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

[fjtorres]

The first major update to Win10,Threshold 2, is now live and moving through windows update:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microso...tag=TRE17cfd61


For those that haven't yet upgraded, the new isos are available through the usual sources (media creation tool, etc):

https://mobile.twitter.com/stebets/s...11794331009024

November update includes a number of updates to Cortana, Microsoft's Edge browser, and other Windows 10 interface elements. It also includes support for the Windows 10 Store for Business and the bulk of the management pieces required by business users who may want to take advantage of Microsoft's Windows Update for Business service.

The November update does not include support for extensions to Microsoft's Edge browser, nor support for Enterprise Data Protection, a promised data-leak-prevention technology for Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education users. The November update also enables Windows 10 Enterprise users whose PCs are on the Long Term Servicing Branch to completely turn off the telemetry-gathering technology in Windows 10, though Microsoft officials note that doing so means the operating system will basically be no longer connected to the cloud.

More at the source.
No word yet on whether this includes the planned memory compression feature for small memory devices (aka, dirt-cheap 1GB tablets).

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by afbee

I wonder why a thread about a free windows upgrade becomes about linux vs windows. (by the way, it sounds as if your 16bit programs doesn't run under linux too and you use there a vm. So what...) - This spammer has been banned for going in and inserting a site to his now deleted post. He has the same site in all three posts - MODERATOR]

Who are you responding to?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by afbee

I wonder why a thread about a free windows upgrade becomes about linux vs windows. (by the way, it sounds as if your 16bit programs doesn't run under linux too and you use there a vm. So what...)

because you have 3 posts.

[wodin]

It sounds like she/he was paging through the thread and responded to the brouhaha of a couple of months ago. Don't worry afbee, the subject was well and good put to bed thanks to our intrepid moderators.

[Blossom]

Is there a way to get Windows 10 not install drivers?

My laptop has its own custom drivers released by Samsung. Windows took it upon itself to update my video drivers.

I opened my laptop to be blinded by full intense default brightness. It took me about 20 minutes to figure out that the reason my brightness controls no longer works was because of the update. I rolled back the driver and all was well. A couple days later Samsung released the modified version which works great. So I like to keep my eyes from going through that again. Thanks

[Katsunami]

Microsoft probably thinks people are too stupid to handle something like that. They have removed the feature to block and hide updates. You now need to download a tool to do this.

Tutorial, Updates & Drivers

The internet knows everything...

If there is one thing about Windows 8.x and 10 which I positively hate, then it is the removal and/or simplification of quite a lot of features. Windows 7 (and even Vista and XP) can do things that Windows 8.x and 10 can't.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

If there is one thing about Windows 8.x and 10 which I positively hate, then it is the removal and/or simplification of quite a lot of features. Windows 7 (and even Vista and XP) can do things that Windows 8.x and 10 can't.

Can you give some examples?

[Katsunami]

1. Disabling and/or refusing updates.
2. Setting the font for the user interface. Locked at Segoe UI (if not using tricks).
3. Aero has been removed.
4. Using colors is (mostly) removed
5. Windows 8.x removed drop shadows, making the OS as flat as paper, which makes it almost unworkable for me (Windows 10 re-introduced drop shadows again)
6. Menu removed, replaced by the ribbon, which can't have it's font sizes changed and which changes layout when the window resizes.
7. Classic mode is removed. Some people like that mode, or actually require it because one could set colors for almost every element.
8. Internet Explorer is dropped and stated to be legacy in favor of Edge. Internet Explorer has a LOT more options though.
9. Removed privacy. (Or more accurately: Added large amount of privacy-infringing stuff when using the default settings. Even disabling everything doesn't disable all of the data transmission.)
10. More (Windows 8), and even more (Windows 10)

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Microsoft probably thinks people are too stupid to handle something like that. They have removed the feature to block and hide updates. You now need to download a tool to do this.

Tutorial, Updates & Drivers

The internet knows everything...

If there is one thing about Windows 8.x and 10 which I positively hate, then it is the removal and/or simplification of quite a lot of features. Windows 7 (and even Vista and XP) can do things that Windows 8.x and 10 can't.

You only need this toolbar if you don't have a pro version, right? I read that pro allows you to do this.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

1. Disabling and/or refusing updates.
2. Setting the font for the user interface. Locked at Segoe UI (if not using tricks).
3. Aero has been removed.
4. Using colors is (mostly) removed
5. Windows 8.x removed drop shadows, making the OS as flat as paper, which makes it almost unworkable for me (Windows 10 re-introduced drop shadows again)
6. Menu removed, replaced by the ribbon, which can't have it's font sizes changed and which changes layout when the window resizes.
7. Classic mode is removed. Some people like that mode, or actually require it because one could set colors for almost every element.
8. Internet Explorer is dropped and stated to be legacy in favor of Edge. Internet Explorer has a LOT more options though.
9. Removed privacy. (Or more accurately: Added large amount of privacy-infringing stuff when using the default settings. Even disabling everything doesn't disable all of the data transmission.)
10. More (Windows 8), and even more (Windows 10)

Microsoft hates accessibility now.

[Katsunami]

The Pro version can defer updates for some time, but AFAIK, it won't permanently block them.

Defer (delay) updates

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

1. Disabling and/or refusing updates.
2. Setting the font for the user interface. Locked at Segoe UI (if not using tricks).
3. Aero has been removed.
4. Using colors is (mostly) removed
5. Windows 8.x removed drop shadows, making the OS as flat as paper, which makes it almost unworkable for me (Windows 10 re-introduced drop shadows again)
6. Menu removed, replaced by the ribbon, which can't have it's font sizes changed and which changes layout when the window resizes.
7. Classic mode is removed. Some people like that mode, or actually require it because one could set colors for almost every element.
8. Internet Explorer is dropped and stated to be legacy in favor of Edge. Internet Explorer has a LOT more options though.
9. Removed privacy. (Or more accurately: Added large amount of privacy-infringing stuff when using the default settings. Even disabling everything doesn't disable all of the data transmission.)
10. More (Windows 8), and even more (Windows 10)

and don't forget they took away Windows Media Center. This is the one thing I'm truly pissed about. All other changes are fine AFAIC

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Microsoft hates accessibility now.

Not only that, but they now use a lot of different font sizes. They are all over the place. Look at the attachment. The difference in font sizes is ridiculous.

My eyesight is poor, and the right hand window is very hard for me to read. I can't put the scaling at 125% though, because of windows on the left. Their fonts will become unworkably huge.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Not only that, but they now use a lot of different font sizes. They are all over the place. Look at the attachment. The difference in font sizes is ridiculous.

My eyesight is poor, and the right hand window is very hard for me to read. I can't put the scaling at 125% though, because of windows on the left. Their fonts will become unworkably huge.

It's too bad they don't have xposed framework for Win 10. I had that problem with my Samsung Tab S 8.4 and the app settings module allows you to change the dpi by module.

[rcentros]

According to this article -- and quotes from a Microsoft spokesman in it -- Windows 10 "upgrades" will eventually be mandatory for Windows 7 and 8.x users (though "rollbacks" will be allowed in the first 31 days). You know how well "rollbacks" work in Windows, right?

From the article ...

The drive to build on the more than 110-million devices running Windows 10 has prompted Microsoft to make changes that will mean that Windows 10 will automatically begin installing on most Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 machines from next year.

Users will still need to confirm the installation manually for it to continue. If they choose not to proceed, Korst said "the customer will have the ability to delay it for some period".

He was unable to clarify how long users would be able to delay the upgrade for but added that people who didn't like Windows 10 would be able to roll back to their previous OS within 31 days.

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/...ays-microsoft/

This doesn't affect me personally, but it could affect my wife (she uses Windows 7 on her desktop and laptop). I noticed files in her update list (that were previously hidden) are now showing up again. (I turned off automatic updates specifically because of this issue, but I'm not convinced Microsoft won't try to force the "upgrade" on her anyhow.)