As the one year anniversary of Windows 10 approaches, Microsoft has increased efforts to update existing Windows machines. As a result, Windows 10 is now offered as a recommended update for Windows 7 and 8.1. Some Windows users have their update settings configured to accept such recommended updates automatically, prompting an automated update of their operating system to Windows 10. 

The way the recommended update is presented to users may be considered misleading. Users will see a “Get Windows 10” prompt announcing “Windows 10 is a Recommended Update for this PC” and the date the update is scheduled to begin. Clicking the red cross on the top right corner of the window closes the prompt window but does not cancel the scheduled update. According to Microsoft’s website, “If you click on OK or on the red “X”, you’re all set for the upgrade and there is nothing further to do.”

This has lead to several accusations that Microsoft is misleading users into updating to Windows 10. Users generally do not associate clicking the red X as an action confirming an update, particularly an update to their entire desktop operating system. With regards to the prompt window, the only way for users to opt-out of the update is to click the “Click here to change upgrade schedule or cancel schedule upgrade,” which is placed less prominently than all of the other affirmative prompts. Brad Chacos, senior editor at PCWorld, writes, “Deploying these dirty tricks only frustrates long-time Windows users who have very valid reasons to stick with operating systems they already know and love.”

If your computer has automatically updated to Windows 10 you can still return to your previous version of the operating system. If it has been less than a month since the Windows 10 upgrade, you can recover your previous version of the Windows operating system: from the Start menu in Windows 10 go to Settings. Under the Settings menu, choose Update & security and then Recovery.