All your files are exactly where you left them ....

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nunz

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#195374 18-Apr-2016 11:48

I had a wee accident last year, meant I have to take pain killers and they have the unfortunate side effect of clogging your works up. I have to tell you that prunes, metamusil, fibre and all the other remedies are nothing on my coming back to my Pc and seeing this message.

Ransomware? No thankfully. It's just Microsoft. It's their idea of a calming message while they make you wait for yet another interminable time to do their third or fourth day in a row of updates.

What genius thought that would be a great message to leave on someones screens? Eventually the update finished. Before it did however I had time to look the message up on Google, have a 5 minute rant to myself about Microsoft, make a cup of tea and get back before whatever MS were up to was complete.

45 minutes later my disk usage is still at 100% and more of my working life wasted as tile updates, geolocation, and goodness knows what other kak I don't use and thought I had turned off updates itself.

As a side note, my brand new i7 laptop, windows 10, has never succeeded in booting up and being ready in under 5 minutes since getting it. MS antimalware, tile updates, update services and numerous other pieces of garbage hogging the disk at 100% usage and a normal thread priority. It makes opening programs, running VMWare etc a disaster.

However the message got me thinking - what exactly do they mean "All your files are exactly where you left them ...." .

Does this mean sometimes they aren't?
Does it mean that I should have no expectation of them being where I left them?
Does this mean I should have an expectation of file being moved at MS's pleasure?

My research turned up that MS uses this update as an opportunity to remove programs it doesn't think are legal or it disagrees with. This is an opportunity for MS to do some police work. Oh snap!!

MS's record of deciding what is suitable,what is licensed and what is not, is pretty appalling. Licensed legacy apps, MS own licensing issues (2 hours getting Office to install with a valid license under Office 365 subscription last week) and them banning outright apps they think aren't suitable are growing.

For me it meant my MS 365 Office Subscription needed me to re-validate and accept terms and conditions. Those terms and conditions were an explicit message that this software would AUTO UPDATE, something I don't want to happen as Outlook 2016 is buggy as Hades flea infested arm pit.

But back to the main point.

If you see this message - don't panic. I may or may not be ransomware. Hopefully it's just Microsoft dicking around again. Unfortunately only time will tell which one it is so sit back, pop a Valium and pray the message will change. Maybe you will get lucky and it will be ransomware, because at least they do give you all your files back, with MS there is no guarantee.

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#1534819 18-Apr-2016 11:56

I don't quite understand your concerns.

Your files have not moved.

They are just killing time and showing some useful info maybe.

nunz

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#1534839 18-Apr-2016 12:12

surfisup1000:

I don't quite understand your concerns.

Your files have not moved.

They are just killing time and showing some useful info maybe.

It's a dumb donkey thing to say - with the mount of ransomware out there with similar messages how are we to know we aren't stuffed.

I am getting calls from clients seeing this. It is spooking them too.

It is a useless piece of information - it doesn't tell you what is being upgraded, how long it will take, what the impact is and what possible files may be missing or not at the end of it. It raises questions but provides no information.

Also it does raise the question - MS is reserving the right to move and change YOUR files. NOT theirs, YOURS. That's not on. It's MY computer.

gzt

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#1534847 18-Apr-2016 12:15

As a side note, my brand new i7 laptop, windows 10, has never succeeded in booting up and being ready in under 5 minutes since getting it

This is why anyone who values performance immediately reinstalls a fresh copy of windows on a new machine.

nunz

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#1534866 18-Apr-2016 12:30

gzt:
As a side note, my brand new i7 laptop, windows 10, has never succeeded in booting up and being ready in under 5 minutes since getting it

This is why anyone who values performance immediately reinstalls a fresh copy of windows on a new machine.

Been there - done that. i gave up and tried Linux Mint but acer has weird hardware so it didn't get past initial boot screen without hanging so am trying to find an alternative. I've got a windows 7 lic - am going to revert. My experience of win 10 is just way too painful. office 365 showing advertising for upgrades etc chewing through my screen space and now forced upgrades to office 2016 and its broken outlook. Another fail.

wasabi2k

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#1534915 18-Apr-2016 12:48

So - remove Office 365? You would get the exact same experience if you install it on Windows 7.

Don't write off an OS after a single bad experience.

nunz

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#1534986 18-Apr-2016 14:21

wasabi2k:

So - remove Office 365? You would get the exact same experience if you install it on Windows 7.

Don't write off an OS after a single bad experience.

Win10 - is nothing but a bad experience.

Slow to start.
Antimalware uses 100% CPU and 100% disk for 5-10 minutes after starting.
Other services do similar. with the disk
Randomly cuts off wireless access after updates requiring mucking around to get things working
Advertising in apps
Removed all live tiles and apps multiple times until found a way to stop them coming back
Had to find work arounds to kill MS anti-malware engine( put c drive into exclusions)
EDGE crashes regularly
Edge caches like a hoarder.
Cant pin links to external drive apps on tool bars
Heavy on network
Pain in the neck getting to settings etc
Hellishly slow compared to Win 7.
Keeps blocking me from doing what I have asked it to do - complete nanny state
Taking ownership of files and folders, fixing permissions still leaves me locked out
Takes longer to figure out how many files and what size it is deleting and copying than actually doing the job.
Setting default apps from firefox and other third party apps doesn't work, have to go through control panel, default apps to do it now.
Cant turn off updates, means that , like today, time wasted while PC farts around.
Reverts settings for Defender, updates etc
Screen artifacts as screen refresh doesn't always work properly.
changes to host files don't always take effect when saved
Powershell keeps popping dumb exclusions - even when running as admin and flat out refuses some options
Keeps losing focus on windows meaning you type in mid air half way through sentences
Damned notify in the bottom right wont be shut up. Even turned off the service and it still sticks itself in the way of work regularly.
MS putting their two cents worth into more and more of my choices - they need to butt out and let me choose to use my computer, my way.
Screen real estate getting more and more cluttered with pop ups, notifications, auto resizing, advertisements etc etc.
And the list goes on and on an on and on and on.

I committed myself to trying it for two months, all I am is peeved, slowed down, frustrated. This has happened on three machines we tested on. It is far less useable for power users, developers etc.

My Intel i3 NUC with 4GB ram, Windows 7 and basically no real dedicated video absolutely whips my new i7, 2GB Nvidea dedicated graphics ram, 8GB ram laptop under windows 10. Progress - I don't think so.

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nunz

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#1534990 18-Apr-2016 14:27

Found another change since the update. windows Edge seems to revert to some default settings / startup wizard. Note my default pages on tabs but instead of getting what I want have to click and delete my way through more new user settings after update.

Another file not left exactly the same. Also it seems to have lost saved log ins.

Jase2985

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#1534992 18-Apr-2016 14:28

Sounds like a lot of the issues relate to your situation specifically, a I haven't experienced 90% of them and im running a 7 year old laptop with C2D 3gb of ram and an SSD. Its pretty quick.

wasabi2k

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#1534999 18-Apr-2016 14:32

Wow - your experience is vastly different to mine. I haven't had a problem with it and use it as my daily driver.

I guess everyone is different.

edit: a LOT of those symptoms sound like something very broken...

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#1535007 18-Apr-2016 14:44

nunz:

<snip>

Win10 - is nothing but a bad experience.

Slow to start.
Antimalware uses 100% CPU and 100% disk for 5-10 minutes after starting.
Other services do similar. with the disk
Randomly cuts off wireless access after updates requiring mucking around to get things working
Advertising in apps
Removed all live tiles and apps multiple times until found a way to stop them coming back
Had to find work arounds to kill MS anti-malware engine( put c drive into exclusions)
EDGE crashes regularly
Edge caches like a hoarder.
Cant pin links to external drive apps on tool bars
Heavy on network
Pain in the neck getting to settings etc
Hellishly slow compared to Win 7.
Keeps blocking me from doing what I have asked it to do - complete nanny state
Taking ownership of files and folders, fixing permissions still leaves me locked out
Takes longer to figure out how many files and what size it is deleting and copying than actually doing the job.
Setting default apps from firefox and other third party apps doesn't work, have to go through control panel, default apps to do it now.
Cant turn off updates, means that , like today, time wasted while PC farts around.
Reverts settings for Defender, updates etc
Screen artifacts as screen refresh doesn't always work properly.
changes to host files don't always take effect when saved
Powershell keeps popping dumb exclusions - even when running as admin and flat out refuses some options
Keeps losing focus on windows meaning you type in mid air half way through sentences
Damned notify in the bottom right wont be shut up. Even turned off the service and it still sticks itself in the way of work regularly.
MS putting their two cents worth into more and more of my choices - they need to butt out and let me choose to use my computer, my way.
Screen real estate getting more and more cluttered with pop ups, notifications, auto resizing, advertisements etc etc.
And the list goes on and on an on and on and on.

I have upgraded (followed by a fresh install) all 10 of my PCs to Win 10 - one of them an i3 NUC- without any of the problems listed above - except for "Cant turn off updates".

Actually I can turn updates off, but it's an all or nothing option.

None of these machines run slower on Win 10.

Your laptop sounds like a new PC laden with crapware.

Sideface

Rikkitic

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#1535012 18-Apr-2016 14:52

nunz:

Win10 - is nothing but a bad experience

I have to agree with most of what you say, though my experiences have not been quite as bad. I did have the Vista games on my laptop (Chess, Hearts, etc.) that were modified to run on later Windows versions after they were dropped by Microsoft and those disappeared after an update, along with some other stuff. I have also lost work repeatedly when Windows decided to check for updates in the middle of something I was doing. I find Win 10 to be quirky and unreliable but my biggest issue is with the updates that can't be turned off and the endless pointless notifications, both of which I have finally managed to mostly disable. I am definitely not a fan of Win 10 and it is only still on my laptop because I am afraid of what might happen if I try to roll it back and I have other computers I use for most things so am not entirely reliant on the laptop.

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nunz

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#1535014 18-Apr-2016 14:55

wasabi2k:

Wow - your experience is vastly different to mine. I haven't had a problem with it and use it as my daily driver.

I guess everyone is different.

edit: a LOT of those symptoms sound like something very broken...

I think a lot of them is I like to run my laptop my way. I use keyboard shortcuts, have setup things to smooth my workflow, run development environments etc. I am wondering if the Acer laptops (x 2) are buggy but reverting to Windows 7 will tell.

Things I dont want from an OS.

1 - Lack of control - automation without consent.

2 - 11 clicks where 2 used to work

3 - Pop ups getting in my face (e.g. notifications, etc)

My Pc's get themes turned off normally, updates on manual, all extra kruft removed and startups / cruft removed. I do not expect the OS to reverse what I have done.

I am used to my PC being tuned to within an inch of its life and staying there. windows XP used to run in 70 - 150Mb total ram. My intel i3 starts in under 9 seconds with windows 7. none of them pop up messages, notifications etc. This is my first i7, i splurged to get it and its a pile of PITA crud.

Windows 10 startups and disk usage are absolutely excessive. No OS should run the disk and / or ram at 100$ for five minutes or more after startup - end of story.

I got hammered on one of the forum discussions - to the point thtat posters suggested my clients should look for a proper IT guy who didn't keep them on Windows 7. after some of the debarcles on windows 10 with updates etc I notice that some f those early adopters are not quite so happy with Win10.

However, if I was going to bag an OS, I should at least have given it a decent try. So I did.

Three Windows 10 machines, one i5, one i7 and an upgraded i5 from Windows 7. All of them had windows 10 loaded, I left the default choices alone, I didn't fiddle with them, change them to my spec etc. Blooming aweful but I stuck at it for 2 months. Then I tuned and fiddled. Still cant kill the cruft and notifications etc.

Win7 on an i3 NUC beats the hades out of windows 10 on an i7 with twice as much ram and an independent graphics card.

Also other niggles - had a son's 10th birthday and he wanted to LAN minecraft (a microsoft product) . the latest updates to Minecraft dont run on windows 10 and require tweaking of the graphics properties in order not to crash. They also lag / and POV, Render distance etc has to be dealt to. Whereas the lesser specced Pcs on Win7, no issues at all. One of the win10 boxes had 32GB ram, a 2GB Quadro card, Raid 10 ( 4 western digital black drives @ 7200RPM) and it still had laggy graphics under windows 10. It was a new, from the ground up rebuild of Windows 10, from a downloaded iso file, and a complete format of the drives previously.

Note Minecraft and Windows 10 are both Ms products and DONT play nicely together.

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#1535019 18-Apr-2016 15:03

It's a nod to previous versions of Windows where things got totally rooted.

Plus when I did the upgrade, all my files weren't where I left them. C:\Program Files (x86)\ got munted.

Not to mention the apps that Windows 10 uninstalled to be helpful.

I agree, I had a good chuckle when I first saw this extremely stupid message.

Talkiet

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#1535060 18-Apr-2016 15:23

Sheesh - Windows 10 for me has been better in every way that matters (to me) than windows 8.1 (or 8, or 7, or Vista, or 2000, or NT4, or 98, or 95, or 3.11, or 2, or DOS 6.22, or DOS 3.3... or... Ok, that's as far back as my personal expereince with MS OSes goes - actually it might go further but I can't remember the DOS version numbers.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Rikkitic

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#1535068 18-Apr-2016 15:40

It's interesting how different people have such different experiences but I think that has always been the case. It has also always been the case that Microsoft seems to go out of its way to annoy its customers with these kinds of unrequested and unwanted 'features'.

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