Windows 10 Auto-installs without Permission

 
Recently, if we browse social networks like Twitter, forums and Reddit, we will discover some Windows 7 users complain that Windows 10 automatically installs on their computer without asking, and often in the middle of doing something important.
 
According to a survey, Reddit user LHoT10820 posted a warning (Windows 7 computers are being reported as automatically starting the Windows 10 upgrade without permission), which has attracted over 2,800 comments. As follows:
 

What’s your attitude to “Windows 10 automatically installs without permission”? Is Microsoft forcing reluctant users to install Windows 10? Is it possible to return to the previous version of Windows?
 
Want to know more detailed information about this news, please see the following part.
 

Is Microsoft Forcing Reluctant Users to Install Windows 10?

 
In general, Microsoft denies that Windows 10 is installing on computers without users’ permission.
 
Windows 10 launched globally on 29 July 2015, with Windows 7, and 8.1 users, as well as Windows Insiders, all starting to receive their free upgrade to the new OS. Last October, Microsoft announced that it would push the free Windows 10 upgrade to eligible PCs automatically. Detailed information, users can see Windows 10 Upgrade Will be Automatic in 2016.
 
In a statement, Microsoft said, “we recently changed the Windows 10 update from ‘optional’ to ‘recommended’. However, customers continue to be fully in control of their devices, and can choose to not install the Windows 10. And of course, if you choose to upgrade (our recommendation!), then you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous Windows version if you don’t love it.” Microsoft also stated that most people using Windows 7 and 8.1 have their computers set to automatically install recommended updates by default to ensure their computers are secure and running smoothly, explaining why the Windows 10 upgrade deletes some programs without alerting users.
 
Until now, it has been unclear what the exact cause of Windows 10 automatically installs without permission is. Therefore, what should we do if our system becomes Window 10 without asking us? Accept or refuse Windows 10?
 

What’s Your Attitude to “Windows 10 Installs without Permission”?

 
Look!
Now, more and more users are talking about their PCs are automatically upgrading to Windows 10 without their permission. As for this issue, different people come up with various attitudes.
 

 

Cons of Windows 10

 
1: Windows 10 deletes some apps without permission. Users on a Reddit thread reported that hardware utilities like Speccy, CPU-Z, SmartFTP, AMD Catalyst Control Center and HWMonitor were removed following the Windows update. The update also removed PDF readers and certain kinds of antivirus software.
 
2: Some programs cannot be used in Windows 10. To be specific, Windows 10 would not feature Windows media center. Microsoft has made the official statement that it would be discontinuing WMC. Anyone who is upgrading from Windows 7/8.1 to Windows 10 would lose Windows Media Center functionality.
 
3: Privacy is threatened since Microsoft might collect or leak users’ private information like address, mail, and phone number by default.
 
4: Some of Windows 10’s key apps including Mail and Edge, aren’t ready yet. For example, there’s no combined Inbox, so if users have multiple accounts they have to jump from Inbox to Inbox. And it crashes hard — for a lot of people.
 
5: Windows 10 is a new-born operating system so it is vulnerable and unstable.
 

Pros of Windows 10

 
Although some people strongly oppose Windows 10, some people embrace this change and like using Windows 10 in work and life since this OS offers some new features. As follows:
1: Customizable Start experience.
2: Refreshed icons and graphic.
3: Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant, can be used for finding and retrieving information on the Internet and PC, such as files.
4: Notification Center for centralized management of notifications and quick access to PC settings.
Touch-optimized Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote and PowerPoint). Providing the power of Office on devices with touch support. Users can edit, prepare documents, spreadsheets and presentations with full document fidelity regardless of device.
5: Microsoft Edge is, to be certain, Windows 10’s most radical design element. This all-new browser helps users go beyond browsing and get more done on the web. And, with Cortana enabled, users can instantly find information on the web, Annotation, PDF support, superior reading experience.
 
In a word, different people have different views about this issue. Therefore, different users have different ways to go about this issue.
 
Before you make a decision, however, you had better read the following part.
 

Cons of Windows 10: Roll Back to Windows 7/8.1

 
You might be wondering: “what should I do if I don’t like running Windows 10!”
 
Here, people who don’t accept Windows 10 can roll back to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 right now by following our instructions as follows.
 
Tips:
Please be aware the Windows.old folder located at the root of the local disk where Windows 10 is installed will be deleted after 31 days (someone says 28 days) automatically. The Windows.old folder is used to facilitate the rollback. So please perform any rollback within 31 days or this option will no longer be available.
 
Step 1: Backup important files in case of downgrade failure
 
Whichever method you choose to go back to your old Windows, you had better make a copy for all your important files, including personal files and operating system. As we know, any accident could occur during the rollback process, bringing data loss problems. Here, to backup data as well as system, you can try using MiniTool Partition Wizard. This free tool has been awarded as the top 10 Windows software by CNET and enjoys more than 16,000,000 downloads.
 
Step 2: Rollback to a previous version of Windows from Windows 10
 
Click “Start > Settings > Update & security”, then you will see the following window.
 

 
Note: The setting will only be available when the system was upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
Now, click “Get started” under the Go back to a previous version of Windows option. After that, you will be given detailed operating prompts. Just do as told. For more information, please see Full Guide on Rolling Back Windows 10 to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

 

Useful Suggestions for Users Who Want to Use Windows 10

 
No doubt, some users will easily accept this change that Windows automatically upgrades to Windows 10. Nevertheless, Windows 10 is a new-born operating system, so users might encounter some basic questions about this OS in use.
 
For instance, Windows 10 upgrade will delete some apps and data without permission. So, can we get these data back? How to perfectly use Windows 10? What should we do if we mistakenly format or delete Windows 10 partition which contains some significant data?
 
Now, we will list some FAQs (frequently asked questions) as below. If users encounter the same problems listed below, they will receive immediate help after reading our FAQs.
 
1: Windows 10 upgrade will remove settings or other files associated with a program.
Although Windows 10 upgrade will not remove any important files, it may accidentally remove settings or other files associated with a program. Fortunately, Windows 10 will keep your old Windows files for 31 days after an upgrade, storing them in the C:\Windows.old folder. So well, if you need the program’s files back, you can get them. Here are the detailed steps.
 

 
You can recover the program files by opening File Explorer and going to the C:\Windows.old folder. If the program was installed under Program Files, then you can find it under C:\Windows.old\Program Files. And the program application data may be stored under C:\Windows.old\Users\PROGRAM NAME\AppData. But it would be better to reinstall the program rather than trying to copy the program files over.
 
2: Windows 10 system partition is running out of space.
As we know, Windows 10 requires 16 GB for 32-bit OS and 20 GB for 64-bit OS, and updates may bring some temporary files which will be saved to system partition. Therefore, after Windows upgrades to Windows 10, you are most likely to encounter the problem that “You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (C:). To free space on this disk drive by deleting old or unnecessary file, click here….“.
 
In this case, what should we do? How to solve the Low Disk Space Warning?
 
Here, you can also turn to MiniTool Partition Wizard to easily fix it since it owns “Extend Partition” feature which can directly take free space from any existing partition or unallocated space to enlarge a partition on the same disk.

 
In the main interface of this freeware, you need to select the C drive and then click “Extend Partition” from the left action panel to get the following window.
 

 
In this window, you can take free space from an existing partition (can be any partition except itself, and you can choose a suitable one according to actual situations) or from an unallocated space. Then, drag the sliding button to determine how much free space to take. After that, click “OK” to go back to the main interface. Finally, click “Apply” and tap “Yes” button to perform all changes.
 
3: How to backup Windows 10 to protect data safe and OS?
As we know, no matter how wonderful an OS is, data loss is inevitable. So well, it is recommended to backup all significant data to avoid losing, and MiniTool Partition Wizard can make a backup for a disk which saves significant files with ease.
 

 
The above window is the main interface of this professional freeware. Now, you need to select the target disk which needs copying and then click “Copy Disk” on left pane. After that, you will be given detailed operating prompts. Just do as told. Here, if you want to know more information about this issue, you can see this video How to Backup Windows 10, Try using MiniTool Partition Wizard.
 
Tips:
1: MiniTool Partition Wizard also offers other excellent features including extend partition, migrate OS to SSD/HD, delete partition, wipe disk, format partition, etc. to help users manage their Windows partitions perfectly.
2: This free tool not only supports Windows 10, but also can work with Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8.
 
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4: Windows data loss
Here’s something we can both agree on: whether you are using Windows7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 or others, you might encounter data loss. Windows data loss caused by mistaken deletion, accidental partition formatting or deletion and other factors happens more and more frequently, according to a survey from data recovery companies. Here, we are going to introduce a piece of professional data recovery software which might be unfamiliar to you but can help you a lot.
 
If you happen to encounter data loss, don’t get into panic and you can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery to retrieve them easily and quickly. This tool is not just about recovering Windows 7/8.1/10 data. It can also be used to recover data under Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 (R2), and Windows Server 2012.
 

 
The above window is the main interface of this professional data recovery software, and it lists 5 different data recovery modules. You can choose a suitable one according to actual needs to recover lost data. Furthermore, it can keep data safe all the time even in case of sudden power outages.
 
Tips: The free edition could recover only 1 GB data, please select personal or advanced editions to break the limitation.
 

Button line:

 
Although Windows 10 automatically installs on your computer without permission, you can go back to your old Windows version if you don’t like it. Of course, you can keep using your computer with Windows 10 since over 200 million devices now run the new version of OS and Windows 10 provides Cortana which makes life easier.