Windows 10 Benefits: 2 PCs, Upgrading from Win 7

In summary: Activation means you have to pay a fee to Microsoft in order to use the full features of the operating system.
  • #106
HAYAO said:
the automatic update cannot be disabled.

Yes it can. Though I had to choose option #2 as #5 wasn't working for me.
 
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  • #107
Evo said:
For example, they changed the calculator, you have no choice, the new one is dreadful, they could at least give you a choice, stay with the old user friendly one or change to the new one, which some people like.
Yeah, the new calculator is just terrible. Do they not know that people might actually want a calculator that is useful? I can't imagine what they were thinking.
 
  • #108
WIN 10 is more then safety
 
  • #109
mathman said:
I have 2 pc's (desktop and notebook), both on Windows 7. What would I gain (or lose) by switching to Windows 10?
You would get a brilliant Free Mail app, a fast browser, more adapted version of Skype, and a brand new App Store to name a few things.
Don't upgrade if your computer is fairly slow.
Havn't noticed anything bad about it yet even though i have had it for nearly a year.
 
  • #110
i-like-maths said:
You would get a brilliant Free Mail app, a fast browser, more adapted version of Skype, and a brand new App Store to name a few things.
Don't upgrade if your computer is fairly slow.
Havn't noticed anything bad about it yet even though i have had it for nearly a year.
You obviously haven't been reading this thread. Most of us think Win 10 sucks.
 
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  • #111
phinds said:
You obviously haven't been reading this thread. Most of us think Win 10 sucks.
I didn't know we weren't allowed to have our own opinion. Is «Win 10 sucks» considered a «mainstream theory» per PF rules that cannot be challenged? o_O:smile:
 
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  • #112
Since Istarted this line of inquiry, I would like to voice my experience, having gotten past the learning curve. I don't use Cortana or edge. Windows explorer is different - better? In general, the transition from Windows 7 seemed pointless. One minor nuisance, updates are automatically installed.
 
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  • #113
mathman said:
One minor nuisance, updates are automatically installed.
According to post 106, it looks like you can get around that.
 
  • #114
jack action said:
I didn't know we weren't allowed to have our own opinion. Is «Win 10 sucks» considered a «mainstream theory» per PF rules that cannot be challenged? o_O:smile:
Well, you can challenge it, but you would be wrong :oldlaugh:
 
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  • #115
phinds said:
Well, you can challenge it, but you would be wrong
"Big Brother is watching you!"
George Orwell: 1984.
 
  • #116
phinds said:
You obviously haven't been reading this thread. Most of us think Win 10 sucks.
It does depend on what sort of Computer it is you have upgraded.
I have got a fairly recent PC and works well in most ways
 
  • #117
mathman said:
Since Istarted this line of inquiry, I would like to voice my experience, having gotten past the learning curve. I don't use Cortana or edge. Windows explorer is different - better? In general, the transition from Windows 7 seemed pointless. One minor nuisance, updates are automatically installed.
Just out of interest, why don't you use Cortana or Edge?
 
  • #118
i-like-maths said:
Just out of interest, why don't you use Cortana or Edge?
Cortana - I am not sure what it is for.
Edge - I use a browser (Avant) which was designed originally as a front end for IE. Later development included a capability to switch among IE, Firefox, or Chrome without getting out of the browser. It has worked well for me so I see no reason to change.
 
  • #119
I find Edge to be less cluttered but also with the pieces of settings far less easy to find, so I use usually Chrome or Firefox.

Cortana is not helpful. If I want to search the internet for something I want a web browser. If I want to search for something on the computer, I found a way to turn off some setting in Cortana and use the textbox of Search to find what I want ( a file or a program). Otherwise, Windows 10 is mostly good, much like Vista or XP.
 
  • #120
symbolipoint said:
Cortana is not helpful.
I think it's worse than just "not helpful". It's stupid and annoying. That was one of the first things I got rid of (turned off ... you CAN'T actually get rid of it, which I also find obnoxious)
 
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  • #121
phinds said:
It's stupid and annoying.
I feel she insults my intelligence, meager as it is.
 
  • #122
I don't use Cortana - I am not sure what to do with it. I never turned it off or got rid of it because it seems to be ignorable.
 
  • #123
Now what? It seems to be doing more "up-chucking" right in the middle of the election.
 
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  • #124
jack action said:
Is «Win 10 sucks» considered a «mainstream theory»

I have not seen any published peer reviewed articles supporting or refuting that so it my be off limits to discuss it in any capacity.

BoB
 
  • #125
I've just briefly scanned this entire thread again. A couple of things bear repeating:

1) You can completely restore the Windows 7 interface (while running Win10) by buying the $3 StartIsBack utility. It just works. From time to time, you will be prompted to update StartIsBack, and if you do so, you're interface will remain stable.

2) You need to run Windows 10 Professional (and not Home Edition) so that you have control over WHEN (but no IF) Windows will update itself.

3) Newly acquired Windows 10 PC's appear to run slow because they are downloading a lot of updates in the background. After about 3 days, it gets all the updates, and the PC runs fast again. This is unavoidable, annoying but necessary. By this obnoxious means, Microsoft has defeated those people who refused to get their updates in the past.

4) You won't need to run anti-virus on Win10, but instead you can just use Windows Defender, and once in a while, you'll need to let AntiMalWareBytes run (modest cost) to clean the crud out of your browsers.

5) Windows 10 is stable, does not crash, and fairly secure. Privacy issues can be overcome with reasonable diligence concerning use of a local account and turning off tracking per advice on various websites.

6) Most older software can be persuaded to run on Windows 10. Private message me if you want a list of tips on how to make this happen.

I've been running Win10 on many machines from its advent, some with the StartIsBack utility, and some without. I've only had one older laptop refuse to upgrade, and I never found out why--my theory is, some old hardware inside it. I've had very few problems with it, compared with all previous versions of Windows.
 
  • #126
One disadvantage of Windows 10 affects older cd protected based games that use Safedisc or Securom via a special driver called secdrv.sys. Windows 10 deleted this driver, considering it a security risk. Windows 7/8 by default disables secdrv.sys, but it can be enabled on those systems. Some people are dual booting between Win 7 / Win 10 to deal with issues like this, but this requires purchasing Win 10 ( as opposed to upgrading from Win 7/8) and installing on a separate partition, on perhaps a second hard drive.
 
  • #127
Windows explorer:

Windows 7 - user can modify details
Windows 10 - user cannot modify details? (if modify possible - how?)
 
  • #128
mathman said:
(if modify possible - how?)

Right click on any of the column headers. Select the columns you want. Press More... for well more.

BoB
 
  • #129
rbelli1 said:
Right click on any of the column headers. Select the columns you want. Press More... for well more.

BoB

Should look something like these two grabs... or is this what you mean, BoB ?

Add colums.JPG

Add colums(1).JPG
 
  • #131
symbolipoint said:
OCR, thanks for that.
You're welcome...
 
  • #132
rbelli1 said:
Right click on any of the column headers. Select the columns you want. Press More... for well more.

BoB
It works. Why did they make it so obscure in Windows 10? How did you know what to do?
 
  • #133
It is also in View->Add Columns.

It is common to right click on something when you want more stuff related to what you are right clicking on. Try it all over all of your apps. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

BoB
 
  • #134
rbelli1 said:
Right click on any of the column headers. Select the columns you want. Press More... for well more.

BoB
mathman said:
It works. Why did they make it so obscure in Windows 10? How did you know what to do?
That ribbon appearance throws some heads around. Open File Explorer; Open the View tab; go to the Current View section of this tab; click on Add Columns...; a menu opens; click on Choose Columns. There you have what to make the selections what categories you want to display.
 
  • #135
I tend to stick with old windows (when I use it, eg iphone support in linux is problematic.) I don't play games so that's not an issue,Linux: plenty of good printer support, seldom videos are a problem. Great graphics, office etc programs in Linux. Never had a problem with viruses. I think I got nuked once or twice but as I don't use root or accept any changes, all problems are simply solved with a reboot. (I use Zorin atm, a ubuntu derivative). I hung on to win3.1 till w95 got to win95c then waited and switched to win98se, then xp, xp pro and there for many years till win7 where I stay till win10 is old and maybe later iterations are worth thinking about.

Apparently this website describes how to successfully disable win10 auto updates. https://4sysops.com/archives/disable-windows-10-update-in-the-registry-and-with-powershell/ personally I think the best way to stop it is not to use it.

edit add: to protect win7 or win8.1 systems use "Never10" ( https://www.grc.com/never10.htm ) from grc.com
 
Last edited:
  • #136
I would be happy to understand and know how to use the EUFI & BIOS menu and to be able to get the Boot Device Manager, without needing to first enter Windows and do all those crazy button combination clicks and restarts.
 
  • #137
My work computer got hit by the Windows 10 virus yesterday. First impression - It really sucks. So many unnecessarily changed applications and settings. Now I have a desktop version of a tablet.
 
  • #138
Borg said:
My work computer got hit by the Windows 10 virus yesterday. First impression - It really sucks. So many unnecessarily changed applications and settings
Oh, wait for it ... it gets worse once you start to realize how badly you've really been screwed.
 
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  • #139
phinds said:
Oh, wait for it ... it gets worse once you start to realize how badly you've really been screwed.
It's nice to have something to look forward to. :oldeyes: :oldruck:
 
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  • #140
Wow it's been over two years already?

Win10 is misnamed , it should be called "Peeping Tom" .

i bought a new hard drive
took it and my Win7 disk to local shop, instructed them
"Fix this drive so it's Win7 and Win10 can NEVER even peer in let alone get a toehold , then put it into this laptop."

About six months ago a Win7 update undid my Synaptics Touchpad Driver but i was able to reinstall it. So now i disallow updates.

been pretty happy with it., otherwise .
 

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