Microsoft has quietly excised Windows 10 free upgrade offers from Windows 7 and 8, aka the GWX.exe.

PCs running Windows 7 or 8.x and Windows Update will silently delete the nagware, thanks to a new update dubbed KB3184143.

“This update removes the Get Windows 10 app and other software related to the Windows 10 free upgrade offer that expired on July 29, 2016,” Microsoft's article says, advising that no action other than a restart will be required to do the deed.

Feel free to do that restart now, then come back and read the rest of the article. Here's an hourglass while you wait.

via GIPHY

How'd that reboot go? Glad it worked, so we can tell you that among the other Windows Updates landing are a four marked: “A security issue has been identified in a Microsoft software product that could affect your system.” All of the security issues concern the .Net Framework on several other versions of Windows and Windows Server.

Some of the knowledge base articles are marked version 2.0 and were updated on September 20th, suggesting a patch to a patch. It's hard to know just what is going on, because Microsoft doesn't offer much detail about the contents of the Updates.

What we do know is that Microsoft's policy for Windows Update means it now issues adjustments to Windows “... either during our regular update releases on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month or whenever an unscheduled update is released.” But the minor updates don't rate an entry in Microsoft's Security Resource Centre feed. Windows admins therefore need to stay alert, because Microsoft's previously said it won't reveal much about what's in its patches. As the scanty notes for this week's bunch, and the very quiet removal of a significant-if-annoying feature demonstrate, it pays to pay attention to the little information it does provide. ®