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

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by markbot

I force installed Windows 10 the other day. So far I think it's a worthy upgrade, especially since it's free. I actually liked Windows 8 with the Metro interface. A lot of people hated it though. The new Windows 10 UI deploys metro even better and old Windows users will appreciate the return of the start menu.

Power users will like Windows 10 even more though. The new Edge browser is WAAAAYYYY more secure than Internet Explorer...and probably more secure than Chrome or Firefox because it's a Windows Store app that is containerized...each webpage that is rendered is in a separate container and is thus isolated from the operating system, etc. Hence, hackers can't execute code on your computer through the web browser anymore...or it's a lot harder. DirectX 12 is supposed to be a game changer for PC games...PC gamers are an influential group so if MSFT can get them on board, the OS will probably be a success. As a PC gamer myself, I really have to move to Windows 10 for DirectX 12, which is supposed to make the CPU usage a lot more efficient, etc.

Sandboxing isn't new, it won't stay secure. I think the biggest difference in the new browser is simply that they removed a lot of legacy IE cruft that was needed for legacy apps, enterprise, etc. Including Java support.

http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs...icrosoft-edge/

Ejecting things like BHOs, toolbars, and Java will help, at least in the short term.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's nice that Windows 10 combines the best features of both: the hierarchical structure of the Windows 7 "Start" menu with the live tiles of the Windows 8 Metro screen. Everyone should be happy .

I don't agree with this. Or only partly so. The hierarchical structure of Windows 7 is not there. Windows 7 had two parts in its start menu (not counting the right side). The top was the applications you always wanted visible, the bottom the applications you started recently (or regularly, I never figured out which of the two )

In Windows 10, I don't care for the live tiles, but there is simply no way to make a hierarchical structure of the applications I always want visible.

After playing around with two different virtual machines, I decided I'll keep my Windows 7 for now. At least until I have to upgrade because my machine slows down to a crawl (not eligible for a free upgrade anyway, so no hurry either).

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You cannot have groups on Windows 8. You can on Windows 7. The Windows 7 start menu allows groups. So you could group all of your Office programs, group all your Adobe programs. Group whatever you want. Windows 8, no groups.

Big difference and so there is no way you can say Windows 8 had all of the functionality of Windows 7.

You can use groups on Windows 8. http://tweaks.com/windows/58183/how-...-start-screen/

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by danwdoo

It is possible a one off app long ago could have done something this hair-brained, but I don't believe this influenced Microsoft's naming decision in the least. This is especially true since an app that clearly didn't follow any MS programming guidelines back then would have long ago become incompatible with any modern versions of Windows for a hundred other potential reasons. Poorly written apps are always the first to run into compatibility issues with newer versions of Windows because of the fact that they are so poorly written.

Java, misused everywhere by everything
getProperty("os.name")
Used to find the OS you are using Mac/Linux/Windows etc
Does return a string "Windows 95" etc
Still used now.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Java, misused everywhere by everything
getProperty("os.name")
Used to find the OS you are using Mac/Linux/Windows etc
Does return a string "Windows 95" etc
Still used now.

Yep.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Me too, and from what I see more and more are finding the same. In fact after using Windows 8's Start screen for a couple of years now I have recently had to do some work with Windows 7 machines owned by others; the experience has made me realise just how much faster and slicker it is using and setting up the Start Screen rather than the Windows 7 Start Menu.

I think the key is in spending some time in understanding how to set it up with just the applications and tools one most uses and arranging them on it into named groups most convenient for oneself. If not it is easy after first installing Windows 8 (and now Windows 10 if one elects to use Tablet mode on a PC) to look at the Start screen covered in tiles for all sorts of social and other unwanted Apps and wonder what the hell it is one has struck. First thing I did was delete everything off it and just put on and grouped the applications and tools that I wanted.

We use Tablet Mode now with Windows 10 on all our own PCs.

About the only thing I have to rethink with Windows 10 is the fact that Edge does not yet support RSS feeds. So I am still tossing up whether to stick with IE11 for a while or use a dedicated RSS feed application (none of the Apps in the Store seem to suit our purpose).

If you set up the start menu like you set up the start screen, isn't the start menu easy to use as well? Is there something on the start screen easier to use than a properly set up start menu? I know most people don't set up the start menu, and using it as is is a pain.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Java, misused everywhere by everything
getProperty("os.name")
Used to find the OS you are using Mac/Linux/Windows etc
Does return a string "Windows 95" etc
Still used now.

This was alluded to here (by me) and explicitly mentioned in the other thread.
The question is not if the methods exist to theoretically
do what the article claims, it's whether they've actually been so often misused that way as to still matter to anyone, and if MS would rename it's OS because if it.
And for the absence of any sensible argument or contrary evidence, the answers to the questions appear to be "no" and "no"
If you run in to an important Java app that would fail for this reason, let us know. We'll patch the byte code so you'll be safe when Windows 90 comes out...

[danwdoo]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

You can use groups on Windows 8. http://tweaks.com/windows/58183/how-...-start-screen/

The "grouping" he was referring to in Windows 7 was clearly folders, which is nothing like the "grouping" you are referring to in Windows 8. In Windows 7, you could put lesser used programs (or even folders) in parent folders to keep them out of the way of the apps you use more often. Groups in Windows 8 don't offer anything resembling that. Every group you add to the Windows 8 start screen actually makes the start screen use more space, which is the exact opposite of folders in Windows 7.

[fjtorres]

Prefer the Windows 7 menu?
Free solution: Classic Shell for Windows 10
http://www.intowindows.com/classic-s...or-windows-10/

[DustyDisks]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Prefer the Windows 7 menu?
Free solution: Classic Shell for Windows 10
http://www.intowindows.com/classic-s...or-windows-10/

I would advise to maybe not try this for now! I installed the shell and it did work. But in figuring out how to toggle between the shell and the new, my win 10 setup crashed.

On boot quick welcome screen then nothing, even the HD would quit.

Right now I am restoring from a win 10 image that I pulled right after win 10 installed.

Side note, win 10 messes with the BIOS. Had to jump through hoops to get my F2 key at boot to go to the BIOS screen!

Just a word of caution !

Charles H.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by DustyDisks

I would advise to maybe not try this for now! I installed the shell and it did work. But in figuring out how to toggle between the shell and the new, my win 10 setup crashed.

On boot quick welcome screen then nothing, even the HD would quit.

Right now I am restoring from a win 10 image that I pulled right after win 10 installed.

Side note, win 10 messes with the BIOS. Had to jump through hoops to get my F2 key at boot to go to the BIOS screen!

Just a word of caution !

Charles H.

What hardware?

I have not installed Windows 10 on any of my computers, but I do plan to. I wonder if anyone who knows more about this sort of thing would comment on the points raised in this article?:

Microsoft’s Windows 10 is a privacy nightmare. Here’s how to protect yourself.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

I have not installed Windows 10 on any of my computers, but I do plan to. I wonder if anyone who knows more about this sort of thing would comment on the points raised in this article?:

Microsoft’s Windows 10 is a privacy nightmare. Here’s how to protect yourself.

I'm no expert, but I did turn everything off when I installed. I don't see it as being much more intrusive than what Google, Apple, Facebook or Twitter are doing. You've got to watch them all the time these days.

One thing (somewhat like google) is that if you disable the location/privacy items the Cortana assistant will not function. That's okay with me.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by DustyDisks

I would advise to maybe not try this for now! I installed the shell and it did work. But in figuring out how to toggle between the shell and the new, my win 10 setup crashed.

On boot quick welcome screen then nothing, even the HD would quit.

Right now I am restoring from a win 10 image that I pulled right after win 10 installed.

Side note, win 10 messes with the BIOS. Had to jump through hoops to get my F2 key at boot to go to the BIOS screen!

Just a word of caution !

Charles H.

How did you create the image? With utility software. I didn't see any option to create backup disks as part of the install or in the recovery setup options.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by kennyc

You've got to watch them all the time these days.

And/or accept the fact that there is no privacy for data you connect to the Internet, and learn to ditch the paranoia and false sense of entitlement.

News flash, folks: The NSA is not after you.
(And if they are, you know why, and you're not relying on a some company's marketing policies to keep your privacy.)

And, really, forces like MS and Google, and even my arch-nemesis Facebook, are going to do nothing with your information other than try to sell you stuff more effectively. This should be the least of your worries.