Microsoft Stops Automatic Windows 10 Upgrades

Microsoft  is pushing hard to get people to upgrade to the new Windows 10 operating system. They are pushing so hard in fact that Windows 7 and 8.1 users will be getting the update for free, allowing users to clean install Windows 10 on a blank hard drive using a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 licence key. In some cases even, Windows 7 and 8  was updated to Windows 10 without even asking.

The news follows a report on Ars Technica by Peter Bright that Microsoft changed the ‘Optional’ upgrade status of Windows 10 without any warning. The subtle change simply ticked the box beside the upgrade by default in Windows Update on Windows 7 and Windows 8. This meant an upgrade to Windows 10 would be automatically performed the next time the user installed any Important updates.

While this may seem like a strategic, albeit highly invasive, means of securing Windows 10 downloads, Microsoft claims that the automatic update was a mistake.  Microsoft has since removed not only the check from the box but the upgrade item itself, from Windows Update. Computerworld confirmed with multiple users that the once-visible listing had disappeared from their Windows Update catalog by late Thursday.

According to Microsoft on the news:

As part of our effort to bring Windows 10 to existing genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers, the Windows 10 upgrade may appear as an optional update in the Windows Update (WU) control panel. This is an intuitive and trusted place people go to find Recommended and Optional updates to Windows. In the recent Windows update, this option was checked as default; this was a mistake and we are removing the check.

Like this move or hate this move, Microsoft will keep on moving towards their one billion goals. Hopefully this automatic update move was indeed a mistake, and they can keep aggressive marketing limited to advertisements, and avoid anything forced upon users. Stay tuned for details!