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[bomblord1]

The VPN they installed is definitely not secure. As soon as you log into windows and connect to ANY wifi (even public) it will automatically connect you to the internal corporate network as well. Meaning, if you took that laptop to a mcdonalds you would have access to all of my companies confidential files....I was uncomfortable having that installed on my laptop (since I never take it out of the building and have no reason to ever need that).

First you only have access to whatever files you normally have access to (unless you as a user can access any file on the network which is a security issue that is outside the scope of a VPN)

Second, the VPN encrypts the traffic and runs a secure connection between yourself and the server. Someone snooping on Mcdonalds wifi would not be able to see what you are doing or read any of the files being sent back and forth between your laptop and the remote server even if they somehow intercepted them. Your laptop is actually harder to hit running a VPN than it is if you were not.

 

[mneuro]

Whenever I hear about anything nefariously killing data, or by mistake, I say "did you back it up?". It's on everyone to back up your important data.

And whenever I hear about someone's house being robbed I say "why did you leave to go do something productive." It's on everyone to sit at home 24/7 with gun in hand just in case.

 

[mneuro]

First you only have access to whatever files you normally have access to (unless you as a user can access any file on the network which is a security issue that is outside the scope of a VPN)

Second, the VPN encrypts the traffic and runs a secure connection between yourself and the server. Someone snooping on Mcdonalds wifi would not be able to see what you are doing or read any of the files being sent back and forth between your laptop and the remote server even if they somehow intercepted them. Your laptop is actually harder to hit running a VPN than it is if you were not.

All users have access to all of the files on our network. Again, our IT department are geniuses. I understand that a VPN encrypts traffic. I was more concerned that someone would physically be able to use the laptop and access all of the files of the entire company. It's almost embarrassing to work for them.

 

[Calabi]

lol even in such a thread you can see the typical microsoftGAF people.
"best windows Microsoft ever made" INDEED

I was thinking of delaying until the last day before I upgrade to Windows 10. But seeing all of these shit, I won't. Plus the benefits people say it gives, I still have no idea what they are (My windows 8 boots pretty fast already).

I know its crazy. Microsoft has spent 20 plus years making an OS and they still dont know how to make one. Android wouldn't randomly set a time and update/reboot(giving you no choice) when you could be in the middle of work(I dont leave PC on overnight).

I'm not upgrading to an OS that behaves likes this. Microsoft are fucking idiots.

 

[RoadHazard]

So, unfortunately, the real lesson here is that backups of data need to be prioritized.

This. The auto-wipe sucks, but that drive could have crashed, with the same result. Having important files in just a single place is madness.

 

[univbee]

And whenever I hear about someone's house being robbed I say "why did you leave to go do something productive." It's on everyone to sit at home 24/7 with gun in hand just in case.

Important data should never be stored in one location only.

A closer analogy is that it's definitely on you if you always leave your front door unlocked and are then flabbergated when you get robbed because someone just walked in and took all your shit when you were out. The robber would, of course, still be at fault for the robbery itself, he doesn't get a pass because your front door was unlocked.

Microsoft sucks because the Windows 10 upgrade sneaked in and broke his shit.
The OP's IT department sucks for not ensuring his data was secured elsewhere.

These ideas aren't in conflict, they can both be true.

 

[ImboSlice]

Was she running Windows 7 or 8?

7. Why?

 

[univbee]

All users have access to all of the files on our network. Again, our IT department are geniuses. I understand that a VPN encrypts traffic. I was more concerned that someone would physically be able to use the laptop and access all of the files of the entire company. It's almost embarrassing to work for them.

If you're domain-joined someone would need to get your password or grab your laptop while you were logged in with session unlocked. I'm fairly certain you can't meaningfully pull a usable VPN connection from a domain user's Windows profile if they're not logged in.

 

[bomblord1]

All users have access to all of the files on our network. Again, our IT department are geniuses. I understand that a VPN encrypts traffic. I was more concerned that someone would physically be able to use the laptop and access all of the files of the entire company. It's almost embarrassing to work for them.

Now that is a massive issue.

 

[mneuro]

If you're domain-joined someone would need to get your password or grab your laptop while you were logged in with session unlocked. I'm fairly certain you can't meaningfully pull a usable VPN connection from a domain user's Windows profile if they're not logged in.

But if I never have a reason to even have the VPN installed, then it's an unnecessary risk. My password is pretty complex but why take the risk.

 

[shiyrley]

So an AUTOMATIC update fucks up this user's whole work partition and it's the user's fault for not doing backups? What the actual fuck? Why is some people defending a company after they destroy someone's files becaude their automatic, adware-like upgrade doesn't work propeyl? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? I hope ALL of these post are sarcastic otherwhise I just lost all faith in humanity


Windows 10 user here btw

 

[RealityCheque]

Yes backup your data. If the OP didn't know this before I'm sure he does now.

Still doesn't excuse MS from stealth updating people's machines. Whichever way you want to frame it, what they are doing is shitty. It's been nearly a year since it was released so it's safe to assume that if someone hasn't made the upgrade yet then they probably don't want to. Yet MS has arbitrarily decided to ignore the wishes of their users and show them who knows best.

They should ask. Properly. With clear opt-outs. And then they should respect the wishes of the user and stop prodding for them to change their minds. Defending their practices is absolutely mind-blowing and I have no idea why anyone would think what they have been doing is OK.

And I say this as someone who uses win 10 and quite likes it (now that I've disabled as much of the spyware and cortana bullshit as I can). But not enough for me to abandon any sense of ethics or customer respect.

And that's the point, MS refers to us as "users". Bollocks, I'm a customer, I paid for the product and will ask if I need anything after the point of sale.

 

[bomblord1]

So an AUTOMATIC update fucks up this user's whole work partition and it's the user's fault for not doing backups? What the actual fuck? Why is some people defending a company after they destroy someone's files becaude their automatic, adware-like upgrade doesn't work propeyl? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? I hope ALL of these post are sarcastic otherwhise I just lost all faith in humanity


Windows 10 user here btw

As far as it goes important data should be backed up but we can also blame Microsoft for formatting the drive as it shouldn't have happened in the first place.

These aren't mutually exclusive ideas.

 

[univbee]

So an AUTOMATIC update fucks up this user's whole work partition and it's the user's fault for not doing backups? What the actual fuck? Why is some people defending a company after they destroy someone's files becaude their automatic, adware-like upgrade doesn't work propeyl? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? I hope ALL of these post are sarcastic otherwhise I just lost all faith in humanity


Windows 10 user here btw

Again, it's not either/or. Two parties made mistakes here. Microsoft are absolutely dicks for messing this up, ALSO important data should be stored in no less than two places which aren't in the same building (and it shouldn't have been OP's responsibility, it was his IT department's fuckup).

 

[EmiPrime]

So an AUTOMATIC update fucks up this user's whole work partition and it's the user's fault for not doing backups? What the actual fuck? Why is some people defending a company after they destroy someone's files becaude their automatic, adware-like upgrade doesn't work propeyl? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? I hope ALL of these post are sarcastic otherwhise I just lost all faith in humanity


Windows 10 user here btw

Microsoft are scumbags for forcing OS updates on unwitting people and there should be a class action lawsuit against them. Users should be able to keep automatic updates on for their OS and not wake up one morning to find a whole new OS with all the potential application incompatibility and driver issues or even data loss that may ensue.

You should keep local and online backups of your important files.

These two positions are not mutually exclusive.

 

[RionaaM]

I can't agree because the blue here to cancel is third element to catch the eye if you look what's inside the screen before closing it.

And if you read (again) in which world and times did closing a windows ever canceled a schedule event ?

I don't buy this. Here's the update screen:

The cancel link is in the same frame as two bigger sentences ("Windows 10 is a recommended update for this PC" and the scheduled date), one of which is colored in blue and the other appears to be in bold, so the eye would never be directed to it. Then you have the green check marks below, which also stands out. And there's a big "OK" button at the lower right side, far from the cancel option. Since the only nearby option says "Upgrade now", it's only natural that the user will believe there's no proper cancel button, and that the alternative to proceeding with the upgrade is closing the window. Another shitty element: the cancel link doesn't cover the entire sentence, only the word "here". Yet another: "cancel scheduled upgrade" is not even the first part of the sentence; it's the second, after "change upgrade schedule".

No, this is not accidental bad UI design or an oversight. This is deliberately confusing, to trick people into upgrading. Just like in many freeware programs' installers ("Uncheck this barely noticeable checkbox to avoid getting your PC infected with browser toolbars and fake antivirus software"), this preys on uninformed people, or those who don't take the time to read every single piece of text in every pop-up. "Oh no, we gave you an option, it's your fault for not noticing it" is not an excuse when said option is obfuscated so it is as hard to see as it can be.

Finally, you''re ignoring the fact that the user never scheduled this update. Someone sees an update message, they close it without clicking "OK" or "Upgrade now". They shouldn't be expected to realize Microsoft scheduled it on its own, and is going to go along with it unless the user sees the tiny cancel link. That is a scummy practice in my book. This update is literally behaving no better than a rogue software or shady toolbar. That's expected from shitty devs who make money by scamming people or infecting their PCs. However, it shouldn't be tolerated from the biggest OS vendor in the market.

 

[pj]

So an AUTOMATIC update fucks up this user's whole work partition and it's the user's fault for not doing backups? What the actual fuck? Why is some people defending a company after they destroy someone's files becaude their automatic, adware-like upgrade doesn't work propeyl? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? I hope ALL of these post are sarcastic otherwhise I just lost all faith in humanity


Windows 10 user here btw

What does it matter the cause? All important data should be backed up. Shit happens, trust no one

MS being untrustworthy and forcing updates is exactly why you should be doing backups yourself, or don't use their operating system. You called it "adware-like upgrade", yet you think it's reasonable to expect them to not fuck with your data? I hope you are being sarcastic otherwise I just lost all faith that this generation is more tech savvy than my father's.

 

[DavidDesu]

I honestly don't know how Microsoft can have an update that occurs so easily it seems (or misleads people into doing it by mistake) and then to not have a million confirmation and warning boxes before it goes and deletes drives. Seems like utter madness. Got a Mac so not got hands on experience of this thing but it sounds like a clusterfuck.

 

[thiscoldblack]

i guess i'll stick with Windows 7 for a decade.

That is, of course, until Microsoft decides to upgrade on your behalf.

 

[TheLegendOfMart]

How is it user error when said user never intended for the update to be done at that moment? Can't believe some people are still defending Microsoft over this...

It's user error when he didn't read the popup window that said an update has been scheduled and to 'click here' to cancel it.

 

[mneuro]

It's user error when he didn't read the popup window that said an update has been scheduled and to 'click here' to cancel it.

Victim blaming at it's finest, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[mrtoaster]

You really should try free Testdisk to recover your files. Nothing else has worked for me.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download

 

[univbee]

It's user error when he didn't read the popup window that said an update has been scheduled and to 'click here' to cancel it.

Nah, it's sketchy as hell for the reasons outlined by RionaaM above. It deliberately breaks standard conventions and it's possible for something to be in plain sight but still "hidden".

 

[Vestal]

But if I never have a reason to even have the VPN installed, then it's an unnecessary risk. My password is pretty complex but why take the risk.

Actually if we are talking about unnecessary risks then why would you join a public WIFI at McDonalds.

Any company would prefer their assets be connected through VPN 100% of the time when offsite since then they can monitor the assets for compromise. Whenever any asset leaves the company grounds the risk of data loss increases, said asset being connected through VPN is actually reducing Risk not increasing it.

 

[AHK_Hero]

And whenever I hear about someone's house being robbed I say "why did you leave to go do something productive." It's on everyone to sit at home 24/7 with gun in hand just in case.

Pretty sure this is joke right?

As an IT professional there is a mantra, "lose data, lose a client". All hard drives will fail given time. Back-ups aren't an elective procedure they are an absolute necessity. I don't think that's in any way comparable to the perhaps once in a lifetime experience of home invasion.

True, it's on Microsoft to put out a product that works, but my company is always going to do whatever it takes to protect our users from Microsoft's OS and whatever else is out there that can destroy data.

Either way, I'm sorry OP. I feel your pain seriously.

 

[nkarafo]

I know this won't help your problem at hand OP but it will certainly help you in the future.

Backup EVEY DAY. Finished your work? Connect an external drive you have only for backups and copy your day's work there. Repeat every day. It should be just a few hundred MBs per day judging from your OP so it's less than a minute of extra work that saves hours of work per day.

And since your work doesn't require a lot of space (250GB for years of work as you say) you should also backup your backup disk every week or month too.

NEVER trust companies to protect your files. Never trust hard disks either, that's why you need at least 2 or 3 of them. You never know when some software (like your case) or hardware problem (disk dies) destroys your data.

 

[RionaaM]

I'm reminded of this

Hahaha, gotta love Hitchhiker's Guide. At this rate, it seems like MS will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes.

It's user error when he didn't read the popup window that said an update has been scheduled and to 'click here' to cancel it.

The pop-up did everything possible to hide the cancel link. This is no better than Winamp trying to install BonziBuddy by putting a barely noticeable checkbox in the installer, checked by default and only visible if you choose the "custom install" option (just to put an example, I'm not saying Winamp ever did this).

 

[Hari Seldon]

It's user error when he didn't read the popup window that said an update has been scheduled and to 'click here' to cancel it.

Holy fuck at this level of defense force.

 

[TheLegendOfMart]

Holy fuck at this level of defense force.

I use OSX. I just don't blame someone else when I fuck up and not read a popup window about a scheduled upgrade.

 

[Ucchedavāda]

I'm one of those people who think that Windows 10 is pretty nifty, but the way that Microsoft has been forcing updates is rather distasteful, including tactics that I would normally associate with spyware.

 

[Mung]

This shit is reaching the mainstream media

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

 

[Arcia]

I've been watching my updates like a hawk since late 2014 when Microsoft started to get really shady with them, so I have been able to avoid installing all of the problem updates that would initiate this forced upgrade.

I'm pretty sure that Microsoft can't touch me at this point with their tactics, but man stuff like this still scares me. This is so distasteful, I really do wonder if I will ever use Windows 10 after all of this mess!

 

[m33pm33p]

That's not a backup. This is a backup: http://www.code42.com/crashplan/

You have my sympathies OP, but it could just as easily been a hard drive failure, or your laptop getting stolen. The backup lesson is usually learned the hard way. Personally I've learned it several times over the years.

This.

I get it, it does suck but who the hell stores YEARS worth of important data on a consumer HDD with no backups?

You were asking for this to happen at some point.

Not to say that the Windows 10 install wasnt the culprit but I work in IT and Ive yet to hear about this issue from any source.

 

[BleedOrange]

Why on earth would people expect closing a window notifying them of an appointment to cancel the appointment?

Imagine if when you dismissed a notification about a calendar appointment on your phone that meant you were cancelling the appointment. It makes no sense.

 

[SGRX]

Why on earth would people expect closing a window notifying them of an appointment to cancel the appointment?

Imagine if when you dismissed a notification about a calendar appointment on your phone that meant you were cancelling the appointment. It makes no sense.

Whenever I'm shopping online or visiting a website and a window pops up asking me to complete a survey at the conclusion of my business, I always accept by closing the window, but the survey never shows up. Someone needs to fix this behavior.

I doubt most people read the popup. MS has been nagging everyone so often since Windows 10 was approaching launch date that they've become accustomed to just closing it, and I'm sure that fact didn't escape them when they started just auto-upgrading. The assumption is probably that most people will either not care or like the OS. It's underhanded any way you look at it.

 

[mckmas8808]

But Microsoft are doing you a favour by updating you to the best version of Windows yet!

Spoiler

/s, but some people really believe it.

In the OT, many Gaffers are literally saying that to me yesterday lol.

 

[mckmas8808]

Why on earth would people expect closing a window notifying them of an appointment to cancel the appointment?

Imagine if when you dismissed a notification about a calendar appointment on your phone that meant you were cancelling the appointment. It makes no sense.

Because in most cases, the popup wouldn't "AUTO UPDATE". It would be asking you if you "WANT" to update.

MS behavior here is weird and awful

 

[RealityCheque]

The MS PR speak in that BBC article reads like: "what's the problem? Everyone likes having a thumb up the ass!"

 

[Gemüsepizza]

Whenever I'm shopping online or visiting a website and a window pops up asking me to complete a survey at the conclusion of my business, I always accept by closing the window, but the survey never shows up. Someone needs to fix this behavior.

Again: This window just informs you that an update is scheduled. It does not ask if you want to perform an upgrade. This means that clicking the X will not cancel the upgrade. If you want to cancel the upgrade, use the corresponding link in the window. But you would know that if you had actually read the text. It isn't even that much text. Not reading text and aimlessly clicking on things is NOT how you should operate a computer, and will lead to many more problems in the future.

I also remain very doubtful that this is actually and solely caused by the Windows installer, until this behaviour can be reproduced and confirmed. The theories posted in here, for example that "the installer likely assumes that the recovery partition is on the boot drive" and similar ones, make no sense whatsoever. People totally underestimate the extent of how companies like Microsoft design and test software like this. Also, this operating system has already been deployed on a quarter billion PCs. I know it is currently "hip" to shit on Microsoft, but maybe it is more sensible to approach this problem in a more factual way. And for God's sake, backup your data.

 

[metareferential]

Well, it definitely is infuriating, but in this day and age not having an up-to-date (or more than one) backup (either in the cloud, in a network storage, or else) is a huge, huge mistake.

 

[mckmas8808]

Again: This window just informs you that an update is scheduled. It does not ask if you want to perform an upgrade. This means that clicking the X will not cancel the upgrade. If you want to cancel the upgrade, use the corresponding link in the window. But you would know that if you had actually read the text. It isn't even that much text. Not reading text and aimlessly clicking on things is NOT how you should operate a computer, and will lead to many more problems in the future.

I also remain very doubtful that this is actually and solely caused by the Windows installer, until this behaviour can be reproduced and confirmed. The theories posted in here, for example that "the installer likely assumes that the recovery partition is on the boot drive" and similar ones, make no sense whatsoever. People totally underestimate the extent of how companies like Microsoft design and test software like this. Also, this operating system has already been deployed on a quarter billion PCs. I know it is currently "hip" to shit on Microsoft, but maybe it is more sensible to approach this problem in a more factual way. And for God's sake, backup your data.

A real programmer would NEVER EVER do this. It's not consumer friendly.

 

[True Fire]

Is this grounds for a Class Action? I'd love to see Microsoft's PC division suffer a PR loss after all of their shitty practices.

 

[RealityCheque]

A real programmer would NEVER EVER do this. It's not consumer friendly.

Unless they were told to build it that way.

Given MS overarching need to get people onto W10 as part of their new business structure, this is pretty likely.

 

[Gemüsepizza]

A real programmer would NEVER EVER do this. It's not consumer friendly.

What, design a window that informs you of a scheduled upgrade?

Also, "real" programmers (usually) don't design user interfaces.

 

[mckmas8808]

Unless they were told to build it that way.

Given MS overarching need to get people onto W10 as part of their new business structure, this is pretty likely.

Exactly!

What, design a window that informs you of an scheduled update?

Also, "real" programmers (usually) don't design user interfaces.

It's something that's confusing to many people. Programmers create software for consumers, not themselves. If the consumers are confused, then it's not designed properly.

 

[Gemüsepizza]

Again, if those consumer's don't read text and simply click any windows away, they are not operating a PC the correct way. It's only a matter of time until those users get fucked over. Just read the text and then click. And I am pretty sure that, if Microsoft had not put an "X" on this window, people would still complain.

 

[Shin-Ra]

Windows 10 auto-update's now a front-page news story on the BBC homepage.

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

 

[mneuro]

Again, if those consumer's don't read text and simply click any windows away, they are not operating a PC the correct way. It's just a matter of time until those users get fucked over. And I am pretty sure that If Microsoft had not put an "X" on this window, people would still complain.

Well isn't that very elitest.

 

[Gemüsepizza]

In what way? That you should be able and willing to read in order to operate a computer?

 

[R_thanatos]

I feel for you , OP

I'll repeat ..that's why changing of OSes should NEVER be automatic. And the way it's forced on users is Stupid.

i see that you already tried recuva , it's fantastic software and it's a shame you couldn't recover everything.