Windows 10 offer?

[Rod771]

Noticed a new icon on the task bar this evening. Clicked it to see an offer to upgrade to windows 10 pop up. For free?

Anyone seen this yet or game enough to update?

I updated my old PC in 2006 from XP to Vista with a lot of pain! Loss of files etc. Very cautious of doing it again. My main concern is, would it be compatible with the wide variety of astro programs we have.

[RobF]

Me too.
Sounds like might be an option for up to a year after Win 10 release.....

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873214/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-windows-7-and-8-users.html

[ZeroID]

Yep, free upgrade for existing Win7 and 8 users. I'll probably do my Media PC on the sound\vid system first but I'll wait a few months before I do it. See what bugs there are first.

[OzStarGazer]

I would prefer to wait too to see if there are any bugs...
By the way, I wonder if the upgrade is also free for computers or laptops that came with Windows 8 installed on them. I remember that when I upgraded to Windows 8.1 it was a bit tricky because it didn't like the pre-installed version, but then they released an upgrade for pre-installed versions too.
PS: I am also concerned that some programs will not be compatible with Windows 10.

[tlgerdes]

Only as long as your media PC doesn't run MCE. No MCE in win10.

[FlashDrive]

Yep ... saw it on my ' task bar ' 2 days ago... clicked on it and up came the ' download ' instructions ... nearly did ... but held off.
Wait and see I think...

Col...

[Camelopardalis]

So....has Microsoft failed their maths tests AGAIN...what happened to Windows 9?!?

[sharkbite]

7 ate 9

[pw]

Mac are up to OS X (10), MS probably want to seem like they are up to the same number.
Just wait for one of them to turn it up to 11 :-)

[tlgerdes]

By my count, Windows 7 should have been Windows 9

1) Windows 1
2) Windows 2/2.1/286
3) Windows 3/3.1x
4) Windows 95
5) Windows 98
6) Windows 2000/ME
7) Windows XP
8) Windows Vista
9) Windows 7
10) Windows 8

[tlgerdes]

So that means Apple cant count either, or at least cant cant past 10. OSX's first major release was in 2001 and they have had 10 revisions since then.

[astroron]

Thanks guys for those posts:thanx:
I have just got it on mine as well,seems like a wait and see may be the
way to go. :)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[ZeroID]

MCE ? Media Centre Edition ?
Nope, ... Lenovo M92 mini with Win7 OEM. Wife is in the IT Business with excellent connections so got it well specced at a good price. Ditto for my big desktop, another M92 but tower with heaps of RAM.

Win 10 seems quite good both OS and compatibility wise. I looked at it in beta a few months back and it's much more friendly and Win 7 like than the kludgy Win 8. It has also been streamlined functionally as well so I am expecting a better transition. The usual drivers and updates will be the main problems I reckon but I've had a lot of success with Win 7 browser compatibility mode for many of our legacy apps at work most of which are web enabled and mainly XP capable. I'll have a few pushy managers wanting it as soon as it is available and then complaining it doesn't work with some of our stuff. :shrug: such is life :rolleyes:

[Camelopardalis]

95/95/ME are essentially the same OS kernel, so should be counted as one. Actually, this one is even questionable since they (and Win 1, 2, 3...) were just a GUI running on top of DOS :P

2000 and XP actually run a proper multitasking kernel, dubbed by Microsoft as "New Technology" (or Never Tested in IT circles in the early days). From a code point of view, very very different from earlier releases.

IIRC, Win 7 reports itself as NT 6.1

Mac OS X releases are similarly valid as X=10 since the architecture of the kernel hasn't fundamentally changed since its initial release, it's been largely UI, aesthetic and hardware architectural changes (PPC->x86). OS X was actually preceded by OS 9, 8, 7...

[ZeroID]

I think they decided to 'Start Again' and this is actually Windows 1.0 of the new breed ....

[Exfso]

Just Microsoft being Microsoft again. Ya don't get something for nothing especially with that mob. As is usual they will release an operating system and get the population to be the beta testers, so when the bugs are finally ironed out of it, they release a new version. They do say however that Windows 10 is supposed to be their last full operating system release. Buggered if I know, Windows 7 still has its fair share of bugs.:confused2: I did not even bother with 8 as that was a real stuff-up.:screwy:
Sorry if I appear to be a tad cynical here, but Microslough has not got an exactly glowing record in my opinion.:rolleyes:

[JB80]

The fact that you can't turn off auto updating is the killer for me.
You will need the Pro or Enterprise editions for that feature. It's a shame because I really wanted to get rid of 8 but I will be stuck with it a bit longer I guess.

[michaellxv]

Anyone know if there will be an option to download it once to install on multiple machines in the house? Or are we all up for Nx3Gb of download :mad2:

[Camelopardalis]

What it comes down to is that, with competing OSes available for nothing, it's not the license to print money it was in yesteryear...

[ZeroID]

MS is moving onto a new model of SW. OS is cheap but you'll 'rent' access to Apps online and\or wear adverts. NET. apps same as Adobe has gone. They were talking at one point of making the OS free.

I downloaded a new 'free' app last night from MS called Hyperlapse. Turns your movies into fast forwards specials smoothly. Only problem is it comes with a twitter feed panel on one side and an link to other 'free' apps on the other side. So they pummel you with ads and push buy promos.
The app works quite well btw but I still may uninstall it.

[Camelopardalis]

Well, that model works so well for Google, surely it was just a matter of time before they imitated :lol:

[sharkbite]

Well I must say that I am pretty pleased with win10 so far.

Apps take a bit longer to come up on my puny dual core Asus toy lappie......but....

Using it as a sound mixer for my guitar, latency has disappeared.

More importantly......

I can get 30fps 1080p capture from my life cam studio.

(Best I got under w7 was 7.5)

They must have done some good stuff with the drivers


Was holding off modifying the webcam until that was possible.

Standby for results.

[sharkbite]

I downloaded the trial ISO....

You can use that on any machine.......


But.....


If you want to retain all your apps and settings, the upgrade goes looking
For compatabilities from the machine being upgraded so there will be an overhead for that.

Takes fer freak in ever too.....12 hrs from go to whoa on mine....

Worth it though..... has given my toy lap pie a new lease on life....

[04Stefan07]

I got the same thing.

I have been testing/using a Technical Preview 2 that was released (which will eventually become Server 2016) and it is much better than both Windows 8.1 and Server 2012.

Looking forward to 10!

[Peter.M]

I have been using windows 10 on my main computer for around a year now, so far it has been stable, a joy to use, and I have not had any programs that would not run on it. Note, this is not my imaging PC so I cant say if driver issues would appear with astro gear, but I have maxim installed on here.

[Exfso]

A computer nerd mate of mine contacted me today, reckons he heard that Windows 10 is only free for the first 12 months after installation and then MS will charge you for updates. Not sure how much truth in this, but MS will do anything to fleece their customers.:shrug:
He may be getting confused with the fact that it is only free for the first 12 months after release as an upgrade from windows 7 or 8, time will tell.:rolleyes:

[cstocky]

The offer is pretty clear....

Free upgrade from Win7SP1 & Win8.1 (some exclusions mainly impacting business) and available for only 12 months from July 29, 2015:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/features (bottom of the page)

Automatic update (Mainstream=enhancements & Extended=bug fix only) end of support dates (being 5yrs + 5yrs from release):
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/lifecycle

It will be interesting to see how the drivers go!
Regards,
Chris

[ZeroID]

Say Yes to the offer when\if it arrives at your PC. MS will then send you an email when it is released. You then have 12 months to download it or you can cancel at any time and ignore.
If I was on 8.1 I would be waiting for the day. Win7 not so much as both my installs are stable and working well. But I'll give it a go on the 'media' PC in the lounge. Nothing critical on there, just runs the TV, PS2, Denon amp, TV Online stuff.

[rustigsmed]

is it really a free upgrade or is it a delayed payment (1 year) ....?

[Slawomir]

I cannot get rid of the icon that links to Win10 upgrade on my task bar; each time I disable it in the settings, the icon tirelessly resurrects after restarting the computer...

[AndrewJ]

Gday Slawomir

Read the other thread.;)
It was downloaded as a "patch/update" as part of the last windows "updates", and you need to remove the relevant KBfile using windows uninstall.
Unfortunately, when you do that, the icon is no longer on yr footer:D, but windows updates then starts nagging you to download it again:sadeyes:.
Absolutely disgusting example of monopoly push advertising.

Andrew

[pluto]

If you have a license of Win7, 8, or 8.1 then you'll get a Win10 license free - for ever.
But you have to update within a year. If you don't take advantage of the offer within a year after it's released (July 29th I think) then you'll have to purchase a license if you wish to upgrade to 10.

[Slawomir]

Thanks Andrew

[rustigsmed]

Thanks Hugh yes I've got a paid version of 8.1, I might wait a few months first

[Exfso]

I certainly will not be rushing into it given MS's history. Let all the new bugs settle down first, I reckon at least 6 months is a good time to wait after the initial release, hopefully then the major ones will have surfaced and been corrected....

[tornado33]

Ive tried the developer preview version on my Laptop and in a Virtual PC on my main system (a 7 year old Vista Box) and works ok except that on the laptop theres only the basic VGA driver, Windows Update isnt working on it yet and cannot get the Nvidia drivers , Nvidia itself doesnt have them either as its an old Dell Inspiron 6400. Windows 8.1 runs on it okay though and installs proper Nvidia drivers, Ive thrown a SSD in it too and it boots as fast as a brand new laptop if not faster.

[cstocky]

Waiting a few months until others have sorted the post beta-testing bugs might be worthwhile. With Win7 updates stopping in about 4.5 years this may help squeeze a little more "Internet secure" life out of older PCs :lol: including those typically found in observatories - that is if Win10 doesn't suck too many resources.

Chris

[astronobob]

Interesting read and info ! most goes over my head, but get the guist of it. have been on a Vista tower last 5-6yrs tho just upgraded the whole shebang - win7, SSD with oridginal HDrive and heaps of Ram - just getting used to it tho pretty similar to Vista, as you guys would know. Ill be watching with interest over the months ahead - after all, have nearly 12 of em hey, , :thumbsup:
Thanx all ...

[GeoffW1]

It's a safe link.......

http://windowssecrets.com/newsletter/what-you-should-know-about-the-win10-launch/

[Exfso]

I thought I would have a look via the virtual PC option, cannot even get it to load on a virtual pc. I am trying to get it to load onto another hard drive attached to my Win 7 puter, but for some reason when I try to get it to load it comes up with a crapload of error messages, all to damn hard:mad2:

[rustigsmed]

Well I think from memory Windows 10 is available this week.

Is anyone jumping onboard straight up?

My interest has pretty much perked up from seeing what Direct X 12 is capable of.

Cheers

Russ

[Akwestland]

Russell, personally my thoughts are to wait until the reviews from users are starting to come through. I am concerned over glitches that Microsoft are so well known for. I will wait probably a month or two, or at least until I see some favourable responses (and no real negatives).

Andrew & Kim.

[Garbz]

There's been plenty of reviews already given the RTM version was sent to the Insider program weeks ago. Microsoft may have been well known for major bugs in the past but with their new release schedule there's only so much they can break right? :-)

Windows 10 doesn't look like too much away from Windows 8.1 but there's one major bit of concern:

The Windows 10 Home edition does not allow you defer windows updates. The reason this is an issue is because I remember reading about a member here who had his unattended telescope fail to do a meridian flip after his computer did a reboot at 3am to install an update and he woke to find his telescope in pieces.

Just something to be mindful of.

I'm jumping onboard straight up for my Surface but not my telescope machine. I'll let you know how it goes :-) Also don't get too excited about DirectX 12. Games need to support it long before that becomes a relevant reason to get WIndows 10.

[ZeroID]

Bit of a review on here
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/windows-10-review-full-of-promise-but-not-a-must-have-just-yet/?tag=nl.e064&s_cid=e064&ttag=e064&ftag=TREe331754

My feelings are that it's a slightly needy OS requiring an internet connection to do anything useful including staying licensed. Win 7 works for me and astro. I won't be putting it on the home PC for a while as it looks slightly undercooked as well, Apps gone etc.

[multiweb]

I was also told that the "reservation" is more of a compulsory move. When it is ready it will download automatically from windows updates and you don't have a choice to install or not install. That's it. I have since cancelled the reservation on both my machines. I understand that once the update is done you can't revert back to the previous OS unless you've ghosted your PC but I don't like the idea of being forced to move to the new OS. Microsoft is in a big move to standardise all OS lately and is aggressively moving into the market. I think it's bad news for consumers.

[julianh72]

I got the update to Win 10 on a 3-4 year old Dell Inspiron laptop (4 GB RAM, dual-core CPU, running 64-bit Windows 8.1) last night. It's not our main computer, so I thought "Why not?"

Installation took about an hour or so, and was painless, and everything seems to run fine. All my installed programs and data were retained, and desktop icons were left right where they were on the Windows 8.1 desktop.

First impressions - it's a VAST improvement on Windows 8.1 - the Start button is back for one thing! The user experience is far more consistent as you swap between apps - it's very reminiscent of how Windows 7 worked, but with the Windows 8 "flat" look. My computer boots faster than it did under 8.1, and I felt "at home" straight away. It runs at least as quickly as it did before under Win 8.1, and my effective productivity is already better because it works the way I expect it to. (I never did get used to Windows 8's "split personality" of jumping between the modern UI and the desktop all the time.)

My advice: if you're on Windows 8.x, and you hate it, then upgrade to Windows 10 ASAP. If you're on Windows 7 and you're happy with it, then there may be no compelling reason to rush it, so you might want to wait a few weeks to see if there are any horror stories before upgrading - but I think when you DO upgrade, you will be very happy with the new Windows 10 UI.

(Back up your data first, of course - I didn't lose anything in the upgrade, but you can never be too careful.)

I've got the Win 10 upgrade "queued" on a couple of other Win 7 and Win 8 machines and a Win 8.1 tablet - I'll install the updates progressively, and report back here if the experience is any different on any of the other machines.

The Windows 7 laptop is the oldest of the lot (about 5 years old, 2 core CPU with 2 GB RAM), but the update advisor says it is up to the job, so it will be interesting to see how it manages it.

The Win 8.1 tablet is a budget 8" Toshiba Encore (quad-core, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB stoarge) which was designed for Windows 8 http://www.mytoshiba.com.au/products/computers/tablet/encore/pdw09a-00100c/specifications . I may have to clear a bit of storage space to squeeze in the update, but I will be interested to see how the Win 10 interface works on a true tablet device.

[Garbz]

From all the rumors I've heard, that's a first. I also think it's quite wrong, the only thing that won't work without internet are the internet enabled processes like Onecloud, Cortana, Windows account syncing, windows updates, the windows store etc. MS's website says you do not need an internet connection to use Windows 10, and effectively it'll be more like Windows 7 without one.



It downloads automatically but then it gives you the choice whether to install.



On the desktop I'm quite happy with the interface. On the tablet not so quite. I actually liked the way the tablet features of Windows 8.1 worked, but with 10 they've gone too one way or the other. Under tablet mode I can't figure out how to unmaximise a window or how to access the desktop for instance. I'm afraid they are turning the tablet mode into too much of a tablet mode to the point where it becomes hard to do anything....

[ZeroID]

But it much touted advantages are that it is seamless across devices and is the main reason for the redesign. It's connectivity is what it's all about.
So it's of no advantage in my non connected Observatory. WordPad is gone, you only get OneNote. Office 365 which I am deploying at work (800 + users) only works connected, it needs it to maintain it's license with a monthly 'check-in' to MS.
I guess there will be a flurry of updates and additional features but although I do like it's return to Win7 similarity and User friendliness I don't see any gains in upgrading.
To me it will become another MS subscription service to pay for which seems to be the direction they are heading to.

It's funny really. I work in IT, have done for the last 20 years or so and I am not 'anti' progress but I've seen so many so-called upgrades and unnecessary forced changes that delivered nothing that I have to be a sceptic. I want to see real advantages ganied in productivity, ease of use or reliability of function before I'd commit to moving.

[pixelsaurus]

I'm having second thoughts about upgrading to Win 10. Yesterday the upgrade failed 5x so I'm still on Win 7. Then a friend sent me this: https://i.imgur.com/iHge6RJ.jpg

[GTB_an_Owl]

another load of crap first release
wifes win 7 Acer laptop
wi-fi goes off after sleep - disables wireless card
go into hardware and disable/enable again
need new driver for dolby sound
wife says games she minimises to task bar are gone after sleep

i don't think i've ever seen a windows release that has'nt had some sort of network problem
HONESTLY!
i'm just glad that i now use linux mint as my preferred OS

geoff

[RobF]

Ouch. Lots of worries in there!

I'm staying with my shelled Win 8.1. Works great (like Win 7) effectively.
Win 7 staying on the laptop for astro.

[lazjen]

Go Linux instead for astro. :D

[AlexN]

How is the support for *nix OS's with regard to astro software? I'm running ClearOS on my servers and Ubuntu on my main desktop but my astro lappy is Win 7 all the way purely because I don't have any dramas getting software for it.

Would love to migrate it to a Linux distro to bring it in line with all my other computers.

[Atmos]

I've never used Windows 7 and the only issue I've ever had with astro stuff on my Windows 8.1 (via Parallels on OS X) was because QHY haven't bothered to fix their drivers.
Needless to say, sticking with 8.1 even with its apparent flaws. I usually use it under Coherence Mode anyway so I don't have to worry about the workings of 8.1 anyway (everyone hates the "menu" place).

[GTB_an_Owl]

ok - round 2

my toshiba laptop tells me i can download and install win 10
download starts just before 3am - 6am i go to bed . all installed

but not before blue screen of death on first reboot test after install
turns out it does not like esets firewall - google is your friend.........
start in safe mode and rename offending SYS file - all good - blue screen of death defeated

have to reinstall ESET Smart Security (where is my install key and password ?)

darn thing will not activate! - delete program and start again when i wake up this afternoon - success this time

where have they put windows update - search everywhere - no windows update to be found in control panel - google is your friend.......

rumour has it that control panel is for the chop in windows 10 down the track

find it in "System" - check for updates - one to install, one waiting to download - 45% - been like it all afternoon

so moral of the story - disable anti virus and firewall before installing - start upgrade and go to bed
depending on your hardware - you might be lucky

geoff

ps: i can download linux mint ISO - burn disk - and install - all in under one hour painlessly

[gregbradley]

Wow. That's an eye opener. I love the way Microsoft feels it has the divine right to know everything about you. Perhap Big Brother is not a Government but rather a monopoly corporation who doesn't have to worry about being relected!

Greg.

[lazjen]

Look into INDI. It's effectively ASCOM for Linux, etc. From that point, there's a lot of software around to connect to devices, imaging, etc. For all the "common" activities you need to do at the scope, you can do it under Linux now. For some of the more specialist stuff, you may need to hunt for solutions. I'm working on making Linux my main astro setup, but even when I do, I'll always keep a windows setup available as an option.

There's other threads around on this forum about Linux astro, so if you want to discuss it more, bump one of those and we'll let this one go back to the Windows 10 disaster in progress. :)

[GTB_an_Owl]

isn't there an "Astro Distro" ?

sure i saw something somewhere

geoff

[GTB_an_Owl]

here it is

http://www.distroastro.org/

geoff

[Garbz]

Working seemlessly across devices and not working are two disctinct differences and doesn't make it any less of a desktop device. I think of it as a feature, which it is now. Quite different from Windows 8 / 8.1 which actively ruined the desktop experience in favour of the compatibility. Anyway that's just my view. I actually like it a lot and I will likely update my main Windows 7 machine soon, but right now I was keen to get my Surface away from Windows 7. My telescope.... no so much. That can stay 7, as you say, no advantage. Though I would be keen to know if they fixed the bug I'm experiencing with RDP and Windows 7 causing massive guiding problems, I'm just not prepared to change the entire OS to try :lol:

Just a few notes though, Wordpad is still there, it just isn't in the start menu, but hitting start and typing word gives you wordpad straight up. Also Office 365 is a distinctly different product, definitely a subscription service so yes that needs constant licence checks. This I agree is a load of crap, that said I'm not convinced they are abandoning the mainstream office yet.

For an observatory I doubt you'll ever see massive changes that make an upgrade worthwhile, but Windows 10 has a LOT going for it under the hood as did Windows 8.

[julianh72]

I updated the old Windows 7 laptop and the Windows 8.1 tablet to Windows 10 over the weekend. All three updates so far have been completely painless - all data retained, all apps working, all connected hardware working, Norton 360 security working, and so on. All three machines are running at least as quickly as they did before (and I think they actually boot faster than they did before, especially the oldest Windows 7 laptop).

The Toshiba Encore tablet offers Windows 10 Tablet mode, which seems to be a good working UI for small-screen devices - it's certainly a huge improvement over Windows 8.1's "split personality", where it kept jumping between the traditional desktop UI and the "Modern" tile UI. (You can easily switch back and forth between the Desktop UI and Tablet UI if you want to.)

Having played with Windows 10 for a few days on three different devices, I'm very happy with the new experience. Windows 7 users won't find it difficult to find their way around (Windows 10 looks rather different, but it works much like the traditional Windows 7 UI), and Windows 8 haters will be over the Moon. (Well, I had to get an astronomy reference in there somewhere!)

PS: It's probably already been posted here somewhere, but if you are waiting impatiently for your update to land, there is a way to jump the queue - just head over to the Microsoft "Download Windows 10" page https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and download the appropriate Download Tool for your computer (32-bit or 64-bit) - this has to match the current version of Windows 7 or 8.1 that you are running now. Launch the Download Tool, and you should be running Windows 10 within an hour or two (depending on your internet speed, computer performance, etc).

[julianh72]

On the three machines that I updated, I was left with the option to revert back to the old OS, provided you have enough disk space to keep a backup copy of the previous OS. Once you delete those old OS files, the update is irrevocable.

[sharkbite]

Well i got my toy craptop out for the blue moon. (ASUS X401U)

W10 has given me the ability to do something i could not under W7.

They have done something with the interaction to the hardware....

Using a Canon 7D with a mere 70-200mm L series lens, connected via USB
and running EOSMoVRec....

i captured some nice HD footage at 30fps. (best i could manage on w7 was 7 fps.)

i processed the resulting avi with PIPP and registax for wavelets,
and got the attached picture.

To process in reasonable time i would normally have had to move the files to a PC with more grunt.....but now all the aforementioned apps just seem to work faster.

i suspect its because the lappie has a decent APU - i upgraded the 10yo PC as well, with no apparent increase in performance, except for boot times.

[rustigsmed]

hmmmm might just stay with 8.1 - took a while to get used to, but i'm used to it now.

[Garbz]

Let me rephrase: I'm not prepared to upgrade the whole OS to try .... 3 days before Astrofest. I'm tapering. The one rule is don't mess with something which works right before a star party.

[ZeroID]

Some cautionary information for Windows 10

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/windows-10-violates-your-privacy-by-default-heres-how-you-can-protect-yourself/?tag=nl.e101&s_cid=e101&ttag=e101&ftag=TRE684d531

[Garbz]

I had this discussion with my room mate yesterday who was firmly against the idea of all the data collection in windows. Immediately after we were talking about how bad this is I remarked on how cold it is, he turned around and said "Siri what's the temperature in Brisbane"

And then he didn't understand why I facepalmed.

If you have no intention of using Cortana or handwriting recognition or maps, then I highly recommend going through that article and turning everything off.

[julianh72]

I want all of the convenience of a mobile OS that can provide me with timely, location-aware, relevant, predictive information, based on my interests and contacts etc, but it should be able to do all of this without needing a live internet connection, and without me allowing the OS to access any of my personal information.

Surely that's not too much to ask? :shrug:

</sarcasm>

[Regulus]

Has anyone been able to download it yet?
And I wonder if it can be burned to disc, or has to be re-downloaded if you need to instal it again.

Trev

[FlashDrive]

I checked my Windows Update ..... and there it was....ready to install... all 2.7GB of it.
I have the Win10Pro Version .... so I have installed it ... took about 30mins to do the upgrade from Win7 64bit Ultimate.

I customized my install to suit myself.... turned off all ' suss ' data sending Apps and location sending....:mad2::D

I still use Firefox and many of my own Media Programmes.
I checked ' Device Manager ' ... everything is good...all drivers accounted for.... no ' unknown devices ' showing.

It ' appears ' to be quite fast ... boot up time is quicker, although I'm running an i7 Processor at 4Ghz / 16Gb DDR3 Ram.... that certainly helps.

I had no issues at all .... detected my Internet connection / Wireless Printer / WD Cloud Storage connected at Modem Router.

So far I'm happy... found my way around it after ' playing ' with it for an hr or so.

It's all good here.....

Col...:)

[julianh72]

As per my earlier post:
If you are waiting impatiently for your update to land, there is a way to jump the queue - just head over to the Microsoft "Download Windows 10" page https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO and download the appropriate Download Tool for your computer (32-bit or 64-bit) - this has to match the current version of Windows 7 or 8.1 that you are running now. This gives you the option to install or reinstall Windows 10, or you can use the tools on this page to create your own installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD.

Launch the Download Tool, and you should be running Windows 10 within an hour or two (depending on your internet speed, computer performance, etc).

[Robert9]

There is a fake copy around which locks your software - Check out:

[URL=www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/internet/stay-smart-online/alert-service/alert-priority-high-fake-windows-10-update-leading-ransomware-attack[/URL]

Robert

[Regulus]

Thanks Julian.

[sharkbite]

Well i've upgraded all my machines now....

everything works as before - no update issues, no problems.
The IU is a bit snappier on all machines.

It seems that the lower spec machines get more of a boost performance wise.

The lappie, and the 10you e6750 based dual core are executing
most things quite a bit faster.

The Phenom x6 - well - no real difference in either media encoding speed or time to process and avi through things like pipp and autostakkert.

What was nice - the upgrade process was painless 3 out of 3 times for me.

[issdaol]

Beware.

Another testament to the laziness of Windows developers.

There have been quite a few issues with early deployments in business desktop environments which a pretty vanilla installations.

Being an ex software developer (C, C++, Object Pascal and also old style machine code) I am constantly disgusted by how Microsoft has such sloppy programming for the sake of a "glitzy" GUI.

Every single release of Windows still has a number of the same basic flaws that other OS developers overcame decades ago.

[I.C.D]

G"Day All,
I have upgraded to win 10 ,can anyone tell me how to get the time /date on to the desktop please

Ian c

[speach]

Why do I want to upgrade? I don't. I just get use to a windows version and a new one comes along. I find this very tedious getting the drivers and programmes working as I like them too, then having to do it again just so I can have a new wiz bang desktop ad some cr** I really don't want or need. No I'll stay with what I have and wait until MS no longer upgrade my version. Thank you :rolleyes: My kids call me a GOF Grumpy Old Fa**.

[acropolite]

Some heads up, if your machine has downloaded the install files in the background, you can make an ISO before going ahead and for use on other machines. I intend making an image of my HDD's before upgrading to ease the pain should I need to revert back to W7 or W8.

Basically the W10 upgrade is saved in a hidden folder C:\$Windows.~BT/Sources.
(If you haven;t already you'll need to enable hidden folder view in explorer. Tools/Folder Options/View/Show hidden files, folders, drives)

Find the file Install.esd (should be around 2.5Gb)
Copy that file to a new folder and download ESD-Decrypter from the Microsoft site and unzip to the same folder where you put the Install.esd file.
Right click on the Decrypt command file and select Run as Administrator, you will then get a prompt for ISO creation.

Procedure detailed here (http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-turn-your-windows-10-upgrade-into-an-iso/). and the Decrypt/ISO creation here (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_install/instructions-create-a-bootable-iso-file-using-esd/d2768b51-221a-436e-af4e-d3b9118a8864?page=1&tm=1433519642487&auth=1)

[Regulus]

Thanks Phil for that info.

I downloaded as an ISO and used the provided DVD burner to write it to disk and verified the integrity of the burned files.
I then ran the instal program from the disk and after 2 hours it had gotten as far as 44% installed and then sat there for another 3 hours until the DVD and HDD had gone to sleep. Re-booted and it just stayed on the new windows logo and went no further.
Because you can't re-instal Win 7 on a Win 10 machine I had to reformat and re-instal Win 7 and software.
Thx Microsoft.

The laptop took 15hours to do a direct upgrade from the net. At least it worked.

[AussieTrooper]

I think I'll be holding off installing it. A key logger that sends off it's data 'somewhere' is not something that I want in my OS.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/windows-10-sends-personal-data-to-microsoft-even-if-users-tell-it-not-to-10453549.html

[Regulus]

That was a bit interesting Ben

[FlashDrive]

I have reverted back to Win7 Ultimate 64Bit.

I switched off all ' sus ' info' sending parameters during a custom install of Win10... even going into the Registry and ' disabling ' or ' stop running ' Microsoft ' telemetry ' processes.

Why ... some odd things were happening... network was acting strange...going slow/ speeding up... network loss of my WD Personal Cloud at my Router...and some other annoying tit bits.

Now back running Win7 Ultimate ..... all issues are gone ... Network 100% working... and no ' unexplained ' happenings.

... took around 15mins to do a restore back to Win7.

Col.....

[Spookyer]

I tried the creation tool to download windows 10 but it doesn't run on my laptop. Just gives some sort of meaningless error message and that's it.

How long have people waited for the download after registering?

[Octane]

I'm still waiting, and, I registered as soon as the little Windows icon popped up.

I don't mind, to be honest. The whole snooping aspect of Windows 10 really turns me off. I know they need the data to personalise the experience, but, yeah...

H

[Garbz]

The wait may be a while for some people. Apparently Microsoft has blacklisted hardware which doesn't have WHQL certified drivers available for Windows 10 on release, and the update program detects those and doesn't even download the update until given the green light.

[John K]

Hi guys,

I am also thinking about Windows 10. Does PHD, Backyard EOS or Firecapture have any issues with Windows 10? Has anyone used it with these programs?

I am also using Adobe CS3 as well.

Thanks in advance.

John.

p.s. did across through the threads but could not find mention of these software.

[frolinmod]

Just remember that it is free to you, therefore you are not their intended customer...

[ZeroID]

But they are charging for 'extras' so you'll be paying regardless.
eg Media Player is gone, rent their replacement etc etc. They are shifting to the monthly pay for the license model. I'm already having problems at work with O365 and maintaining viable licensing even over a huge corporate network.

I've updated my Media PC that runs the AV system. Non critical, no email or personal stuff on it so it can't really bug me. I'll take a serious look at it over the next week or two and see if it annoys me too much or affects anything important. Be a slight delay till I report back on it as we're away this weekend chasing Rally cars with the cameras again.

[julianh72]

That's not really the case.

Firstly, direct retail sales of Windows (either as a purchase for a new install, or as an upgrade to an older licence) was always a tiny percentage of sales volume - the real cash cow is for OEM licences for new machines, and you will STILL pay for a Windows 10 licence when you buy a new PC / laptop. (And you'll pay for the Windows 10 upgrade if you don't take the free upgrade within the first year.) I think the reason for the free upgrade is basically an acknowledgement that Microsoft got it totally wrong with Windows 8 / 8.1, which people stayed away from in droves; this is their best bet at getting a large part of the Windows user-base back onto the current iteration of the OS.

Secondly, the OS is just the "host" for sales of other software and services. (Google seems to do OK by giving away the Android OS, but selling other services, and taking a cut of every purchase on the Play Store; Windows 10 doesn't ship with a native DVD player - but Microsoft will sell you one for $15.) THAT'S where Microsoft will be making their real money from Windows.

[AussieTrooper]

Same. I don’t think that there’s anything malicious in it at this stage, but the issue is where they go in the future. There was a time when google were far less ‘stalky’ than they are now too...
You would be effectively handing over everything you type to someone you have no control over. This includes every password you use. The potential for a security breach here is enormous.

[julianh72]

If you're using Google Now or Siri on your smartphone, you're already doing that.

I for one welcome our new personal digital assistant overlords.

[Garbz]

Someone spends too much time on Slashdot ;)

[acropolite]

Just did my Lenovo laptop, all looks OK although I haven't tried anything astro related yet. I note that, at least with my install, I could select and turn off Microsoft's reporting in the setup. Whether that's turned off all the "phone home" stuff I'm not sure.

I also changed the Cortana search on the taskbar to an icon and replaced the ridiculous excuse for a start menu with classic shell.

[g__day]

I decided to dual boot Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 10 Pro on separate hard drives to form a view on how reasonable W10 is. Not easy to do - but given you have multiple HDDs or SSDs quite achievable.

I re-installed Win 7 on a new, large SSD - so this gave me a dual boot into C: Win 7 or I: Win 7. So I configured I: to pretty much match my C: Win 7 normal set up.

Then I downloaded 10 Pro 64 bit from MS rather than wait for it to be available and stored it on to a USB3 drive. Then I booted into I: Win 7 and ran the USB3 drives installer and it all worked to plan.

I made sure I turned off all the obivious spyware / snooping software MS has foisted on us - but was surprised when firefox installed and was very quickly able to disable browser protection in avast and get itself infected by an add server - since removed. Also some videos stalled a bit under Win 10 (AMD HD 6690 with latest Win 10 drivers) but flash videos did play okay in Media player once you downloaded the right Codecs.

[Garbz]

Did you have any problems with accessing a common drive from both installations and then having either version of windows complain that partition needs to be rechecked every time you boot?

My dad's run into this issue right now, and he's also found some corruption.

[AussieTrooper]

Yep. I don't use either of those. No Facebook either.
The transition to privacy ceasing to exist has been steady, and almost unquestioned.
Remember the fuss that was made over the Australia Card years ago? It would have paled in comparison to what goes on now.

[gregbradley]

Yes Ben I have noticed that. And its surpisingly coming from large corporations Google earth and near maps using helicopters and cars to photograph our properties without our permission yet if someone snapped a photo of you on the street and you objected the police would stop you.

Greg.

[pluto]

I've always thought it was legal to photograph or record video (without sound and for non commercial use) from a public place without anyone's permission. From what I understand you do need permission to record someone speaking though.
Similarly you can take aerial photographs of someones backyard with an RPA as long as you're over public property (and following CASR101 of course).

I'm no expert though and I'm happy to be corrected. I'm also not saying I agree with these laws, especially regarding privacy issues related to low altitude aerial photography where I don't think the privacy laws have kept pace with technology.

I'm not sure about the higher altitude photography as used by Google et al. as one's ownership of the space above their property doesn't extend indefinitely, though I'm unsure of the boundaries.

[Garbz]

And if I were the one doing that I would tell the police where they can stick it. There is zero legal basis for someone to expect privacy in public. The front of your house or any activity you conduct in public is completely open to any member of the public to freely record.


Anyway back on the Windows 10 vs Windows 7 issue for all those people going to Windows 7 because of privacy issues you may want to Google the latest news. Apparently Windows 7 has all the same privacy infringements as Windows 10. They were apparently snuck in under the umbrella of "Critical updates" For those of you concerned I would strongly look into and potentially uninstall the following Windows updates: 3035583, 2952664, 2976978, 3021917, 3044374, 2990214, 3022345, 3068708.

Windows 10 has brought the privacy issue to light and there's a lot of researchers looking into several of Microsoft's operating systems at the moment. Also in the news is that disabling some features doesn't actually disable them and only makes them look like they are disabled, i.e. if you disable Cortana and all related search functions, your search query is STILL sent to Microsoft, the results simply won't be displayed.

Things are getting scary. Check out one of the KnowledgeBase entries for one of the above Windows updates: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3068708