Call from Windows - part II

[Kev Williams]

While scam phone calls are a pain, I'm about fed up to here with Microsoft invading my Win8 computer whether I like it or not-- First was the "save your work because Windows is going to shut down and update whether you like it or not!!"

And there's no "postpone" options anymore. I put up with that for a couple of updates...

Then came the "save your work, Windows will upgrade to version 8.1 in 14 minutes..." OH, no you won't. Because there IS a "postpone" option: I pulled the power plug out of the stupid computer...

This has been going on since I got this puter last xmas. Yeah, I can turn updates off, but it'll still update if it wants to- says so right next to the option to turn 'em off!

So last week I decided to let the thing update to 8.1. I actually do like it better.

But- my engraving machine refused to work. And the driver refused to load. After an hour of fumbling around with it I got the stupid "hash" message, then remembered I'd done this before: Forced digital driver signing was not letting my unsigned machine driver load. But yay, that can be turned off. You just have to hit settings/change PC settings/start & recovery/recovery/restart/troubleshooting/advanced settings/startup settings/restart again/then finally press F7 to disable the forced driver signing.

Yay, I can load the driver and earn a living again!

--until tonight--

This morning I got another "save your work!" message, so I did. For the rest of the day all was well. Then about an hour ago I get this "Welcome, you installed McAfee somecrap during your last update, and..." OH, no I didn't. I despise McAfee AND Norton and refuse to let any of their software within a mile of my computers. So I found the 'remove programs' section, and removed it. Good riddance.

About 5 minutes later, my engraving machine started acting up, wouldn't do it's point 'n shoot thing, kept wanting me to Z-ref... Next thing I know, the machine driver is dead. "Failed to connect to machine".

So I start fumbling around with reloading the driver again, and kept getting nothing. Until I went to the setup program to load it, and -- The "hash" message again...

After I turned off the forced driver signing, Microsoft took it upon themselves to turn it back on, and just about wrecked a $500 part I was engraving in the process!

This is completely unacceptable!! It's tantamount to somebody walking into my locked house and changing my TV channel because they don't think I know better than to watch an R rated movie!! What do I have to do, short of divorcing this computer from the internet, to keep Microsoft out of my computer??

[Chuck Wintle]

While scam phone calls are a pain, I'm about fed up to here with Microsoft invading my Win8 computer whether I like it or not-- First was the "save your work because Windows is going to shut down and update whether you like it or not!!"

And there's no "postpone" options anymore. I put up with that for a couple of updates...

Then came the "save your work, Windows will upgrade to version 8.1 in 14 minutes..." OH, no you won't. Because there IS a "postpone" option: I pulled the power plug out of the stupid computer...

This has been going on since I got this puter last xmas. Yeah, I can turn updates off, but it'll still update if it wants to- says so right next to the option to turn 'em off!

So last week I decided to let the thing update to 8.1. I actually do like it better.

But- my engraving machine refused to work. And the driver refused to load. After an hour of fumbling around with it I got the stupid "hash" message, then remembered I'd done this before: Forced digital driver signing was not letting my unsigned machine driver load. But yay, that can be turned off. You just have to hit settings/change PC settings/start & recovery/recovery/restart/troubleshooting/advanced settings/startup settings/restart again/then finally press F7 to disable the forced driver signing.

Yay, I can load the driver and earn a living again!

--until tonight--

This morning I got another "save your work!" message, so I did. For the rest of the day all was well. Then about an hour ago I get this "Welcome, you installed McAfee somecrap during your last update, and..." OH, no I didn't. I despise McAfee AND Norton and refuse to let any of their software within a mile of my computers. So I found the 'remove programs' section, and removed it. Good riddance.

About 5 minutes later, my engraving machine started acting up, wouldn't do it's point 'n shoot thing, kept wanting me to Z-ref... Next thing I know, the machine driver is dead. "Failed to connect to machine".

So I start fumbling around with reloading the driver again, and kept getting nothing. Until I went to the setup program to load it, and -- The "hash" message again...

After I turned off the forced driver signing, Microsoft took it upon themselves to turn it back on, and just about wrecked a $500 part I was engraving in the process!

This is completely unacceptable!! It's tantamount to somebody walking into my locked house and changing my TV channel because they don't think I know better than to watch an R rated movie!! What do I have to do, short of divorcing this computer from the internet, to keep Microsoft out of my computer??

I love microsoft and all the little tricks they have in windows to continually frustrate users worldwide. its little wonder then that computers used in critical applications use Linux. It does not have the bad habits of windows. I wonder how much of what they is necessary or is driven by the marketing department. That said is there any chance you can return to windows 7 as it seems to have less in it to confound users?

[Kev Williams]

This computer came with win8, and other than the hacking by Microsoft, I'm learning to like it. 8.1 fixed some dumb issues, like adding the toolbar to the 'slide screen' (that don't slide). And I don't mind updates, as long as their optional. But this nonsense about installing software I don't want and changing settings back to default that I specifically changed in the first place, that's stepping over the line.

Funny- I have 5 computers at work here running XP, all are on the internet despite warnings that I'll be hacked, and they give me zero grief whatsoever. The only "hacking" problem I have is happening to what's supposed to be my safest computer.

[Jim Koepke]

What do I have to do, short of divorcing this computer from the internet, to keep Microsoft out of my computer??

Can you use a Mac to run your engraving machine?

jtk

[Brian Elfert]

I love microsoft and all the little tricks they have in windows to continually frustrate users worldwide. its little wonder then that computers used in critical applications use Linux. It does not have the bad habits of windows. I wonder how much of what they is necessary or is driven by the marketing department. That said is there any chance you can return to windows 7 as it seems to have less in it to confound users?

Windows servers also serve critical functions at many companies. Microsoft is better on the server side. It is also a big cash cow for them as most medium and large companies pay for upgrades and support. This doesn't mean the new GUI in Windows Server 2012 didn't piss off a lot of Windows server admins.

[Curt Harms]

Could you keep that machine off the internet? I don't have Windows 8 and if I can't control updates I certainly won't. Windows 7 is supported 'til Jan. 2020. By then I wouldn't be surprised to see Windows a subscription services just like Adobe and Office365 if they can get by with it.

[roger wiegand]

Haven't seen anything about Win 7 or 8 that makes me want to upgrade from XP. (Have all three running on various machines) Everything important however is now on a linux machine or Mac and life is much happier than when I thought I had to run Windows for various reasons, mostly related to keeping full employment in corporate IT departments, I think.

[Wade Lippman]

I have a laptop and 2 phones on W8.1 and none of the things you describe have happened. Unless you are using a touchscreen W8.X is no big deal, but its not a problem either.

[Mike Henderson]

I have a laptop and 2 phones on W8.1 and none of the things you describe have happened. Unless you are using a touchscreen W8.X is no big deal, but its not a problem either.

Yep, the biggest difference I notice between 7 and 8.x is that 8 boots a LOT faster.

Mike

[Scott Shepherd]

Yep, the biggest difference I notice between 7 and 8.x is that 8 boots a LOT faster.

Mike

So it's still not booting up as fast as Windows 95, huh? In all seriousness, we have a legacy machine that's running Windows 95 and it boots, runs, and shuts down faster than anything I have seen in a long time.

[Dan Hintz]

I put an SSD in my latest machine. From power off to ready-to-go it takes aboooout 6 seconds? Bloated OSs aren't an issue anymore...

[Myk Rian]

I put an SSD in my latest machine. From power off to ready-to-go it takes aboooout 6 seconds? Bloated OSs aren't an issue anymore...

But that won't solve the OPs problem.

[Mike Henderson]

I put an SSD in my latest machine. From power off to ready-to-go it takes aboooout 6 seconds? Bloated OSs aren't an issue anymore...

I have an SSD in both my Windows 7 and my Windows 8.1 machines. The 8.1 machine boots to the log in screen in just a few seconds. What they did, I think, is put that screen up knowing that it will take you some time to enter your password and they can use that time to load more of the OS. It gives the perception that the boot is really FAST - and that's okay with me.

The Windows 7 machine takes MUCH longer to boot or come out of hibernation. And when you boot the 7 OS, it has a lot to load after you enter your password - it's a long time before the machine is really ready for work.

Mike

[The 8.1 machine has an mSATA "disk" while the 7 machine has an SSD replacement for a mechanical drive. I think the mSATA is faster than the drive replacement.]

[Dan Hintz]

But that won't solve the OPs problem.

My reply was in relation to Steve's comment about slow-loading OSs, nothing more...

[Scott Shepherd]

Yeah, but what would an SSD boot time be on Windows 95?