Two Soylentils wrote with a caution about a new strategy in Microsoft's playbook to get people to upgrade to Windows 10.
That pesky Windows 10 forceware box...
This notification means your Windows 10 upgrade will occur at the time indicated, unless you select either Upgrade now or "Click here to change upgrade schedule or cancel scheduled upgrade". If you click on OK or on the red "X", you're all set for the upgrade and there is nothing further to do.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3095675
Windows 7 or 8.x users that want or need to hold on to their current operating systems may be in for a very unpleasant surprise. Microsoft has essentially changed their Windows 10 update notification from a very pushy "opt-in" to an "opt-out". The new notification automatically schedules a time to receive Windows 10. Clicking the "X", as many have gotten used to, no longer prevents installation. Those that do not pay close attention to this new notification may inadvertently wind up with Windows 10 even if they did not want it. Very sneaky stuff.
Microsoft has published an offical article describing the changes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 21 2016, @05:17PM
I love those calls. I always say, "Hold on just a sec" then setup the voice recorder and pretend that I don't know I'm using GNU+Linux.
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Saturday May 21 2016, @05:36PM
I don't bother pretending I don't know what GNU/Linnux is: the script is only designed to differentiate between different versions of Windows.
They won't even think to ask if the start menu icon looks like a penguin instead of a circle.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 21 2016, @05:57PM
One of my coworkers has a box that he went to some software download site and installed the top 10 or 20 downloads installed with default settings. So when someone calls, he gives them access to that box. So fun to see them battle real adware crap when trying to do whatever. One of the techs spent an hour cleaning it before installing their own flavor of crapware on it. Another got so frustrated, he asked him to put a blank cd in, burned DBAN on it and then rebooted the computer before abruptly hanging up. Most dick around for fifteen minutes, see no pending sale and delete system files or the documents folder on the way out.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Common Joe on Saturday May 21 2016, @07:27PM
I do the same except I went a couple of steps further.
I act completely innocent and incompetent and willing to do anything for them. Meanwhile, on a virtual machine, I put a rotating set of NSFL gore photos on a windowless foreground. No icons. No start button. When they remote into the Linux VM, they can't help but see the stuff and they can't disable it. I only used it once, though. After getting harassed once or twice a month, I sprung this on them. They hung up immediately and I haven't had a phone call in two and a half months.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 21 2016, @09:43PM
A recent Fortune QOTD here referenced a globe (model of the Earth), flies, and comedian Bruce Baum's old joke about messing with their heads.
I have to admit that I've never interacted with one of those faux helpers and I'm not sure I'd have the patience to play the game, but Brad Rodriguez does and he weirded out the most recent slimeball in under 2 minutes.
Yet Another Telephone Scam Attempt [goodbyemicrosoft.net]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]