Choose how Windows 10 updates are delivered

The reality of this change, is to make sure that the apps don’t hijack the default settings.

Hundreds of commenters on sites such as Hacker News and Reddit have criticised default settings that send personal information to Microsoft, use bandwidth to upload data to other computers running the operating system, share Wi-Fi passwords with online friends and remove the ability to opt out of security updates.

You can still make Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari or another app your default browser in Windows 10, but it’s not as easy or intuitive to do that as it was in previous versions of Windows.

But the reign of 8 is over and Windows 10 is here, released for free as a downloadable upgrade. Some of those features include the Cortana voice assistant, an Xbox gaming app, a new browser named Edge, and more.

Gains are predicted to come from new users, as well as current users who will end up using Bing more frequently as a result of the changes in Windows 10.

“We designed Windows 10 to provide a simple upgrade experience for users and a cohesive experience following the upgrade”. In other words, Microsoft is promising that Windows 10 is the only operating system you will ever need for all your needs and devices – a cross-platform operating system that can run on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Microsoft itself is leading the way on that front, even turning the in-built version of Solitaire (the card game that has been a staple of Windows installations since 1990’s Windows 3.0) into a freemium game, complete with unskippable video adverts. You’ll be prompted to choose an app (Mozilla would appreciate it if you chose Firefox, but Microsoft will show you all of the browsers installed on your PC).

Now, there is still an “N” version of Windows 10, but it isn’t clear if it treats your default browser choice differently. It has had a hard time holding onto Internet Explorer (IE) users since August 2014, when it abruptly told most customers that they needed to upgrade to IE11 by January 2016. More people are using mobile phones over PC’s, which is the main problem Microsoft faces. The Redmond, Wash. company is banking on revenue from its Bing search engine – the default in Edge – to replace the money lost as Windows license sales fall. Customers will be notified once their PC is ready for Windows 10 with a notification in their system tray.

Enlarge / This is what it looks like if your copy of Windows 10 is activated.

Along with the public displeasure at Windows 10’s behavior, Mozilla also posted step-by-step instructions for users who wanted to restore Firefox as the default browser.

“We strongly urge you to reconsider your business tactic here”, Beard told Nadella. And we work to make the Internet experience beyond our products represent these values as much as we can.

A Microsoft spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.