Windows 10 Will Now Automatically Install On Older Versions Of Microsoft Operating Systems

Microsoft has incessantly promoted its Windows 10 operating system to users of previous versions, and yet less than a quarter of the market is making use of it.

So in a new report, it appears that the Redmond giant may be slowly trying to force computers, not users, to make the switch to Windows 10.

According to a report by Forbes ^[1], Microsoft has announced that it will automatically update PCs that are running on Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Your PC is about to automatically download and install Windows 10 https://t.co/TA7ZAZuQtz ^[2]

— Metro (@MetroUK) February 3, 2016 ^[3]

Back in October, the company released a roadmap regarding the status of Windows 10 as a constantly nagging update. Back then it was just an "optional" update, which users easily turned off when the prompt appeared.

However, the roadmap also revealed that starting this year, Windows 10 will become a "recommended" update in Windows Update.

Because most PC users' default settings allow such updates to install automatically, some people may not be able to stop the update if they leave their PCs unattended.

Windows 10 now a "recommended update" and automatically downloads to Windows 7/8.1 machines: https://t.co/pmaq9oP2nR pic.twitter.com/Azow1WItx2 ^[4]^[5]

— Lifehacker (@lifehacker) February 2, 2016 ^[6]

When users are in the middle of a task, some of them instinctively click "OK" when a prompt appears without even reading it, not realizing that they are actually allowing the upgrade to commence.

Fortunately, there is still a way to manually stop the update, at least for now. Just like an ordinary update download, users may stop Windows Update from proceeding with the installation.

To fix the problem indefinitely, Windows 7 and 8 users should just turn off automatic updates ^[7] to prevent their PCs from downloading Windows 10 automatically.

For those who were unfortunate enough to allow the upgrade, they may revert back to their previous version of Windows in 31 days. The size of the entire installation ranges from 3.5GB to 6GB of storage.

Microsoft confirmed the changes they have implemented in a statement released on The Verge. The statement said that just like what they had mentioned in October, the company is trying to "make it easy" for customers to upgrade.

Microsoft is recommending Windows 10 upgrades pretty aggressively these days https://t.co/dOVURCTsbV pic.twitter.com/jB5R1f2acW ^[8]^[9]

— The Verge (@verge) February 3, 2016 ^[10]

"We updated the upgrade experience today to help our customers, who previously reserved their upgrade, schedule a time for their upgrade to take place," the statement added.

Microsoft is definitely having problems with the adoption rate of Windows 10, which has only surpassed 10 percent in January. However, it is also worth noting that the latest version has passed Windows 8 in usage in just six months.

Still, at this rate, Microsoft will fall short of its goal of achieving 1 billion Windows 10 PC users by 2017.

.@Windows 10 had been installed on 11.9% of the world's PCs in January https://t.co/JP8m9DK6fz pic.twitter.com/P5i6GMyVIL ^[11]^[12]^[13]

— CNNMoney (@CNNMoney) February 3, 2016 ^[14]

In January, the Washington-based company has begun its efforts in pushing Windows 7 and Windows 8 users to update. It took away some of the most crucial security supports for both operating systems, seemingly pressuring users to make the switch.

Windows 10 is a means for the company to streamline its operating system that can run on multiple devices. Other devices that are compatible with Windows 10 include tablets and smartphones.

The latest operating system has also seen positive reviews ^[15] from critics and users in technology websites. It has also been compared to Windows 98 in its compatibility with devices, and that is definitely something positive.

But what makes Windows 10 a dreaded upgrade for most Windows users?

Reports stated that most users feel more in control when using previous Windows versions. In addition, upgrading to Windows 10 for users could mean losing access to some legacy software that has compatibility issues with the latest version.

Windows 10 upgrade will soon be automatic legacy software and feelings be dammed https://t.co/QvTifcWSp1 #tech #Microsoft ^[16]^[17]^[18]

— Bishop Techs (@BishopSupport) February 3, 2016 ^[19]

Of course most of these Windows 7 and 8 users will eventually make the move sometime in the future, but Microsoft may not be willing to wait that much longer.

[Image via YouTube ^[20]]