Issue 22.16
I frequently remind people that updating is good and important for the programs you know and trust. Upgrading is another matter. Usually upgrading means you will be using a different version of the program that may not work the way you are used to. In many cases, it will also cost you, either directly, after a trial period or by requiring you to add things that you have to pay for.
Many companies that offer free programs will repeatedly offer you an upgrade to their “full” or “professional” version. This is annoying at times, but is a fair trade for them allowing you to use a version of their program without paying for it. In the Avast and AVG anti-virus programs, it has been a fair trade. I have used AVG’s free version for many years and been happy with the performance and protection they offer. Avast is similar. They have generally been respectful of my time and attention, only asking if I want to upgrade to their full version occasionally.
Microsoft has been doing the same thing with Windows 10. They are offering the upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 without paying and will continue to do so until near the end of July. Each computer user will want to think about whether they want to take this free offer before it expires. On most of my family and personal computers, I am opting to remain with Windows 7. I have upgraded two of them to Windows 10 and may do one more. I recommend that, before upgrading, you spend some time playing with Windows 10 on a friend’s computer or at a computer store. This is so you can see if you can navigate the system comfortably and if you will miss some of the things Windows 7 offered (especially games like Freecell, Solitaire, Hearts, Spider, etc.) that are no longer provided with Windows 10.
Recently there has been a change in approach that I am unhappy with and feel that you need to be aware of. I have received over 2 dozen calls from people in the last week stating their computer “upgraded” to Windows 10 without their permission. There have always been a few people that inadvertently gave permission for the upgrade to happen by pushing a button before looking closely at what it said. This however, seems to be a concerted effort by Microsoft to push people into using Windows 10. Because of the incompatibility of 10 with some software and older hardware, this can create real and even expensive problems for some users. To avoid this, you may wish to refer to previous articles on how to stop the upgrade popups so they don’t happen. If you have this forced upgrade happen on your computer, there are a couple of things you can do. First, when Windows 10 starts up the first time, it will show you a screen with your “user agreement”. At the bottom, you can choose to accept or decline. If you decline and confirm that you did decline, it will uninstall Windows 10 and take your computer back to the previous Operating System (usually Windows 7). If you didn’t do this, you may still be able to revert to 7 by following the instructions in the previous article.
For AVG, I do not have a solution yet, but have written them complaining and advocating for a less intrusive option for upgrading. I hope they will respond and will let you know what they say. In the meantime, protect yourself and your computer – and make sure you always have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 33 years, 26 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently works as a computer consultant. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or shaun@musicomp.net.