back to article Hate Windows 10? Microsoft's given you 'Insider' powers anyway

Microsoft has opened its Feedback Hub to all users of Windows 10. Feedback Hub is an app that lets you send Redmond “... feedback about Windows and apps by sharing your suggestions or problems..” Until the weekend, Feedback Hub was only available to members of the Windows Insider program, that band of hardy Windows-lovers who …

  1. Herby

    Where...

    Do I begin?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Where...

      Where Do I Begin...

      there's a song title in that, possibly

      1. bigphil9009

        Re: Where...

        Sunday Morning, I'm waking up.

        Can't even focus on my coffee cup.

        Don't even know who's bed I'm in,

        Where do I start, where do I begin...

    2. sorry, what?
      FAIL

      Re: Where...

      Unfortunately Windows 10 is so crap, the PC I bought my son that had it pre-installed no longer functions correctly (after some automated update or other). This means the task bar doesn't work. Similarly the task manager doesn't work. Nor the Start menu. And it is impossible to use any "apps". Which basically means I can't tell Microsoft how crap it is because I can't even install the app let alone use it.

  2. Isendel Steel

    Popcorn

    Wonder how long it will take to get this withdrawn / edited..

  3. pewpie

    Wrong way round.

    Should be 'All Windows 10 users are now open to Microsoft's Feedback Hub.'

    1. chivo243 Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: Wrong way round.

      Ahem, should be All 10 of windows 10 users?

    2. cd / && rm -rf *
      Alert

      Re: Wrong way round.

      All Windows 10 users are now open to Microsoft's Feedback Hub

      Why did that remind me of goatse.cx?

  4. John Sanders

    We at Microsoft

    Just realised that we were probing and analysing everybody anyway, so why not making everybody our bitc... We mean 'special'.

    1. fidodogbreath

      Re: We at Microsoft

      For WinX users who accept the default "privacy" settings, MS already captures their keystrokes and audio; reads their mail; tracks their location, browser history, and app usage; and uploads their personal files to the mother ship.

      Yet there is still more to learn from their surveillance targets users...

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Still requires you install Windows 10

    And to belabor the obvious, ain't happening here. I haven't discussed it with any else, they made up their own minds.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And you thought Windows 7 updates were slow?

    Just wait till MS optimise their Servers to receive and process this crudfest of complaints over and above "essential Win7 updates", which just end up in an ginormous metaphoric MS recycle bin.

    Come on, you didn't expect anything to actually change, as a result of some logical thinking by you, now did you?

    NB. The bone throwing Win7 Roll-up doesn't help anyone, you still end up waiting 9hrs+* for the rest of the updates, once KB3125574 has installed. (And don't forget the prerequisite every article forgets to mention KB3020369, otherwise you get "This update is not applicable to your computer".

    So well thought out MS, well done for making Windows 7 updates even more tedious.

    * (its actually longer than just doing it from scratch, without this roll-up)

  7. Mint Sauce
    Windows

    Sadly

    I noticed this the other day. Sadly the only way to 'provide feedback' is by logging in with your microsoft account. But, don't worry! you can create one through the app!

    err, nope.

    1. Please choose a User Name
      Devil

      Re: Sadly

      Apps... Apps everywhere!

      It's like "Games for Windows live" all over again.

  8. jake Silver badge

    Makes no difference to me, one way or the other.

    Redmond hasn't listened to actual cognizant users for decades.

    I return the "compliment".

    The entire MS cluster-fuck has been a useless waste of time for about 30 years.

    (Typing as an ex MSDN affiliated software engineer. Starting in theWin3.0 era).

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Confessions of a M$lave

      Sadly people still only make the software that I require windows only and the staff, with pull, bitch about rdp and vms being slow.... For bloody cloud services, which ARE slow by default!!!! Arghh!!!!

      No! We've gotta be sucked in by the singularity that is M$ Licensing.

      Help!

      Trying to escape M$ since 2003

  9. Chika

    Perhaps if they had done this sooner then there wouldn't be such apathy from long time sufferers.

    1. Mark 85

      Perhaps if they had done this sooner then there wouldn't be such apathy from long time sufferers.

      Possibly but then they started ramming it down everyone's throats even before it was actually "ready'. And the telemetry... Instead of apathy there might be real anger.

  10. Alister

    I hope they've built this feedback system to be robust and scaleable, cos I foresee a massive spike in traffic heading its way.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I hope they've built this feedback system to be robust and scaleable

      Are you kidding? It's Microsoft we're talking about. The only way they'd consider making that robust was if they were collecting the names of all those who provided negative feedback for later, scientology like "education".

      1. Alister

        Are you kidding?

        Er, Yes?

    2. Chemical Bob
      Windows

      Won't happen, this is only open to Windows 10 users.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    plenty more people now have the chance to tell Microsoft just what they think of Windows 10

    what's the point?

    1. Updraft102

      Re: plenty more people now have the chance to tell Microsoft just what they think of Windows 10

      Maybe they hope that by letting their disgruntled victims... er, users vent their spleens, they'll relax and get with the program of being Microsoft's good little boys and girls.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Feedback = ?

    Sounds good - give the marks a means to tell Microsoft what they think. But I seem to recall that for Insiders, 'Feedback' meant more than the user saying what they think. It was also an opportunity for a free-range data dump 'to help Microsoft diagnose problems'.

    So - is this a way to sucker people into giving more info to Microsoft?

  13. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    They may hear but will they listen?

    1. Carl D

      They may hear but will they listen?

      Only if you're already using Windows 10.

      If you're still using Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 (especially Windows 7) the only thing they want to know is "WHY HAVEN'T WE TRICKED YOU INTO INSTALLING WINDOWS 10 YET?"

      You can smell the desperation when you see this sort of crap that's just started happening:

      http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/229040-microsofts-latest-trick-clicking-x-to-dismiss-windows-10-upgrade-doesnt-stop-upgrade-process

      I think The Register needs to do a story on that... could end up with the all time record for the number of comments.

      1. Wade Burchette

        They may hear but will they listen?

        Let me tell you how the feedback will work, based on my experience with giving feedback in the Win10 beta. Any ideas that point out serious problems, such as 'when I click on this, a BSOD appears' will be listened to. Any ideas that mesh with Microsoft's misguided vision will be listened to. Every other idea will be ignored.

        The most requested feature in Windows 10 was Aero. Well, where is it? It didn't fit with Microsoft's ideas so it was ignored. I requested a customizable hierarchy-based start menu like we see in Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98, 95. Ignored. People who made requests about the new mini-metro start menu where listened to. The goal is to push apps, apps that are sold through Microsoft's app store. Removing the tiles and having a useful start menu again did not fit with Microsoft's vision. I have told them several times to return a pre-boot F8. Of all the dumb decisions Microsoft has made, getting rid of that was the absolute dumbest. Even Apple still has key combinations to get into repair modes. Well, F8 is still disabled out of the box.

        Microsoft isn't looking for feedback; they are looking for affirmation.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: They may hear but will they listen?

          Amen Wade! I also suspect by using "Feedback" they can "claim" they listened to their users...when in fact they did no such thing. "You spoke and we listened!" Yea right....

      2. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

        Re: They may hear but will they listen?

        don't worry, they are going to get a literal barrage of WTF's! from people who see this

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36367221

        Sneaky MS had decided that hittig 'X' to close the window does not stop the install but schedules it anyway

        That has to be close to breaking the Computer Misuse Act.

        Get off my PC! Trespassers will be shot.

        1. Roland6 Silver badge

          Re: They may hear but will they listen? Perhaps!

          Microsoft U-turn on 'nasty trick' pop-up

          http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36376962

          1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

            Re: They may hear but will they listen? Perhaps!

            Well, at least there is no question whether it's the a-holes that are in charge at MS, or not.

    2. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      They may hear but will they listen?

      Somehow you made me think of "You can check out any time you want, but you can never leave" :)

      1. pakman

        They may hear but will they listen?

        It put me in mind of "In space, no-one can hear you scream" :-)

    3. RegGuy1 Silver badge
      Linux

      They'll hear nowt from me. I use Linux. :-)

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Coffee/keyboard

    There's one small problem though...

    We can send in issues using the feedback hub, only usable on Windows 10. So what happens to those brave insiders who wish to remain on Windows 7 and still send in feedback about Win10? ;)

    Now, this comment isn't fully honest because there are more ways to do that. But it always struck me as a little odd that they narrowed it down so much.

  15. Danny 5

    feedback?

    My Lumia 950 has asked me for feedback a few times as well, i'm sure they're not going to be happy with the feedback i provided them with (or maybe they are).

    I've been brutally honest and have pretty much slammed windows 10 mobile. Let's face it. if this is how Microsoft want to gain ground in the mobile world, It's not going to go their way anytime soon.

    What a piece of crap.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Windows

    Windows 10 is fine.

    Don't hate, appreciate!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Windows 10 is fine.

      Can I buy pot from you?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Windows 10 is fine.

        Can I buy pot from you?

        It'll be schwag.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Windows 10 is fine.

          Like Windows 10 is/was? Sounds about right.

  17. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
    Joke

    Hope the guy

    who codes the ****ing swear filter for the ****ing feedback site is ****ing better than the useless ****ing ****ers in ****ing charge of writing ****ing windows ****ing 10

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hope the guy

      Wow - that's £8 in the swear jar!

      1. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge

        Re: Hope the guy

        I never knew contributing to el-reg was so ****ing expensive

        Inspired by Mr ****ing Tulip

    2. Down not across

      @ Boris the Cockroach Re: Hope the guy

      You haven't worked out the three seashells yet then?

  18. TRT Silver badge

    Just lost 10 hours this week already...

    reverting Windows 10 back to the Windows 7 Pro that the users wanted and indicated that they wanted when they clicked "No, I don't want Windows 10" when asked.

    Feedback? As if anyone will listen.

    Eventually people will be using it, but they'd prefer their microscopes, genome sequencers, electrophysiology rigs, proteomics rigs, automated fluorescence assayers etc etc to keep working until they are ready to make the change. Probably when they buy a new one, which won't be for years considering how expensive they are.

    1. Michael Habel

      Re: Just lost 10 hours this week already...

      I wonder how many of those Devices even run lolwindows, and not some form of low-level *nix? And, if not, then for how much longer?

      1. TRT Silver badge

        Re: Just lost 10 hours this week already...

        Erm... all of them. Hence my comment.

    2. DryBones

      Re: Just lost 10 hours this week already...

      Invoice them. No, really. Registered mail, return receipt and all that, copies to finance and legal departments. Hours to remove unwanted software installed without permission after explicit opt-out. And if they don't cough up, pull the trigger.

      It might be small, they might barely feel it, but it's the way large corporations have their behavior modified: by having it cost them money. At least due reimbursement...

      1. Mark 85

        Re: Just lost 10 hours this week already...

        I'm still waiting for some pissed-off lawyer who PC got upgraded to 10 and trashed it. Then possibly a class-action suit. I suspect that's what it will take...

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I wonder what will be bigger..

    .. the size of the next Patch Tuesday coming this way, or the stream of vociferous comments returning.

    Having said that, I suspect it's only done to make it *look* like someone's listening, I suspect in reality it'll go to wherever the Windows equivalent of /dev/null is (I honestly forgot - it's been a while since I've been near a Windows command line).

    1. Michael Habel

      Re: I wonder what will be bigger..

      Perhaps the managed to train TDSB to turn out more generic answers in a faux attempt at actually wanting to Listen to anything, anyone might have had to say about Windows X. Me I'm on Linux Mint, and learning to compile my own builds of CyanogenMod for my NON M$ Phablet.

      Thankfully its >2016, and, NOT 1996. So welcome to obscurity MicroSoft. I wish you luck in your SaaS venture.

    2. Michael Habel

      Re: I wonder what will be bigger..

      Windows equivalent of /dev/null

      Perhaps they do it something like this?

      echo 1 > nul

      echo 1 > c:\nul

      echo 1 > c:\users\nul

      echo 1 > c:\windows\nul

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I wonder what will be bigger..

        echo 1 > nul

        echo 1 > c:\nul

        echo 1 > c:\users\nul

        echo 1 > c:\windows\nul

        I can't recall this, but if that's true there will be hell to pay if anyone calls a file "nul". Thanks.

  20. Mr Dogshit
    FAIL

    Great

    So to tell MS I don't want their stinking "Store" or their stupid "Apps", I have to go to said "Store" and install an "App".

    1. Unbelievable!

      Re: Great

      hell to pay if you remove "store" or "skype" or any of that shite. it's pretty much Format C: after that. and dont think of storing your files on a diff partition while you 'format'. It even makes that tricky saying it's all one big partition to them in my horible experience. but that maybe cause i was early build in fairness.

  21. GrumpyOldMan
    Mushroom

    So knowing Microsoft as well as I do - User Feedback > /dev/null?

  22. Wolfclaw

    I hope Microsuck spent more time on it's filters than Virgin Media MAil or they are going to get some serious spamming or just plain abuse !

    1. TRT Silver badge

      I think they'll go for something sophisticated - like del *.*

  23. Lost in Cyberspace

    Only one big request

    Stop changing everything when users upgrade. The defaults, start menu shortcuts and other preferences were set that way for a reason.

    1. Nick Ryan Silver badge

      Re: Only one big request

      In particular the regional settings. I still can't see why when upgrading a system that was in English I'd like the bastard thing changed to American.

      Then there's the magic of "uninstalling" some of the crud that's foisted onto a system only to find that after the next reboot it's been reinstalled as "new".

  24. redpawn

    Like writing to Stalin

    If only he knew how bad things are here, he'd do something about it.

  25. tekHedd

    Hate Windows 10?

    Actually OK. No. I don't really hate Windows 10. I just hate Microsoft.

  26. Mutton Jeff

    Windowey McWindow Face

    Bah!

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    On the non-close close button.

    From BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36367221): Microsoft said: "With the free Windows 10 upgrade offer ending on 29 July, we want to help people upgrade to the best version of Windows.

    Ignoring the meaningless opinion of the handful of Microsoft bum-boys who comment here, I put it to you that, if a large percentage of Windows 7 users who've used Windows since at least the '90s consider Windows 10 to be a contender for the worst Windows ever - and that Microsoft cannot, realistically, conceivably be unaware of this - then the above quote is a bare-faced lie.

    (disclaimer: I am not nor will I pass judgement on those who choose the occupation 'bum-boy'. Many adults enjoy taking it from behind - whatever floats their boaty mcboat!. However, when the 'top' is a corporation, that, I would suggest, is when the practice achieves perversion.

    At the very least if commenting here in defence of their lover, they should declare their interest. Even if it is blindingly-obvious).

  28. MrTuK

    MS petition

    Hmmmm I was just thinking of starting up a petition on www.change.org - maybe on the lines of "MS we don't want Win 10 so ***k off and stop trying to force us using dodgy tactics downgrade !"

    I wonder if they would get the message then !

  29. greenwood-IT

    Still biased...

    It seems the Feedback App only works on Windows 10 - so anyone who's had a failed upgrade or has had to revert will be denied the ability to offer constructive criticism! :-)

  30. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

    I put my Windows 10 (that came preinstalled on a laptop) on the fast update ring, just so I could get the Linux subsystem.

    Although the "bash" in a DOS-box worked pretty OK, a lot of other things weren't that brilliant.

    I don't understand how MS can break rudimentary things like reasonable keyboard support for the start menu? (I don't like having to use the mouse just to enter sleep mode.)

    A few other things also acted up.

    As an unrelated side-note: Why can't I have one or two tiles in the start menu without it taking as much space as a two tile wide one? I just ended up removing every single tile for that reason.

    There is NO chance of me having any animated ad-injection tiles visible anyway.

    AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR REBOOTING MY MACHINE WHEN I'M NOT LOOKING...

    Good thing it's just my laptop which I use mainly to control ESXi.

  31. Unbelievable!

    If they insist on bloat.. (which i dont mind actually)..

    They just need to add the the darn useful things back.

    . If i click start, i want to type the first letter of the programs name and be shown those that match. (that are applications and not so much system files unless i tick "include system files" tickbox)

    . I NEED to have control my operating system. YES > the updates policy. (for home users)

    .The search has to be quick. AND useful https://www.voidtools.com/ do a masterpiece in this. Why has MS been so shoddy in it?

    .One click OPT OUT of anything that spills my info /data elsewhere. Offer "opt in" option

    .Built in Ad blocker option.

    .Remote Desktop to HOME Edition machines on same subnet. without having to hack it.

    .BE NICE and ethical again. Think of the user. make them happy. business is important, but not without customers.

    .. so much more. you guys got this already anyway.

    1. Roland6 Silver badge

      Re: If they insist on bloat.. (which i dont mind actually)..

      . If i click start, i want to type the first letter of the programs name and be shown those that match.

      Well do you want the application name or the program name, they are different:

      Project v. WinProj.exe

      A typical user would expect to be able to type 'P' and see Project, Powerpoint etc. particularly given the Start button brings up a menu of applications.

      However, there are times when you actually want to search by program name - in the past I did that within "File Manager" aka "Windows Explorer"...

  32. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

    Now my Windows 7 HTPC has a W10 icon in the task bar.

    I have turned off ALL kinds of updates to be on the safe side.

    So thanks MICROSOFT for making people totally avoid security updates just to be sure they are not screwed by the company they BOUGHT an operating system from.

    Way to go, Microsoft! Way to go..

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Do many prefer Unix or Linux? Can't be Apple.

    Didn't mean to post anonymously. You love or hate it. Which OS do you prefer? I hope it's one that trys to grow. As a now casual user I appreciate win10 and it's cross platform fuctionality (desktop and tablet; haven't used the phone). Maybe it's different for administrators. I switched from windows to Mac when my wife was forced to and liked it until osX. Then switched back. A couple of window's attempts were poor but others are very good (and stable) including 10. Many "computer" users today are really tablet/iPad users. Making win10 a cross platform experience is innovative, especially because it provides more functionality. I appreciate the effort by microsoft.

    1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

      Re: Do many prefer Unix or Linux? Can't be Apple.

      "Making win10 a cross platform experience is innovative"

      No it's not.

      It's a very old idea by now. And it's still not a good one.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do many prefer Unix or Linux? Can't be Apple.

      "Many "computer" users today are really tablet/iPad users."

      But many really need a thing (sort of a desktop, because it can sit on a desk) that is called a workstation. Windows used to be one of the big platforms for holding up the software people need to do their jobs-- not check email and Facebook. Now MS is making it socially unstable (if not programmatically unstable) and breaking the Law of Least Astonishment (do the thing that will be the least surprising to the most poeple) by messing with the UI since Win8. They're expecting us to just roll with the punches, and I say Bad Form.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: messing with the UI since Win8

        I should say "since Vista": the Back button is an unlabeled round blue arrow icon in the top left of many (most?) dialogs, while Forward is a standard old-school button in the usual place-- but things were mostly bearable until Win8.

  34. matthewcrim

    Windows 10 update

    Hello Everyone,

    If you’re having problems with Windows Update, the Windows Update Troubleshooter might be able to automatically fix the problem.

    Download and run the Windows Update Troubleshooter.

    http://www.promocodesoffice.com/microsoft-windows-10-promo-code-coupons.html

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