Microsoft revives aggressive Windows 11 upgrade campaign with intrusive popups for Windows...

[midian182]

Facepalm: Most people know that Microsoft really wants everyone to move onto Windows 11. But just in case there are some Windows 10 users still unaware of this fact, the company is once again nagging them to upgrade with full-screen, multi-slide popups.

The lengthy advertisement for Windows 11 was highlighted by Windows Latest after it installed the optional January update (in preview) on a Windows 10 machine.

The nagging Windows 11 upgrade promo consists of an excruciating number of screens (I.e., more than one): The first informs users that they can switch to Windows 11 for free and that they can still use their PC while the newer OS is set up in the background; another is Microsoft recommending the move and noting that users can revert to Windows 10 within the first ten days of upgrading; the last is for those who decide to stay on Windows 10, with a reminder that Windows 11 remains a free upgrade option. There is another panel that lists some of Windows 11 features, but this only appears for those who select the 'See what's inside' button.

Of course it does

It's interesting to see that Microsoft is up to its old tricks with the initial upgrade page, giving users the choice of getting Windows 11 or schedule an install later. The option for staying on Windows 10 is easily missable at the bottom of the screen.

Microsoft's dark patterns?

In 2016, Microsoft's Get Windows 10 (GWX) pop-up offered users the choices of "Upgrade Now" or "Start Download, Upgrade later," meaning those who didn't want the then-newest OS had to close the pop-up using the standard X in the corner of the box. However, the company changed this by introducing a small and easily missed link for rescheduling or changing the upgrade. Following the alteration, anyone who clicked on the corner X was unwittingly giving consent for the upgrade to take place at the scheduled time. Microsoft later admitted that it had "gone too far" with that one.

The new pop-up appears in the latest preview update in testing, so all Windows 10 users might see it after installing February's cumulative update that arrives next week.

Microsoft pushed out these same full-screen Windows 11 nags last May. It seems the company feels that the outcry then wasn't enough to stop them from returning.

Windows 11 has been around for over two years now, yet its worldwide share is still just 26.5% compared to Windows 10's 67.4%, according to Statcounter. The newer OS is faring better among Steam survey participants, though, with almost half of those taking part using Windows 11. With Windows 10 reaching its end-of-life date in October 2025, expect Microsoft to push its Windows 11 upgrade path even harder.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/101778-microsoft-revives-aggressive-windows-11-upgrade-campaign-intrusive.html

 

[Rocky4040]

Easy way around this but not all would want to do this. I was getting these pop ups to upgrade until I went into my bios and disabled FTPM bios setting and once I booted to my windows 10 and went to windows update it told me my PC was not able to run Windows 11 and I have not had the pop ups since.

 

[wiyosaya]

Surprise, surprise! Microsoft is being Microsoft.

Microsoft will continue doing the same things over and over again. Expecting Microsoft to change is the insanity.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Easy way around this but not all would want to do this. I was getting these pop ups to upgrade until I went into my bios and disabled FTPM bios setting and once I booted to my windows 10 and went to windows update it told me my PC was not able to run Windows 11 and I have not had the pop ups since.

Just don't do this if your using Bitlocker though.

 

[yRaz]

*Linux shilling intensifies*

Regardless of what people think of Linux, we need another OS that isn't Microsoft or Mac. It's my computer and I shouldn't have to install software on it to block pop-ups from that come from an OS I paid for.

 

[bandit8623]

I don't get why people are complaining. Support is ending pretty soon. And the Pop ups are not forcing you to update. And overall windows 11 works fine.

 

[Atmajaya2020]

and the Pop ups are not forcing you to update.

while its not forcing anyone, for some people, its quite annoying..

 

[atomicgirl]

I don't get why people are complaining. Support is ending pretty soon. And the Pop ups are not forcing you to update. And overall windows 11 works fine.

Because opting out of the update the one time should be enough, not to be asked over and over again. No means no, and there's nothing more obnoxious to people than when someone or something can't take no for an answer.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

*Linux shilling intensifies*

Regardless of what people think of Linux, we need another OS that isn't Microsoft or Mac. It's my computer and I shouldn't have to install software on it to block pop-ups from that come from an OS I paid for.

People will use what is convenient, Linux for most people just offers a headache and no real upside.

 

[Nobina]

I don't get why people are complaining. Support is ending pretty soon. And the Pop ups are not forcing you to update. And overall windows 11 works fine.

That's like asking why people find ads annoying.

 

[yRaz]

People will use what is convenient, Linux for most people just offers a headache and no real upside.

Say that to anyone who owns a steam deck

 

[wiyosaya]

People will use what is convenient, Linux for most people just offers a headache and no real upside.

Agreed, and not to mention that there are "user friendly" distributions out there, such as openSuSE, but finding them would be a onerous task for many people, especially people who are not computer geeks.

 

[yRaz]

Agreed, and not to mention that there are "user friendly" distributions out there, such as openSuSE, but finding them would be a onerous task for many people, especially people who are not computer geeks.

Actually, there is a very large Linux distribution that millions of people are already using, it's called ChromeOS. OpenSUSE is horrible, BTW. ChromeOS, much to the dismay of anyone who wants the future to be Linux, has actually improved a lot and is rapidly gaining marketshare. They did this by getting them into public schools so many people's first interaction with a desktop in today's world is with ChromeOS.

Now I, and likely many other people, are very unhappy with Google managing what is arguably the largest Linux distribution. However, one of the great things about Linux is nearly everything that works on ChromeOS can be made to work on any other distro. With the development of things like Proton, this can be done as easily as changing your desktop wallpaper.

 

[mbrowne5061]

*Linux shilling intensifies*

Regardless of what people think of Linux, we need another OS that isn't Microsoft or Mac. It's my computer and I shouldn't have to install software on it to block pop-ups from that come from an OS I paid for.

Honestly, the only thing keeping me from switching to Ubuntu or Mint at this point is that Photoshop, Lightroom, and Fusion 360 (nor Alibre) support Linux. Before anyone asks: yes, I've tries Gimp, Darktable, and FreeCad; No, I don't like them. I've debating trying to figure out some kind of docker/VM arrangement to make these programs work, but its needless complications and just one more thing to maintain or it breaks.

Maybe Adobe & Autodesk will see the light and begin to include support for 'basic' Linux like Ubuntu or Mint. But I am not holding my breath here. So, for now, I am going to hold onto Windows 10 and hope that 12 isn't a dumpster fire.

 

[trparky]

Go home Microsoft, you're drunk.

 

[yRaz]

Honestly, the only thing keeping me from switching to Ubuntu or Mint at this point is that Photoshop, Lightroom, and Fusion 360 (nor Alibre) support Linux. Before anyone asks: yes, I've tries Gimp, Darktable, and FreeCad; No, I don't like them. I've debating trying to figure out some kind of docker/VM arrangement to make these programs work, but its needless complications and just one more thing to maintain or it breaks.

Maybe Adobe & Autodesk will see the light and begin to include support for 'basic' Linux like Ubuntu or Mint. But I am not holding my breath here. So, for now, I am going to hold onto Windows 10 and hope that 12 isn't a dumpster fire.

Just spend a day learning to use wine if you are actually interested in learning Linux. Even if you don't feel like learning Linux, most things can he copy and pasted off of Github to make something work.

I totally get that people want things to "just work". Most things do now, but Linux is no more difficult to use than XP was.

There is a toxic Linux culture where nerds want Linux to be harder than it needs to be to fuel their egos. This is incredibly detrimental to what Linux actually needs. But recently this toxic Linux culture has been doing something else that's even more counter productive. They are trying to make people think Linux is harder to use and learn than it actually is.

To use Linux daily probably takes 2 hours of work to learn. To be proficient in nearly anything you would need to do would take probably around 20 hours over a few weeks. It's not like it was 10 years ago where it would take 200 hours over a year to do anything you'd need.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Just spend a day learning to use wine if you are actually interested in learning Linux. Even if you don't feel like learning Linux, most things can he copy and pasted off of Github to make something work.

I totally get that people want things to "just work". Most things do now, but Linux is no more difficult to use than XP was.

There is a toxic Linux culture where nerds want Linux to be harder than it needs to be to fuel their egos. This is incredibly detrimental to what Linux actually needs. But recently this toxic Linux culture has been doing something else that's even more counter productive. They are trying to make people think Linux is harder to use and learn than it actually is.

To use Linux daily probably takes 2 hours of work to learn. To be proficient in nearly anything you would need to do would take probably around 20 hours over a few weeks. It's not like it was 10 years ago where it would take 200 hours over a year to do anything you'd need.

This is a really ignorant comment. Anyone who has used WINE and linux for any length of time knows that adobe software specifically is a royal PITA to run in WINE, and the new stuff is a total no go.

The only "toxic" thing Im seeing here is people claiming that linux is perfect and you just have to learn how to use it. It's great, but it isnt perfect.

 

[wiyosaya]

Actually, there is a very large Linux distribution that millions of people are already using, it's called ChromeOS. OpenSUSE is horrible, BTW.

That's your opinion, but I have no bad opinions about it, and find it far more stable, has much more hardware support, and is nearly trivial to upgrade when need be.

ChromeOS, much to the dismay of anyone who wants the future to be Linux, has actually improved a lot and is rapidly gaining marketshare. They did this by getting them into public schools so many people's first interaction with a desktop in today's world is with ChromeOS.

To me, that's a very big red flag that doesn't bode well for the future. Why? Because Microsoft did something similar with Windows and Office. Doing so enabled them to literally addict an entire generation to their crap and look what has become of it.

If you think Google is doing with Chrome something to be philanthropic about it, I'd rethink that. Google, just like any other company, does not give a crap about being philanthropic. In fact, its been known for a while that Google has done things because they know it will lead to an addiction with their users. Addiction, just like drug pushers, leads to profit for Google, and that is, almost certainly, all they care about.

Now I, and likely many other people, are very unhappy with Google managing what is arguably the largest Linux distribution. However, one of the great things about Linux is nearly everything that works on ChromeOS can be made to work on any other distro.

Your key words are "Can Be Made". I bet that only applies to a subset of people that actually know what they are doing and have the time and energy to do so. Many people do not fall into that category.

With the development of things like Proton, this can be done as easily as changing your desktop wallpaper.

Maybe so, however, I bet statements like this will only be applicable to enthusiasts or people with the knowledge, time, and will to do so. The average consumer probably does not even know what Proton is. Heck, I do not consider myself the average consumer and I don't know what proton is.

 

[about30ninjas]

*Linux shilling intensifies*

Regardless of what people think of Linux, we need another OS that isn't Microsoft or Mac. It's my computer and I shouldn't have to install software on it to block pop-ups from that come from an OS I paid for.

Exactly!!

 

[lripplinger]

I'm going to guess that pop up will only appear on machines capable of upgrading. It would be pointless to show up otherwise. So unless you have 8th gen Intel, or later, it seems pointless.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Say that to anyone who owns a steam deck

I have a Steam Deck, I could put Windows on it but at the moment there not enough of an incentive to do so as it plays all the games I want, most people won't go out of their way to install another OS, they'll use what ever the PC comes with.

One of the big problems I've noticed with Linux software alternatives is while they often have similar functions to their Windows counterpart, they are often very intuitive and unfriendly to use, if Linux community wants normies to join them they need to make life easier.

 

[bviktor]

Easy way around this but not all would want to do this. I was getting these pop ups to upgrade until I went into my bios and disabled FTPM bios setting and once I booted to my windows 10 and went to windows update it told me my PC was not able to run Windows 11 and I have not had the pop ups since.

That's not "a way around" though, there are many useful features of the TPM, seamless FDE being one of them.

There are ways to disable these upgrade prompts, both via Regedit and Group Policy. I recommend using those.

 

[bviktor]

At this point the only thing that keeps me on Windows is the lack of a proper OneDrive client. The constant nagging about switching to Edge, linking my non-existent Android phone, app suggestions, etc. are insufferable.

You disable some of them, then another one pops up, it just never ends.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

Actually, there is a very large Linux distribution that millions of people are already using, it's called ChromeOS. OpenSUSE is horrible, BTW. ChromeOS, much to the dismay of anyone who wants the future to be Linux, has actually improved a lot and is rapidly gaining marketshare. They did this by getting them into public schools so many people's first interaction with a desktop in today's world is with ChromeOS.

Now I, and likely many other people, are very unhappy with Google managing what is arguably the largest Linux distribution. However, one of the great things about Linux is nearly everything that works on ChromeOS can be made to work on any other distro. With the development of things like Proton, this can be done as easily as changing your desktop wallpaper.

LOL Public schools are now faced with disaster with their crap Chrome Books that are no longer supported and piling up in the millions.

 

[yRaz]

LOL Public schools are now faced with disaster with their crap Chrome Books that are no longer supported and piling up in the millions.

So I hate chromeOS, but Google guarantees 10 years of updates on any device sold with chromeOS on it. ChromeOS=/= android but it looks like they are making people go from 3 years of support on Android to 7 so it's a start