Windows 10?

[Rick Danger]

Still undecided about Windows 10? Here's how to reserve that free upgrade
The July 29 deadline looms. Here's what you need to know to reserve your free upgrade, even if you're planning to stick with Windows 7 or 8.1 for now

By Woody Leonhard
InfoWorld | Jul 25, 2016

As we count down to the end of free upgrades to Windows 10, many of you have asked if you should reserve your free upgrade by installing Windows 10 on your Windows 7 or 8.1 PC before July 29, then roll back to your original version of Windows. My short answer is probably not.

If your Windows 7 or 8.1 system works well and you don't see anything in Windows 10 that particularly rings your chimes, there's nothing wrong with sticking with the devil you know. Microsoft may be making it hard to keep Win7 and 8.1 machines up-to-date, but it's still on the hook to supply security patches for Win 7 SP 1 until Jan. 14, 2020, and for Win 8.1 Update 1 until Jan. 10, 2023.

That's a contractual obligation. Those dates aren't going to fade into oblivion next week.

If you're the kind of person who has to have the latest technology -- phones, cars, watches, refrigerators -- you've probably already jumped at the upgrade. But for everyone else, the change deserves some skepticism, particularly in light of Microsoft's hell-bent push to convert the world.

For those of you who haven't been following along, the key is something called a digital license (formerly known as a digital entitlement), which Microsoft stores on its servers. The digital license says you (identified by a Microsoft account) have a right to run Windows 10 on a particular system.

There are still many unanswered questions about digital licenses, but for upgrade purposes, if you have a "genuine" version of Windows 7 SP 1 or Windows 8.1 Update 1 running on a PC, upgrade that PC to Windows 10, and log in to that upgraded PC with a Microsoft account on or before July 29, Microsoft is supposed to remember -- forever -- that the PC has a genuine license for Windows 10.

You can subsequently go back to Windows 7 or 8.1 (or install Ubuntu, turn it into a Chromebook, or run DOS 3.2 for that matter) and as long as you don't change the motherboard, the machine will forever be Windows 10 "genuine."

To reclaim the license, all you have to do is install Windows 10. If Microsoft's servers don't recognize the system, you can log in to the Windows 10 changeling with your anointed Microsoft account, and it'll be activated -- in theory. We don't have a lot of experience with digital licenses tied to Microsoft accounts, but if the logon doesn't work that easily, activation is a phone call away.

About a billion people are probably wondering: If you aren't ready to switch to Windows 10, why not hedge your bets, claim the free upgrade for your PC, then go back to running whatever operating system you like? First ask yourself: Is it worth saving the $119 retail price of Windows 10 to spend all this time and effort reserving a free upgrade -- especially if you aren't really keen on upgrading? After all, there are plenty of perfectly valid reasons why you might never want Windows 10 on your PC.

But if you're sitting on the fence, you might want to at least think about upgrading to Windows 10 using a Microsoft account -- even if it's a fake one you don't use for anything else -- then roll back to Win 7 or 8.1.

If you decide to make that leap, you have three options:

1. Upgrade and pray. That's the approach Microsoft recommends -- and the one you're funneled into with all of the "Get Windows 10" folderol. You can start the upgrade manually by signing in to Win7 or Win8.1 with a Microsoft account, venturing to the Windows 10 download page, choosing Upgrade this PC now, and following the prompts. Once Win10 is installed you can in theory, and within 31 days, roll back to the operating system you once had. Unfortunately, the rollback doesn't always work, which is why very few experienced Windows graybeards recommend this approach.

2. Swap out disks. If you're adept at swapping out hard drives, have an extra hard drive handy, have an activation key for Win7 or 8.1, and don't mind booting once from a USB drive, this is the cleanest and easiest option. Start at the Windows 10 download page and choose "Download tool now" to create a bootable USB drive. Turn off your PC, unplug the current C: drive, stick in the new C: drive, boot from the USB, and install Win10. Microsoft has full instructions for activating the new copy of Win10 with your old Win7, 8, or 8.1 product key. As long as you don't mind physically swapping the disks, this is a very reliable method for keeping the old and new versions separate. If you change your mind, just turn your machine off, unplug one drive, plug in the other, and you're clean as can be.

3. Make a full image backup. If you don't relish the thought of plugging and unplugging hard drives, this is a reasonable alternative. I'll avoid the religious debates by saying both Acronis True Image ($30) and Macrium Reflex Free work well. Both will require a substantial amount of free space on your hard drive -- enough to hold a full image of your C: drive -- and you'll have to create "rescue media" to restore the drive image. Jason Fitzpatrick at How-To Geek has the full details. Once your C: drive is backed up, you can play with Windows 10 till the cows come home. If it all goes shiny side up, restore your original drive from the backup.

Don't forget: as I said earlier, Microsoft will continue to provide security patches for Windows 7 SP 1 until Jan. 14, 2020, and for Windows 8.1 Update 1 until Jan. 10, 2023. You shouldn't feel pressured into upgrading right now. My guess is you'll want a new computer before your current version Windows starts rolling in the sand.

But if you really want to spend the time and energy needed to hedge your bet -- and save $119 in upgrade costs should you decide one day to assimilate into the Win10 borg -- now you know the tricks.

Grieving for the people of Germany

[rlg118]

http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/...the-long-haul/

[Moon Raker]

Originally Posted by Rick Danger

If you still have "Automatic Update" selected under Windows 7 or 8.1 (which you should have turned off LONG AGO), or you chose the upgrade KB3173040, you get the full screen Window 10 upgrade nonesense.....

My Window Updates have been set to 'Windows update is set to check with you before downloading and installing updates' and has been since day 1 although MS have tried to alter it a few times to 'automatic update'. However I don't check every set of updates for KB3173040 or whatever MS might change it to in order to fool us.

[Rick Danger]

Microsoft had a rash of problems with the Surface Pro 3 line of tablets last year, mostly related to faulty driver updates supplied via Windows Update.

This was one of the reasons I cited for my objections to the lack of user control over the updating process under Windows 10. After all, if a Microsoft hardware product running Microsoft drivers with a Microsoft OS could get bricked by a Microsoft update, this was hardly reassuring.

Now Microsoft is apparently shafting users of it's (former) flagship tablet product over faulty batteries.

All the bad will over Windows 10, now this? All this happy talk about "listening to our customers......blah.....blah....blah....". What a load of horse shit!

Trust in Microsoft is dropping harder than it's Windows 10 revenues........


Woody on Windows

Microsoft is charging Surface Pro 3 customers to fix defective Simplo batteries
If you have a Simplo (not LGC) battery, you may be asked to spend $500 or more to fix Microsoft's problem

By Woody Leonhard
InfoWorld | Jul 18, 2016

An ongoing problem with a specific kind of Surface Pro 3 battery has customers up in arms. So far, Microsoft hasn't even acknowledged the problem. But what appears to be a defective battery -- the Simplo battery, as opposed to the LGC battery -- has driven some folks to spend $500 or more to fix something that isn't their fault.

On May 11, Kridsada Thanabulpong posted a detailed complaint on the Microsoft Answers forum:

I've been using Microsoft Surface Pro 3 for a year, and shortly after the warranty expired I noticed my Surface Pro 3 can only last about 1-2 hours after a full charge… Talk with Microsoft via chat support and they insist this was a software problem and reinstalled the driver and asked me to wait few days to see if things improve. Not only it didn't improved, but now my Surface can only last 30 minutes.

Microsoft's response was less than helpful. Kridsada finally concluded:

Thank you for your suggestion to talk to Assisted Support. Unfortunately, their suggestion even after all this is to do the out of warranty exchange ($560 in my local currency) which is just sad. I loved the machine the moment I tried it in the store, and paperweight-when-not-plugged-in definitely wasn't what I expected it to be in a year after purchase.

Now he has to plug in his Surface Pro 3 or it won't even start. Nudge the power cord, and the tablet shuts down.

There are many additional complaints on that Answers thread: this one, this, this, this, and several others. Microsoft MVP Ian Dixon has picked up the problem on his TheDigitalLifestyle blog.

Microsoft's response is effectively: "Tough luck, you're out of warranty and it's going to cost you $500 to replace the battery."

This isn't the same battery life complaint many people had with the Surface Pro 3, and it isn't linked to faulty sleep states. It appears to be specific to the Simplo brand battery that shipped with some Surface Pro 3s. The LGC battery in other Surface Pro 3s does not exhibit the same problem.

It's time for Microsoft to own up to its problems -- admit that it shipped faulty batteries and offer to fix the problem free -- before a consumer-friendly Attorney General steps in. Those who were coerced into paying $500 or $600 to fix the battery should see what recourse they have in the courts.

[9876543210]

Rick Danger,

Originally Posted by Rick Danger

It's time for Microsoft to own up to its problems -- admit that it shipped faulty batteries and offer to fix the problem free -- before a consumer-friendly Attorney General steps in.

Nice idea. But I don't think it will happen until pigs fly.

[spicoli]

I have 4 PC's that I have upgraded to W-10 with little trouble. Just for fun I am using no added security on this PC, just adblock plus.

I am told that surfing for porn is a good battle test of OS security. If so, W-10 is up to the task so far (about 3 months).

In my mind there is not a heck of a lot of difference between W-7 Pro and W-10. Security is better and programs load faster.

These are my factual experiences. I make no comment about some of the anti MS invective and some of the disdain for W-10 in this thread.

[stockingfan]

Microsoft is removing the ability to turn off Cortana once the Windows 10 Anniversary Update drops on August 2nd. She's also driving lots of folks towards Bing, Microsoft's own search engine.

And unless you're using Windows 10 at work, there's no way to turn down the Anniversary Update or any other Windows update.



source
PC World Jul 26, 2016 4:54 PM
You can't turn off Cortana in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update
pcworld.com/article/3100358/windows/you-cant-turn-off-cortana-in-the-windows-10-anniversary-update.html

[Ernesto75]

Originally Posted by stockingfan

Microsoft is removing the ability to turn off Cortana once the Windows 10 Anniversary Update drops on August 2nd. She's also driving lots of folks towards Bing, Microsoft's own search engine.

And unless you're using Windows 10 at work, there's no way to turn down the Anniversary Update or any other Windows update.

source
PC World Jul 26, 2016 4:54 PM
You can't turn off Cortana in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update
pcworld.com/article/3100358/windows/you-cant-turn-off-cortana-in-the-windows-10-anniversary-update.html

I just upgraded two good machines which were running Windows Seven Pro.

I noticed :
- the constant upgrades (each time you disconnect you cannot unplug immediately);
- the slower power up : it was 2 minutes 20 seconds when under W7, now it is at least 3 minutes under w10 => that makes one more lie for Satya Nadella;
- the lack of compatibility : although they insist 'all the files are still where they were left' what use are they when you have to reinstall the programs which use them?
- the total lack of coherence in the new system: it is becoming more complicated to find your files (assuming they are not lost);

And I do not like the fact that everything is centered around having to 'open a account'.

I already expressed my dislike about Microsoft but I always hoped that someday someone at Microsoft would envision, at least partially, the urge to take into account the 'vox populi' and do something.

Now Windows 10 is one year old and it is still NOT MATURE.

For the moment it is a failure like Vista was.

Like with Vista I am wasting time trying to have it looking like something
really professional.
Perhaps I demand too much and it is a real shame.

[Ernesto75]

Today should be the last day for uprading freely from either Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

A client left me a notebook running Windows 7.
Normally the honesty would be for me to do the upgrade on behalf of this client but I renounced it because after having it done I would have to teach him how to use Windows 10 and that's too much. I don't see myself presenting my client a bill for that.
I think he will be much happier with sticking to windows 7.

I hope the furore around this upgrade will cease now that there will not be a question of free upgrade any more.

Frankly those who will pay for the upgrade will not be legions.

[Ernesto75]

Officially the free upgrade is finished.

But the users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 can still upgrade freely.
There are websites for that.

For example:
http://www.ginjfo.com/actualites/log...faire-20160801

At Microsoft's they know how to present things with two faces like the ancient God Janus.
I really thought the free upgrade was finished but no: it is yes with but...

They never cease to astonish me.