Windows 10 Is Coming, Whether You Want It Or Not
Users of earlier versions of Windows might be surprised to learn that despite not having reserved a copy of Windows 10, Microsoft has been downloading Windows 10 onto their computers. They could find the rather large update in their “~BT” folder, which the Inquirer reports is the home of Windows 10 for those looking to upgrade or reserving a copy of Windows 10 using the upgrade app.
With the Windows 10 upgrade app already prominently displayed on the taskbar of users’ computers, it would seem that Microsoft has already taken an aggressive step in promoting Windows 10, and driving as many upgrades as possible. However actually forcing the Windows 10 download to users who have ignored prompts to reserve a copy, and may not even want to upgrade to Windows 10, is taking aggressive promotion of the new operating system to a new level.
Users with a large hard drive and generous package from their ISP might not ever notice or care. However as Computer World points out, the Windows 10 upgrade can be between three and six gigabytes, causing many users to hit their data cap limits downloading a Windows 10 upgrade they didn’t reserve, and in many cases probably didn’t want. Some traveling users were reported to have blown through their cellular data in just a few hours because Windows 10 was pushed to their PC.
The problem is compounded by the fact that many Windows 8.1 devices are tablets with limited disk space. Many popular devices are in the 32 to 128 gigabyte range. An unwanted copy of Windows 10 could conceivably be taking up between five and 20 percent of available space.
Some users with low data usage caps may have deliberately chosen to remain with their old operating system due to the large download required to install Windows 10, and with reports that Windows 10’s automatic update process might be using significantly more data than they have been used to in the past. ZDNet notes that it’s not just the size of the update, but the timing that impacts low data cap users. Before Windows 10, they could time them to match their billing cycle and usage, with Windows 10 they are forced to download updates whenever Microsoft releases them.
For users who don’t want to update to Windows 10 and wish to reclaim their hard disk space, Extreme Tech has published a comprehensive guide to delete the unwanted Windows 10 download files.
With Windows 10 gaining mostly positive reviews, and adoption amongst gamers and enterprise users reported to be strong, it seems unnecessarily bold to push Windows 10 out to users who don’t want it, and in some cases who face significant inconvenience as a consequence of the move.
[Image Source: Microsoft Windows Press Center]
