Windows 10 goodbye

pmrid (Peter) · #1 25-08-2015, 01:39 PM

Well, that was a short honeymoon. About 2 weeks at a rough count. I just had to do a full restore because Windows 10 announced it had a Critical Error and Cortana and the Start Menu would not load. How good is that? My system had begun to be a bit flaky ever since I loaded Win 10 - 2 or 3 instances when it reported errors and required restarts. Several times, I have been unable to get the Start Menu to respond to a left-click and at first I thought maybe it's using all its (i7 8 cores) power doing something or other and so let it pass. Last night It happened again but I was able to get it to respond to a right-click only. And today - neither would answer the call. So that was that for me.

I haven't enjoyed the Windows 10 trip I'm afraid. Not one bit. It reminds me of being in a Vegas Casino - all bling and flashing lights. And always, it seems, I have to sign in to Microsoft for this and that. Well, that's me outa here.

Peter

bojan · #2 25-08-2015, 01:45 PM

XP rules..

Linux even more.

lazjen (Chris) · #3 25-08-2015, 02:52 PM

I'm with you bojan re: Linux. My SSD died last night on my main desktop. It was the boot disk. Reinstalling windows (no matter the version) fills me with dread, so it's time to make the break completely. Installing linux on the new SSD tonight.

AstralTraveller (David) · #4 25-08-2015, 03:03 PM

Yep, if there is suitable software for your needs available under Linux it is far far less hassle. Unfortunately there can be the occasional bug that hangs around for too long but generally it just works. [eg At the moment Linux Mint MATE desktop edition has issues with bluetooth. However it has been solved for the Cinnamon desktop so I expect the cure to be propagated soon.] It also uses far less space, half to a third of what Windows needs for an equivalent install.

BTW what distros do others use?

pluto (Hugh) · #5 25-08-2015, 04:06 PM

For about 10 years I used various flavors of Linux on my workstation because I was sick of how terrible XP was when doing anything that strained the computer in the slightest, and was still disappointed I couldn't use Irix anymore

(for animation/VFX work).

Debian, Slackware, CENTOS, Fedora, OpenSuse, Ubuntu, many WMs/DEs - always optimistically searching for a setup that would work for everything I wanted it to without spending months setting it up. And it was good during the brief periods where everything worked. Inevitably though some core software I use would need an update and of course needed newer libraries/dependancies or whatever, which of course when updated broke something else. And so at these points I would either have to make the decision to write off a few days to try and fix it or just reinstall a newer/different distro and hope it would play nice. I used to enjoy these challenges in my 20s - now I can't be bothered and I want to spend my time doing my work.

About a year ago I was at one of these points and was hating having a job where I had to rely on computers in general - Linux was a PITA and the Macs I also used were so buggy when using anything other than Mail or Word. Then I realised that there was one computer which had never crashed/lagged inexplicably/generally freaked out ever - my lappy running Win8.1.

So I installed 8.1 on my workstation and it's been great! It's definitely a tiny bit slower than the best Linux+Gnome installs I had but it's efficient with memory usage (the main reason I dumped XP), very stable, and everything just works!
I'm not ready to update it to Win10 yet of course but my Surface Pro 3 seems fine running 10 (it should...)

I should mention I'm not anti Linux as it is the most efficient, I still run it on all our file/license servers and the render farm is all Linux, I just can't be bothered with it on a desktop anymore.

Garbz (Chris) · #6 25-08-2015, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmrid

I just had to do a full restore because Windows 10 announced it had a Critical Error and Cortana and the Start Menu would not load. How good is that?

Windows 10 has been known for a lot of things, but self destructive was not one of them. For the benefit of the rest of us: Did you do an upgrade? Was there anything out of the ordinary when you did your install?

I ask this out of genuine curiosity as none of the Windows 10 setups I have so far have fallen over. They are not perfect by any means. Every so often Windows 10 gets confused as to the state of the Surface Pro keyboard and won't flip up on the screen keyboard, and similar bugs like that but so far nothing critical, at least not since the early test releases.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

Yep, if there is suitable software for your needs available under Linux it is far far less hassle.

I have a lot of praise for Linux, but I would never describe it as less hassle. Far from it. I find doing basic things is far more complicated and getting a fully running stable system able to do simple stuff like work with a bluetooth headset, enter suspend state, and even install basic software without the occasional conflicting library is a textbook example of hassle. A hassle I normally manage to overcome but a hassle none the less.

pmrid (Peter) · #7 25-08-2015, 05:13 PM

Hi Chris.

[ BTW folks: I didn't start this thread to extol the various virtues of Linux, interesting as that is; but to point out how flaky Windows 10 is.]

No, the install went as normal. No issues and no problems. I think there was one upgrade afterwards but I didn't really pay attention. A[part from that, it was routine and no introduced wild cards that I know of.

I did a quick Google on search terms containing the terms Critical Error, Cortana and Start Menu won't load and got a great heap of hits. So this is far from an isolated issue.

Peter

Regulus (Trevor) · #8 25-08-2015, 07:37 PM

I have had 2 bad download/instal experiences with Win10 and just don't want to put it on any of my computers now. Maybe after SP1 comes out (at which point they will probably be charging for it).
Win7 does the job fine, and having had to reformat my music pc because of it was a bloody niusance that I should be able to charge MS for.

Trev

RB (Andrew) · #9 25-08-2015, 07:44 PM

Thanks for the feedback Peter.
I'm not even gonna say hello to Win 10.

RB

Octane (Humayun) · #10 25-08-2015, 09:00 PM

I'll never forget this quote from IRC from years ago:

<@insomnia> it only takes three commands to install Gentoo
<@insomnia> cfdisk /dev/hda && mkfs.xfs /dev/hda1 && mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/gentoo/ && chroot /mnt/gentoo/ && env-update && . /etc/profile && emerge sync && cd /usr/portage && scripts/bootsrap.sh && emerge system && emerge vim && vi /etc/fstab && emerge gentoo-dev-sources && cd /usr/src/linux && make menuconfig && make install modules_install && emerge gnome mozilla-firefox openoffice && emerge grub && cp /boot/grub/grub.conf.sample /boot/grub/grub.conf && vi /boot/grub/grub.conf && grub && init 6
<@insomnia> that's the first one

H (a Solaris sysadmin)

RB (Andrew) · #11 25-08-2015, 11:35 PM

Or the other classic quote a friend of Bill Gates said to him:
"Weaving Spiders Come Not Here".

lazjen (Chris) · #12 26-08-2015, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

I'll never forget this quote from IRC from years ago:

<@insomnia> it only takes three commands to install Gentoo
<@insomnia> cfdisk /dev/hda && mkfs.xfs /dev/hda1 && mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/gentoo/ && chroot /mnt/gentoo/ && env-update && . /etc/profile && emerge sync && cd /usr/portage && scripts/bootsrap.sh && emerge system && emerge vim && vi /etc/fstab && emerge gentoo-dev-sources && cd /usr/src/linux && make menuconfig && make install modules_install && emerge gnome mozilla-firefox openoffice && emerge grub && cp /boot/grub/grub.conf.sample /boot/grub/grub.conf && vi /boot/grub/grub.conf && grub && init 6
<@insomnia> that's the first one

H (a Solaris sysadmin)

It's changed a bit...

Anyway, that's the distro I use and am installing again.

AstralTraveller (David) · #13 26-08-2015, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmrid

[ BTW folks: I didn't start this thread to extol the various virtues of Linux, interesting as that is; but to point out how flaky Windows 10 is.]

Sorry. I should resist.

mswhin63 (Malcolm) · #14 26-08-2015, 10:10 AM

I am not sure what you are all doing, but I have not had a single issue. Weird!

On installation the only weird thing was dual monitor update, but only required a restart. Since then not a single issue and I have quite a substantial amount of software that is supposed to have quirks with Windows 10 but not a single one has been seen.

One thing I do not do in most cases is develop the hell out of a platform

. I just use it, so maybe that is the problem.

There is no way I will go back to Windows 8.1. My installation was direct to 8.1 as it is a new computer. I first put Windows 10 on my laptop and that too is not experiencing any issue at all.

Garbz (Chris) · #15 26-08-2015, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Regulus

I have had 2 bad download/instal experiences with Win10 and just don't want to put it on any of my computers now. Maybe after SP1 comes out (at which point they will probably be charging for it).

There will be no more Windows service packs. They've moved to a rapid / rolling release model.

Regulus (Trevor) · #16 26-08-2015, 04:32 PM

So windows 11 will be Windows 10 SP1 under an assumed name :-)

Garbz (Chris) · #17 26-08-2015, 10:08 PM

If they go the rapid release way. There's a thought they will just go to rolling releases where the windows update process provides a continuous stream of "improvements" and new features and changes will trickle through slowly rather than getting a new version. The general public got Windows build 10240 (Windows 10 Release to Market) only a few weeks ago, and insiders are already on build 10525.

Quite the change in the way they are testing updates.

julianh72 (Julian) · #18 28-08-2015, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Regulus

So windows 11 will be Windows 10 SP1 under an assumed name :-)

Nope - the official Microsoft line is that Windows 10 is "the last Windows" - no more version numbers, no more Service Packs, just continual incremental updates.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/7/856...ion-of-windows

rogerg (Roger) · #19 28-08-2015, 01:00 PM

My biggest concern with Windows10 is that updates will come down in the middle of the night, rebooting or causing some other software conflict/interuption to my automation process. That is, if I were to run it on my observatory PC.

Does anyone know if it is possible to prevent updates occuring, perhaps even during periods? A less techy news article I red some time ago said updates couldn't be turned off.

Roger.

mswhin63 (Malcolm) · #20 28-08-2015, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerg

My biggest concern with Windows10 is that updates will come down in the middle of the night, rebooting or causing some other software conflict/interuption to my automation process. That is, if I were to run it on my observatory PC.

Does anyone know if it is possible to prevent updates occuring, perhaps even during periods? A less techy news article I red some time ago said updates couldn't be turned off.

Roger.

Yep

START (I think) -> Settings -> Update and Security -> Windows Update -> Advanced

Change "Automatic" to "Notify when restart"