Windows 10 - free upgrade to those with PC using Windows 7 or 8

[danwdoo]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Then it's pretty useless for me. I currently use Windows Classic theme because it changes colors everywhere - I have seen screen prints that show Classic theme settings under themes. Does this work the same as the old Classic theme?
Attachment 140694

I never used it in the past so can't speak to it. Perhaps someone else has and can comment.

[theducks]

If you Windows 7 (and up) users have not discovered it, there is a MS theme available (click Get Themes)

The Beauty of Books

[kacir]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

What exactly was objectively wrong with Windows 8?

A LOT of things.
I am used to various different user interfaces, having used all versions of Windows, some commercial Unix-like systems, FreeBSD and various desktop environments on several Linux distributions (from twm, various tilled window managers, various fast and low-feature window managers to various generations of KDE and Gnome). *None* of those ever pissed me off as much as Windows 8 did. Metro interface, having to go through "charms" to configure simpe things. Jarring switching between metro and non-metro interface, having to install hacks to get simple things like proper start menu ...
I had to Google (!!!) how to switch off computer using mouse. Couldn't find it in two days. I know ... I could have googled it up in two minutes, I wanted to know how long it would take me to find out.
One of things that was bothering me was ugly angular windows decorations that couldn't be changed, another was the highly in-intuitive user interface in the Internet Expolrer that started in Metro mode by default ... .
The main thing was that the metro interface was rammed down our collective throats because Microsoft needed to push their agenda in mobile computing.

I have purchased this notebook almost three years ago with Windows 8 pre-installed. After several weeks of use I updated the windows to Mint Linux - that was the original plan, I just wanted to make myself familiar with Windows 8, because I expected that many users that I support would be using that sooner or later.

My original plan was to install Linux as the main system and the legal Windows 8 that came with the notebook to the Wirtual machine. I disliked the W8 so much, I didn't bother. The serial number is baked into BIOS and there is no sticker at the bottom of the computer. And it requires UEFI ...

Recently I retrieved the serial number from the BIOS (*) and I am going to try to set up Windows 10 in a virtual machine on this computer. In the last two and a half years I have updated RAM and slow spinning disk to SSD so it should have enough horsepower to run Windows 10.

At work I am going to wait with update from Windows 7 for at least half a year. It is a work tool and I need to be sure what to expect after update. I will probably use the opportunity to ask for a new SSD, so I can have a spare disk with running system to swap in case I run into problems.

(*)

it is in [virtual] file /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM

[Josieb1]

I've just bought a Surface 3. I assume I have to live with W8 until I can get W10 and I need to reserve it. Is there a way I can get it quicker than just waiting?

Also I need to put Norton Internet Security on it so do I need to disable it or uninstall it when I finally get W10 before it installs?

Any help and advice on the best way of setting it up would be appreciated.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I've just bought a Surface 3. I assume I have to live with W8 until I can get W10 and I need to reserve it. Is there a way I can get it quicker than just waiting?

Also I need to put Norton Internet Security on it so do I need to disable it or uninstall it when I finally get W10 before it installs?

Any help and advice on the best way of setting it up would be appreciated.

Yes, see above....download the windows media creation tool and either create installation media (DVD or USB) or install in place on your machine.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

It doesn't actually do anything unless you go out of your way to tell it to.
That's what's so funny about the handwringing.

The new default is the same as the old default.

Wrong. The new default tells my pc to "share" the updates I downloaded with others. That was not the default in Windows 7.

Originally Posted by John F

I just upgraded and it went nice and smooth, except...

I unchecked all the options for "sharing" (my location, my contacts, ...), and the first time Edge comes with MobileRead I get a local ad.

I noticed that too. Google insists on going to the Dutch version even though I have an English version of Windows and I have all my location information off. I wonder how Google knows I have my settings in Dutch...

Originally Posted by crane3

YouTube does the same thing, but there's an option to not use one's location for the Ads/recommendations.

However, you need to check how your windows update is being done. Click notification icon on the tray bar; select "all settings";
click on "update & security, windows update, recovery, backup"; select "advanced options"; select "choose how updates are delivered". Then get shocked!!! on what the default is!

Suggest one do the turn off of "updates from more than one place". You can leave the get/send updates to the PCs on your local network if you feel safe. BUT do turn off the get/send updates to PCs on the internet!

I turned off everything as it is a nice way to get viruses/trojans/etc even from m$ or more likely, other PCs on the internet.

Spotted this on the win10 newsgroup & something I wouldn't think of doing/checking; VERY SNEAKY like a torrant based file xfers.

Indeed! Another thing where I think: what has MS been smoking to think about this... (together with the default "let's all share wifi passwords with everybody", time to never ever give out our wifi passwords to anybody anymore, you never know with who they'll share it...)

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

For those who can't stand the bright white title bars on windows with Win 10, there's a method to colour them according to your tastes again. I don't know what MS were thinking making those plain white.

http://www.windowscentral.com/replac...0-colors-theme

The idea is that developers can colour those title bars. But if they haven't, it'll revert to white. Why not let it revert to the colour of your choice?

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

Also, a word of caution for those that rely on OneDrive storage.

The OneDrive client on Win 10 breaks a feature that many people rely on - local place-holders for online-only files.

Previously one could mark selected files and folders as online-only, which would remove those files from local storage (freeing up room on your local storage), leave them stored on the cloud, and also leave place-holders on the PC so you could locally browse the entire contents of your OneDrive. Win 10 breaks that simple functionality I hope they bring it back soon.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/testers...onedrive-sync/

This is an old article from 2014, but I can confirm that the issue still persists.

One thing I noticed about OneDrive in Windows 10: it looks and works exactly like on Windows 7. It's almost as if the Windows 8 version never existed...

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Wrong. The new default tells my pc to "share" the updates I downloaded with others. That was not the default in Windows 7.

...

Different subject.
You are referring to the torrent-style update delivery protocol.

The article I linked is about sharing your home wifi without having to openly share the key. Which can't happen unless and until you open up the network for sharing.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

Of course Win 8 had a start screen. Just because it occupied an entire screen instead of a small portion of it doesn't not make it the same thing. It had all the features of the Win 7 start menu. What was it missing? What is it that one could accomplish with the start menu that they couldn't accomplish with the start screen?

Gadgets are not a deal breaker. That's like claiming that the KePub renderer on the kobo is significantly superior to the ePub renderer since the former allows for a graphical representation of chapters. Does that make the kePub renderer the Win 10/Win 7 to the ePub renderer's Win 8 then? At least one could (I assume) add gadgets to Win 8 from other sources. One can't add chapter graphs to the ePub renderer.

It's NOT the same at all. It's NOT a start menu. It doesn't function the same. How is it the same as the Windows 7 start menu?

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by Apache

Favorites Bar, among others.
Apache

Select More actions (…) on the address bar, then Settings.

Turn on Show favorites bar. 

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by Jack Torrance

Pretty sure there are Millions of people including MS brass that would disagree with that statement. I can only recall about 4 people saying they liked 8.

Just sayin...

Well, here I am! I had NO problems with 8 or 8.1.

Now I have to get used to 10. So how long before I have to get used to something else? That is my real question right now. A decade, or two, sounds real good right about now...

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yes, see above....download the windows media creation tool and either create installation media (DVD or USB) or install in place on your machine.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

Thank you. I'm doing this now before I load anything onto the Surface.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

Select More actions (…) on the address bar, then Settings.

Turn on Show favorites bar. 

Thank you.
Apache

[murg]

Originally Posted by John F

And let the questions begin...

Is there a way I can go straight to the login window when starting the computer; it currently shows a background image (and the date) and I have to click before the login screen appears.

Thanks.

This is vague memory...

Do a Google search for something like: Windows Automatic Login

There's a registry entry for something like: login2

I remember the '2' bit.

[Jack Torrance]

Originally Posted by Ravensknight

Well, here I am! I had NO problems with 8 or 8.1.

But did you like it?

[DustyDisks]

There IS a way to automatically log in to the desk top!

Has to do with local networking, posting on my tablet now, later if needed I will post a link to the how to do it!


Edit:

Ok

Find the run command and enter "CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2" and enter.

Uncheck the box at the top that says 'users must use a name and password' and then click apply at the bottom right of the pop up box, then exit.

That should allow you to boot without needing to use a password as long as you are using a local account. If you use the microsoft account to log in you will need to go through the logging in rigmarole.