Hard Drive Recovery Associates

A Hard Blow For Microsoft’s Windows 10

A Hard Blow For Microsoft’s Windows 10

The computing world is only made up of two users – a Mac user and a Windows user. While the rich and the elite prefer their sleek, shiny and classy MacBook Pros, the majority of the world relies on Windows PC in their day-to-day.

Most Windows users are now using the Windows 10 operating system. It may mean a smooth transition for someone who bought a brand new computer or laptop but it can be a struggle for someone who owns an existing laptop and has decided to finally make the upgrade. And while many try to resolve any issues on their own or learn to live with the losses along the way, some will make a fuss and voice out their complaints.

Windows 10 has certainly not been short of controversy. Between forced upgrades, telemetry and privacy concerns, and the introduction of increasing numbers of ads, Microsoft has been on the receiving end of a good deal of criticism for the latest version of its operating system. And the trouble is not over.

With the launch of Windows 10 Creators Update just around the corner, Microsoft faces a lawsuit from three people from Illinois who claim that the upgrade not only resulted in data loss, but also damaged their computers. The lawsuit makes reference to the difficulty many users found in declining the offer of upgrading to Windows 10.

(Via: https://betanews.com/2017/03/27/windows-10-data-loss-lawsuit/)

While an upgrade promises better features, it has some major downsides too. For starters, forced upgrades leaves you with little choice but to give in and upgrade to the latest Windows offering even though you have been using Windows 7 for as long as you can remember. Hence, a sudden upgrade can result in a major inconvenience and even data loss or damage to property.

A class action lawsuit filed in Illinois last week alleges that Microsoft did not do enough to ensure that its Windows 10 operating system wouldn’t cause problems for users who downloaded it.

The suit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, names three plaintiffs and seeks more than $5 million in damages. It was filed on behalf of all Microsoft users in the U.S. who lost data or whose devices were damaged after installing Windows 10.

Released in July 2015, Windows 10 was offered as a free upgrade for one year to any Microsoft users running previous versions of the company’s operating system. While Microsoft touted the cloud-focused Windows 10, now installed on more than 400 million devices, as its most advanced and secure OS to date, many customers have complained about the company’s aggressive efforts to get people to upgrade.

(Via: http://www.cio-today.com/article/index.php?story_id=1300046Q0MOS)

So, just what does this lawsuit implies and how will it affect Microsoft in general?

The three say Microsoft did not provide adequate warnings before customers started the Windows 10 upgrade process, such as “the fact that consumers should back up their data before the download was commenced, the fact that the operating system might render their computers or particular programs on their computers unuseable, or the fact that the download might cause them to lose data.”

Plaintiffs also allege that Microsoft was aware “of the fact that its Windows 10 operating system upgrade could cause loss of data or damage to hardware.”

Plaintiffs are looking for damages, attorney’s fees, litigation expenses, and other reliefs the court would seem fit.

(Via: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/users-file-class-action-lawsuit-against-microsoft-over-botched-windows-10-upgrades/)

While many are forced to make upgrades because that is what the system tells them to do, anyone who suffered greatly because of these things is also free to speak up and file cases when they feel that their rights have been trampled on. And let this serve as an example to Microsoft that even though people who use their gadgets have no choice but to comply with most upgrades, some will not take it lightly and even file lawsuits if the inconvenience was more than they could bear.