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

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

What I do mind is installing the operating system, and then having to read a 12 page how-to to get the laptop's hotkeys working, then another 10 pages on how Bumblebee/Primus should be installed (Bumblebee or Primus? Optirun or Primusrun?) Then, installing CUPS and my three printers (even though they have Linux drivers, it's still a pain in the butt... especially the labelprinter, because it would need Wine to run the dedicated software).

You've had a lot more trouble with printers than I have. Two Brother laser printers (color and monochrome with scanner) in our house plus an HP Inkjet. The HP worked "out of box" -- the two Brothers required downloading and installing their Linux drivers. Each took about five minutes (both on the network).

[Atunah]

The last batch of pages are pretty much all gibberish to me. Non computer person here.

I already had used 10 as i had a netbook that was either 7 or 8 when I got it, can't recall now. But I updated it first last year. I didn't like 8, but I like 10.

Now I have a new netbook I just got and it came with 10 already.

For my old frankenstein desktop, I waited until yesterday. It was running 7.
Its old and had pretty much most parts replaced at some point. Not me obviously, my husband does that stuff. . But I have a really old scanner hooked up that didn't even have proper drivers for 7, but somehow he got it to work. Printer is a bit old too. Everything still works fine after update, which was a nice thing. A few driver issues which I can update myself. My monitor is also pretty old and there was some thingie going on with the video card I think?

Overall it was pretty painless and stuff kind of fixed itself. Best thing is its much faster booting up. I mean faster, not fast. Before it was 3 minutes at least before it was functional. More maybe, usually as long as it takes me to brush teeth, floss and rinse and all that. . Now its about 3 times faster to boot.
Its a 3.2 ghz with 4 GB ram, so its not going to be flying.

Glad I updated it. All my settings stayed the same which I was glad at. I have some custom settings for making fonts and icons and such larger. I do not like changes and have to fiddle with stuff.

I really didn't have any issues with 7, but figured might as well go ahead while its free. I like 10 just as much as 7, once I figured out how to get rid off those tile thingies I don't need in start.

Ok, you guys can go back to geek speak now.

[bullet]

Originally Posted by rcentros

You've had a lot more trouble with printers than I have. Two Brother laser printers (color and monochrome with scanner) in our house plus an HP Inkjet. The HP worked "out of box" -- the two Brothers required downloading and installing their Linux drivers. Each took about five minutes (both on the network).

I had the same experience. My HP Inkjet and Laserjet installed w/o a hitch, but the Okidata c330dn required their linux drivers be downloaded. Okidata has excellent support btw. I am running Linux Mint Rosa KDE (64 bit) on 2 laptops, 2 desktops, and Kbuntu Trusty via Crouton on 2 HP Chromebooks. I only use Windows 7 or 8 for TurboTax and Wugfresh Nexus Toolkit for my Nexus 7 and 9.
Linux handles all else with a little help from Wine for Adobe Digital Editions.

When I do use Windows I get out as quick as I can and back to a safe linux environment. Too many creepy crawlers over there. Java updates and unwanted downloads pervade...

[peaceridge]

I hope to hold off on Windows 10 as long as possible (I travel in my RV and have limited data amounts for those automatic updates yada yada). My quandary right now - since I have a working Windows 7 Thinkpad - is whether to buy another one just to hold in reserve. I figure they will be in short supply if I wait. However, anyone know if storing a computer and not using it for a couple of years is detrimental to the computer?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I hope to hold off on Windows 10 as long as possible (I travel in my RV and have limited data amounts for those automatic updates yada yada). My quandary right now - since I have a working Windows 7 Thinkpad - is whether to buy another one just to hold in reserve. I figure they will be in short supply if I wait. However, anyone know if storing a computer and not using it for a couple of years is detrimental to the computer?

Storing any lithium battery for a couple of years is probably going to kill it. You really need to charge it every so often.

I've been using Windows 10 for a couple of months now, and I see no reason to believe that Windows 10 downloads more in the way of updates than Windows 7 does. What leads you to believe that it does?

I really like Windows 10. It's certainly nothing to be scared of if you're currently using Windows 7.

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I hope to hold off on Windows 10 as long as possible (I travel in my RV and have limited data amounts for those automatic updates yada yada). My quandary right now - since I have a working Windows 7 Thinkpad - is whether to buy another one just to hold in reserve. I figure they will be in short supply if I wait. However, anyone know if storing a computer and not using it for a couple of years is detrimental to the computer?

The biggest issue is the question of what you will be using it for??

The internet continues to evolve and there will probably be web sites that no longer work if you don't have an updated browser. In this app-centric world you may have problems accessing things. For example, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that 'current' Netflix with 4k hdr content in five years doesn't stream on a windows 7 PC. We are also seeing increasing interworking between phones / tablets / computers and some of those features will no doubt not come to win7.

So, if you are focused on a disconnected computer with locally installed software (ms office, games w/o network connections, quicken w/o internet) then you will be fine. But the more you rely on the external world the more risk there is that your use will be restricted and that your internet-enabled apps will be no longer supported and even may stop working. Security is also an issue if you are going to continue to connect with an old OS.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I hope to hold off on Windows 10 as long as possible (I travel in my RV and have limited data amounts for those automatic updates yada yada). My quandary right now - since I have a working Windows 7 Thinkpad - is whether to buy another one just to hold in reserve. I figure they will be in short supply if I wait. However, anyone know if storing a computer and not using it for a couple of years is detrimental to the computer?

With Windows 10 you can set it to think your wifi is mobile data, that way it just notifies you when there are updates, and you can install them when your ready by just switching your wifi back to a wifi setting. I did that to prevent updates after I lost my start menu following an update. I ended up being quite paranoid about updates, never knowing if they were safe or not.

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Storing any lithium battery for a couple of years is probably going to kill it. You really need to charge it every so often.

I've been using Windows 10 for a couple of months now, and I see no reason to believe that Windows 10 downloads more in the way of updates than Windows 7 does. What leads you to believe that it does?

I really like Windows 10. It's certainly nothing to be scared of if you're currently using Windows 7.

Good point about the battery - if I do this, I'll remember to charge it. Since I have very limited data on the road, I don't want Microsoft deciding to download an update whenever they choose and I have to pay my data provider extra just because of the update. If I could choose when to download (like I do with Windows 7) I could wait until I'm at a hotspot somewhere to download. Otherwise, I have no problem with a Windows 10 system.

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

With Windows 10 you can set it to think your wifi is mobile data, that way it just notifies you when there are updates, and you can install them when your ready by just switching your wifi back to a wifi setting. I did that to prevent updates after I lost my start menu following an update. I ended up being quite paranoid about updates, never knowing if they were safe or not.

I'll have to research how to set it so it thinks my wifi is mobile data - thanks for the heads up. If I can do that, then I don't have a problem later (when this notebook dies) going to which ever OS Microsoft has at the time.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I'll have to research how to set it so it thinks my wifi is mobile data - thanks for the heads up. If I can do that, then I don't have a problem later (when this notebook dies) going to which ever OS Microsoft has at the time.

Here you go

http://www.pcworld.com/article/29531...-own-pace.html

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Here you go

http://www.pcworld.com/article/29531...-own-pace.html

Thanks for the link. Not sure if I like the part that says "The other downside is that whenever you’re on a metered connection apps and programs that rely on background updates will be limited, file syncing may not work as quickly, and live tiles could stop updating." Will have to discover how much that applies to me. However, it's really good to know that I can go to W10. So appreciate the help!

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

Thanks for the link. Not sure if I like the part that says "The other downside is that whenever you’re on a metered connection apps and programs that rely on background updates will be limited, file syncing may not work as quickly, and live tiles could stop updating." Will have to discover how much that applies to me. However, it's really good to know that I can go to W10. So appreciate the help!

It not a big issue nor any inconvenience. Also with Windows 10 Pro and above, if had, one can also delay updates but not security fixes.

I have WiFi permanently as a metered connection from when Windows 10 was released. The only thing that I have noticed (apart from updating Windows and MS Office applications now being manual, which is exactly what one is wanting by setting to metered) is that my email client when first opened for a session asks if I want to connect or not (which again is what one wants as one assumes that one doesn't want multi megabytes of emails with attachments and someone's holiday snaps suddenly automatically downloading if on a metered connection).

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

It not a big issue nor any inconvenience. Also with Windows 10 Pro and above, if had, one can also delay updates but not security fixes.

I have WiFi permanently as a metered connection from when Windows 10 was released. The only thing that I have noticed (apart from updating Windows and MS Office applications now being manual, which is exactly what one is wanting by setting to metered) is that my email client when first opened for a session asks if I want to connect or not (which again is what one wants as one assumes that one doesn't want multi megabytes of emails with attachments and someone's holiday snaps suddenly automatically downloading if on a metered connection).

Thank you so much. This is really, really helpful! I'm going to keep all this info for when I do go to W10.

[joblack]

I have decided to NOT upgrade to Windows 10 (from Windows 7). In our company we will stay on Windows 7, too.

Reason: huge privacy concerns (telemetry, ...).

2020 we will upgrade to ReactOS and/or Linux. Goodbye Microsoft surveillance ...

[ring0_event]

Originally Posted by joblack

I have decided to NOT upgrade to Windows 10 (from Windows 7). In our company we will stay on Windows 7, too.

Reason: huge privacy concerns (telemetry, ...).

2020 we will upgrade to ReactOS and/or Linux. Goodbye Microsoft surveillance ...

For the Windows 10 telemetry issues, Spybot Beacon might help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1kGMCfb2xw

https://forums.spybot.info/showthrea...for-Windows-10