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Tech giant Microsoft has made a $10,000 payout to a woman, after Windows 10 tried to automatically install on her Window 7 computer.

Teri Goldstein, claims that Windows 10 attempted and failed to install itself on her work computer without her permission, according to The Seattle Times .

The owner of a travel agency in Sausalito, California, Goldstein claimed that the failed update left her computer unresponsive for days at a time.

After trying to fix the problem with Microsoft's support team, she eventually sued the company for loss of earnings and the price of a new computer.

(Image: Getty)

After Microsoft dropped an appeal, reportedly to avoid further legal costs, Goldstein was eventually awarded $10,000 (£7,514).

It is thought the outcome of the case could prompt other disgruntled Microsoft users to seek damages from the company.

Launched in July 2015, Windows 10 landed with good reviews, but Microsoft has since faced a wave of criticism over its aggressive campaign to get users to install its new operating system.

Windows 10 is being offered as a free upgrade to Windows 7 users until 29 July.

Many Microsoft users claim that the software has started to install without their permission.

As with most gadgets, older models are not always up to the job of running newer software.

Updates often cause older devices to run more slowly and make them more prone to crashing.