Improved GWX Control Panel does an even better job at keeping Windows 10 off your PC

While it is rather easy to upgrade to Windows 10 for free if you want the operating system, it can be quite frustrating to prevent the upgrade from happening.

PC systems running Windows 7 or 8 don't get upgraded to Windows 10 automatically usually -- although that appears to have happened in the past, by accident according to Microsoft -- it seems difficult to prevent the operating system from downloading files that it requires to perform the upgrade to the new version of Windows.

Chance is, this is becoming even more problematic in the future as Microsoft plans to make the Windows 10 upgrade recommended in Windows Update.

That's great for users who want to upgrade, but another pitfall for users who don't.

GWX Control Panel is an excellent program that has been designed specifically for Windows users who don't want to upgrade to Windows 10.

Its feature set is impressive, as it ranges from removing the "get Windows 10" app from the system to detecting and removing hidden Windows 10 installation files that may already on the PC.

The application, updated on November 1 the last time, displays important information in the upper half of the interface on start. It tells you..

1. Whether the "Get Windows 10" app is running.
2. Whether the app is enabled.
3. If Windows Update operating system upgrades are enabled.
4. If a Windows 10 download folder has been found on the system.
5. And the size of the download folder.

There are buttons to open the folders on the system in case you want to check them out manually, and a short summary of the current state in regards to the "get Windows 10" app.

The buttons in the bottom half assist you in dealing with the items found during the scan:

1. Disable the "get Windows 10" application permanently (Or enable it again)
2. Disable operating system upgrades in Windows Update.
3. Clear the Windows Update cache.
4. Delete the Windows 10 download folder.

Options 1 and 4 deal with what may already be on the computer system. The first option removes the upgrade app notification, the fourth deletes Windows 10 data that may be already on the system.

Options 2 and 3 on the other hand block the optional Windows 10 update from being installed via Windows Update.

The recent update to GWX Control Panel 1.5 improves the program in multiple ways. The program detects the $Windows.~BT and $Windows.~WS folders now, the latter is being used by the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool, and will delete both if the "delete Windows 10 download folders" option is selected in the program interface.

If you have used a previous program version you may also notice that it may not ask for administrative privileges on start as this is only done now when the selected action requires these privileges.

Last but not least, clicking on the "Clear Windows Update cache" button displays a list of temporary effects that the action brings with it.

Verdict

GWX Control Panel offers one of the better options to block Windows 10 on systems running Windows 7 or 8 especially since Microsoft plans to step up its game and make Windows 10 a recommended update via Windows Update early next year.