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

[ApK]

Originally Posted by danwdoo

Even saying some poorly written app decided to pull the name variable, it would result in the text string "Windows 95" or "Windows 98" and not the decimal 9.0. There never has been a 9.0 either in 'name' or version number so there is no real possibility of a conflict programmatically since the two different types of data cannot be used for comparisons. That's why I call this whole theory bogus.
.

The example linked above posits a string comparison for names starting with "Windows 9"
Again, while it COULD happen, I cannot see it being the reason, for the reasons I've given above. I'll need to see if any of the related discussions cite any real world example of any such app that would matter in this way.

[danwdoo]

Originally Posted by ApK

The example linked above posits a string comparison for names starting with "Windows 9"
Again, while it COULD happen, I cannot see it being the reason, for the reasons I've given above. I'll need to see if any of the related discussions cite any real world example of any such app that would matter in this way.

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.

[ApK]

We seem to be in violent agreement.

[danwdoo]

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by crane3

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.

The only thing I am shocked at is human gullibility.

Torrent-based transfers are among the most cryptographically secure ways to download files. Assuming you trust the source of the *.torrent file...

And I assume MS just did the normal thing, rather than pursued active idiocy...
... and either signs the updates or downloads file/piece hashes from MS.


Random sketchy torrents are dangerous only because the person who created them is sketchy and might be passing viruses. But you are assured that you get the files you meant to download.

Same with MS updates. Any corrupted or maliciously modified updates will be downloaded "from other sources", checked, fail the hash verification, and be promptly deleted.

The absolute worst thing that could happen is you will waste some bandwidth.
Oh, and people will know your IP address has a Win10 operating system on the other end, in case you feel that is a privacy concern.




In other words, if you really think Microsoft is THAT blatantly stupid, you probably shouldn't be running their OSes. After all, they are stupider that the average teenage script kiddie, yes? So their OS is probably also a piece of garbage that will collapse like a house of straw as soon as you look at it...
We are talking Three Stooges levels of incompetence.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by ApK

I'm not sure I buy that reason. It's far more typical (and correct) to check the version number than the name, and so much has changed that could break compatibility since those days, that I cannot believe whatever small fraction of still running legacy code that, 1, is coded like that, and, 2, might possibly be negatively affected by it, and, 3, is mission critical, and 4, can't be easily patched, would even be a blip on the operational, much less marketing, radar.
Nope, I'm not buying it.

So that just leaves 7 ate 9 as the reason?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

So that just leaves 7 ate 9 as the reason?

Wow, who ever thought that would come up in a real world situation?!

Seriously though, I think the real reasons are the obvious and stated ones:

They caught up with OSX. They did the same thing when then jumped Word from 2.0 to 6.0 to catch up with WordPerfect.
And it sounds more impressive than 9.
And they used the opportunity to make a clean break from the past and sync up name and version number.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Just installed on my desktop....had a fright with the display when it first came up, but was able to find and re-install the drivers (it actually checked/found/installed them when I told it to look for drivers) and I think I'm okay now....more later...

A lot of people just need one more (unprompted) restart to get their video drivers settled.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

How is it NOT the same?? What is it you could do with the start menu on Win 7 that you could not do with the start screen on Win 8?

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.

[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.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by markbot

As a PC gamer myself, I really have to move to Windows 10 for DirectX 12, which is supposed to make the CPU usage many times more efficient.

I'm curious about the recent promise of being able to stream PC games to the XB1 at some point.

[markbot]

FYI, if you are having trouble installing Windows 10 (repeated failures), try the following.

1. Locate the registry key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\WindowsUpdate\OSUpgrade]
2. It should exist, but if not, create it.
3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value with Name = "AllowOSUpgrade” (without the quotes), and set the Value = 0x00000001.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...1a7bb51?auth=1

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There was a long discussion on this at the time that the name was announced. Although calling the "GetVersion(Ex)" API is of course the correct method for an application to query the Windows version number, apparently there are apps around which do indeed retrieve the version "name" rather than the version number.

Yep.

but they may have had additional reasons as well....

[ApK]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yep.

but they may have had additional reasons as well....

I just found the thread Harry mentioned.
It contains a link to the same post as this thread, with same unsubstantiated claim that "there is software out there that does this."
I like the comment in the other thread:

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I don't buy it. Since there are clearly defined Windows APIs for doing things like checking what Windows version the user has that won't be subject to the sort of confusion mentioned, it's reasonable to assume developers will use them.

And what's in it for MS to handle edge-cases where where developers are ignorant and don't use them? That's the dev's problem, and they need to learn better or find something else to do with their time that doesn't involve writing bad code.
______
Dennis

So I stand by my opinion: I doubt this is a reason that influenced the name, and I don't think it's a "good" reason.
So there.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by markbot

...I actually liked Windows 8 with the Metro interface...

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).