How MSFT's tricky new Windows 10 pop-up deceives you into upgrading

Except there are lots of people, like some of my relatives, who would freak out when that second screen came up and would have closed it even with those instructions. Again, Microsoft's own design rules state and hitting the X to close the window is not the same thing as hitting the okay button. This has always been true for the eco-system, except if it was a virus from a hacker site. This next screen coming up tells Jane Doe, who uses computers for email, Facebook, and family photos, what? They suddenly see that closing a windows now means Okay. The link says to cancel OR reschedule. At this point this user has no idea what to do, they close it and figure they'll call their computer friend in a couple days for help. Unfortunately, now it's too late, unless the rollback works.

Sorry, but it is coercive and antithetical to Windows own developer specs.

alphanumeric said:

IMHO closing with the RED X has always been a "do nothing" when closing a window. It's not an accept or decline. The GWX window clearly states that the Windows 10 Upgrade is now now a Recommended Update. And based on your Windows Update settings it will do the upgrade on the day shown. And gives you the option to change that. Closing the Window does not change that fact. It will just do what it said it will do, upgrade on the date shown. Don't get me wrong, I don't like this anymore than the rest of you, but you can decline the offer. And if you take the time to read the message its pretty self explanatory. If the second window didn't pop up, I would be agreeing that its trickery. But it does pop up to tell you what you just did. On my Windows 7 test in stall I clicked the option to change it or cancel it. Then canceled it. No more prompts to upgrade. No nag screens in Windows update either. Not since the last time I logged in remotely.

Yes, and most of us who comment on this forum tend to forget we are the minority. We are the people who get called for help. Either via our jobs, or simply because family and friends know us as computer people. My comments deal with the fact that a majority of Windows users don't even know how to setup their upgrade settings. Most went with the default on install, or the OEM set it up, and most include recommended updates. A majority don't even know how to adjust the thing, or would be afraid of "breaking something."

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Microsoft is so out of touch with the average user today that they think everyone just knows Windows. So their market team made an ignorant error going this route, and they just don't hear all the public outcry that has been going on for six months.

To be clear, I'm not saying they didn't design a way out of the upgrade. I'm just stating that the design sucks for the majority of people and that's why all the drama around the upgrade stories. This sort of reminds me of Windows 8 and the arguments everyone got in over the start screen. People would say how clueless the users were, or they just didn't like change. In the end it didn't matter. The OS failed, people were fired, or quit, all the way up to Ballmer. In the free market the market place decides. If the majority of the market place users are casual computer people who only use Cell phones and work related apps on their PCs then yea, you're gonna piss them off with this activity. Will it kill Windows 10? No, it's a good OS. Will it kill the "Billion PCs in three years." Probably.

MrBill said:

Except there are lots of people, like some of my relatives, who would freak out when that second screen came up and would have closed it even with those instructions. Again, Microsoft's own design rules state and hitting the X to close the window is not the same thing as hitting the okay button. This has always been true for the eco-system, except if it was a virus from a hacker site. This next screen coming up tells Jane Doe, who uses computers for email, Facebook, and family photos, what? They suddenly see that closing a windows now means Okay. The link says to cancel OR reschedule. At this point this user has no idea what to do, they close it and figure they'll call their computer friend in a couple days for help. Unfortunately, now it's too late, unless the rollback works.

Sorry, but it is coercive and antithetical to Windows own developer specs.

I agree, I think the wording is that it should never have the same effect as clicking OK. Clearly it is having that effect, even if there is a back out option.

It should also apply equally to the second pop up..

• The Close button on the title bar should have the same effect as the Cancel or Close button within the dialog box. Never give it the same effect as OK.

Mr. Bill writes: "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Microsoft is so out of touch with the average user today that they think everyone just knows Windows. So their market team made an ignorant error going this route, and they just don't hear all the public outcry that has been going on for six months."

Well, these are the same geniuses who decided not to include a Start Button on Windows 8.