Microsoft Starts Pushing Upgrade to ‘Safer, Faster’ Windows 10

Redmond is taking off the kid gloves when it comes to encouraging users to upgrade to the latest version of Windows. In fact, the upgrade process might launch automatically as soon as next year for some users. For everyone else, Microsoft has simplified the process significantly.

Microsoft said it is encouraging all Windows users to upgrade their systems to Windows 10, saying the latest OS is “safer, faster, and full of innovations.” More than 110 million devices have already been upgraded to the new version, with countries such as France, Brazil, China and the US showing high adoption rates, according to the company.

No More Windows Two-Step

Originally, upgrading to Windows 10 consisted of a two-step process. First, users would have to request free copies of the OS. The company would then notify them at a later date when they could start the upgrade process. Now, the upgrade process will begin automatically once users reserve their copies.

“The two-step process is no longer relevant now that we are beyond the pre-order phase,” Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices group at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post announcing the change yesterday. “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.”

Going forward, users will be able to initiate the upgrade process directly from the Windows Upgrade function found on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 machines. At the moment, Microsoft said it will be listed as an “optional update.” However, the company also announced plans to reclassify the upgrade as a “recommended update” sometime early next year. Once listed as a recommended update, the upgrade process will begin automatically for any users who have the automatic upgrade option activated.

Even Pirates Are Welcome

For people looking to create offline media to upgrade one or more PCs, the company said it will be updating its Media Creation Tool, which can be used to create DVD ISOs (disc images) or USB keys, to create a single image capable of upgrading any 32-bit or 64-bit Home or Pro device.

Microsoft is so eager to see the new OS take off, it’s even talking about helping users with pirated copies of earlier Windows versions to get their hands on Windows 10. The company said it would be experimenting with making it easier for people in the United States to upgrade pirated copies of Windows to the new version.

U.S. users running pirated versions will be offered a one-click opportunity to upgrade their systems legitimately via the Windows Store. “If this turns into a path for most customers to get genuine, we will expand the experiment,” the company wrote in its blog post. “We’d like to welcome as many of these customers as possible to the legitimate Windows ecosystem.”