These two simple steps banish that pesky Windows 10 update alert in your system tray and ensure your PC never updates to Windows 10 on its own without permission. If you’re a PC user who is sick of Microsoft constantly pestering you to update your OS to Windows 10, and you’re worried the out of control upgrade process will force you into an unwanted OS, I have a two-step solution. Never10 eliminates Windows 10 updates First is the “Never 10” tool, which automatically changes the Windows Update settings so the program doesn’t start (or complete) the Windows upgrade process from Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, without explicit permission. Of course Windows shouldn’t do that anyway, but sloppy wording in Windows pop-up boxes and occasional errors have in fact caused many users to install updates they don’t want. Never 10 is the brainchild of Steve Gibson, a software developer and founder of Gibson Software. The utility is composed of a small amount of code that you download from his site and then forget — unless you change your mind about upgrading to Windows 10. If you do, you can easily reverse the process. (Hat tip to Paul Thurrott for publicizing Gibson’s work.) SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe Gibson Research Corp. “Using this utility, inexperienced users will be able to easily use Never10 themselves, while advanced users will likely appreciate that fact that no additional software is installed and will be able to refer friends and family, whom they support, to this easy-to-use utility,” Gibson says Microsoft also offers an alternative fix, but it involves tinkering with the Windows Registry, which can be tricky and can cause serious problems. I installed Never10 on my Windows 7 laptop, and it appears to work well. It’s worth noting that I don’t hate Windows 10; I run it on one laptop and rather like it, but users deserve to have real control of the upgrade process. GWX Control Panel tidies up your Windows system tray Then there’s Microsoft’s nagging, which consists of annoying white Windows icon in the system tray. And that brings up the second step of my process to do away with Windows 10 update reminders: an app called GWX Control Panel, which removes the icon and stops the nagging. The tool can also be used to clear your Windows update cache, and delete Windows 10 download folders, according to InfoWorld.com. Neither Gibson’s trick or the GWX Control Panel software block Windows 7’s routine — and necessary — updates. And you can still upgrade to Windows 10 whenever you want by disabling the tools. Related content opinion Consumers love to hate the companies that deliver pay TV and broadband A survey of thousands of consumers shows that a lack of competition and u201cabysmalu201d customer service make cable companies and ISPs the most disliked industries in the country. By Bill Snyder May 24, 2017 3 mins Broadband Consumer Electronics opinion Get ready to say goodbye to T-Mobile A Japanese conglomerate wants to buy T-Mobile and merge it with Sprint. What a disaster for consumers that will be. By Bill Snyder May 12, 2017 4 mins Small and Medium Business Consumer Electronics Mobile opinion Cunning hack attacks built-in Windows anti-malware software Quick action by Google and Microsoft appears to have put out the fire. But itu2019s another reminder that running old versions of Windows can be dangerous. By Bill Snyder May 10, 2017 2 mins Small and Medium Business Malware Windows Security opinion How to survive a move when your ISP can’t go with you Moving is a huge hassle, but hereu2019s a two-step solution that will keep you connected to the Internet without busting your budget. By Bill Snyder May 05, 2017 4 mins Internet Consumer Electronics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe