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Microsoft has ended free Windows 10 upgrades through Assistive Technologies
It had a good, nice and long run. But the options to freely upgrade towards Windows 10 through the Assistive Technologies option, has been removed from the website, the upgrade feature has been halted.
The corresponding webpage now reports that the upgrade options have ended last December 2017 (MS expanded that towards January 16th). Interestingly enough, if you are fast, the upgrade link is still online, so you could still use the workaround, we're just not sure for how long this will work though.
One Bypass Left
However, this bypass (I think) still works: users who used the Media Creation Tool to upgrade Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 towards Windows 10: with that license for that specific OS you can still upgrade and activate Windows 10, at no additional cost. So basically you enter your Windows 7 or 8 license, and then Windows 10 gets activated.
Technically, this feature now requires a license for Windows 10, and this method supposedly already expired July 31th, 2016. Here again, Microsoft has made little effort to close that option. So you could (if you desire to) upgrade swiftly and cheap.
Should you opt to purchase Windows 10 at a later stage from the Microsoft Store, a license for the Home edition of Windows 10 costs 140 euros and for Pro customers have to drop 260 euros.
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Microsoft states that apps with older Windows versions such as 7 and 8 and servers will become slower after updates close the major vulnerabilities Meltdown and Spectre. However, most users with Wind...
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airbud7
Senior Member
Posts: 7843
Joined: 2011-07-20
Senior Member
Posts: 7843
Joined: 2011-07-20
#5512093 Posted on: 01/18/2018 10:03 PM
no 10 for me....I'm going 7-Eleven route.
no 10 for me....I'm going 7-Eleven route.
LIGuitar77
Senior Member
Posts: 624
Joined: 2015-09-29
Senior Member
Posts: 624
Joined: 2015-09-29
#5512108 Posted on: 01/18/2018 10:58 PM
I didn't go around hunting to check my good dudes, but the last time I actually did, there were not any utilities performing these spyware removal techniques. I do it to every machine I touch.
#1):
open Task Scheduler from Administrative Tools,
navigate to Microsoft > Windows > Wininet.
Stop and disable the task.
REGEDIT search for this GUID:{3EB3C877-1F16-487C-9050-104DBCD66683}
Delete this GUID
You will have to change the ownership to your user to be able to delete this key.
Deny write permissions to all accounts:
C:\Users\XXXXXXX\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WebCache
Add to hosts:
0.0.0.0 a248.e.akamai.net
0.0.0.0 zb.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zm-1.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zc.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zh.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ns5-193.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zg.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ns2-193.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ze.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zf.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zi.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 za.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ns4-193.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zd.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ns3-193.akamaitech.net
#2):
You might want to check C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Diagnosis\ETLLogs\AutoLogger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl
If the ADL is present you can disable it via these registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\Autologger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\Autologger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener\{DD17FA14-CDA6-7191-9B61-37A28F7A10DA}
'Modify the Enabled key to 0 (zero) to disable it for both.
Once you've done that, you can delete the AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl
You might want to check C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Diagnosis\ETLLogs\AutoLogger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl
If the ADL is present you can disable it via these registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\Autologger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\Autologger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener\{DD17FA14-CDA6-7191-9B61-37A28F7A10DA}
'Modify the Enabled key to 0 (zero) to disable it for both.
Once you've done that, you can delete the AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl
For the first one, you can delete the parent key(s) found when searching, instead.
For the second one, you can delete the whole key instead:
If you compare the screenshot to yours, you can see I removed other stuff as well. This is for Win7 SP1 x64. For other OSes, do at your own risk. Set Restore Point first or have backup, as always the simple good advice (it's on you! not me, to not mess up. Should be cool, I think though.) Enjoy and you're welcome.
I didn't go around hunting to check my good dudes, but the last time I actually did, there were not any utilities performing these spyware removal techniques. I do it to every machine I touch.
#1):
open Task Scheduler from Administrative Tools,
navigate to Microsoft > Windows > Wininet.
Stop and disable the task.
REGEDIT search for this GUID:{3EB3C877-1F16-487C-9050-104DBCD66683}
Delete this GUID
You will have to change the ownership to your user to be able to delete this key.
Deny write permissions to all accounts:
C:\Users\XXXXXXX\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WebCache
Add to hosts:
0.0.0.0 a248.e.akamai.net
0.0.0.0 zb.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zm-1.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zc.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zh.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ns5-193.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zg.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ns2-193.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ze.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zf.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zi.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 za.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ns4-193.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 zd.akamaitech.net
0.0.0.0 ns3-193.akamaitech.net
#2):
You might want to check C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Diagnosis\ETLLogs\AutoLogger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl
If the ADL is present you can disable it via these registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\Autologger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\Autologger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener\{DD17FA14-CDA6-7191-9B61-37A28F7A10DA}
'Modify the Enabled key to 0 (zero) to disable it for both.
Once you've done that, you can delete the AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl
You might want to check C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Diagnosis\ETLLogs\AutoLogger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl
If the ADL is present you can disable it via these registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\Autologger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\Autologger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener\{DD17FA14-CDA6-7191-9B61-37A28F7A10DA}
'Modify the Enabled key to 0 (zero) to disable it for both.
Once you've done that, you can delete the AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl
For the first one, you can delete the parent key(s) found when searching, instead.
For the second one, you can delete the whole key instead:
If you compare the screenshot to yours, you can see I removed other stuff as well. This is for Win7 SP1 x64. For other OSes, do at your own risk. Set Restore Point first or have backup, as always the simple good advice (it's on you! not me, to not mess up. Should be cool, I think though.) Enjoy and you're welcome.
LIGuitar77
Senior Member
Posts: 624
Joined: 2015-09-29
Senior Member
Posts: 624
Joined: 2015-09-29
#5512118 Posted on: 01/18/2018 11:35 PM
This is for desktop machine. I am sure you are intelligent enough to know what to do. There are a few disabled instead of removed, that the folders still appear for, like Media Center, Remote Assistance. If you let Windows defrag instead of 3rd party, don't delete that. Again, backup or system restore before you do it.
This is for desktop machine. I am sure you are intelligent enough to know what to do. There are a few disabled instead of removed, that the folders still appear for, like Media Center, Remote Assistance. If you let Windows defrag instead of 3rd party, don't delete that. Again, backup or system restore before you do it.
Cnote
Junior Member
Posts: 4
Joined: 2017-07-23
Junior Member
Posts: 4
Joined: 2017-07-23
#5512121 Posted on: 01/18/2018 11:49 PM
I buy the COA from junked PCs for like $8... Never failed me so far
I buy the COA from junked PCs for like $8... Never failed me so far
Click here to post a comment for this news story on the message forum.
Senior Member
Posts: 258
Joined: 2017-09-25
Hallelujah... and age appropriate video