Making it Easier to Upgrade to Windows 10

[Brink]

Windows 10 has been a great journey so far. Following the plan we originally outlined in June, more than 110M devices have upgraded. If you’re already running Windows 10 – thank you!

Our aspiration is for customers to choose Windows, and to love Windows. Our early data shows customers from France to Brazil to China to the US strongly preferring Windows 10 over Windows 8.1 or Windows 7. Through the usage of these first adopters of Windows 10, and great work by the Windows ecosystem of developers, application compatibility and kinks have been worked out of Windows 10. We’ve learned so much, and we’d like to share how we’re implementing some of our learnings which make it easier for consumers to upgrade to Windows 10.

Controlling the Windows 10 Upgrade

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.

Windows 10 Notifications

Since launching Windows 10, our #1 customer support request has been “how do I get my upgrade?” We’ve been using notifications from the task bar to inform people when their upgrade is ready. We are evolving our notifications to be more approachable and hopefully clear, and sometimes fun

– and will continue to test new things in different cultures around the world.



You can specify that you no longer want to receive notifications of the Windows 10 upgrade through the Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 settings pages.

Windows 10 Reservations

Our original approach for the Windows 10 roll out included a two-step process: First, reserve, then later, we notify you to start the upgrade process. While over 110 million devices have successfully upgraded to Windows 10, the two-step process is no longer relevant now that we are beyond the preorder phase and Windows 10 is immediately available. In an effort to streamline the process, we will automatically kick off the upgrade process once you have made a reservation. 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, then you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous Windows version if you don’t love it.

Windows 10 and Windows 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 important 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 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.

If you are on a metered connection on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, then you have the option of turning off automatic updates. We strongly discourage this in today’s connected world because of the constant risk of internet threats. If you choose to do so, we recommend manually checking Windows Update frequently, perhaps when you are on a non-metered network and consider the installation of all “Recommended” and “Important” updates. Windows 10 will not automatically download updates on a metered connection unless there is a security issue addressed within the update. In addition, Windows 10 contains a number of features for those on metered connections, including monitoring data usage by application and setting data usage quotas.

Windows 10 Upgrades for the Pros

For people looking to create offline media to upgrade one or more PCs, we’re also making improvements. Soon, we will update the Media Creation Tool which is used to create DVD ISOs or USB keys, to create a single image capable of upgrading any 32bit or 64 bit, Home or Pro, device. You can use this media to upgrade any number of Genuine PCs, and even do clean installs wherever you have a Windows license.

Windows 10 Upgrades for Non-Genuine

Our free upgrade offer is available to all of our Genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers. One of the more interesting learnings from the upgrade is the creative efforts which non-Genuine customers have gone to, to initiate the upgrade process on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 – and then how many have purchased Genuine Windows 10 activation through the Windows 10 store.

Following these learnings, we are going to start an experiment soon in the United States, which we will then evaluate before extending to other countries, to ease the upgrade of non-Genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. We’ll offer a one-click opportunity to get Genuine via the Windows Store or by entering an activation code purchased elsewhere. If this turns into a path for most customers to get Genuine, we will expand the experiment. We’d like to welcome as many of these customers as possible to the legitimate Windows ecosystem.



Your Feedback Really Does Make a Difference

Your feedback is so important to our Windows 10 team, and feedback on the upgrade is no exception. We ask every single person who upgrades to Windows 10 for their feedback. For our Windows Insiders, we have a Windows Update section of our Windows Feedback app so that we can have a detailed dialog on our approach. As an example of direct response to feedback we’ve received, we will be improving our documentation of what has changed within any individual update, and improving scheduling options for when updates are installed. This collaboration with Insiders is invaluable to our team, and we continue to welcome anyone who wants to work with us on the future of Windows 10 here.

Thank you for choosing Windows 10. We are working hard to bring you the most secure, fun, and productive experience ever.

Terry

Source: Making it Easier to Upgrade to Windows 10 | Windows Experience Blog

 

[GEWB]

Early 2016 MS re-categorize Win 10 as a "recommended update"

From The Verge today (Oct. 29, 2015):

Microsoft planning to automatically offer Windows 10 to existing PCs


Microsoft is planning to get a lot more aggressive about upgrading existing machines.

Starting early next year, Microsoft says it’s planning to re-categorize Windows 10 as a "recommended update" in its Windows Update system. That means the Windows 10 upgrade process will download and start automatically on thousands of machines.

Link:

Microsoft planning to automatically offer Windows 10 to existing PCs | The Verge

Regards,
GEWB

 

[RoasterMen]

Turning off Windows Update, Permanently.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Gee thanks MS.
When are we going to see an article about making it easier to permanently block W10?

 

[lehnerus2000]

Turning off Windows Update, Permanently.

It's the only way to be sure.

Soon MS will reclassify it as a "Security Update".

 

[kenC]

Turning off Windows Update, Permanently.

It's the only way to be sure.

Soon MS will reclassify it as a "Security Update".

Best way to be sure is to make a system image before every update and then you can always restore back to your previous OS

 

[Brink]

Gee thanks MS.
When are we going to see an article about making it easier to permanently block W10?

Get Windows 10 Icon - Remove from Taskbar in Windows 7 and 8.1 - Windows 10 Forums

Upgrade to Windows 10 Update - Enable or Disable in Windows 7 or 8.1 - Windows 10 Forums

 

[ThrashZone]

Mighty nice of them

We’ll offer a one-click opportunity to get Genuine via the Windows Store or by entering an activation code purchased elsewhere. If this turns into a path for most customers to get Genuine, we will expand the experiment. We’d like to welcome as many of these customers as possible to the legitimate Windows ecosystem.

 

[Brds7t7]

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 automatically initiate on your device.

Definitely more reason not to have updates set to automatic!

 

[Layback Bear]

What a wonderful article.
The first thing Microsoft should be trying to do is get our trust back.

For years I preached to many to just download Windows 7 updates. Microsoft seldom makes mistakes and when they do it fixed in a short time.

I can't do that any longer because of the games Microsoft is playing with updates.
Talk is cheap, lets see the Windows 7 updates get back to where we can trust them again.
Also do something with the horrible long time it takes to get updates.
This forum has 1 thread of over 100,000 viewers just trying to find out a way to stay away from W-10 and many more smaller threads.
I'm talking about 1 thread on 1 Forum with a 100,000 viewers trying to get away from the W-10 boondoggle.
Makes me wonder how many people around the world are trying to do the same thing on other sites (forums).

Maybe a year from now when Microsoft gets their excrement together W-10 will be the cats meow.

I remember switching from XP-Pro to Windows 7 before their was a SP-1 just for S/G.
Yes I had to pay for it.
I used it for a few weeks and liked it. Very different but very easy to learn and use.
SP-1 came out and Window 7 got better.
Windows 7/SP-1 had things and methods I liked and could use if I chose to.
Why can't it be that simple again.
I didn't have to screw up my XP-Pro to use Windows 7. In a few weeks XP was gone from my computers and Windows 7 was the boss.
I still have the XP-Pro/64 DVD that I bought from my local computer store and the SP-1 DVD I got from Microsoft in snail mail. I really don't know why I save them but I do.

Why in the hell can't it be that simple to go from Windows 7 to W-10 if one chooses to?
I still have the book, Using Microsoft Windows XP-Pro by Robert Cowart & Brian Knittel, 1272 pages.

Because of this forum I never had to buy a Book on how to use Windows 7.
Thank you all for the help and what I have learned from you all.

That is what I call the good old days.
Simple and smooth the way it should still be.
I don't like someone (Microsoft) pissing on my boots and telling me it's raining.

 

[ThrashZone]

I used to laugh at the 7 was my idea adds
Until I used it and I'll be dipped it was pretty much what I hoped for

I can not say that with 10 even after months and months of testing and even trying the release

 

[RoasterMen]

Turning off Windows Update, Permanently.

It's the only way to be sure.

Soon MS will reclassify it as a "Security Update".

My god. They are putting much pressure on me!

 

[brotherboard]

"we would encourage everyone to upgrade because Windows 10 is the best Windows ever"

They would say that wouldn't they. Thanks but no thanks. It seems that with each release of Windows they want more and more control over users computers.

 

[alphanumeric]

I like and use Windows 10. Still think making the upgrade automatic is a bad bad move. IMHO, that's going to backfire on them. At least they are giving fair warning instead of just doing it on the sly.

 

[Painter]

You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

 

[spiky3mike]

This just shows Microsoft are up to no good as they have 1) given an O/S away for free 2) looking into forcing users of win 7/8/8.1 to go to 10. With all the data reporting back to microsoft servers in windows 10 I REFUSE to upgrade my Win 7 machine. Microsoft are making their money back from Win 10 by selling their users personal information onto 3rd parties.

 

[margrave]

Regarding the push to move the world to Windows 10, even for free ... There must be some hidden agenda. Perhaps that agenda is somehow related to their battle to reclaim dominance.

Windows OS is no longer important. Today the browser is the OS ... almost. Despite all the kicking and screaming, cloud computing will grow. The desktop/laptop/tablet/phone will simply become a terminal interface to the computing world.

And MS Office isn't so important anymore, either. Google Docs is taking over that space for free.

Ten years from now where will MS get its revenue?

With that backdrop, I can only guess that Windows 10 underlies some effort on Microsoft's part to reclaim dominance. (But how? I cannot say.)

 

[groze]

I like and use Windows 10. Still think making the upgrade automatic is a bad bad move. IMHO, that's going to backfire on them. At least they are giving fair warning instead of just doing it on the sly.

I agree with you.

I do wonder what will happen after the free upgrade expires.

 

[alphanumeric]

I like and use Windows 10. Still think making the upgrade automatic is a bad bad move. IMHO, that's going to backfire on them. At least they are giving fair warning instead of just doing it on the sly.

I agree with you.

I do wonder what will happen after the free upgrade expires.

You mean free upgrade offer expires right? The free upgrade remains free for the life of the device once you do it.

One would hope they stop pushing the update via Windows update. If you haven't upgraded by then you likely never will.

 

[groze]

I like and use Windows 10. Still think making the upgrade automatic is a bad bad move. IMHO, that's going to backfire on them. At least they are giving fair warning instead of just doing it on the sly.

I agree with you.

I do wonder what will happen after the free upgrade expires.

You mean free upgrade offer expires right? The free upgrade remains free for the life of the device once you do it.

One would hope they stop pushing the update via Windows update. If you haven't upgraded by then you likely never will.

alphanumeric;

Yes, I meant when the free upgrade offer expires. (I think I said that correctly).

Also, Microsoft should no longer list windows 10 as a recommend update as well when the free upgrade offer expires.