Microsoft – stop it already with the shady tricks to push Windows 11 upgrades
>
Windows 11 upgrades are being pushed by Microsoft using some of the company’s more unwelcome tactics (as seen with Windows 10), at least according to a new report.
crazy (opens in new tab) first highlighted this, as noted by Newwin (opens in new tab)the latter of which posted a glimpse of a surreptitiously redesigned nag screen (which pops up at startup) asking Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11. (Note that the screenshot was aired by a Reddit user, though the post now deleted – so take this with an appropriate dose of spice).
In any case, the upgrade screen shown has been changed from a previous format – making it easier to see the choice to stay with Windows 10 – to a new design where that option is harder to spot (on a bar at the bottom of the screen). screen).
In addition, the new design brings a pair of buttons to the center of the screen: ‘Get it’ and ‘Schedule it’, with the former highlighted.
Now what can happen to unwary users, or people in a hurry to get to the desktop, is that they see the highlighted “Get it” button and assume the button next to it is the choice to decline. While it’s basically a “yes” answer to the upgrade as well, the only difference is that the process will happen in the future instead of now.
Analysis: This kind of trickery has no place in Windows
This is a typical dark trick used to get more clicks to upgrade, although we’ve seen worse from Microsoft in the past. But as noted, we have to be careful about the source, and even if true, this is presumably something Microsoft is currently testing (since the new nag screen isn’t highlighted anywhere else).
We therefore hope that nothing will come of this. Although, as we said, Microsoft is in shape to pull this kind of nonsense with the free Windows 10 upgrade and dual options that seem different at first glance, but actually both say ‘yes’ to the upgrade.
(By the way, in case you’re wondering, the free upgrade to Windows 10 is still available to this day: We used the media creation tool to upgrade an old Windows 8.1 PC – which just was no longer supported – upgrade to Windows 10. weekend).
Frankly, the existing nag to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is already a rather monstrous affair, even without these new button shenanigans. If we remember correctly, there are three screens you have to go through to decline the upgrade, and you already have to be a bit careful where you click. Windows 11 should stand alone; never mind tedious nagging on multiple screens to get the new operating system.
Microsoft has gotten a lot of flak for this kind of harassment in the past, but doesn’t seem to have fully learned its lesson. (And while we’re on the complaining train, so are attempts to sneak ads for Microsoft services into bits of the Windows 10 or 11 interface – just stop doing it, during testing or otherwise).