Microsoft has been criticised over its latest move to get users to upgrade to the Windows 10 operating system.
The company has been noted for its "aggressive" campaign to ensure computers use the system in the past and has come in for flak over some of its practices, including "nagging" users to convert, using covert software updates and creating potentially misleading pop-ups leading users to download it.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Windows 10 has now become a "recommended" update, meaning Windows 7 and 8 users with automatic downloads enabled will receive it regardless.
"The change is meant to make the transition to Windows 10 easier for those who still haven’t upgraded", says Lifehacker, which has also compiled a "what to do" list for those wishing to block the download.
They add that the automatic upgrade will remove choice from the equation for most users, many of whom may not want the large, data-eating software.
However, it doesn't end there.
According to the Register, those with manual downloads could still find themselves upgrading to Windows 10, too.
"Windows Update automatically selects the optional download as desired, so there's no need to click on the box to get it," it says.
Users are still given the option to stop the installation after the download has completed, but the use of a pop-up box – something the Register says can be deceptive – shows how determined Microsoft is to push Windows 10 onto computers regardless.
The latest move goes against the typically user-initiated process of downloading updates, argues ExtremeTech, and deliberately targets those who have rejected Microsoft's previous offers of Windows 10 but have unwittingly left automatic updates enabled.
"This could create a nasty snarl of blowback if the upgrade push starts making life difficult for large numbers of people," the site adds.
-
Film reviews: 'Wicked: For Good' and 'Rental Family'Feature Glinda the Good is forced to choose sides and an actor takes work filling holes in strangers' lives
-
‘Like a gas chamber’: the air pollution throttling DelhiUnder The Radar Indian capital has tried cloud seeding to address the crisis, which has seen schools closed and outdoor events suspended
-
Political cartoons for November 23Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include a Thanksgiving horn of plenty, the naughty list, and more
-
Microsoft pursues digital intelligence ‘aligned to human values’ in shift from OpenAIUNDER THE RADAR The iconic tech giant is jumping into the AI game with a bold new initiative designed to place people first in the search for digital intelligence
-
How the online world relies on AWS cloud serversThe Explainer Chaos caused by Monday’s online outage shows that ‘when AWS sneezes, half the internet catches the flu’
-
Microsoft unveils quantum computing breakthroughSpeed Read Researchers say this advance could lead to faster and more powerful computers
-
Microsoft's Three Mile Island deal: How Big Tech is snatching up nuclear powerIn the Spotlight The company paid for access to all the power made by the previously defunct nuclear plant
-
Video games to play this fall, from 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' to 'Assassin's Creed Shadows'The Week Recommends 'Assassin's Creed' goes to feudal Japan, and a remaster of horror classic 'Silent Hill 2' drops
-
CrowdStrike: the IT update that wrought global chaosTalking Point 'Catastrophic' consequences of software outages made apparent by last week's events
-
Why is Microsoft breaking up Teams and Office?Today's Big Question The company had previously divided the software in Europe, but will now make this change globally
-
2023: the year of the AI boomthe explainer This year, generative artificial intelligence bypassed the metaverse and became the next big thing in tech
