Windows 10?

[rlg118]

Originally Posted by Greenman

I'd wait until any problems or updates have gone out before considering Windows 10.

I shall wait until...

[Rick Danger]

Another tale of an ordinary guy who rolled the Windows 10 dice and came up snake eyes !

[jjjj1956]

I loaded it on an "expendable" lap top. It works but I really see nothing that would make me want to change from windows 7. I think maybe its does some good things...for Microsoft. Likely that was the aim.
On the privacy issue: I really don't see it is anybody's business where I shop or surf, where and when I drive with my phone, etc. And certainly, should not be a mandate for these big software and internet companies. I figure I own that stuff. Why exactly they feel they are entitled to it, without purchasing it, I'm not sure. I guess because we let them.
I think in the long run it is not a good thing for the populous.

[masturbater]

OK, so I went against the advice of some of the experts here and updated to Windows 10 from 8.1 last night

Part of the reason is that I don't want to get left behind like I was with XP...and my earlier experiences with a Mac. I'm just a regular user and not a tech expert. Fear is a strong emotion!

The update took a bit more than an hour and everything was going well until it hit 95% and then it seemed to stop. Perhaps it had nothing to do with it, but I moved my mouse around and it resumed updating.

Upon completion the first thing I did was go to "privacy" and changed each item to "no." I too do not want my info being shared around the web in order to provide me with "a better web experience."

Everything works including my printer and web cam. However, when I tried to shut it down I got the spinning balls with no shut down. I went stone age and unplugged the PC. After plugging it back in, starting up, signing in, then shutting down again, it worked fine. So far so good.
(Fingers crossed).

[Dimitri Yar]

My adventure to get Windows 10 or ....

Finally i get Windows 10 final. I was happy to get it but when i instll it it failt to install. First it was all good but after 10 minutes a message popped up. Misstake while the install. I try it again via Windows Update. Another mistake message comes : 80070003. Good that Windows 10 ruin not my Windows 7. So a wise good dozent of mine says : Never ever change a runnig system.

The next Microsoft Virus is on the web.

[9876543210]

Dimitri Yar,

And everybody else thinking of upgrading to Win 10. First, if your really interested in trying Win 10, please go ahead. Its hard to turn "free" down.

But (and this is a really big BUT), DO MAKE SURE TO BACK UP EVERYTHING YOU VALUE FIRST! Then, if you need to, you can go back to an earlier OS.

Back up, back up, back up. Will make your life much happier.

[Rick Danger]

More responses to the article "Top Ten Reasons for Updating to Windows 10" on PCMag.com

squint9 • 2 hours ago
The real purpose of integrating "features" and "simplifying the interface" while bundling in spyware (aka, Windows 10) is to prepare the next generation for renting access to the Internet. The last couple generations now accept, as "normal", renting their cars (aka, a lease), renting their services, renting their phones, renting their entertainment (eg, cable replaced free over-the-air television), renting their homes, renting their software (eg, Office 365, Adobe apps, et al), renting their food / beverages (well, we always did that I guess <snicker>), etc., etc.. Office 365 comes with a monthly bill -- which has tripled since it's initial release I believe -- and soon, Windows (11 or 12 maybe) will become an Internet "service" for which a monthly bill from Redmond will arrive. And we have only ourselves to blame. Power users just folded their tents and moved to Linux-de-jour or Macs; leaving the poor sheeple and corporate clerks to fend for themselves.

squint9 • 2 hours ago
I am thinking more of the thousands I will have to spend replacing software that was barely usable under Windows 7 and will now definitely have to be replaced to use under Windows 10. Gee, thanks, billionaire-de-jour in charge.

Carney3 • 8 hours ago
"Windows 10 inherits the Secure Boot feature from Windows 8 and makes it even more secure. This requires any code that runs right when the OS starts be signed by Microsoft or the hardware maker. "

Sounds like that kills the possibility of having a dual boot Win10 / Linux system. Is that true?

John1945 • a day ago
In good old times (all times are good when old) MS-DOS was 40kb command.com program and not much else.Now my Win 7 folder has 30GB of God-knows-what.What %% of these 30GB do I really need ? How much GB is contained in the Win 10 folder? Is it possible to somehow contain this mad bloat ?

My computer-savvy friend still uses stripped-down Win XP 64 bit Enterprise edition.Takes only 160MB. System starts up in a fraction of a second.Everything runs perfectly-even apps designed for Win 7.
I wish I were as smart as him to make it work for me too.

YouWishYou Knew • a day ago
Sorry. I disagree 100% with this article. The fact is Windows 10 is the most invasive with privacy, forced updates which create havoc with hardware (Anyone hear about the debacle with nVidia?) The fact that MS will your any and all data you send to them (including your personal info) to sell it to advertisers (using Cortana is a prime example of how MS is out of control is bloody stupid. You all better read the new EULA they have written. There is a lot of things that no one is seeing.

Microsoft is NOT transparent enough in collecting our data, and Windows 10 is designed to be just that. A data mining OS out to sell you to the highest bidder

I don't get why so many are sheep flocking to Windows 10? 7 and 8.1 are still good until 2020 and 2022 respectively. I guess it's the same reason why so many buy into the hype of Apple's latest phones even if their model from the previous year is perfectly fine. They want to be the "cool kids" on the block.

Yes I installed Windows 10, but just for 3 hours. After that, I reverted back to 8.1 on my tablet. I am not willing to risk my privacy for an OS that is really Windows 8.2. I value my privacy. How about you?

James Davis • 2 days ago
Great Article! I really like the upgrade and have zero regrets for making the upgrade.

usa_resident • 2 days ago
The biggest reason is to get rid of the stupid "8".

Gerard Dresch • 3 days ago
Biggest problem is with Cortana I installed my webcam and it worked great even with Google hang out "BUT" when enabled Cortana the webcam no longer worked I had to disable Cortana and reinstall the software to use the webcam which makes Cortana USELESS now and that is a shame it did work fairly well MS any help this webcam is only 2 months old and no I will not buy a new one

Geek Hillbilly • 3 days ago
I had 2 laptops and a desktop TRASHED by the Windows 10 upgrade installer - recovery was not possible since the partitions on the drives had been removed - Under the Kentucky Computer Crime Law,that is considered malicious hacking so I have sued Microsoft under this statute and I've got more than enough proof to nail their ass to the wall.

And as for Linux sucking so bad, have you tried the MX Linux distro? I used it to get those machines back into operation (after changing out the hard drives,which is need for evidence in my lawsuit) and it works much better than Windows ever did.

Micro$oft just shot themselves in the head with Windows 10.

[Rick Danger]

Originally Posted by Masturbater

OK, so I went against the advice of some of the experts here and updated to Windows 10 from 8.1 last night

I would hardly palm myself off as an "expert". Experienced - yes. Expert - no.

Please recall that in multiple postings in this thread it was mentioned that this "free" update runs for one year. Also, if you are currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8 you have several years of support (five and eight years, respectively) before the end of support from Microsoft. So there was hardly a need to rush into a Windows 10 upgrade........unless there was a reason to.

To be blunt, upgrading an operating system is hardly "free". There are potential hidden costs: the need for hardware upgrades or outright replacement. The possible need to update or replace software applications and utilities. The possibility that peripherals like printers, external disk drives, scanners, etc. may not function fully or at all after the upgrade.

Some problems may be more subtle. For example, in 2013 when Microsoft rolled out Office 2013 they dropped support for ClearType fonts. Windows 8 users immediately starting asking why suddenly their displays looked fuzzy when using the new Office. The only recommendation bloggers could come up with was to roll back to Office 2010. Clearly this was a disappointing remedy as most users assume an "update" would mean an overall better user experience. Read for yourself: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/w...14d975c?auth=1

So why upgrade ?

Unlike the "Top Ten Reasons for Updating to Windows 10" on PCMag.com that I panned, here are my five generic reasons why you should consider the Windows 10 (or any) upgrade:

(1) In one year, you will not be in a position to afford the $119 per machine for Windows 10 Home or the $199 per machine for the Pro version. It goes without saying that if you don't think you'll have the money to buy the upgrade you probably won't be in the market for a new PC, laptop, or tablet either.

Conversely, if you have a little extra cash now that you can spend on upgrading or replacing hardware, software, or peripherals in the event the Windows 10 update necessitates such expenditures, this is also a good reason to upgrade.

(2) Your current Operating System is off or soon to be off support: At this current point in time that would apply to Windows XP or anything before that. Vista is on support until April 2017. Again, Windows 7 and 8 have quite a ways to go yet. Don't forget if you are running XP or Vista your machine does NOT qualify for the free upgrade anyway.

There are alot of opinions pro and con concerning the need to update Windows. When it comes to security related updates it is my recommendation that these are critical to the maintenance of your computer. Once a version of Windows goes off support, it no longer receives such security updates. To me, this is like swimming in the ocean with a bad cut: you are inviting the sharks to come attack you.

(3) The upgrade fixes a problem or problems you currently have: For sake of argument, you're running Windows 8 on a touchscreen equipped PC and have been less than happy with the performance. Or you miss the Start button. OK, these are things that Windows 10 reportedly fixes. I'll admit I struggled to come up with "fixes".

(4) You need the features that Windows 10 provides: One reason the concept of desktop computing rose to the heights it enjoys is that there is a nearly infinite combination of hardware, software, and other products that can be put together to create an individual system. Hence the end device is as unique and individualized as it's owner. So maybe you really need Cortana. Or you own a Windows Phone or an XBox and wish to have better integration with your PC. These are valid reasons why you maybe should move forward. Suffice it to say, your friend or loved one who uses an iPhone and a PlayStation 2 probably feels very differently about these features.

(5) You have multiple machines and want to test out the upgrade to see how you might fair: You may be running a small business, are looking to update a school computer lab, or some other environment where you have multiple machines to eventually upgrade. So you take one machine in your environment and update it to Windows 10 to gain experience and evaluate the potential impact on our operation.

Prior to deciding to upgrade an operating system (OS), whether it be Windows, iOS, Linux, Ubuntu, or what have you, here are the five generic steps you NEED to perform prior to an update:

(1) Check with your hardware OEM to see if your machine is compatible with the upgraded OS. This is a "binary" answer: your OEM must clearly state it is or it is not compatible. If there's no mention if it is compatible, I would assume it is NOT until the vendor can expressly confirm your device's status. Needless to say, if the answer is "No" or "Unknown", you would proceed with the upgrade at your own risk.

(2) Check to see if there are required firmware updates that the OEM recommends be applied before you install the upgrade. Typically, upgraded BIOS (Basic Input Output Subsystem) firmware or drivers for display, disk drives, USB support, etc. are OS version specific. Typically such updates must be installed prior to running an OS update. And I would typically run each update singularly, followed by a cold boot.

(3) Check with the manufacturer of your peripherals to see if your printer, scanner, webcam, external disk drives, and other such devices are compatible with the new OS. Keep in mind the older such peripherals are the more likely it is that your new OS will not support them. But you need to do your homework.

(4) Check to see if the versions of the software applications that are important to you are compatible with the new OS. If you software vendor recommends that you update your applications, make sure to determine whether you need to install such updates before or after you update your OS.

(5) Make sure you have taken a complete and comprehensive backup of your system prior to applying the operating system upgrade. Make sure you have any media and license key information for all your software readily on hand in case you have to reinstall your applications and/or device drivers after a successful OS install or a rollback to your current version in the case of a failure. If there is anyway you could actually test the ability to apply your backup, I would certainly recommend it. I saw a professional data center that found out a series of their backups were actually no good. Unfortunately, they only found that out when they went to apply the backups to recover some critical data that had been accidentally deleted online. OUCH !

See: even the "experts" get this stuff wrong !

[EsotericKnave]

Originally Posted by masturbater

Everything works including my printer and web cam. However, when I tried to shut it down I got the spinning balls with no shut down.

Windows 10 will be downloading updates without asking or telling you, so perhaps that is why it was hanging.

[dorcelfan]

I was contemplating an upgrade this morning but after some very interesting reading of input and comments from some enlightened people here I think I'll wait till at least after Christmas and then maybe re-visit the issue.

Pretty happy we have threads like this - they are goldmines of information.

Regards

D