Microsoft Insists Users Have Choice When It Comes To Windows 10 Upgrade

Over the last two months, accusations and complaints against Microsoft’s Windows 10 heavy-handed update strategy flooded the internet. One theme was common: users accused the tech giant of turning the Windows 10 upgrade pop-up into malware, forcing them to upgrade against their will.

One of Microsoft’s main goals is to turn Windows 10 into the most popular operating system in the world. Its latest OS is currently running on more than 300 million devices worldwide while in some markets like the US, it even ranks first.

In getting there, Microsoft has been heavily criticized for the methods it’s employed to convince people to upgrade to Windows 10, with users angrily claiming the company had completely blocked their ability to choose whether or not to upgrade. They accused Microsoft of cutting off any possibility to refuse or delay the upgrade as the pop-up window offered only two options, “Upgrade now” and “Download now, upgrade later”, while the pop-up’s X button took their no for a yes and proceeded with the installation of Windows 10.

Tired of all these accusations, Microsoft issued an official statement on the matter:

The only problem for users is that it’s pretty difficult to find the options allowing them to reschedule or cancel the upgrade. Perhaps Microsoft should publish a how-to guide and offer step-by-step information on how to refuse the upgrade.

The Register report is inaccurate. The Windows 10 upgrade is a choice – designed to help people take advantage of the most secure, and most productive Windows. People receive multiple notifications to accept the upgrade, and can reschedule or cancel the upgrade if they wish.

Meanwhile, it appears that Microsoft’s aggressive upgrade tactics are working, since Windows 10’s market share increased by 2% compared to April. Analysts also suggest that users will mass-upgrade to Windows 10 following the Redstone update.