Dear Bill & Microsoft,

I think one of cruelest things you can do to an OCD, visually impaired, control freak is update their personal computer software without their consent.  When my last computer died, may it rest in peace, I took myself down to Best Buy and carefully considered my computing options.  The first time I used a computer I was in my 30’s.  Like many middle aged people I did not grow up with this technology.  That said, although not all that tech savvy, I would say I haven’t done half bad at finding my way around the computer.  When I purchased my new computer the only software available was Windows 8.  Up to this point I had been running Vista.  The difference was complete culture shock.  I didn’t like it at all at first, but I have over time gotten used to the fact that everything I need to find in order to operate my computer the way I would like is seemingly purposely hidden.  When I actually found programs I needed to access regularly, I figured out how to pin them to my start bar so that I wouldn’t have to search for them in the future.  Again, I still don’t love Windows 8, but I have gotten used to it.   I can’t for the life of me figure out why a company would want to make something that is already a bit complex, even harder to navigate effectively for the personal user.  Usually when you purchase something and take it home, it’s yours! You get to do decide what you want to do with it! It wasn’t long before I started to receive these prompts to upgrade to Windows 8.1. I had/have no interest in upgrading so I simply clicked the only option out of upgrading which was (remind me later) It’s my computer right? I don’t have to upgrade if I don’t want to, I am getting used to the software I purchased.  Then the upgrade prompts became more frequent and insistant, and then if you can believe this Bill? the prompt said it was upgrading me whether I wanted it to or not! Really!!!!???? Well I have to be honest that really pissed me off Bill!  It’s MY computer, shouldn’t I get to decide what software I want on it!?  At this point I began googling ways to stop this impending change that I didn’t want. I read for about an hour and followed some steps that I thought would be successful in removing both the prompt and the forced upgrade. Imagine my shock when I returned home to find my computer had indeed upgraded itself without my consent!!!???  To say that I was horrified does not even begin to describe it!  When exactly did you stop giving a crap about what your customers want and went all megalomania- cal and started deciding for them what YOU think they should have!!!??? I run a business on my computer, this unwanted forced upgrade took hours out of my day, and when I could finally use my computer again I found that programs had been changed, stuff had been moved.  My new login screen was so dizzying that it made me want to hork. Don’t even get me started on the damn Cheshire Cat (Home Group) icon that kept appearing, disappearing, and then reappearing, only to disappear again from my desktop! I decide what icons appear on my desktop damn it!  I liken it to being robbed. You come home to find someone else has been there, trying out your beds, eating your food, moving your stuff around, some things are missing, while others have been disassembled and reassembled into something you can’t even recognize…WTF Bill!!!!???  Worse, remember I am visually impaired, my business requires me to work with photos a lot, and when I went to upload my newest batch of product photos the photo uploader was different too! Now instead of little 1 inch photo icons that I could mostly see, there are 1/4 inch photo icons that I must get a magnifier to see. There is NO way to import photos into an existing photo file. WTF Bill!!!??? How am I supposed to run my business when I can’t see my photos or import them into the file I need them to go into!!!???  My computer is already set to huge, but apparently that doesn’t apply to the stuff you fucked with Bill!!!???  I understand that some updates are necessary, but clearly you have gone overboard!!!  Also I find it disconcerting that such profound changes can be done to anyone’s home computer via a seemingly innocent update.  The implications of potential harm via that arrangement have surely occurred to others as well as myself.  I don’t know who you’re in bed with Bill, or what your endgame is, because clearly it is not customer satisfaction, but I wish you would stay the hell out of my house and leave my computer alone asshole! Since it seems near impossible to undo this update, I am looking into viable, less invasive alternatives to your crappy product.  I have  even considered briefly going Mac.  In the meantime, I can only hope that this blog post goes viral, because I know any letter I would send to the company would not be read by anyone who makes a difference or gives a crap!

Sincerely,

One pissed off Heart