Microsoft told to compensate after Windows 10 'affected' PCs

A British consumer watchdog has told technology giant Microsoft to compensate customers whose computers have been adversely affected by the Windows 10 upgrade.

Last year Microsoft rolled out a free Windows 10 update to all its customers. However, the widely accepted new operating system did not come out as good as people hoped it would.

Since Microsoft's Windows 10 update became available, consumer watchdog Which? received hundreds of complaints about the software, including repeated pop-ups regarding updates, various problems regarding printers, WiFi cards, working of speakers, files being lost and email accounts no longer syncing.

Many have complained about being "nagged" by Microsoft to install the new update and despite declining notifications, Windows 10 installed itself anyway, Mirror Online reported.

Which? said there have also been complaints about poor customer service from Microsoft when users contacted the company about the problems they are having, the report said.

Of 2,500 people surveyed, who had upgraded to Windows 10, more than 12 per cent said they ended up rolling back to their previous version of the operating system.

More than half stated that this was because the upgrade had adversely affected their PC.

"We rely heavily on our computers to carry out daily activities so, when they stop working, it is frustrating and stressful," Alex Neill, Which? Director of Campaigns and Policy, was quoted as saying.

"Many people are having issues with Windows 10 and we believe Microsoft should be doing more to fix the problem," Neill added.

Which? is now calling on Microsoft to improve its customer service and compensate its customers where appropriate.