How to remove Get Windows 10 App on Windows 7/8.1 PCs
Windows 10 has been here since July 2015, but some users still don’t want to upgrade their systems. They prefer to stick to the current (older) version of Windows they have. But it seems that Microsoft wants you really bad to upgrade to Windows 10, so it almost forces you to do so.
We already talked about the way to prevent Windows 10 upgrades, and remove the Get Windows 10 button. This method required installing a third-party software called GWX Control Panel. And users who weren’t satisfied by the fact that Microsoft is forcing them to upgrade to Windows 10 constantly complained about this decision. So, the company decided to ‘help’ them.
Microsoft engineers recently provided a tweak which will remove Get Windows 10 app and prevent all upgrade notifications on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
But you should keep in mind that this is not Microsoft’s official guide, as the company probably still wants you to switch to Windows 10, but it looks like some of its employees think different (hope they’ll keep their jobs).
How we test, review and rate?
We have worked for the past 6 months on building a new review system on how we produce content. Using it, we have subsequently redone most of our articles to provide actual hands-on expertise on the guides we made.
For more details you can read how we test, review, and rate at WindowsReport.
How to Prevent Windows 10 Upgrade on Windows 7/ 8.1
As one of Microsoft employees points out on Community forums, to prevent Windows 10 upgrade, you have to perform one registry tweak. Here’s exactly what you need to do:
- Go to Search, type regedit, and open Registry Editor
- Navigate to the following path:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsGwx
- Create a new REG_DWORD called “DisableGwx,” and set its value to 1
- Reboot your computer
These instructions were suggested by users before, but Microsoft never used them to show people how to block Windows 10 upgrade prompts, for the very obvious reasons that you probably already know. Microsoft wants as many users of Windows 10 as possible.
But even if this action is effective, this can be only temporary, because some people are reporting that Microsoft reset their stings, and re-enabled Get Windows 10 button, with updates.
If you don’t want to bother with registry tweaks and creating DWORDs, you can simply download GWX Control Panel, because it basically does the same thing.
But we can’t tell you how long it will work because it looks like preventing Windows 10 upgrade becomes harder and harder with new system updates.
If you don’t want to use this Registry Tweak, you can try other methods, such as:
- Disable the Windows Update Service from Services
- Set your internet connection on a metered connection
Many Windows 10 users want to block system updates as well. So, it seems that this attitude is not valid only for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 users. Even Windows 10 users prefer to use an older Windows 10 version rather than installing a new one.
If you upgraded to Windows 10 and you want to roll back to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, check out this guide to learn what are the steps to follow.
RELATED POSTS TO CHECK OUT:
- How to bring the Windows 7 Task Manager to Windows 10
- Windows 7 KB4457139 makes it easier to upgrade to Windows 10
- How to Enable the Legacy Windows 7 Boot Menu Using Windows 10
