Windows 10's Spartan Browser Won't Launch on Windows 7
Microsoft is working to replace Internet Explorer in Windows 10 with a new browser that's currently codenamed Spartan, but right now, it's not yet clear whether the company is planning to make it available on non-Windows operating systems too.
Spartan will be Microsoft's first attempt to tackle the browser world, which has until now been dominated by Google Chrome and Firefox, so the new app has to be a lot more advanced than Internet Explorer in order to succeed.
But at the same time, its limited availability on Windows 10 might somehow impact its early adoption figures, as Microsoft says that there are currently no plans to release it for Windows 7.
The software giant even has a good reason for not bringing Spartan on Windows 7, saying in a dev chat on Twitter that, since “Windows 10 is offered as a free upgrade for Windows 7,” everyone should switch to the new operating system and try out the new browser.
As for other platforms, the IE team said that nothing is planned right now, as it only wants to get the Windows 10 version right and then think about other projects that could bring Spartan on rival platforms.
“We don't have anything planned at the moment - we're completely focused on building a great browser for Windows 10,” the team added.
Already up for testing
Spartan is already available for testing in Technical Preview build 10049, but contrary to what people expected, it's not such an advanced browser for the time being.
In fact, this early build of Spartan is not even supposed to come with the full feature package, as Microsoft is still working on it right now, and more options will be added as it completes their development.
Spartan comes with a fresh interface, Cortana integration to search the web with voice commands, annotations options, and full support for touch to be used on both desktops and tablets. Spartan will be available on all devices running Windows 10 and will be installed by default on PCs, tablets, and smartphones.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 7498.shtml
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Windows 10's Spartan Browser Won't Launch on Windows 7
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Re: AutoPatcher Windows 7 (x64) Updates
Found this in my travels:
Update for Windows 7 and 8.1 silently installs Windows 10 downloader
Microsoft has released an optional update that “enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user”. We discovered the update is actually a downloader for Windows 10 which will notify the user that Microsoft’s upcoming operating system can be downloaded.
Windows Update KB3035583 doesn’t reveal much about itself, only that it adds additional capabilities to Windows Update and applies to computers running Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1. The update is offered as a recommended update since March 28th and because it’s a recommended update users have to manually put a checkmark next to the update in order to receive it.
Once the update is downloaded it adds a folder to System32 called “GWX” which contains 9 files and a folder called “Download”. One of the four .EXE files reveals what the update really is, the description of GWXUXWorker.EXE states, “Download Windows 10″. This explains the X in the name, the X is the Romanian number 10.
The folder also contains “config.xml” which contains some URLs that at the moment of writing didn’t work. The config file mentions “OnlineAdURL” that points to https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=526874 and Telemetry BaseURL pointing to http://g.bing.com/GWX/.
http://static.myce.com/images_posts/201 ... phases.gif
The section “Phases” describes how the downloader should behave when the Windows 10 release date nears. Initially, during phase “None”, all features are disabled, then during phase “AnticipationUX” advertising banners will be shown, presumably on a homescreen tile and additionally a tray icon will appear.
The next phase is called “Reservation” which according to the config file will show the advertisement tile, the tray icon but also a reservation page. Further phases are the first publication of the final RTM (release to manufacturing), version the general availability (GA) as well as various phases of the upgrade process such as UpgradeDownloadInProgress, UpgradeDownloaded, UpgradeReadyToInstall, UpgradeSetupCompatBlock, UpgradeSetupRolledBack and UpgradeSetupComplete.
It appears Microsoft is serious when it comes to upgrading Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to Windows 10. The upgrade will be free in the first year and it appears Microsoft will take that time to convince users to upgrade. Users that don’t want to receive the upgrade “advertisements” should simply not install the recommend update. If Microsoft however decides to make KB3035583 an important update it will install automatically with other Windows update.
http://www.myce.com/news/windows-update ... der-75647/
Update for Windows 7 and 8.1 silently installs Windows 10 downloader
Microsoft has released an optional update that “enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user”. We discovered the update is actually a downloader for Windows 10 which will notify the user that Microsoft’s upcoming operating system can be downloaded.
Windows Update KB3035583 doesn’t reveal much about itself, only that it adds additional capabilities to Windows Update and applies to computers running Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1. The update is offered as a recommended update since March 28th and because it’s a recommended update users have to manually put a checkmark next to the update in order to receive it.
Once the update is downloaded it adds a folder to System32 called “GWX” which contains 9 files and a folder called “Download”. One of the four .EXE files reveals what the update really is, the description of GWXUXWorker.EXE states, “Download Windows 10″. This explains the X in the name, the X is the Romanian number 10.
The folder also contains “config.xml” which contains some URLs that at the moment of writing didn’t work. The config file mentions “OnlineAdURL” that points to https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=526874 and Telemetry BaseURL pointing to http://g.bing.com/GWX/.
http://static.myce.com/images_posts/201 ... phases.gif
The section “Phases” describes how the downloader should behave when the Windows 10 release date nears. Initially, during phase “None”, all features are disabled, then during phase “AnticipationUX” advertising banners will be shown, presumably on a homescreen tile and additionally a tray icon will appear.
The next phase is called “Reservation” which according to the config file will show the advertisement tile, the tray icon but also a reservation page. Further phases are the first publication of the final RTM (release to manufacturing), version the general availability (GA) as well as various phases of the upgrade process such as UpgradeDownloadInProgress, UpgradeDownloaded, UpgradeReadyToInstall, UpgradeSetupCompatBlock, UpgradeSetupRolledBack and UpgradeSetupComplete.
It appears Microsoft is serious when it comes to upgrading Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to Windows 10. The upgrade will be free in the first year and it appears Microsoft will take that time to convince users to upgrade. Users that don’t want to receive the upgrade “advertisements” should simply not install the recommend update. If Microsoft however decides to make KB3035583 an important update it will install automatically with other Windows update.
http://www.myce.com/news/windows-update ... der-75647/
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Microsoft Quietly Deploys Windows 10 Downloader on Windows 7
Microsoft Quietly Deploys Windows 10 Downloader on Windows 7 PCs
Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade to PCs running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 within the first year after launch, and it appears that the company is already testing the way it plans to deliver this upgrade.
The company has recently shipped an update labeled as KB3035583, which, according to its description, “enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user.”
While it also does exactly what it says, it turns out that there's a little bit more hiding in this update that's offered as optional for computers running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
Digging into update files
myce.com has discovered more information in the files that the said update is downloading on users' PCs, and it appears that, after all, KB3035583 is nothing more than a Windows 10 notifier and downloader.
Basically, here's what KB3035583 does, once installed on your computer. First of all, it checks the running version of the operating system on your computer and looks for the availability of Windows 10, thus determining whether you should get to see upgrade notifications or not.
If Windows 10 is available (which should only happen later this year), Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users should see a notification to upgrade to the new operating system. Upon clicking this notification, Windows 10 download and installation start automatically, and everything is performed without user input.
Surprisingly, the notifications that this update would send are labeled as “advertisements,” but we're pretty sure that you won't get to see any ads on your system, besides the said upgrade notifications.
Right now, users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 can also upgrade to Windows 10 Technical Preview using an automatic downloader, so the final version of the tool is expected to work in a similar way.
Needless to say, those who don't want to upgrade to Windows 10 can always ignore the update and hide it completely to make sure that it doesn't show up in Windows Update and they click it by mistake. Microsoft is offering it as optional, so that shouldn't be a problem for now.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 7684.shtml
refer to http://autopatcher.net/forum/viewtopic. ... t=60#p3076
Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade to PCs running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 within the first year after launch, and it appears that the company is already testing the way it plans to deliver this upgrade.
The company has recently shipped an update labeled as KB3035583, which, according to its description, “enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user.”
While it also does exactly what it says, it turns out that there's a little bit more hiding in this update that's offered as optional for computers running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
Digging into update files
myce.com has discovered more information in the files that the said update is downloading on users' PCs, and it appears that, after all, KB3035583 is nothing more than a Windows 10 notifier and downloader.
Basically, here's what KB3035583 does, once installed on your computer. First of all, it checks the running version of the operating system on your computer and looks for the availability of Windows 10, thus determining whether you should get to see upgrade notifications or not.
If Windows 10 is available (which should only happen later this year), Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users should see a notification to upgrade to the new operating system. Upon clicking this notification, Windows 10 download and installation start automatically, and everything is performed without user input.
Surprisingly, the notifications that this update would send are labeled as “advertisements,” but we're pretty sure that you won't get to see any ads on your system, besides the said upgrade notifications.
Right now, users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 can also upgrade to Windows 10 Technical Preview using an automatic downloader, so the final version of the tool is expected to work in a similar way.
Needless to say, those who don't want to upgrade to Windows 10 can always ignore the update and hide it completely to make sure that it doesn't show up in Windows Update and they click it by mistake. Microsoft is offering it as optional, so that shouldn't be a problem for now.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 7684.shtml
refer to http://autopatcher.net/forum/viewtopic. ... t=60#p3076
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
Re: AutoPatcher Windows 7 (x64) Updates
Patch for Windows 7 and 8 will notify users to upgrade to Windows 10
Windows 10 is still months away, but that isn’t stopping Microsoft from deploying some tools that will remind users to update to the newest operating system once it becomes available.
A recent “recommended” patch showed up in Windows Update, linked to KB3035583, which seemingly prepares machines for the new OS. The knowledge base article describes the patch as enabling additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1.
But looking at the files the patch installs in System 32, we can see that at least one of the executables mentions downloading Windows 10. Not only that, but the patch itself seems to pave the way for Microsoft to display ads and notifications to users, letting them know when the new OS becomes available.
In the same system folder, users can find a config XML file that goes through the program’s behavior depending on what “phase” Windows 10 is in. For example, currently the program doesn’t display any notifications or act in any way because we’re currently in the “None” phase. But as we get to the “RTM” phase of Windows 10, users will likely see a new Live Tile show up on their Start Screen, pointing to the upcoming OS. Similarly, taskbar notifications will also be displayed when Windows 10 launches, prompting users to update.
Though some may see this as a bit intrusive, it isn’t that different from what Microsoft does with big updates. The company is obviously looking to update as many people as quickly as possible to the new system and avoid the debacle that was the Windows 8.1 update.
However, Windows 10 is only expected later this summer, so the company’s plans will likely become much clearer as we get close to the operating system’s launch.
http://www.neowin.net/news/patch-for-wi ... windows-10
Windows 10 is still months away, but that isn’t stopping Microsoft from deploying some tools that will remind users to update to the newest operating system once it becomes available.
A recent “recommended” patch showed up in Windows Update, linked to KB3035583, which seemingly prepares machines for the new OS. The knowledge base article describes the patch as enabling additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1.
But looking at the files the patch installs in System 32, we can see that at least one of the executables mentions downloading Windows 10. Not only that, but the patch itself seems to pave the way for Microsoft to display ads and notifications to users, letting them know when the new OS becomes available.
In the same system folder, users can find a config XML file that goes through the program’s behavior depending on what “phase” Windows 10 is in. For example, currently the program doesn’t display any notifications or act in any way because we’re currently in the “None” phase. But as we get to the “RTM” phase of Windows 10, users will likely see a new Live Tile show up on their Start Screen, pointing to the upcoming OS. Similarly, taskbar notifications will also be displayed when Windows 10 launches, prompting users to update.
Though some may see this as a bit intrusive, it isn’t that different from what Microsoft does with big updates. The company is obviously looking to update as many people as quickly as possible to the new system and avoid the debacle that was the Windows 8.1 update.
However, Windows 10 is only expected later this summer, so the company’s plans will likely become much clearer as we get close to the operating system’s launch.
http://www.neowin.net/news/patch-for-wi ... windows-10
Re: Windows 10's Spartan Browser Won't Launch on Windows 7
...speaking of Google Chrome, users should be mindful of the extensions they use.Whatacrock wrote: Windows 10's Spartan Browser Won't Launch on Windows 7
...Snip
Spartan will be Microsoft's first attempt to tackle the browser world, which has until now been dominated by Google Chrome and Firefox, so the new app has to be a lot more advanced than Internet Explorer in order to succeed.
Google kills 200 ad-injecting Chrome extensions, says many are malware-
Whatacrock
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Re: Microsoft Quietly Deploys Windows 10 Downloader on Windo
Ads on Windows 7 and 8.1 to Get You to Windows 10? Not So Fast
As we reported to you yesterday, Microsoft quietly released a patch that’s apparently supposed to prepare Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers for the upgrade to Windows 10 by displaying a number of notifications to inform about the availability of the new OS.
For those who do want to upgrade, this patch is definitely helpful, but for those who don’t, it’s just another update that must not be installed.
But what’s more important right now, since Windows 10 is not yet available, is how exactly the patch is going to inform users about the release of the new operating system and the pending upgrade.
Basically, KB3035583 would bring a number of notifications and messages on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 that would tell people that an upgrade for their operating system is available, but details as to how often these reminders would be displayed are not yet known.
The update files, however, reveal something that made many wonder whether the patch could actually ruin their experience on a Windows 7 or 8.1 computer. Called “advertisements,” one section included in the patch configuration file provides a hint about how users could be convinced to upgrade, and judging by its name, it’s no surprise that many believed that ads would be displayed on their desktops.
No ads on your PC
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about ads that could be displayed on a Windows machine, but most of the speculation we’ve come across until now is based on unfounded information that Microsoft has never commented or confirmed.
This time, however, there’s no such thing as advertisements for an upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft will only display a number of notifications on Windows 7 and 8.1 computers to let users know that Windows 10 is available, but no advertisements will make their way into Windows.
Windows 7 still receives support until January 2020, so bringing ads on the desktop would clearly kill the operating system completely, and it’s obvious that Microsoft doesn’t afford this thing right now. At the same time, bringing ads on the desktop would put the world against Microsoft for the second time in a few years, after the removal of the Start menu/Start button, and again, Redmond doesn’t afford this.
Windows 10 will indeed be a major upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, and displaying a number of notifications on PCs running one of these two OSes is probably okay, but if the company goes as far as to spam users with ads on the desktop, in Internet Explorer, or in apps, it could be bye-bye Windows for many customers.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ads-on-W ... 7771.shtml
As we reported to you yesterday, Microsoft quietly released a patch that’s apparently supposed to prepare Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers for the upgrade to Windows 10 by displaying a number of notifications to inform about the availability of the new OS.
For those who do want to upgrade, this patch is definitely helpful, but for those who don’t, it’s just another update that must not be installed.
But what’s more important right now, since Windows 10 is not yet available, is how exactly the patch is going to inform users about the release of the new operating system and the pending upgrade.
Basically, KB3035583 would bring a number of notifications and messages on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 that would tell people that an upgrade for their operating system is available, but details as to how often these reminders would be displayed are not yet known.
The update files, however, reveal something that made many wonder whether the patch could actually ruin their experience on a Windows 7 or 8.1 computer. Called “advertisements,” one section included in the patch configuration file provides a hint about how users could be convinced to upgrade, and judging by its name, it’s no surprise that many believed that ads would be displayed on their desktops.
No ads on your PC
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about ads that could be displayed on a Windows machine, but most of the speculation we’ve come across until now is based on unfounded information that Microsoft has never commented or confirmed.
This time, however, there’s no such thing as advertisements for an upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft will only display a number of notifications on Windows 7 and 8.1 computers to let users know that Windows 10 is available, but no advertisements will make their way into Windows.
Windows 7 still receives support until January 2020, so bringing ads on the desktop would clearly kill the operating system completely, and it’s obvious that Microsoft doesn’t afford this thing right now. At the same time, bringing ads on the desktop would put the world against Microsoft for the second time in a few years, after the removal of the Start menu/Start button, and again, Redmond doesn’t afford this.
Windows 10 will indeed be a major upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, and displaying a number of notifications on PCs running one of these two OSes is probably okay, but if the company goes as far as to spam users with ads on the desktop, in Internet Explorer, or in apps, it could be bye-bye Windows for many customers.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ads-on-W ... 7771.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Another Windows Version Is Getting the Ax in 100 Days
Another Windows Version Is Getting the Ax in 100 Days and Nobody Seems to Care
Windows Server 2003 support is ending in 100 days
After Windows XP, Microsoft is getting ready to push out another Windows operating system, as it struggles to encourage customers to upgrade to modern versions of its software.
Windows Server 2003 support will end on July 14, 2015, but statistics show that, despite the imminent deadline, more than 50 perfect of the organizations are still running this aging platform on their computers.
These figures are a little worrying, not only for Microsoft and the organizations still running Windows Server 2003 on their systems but also for users worldwide, as the approaching end of support date concerns a server platform that could lead to addition exploits aimed at services or software hosted on these computers.
As was the case with Windows XP, Microsoft points to a study conducted by Spiceworks to show that 59.8 percent of the organizations in the Asia Pacific region are still running Windows Server 2003 on their computers, which represents a drop of only 5 percent in the last 10 months.
What’s more, the tech giant says, since January 2014, a total of 47 security vulnerabilities affecting Windows Server 2003 alone have been confirmed by its security engineers, which does nothing more than to confirm that, without patches, servers could really become easy to exploit.
Microsoft: You need to upgrade and you need to do it now!
Redmond turns to the very same tactics to convince customers to upgrade, pointing to the security risks of staying with an unsupported platform as the main reason everyone should switch to a newer Windows Server version.
“IT demands have changed dramatically since the launch of Windows Server 2003 more than 11 years ago. IT leaders across all industries are now managing an infrastructure that demands support for cloud, mobility, social and data-intensive applications. In addition, the increasing security and privacy threats are pressuring businesses of all sizes to transform in this new mobile-first, cloud-first world. All of which cannot be met with old technology platforms,” Arun Ulag, General Manager, Cloud & Enterprise, Microsoft Asia Pacific, said.
In Windows XP’s case, this strategy wasn’t entirely effective, as the 14-year-old operating system is still powering some 13 percent of PCs worldwide, despite the April 2014 end of support.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Another- ... 7796.shtml
Windows Server 2003 support is ending in 100 days
After Windows XP, Microsoft is getting ready to push out another Windows operating system, as it struggles to encourage customers to upgrade to modern versions of its software.
Windows Server 2003 support will end on July 14, 2015, but statistics show that, despite the imminent deadline, more than 50 perfect of the organizations are still running this aging platform on their computers.
These figures are a little worrying, not only for Microsoft and the organizations still running Windows Server 2003 on their systems but also for users worldwide, as the approaching end of support date concerns a server platform that could lead to addition exploits aimed at services or software hosted on these computers.
As was the case with Windows XP, Microsoft points to a study conducted by Spiceworks to show that 59.8 percent of the organizations in the Asia Pacific region are still running Windows Server 2003 on their computers, which represents a drop of only 5 percent in the last 10 months.
What’s more, the tech giant says, since January 2014, a total of 47 security vulnerabilities affecting Windows Server 2003 alone have been confirmed by its security engineers, which does nothing more than to confirm that, without patches, servers could really become easy to exploit.
Microsoft: You need to upgrade and you need to do it now!
Redmond turns to the very same tactics to convince customers to upgrade, pointing to the security risks of staying with an unsupported platform as the main reason everyone should switch to a newer Windows Server version.
“IT demands have changed dramatically since the launch of Windows Server 2003 more than 11 years ago. IT leaders across all industries are now managing an infrastructure that demands support for cloud, mobility, social and data-intensive applications. In addition, the increasing security and privacy threats are pressuring businesses of all sizes to transform in this new mobile-first, cloud-first world. All of which cannot be met with old technology platforms,” Arun Ulag, General Manager, Cloud & Enterprise, Microsoft Asia Pacific, said.
In Windows XP’s case, this strategy wasn’t entirely effective, as the 14-year-old operating system is still powering some 13 percent of PCs worldwide, despite the April 2014 end of support.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Another- ... 7796.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Compatibility Updates push
I have noticed that once again Microsoft is pushing the Compatibility Updates via Windows Update / Microsoft Update. These updates apply to Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1.
Those offered, read the spoiler.
Those offered, read the spoiler.
► Show Spoiler
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Whatacrock
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One Year Without Windows XP: Nothing Has Changed
One Year Without Windows XP: Nothing Has Changed
Microsoft discontinued Windows XP on April 8, 2014
One year ago today, Microsoft killed Windows XP once and for all, after nearly 13 years on the market and after having struggled for many months to convince users to upgrade.
Windows XP's end of support was one of the hardest things that Microsoft has ever had to do in the OS industry, as it was pretty clear that users weren't ready to switch to a different operating system (be it Windows or not), not necessarily because they had no reliable alternative, but thanks to the familiarity that Windows XP provided.
However, Microsoft did kill Windows XP in April 2014, despite the fact that it still was the second most-used operating system at that time, but with Windows 10 in the queue and with Windows 8.1 still struggling to make a name for itself, this was pretty much the only way to go.
And now, one year after the moment when Windows XP went dark, a quick look at market share stats proves that almost nothing has changed since Microsoft pulled the plug on support for this ancient but still lovable operating system.
While we won't talk about reasons and things like that, it's very clear that Windows XP still has a special place in many users' hearts, and these stats are living proof.
Back in April 2014, when Microsoft discontinued it, Windows XP had a market share of 26.29 percent, whereas Windows 7 was the leader with 49.27 percent. Windows 8 and 8.1 were third and fourth with 6.36 and 5.88 percent, respectively.
In March 2015, market shares have changed, but not the same thing can be said about rankings. Windows 7 continues to be leading desktop OS, this time with 58.04 percent, whereas Windows XP is still the runner-up with 16.94 percent. Windows 8.1 is third with 10.55 percent, and Windows 8 is far behind with 3.52 percent.
http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/ima ... 7926-4.jpg
These figures show that some users who stepped away from Windows XP indeed moved to Windows 8.1, but on the other hand, the impressive growth that Windows 7 has registered in the last year (more than 8 percent) shows that this was the preferred destination for the majority of users looking to upgrade.
The current market share of Windows XP is also an indication that things are unlikely to change in the short term, but with Windows 10 almost here, Microsoft is hopeful again that its ancient operating system could go dark for good.
Windows 10 should see daylight in the second half of 2015, so Windows XP will still be around for a little longer.
http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/ima ... 7926-3.jpg
http://news.softpedia.com/news/One-Year ... 7926.shtml
Microsoft discontinued Windows XP on April 8, 2014
One year ago today, Microsoft killed Windows XP once and for all, after nearly 13 years on the market and after having struggled for many months to convince users to upgrade.
Windows XP's end of support was one of the hardest things that Microsoft has ever had to do in the OS industry, as it was pretty clear that users weren't ready to switch to a different operating system (be it Windows or not), not necessarily because they had no reliable alternative, but thanks to the familiarity that Windows XP provided.
However, Microsoft did kill Windows XP in April 2014, despite the fact that it still was the second most-used operating system at that time, but with Windows 10 in the queue and with Windows 8.1 still struggling to make a name for itself, this was pretty much the only way to go.
And now, one year after the moment when Windows XP went dark, a quick look at market share stats proves that almost nothing has changed since Microsoft pulled the plug on support for this ancient but still lovable operating system.
While we won't talk about reasons and things like that, it's very clear that Windows XP still has a special place in many users' hearts, and these stats are living proof.
Back in April 2014, when Microsoft discontinued it, Windows XP had a market share of 26.29 percent, whereas Windows 7 was the leader with 49.27 percent. Windows 8 and 8.1 were third and fourth with 6.36 and 5.88 percent, respectively.
In March 2015, market shares have changed, but not the same thing can be said about rankings. Windows 7 continues to be leading desktop OS, this time with 58.04 percent, whereas Windows XP is still the runner-up with 16.94 percent. Windows 8.1 is third with 10.55 percent, and Windows 8 is far behind with 3.52 percent.
http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/ima ... 7926-4.jpg
These figures show that some users who stepped away from Windows XP indeed moved to Windows 8.1, but on the other hand, the impressive growth that Windows 7 has registered in the last year (more than 8 percent) shows that this was the preferred destination for the majority of users looking to upgrade.
The current market share of Windows XP is also an indication that things are unlikely to change in the short term, but with Windows 10 almost here, Microsoft is hopeful again that its ancient operating system could go dark for good.
Windows 10 should see daylight in the second half of 2015, so Windows XP will still be around for a little longer.
http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/ima ... 7926-3.jpg
http://news.softpedia.com/news/One-Year ... 7926.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Re: Microsoft Quietly Deploys Windows 10 Downloader on Windo
Microsoft’s Windows 10 Downloader Flagged as “Important,” Automatically Installed on Most PCs
An update that Microsoft released a few days ago and that proved to be more or less a Windows 10 downloader is now marked as “important” on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, which means that it’s automatically installed on all these PCs.
KB3035583, which is supposed to “enable additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user,” was previously provided as an optional update for all PCs, but it turns out that Microsoft has changed its mind and is now offering it as “important.”
As Woody Leonhard points out today, only some users are getting it as an important update, whereas others are still seeing it marked as optional. Here at Softpedia, the patch is indeed marked as “important,” while on some systems it has already been installed, which means that it’s deployed automatically with other updates that aren’t considered to be optional.
Quietly released on March 27
What’s a little surprising is that Microsoft silently released this patch on March 27, but the company hasn’t provided any kind of information as to what exactly it could do on your system.
Basically, KB3035583 is a patch that prepares Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers for Windows 10, the new operating system that will be offered as a free upgrade to PCs running one of these two platforms.
What’s more important is that the patch might actually start nagging users with notifications and messages that Windows 10 is ready (obviously, when this actually happens), in an attempt to convince more people to upgrade.
Right now, the only way to block the update is to hide it completely, while those who are still seeing it as optional can continue ignoring it. If it’s already there on your PC, you can remove it completely and then hide it again when it shows up in Windows Update.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for some information on this patch and we’ll update the article when we have it.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 8140.shtml
An update that Microsoft released a few days ago and that proved to be more or less a Windows 10 downloader is now marked as “important” on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, which means that it’s automatically installed on all these PCs.
KB3035583, which is supposed to “enable additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user,” was previously provided as an optional update for all PCs, but it turns out that Microsoft has changed its mind and is now offering it as “important.”
As Woody Leonhard points out today, only some users are getting it as an important update, whereas others are still seeing it marked as optional. Here at Softpedia, the patch is indeed marked as “important,” while on some systems it has already been installed, which means that it’s deployed automatically with other updates that aren’t considered to be optional.
Quietly released on March 27
What’s a little surprising is that Microsoft silently released this patch on March 27, but the company hasn’t provided any kind of information as to what exactly it could do on your system.
Basically, KB3035583 is a patch that prepares Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers for Windows 10, the new operating system that will be offered as a free upgrade to PCs running one of these two platforms.
What’s more important is that the patch might actually start nagging users with notifications and messages that Windows 10 is ready (obviously, when this actually happens), in an attempt to convince more people to upgrade.
Right now, the only way to block the update is to hide it completely, while those who are still seeing it as optional can continue ignoring it. If it’s already there on your PC, you can remove it completely and then hide it again when it shows up in Windows Update.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for some information on this patch and we’ll update the article when we have it.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 8140.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"