Windows 10 upgrade prompts will stop trying to fake you out

Microsoft's efforts to get Windows 10 on the world's PCs have not been met with universal approval—especially after the company decided to really seize the initiative and give it to you whether you want it or not. The upgrade notification was also changed recently, so that if you clicked on the red “X” to dismiss it, the upgrade would actually proceed, instead of just going away.

It's incredibly sketchy, but it also seems to have caused enough of a backlash that Microsoft has decided to change its ways. “Since we introduced a new upgrade experience for Windows 10, we've received feedback that some of our valued customers found it confusing," Windows and Devices Group EVP Terry Myerson told The Verge. "We've been working hard to incorporate their feedback and this week, we'll roll out a new upgrade experience with clear options to upgrade now, schedule a time, or decline the free offer."

That's a healthy dose of spin, especially coming as soon as it does after a $10,000 loss in a lawsuit over an unwanted Windows 10 installation—chump change for Microsoft, but a bad precedent—but the changes to the process are undeniably positive. The “X” button will no longer begin the upgrade process, and the prompt now has very clear options for upgrading immediately, scheduling it for later, or taking a pass.

Don't wait for too much longer if you do want it, though: The free upgrade offer ends in a month, after which the Windows 10 price tag will go up to $120.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.