

It feels like a full time job Im happy to do it I feel like a non profit computer repair technician and thats ok with me why I fix someones computer they are happy when Im done and I may learn something new along the way.  Thats why I installed windows eight to get used to it so if someone asked me for help with windows eight I knew how to fix the problem same with windows ten.  I love helping users makes me feel good and I have fun when I fix them might as well work for the electronic frontier foundation.  I know I have a noble account of myself its true.  DOnt get me wrong it would be nice to get paid Ill keep doing it for free for now Ill eventually start my own business or go to college and get a job somewhere.

[Karlston]

GWX Control Panel is excellent. I bet there are more installs of it than Windows 10, a pretty sad indictment on Microsoft, Windows 10, and their unethical aggressive pushing of it.

 

Woody's one of the few journalists who doesn't swoon and get orgasmic at every Microsoft announcement. You can follow him here...

 

http://www.askwoody.com/ (Woody's site)

http://www.infoworld.com/blog/woody-on-windows/ (Woody's InfoWorld posts on Windows)

 

Please help your less computer literate friends and relatives with Windows 7 and 8.1 to install the GWX Control Panel. Thanks...

 

 

 

 

 

[straycat19]

GWX Control Panel is the perfect solution because I can talk people through the download, install, and cleaning over the phone or in a chat room and the new version 1.7.0.2 does stop it.

 

I also noticed on one computer that had 1 SSD and 5 HDD in it that there was a $Windows~BT folder on each drive and the size was 6GB for each one. I had noticed this previously in computers with two drives where the installation files were on both drives.  I guess there is no limit to where Microsoft can store the files.  Surprised it doesn't put them on mapped network drives.  Or did I speak too soon?

[steven36]

12 hours ago, straycat19 said:

GWX Control Panel is the perfect solution because I can talk people through the download, install, and cleaning over the phone or in a chat room and the new version 1.7.0.2 does stop it.

 

I also noticed on one computer that had 1 SSD and 5 HDD in it that there was a $Windows~BT folder on each drive and the size was 6GB for each one. I had noticed this previously in computers with two drives where the installation files were on both drives.  I guess there is no limit to where Microsoft can store the files.  Surprised it doesn't put them on mapped network drives.  Or did I speak too soon?

The reason  GWX  was installed  in the 1st place was M$ pushed it out in update in June   . Many people installed it on purpose .Everyone  who had auto updates on installed it. Before the news broke about  how Windows 10 harvest you're data everyone was excited  about windows 10 . Even some journalist  changed there tune  about Windows 10 after seen how it was.  I myself tested Windows 10 on 2 machines.  One machine I tested  no longer do I use windows on it,  Its Linux  Mint now I  duel boot it with Xubuntu atm.  The other one was Windows 7 it ran like crap with windows 10 so a few days latter i rolled  it back to windows 7  and i ran GWX Control Panel  and cleaned out  $Windows~BT  folder  . So even if  it did upgrade you could roll back .  On clean installs of windows  its best to not install these  updates at all and  then you don't need  this tool. Like  the OP  says we don't have a  crystal ball  so we don't  know what M$ may do next . I remember before   Microsoft having updates if we didn't install  a certain update  we could no longer could get updates  . Things could  get much worse were  tools like this may not work.   I hope it doesn't  happen  if it does ill just stay Linux tell  after they stop offering it for free.  They cant force me to use Windows 10  as  Windows is not the only O/S  there  is.

[SURbit]

21 hours ago, steven36 said:

I never had to use it on my windows 8.1 machine  i found a batch over at github  that removed  all the updates spy and  Windows 10 when i bought it new . I never has GFX  installed to began with. I just turned  windows updates off  and windows 8.1 always  tells you what and update is for when you click on it . I just hide these bad updates every time they appear .

 

This to is MY Method To MS Win Update Madness !

Dang we buy our own PC, then buy in to the MS OS BS - and then have to recycle back to the last OS one we prefer.

Wish MS could wake up to this fact and just leave us alone - some people like driving older things.

I will crapout on MS if they don't stop ! To many free OS's that have my interests.

 

PS. Can you give a name to the batch or a link for anyone interested steven36   

[vibranium]

Quote

Beginning about a month ago the KB3035583 update started installing a new background task -- beyond the ones previous versions already installed -- that resets the AllowOSUpgrade value to 1 (enabled) twice a day. Not all users have this background task -- I don't know how Microsoft decides how these things get distributed -- but for those who do, changing this value like [Bott] suggests will only help you for 12 hours or less.

 

Of course, changing any of the four Registry values won't delete the 3GB to 6GB of files Microsoft surreptitiously installed on many machines in the hidden $Windows.~BT folder. Changing Registry values won't uninstall or hide KB 3035583. Changing the Registry is a good starting point, but it doesn't clean out the crapware underneath.

 

 

That is just bloody malware behavior. Plain and simple.

 

Hey Microsoft, who authorized you to override my security policy to maintain my OS level?

Who authorized you to download at least 3GB worth of useless data that I told you I do not want?

 

 

 

[Holmes]

Only some users get that background task only some users get the hidden folder with three GB in it I havent experienced any of this.  I read this guide from the ultimate linux guide author:

 

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-7-to-10-gwx-how-to-remove.html

 

To get rid of the three GB of windows ten files show hidden files and folders and look at root where you see windows folder the hidden folder would be at the top.  You can clean out the crapware do everything that guide suggests and that gwx control panel does for you then removing thirtythirtyfivefiveeightythree and your good to go.