Windows 10 is now an “Optional” update but will be “Recommended” next year

[Batu69]

"you can choose to upgrade or decline the offer"

We reported earlier today that Microsoft’s Windows 10 OS has managed to surpass 120 million installs worldwide. As nice as the Windows 10 launch has been for Microsoft’s PR, the install process hasn’t been as worry free for some Windows users. Since the July release of Windows 10, some users on older versions of Windows have complained about annoying pop-up reminders, background WiFi-chugging update processes. In some rare instances, Windows 10 bits have downloaded onto devices in preparation for an update seemingly without any user intervention.

As a rather large Fall update to Windows 10 is just a week or so out for users, Microsoft is attempting not only make it even easier to upgrade to Windows 10 but explain the process and dispel some myths floating around on the internet.

From the mouth of Microsoft executive vice president of the Windows team, Terry Myerson:

We understand you care deeply about what happens with your device. This is why – regardless of your upgrade path – you can choose to upgrade or decline the offer.

That being said, we would encourage everyone to upgrade because Windows 10 is the best Windows ever – familiar, safer, faster, and full of innovations. After any upgrade, you can easily go back to your prior version of Windows within 31 days if you choose. We do this by keeping a full copy of your previous operating system on your device – including apps and settings – for the first 31 days following your upgrade. At any time during the first 31 days, you can go to “Settings->Update and Security->Recovery and Uninstall Windows 10” to return to your prior version of Windows.”

Myerson continues, addressing the notifications users of older versions of Windows are receiving. It seems going forward, the once annoying notification to upgrade for some, is being evolved. The notification will now have a more ‘approachable’ feel and should appear clearer to users as to what is being asked. Users will also now have the option to dismiss the notification in their respective Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 settings.

For users who decided to finally take the plunge and update, there are now going to be new processes in place to ideally transition from one version to another as smoothly as possible. Beginning with how Windows 10 is categorized and where users can find the update.

We will soon be publishing Windows 10 as an “Optional Update” in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers. Windows Update is the trusted, logical location for our most critical updates, and adding Windows 10 here is another way we will make it easy for you to find your upgrade.

Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a “Recommended Update.” Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to initiate automatically on your device. Before the upgrade changes the OS of your device, you will be clearly prompted to choose whether or not to continue. And of course, if you choose to upgrade (our recommendation!), then you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous Windows version if you don’t love it.”

Myerson also discusses more pressing issues of the upgrade process such as upgrading over a metered connection, with a DVD ISO and upgrades for Non-Genuine users. As far as metered connections go, Windows 10 will default to users Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 settings. According to Myerson, users who opt out of automatic updates, should still manually check for updates now and then and also consider installation of all ‘Recommended’ and ‘Important’ updates. Doing so will allow Windows 10 to use a metered connection only if there is a security issue addressed in the update. Otherwise, it’s still up to the users to install updates.

For users who choose to do a full and clean installation of the Windows 10, the Windows team will issue an update to the Media Creation Tool allowing the creation of DVD ISO’s or USB keys from within the OS.

Myerson touches on the efforts non-Genuine Windows customers have gone through to get Windows 10, and to use that feedback, he and his team are willing to try an experimental one-click opportunity to get a Genuine copy of Windows. Users will be able to go to the Windows Store to grab a valid copy of Windows 10 using an activation code they happened to purchase elsewhere. The experiment is only being opened to the US for now, but based on telemetry, the Windows team may scale it to other countries.

According to Myerson and the Windows team, many of these improvements come by way of the feedback users have been offering, and they would like that continue. For anyone using Windows 10, you may have noticed a little pop-up asking for feedback about new features. That feedback is something the Windows team hopes reaches more of their users.

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[Batu69]

With over 110 million downloads in just three months, Microsoft is well on its way to achieving a total of 1 billion Windows 10 devices in the next couple of years.

While sales of new Windows 10 devices will certainly contribute towards achieving that goal, Microsoft is also working hard to promote upgrades from previous versions of Windows.

Starting today, Microsoft is making some changes to how upgrades work so that users can complete the process even faster.

First off, you are no longer required to make a reservation. Now, as soon as you reserve your copy of Windows 10, you will no longer need to wait for a notification, and the upgrade process will start automatically.

Soon, the upgrade will start appearing in Windows Update, which is where you'd expect any upgrades to be found. At first, it will be labeled as an "Optional Update" but starting with next year, will become a "Recommended Update". This means that the process might start automatically depending on your settings but you will still have the final say on whether the upgrade is enforced or not, by way of a confirmation prompt.

One of the biggest changes, however, is coming to users with a pirated version of Windows. Over the past three months, Microsoft has noticed users with non-genuine software going through considerable hoops to trigger the upgrade process, only to later purchase it in the Store. For such users, Microsoft will now allow non-activated copies of Windows 7 and 8/8.1 to get a valid licence through the Windows Store - this 'experiment' is currently restricted to the US, though.

No, the upgrade will not be free if you don't have a valid licence, but at least Microsoft is making it easier to get one.

If Windows 10 just isn't your cup of tea and you wish to return to the Windows of yore, fret not. Your previous installation will be retained for the first 31 days after the upgrade and you can easily go back to it. Source: Microsoft

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[vissha]

Beware, Microsoft plans to push Windows 10 on even more Windows 7 and 8 systems

Microsoft announced plans to integrate the Windows 10 upgrade into Windows Update. Find out what that means for you.

Microsoft wants computer systems that run Windows 7 or 8 to be upgraded to Windows 10, there is no doubt about that.

The company projected that more than one billion Windows 10 devices will be running the new operating system in the next couple of years which is an ambitious goal even if you consider that this includes mobile devices and the Xbox.

Windows 7 and 8 users who want to upgrade can do so easily, but those who don't, fight an seemingly endless battle against Windows 10 upgrade patches that prepares their systems for the upgrade.

This led to situations where Windows 10 was already downloaded to a PC despite the user being unaware of it.

Two weeks ago, Microsoft pushed the Windows 10 upgrade forcefully to some systems and stated later that this happened by accident.

A recent post on the official Windows Experience Blog indicates that the accident may soon become reality for millions of Windows 7 and 8 systems.

Microsoft plans to deliver Windows 10 as an optional update "soon in order to make it easier for users to find it.

Optional updates are not installed by default but listed in Windows Update alongside recommended and important updates.

Then early next year, it plans to re-categorize Windows 10 as a recommended update which is a significant change as it will initiate the upgrade process automatically on systems configured to install recommended updates automatically just like important updates.

While users will receive a prompt when that happens, so that they are not surprised that a new operating system has been installed on their device, it may be the safest to disable the automatic installation of recommended updates if you don't want to upgrade to Windows 10 on a computer running an older version of Windows. Microsoft notes that the upgrade can be rolled back in the first 31 days.

It is likely that users will be caught in the cross-fire when the change goes live. For some, it will make it easier to upgrade to Windows 10 -- there is no doubt about that. But for those users who don't want Windows 10, it may mean that Windows 10 will be downloaded to their system depending on the configured update settings of it.

Considering that the response to Microsoft's Windows 10 upgrade accident was anything but positive, it is likely that the reactions this time will be even less so.

Control Windows Update

To verify the current update preferences on Windows 7, do the following:

1. Tap on the Windows-key.
2. Type Windows Update and hit enter. This should open the Windows Update interface.
3. Select "change settings" on the left side.
4. Uncheck "give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates" under "recommended options".
5. If you want, you may also switch from "install updates automatically (recommended)" to "check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them" to be on the safe side.

On Windows 8, you need to do the following instead:

1. Swipe from the right edge of the screen, click on Settings, then Change PC Settings and finally on Update and recovery.
2. Select "choose how updates get installed".
3. Uncheck "give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates".
4. Optional: Change how updates are delivered under "important updates".

Other Windows 10 upgrade changes

Microsoft announced other changes coming to Windows 10 upgrades. The company's own Media Creation Tool will be upgraded soon to allow the creation of combined 32-bit and 64-bit installation images which administrators can install on any number of "genuine PCs" regardless of whether a previous version of Windows is installed on these devices as a valid Windows license will be accepted during installation.

For non-genuine versions of Windows, Microsoft plans to launch an experiment in the United States first which provides users of these systems with an opportunity to purchase a genuine copy of the operating system directly via Windows Store or by entering an activation code.

Now You: How is Windows Update configured on your system?

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[steven36]

While users will receive a prompt when that happens, so that they are not surprised that a new operating system has been installed on their device, it may be the safest to disable the automatic installation of recommended updates if you don't want to upgrade to Windows 10 on a computer running an older version of Windows. Microsoft notes that the upgrade can be rolled back in the first 31 days.

It don’t always go so well when downgraded and old machine back to windows 7. I ended up having to repair windows 7 trough restore.

How is Windows Update configured on your system?

On my windows 8.1 machine I turned auto updates off and look at what the updates are for before i install them. And stay on my Linux box most of the time and I don’t have worry about windows 10 . :lol:

[Holmes]

No I dont want to install windows ten that way. This is getting very annoying im not upgrading my windows seven to ten Im going to go from windows seven professional to ultimate and on a different hard drive Im going to use a legit windows seven key to upgrade to ten then Im going to format and install windows ten. Ill never stop using windows seven I love it to much.

[steven36]

Hard to ignore because its always in the press . It don’t matter if Im here at nsane or over on a Linux forum you can read stuff about it . But it's very easy not too use . It don’t mater how easy it is to upgrade too its still privacy intrusive , buggy windows 10 . It killed one my HHD im not putting it on another one. <_<

I sure will be glad when they stop giving it away and it stops making the news . Just a little 3mths old and I already got bored with it. :lol:

Only 8 months left and they stop offing it for free . great!

[Batu69]

You will always be in full control, Microsoft promises

Microsoft is making some changes to the way Windows 10 upgrades are performed on PCs already running Windows 7 and 8.1, but the company still maintains some of the previously used methods to make the process as smooth as possible.

Terry Myerson, head of the Windows team, has explained that Windows 10 will soon be marked as a recommended update in Windows Update, but despite this change, users will still be allowed to choose whether to upgrade or not.

What's more, because the reservation process will no longer be used, Windows 10 will be automatically downloaded in background, just as it happened before, when Windows 7 and 8.1 users reserved the upgrade.

Once all Windows 10 files are downloaded on your PC, you should be prompted to upgrade to the new operating system, but once again, nobody will be forced to do it.

31 days to downgrade

In case you start the upgrade because you accidentally click the option in Windows Update or Microsoft starts the install by mistake, you will have 31 days to downgrade and go back to your previous Windows version without losing apps or files.

“Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device. Before the upgrade changes the OS of your device, you will be clearly prompted to choose whether or not to continue. And of course, if you choose to upgrade (our recommendation!), then you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous Windows version if you don’t love it,” Myerson has pointed out.

Microsoft wants to install Windows 10 on 1 billion devices by 2017, and the company says that the new OS is already running on more than 110 million PCs, tablets, and laptops across the world, so chances are that this goal can be reached by the end of the next year.

Forcing users to upgrade, however, is a double-edged sword: while some might actually like Windows 10, others could be outraged with this approach and decide to go back to Windows 7 or a non-Windows OS altogether.

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