This article, Five ways Microsoft plans to get you to upgrade to Windows 10, originally appeared on TechRepublic.com.
Microsoft wants Windows 10 on one billion devices by 2018 - and its tactics for hitting that ambitious goal are about to get more aggressive.
From
next year, Microsoft will be more direct in pushing Windows 7 and 8.1
users to upgrade to its latest OS, in an attempt to bolster the 110
million-strong Windows 10 userbase.
Here's how Microsoft is about to crank up the pressure to make the switch.
1. Windows 10 will automatically begin installing itself
From "early next year", Microsoft will change the status of the free Windows 10 upgrade so it is classified as a Recommended Update.
Given
that most home machines are set up to install Recommended Updates
automatically, the change to Windows 10's update status will lead to
most Windows 7 and 8.1 machines beginning the upgrade.
However,
Microsoft says that before Windows 10 is installed users will need to
manually confirm the installation, giving them a chance to pull out.
Business
users should be able to prevent the upgrade from automatically starting
using tools such as Windows Server Update Services.
For those on metered connections, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive VP of the Windows and Devices Group, said
people "have the option of turning off automatic updates" before going
on to say that such a move is unwise because of "the constant risk of
internet threats".
Those
who don't like the new OS will have 31 days to roll back to their
previous version of Windows. To go back, select "Start
Button->Settings->Update and Security->Recovery and Uninstall
Windows 10".
2. Upgrade notifications will be made more obvious
Despite
Microsoft sticking a 'Get Windows 10' icon on the taskbar of most
Windows 7 desktops, many customers apparently still can't figure out how
to initiate the upgrade.
Myerson says since launching Windows 10 the number one complaint has been 'How do I get my upgrade?'.
To
address the difficulty some users are having, Myerson said Microsoft
will change "our notifications to be more approachable and hopefully
clear, and sometimes fun".
3. Upgrades will happen immediately
The process of initiating the upgrade to Windows 10 has also been streamlined.
In the weeks after Windows 10's launch earlier this year, Microsoft required users to first reserve a Windows 10 upgrade, which would then be installed at a later date.
Microsoft
has now replaced that two-step process with an immediate upgrade. Users
clicking on the 'Get Windows 10' icon will now be given the option to
'Upgrade Now' to begin the upgrade process straightaway.
4. Simpler upgrade from unsanctioned copies of Windows
Myerson admits surprise
at how many people running copies of Windows 7 and 8.1 that have not
been authenticated then go on to buy Genuine copies of Windows 10.
Based
on this experience, Microsoft plans to make it a "one-click" process
for people running unsanctioned copies of the OS to "get Genuine" via
the Windows Store or by entering an activation code bought elsewhere.
The offer will be trialled in the US and, if successful, may be extended
to other countries.
5. Upgrading multiple machines to Windows 10 will be easier
Those
looking to upgrade several Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 machines to
Windows 10 will soon find the process gets more straightforward.
Microsoft's
Media Creation Tool is used to create an image that can be run off a
DVD or USB stick to upgrade qualifying machines to Windows 10.
According
to Myerson, you will soon be able to use the tool to create a single
image that will allow any number of 32-bit or 64-bit, Home or Pro
machines to be upgraded and which will also allow for clean installs
"wherever you have a Windows license".
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