Windows 10 Upgrade to Become Automatic as a 'Recommended Update' in 2016

Microsoft is willing to go to great length to get you to upgrade to Windows 10. The company says that starting next year, every Windows 7 or Windows 8 user will see Windows 10 as a "recommended update" on their computer. The company also shared some changes it plans to make on how updates are sent to Windows 10 computers.

Last month the company began to push Windows 10 to some Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users as an "optional update". The company now says that starting in 2016, everyone using the aforementioned old versions of its software will see Windows 10 as a "recommended update". Depending on the user's Windows Update setting, the upgrade process will begin automatically, but the final switch between the new and old OS will only be flipped by the user, explains the blog post titled 'Making It Easier to Upgrade to Windows 10'.

"A user will be presented with a choice to install Windows 10," Terry Myerson, Microsoft's head of Windows and devices explained further to The Verge. "They'll come back to their PC and there will be a dialogue [box] where they can choose to upgrade to Windows 10 or choose not to upgrade to Windows 10."

Myerson also said that the company may give users with pirated copies of Windows 7 or Windows 8 a "one-click" opportunity to get a genuine Windows 10 licence. Microsoft has plans to test this in the United States soon. Pirates won't be getting Windows 10 license for free, he added.

The company also plans to push updates to Windows 10 computers and automatically initiate the installation process as well, depending on a user's Windows Update settings.

Commenting on why the company is pushing Windows 10 to users who haven't shown any intention to upgrade to the new desktop operating system, Myerson said that the company just wants to make it easier for people to upgrade. "We started out the update process, and we really hadn't done anything like this before, so we started out with this process of getting people to reserve," he said. "We're now kind of in this phase of 'let's make it easier for people to upgrade.'"

Myerson added that users can downgrade from Windows 10 if dissatisfied, within 31 days, in a blog post titled 'Making it Easier to Upgrade to Windows 10', "After any upgrade, you can easily go back to your prior version of Windows within 31 days if you choose. We do this by keeping a full copy of your previous operating system on your device - including apps and settings - for the first 31 days following your upgrade. At any time during the first 31 days, you can go to 'Settings->Update and Security->Recovery and Uninstall Windows 10' to return to your prior version of Windows."

The company on Thursday rolled out Windows 10 preview dubbed 10576 that adds several features to Microsoft Edge. The newly introduced Web browser has received a feature called 'Cast media to device', that allows users to cast videos, photos and music to your Miracast or DLNA-enabled TV or any other device. Tapping the icon will begin to beam YouTube videos, albums on Facebook among other things to their TV.