HOW DO I PREVENT WINDOWS 10 from being put on my computer?

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Using Regedit.exe, you can disable windows 10 update.

To block the upgrade to Windows 10 through Windows Update, specify the following registry value:

Subkey: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
DWORD value: DisableOSUpgrade = 1

To hide the Get Windows 10 app (notification area icon), specify the following registry value:

Subkey: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Gwx
DWORD value: DisableGwx = 1

They aren't automatically installing Windoze 10, but they are downloading it to people's machines without their permission, and they've also been introducing some of Win10's telemetry (read: spying) features to Windows 7 and 8.1 through some non-security updates that have been marked important. If you don't want that crap, I highly suggest setting automatic updates to check for updates but allow you to pick which ones to install, and install only the security updates. The Canadian government has actually questioned the legality of Windows 10's telemetry and the lengths that it goes to, so if it's something that runs the risk of violating Canada's privacy laws, you can bet that it's something you don't want to have installed.

Sorry for going "off topic" but google also tracks searches, sells them to businesses and gives the info to the government. I use Privatelee or Duckduckgo. What I search for is no one's business.

I'm very compulsive to updating people's computers so I actually hope that Windows 10 gets onto your computer.

I have Windows 7 & the Windows 10 update notification on my comp & I don't have either of the registry keys you listed.

You have to create them.

This is what I use.

Note that mother boards and/or CPUs made before a certain date CANT run Windows 10. Something about being able to 'virtualize'. I don't know what happens in the install steps.

Thanx. I'm not sure if it'll keep 10 from being installed but they did get rid of the update notification after I restarted my comp.

Well, maybe this means more people will start using Linux!


If it ain't broke don't fix it. This is why Linux distributions often have LTS releases, because updates come out quickly and vendors know that things can break because of this.

best way to prevent windows

Right on.

Windows 10 sucks, which is why Microsoft is giving it away for "free". If people had to pay for it, everyone would realize that this is the worst Windows version since Windows ME. It's slow, unstable, resource consuming, drains the battery life of the computer, overheats the computer, is incompatible with several types of hardware, renders many old games unplayable, does not install the updates correctly, and it is generally extremely buggy -- just like Ubuntu. The only improvement over Windows 8.x is the traditional start menu, but beyond that, it's a massive step backwards. I can understand why the OP wants to keep Windows 7.

If you do not play modern games and have no need for advanced modelling tools like 3Ds Max, then install Linux Mint instead. For the first time in history, the Linux and Mac fanboys are right. Windows 10 is an unforgivable abomination and I cannot understand how Microsoft could ever put their name on this piece of sh!t OS.