Microsoft is finally removing the Windows 10 upgrade nagware from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1-powered computers through a recently released update.
The move comes as part of the company's continued phasing out of the free Windows 10 upgrade promotion, with the removal of the Get Windows 10 app and other software that is related to the upgrade offer included in patch KB3184143.
For users who have chosen to stick with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 as the operating system for their PC over upgrading to Windows 10, the patch is available for download through Windows Update. There are no prerequisites to installing the update, though a computer restart may be required for it to take effect.
The update to remove the Get Windows 10 app was confirmed by a spokesperson from Microsoft, stating that the tool which was designed to make it easier for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to upgrade their operating systems for free will be removed from computers beginning Sept. 20.
The Get Windows 10 app was first utilized to reserve copies of the free upgrade for users, but it was later ramped up into nagware that in certain cases self-scheduled Windows 10 upgrades without the approval of the user.
Over the last few months of the upgrade program, the program started to become even shadier, with reports of users unknowingly authorizing the installation of the Windows 10 upgrade when they thought that they had rejected it. The upgrade prompts, from being displayed as windows, eventually also took up the whole screen so that it was harder for users to ignore the messages. Microsoft eventually pulled back on the aggressiveness of the campaign.
The free upgrade offer to Windows 10 officially ended on July 29. However, Paul Thurrott of Thurrott.com recently tweeted that the free upgrade to Windows 10 is still available for users with valid Windows 7 and Window 8.1 serial numbers. With the upgrade program officially ending almost two months ago though, Microsoft could soon cease the possibility of continuing to get the free upgrade.
There is also another way for users who missed the official free upgrade offer to take their PCs into Windows 10, and that is through the free upgrade page for customers who utilize assistive technologies. While the free upgrade is meant for specific users, with a Microsoft spokeswoman stating as such, the system does not ask for proof at any point in the process. There is also no official end date for this alternative method of upgrading to Windows 10 for free.
