This is Microsoft's plan to accelerate Windows 10 adoption

Yesterday we told you how Windows 10 adoption has been slowing over the past few months, reaching the point of putting the reach the goal of 1 billion Windows devices by 2018, if the current rate of new installations is sustained.

Microsoft is already aware of this situation, and for this reason they have announced a series of measures aimed at more users installing Windows 10 , taking advantage of the free upgrade offer before July 2016.

Let's see one by one what these new measures are.

"There are no more reservations, it is updated directly"

The free upgrade process to Windows 10 until now consisted of two steps: first a copy was reserved, and then the user received a notification, indicating the opportune moment to download and install it.

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Microsoft says that this process no longer makes sense, because the update is already available to everyone, so from now on when a user presses the reserve button, You will immediately be asked if you want to download and install Windows 10 on your computer."

Smarter notifications, and with photos of kittens

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Microsoft states that the top question they have received on the Windows 10 support forums is how to get the free update and install the new operating system (in Xataka Windows we have seen something similar, our guide on how to upgrade to Windows 10 right now>"

Therefore, changes are being made to Windows 10 upgrade notifications so that they explain more clearly what the offer is, and how to start the download and installationSome countries will even begin to use some humor and cultural hints to make the invitation to install Windows 10 more friendly.

Hackers will have an easier time updating

While the free upgrade offer to Windows 10 is only valid for genuine Windows 7/8.1 owners, Microsoft is launching an experiment in the United States allowing to easily upgrade to users with pirated copies of Windows.

Then, once they have already installed Windows 10, they will be given the opportunity to validate the license, by buying a key in the Store Microsoft, or by entering a key purchased elsewhere. In Redmond they say that they will expand this modality to other countries if they see that many users in the United States choose to validate their copy of Windows 10 by buying a license.

You can create a single installation disc for all editions of Windows 10

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Another facility announced by Microsoft is the ability to create universal installation disks/USB drives, containing all the files needed to install Windows 10 Home and Pro editions, in its 32 and 64 bit versions."

These units will be used to install Windows 10 on any PC, as many times as we want, either by update or clean installation (they will be like Swiss knives to install Windows).

To create one of these drives you will need to use a new version of the Media Creation Tool that Microsoft will release in the coming days.

The most controversial: Windows 10 as a recommended update on Windows Update

Finally we come to the measure that could generate the most rejection: the offering Windows 10 through Windows Update, first as an optional update (during this year), and then as a recommended update (starting in 2016).

The latter can cause the operating system to start downloading automatically, depending on the Windows Update settings. However, Microsoft promises that before starting the installation a box will be displayed asking explicitly if the user wants to continue or not, and that if you choose to upgrade, you will be able to Go back to Windows 7/8.1 within 31 days.

Microsoft ensures that Windows 10 will never be installed without the explicit consent of the user

Another scenario that may concern users is that the update to Windows 10 is downloaded over a metered connection, such as mobile broadband or a cellular connection. Here Microsoft responds that, if we want Windows 10 not to download automatically, we will have to disable automatic updates from Windows Update, and start checking and installing them manually.

I think that last one is a mistake, as clearly upgrading to Windows 10 is not the same as all other upgrades that are delivered through Windows Update. Therefore, the Windows 10 download should be able to be configured differently, without affecting the rest of the updates, and minimizing the use of mobile data.

Want to minimize friction when upgrading to Windows 10

But other than that, I think Microsoft's measures are heading in the right place: minimizing friction when installing Windows 10, while obviously respecting each user's right to decide whether to upgrade or not (something that should never be questioned).

Via | Windows Blog