Dave Lee at BBC News reports:
In recent months, in an apparent bid to accelerate adoption of Windows 10, Microsoft altered the way it asked users if they wanted to upgrade. It gave the Windows 10 update “recommended” status, normally reserved for critical security updates.
If when prompted to update to Windows 10 users clicked the red “X”, the upgrade would not immediately start. However, the update process would automatically be scheduled for a later time.
From this week, Microsoft said it would change that process, admitting that it was confusing.
“The new experience has clearer options to upgrade now, choose a time, or decline the free offer,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Windows and Devices Group, in an emailed statement.
“If the red-x is selected on this new dialog, it will dismiss the dialog box and we will notify the device again in a few days.”
Sign up to our newsletterI’ve complained before about the “dirty trick” Microsoft pulled when it changed the behaviour of its update nag screen – duping users into believing that clicking “X” would simply make the pop-up disappear rather than scheduling an unwanted Windows 10 update.
I understand that Microsoft believes Windows 10 is great, and appreciate that it wants as many users as possible to update to it, but the way it has handled the process has pretty bloody awful.
News of the rethink comes as news emerges that Microsoft has agreed to pay a Californian woman $10,000 after an unwanted Windows 10 update caused her computer to crash.
Found this article interesting? Follow Graham Cluley on Twitter or Mastodon to read more of the exclusive content we post.
Nice to know that Microsoft thinks windows 10 is great. I wonder if they use it? The problem I get is that videos don't play in E or explorer but play perfectly in Googles chrome. The access menu button works most of the time until it doesn't then I spend time trying to get it to work. Also the briefcase to copy and synch files has been removed.
Meanwhile the windows 7 computer I'm using works perfectly, long live windows 7. I wonder if we need Bill Gates to come back and make some of his famous caustic remarks to get some proper coding done.