Windows Updates & 10 Upgrade Notifications

How annoying is it when every time you turn on the computer, there is an upgrade to windows 10 notification?   So annoying, I thought I should blog about it, just in case I’m not the only one annoyed.

First of all, should you upgrade?

At this time, probably not.  According to many published articles and my extremely intelligent all-knowing tech wizard, upgrading to Windows 10 from another already existing Windows product is not considered a clean install.  It still has too many bugs, too many forced updates after the upgrade, privacy concerns, and the deletion of the Windows Media Center.  If you are on Windows 7, for sure stay put.  When the bugs are worked out of the software, then I hear it’s a great product.

I’m leery of buggy downloads from Microsoft for a reason.

When Microsoft decided to get rid of one of their security products this past fall, a Windows update completely crashed my Windows 7 system.  Yes, completely irreversible.  Completely destroyed.  Nothing there, no one home.  It took days of rebuilding my system, installing the massive amounts of necessary programs, and delayed work production.  

It was an unexpected catastrophic event that happens.  Just not to me.  But it did.  There was no system restore, no Windows Repair, nothing.  It crashed the hard drive.

It was an update.  Shortly after I reinstalled everything, the Windows 10 Upgrade Notifications began.

No chance.  As a new hard drive was installed on my computer, my amazing tech wizard and I spoke whether to install Windows 10.   A flat no was his answer.  I’ve known him for over 20 years and he builds computers for massive organizations so I trust his answer.  So, back to Windows 7 I installed.

I’ve learned quite a bit since then, especially in designing a system that would present fewer headaches during the next crash.   Yes, I expect there will be a future crash of some kind.  How can I prevent a disruption from something I don’t control, like necessary security updates?

I already had it but wasn’t using it - a two hard drive system.  The Microsoft Windows operating system and all the programs are stored on the primary C drive.  ALL data is then stored on the secondary drive.  The backup system needs only then to back up that drive.  This system simplifies the process.

This is difficult to get if you only buy OTC computers.  OTC means over-the-counter, as in Best Buy or Walmart.  I’ve only purchased built computers for my business, with exception to my travel laptop.    If you don’t know of a computer builder in your area, Dell can build it for you, and install two hard drives as well.

I also learned about backups.  Yes, I’ve lectured and written about backups quite extensively.  What’s that saying, “the plumber’s house…?”  

I use Mozy.com for my backups, which was wonderful and so easy to download when it needed the backed up data.  It would have been more wonderful for me to consider occasionally ensuring that all of the folders needing backed up, would have been chosen to do so.  

Yep, not all of my data was recoverable.  Immediately, anyway.  Remember my tech wizard?  Yes, that’s why I call him a wizard.  He waved his magic wand, consoled me as I watched him looking for data, and spent four days, running programs, making sure he could extract data from the corruption.  It took a while but he was able to retrieve most of it – a worry I wouldn’t have needed if I had been properly backing up.

Now, Mozy is directed to the secondary hard drive and it is completely backed up.  Nothing is saved on my desktop or any primary drive folders.  From crash to up and completely going, it took over a month.  I won’t forget it anytime soon.

Back to Windows 10.  How do you get rid of that pesky notification?  Down in the Windows tray, bottom right of your monitor window, there is an arrow pointing up.

 

Click the arrow and choose Customize.

Under the Icons column, GWX (Get Windows 10) is listed.  Under the Behaviors column, choose Hide icon and notifications.  Click OK and no more notifications.

Don’t ignore your computers or the next crisis will find you wondering what could have been more important than making sure all critical and non-critical information was backed up.  And, if after you ensure it’s ALL been backed up, including photos and music, you want to upgrade to Windows 10, if it crashes, at least your information has been backed up properly!