MSFT Microsoft Corporation

By Nathan Olivarez-Giles 

If your computer runs Windows 7 or Windows 8, you've seen pop-up boxes from Microsoft Corp. prodding you to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. With 31 days left before Microsoft starts charging for Windows 10, those pop-ups aren't going away. But after Windows users complained about confusing and overly pushy marketing, Microsoft is making its upgrade prompt a bit more gentle.

Previously, a pop-up would appear daily, sometimes suggesting an upgrade time and date. In these instances, if you clicked the corner "X" to dismiss the notification, Microsoft would schedule the upgrade to take place automatically. Many people didn't realize, understandably, that closing the window was considered an agreement to upgrade to Windows 10.

The new upgrade prompt, rolling out this week, will offer three options, "upgrade now," "choose time" and "decline free offer." Now, clicking the "X" to make the pop-up notification go away will do that and only that, and it will resurface after a few days. Selecting "decline free offer" will banish it forever, says a Microsoft spokeswoman.

"The new experience has clearer options to upgrade now, choose a time or decline the free offer," said Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive vice president for Windows and Devices, in a statement.

Recently, Microsoft reportedly agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a Sausalito, Calif., woman who said her computer upgraded to Windows 10 without her permission. The Microsoft spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Last year, Microsoft set a goal of reaching 1 billion Windows 10 devices in use by June 2018. In May, the company said it's reached 300 million active Windows 10 devices.

While Microsoft's tactics in converting Windows 7 and Windows 8 users into Windows 10 users have been on the dodgy side, there are benefits to upgrading now. Windows 10 is safer than older versions, most of your old apps will run on the new OS, and on July 30, Microsoft will start charging $119 for Windows 10. Windows XP users already have to pay to upgrade -- or just buy a new PC.

Write to Nathan Olivarez-Giles at Nathan.Olivarez-giles@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 28, 2016 15:55 ET (19:55 GMT)

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