Windows 10 will be automatically offered as an optional update for all Windows 7 and 8.1 customers, says Microsoft

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 will be available as an “Optional Update” in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers. Microsoft said that Windows Update is the trusted, logical location for the most important updates, and adding Windows 10 was another to make it easy for customers to find their upgrade.

Early next year, Microsoft said that it expects to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a “Recommended Update”. Depending upon the existing Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device. Before the upgrade changes the OS of your device, you will be prompted to choose whether or not to continue.

If a user chooses to upgrade, then he or she will have 31 days to roll back to the previous Windows version if they don’t like it.

After any upgrade, you can easily go back to your prior version of Windows within 31 days if you choose. This is possible as Microsoft keeps a full copy of your previous operating system on your device – including apps and settings – for the first 31 days following your upgrade. At any time during the first 31 days, you can go to “Settings->Update and Security->Recovery and Uninstall Windows 10” to return to your prior version of Windows.

If you are on a metered connection on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, then you have the option of turning off automatic updates. Windows 10 will not automatically download updates on a metered connection unless there is a security issue addressed within the update. In addition, Windows 10 contains a number of features for those on metered connections, including monitoring data usage by application and setting data usage quotas.