Woman successfully sued Microsoft over sneaky tactics used for Windows 10 update

PLENTY of PC users were left frustrated by Microsoft's tactics to get customers to install Windows 10, but Teri Goldstein fought back in a big way.

THE tactics used by Microsoft to get PC users to install its latest Windows operating system has angered countless customers and one woman has even sued the company for a $13,000 payout over the update.

After releasing the new operating system last year, the tech giant has pushed and prodded PC owners to upgrade their machines to its latest Windows version.

Microsoft initially offered Windows 10 as an optional upgrade — that is, one that users had to choose themselves. Then, earlier this year, the company reclassified it as a “recommended” update.

Some Windows 10 holdouts cried foul, since many PCs are set up to automatically install recommended updates, which are usually important security fixes.

Suddenly those machines would automatically install Windows 10, much to the dismay of holdouts such as Californian woman Teri Goldstein.

Ms Goldstein was running Windows 7 — released in 2009 — to run her home computer which she used to conduct her travel agency business, reports theSeattle Times.

After Microsoft employed the sneaky trick of changing the status of the update in order to thrust Windows 10 onto unsuspecting users, backlash was swift. But very few were as proactive as Ms Goldstein who took Microsoft to court over the instalment.

“I had never heard of Windows 10,” she told the Seattle Times. “Nobody ever asked me if I wanted to update.”

Ms Goldstein said the unexpected update failed and caused her computer to slow to a crawl and at times crash completely, causing it to become unusable for days at a time. So she sued the tech giant for lost wages and the cost of a new computer.

In the David and Goliath battle, the Californian realtor won. Last month Microsoft dropped an appeal and agreed to pay her $US10,000 ($13,630) for her troubles.

Windows 10 has received good reviews, despite the sneaky tactics used to promote adoption.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company was not admitting fault but had agreed to the payout in order to prevent further litigation on the matter.

However the case has driven home the discontent many PC users have felt over the tactics used by Microsoft to deploy Windows 10, as the period of free adoption is due to finish at the end of next month.

Noticeably absent from the update prompts is an obvious button to decline. If users click the “X” in the upper right corner universally renowned as a way of closing or exiting an application the Windows prompt takes this as an acceptance of the upgrade.

Prominent Microsoft blogger Paul Thurrott slammed the feature writing: “The violation of trust here is almost indescribable.”

The editor of PCWorld, Brad Chacos, called it “deceptive” and “a nasty trick” after his wife unwittingly clicked the “X” and later found her machine was no longer running Windows 7, which she had wanted to keep.

“Deploying these dirty tricks only frustrates long-time Windows users who have very valid reasons to stick with operating systems they already know and love,” he wrote.

Even though Windows 10 has received great reviews and is said to be much more secure than previous Windows operating systems, criticism over the tactics used to promote the instalment has been fierce.

Microsoft said it isn’t trying to be sneaky. In blog posts and official statements, the company defended itself by saying it shows users at least two notifications before installing the new software. It also allows a 31-day period in which PC users can easily revert back to their previous operating system.

“We’re continuing to listen to customer feedback and evolve the upgrade experience based on their feedback,” Microsoft said in a statement.

Released in July last year, Windows 10 is free to most users of previous Microsoft operating systems but after July 29, Australian users will be charged $179 to upgrade to Windows 10.