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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jun 2015 16:13
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Anyone have an opinion on the new free Windows 10 download being made available to current users of 7 & 8?
I'm using Win7 Professional, V6.1 and I find it stable and reliable. I don't really have a reason for switching, save for the fact that someday Win7 may go the way of XP. Secondly, it's FREE to download for 1 year, something Microsoft doesn't usually offer.
Never really got into Win8 after seeing it on a friend's computer and reading all the negative publicity associated with it.
So, who knows anything about Windows 10 and are you planning to take advantage of the freebie?
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jun 2015 16:54
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had the offer didn,t know what to do , i too use W7 i never like changing till I must !!
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jun 2015 17:18
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Win-10 will be released for next month. The BETA platform is stable and works well and the release should have a few more goodies & features as well. BUT like anything else, within 6 months a Service Pack will be issued to cover the vast myriad of computer variations out there with whatever bug fixes are needed. It has a smaller memory footprint & uses less CPU for many tasks in comparison to Win 7 & 8 running on the same machines, while also being a tad more efficient on Laptops. This version will be identical cross-platform such as laptops, tablets etc
The best thing to do is to wait 6 months or till at least Service Pack 1 is issued. It will be free for 12 months from release after which they will charge a small fee for media etc...
XP is now off the support list, VISTA is next within 2 years, then 7.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 6 Jun 2015 17:44
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I recently upgraded to a new PC because my XP no longer had support. I was used to it, but have gotten used to my 8.1. I wonder if i need to learn the program all over again after I upgrade to 10??? Seems every time I get the going smoothly on the next operating system, its replaced and the learning curve for me starts all over again. 
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 20:42
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Quoting: Steve_S The best thing to do is to wait 6 months or till at least Service Pack 1 is issued. It will be free for 12 months from release after which they will charge a small fee for media etc...
This is a very good suggestion Steve_S. There's probably no need to rush into Win10 until the major bugs are addressed.
Thank you for the input.
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Bzzzzzt
Member
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# Posted: 10 Aug 2015 14:50
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I'm currently running the new Windows 10 and I like it. It's like they should have made a transition from 7 to 8 and windows 10 seems to be that. It's pretty stable. That is, I've been running it for 2 weeks and it hasn't crashed once. There are a few things that I have yet to locate, but I'm sure once I dig into it thoroughly I'll find what I'm looking for. Everything I dragged in seems to function and I've had zero back-compatibility issues. There aren't the games that you may be used to like solitaire or hearts but you can download an app that does the same thing.
Apps on windows 10 are the exact same apps used for windows phones now so if you have a windows phone and have a game you like (or vice versa) you can get the exact same one for the PC.
All in all I think it's pretty user friendly. Make sure that you go to settings and reset your privacy stuff because it is set, by default, to share all your information.
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justincasei812
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:28
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This is my take on it and I did upgrade both of my laptops to 10. I did one to see if I liked it and then did the other about a week later, anyway If you like Win 7 stick with it for now. why change just for change. Win 10 merges features from Win 7 & 8 together and few other upgrades. The operating system (OS) is new and there are going to be bugs and they will need to be worked out. I like it but I do see some bugs in the system but I can work around them and still do what I need to do for now. the upgrade was pretty straight forward but does take some time and go back to it once in a while to make sure you don't have to click on something to get it moving along again. This happens mainly in the beginning.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 11:23
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what about that new Edge browser vs. IE11?
Any opinions?
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justincasei812
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 12:43
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This is where I have seen the most errors personally. When trying to use the search function it is not fully operational. I would stick with IE11 or Firefox for now. just my personal opinion though.
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LoonWhisperer
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 14:16
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Worked through 2 upgrades on Win 7 systems and no drama. It will take some getting used to but I see potential here.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 16:56
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Anyone use Chrome for abrowser? It is very nice IMO, even more when you use it across many devices. Bookmarks get updated automatically between phone, tablet, etc. Etc.
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LoonWhisperer
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 17:34
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Quoting: MtnDon Anyone use Chrome for abrowser?
Yep, almost exclusively and really like it. As you say, having the bookmarks synch up is very convenient.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 17:37
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I like that feature enough to make me wanna switch, but didn't I read that Win10 was giving Chrome fits?
Maybe this is already fixed, IDK.
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LoonWhisperer
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 17:53
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Quoting: bobrok but didn't I read that Win10 was giving Chrome fits?
I've only been running Win 10 for a couple days but to this point, no issues with Chrome on either my laptop or PC.
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Bret
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 17:55
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Bought an acer chromebook when the old xp machine bit the dust. Am liking it very much. No virus software needed. Chrome takes care of that. Some of the word processing is not up to Word standard but it is usable. Great for browsing etc.
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SteveN
Member
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# Posted: 13 Aug 2015 08:47
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I upgraded to Windows 10 a week ago on a PC that is 7 years old and it has been running fine so far.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2015 17:42
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Microsoft is providing Windows 10 as a free upgrade because they have learned that they can make more money selling your info and online habits to advertisers. It is mega spyware.
You should not worry to much, you are a speck of sand on a beach.
It is also tailored towards the look and feel of mobile apps. Learning curve from 7.
The U.S. Navy is spending $9 million a year for XP support. I wish they would share that support with us, our tax money paid for it.
Do a search on how to turn off/opt out of Win 10 collecting you habits. Many articles on the net.
I'm sticking with 7 for awhile.
New PC BIOS architecture this year on new PC's makes it difficult to erase 7, 8, 10 and then load XP. Two partitions. I have a friend who is going to try loading LINUX on one partition, then XP on the other.
Most hackers have moved on from attacking XP, no money in it. I'm still using XP on one machine.
_DAVE
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 13:17
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Just upgraded to windows 10. I had been invited to install it earlier and tried ... and failed 3 times.
after failing I looked online and there were a lot of earlier failed installs. and folks pointing the finger at USB and bluetooth devices.
So there's a new install available: 2.8 gigabytes. that's a long download at satellite speeds.
anyway. I made sure no CD in the CD player. no SD card in the reader. Unplugged my USB mouse.
Installed fine. Working okay. Boy they do try to track your every click but i turned all that stuff to "off." thx Dave for the heads up.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 16:40
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Quoting: creeky no CD in the CD player. no SD card in the reader. Unplugged my USB mouse.
Yowww! Thanks for the heads up creeky! I'm still holding out and I don't know if there have been any so-called service packs issued yet as Steve_S mentioned above.
For me its just been one of those games I play: every time I turn on my computer first thing I do is delete that nefarious download invitation (is that too strong a word to use )
I'd rather just use my phone anyway. Its pretty much replaced my laptop for day to day.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 19:35
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WAIT FOR IT ! I installed this *&(^@#&^)(*@& DANGED OS and it cost me 35GB worth of download on my Satellite.
3 fails and finally I downloaded the ISO to burn a CD.
Once installed over my Win-7.1 Premium it gave me Win-10 Pro 64Bit. (running with 16GB Ram)
Then the updates & patches ... Ohhh My there goes the GB !
Automatic Updates CANNOT BE DISABLED or set to MANUAL !!!
- (Ruckus Stuckus Frickus Fruckus !!! ) It will just do it, so tough cookies... (see stupid child programmers @ MS Corp.)
All the tracking and auto-logging can be disabled, IT AIN'T EASY but they do provide the how-to... (beware of synchronizing accounts for different things like Google/Gmail, Yahoo, etc... more tracking there !
MS-Edge... The "New Browser" Ohh Lordie.... Ad Blocking SUX, privacy = too carried away... Many Websites fail to ID it and go kaflooie BUT it's getting better. Will NOT keep it's Screen Position BUT every other app does. Fortunately MS-IE is still there. You have to Manually import your favourites and What a mess it makes of that... Cookies won't transfer nor saved passwords etc... One BIG bonus is the "Reading View" of Web Pages, they FINALLY got it working and it is SWEET ! Especially for printing a web page, no headers, ads or other Feldercarb, nicer to read too.
Image Previews are OFF by Default... (part of the Phone Friendly phooie I suppose...) not rational for PC's or Desktops.. phones I guess.
Boots Faster ! WAY FASTER and Multi-Tasking is very good.
Handles my External WD Drives, all flavours... Integrates well with my Nokia RM-975 Windows Phone.
Driver Updates: Ohhh Boy... The Lappie I installed this on (using it now) is a Dell Studio i7 with the AMD/ATI HD5000 Video... Dell's drivers for this are NOT the same as Standard AMD drivers thanks to proprietary extras from Dell... GRRR ! HP Printer / Scanner drivers must be updated manually (Caution). Rest seem to be OK.
Visuals / Displays... Nothing nice like Aero or even Win-8 UI. It's very "flat" 1 dimensional & again the "Phone Friendliness garb". Menus take getting used to BUT is far more flexible & customizable than ANY previous version of Windows.
Service Pack 1 is being cooked now and will likely be out by December / January. WAIT FOR IT !!! Seriously !!!
The INVITATION: Ok that is something a LOT of folks have complained about ... me included... I followed ALL instructions by MS to stop it and to undo the "update" that installed that darned ****** ALL FAILED ! They are apparently working on that BUT the kids in the backroom are generally clueless.
Overall I give it a 7/10 BUT it has a bit of a learning curve to get cozy with it.
I worked for MS Corp for a few years as an Enterprise Engineer & Developer and sadly know too much for my own good... but hey I'm krusty and remember CP/M and PC-DOS 1.0 (IBM) MS-DOS when the 8086 came out which gave way to the 8088... Wow I miss the old 300 Baud Modem (NOT) just like the 180kb 5.25" floppies and gawd awful green CRT's... All the simpler kludging days.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 20:20
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@Steve_S:
'nuf said. And thank you.
How long do you figure before win7 support ends?
Maybe I'll be in the nursing home by then and won't remember what a computer is...
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 20:36 - Edited by: neb
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I did download W10 and have zero issues. It is different but I never lost any of my old functions and can do everything I did before. The biggest change is finding your way around if you are use too XP etc.
I was told that you should take advantage of the free upgrade before you have to buy it.
You lose nothing and have more and different options to do the same thing as before.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 21:42
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Bobrok, Win7 security updates run through sometime in Jan, 2020
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Quoting: neb ..... take advantage of the free upgrade before you have to buy it.
Free Win10 upgrade is scheduled to last until late July, 2016
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Change, no matter how good, is a greater challenge for some of us to deal with than some others....
In no hurry myself....
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 22:34 - Edited by: neb
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Quoting: MtnDon Change, no matter how good, is a greater challenge for some of us to deal with than some others.... In no hurry myself....
Yes you are right about change. I ignored the offer so many times I finally looked in to it. I talked to an IT guy and a puter guru and they said I should do it. I did and I learned to like it. The thing is there is so many more things you can do and offers the Apps for so many things. It is more then I or most would want and may even use.
As most of you may have the smart phones it is just about the same thing. I learned how to use the smart phone so it was an easy learn when going W10. It is really an upgrade from an old system but I realize it may not be for everyone.
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 23:55
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I have disabled the Win10' "telemetry" features which were quietly introduced by the upgrade.
First, I don't like my usage data being sent to MSFT, regardless.
Second, because it uses network bandwidth (especially when tethering over my limited cell data), and noticeable performance difference.
It seems you can't disable it completely, but at least some of it.
Just Google "disable Windows 10 telemetry" for more info.
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Bancroft bound
Member
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# Posted: 28 Oct 2015 20:39 - Edited by: Bancroft bound
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Tried 10 upgrade.
What a mistake, froze computer, lost data Major PITA!
Had to take to computer guy and he wiped hard drive clean and reinstalled 7, Microsoft will support for 5 years. Maybe they will have the bugs out by then!
No fixes from the Microsoft techs worked, so went back to 7.
Of course I was past the 30 day limit.
My son tried the download too and before the 30 day return tried to go back and it screwed up his.Looks like a trip to the computer shop for him too!
My experience....run away from it!
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 28 Oct 2015 21:45 - Edited by: MtnDon
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Thanks for the tip on Win10, cabinbuilder
Why isn't everyone who attempts any upgrade of any kind making a system image before attempting anything? Easy to use programs like Macrium have a free version (Macrium Reflectfree) that will not only do backups, will make an image and even let you make a cloned drive. They and others also have paid versions that have more features, but the free versions do all the basic stuff. I use Macrium to make disk images and also to make cloned drives. Double the backups. Treble when you consider multiple images in different places, including The Cloud.
All you need in addition is an external portable hard drive. If you buy a Western Digital drive WD also give you access to free use of a version of Acronis, another good backup/image/clone tool. That special version only works when there is at least one WD drive in the system. It can be an external drive.
1TB external portable drives are < $60, 2 TB < $75. Cheap at any price when you compare to the headaches, anguish and head-knocking when your upgrade or whatever goes wrong.
Or backup the disk images to The Cloud; Dropbox, One Drive, Google Drive, etc. That can be kind of slow but it'll be better than nothing; better than paying someone to resurrect your system.
Even Microsoft tells you how to do it with built in Windows Backup.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 08:27 - Edited by: Steve_S
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Windows 10 will become a 'recommended update' that starts automatically CBCNews.ca
Microsoft is introducing new measures to get Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to upgrade to Windows 10.
Starting early next year, it will make Windows 10 a "recommended update" — a type of update file, typically a security or bug fix, that automatically downloads and installs on many users' computers. Enabling automatic updates is the default setting and recommended by Microsoft to make sure your computer is protected by the latest security patches.
"Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device," wrote Terry Myerson, executive vice-president of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, on the company's Windows Experience blog.
But users will be "clearly prompted to choose whether or not to continue," before the process actually completely changes the operating system of your device, Myerson added.
Before becoming a "recommended update" in 2016, Windows 10 soon will be published as an "optional update." That will also give users the option to use Windows Update to upgrade.
Microsoft was criticized in September when users complained that Windows 10 was being automatically downloaded to some computers even if they didn't indicate they were interested in upgrading. Microsoft said that was happening to users with Windows Update automatic updates enabled in order to provide "a smoother upgrade experience."
Critics were upset about the covert nature of the download and some complained it ate up hard drive space and internet bandwidth, potentially pushing users over their internet package's download limit and resulting in extra charges.
In the company's latest blog post, Myerson says Windows 7 and Windows 8 users worried about their download limits once Windows 10 becomes a "recommended update" can turn off automatic updates, but "we strongly discourage this in today's connected world because of the constant risk of internet threats."
He added that Windows 10 has tools that help users monitor internet usage and data usage quotas, and settings that prevent it from automatically downloading updates on "metered" internet connections, except in cases where a security fix needs to be applied.
Upgrade reversible
All users who upgrade to Windows 10 are able to roll their device back to their previous operating system for the first 31 days after the upgrade if they want to.
Microsoft made Windows 10 available as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users in July. It will continue to be free for those users until next July.
The company aims to have Windows 10 installed on a billion devices within the next three years, Myerson said at the company's annual Build conference in San Francisco in April.
So far, it has been installed on 110 million, the blog post said.
Some other measures Microsoft is implementing to encourage wider adoption include making its "free upgrade" notifications "more approachable and hopefully clear" and a pilot program in the U.S. to encourage users with illegal copies of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to buy a genuine copy of Windows 10. That program will offer users a "one-click opportunity" to buy Windows 10 online at the Windows Store or install it using an activation code purchased elsewhere.
"If this turns into a path for most customers to get genuine, we will expand the experiment," Myerson wrote. "We'd like to welcome as many of these customers as possible to the legitimate Windows ecosystem."
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Yet if you go to a store and want to purchase it, rather than Download & Install, starting price is 120.00 and up depending on version you want. 2.8 GB Download for the ISO (to burn your own CD) or Upgrade files + another 2-4 GB in updates and patches afterwards.
Take your laptop to MacAdoodles or other and use the free WIFI to download it. If you have more than one machine to update / upgrade, download the ISO, burn a Disc and save the hassle.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 8 Nov 2015 00:17
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About a week ago I upgraded one of our computers to Win 10, a laptop that was running Win 7. It doesn't get used a lot and had a whole lot of programs that were unused. I originally tried upgrading it a month ago and the upgrade ran into some issue and retrograded itself back to Win 7. I then made certain all the data files had been backed up to the NAS and then did a clean reinstall of Win 7. I reinstalled some of the software I like to have at hand. Then I made a new disk image and then ran the Win 10 upgrade utility.
Windows 10 ran flawlessly from the moment of the last restart. I used it and liked it. After using it on and off for a week I fell in love with Win 10.
So last night I took on another laptop, a Win 8.1 Asus Transformer Book. I did a disk cleanup, made a new image and let her rip. Success! Today I did my other Win 8.1 laptop and it is just as sweet as the first two. Tomorrow I'll finish off with Karen's laptop. That will just leave the TV/Media computer running Win 8.1.
The plan has been to leave that one alone as Windows media center is not supported in Win 10. However, I like Win 10 so much I am going to have a serious look for a 3rd party replacement for media Center.
Win 10 is a wonderful OS. Much of the criticism is misplaced, IMO. For example there was much ballyhoo made of the fact that your Win 10 machine, as it setup during the upgrade, was going to be sending upgrade files to other computers on the internet (saving MS bandwidth and using yours). That can be turned off with ease. I set mine up to only permit this upgrade file sharing only with computers on my own network. The second and third upgrades did seem to go a little quicker. Maybe my imagination, maybe the Gigabit network at work.
Don't be scared. Backup and make a disk image first. It probably also helps to clean up with a tool like Ccleaner first too.
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