Though they “warned” everyone that they were making a change to the way the Windows 10 upgrade was being offered to Windows 7 and 8 users, it was still distressing to discover exactly what Microsoft meant when it said it was making the Windows 10 upgrade a “recommended update“. Instead of an increasingly annoying pop-up “upgrade now” message, many of my clients woke up last week to a brand-new Windows 10 upgrade that they did not approve, nor initiate. Prior to that, only a small handful of my clients had experienced the spontaneous Windows 10 upgrade since it launched last year, and one even experienced the full combo: upgrade and then rollback, neither initiated by him. It was like some sort of social experiment gone awry. If you happened to be the surprise owner of a Windows 10 computer, you are not alone: thousands of reports are rolling in of unwanted, unapproved upgrades.

What this means for you:

If you fall into the camp of as-of-yet unvictimized Windows 7 and 8 users, you need to do the following immediately if you want to avoid your very own Windows 10 surprise party:

Easy-mode: Call us at 818-584-6021 and we’ll take care of it for you.

DIY-mode (view a step-by-step video here):

1. Go to the Windows Update control panel and disable (uncheck) “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates”. 
2. Download and install GWX Control Panel from Ultimate Outsider, or if you are worried about visiting a strange site, you can download it from the C2 Datto Drive .
3. Click the following buttons in GWX Control Panel: “Click to disable Get Windows 10 App”, “Click to Prevent Windows 10 Upgrades”, “Click to Disable Non-critical Windows 10 Settings”.
4. If you never plan to upgrade to Windows 10 and the buttons are available, you can also use these buttons, “Click to Delete Windows 10 Programs”, “Click to Delete Windows 10 Download Folders”. 
5. If you’d like the control panel to watch for more upgrade attempts, you can also use “Click to Enable Monitor Mode” which will run in the background and warn you when Microsoft tries to upgrade your computer again.

For the record, Windows 10 is a perfectly serviceable OS and is, in many ways, an improvement over Windows 7 and 8. However, an unplanned upgrade can cause a loss in productivity while you learn your way about the new OS which is the best case scenario. A worst case scenario could result in loss of data, incompatible applications and severe performance issues. Don’t let Microsoft dictate how you use your computer. If you want to upgrade to Windows 10, plan for it and make sure you have experts on hand to ensure long term success.