14 DAY TRIAL // If you’re still on Windows 7 or 8.1, you probably remember that Microsoft was quite aggressive during the free Windows 10 upgrade offer, trying to convince everyone in one way or another to give a try to its new operating system.
And there were moments when some computers got upgraded to Windows 10 “accidentally,” as Microsoft itself explained, due to an error with the Get Windows 10 app that downloaded and installed the OS without users’ consent.
This is what happened in the case of an Alzheimer patient, who got his computer upgraded to Windows 10 last summer all of a sudden, even though he actually refused the upgrade several times.
Tech consultant Jesse Worley explains that his grandfather most likely clicked the “X” button in the Get Windows 10 app, which originally was similar to agreeing with the upgrade to be performed at a later time. But in this case, the Windows 7 computer was configured to look and feel like Windows XP because, as the man puts it, his grandfather used the system for a daily routine that involved playing games such as Minesweeper.
“You can ask Microsoft for compensation”
His computer was built 10 years ago when the man was diagnosed with Alzheimer, The Register reports, so the Windows XP look and feel was needed in Windows 7 for a more familiar experience.
But everything was lost after the upgrade to Windows 10, so the tech consultant was looking for damages from Microsoft. After threatening with a lawsuit, Worley asked for a check of $650 (which he actually received after further negotiations) and is now recommending users whose computers got upgraded to Windows 10 without their consent to do the same thing or start legal action.
“They [Windows users] need to read up on their EULA and take Microsoft to the small claims court. Not many people do that or are prepared to take Microsoft because of the high probability of losing,” he said. “A lot of folks complete the Windows 10 upgrade and didn’t like but they don’t realize that you can write a letter and get a couple of hundred dollars for the time it took to fix that.”
Microsoft hasn’t issued a statement on this, but it’s no wonder the company agreed to pay damages to the man, especially because it all comes down to just $650. A lawsuit would have cost a lot more than that, that’s for sure, especially because there were big chances for the company to lose it.