Anyone else switch to Windows 10?

[TheTman]

My Windows 7 was getting all buggy, it had a bad memory module and kept crashing and it took me a while to figure out what was going on, and it corrupted my system files so bad that I couldn't do any kind of Windows 7 repair install or anything to replace the corrupted files.
I had bought a 260gb Solid State Drive, which more like a bunch of RAM memory modules all cramed into this little box, and has no moving parts to wear out or anything, so I unplugged my old Windows 7 drive, after I got all the data files I needed copied off of it onto a backup drive, then installed Windows 7 on the SSD drive, and did all the updates and service pack, and then added Windows 10 to it. Man the SSD sure speeds things up, boot up takes about 1/4th the time it used to. And everthing seems to run faster.
So far it's been pretty stable, haven't had any crashes or anything. Like every new release of Windows, it takes some getting used too. I'm not sure if I like it better than Windows 7, but I like it better than Windows 8 for a desktop machine. Windows 8 seems like it's meant for tablets and laptops and computers with touch screens.
Windows 10 has been running all the software Windows 7 did so far, I haven't got everything reloaded, just the stuff I use most often. It replaces Internet Explorer, with Edge Browser, has a new mail system, and other new features. The start menu is totally different. and it will take me awhile to get used to it. It seems like everything is there, just renamed or located in a different folder and things like that.

Should you upgrade? I would at least download a copy and burn a disk of it while it's being offered free. If you have Windows 7 and are using a desktop, and hate change, I'd probably not update. If I had a desktop with Windows 8, I think I would definitely do the update. There isn't anything I really hate about Windows 10 so far. It's close enough to Windows 7 that I can find everything ok. IF the upgrade goes well, you won't lose any of your documents or pictures or anything, but you should probably back them up just in case before doing the upgrade.

[jeepster09]

Thanks for feedback.

[Bob T]

Been running it on a newer, touch screen, laptop for a couple weeks, and just put it on one of my desktops this week. Both upgrades from Win8.
Working very well....Seems to be the best of Win7 combined with the best of Win8.

I have two more laptops and another, (more important), desktop that I'll upgrade as soon I am comfortable there are no issues.

[OldFatGuy]

I have an old 32 bit laptop that had a corrupt XP system. I installed Win 7 so I can use it for my surveillance cameras. My Win 10 upgrade came available, so I went through the hours of downloading, upgrading, configuring, and when it rebooted, it hung. After 1/2 hour of waiting, I turned the thing off, and when I restarted it went right into Win 7 like nothing had happened. Thinking I did something wrong, I went through the whole process again, and the same thing happened. So I'm keeping Win 7 on my laptop. I didn't know you could download a copy and burn it, I'll have to look into that. My main computer is dual boot, I use Linux Mint, but it has Win 8.8, which I hate. I need to try to get 10 on there, but I'm really afraid of Microsoft messing up my UEFI boot loader. Microsoft has a tendency to try to rule your world and can really f@#$ things up.

[gunmut]

we are running three laptops on win 10 so far really like it

[Ronni3_J]

http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/21400-windows-10-is-spyware

[OldFatGuy]

http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/21400-windows-10-is-spyware


I've always known MS was slime. I might upgrade my dual boot, just becasue sometimes I need Windows, and I hate 8.1. But it's so seldom I boot into Windows, when I do, it has to spend and hour or more downloading and installing updates. Linux Mint is the answer to Windows. Stable, virus free, and that includes MS.

[Ronni3_J]

Im sure all OSs do it these days. Big brother is after your meta data

[OldFatGuy]

Im sure all OSs do it these days. Big brother is after your meta data

Not open source like UNIX or BSD, the community wouldn't allow it.

[ltxi]

Waiting a couple of months. After I get back from travel late September, I'll install it on my travel laptop first. If that goes well I'll do the install on my, more critical, desktop.

This is Microsoft's last chance with me. Put my seriously thinkin' about plan to replace the aging desktop with an iMac on hold until I see how Win 10 be working out.

[Bawanna]

Itxi a computer geek?! :faint2: Say it ain't so.

Yall might as well speak Lebanese talking about this computer stuff. Back up disc, and drive, all these technical words give me the brain pain.

I do know what reboot means now. I also learned that the cup holder that slides out ain't really a cup holder.
My desk top, had to get a new one a few years ago, they installed the damn cup holder sideways. I went back to the store and asked em how the hell the cup was suppose to stay in when the cup holder is sideways, punk said to lay the box on it's side, don't make a lick of sense but it seems to work.

[ltxi]

^ Well, successful face shooting of deserving of it folk, both foreign and domestic, ain't my only talent(s). And I also know how to drive a car and operate a wife.

[GROTMAN]

" I also learned that the cup holder that slides out ain't really a cup holder." Made me lol..:)

[Bawanna]

^ Well, successful face shooting of deserving of it folk, both foreign and domestic, ain't my only talent(s). And I also know how to drive a car and operate a wife.

Did you get an operators manual with the wife?

I've had mine for 30 years come next Saturday and danged if I have if figured out.

Dumb guy at the computer store laughed too, made me feel plumb stoopid he did. Not much better luck at the phone store where the dude with the dinner plate earrings (weird lookin dude) tried to sell me a smart phone! Can you imagine?

[TheTman]

Windows 7 and 8 are getting upgraded with the same spyware, so no Microsoft OS is really private. Linux is more secure, but beyond a lot of folks ability to do much with it. It takes a little practice to get to know your way around in it. Plus there are so many different distributions of it. Some easier than others to get around in. I've played with it some, mostly SUSE, Ubuntu, Knoppix, and Red Hat. I always end up back on Windows because its much easier to use. I spent too much time as a Systems guy to want to put a lot of effort into it anymore.

[AJBert]

I've got Win 7 on my laptop and don't see any need to change it. I'm far from a compooter geek and hate when things change on my compooter. My wife has a newer high speed, low drag compooter with Win 8 and I hate that thing. She has figured out to make it work somewhat but still doesn't like it. I'll have to see if I can find a 14 year old that can swap hers over to Win 10.

[JohnR]

I went to Win Ten. Make sure you switch off all the spyware features.

[Barth]

I run Chrome Operating System (OS) on my Chromebook.
The OS updates automatically for free.
Also the SSD (solid-state drive) enables cold start to web in ~8 seconds - LOL! :p
http://sboisse.free.fr/fun/images/no_windows.gif

[O'Dell]

I just built a new system two months ago which is running 8.1. I've tweaked it so that it looks and operates little different from 7 except it's faster, and I like it fine. I've never even seen the 'Metro screen' nor do I plan to do so. It boots straight to the desktop and does so in about 12 seconds. I'm not in a hurry to upgrade that one. However, my three year old Toshiba laptop, running W7, had become clogged with the normal Windows junk, so it was a good candidate for an upgrade to 10.

The process went fine, except I made a mistake. I went for a full new install, which I know now you can't do - I should have done the upgrade first. Although 10 is running well and the speed is fine, I'm now unable to activate, so I'm gonna have a $700 paperweight in about three weeks. I've called MS twice this week, but although the CS rep tried to help, the servers were too busy for him to get in. I'm going to try again about 3:00 am tomorrow morning and maybe we can get some server time.

[b4uqzme]

Windows 7 and 8 are getting upgraded with the same spyware, so no Microsoft OS is really private. Linux is more secure, but beyond a lot of folks ability to do much with it. It takes a little practice to get to know your way around in it. Plus there are so many different distributions of it. Some easier than others to get around in. I've played with it some, mostly SUSE, Ubuntu, Knoppix, and Red Hat. I always end up back on Windows because its much easier to use. I spent too much time as a Systems guy to want to put a lot of effort into it anymore.

Linux...ain't that Charlie Brown's little buddy? You know...with the blanket?

[ltxi]

Did you get an operators manual with the wife?

I've had mine for 30 years come next Saturday and danged if I have if figured out.

Dumb guy at the computer store laughed too, made me feel plumb stoopid he did. Not much better luck at the phone store where the dude with the dinner plate earrings (weird lookin dude) tried to sell me a smart phone! Can you imagine?

Nah....got her/this one out of warranty used. She was only 26 at the time so tires still had a lot of tread left. And she'd had her oil changed regular, so I took a chance.

[OldLincoln]

I have to replace major components in my dead PC and had decided on W7 because I'm used to XP. A friend loaned an old laptop recently upgraded to W10 & Office 2013. I glaze all over looking at W10 and cannot find my way around. How do you get used to such a difference?

[Bob T]

How do you get used to such a difference?

Same way I got used to driving a Ford, after 35 years of driving GMs....Drive the hell out of it....;)

Or maybe I should say, like shooting a Beretta 92, after 35 years of 1911s....:)

[OldFatGuy]

How do you get used to such a difference?

I agree. I first used Windows 3.1. On through the generations, it was basically the same. Then Windows 8, and I said WTF? I have it configured to launch in desktop mode, but there are still things I can't find. I don't do tiles. I still have to push the buttons on my cell phone, no tiles. I'll live out the rest f my days with Linux.

[Dbholfo]

I did the download onto my flash drive and then nstalled it on my 6 year old Dell Studio. It learns quickly and so do I so we've been getting along fine. I like the idea of a dual boot but hadn't ever looked into downloading a copy . It might be the right time. The tech who worked on my SGI Onyx and Octane computers at work 6 years ago had a dual boot laptop with Red Hat Linux and Windows XP. It's a good idea.

[ltxi]

I have to replace major components in my dead PC and had decided on W7 because I'm used to XP. A friend loaned an old laptop recently upgraded to W10 & Office 2013. I glaze all over looking at W10 and cannot find my way around. How do you get used to such a difference?

Well, after all those years of DOS back in the day.....:)

Quite happy with the Win7 GUI but if Win10 is solid, I'll switch. I, without question, skipped 8 and it's band-aid patch solution for keyboard and mouse users, 8.1. Microsoft has been making a habit of screwing things up and then fixing it a generation later....Vista and Win7 and now Win8 and Win 10. As said previously, I'm gonna move from 7 to 10 on my travel laptop come late September and if that doesn't go well I'll be moving to Apple and OSX. Already on Apple's infrastructure for phones and tablets and have had a Mac Mini running for gettin' used to it experimental purposes for about a year and a half now.

[OldFatGuy]

If I had it to do all over again, I'd had been a lifetime Mac guy. I despise MS.

[O'Dell]

If I had it to do all over again, I'd had been a lifetime Mac guy. I despise MS.

I feel the same way...... about APPLE!

[OldFatGuy]

I feel the same way...... about APPLE!

That's funny!! Apple hasn't had the same history of virus infestations like MS.

[Ronni3_J]

Hell im still on XP...and OSX 10 :p

http://jdlautodesign.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Screen-Shot-2015-08-15-at-4.02.57-PM.png

[Armybrat]

My last desktop computer was coal-fired.

[ltxi]

I feel the same way...... about APPLE!

That was me, also, up until about 10 years ago. Then began to relent. Really began softening about five years ago. After the functional demise of BlackBerry drove me to iPhones (MS Mobile platform's a non-starter plus Google is evil and I'll have nothing whatever to do with the Android OS) I've rather quickly become an Apple advocate.

[Baklash]

I like the idea of a dual boot but hadn't ever looked into downloading a copy . It might be the right time. The tech who worked on my SGI Onyx and Octane computers at work 6 years ago had a dual boot laptop with Red Hat Linux and Windows XP. It's a good idea.
I always get dual boots.....one left and one right. They always come that way. Other than that I have no earthly idea what you're talking about.

[O'Dell]

That's funny!! Apple hasn't had the same history of virus infestations like MS.

Only because it's not worth the time of the virus writers to target Apple because so few people use it compared to Windows. As far as viruses on Windows based systems, I don't remember the last time I had a dangerous virus or a malware program and I started with 3.0 - DOS before that. It's not that hard to protect yourself.

My problem with Apple goes back over 25 years when I had a knock-down, drag-out with Steve Jobs at a conference here in Atlanta. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but he was a real jerk. On the other hand, I've always found Bill Gates to be pleasant and accommodating. Never was that fond of Ballmer, though.

[340pd]

If you struggle with the controls of any windows product take a look at this free download. It will take your controls appearance back to whatever version of Windows you like best. http://www.classicshell.net/

As for Windows 10, I will wait for six months or so. At the ever declining prices of desktops it may just make sense to buy one with everything installed. I have had great luck at my local Micro Center store.

If it is not too late, before you jump right in to Windows 10 please consider......

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/bitwise/2015/08/windows_10_privacy_problems_here_s_how_bad_they_ar e_and_how_to_plug_them.html

https://web.mail.comcast.net/service/home/%7E/?auth=co&id=853473&part=2.2

[TheTman]

I like Apple, but the problem with them is you can't build you own computers, and you're stuck buying relatively expensive Apple computers. Many scientists and Artists and Musicians use Apple because it doesn't crash as often as Microsoft systems and as mentioned doesn't get near the virus activity. I haven't ever bought a computer, I've always built my own. That way I know I'm getting fully compatible parts.

[gunmut]

Gave the Apple/Mac a try a few years ago, didn't work for me. If you need to interface in the business world with others, MS and office has you by the short hairs.

[OldLincoln]

Based on the "wear it down till you understand it" concept, I spent all day yesterday on the borrowed laptop with W10. It is very different and still a big challenge but I am able to get by as a novice beginner. My biggest challenge is not have a file manager worth a hang. This one tries to out think me instead of showing me the friggin files. Now I'm thinkin it's a bloody liberal system hiding the truth behind glitz and glamour knowing what's best for me. If I can find a good file manager app for it I'll be okay after a couple months.

[Bawanna]

I just love it when Old Lincoln starts a cussing. Makes my day.

You guys are so smart, I'm plumb envious. I wouldn't know a file manager from a produce manager.

[Longitude Zero]

Should you upgrade? I would at least download a copy and burn a disk of it while it's being offered free. If you have Windows 7 and are using a desktop, and hate change, I'd probably not update. If I had a desktop with Windows 8, I think I would definitely do the update. There isn't anything I really hate about Windows 10 so far. It's close enough to Windows 7 that I can find everything ok. IF the upgrade goes well, you won't lose any of your documents or pictures or anything, but you should probably back them up just in case before doing the upgrade.

Agreed. Sans a touch screen I would not upgrade.

[OldFatGuy]

I did a little reading about upgrading on a dual boot machine, and people that have used Windows Media Installation Tool didn't have any problems. So I downloaded it and it immediately gave me an error and said I needed to update my Windows 10! Then I discovered a little window hiding in the background that had 2 options, install new or upgrade this windows. So I upgraded, it took some time but it upgraded without incident. My dual boot in still intact. I think Windows 10 isn't bad, but it's slower than Linux. If I had a faster machine, I would probably use it.

[O'Dell]

I did a little reading about upgrading on a dual boot machine, and people that have used Windows Media Installation Tool didn't have any problems. So I downloaded it and it immediately gave me an error and said I needed to update my Windows 10! Then I discovered a little window hiding in the background that had 2 options, install new or upgrade this windows. So I upgraded, it took some time but it upgraded without incident. My dual boot in still intact. I think Windows 10 isn't bad, but it's slower than Linux. If I had a faster machine, I would probably use it.

That's the mistake I made - I installed new. I was in a hurry and missed the message, although I should have known better. I had already read that the upgrade has to be installed first. Oh well, I paid for my mistake with time spent correcting the error.

[TennSCN]

I did my first Win-10 upgrade on a tablet yesterday. I did the upgrade then left it plugged in and running so it can catch up on the updates for a day. I'll get back to it in a few days, run the updates again then see what its about.

Something I read was, take your time during the process. Read the install screens, then read the setup screens. Many of the 'spy features' can be switched off at initial setup if desired. For those wanting a 'clean install' during the upgrade process:, it will do it if you know where to look.

Write all files you want to keep over to another drive. Start the upgrade and select, "Upgrade this PC"

At this screen, click the "Change what to keep" link, which:
http://www.kahrtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12893&stc=1

takes you to this selection:
http://www.kahrtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12894&stc=1

Here, you can keep all files and apps (upgrade), files only (migrate) or nothing (clean install). Continue with the upgrade process and setup; this will register your original key with Microsoft as an upgrade.

Since I build my own machines, I will take this 'clean install' path on my desktop after I replace the MB and CPU which is overdue several generations. BTW, Microsoft says this upgrade is only good for the 'life of the installed machine'.

Hope it helps someone...