There is a difference between commercial software and nagware. Or, there was once upon a time. To promote Window 10, a Microsoft ad has taken up residency in the system tray of Windows 7 and Windows 8 users.
To revert to a non-nagware version of Windows 7 or Windows 8, see: What is the “Get Windows 10” Tray Item and How Do You Remove It?
Bob Ducharme reports this worked for him.
I haven’t taken the Windows 10 plunge (onto a VM) but then I encountered this language in the Window 10 EULA:
Updates. The softwareperiodically checks for system and app updates, and downloads and installs them for you. You may obtain updates only from Microsoft or authorized sources, and Microsoft may need to update your system to provide you with those updates. By accepting this agreement, you agree to receive these types of automatic updates without any additional notice.
[emphasis added to last sentence]
If you are using Windows 10 to read email and surf the web, that may be ok.
If you are building mission-critical applications that rely on the stability of Windows system calls, that’s insane.
Ask you IT department about MS “updates” that have toasted applications in the past.
If Windows 10 becomes the dog that whatever came right after Windows XP did (I can’t even remember its name), perhaps Microsoft will adopt saner update policy for Windows (whatever).