Microsoft admits it went ‘too far’ with Windows 10 push

Microsoft has finally admitted its efforts to ensure users upgraded to Windows 10 overstepped the mark during 2016.

The company was heavily criticised for the tactics, which included background downloads and a bait and switch that essentially tricked users into agreeing to the update.

The latter incident saw users presented with a Windows Update notification box informing them the update was scheduled rather than requesting permission to do so.

Clicking the red X on the box only served to dismiss the notification, rather than rejecting permission for the update. 

Related: 13 common Windows 10 problems

Now, in an interview with Windows Weekly (via SlashGear), Microsoft’s chief marketing officer Chris Caprossela said efforts to push the envelope had resulted in some ‘mistakes.’

He said: “We know we want people to be running Windows 10 from a security perspective, but finding that right balance where you’re not stepping over the line of being too aggressive is something we tried, and for a lot of the year I think we got it right, but there was one particular moment in particular where, you know, the red ‘X’ in the dialog box which typically means ‘cancel’ didn’t mean ‘cancel.’”

In the video below he said Microsoft went “too far” with that particular indecent and admitted the criticism that followed made life “pretty painful” for his department.

Microsoft’s strongest pushes came this summer as the window for free Windows 10 updates came to a close.

The company currently has 400 million installs worldwide.

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