Some users have already found the Windows 10 upgrade process starting automatically even when they have not reserved a copy while others have been confronted with dialog boxes with no visible way to cancel the “optional” update. Microsoft says it “understands” people may want to stick with their existing Windows version but wrote in a blog post yesterday “we would encourage everyone to upgrade because Windows 10 is the best Windows ever – familiar, safer, faster, and full of innovations.”
The company is “streamlining” the Windows 10 upgrade assistant to make the process simpler, ditching the two-step reservation system in favour of an immediate installation when a copy is reserved. The reservations aren’t required now Windows 10 is past the pre-order phase so new users won’t have to wait after registering their interest.
Of more note to most people is the usage of Windows Update to deliver Windows 10 to 7 and 8.1 users. Today, the installation appears as an “optional” update on reserved systems but early next year Microsoft says it will be re-categorizing it as “recommended.”
When using Windows Update on its default settings, this will lead to the installation process automatically starting. Microsoft says users “will be clearly prompted” and asked whether they want to continue. People using metered Internet connections won’t receive the update automatically.
Microsoft is making the process easier for professional users who create physical installation media to clean install Windows 10 onto several computers. An update to the Media Creation Tool will soon make it possible to create a single image file that can be used to install any edition of Windows 10 from one set of media.
Changes are also coming to how Microsoft treats software pirates using non-genuine versions of Windows. The company is making it easier to upgrade to Windows 10 from illegitimate versions of Windows 7 and 8.1 after noticing many pirates are going to considerable lengths to do so before purchasing a genuine license through the Windows Store.
The move represents the most aggressive push of Windows 10 to date. Users who have declined the upgrade offer have already been confronted with the operating system downloading itself automatically “in case” they ever change their mind and the update’s current status as “optional” has previously led to a few cases of unintentional installations.
There are now over 110 million devices running Windows 10, a number which Microsoft evidently wants to bolster by refining and streamlining the methods used to get people upgraded. The company says you’ll always be able to choose to decline any update offer, a small consolation to the users happy with Windows 7 or 8.1 who will soon be seeing even more notifications showcasing what an upgrade would bring.
