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Tech News from FlexITechs
| May 25, 2016
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Dear (Contact First Name),
Thank you for your continued interest in FlexITechs. If you'd prefer not to receive our occasional email newsletters, use the "Unsubscribe" link above.
Also, be sure to:
Sincerely, Eric Magill, FlexITechs |
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Microsoft Becomes the Hacker
Based on reports from our clients and other IT services, Microsoft has resorted to one of the dirtiest hacker tactics to trick users into upgrading to Windows 10.
Microsoft isn't denying it.
For years, hackers have employed a social engineering trick that installs a virus when a user clicks the X to exit out of a popup window or alert. Hackers understood that this would be the natural reaction of any end-user so they decided to program the X to install their virus.
Now, Microsoft has deployed the same tactic to automatically upgrade computers to Windows 10. We've had a half-dozen such reports from our clients in the past week and similar reports have flooded in from other IT services, such as this one.
There is in small type a link to cancel the scheduled upgrade but most people won't see that and will instead click the red X.
In its own defense, Microsoft, well ... it doesn't offer a defense:
From its web site:
"If you click on the red "X", you're all set for the upgrade and there is nothing further to do."
Well, gee, thanks for undoing decades of habitual behavior Microsoft. Now we can't even trust the red X.
Further, Microsoft stated:
"With the free Windows 10 upgrade offer ending on 29 July, we want to help people upgrade to the best version of Windows. As we shared in October, Windows 10 will be offered as a 'recommended' update for Windows 7 and 8.1 customers whose Windows Update settings are configured to accept 'recommended' updates. Customers can choose to accept or decline the Windows 10 upgrade."
Notice that last line -- "Customers can choose to accept or decline ...."
This is true .... but not until AFTER the upgrade has performed. That is when you are offered the End User License Agreement, which gives you Accept or Decline buttons.
Most people have been programmed to Accept these agreements and do so, which completes the installation of Windows 10.
Clicking Decline will in fact revert the operating system back to Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 from Windows 10. That's nice, but it takes 15 minutes or so to complete the reversion and it doesn't always go smoothly.
And guess what? When you revert, Microsoft attempts again to force the upgrade on you immediately! You have to go into Windows Updates and hide the Windows 10 upgrade to stop it.
Microsoft, in its zeal to support just one operating system, has only added to the level of distrust of computer alerts. I now receive more phone calls about legitimate alerts than I do fake ones.
Thanks for adding to the confusion Microsoft.
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Memorial Day Hours
Please note that we will be closed Memorial Day weekend including Monday, May 30, 2016, except for business emergencies. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, May 31, 2016.
Our normal hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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BizTech Talk -- Windows 10 Disruptive
Microsoft's forced upgrade tactics can be particularly disruptive to businesses that lose time to dealing with the issues the upgrade creates or reverting to their previous operating system.
A small business client of ours lost an entire morning due to such a forced upgrade of the Windows 7 computer he uses as a server for his network.
After declining the EULA to revert the upgrade, the workstations all had to be re-connected to the application and printers and credit card processors had to be reinstalled.
Obviously, this can be a costly disruption for a small business.
From what I have seen, Microsoft will attempt to upgrade any computer that has automatic upgrades turned on. Most small businesses that don't have in-house or out-sourced IT departments to control which updates are installed will have automatic updates set.
If your small business automatically installs Windows updates and you fall victim to the Windows 10 upgrade, the same procedures to revert as I described above apply here. Click the Decline button to revert. If you click Accept and decide you don't want Windows 10, you have 30 days to revert back using the Revert function in Windows Settings.
In either case, be sure to test all of your business functions thoroughly to ensure that the upgrade and/or reversion process hasn't damaged, altered or uninstalled any of your applications.
For help, you can call us at 302-537-4198.
For more details, contact Eric Magill of FlexITechs at 302-537-4198 or ericm@flexitechs.com.
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We thank you for your business the past 11 years and hope we can continue to fulfill your technology needs in the future. If you have any questions about current technology issues, feel free to contact us at 537-4198.
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Sincerely,
Eric Magill
FlexITechs
Microsoft Small Business Specialist |
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15% Off Office 365 Setup
Now through June 15, 2016, you can receive 15% off installation services to install Office 365 for your organization. Print out this coupon and call us at 302-537-4198 to schedule an appointment.
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June 15, 2016
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