Windows 10?

[painshill]

Anyone using Windows 10 and Edge/Cortana?

Microsoft's free offer of an upgrade to Windows 10 expires at the end of July and I have been avoiding it so far, since it's never a good idea to be an "early adopter". Anyone have any experiences to share about how their upgrade went and whether there have been any forum or other issues? Does Microsoft's new browser (Edge with embedded Cortana) work OK? Is it better than Explorer? Have you stayed with Google Chrome or Firefox instead?

Thanks in advance.

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Roger, I am using Windows 10 but still using Google Chrome browser. I haven't tried Microsoft's new browser so I'm thinking I will be of little help.

[2ndoldman]

I also use Windows 10 Roger but I prefer Firefox as my browser. The only problem I have encountered so far is that I can no longer sort my pictures by date.

[gregszybala]

Windows 10 seems fine. Still using Chrome though.

[Hoss]

I have ten on my laptop but only use it for travel. It is different but I adapted to its use pretty easily. I use chrome browser with it. Are you running 8 now or 7? Because if you do not have 8 you will find the simple tasks like hooking up a printer can be troublesom. Microsoft makes you sign up for a microsoft account to walk you though it. There is no way around it.

[Hoss]

Ok that sounded weird when I read it back to myself. LOL 8 has the same feature as 10 as far as hooking up a printer. They make you sign up for a microsoft account to do it. It really aggravated me because it was telling me I had to use outlook. I did not want a outlook box I already have 4 email addresses and did not want another. In the end I did not need an outlook account I used my own email address and signed up for the microsoft acct and it all worked out.

[painshill]

Yes, I'm running Windows 8 at the moment and have already been forced to have an outlook.com address. My main concern about upgrading is whether everything still works OK after Windows 10 installs. I can cope with different look and feel and different ways of doing things. I don't want to have issues with reinstalling other software I'm already using though (especially not McAfee).

Thanks folks.

[Hoss]

I cannot answer that. I had 8 briefly so I really do not know much about it. I upgraded shortly after I bought my laptop. My desk top did not come with the free upgrade. Either that or Dell is holding out on me. LOL

[sailorjoe]

Roger, I am using Windows 10 also but like others I am not using the Edge browser. I prefer Firefox. One of the problems you could get with 10 is that some of your other software may not run properly. So if you are running programs that may be old then that could be a problem. However, I suspect that anything that runs on 8.1 should run OK on 10. I have a Family Tree program that doesn't interface real well with 10 and it worked just fine with 8.1.One of the things I dislike about 10 is that it seems more intrusive and controlling of my computer. The automatic updates can be annoying when that happens because lots of times the computer will do an automatic restart. So it seems to be a good idea to shut down all other programs when one plans on staying away for several hours.Cortana is a weird search program that I still haven't gotten used to. It is very advanced and can do lots of stuff but when you use it, it automatically links to Edge if you have selected web search even if another browser is the one preferred in your settings. It will also search your documents, photos and practically anything else on your computer files.More and more we are not getting stand alone programs and apps but have to be linked to the web before certain apps and programs work correctly. I find that very irritating. The basics of 10 seem easier to learn than was 8.1 but for some reason I still don't like it. I would not have changed but I had to buy a new puter and it came with the Acer. The salesman said he could remove it and install my favorite windows which is 7 but support for 7 is due to be cut off in the near future if it has not already.These are just a few of my thoughts from a guy who isn't a geek and has trouble staying abreast with technology.

[SDhunter]

Using 10 on Google chrome. Didn't have any trouble except getting used to the new ways of doing things.

[painshill]

OK… I’m using Microsoft Edge from Windows 10 to post this. Edge seems to work fine with the forum but I don’t care for the look and feel of it. Windows 10 boots slower than 8.1 and Edge doesn’t seem to be any faster than Explorer. The Cortana search assistant doesn’t work at all… it seems as if you can’t fully enable it unless you set it up for voice recognition and it has so far resisted all attempts to persuade it to play ball. Maybe it doesn’t like my British accent.
No great loss. It seems to be an overcomplicated heap of poo with a mission to take over your life.


Everything else I’ve tried seems to work except that the installation removed my Bluetooth connectivity and facial recognition apps, having declared them to be incompatible with Windows 10.

For anyone who has not yet ventured into the water, I have some advice:

• The free upgrade offer for Windows 10 expires in 14 days (July 29^th). It took approximately 3/4 hour on a fast PC with a medium-speed internet connection but I would expect the server to get busier (slower) as the deadline approaches.
• Make sure your existing Windows platform is fully up to date. If it isn’t, then the Windows 10 upgrade won’t run. It diverts to “checking for updates” and then gets stuck in that mode. That happened to my wife’s PC because she hadn’t switched on for a few days and she had a backlog of uninstalled/unconfigured updates for Windows 8.1 which created a conflict with the updater for Windows 10. Even after fully updating 8.1 something interfered with the process and the upgrade happened via the Windows updater rather than directly from the Microsoft link to the offer. That added about two hours to the process because the files then download to your PC via a very slow link, adding an extra unnecessary step. I couldn’t find a way to stop that happening. It also creates another problem that others have experienced (see below)*
• The only disconcerting part of the process is when you get to the final welcome screens which give you no indication of progress and you might think have frozen. Be patient!
• The shortcuts for Internet Explorer are wiped out by the upgrade and replaced by shortcuts for Edge. If you want to carry on using Explorer, search for “Internet Explorer” in the Windows Search box, right click the icon when it appears and select “pin to taskbar”; then repeat the process if you also want to “pin to start menu”. Also, if you select “file location” you are taken to where the execution file for Explorer resides and you can copy and paste the icon to your desktop if you wish.
• Pretty much all the security defaults switch to “share everything with all applications” (your ID, location, search history, file access history, download history etc). It takes a while to switch them to “off” if that’s your preference (certainly mine). The Cortana search assistant definitely won’t work if you deny it your location… but you can specify which programs are allowed the information.
• The upgrade gives you the original release of Windows 10… it will almost immediately begin downloading further updates to the latest version.

*PROBLEM: if the upgrade process diverts to using the Windows updater (in Control Panel), as it did on one of our two PCs then you may hit another problem which many users have reported. In addition to adding almost 2 hours to the process while the files download, when the second phase begins (“preparing for update”) it proceeds so slowly you’ll think it has stalled. For some users this second stage took over 14 hours! The way to nudge it along is to disconnect your PC from the internet. The connection isn’t needed after the files have downloaded. After a short pause, the second stage should then complete in 15 minutes or so and then take you to the same screens you see in the free upgrade offer link.




[Image adapted from AronsComics]

[Hoss]

LOL at the comic. Roger so sorry you are having troubles. My desktop is windows 7 Dell should have given me a free upgrade as this PC is only two years young. However I had a falling out with them. I bought a brandy new laptop from them about a year ago and the screen was hanging out of the cover when I received it. I sent it back and they gave me a very hard time about a refund. I then went a bout a toshiba laptop with ten already installed. I felt it was easy enough to use so I tried to upgrade my desk top through dell and I was not allowed to. I am not sure if I have the wrong type of seven or what? The toshiba I found was on sale as a discontinued item and it had seven and came with the free upgrade. I hade no trouble upgrading but I only use that Laptop when I travel. Perhaps one weeks use in the last year.

[painshill]

LOL at the comic. Roger so sorry you are having troubles. My desktop is windows 7 Dell should have given me a free upgrade as this PC is only two years young. However I had a falling out with them. I bought a brandy new laptop from them about a year ago and the screen was hanging out of the cover when I received it. I sent it back and they gave me a very hard time about a refund. I then went a bout a toshiba laptop with ten already installed. I felt it was easy enough to use so I tried to upgrade my desk top through dell and I was not allowed to. I am not sure if I have the wrong type of seven or what? The toshiba I found was on sale as a discontinued item and it had seven and came with the free upgrade. I hade no trouble upgrading but I only use that Laptop when I travel. Perhaps one weeks use in the last year.

The only version of Windows 7 that doesn't qualify for a free upgrade to Windows 10 is the "Enterprise" version. Same for Windows 8 too. Windows 7 also won't upgrade to Windows 10 unless Service Pack 1 has been installed. The upgrade process also does a check that the hardware can support Windows 10, but that should only be a problem on old PCs or those with a low spec.

The Dells we used at work were corporate machines and built like a tank, with metal cases (but heavy). By contrast, the home-use Dell laptops are very flimsily built. The plastic screen surround on mine cracked after a mild knock and I had to glue it back together. Not a great success because the plastic is too thin for a decent bond. I bought two Lenovo (owned by IBM) laptops a year ago and have been very satisfied with the build quality and reliability.

[Hoss]

Thanks Roger. This unit is supposed to have windows 7 Home Pro It is an XPS and as not cheap. I paid over 1000 dollars for it. The run around I got from Dell was outrageous. I doubt I will do any business with them moving ahead.

Question is the offer for upgrade straight from Microsoft? Because I had gone through dell and they were the ones who turned me down.

[painshill]

Thanks Roger. This unit is supposed to have windows 7 Home Pro It is an XPS and as not cheap. I paid over 1000 dollars for it. The run around I got from Dell was outrageous. I doubt I will do any business with them moving ahead.

Question is the offer for upgrade straight from Microsoft? Because I had gone through dell and they were the ones who turned me down.

Yes, the offer is direct from Microsoft. Details here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/wind...specifications

... and more specifically here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-10-upgrade