Windows 10

[daugen]

if automatic updates is turned on, Windows considers W10 as an update ,not a new program...and you get it automatically one night when you
least expect it, and likely wake up to a pc clogged up for a long time while it goes through install when you turn on the pc.
I bet I have gotten at least six solicitations so far, all of which I ignored, and then the big gun came out.
We will update your PC on X date to W10. They tell you it's coming if you don't x out the message too fast...

I just wonder how much tracking of our personal info is going on in these newer programs. Access to a customer base the incredible size of Windows users
can yield enormous marketing advantage. Perhaps most tracking is going on in the browsers but I have always wondered what the operating system is tracking also.
And reporting to whom...

 

[KennyG]

This thread has brought out a lot of negativity. I'm not a MS fanboy but my experience with W10 has been very positive. It seems to have increased the performance of W7 machines and is much better than W8 in user interface.

Some "IT experts" talk W10 down but our tech guys at work like it. We have not implemented it but when you have 3000+ computers that have to consistently interface with custom built Unix applications, the testing process is a multi-year process.

The subscription model is coming and it's basically good for a lot of us. I buy the $99/yr Office license and use it on 5 computers. For each computer, that's $20 per year and I always have the latest version. That's hard to beat. With most households (or extended households) having multiple devices, it's a bargain.

 

[Snowback]

This thread has brought out a lot of negativity. I'm not a MS fanboy but my experience with W10 has been very positive. It seems to have increased the performance of W7 machines and is much better than W8 in user interface.

Agree 100% KennyG.

One of daugen's initial questions was on learning curve. After a week of using W10 I have only had a couple of things stump me, but 15 second google queries have solved them easily and they all make sense now. (Example - access a legacy type view control panel by right clicking on the "Start/Windows button...")

 

[RalphVa]

I replaced my laptop with a new desktop machine that came with Win 10 last year. Like it. Better than Win 7.

HOWEVER, my Office 2003 would not even install. Had to buy Office and then a separate Publisher (no longer in Office unless you get the yearly-pay Office 365).

My old Photosuite IV installed but has a bug or two used in Win 10. I bought Photopad but sometimes live around the bugs and still use Photosuite IV.

You might want to inquire re your software you use and like, whether it'll work on Win 10 or even install.

I HATE the new Office menus, started with Office 2007. I bought a program that installs the old Office 2003 menus into the new Office (think mines 2013 now). Think it's NCH that carries it.

Ralph

 

[RPW]

I've been in IT for decades (yes probably close to 40 years) and I don't like change but all software will need updating sooner or later. Saying that Windows 10 is no better or worse than any other version. I personally detested Windows 8 and 8-1 and have found 10 to be a very good cross between 7 and 8. Metro stinks. To those who still use XP please be very careful about personal/financial information on your system. For me it's not worth the risk to have my information stolen. And if you think it can't happen to you your very wrong as it happens every day.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I bought a Surface notebook computer. It came with Win8. I upgraded to W10. Big mistake. It sucks bad. I don't even use the computer. I'd rather use my android phone than Win10.

I have a Lenovo laptop, Win8.1) that I finally stopped the upgrade message on, My desktop is running Win7 and I stopped the upgrade n that.

My wife has a laptop and a desktop, both Win7, and I've stopped the upgrade on them.

I used to be an IT manager before I retired. I'm glad I don't have to worry about killing the upgrades on the 150 computers I was responsible for.

 

[/pine]

A (leak proof) firewall can be configured to stop any unwanted upstream/downstream traffic (i.e., updates etc., aps "phoning home" etc., etc..)
A network firewall will protect any system connected...

for personal Windows systems I use: Free Firewall from Comodo | Learn what is Firewall and how it works

 

[Gem99ultra]

I replaced my laptop with a new desktop machine that came with Win 10 last year. Like it. Better than Win 7.

HOWEVER, my Office 2003 would not even install. Had to buy Office and then a separate Publisher (no longer in Office unless you get the yearly-pay Office 365).

My old Photosuite IV installed but has a bug or two used in Win 10. I bought Photopad but sometimes live around the bugs and still use Photosuite IV.

You might want to inquire re your software you use and like, whether it'll work on Win 10 or even install.

I HATE the new Office menus, started with Office 2007. I bought a program that installs the old Office 2003 menus into the new Office (think mines 2013 now). Think it's NCH that carries it.

Ralph

Yeah, not recognizing 'old' software is a major catch. When I went from Win XP to Win 7 I lost about $1000 worth of software... programs that Win 7 wouldn't run. And of course once I started the 'upgrade' there was no way to return to Win XP. Burn me once, shame on them. Burn me twice, shame on me.

On my new Dell 8900 PC it came with Win 10. I wiped that off, bought a DVD copy of 8.1 PRO and couldn't be happier. I'm not at all interested in blowing away my 8.1 PRO. I am unhappy that I have to fork over $99/year for Office 365. Although MS hasn't said so (yet), I suspect Win 10 and on will be a rental copy. And who knows what info Win 10 and future will be sucking out of my PC! I'm not in much of a mood to play their game.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Good thread, just posting to subscribe. Carry on.

 

[RPW]

There's only a "leak proof or 100% safe" firewall/antivirus until a vulnerability is found. It leads us to complacency and then disaster. To keep your information safe you must keep up with the latest technology whether it's Microsoft, Apple, Linux or Android. As far as marketing? Yeah I agree with most that MS bites. The "cloud" is just a fancy way of saying give me your data so I can do whatever I want with it. One thing I have done with all my systems is disabled all voice recognition. In order for it to work properly the provider"I'll chose Siri this time" has to record all sounds it picks up and send that information to a mainframe somewhere for processing. As the commercial indicates when Siri recognises the AT&T representative and stated that she was to be referred to as the hostess with the mostest .

 

[/pine]

There's only a "leak proof or 100% safe" firewall/antivirus until a vulnerability is found...

A leak proof firewall is one that has no back doors...if the configuration files can't be accessed there is no way they can be corrupted...
The best way to keep data safe is to not expose it...

 

[RPW]

Agreed, but as soon as you connect to the Internet there is some kind of door. With today's attacks the bad guys don't try to hack your system they wait until you make a mistake by going to a website that's been hacked.

 

[/pine]

Agreed, but as soon as you connect to the Internet there is some kind of door. With today's attacks the bad guys don't try to hack your system they wait until you make a mistake by going to a website that's been hacked.

IMO...internet criminals are not that big of a concern...What bothers me is all the data mining scripts that are freely allowed to run on a majority of highly popular news and social media sites...popular web sites make money by allowing a plethora of third party entities to collect data from their visitors...

This information is so valuable...Microsoft decided to cut out the middleman (third parties) and rather than purchase the information...they incorporated the same types of data collecting scripts into their latest O/C Windows 10...and because they will be making so much money from gleaned information...they could afford to give the O/S away...!

 

[lostcreekranch]

I have an HP Desktop that came with Windows 8. The computer was bought at Sam's Club about three years ago but, I didn't get it out of the box until I retired last year and lost my corporate laptop. I am not very IT savvy as had corporate IT group to take care of everything so, consequently never took time to learn about it, if it worked I was happy!

When setting desktop up it asked if I wanted free W10 and I accepted. I also installed the Office 365 and Outlook since that is what I was used to. Everything set for auto updates.

Everything worked well for several months until evidently there was an update to Outlook. First time I used Outlook I noticed several changes to the screen look. When I went to send an email I found all my contacts were gone as was my calendar. Anyone have this experience? I really don't want to have to re-enter all my contacts?

 

[dadster4]

Everything worked well for several months until evidently there was an update to Outlook. First time I used Outlook I noticed several changes to the screen look. When I went to send an email I found all my contacts were gone as was my calendar. Anyone have this experience? I really don't want to have to re-enter all my contacts?

Win10 version of Outlook uses a different file format for contacts and the calendar, I lost all my contact info also, it's about the only thing that annoyed me getting 10.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Win10 version of Outlook uses a different file format for contacts and the calendar, I lost all my contact info also, it's about the only thing that annoyed me getting 10.

I had been on latest version on Outlook and W10 for several months without problem. It seems that my Contacts and Calendar disappeared after an update to Outlook?

 

[bindian]

Friday night around 10:30 pm, Windows 10 starting installing on my computer. At 3%, I killed the power switch on the surge protector. It took numerous minutes to reboot into my current version, Windows 7. Then, I turned off automatic update installations.
hugs, Brandi

 

[RPW]

Oh yeah data mining. That's everywhere not just MS. Google is another one. For those that use Office 365 if you look at your version you'll find you are on 2016 and there are several changes that I don't like. That's one reason I don't like subscription services. For those that think Cybertronians are not a problem then you haven't been hit with cyberwall. It's nasty. We got when one of our users went to one of our business sites and BAM we were infected. Fortunately we have good backups and only lost minimal data.

 

[Xfaxman]

Tomorrow is the last day for Free Windows 10

On Hughes Net so I started the Free Upgrade at 0450 this morning, to use the Bonus Bytes. Download said it was 3.933 GB, went back to bed, woke up about 0700, it finished at 0738.

So far so good, but mostly just do email and web browsing.

Friday 7-29 is the last day to get it free.

 

[PJSprog]

I'm just simply not interested in Windows 10. In fact, I was perfectly happy with the operation of XP on my old desktop. Unfortunately, I had to move to 8.1 when I bought a new laptop (space issue at the new house). That was harrowing enough for me. I lost the function of some of my older music programs, and others had to be updated (at an additional cost) to work correctly on the new OS. Upgrade yet again just a few years later? No thanks. Not even for "free."