Microsoft Rolls Out Gentler, Less Confusing Windows 10 Upgrade Message
June 28 2016 - 4:10PM
Dow Jones News
By Nathan Olivarez-Giles
If your computer runs Windows 7 or Windows 8, you've seen pop-up
boxes from Microsoft Corp. prodding you to upgrade to Windows 10
for free. With 31 days left before Microsoft starts charging for
Windows 10, those pop-ups aren't going away. But after Windows
users complained about confusing and overly pushy marketing,
Microsoft is making its upgrade prompt a bit more gentle.
Previously, a pop-up would appear daily, sometimes suggesting an
upgrade time and date. In these instances, if you clicked the
corner "X" to dismiss the notification, Microsoft would schedule
the upgrade to take place automatically. Many people didn't
realize, understandably, that closing the window was considered an
agreement to upgrade to Windows 10.
The new upgrade prompt, rolling out this week, will offer three
options, "upgrade now," "choose time" and "decline free offer."
Now, clicking the "X" to make the pop-up notification go away will
do that and only that, and it will resurface after a few days.
Selecting "decline free offer" will banish it forever, says a
Microsoft spokeswoman.
"The new experience has clearer options to upgrade now, choose a
time or decline the free offer," said Terry Myerson, Microsoft's
executive vice president for Windows and Devices, in a
statement.
Recently, Microsoft reportedly agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a
lawsuit filed by a Sausalito, Calif., woman who said her computer
upgraded to Windows 10 without her permission. The Microsoft
spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Last year, Microsoft set a goal of reaching 1 billion Windows 10
devices in use by June 2018. In May, the company said it's reached
300 million active Windows 10 devices.
While Microsoft's tactics in converting Windows 7 and Windows 8
users into Windows 10 users have been on the dodgy side, there are
benefits to upgrading now. Windows 10 is safer than older versions,
most of your old apps will run on the new OS, and on July 30,
Microsoft will start charging $119 for Windows 10. Windows XP users
already have to pay to upgrade -- or just buy a new PC.
Write to Nathan Olivarez-Giles at
Nathan.Olivarez-giles@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 28, 2016 15:55 ET (19:55 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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