# Window 10 upgrade?



## uop1497 (Jul 24, 2016)

My laptop currently use window 7 . Now, I keep getting message for a free to upgrade to window 10. I want to know if anyone has upgrade to window 10 and how do you like it.

My laptop is 5 years old, not sure if it is worthy to upgrade to window 10. if I choose not to upgrade, what will happen after after the free upgrade is over, will my laptop still runs fine with out it.

Please share your inputs if you have upgrade and use window 10.

Thank you


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## artringwald (Jul 24, 2016)

I upgraded both our computers to Windows 10 mainly because I enjoy living on the bleeding edge, and didn't have any problems. I also talked several friends and relatives into upgrading with my assistance. My brother did have some compatibility issues and had to pay to upgrade one of his programs, but eventually was able to get everything working. Windows 10 does have some bells and whistles most people don't care about, but one big issue is that it's supposed to have better security. If you don't like it, you can revert to your previous O/S. If you don't really want to take the time and risk, just wait a week, and you'll stop getting prompted for the update because it won't be free anymore.


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## csxjohn (Jul 24, 2016)

We converted 3 lap tops this week.  My wife is up on that kind of stuff and she did a "clean install."  That is she installed it then wiped out everything else.  If you do it the other way around you won't have the license to do it for free.

She took off a lot of the junk we don't want.  She says they are trying to make the computer like a smart phone with all the icons and apps and things.  I hate that stuff, don't have a smart phone and don't want one.

I don't need pics of things, just give me some text, I know how to read and can figure it out.

If you don't upgrade you computer will still work but as with the older versions, they will eventually stop supporting what you have now.  With no support and upgrades I understand your computer will be at greater risk of intrusion.


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## Big Matt (Jul 24, 2016)

I'm posting this on a converted lap top.  No issues.  I like Windows 10, but don't like the new browser as much so I use Chrome instead.


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## Bucky (Jul 24, 2016)

I've updated our laptop and desktop from 7 to 10. The only drawback I have on 10 is the forced updates that take precedence when rebooting the machine. Nothing more annoying to me than rebooting the computer after a power outage or removing a program than having to sit there 10 minutes while it updates before you can use it again.


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## SMHarman (Jul 24, 2016)

Updated mine and my father's laptops to W10. Both Dell. Both went fine. Both faster post upgrade.


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## bogey21 (Jul 24, 2016)

I have blocked all of Microsoft's efforts to get me to convert to Windows 10 using GWX Control Panel.  I will not convert.  Windows 7 for me until my laptop shoots craps and I  buy one with Windows 10 already installed and hopefully  100% debugged. 

George


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## Passepartout (Jul 24, 2016)

Millions and millions of people have upgraded to Windows 10, and the vast majority of them are happy they did. If you wait much longer it will cost money and there is no point in spending $$ on a 5 year old computer with an operating system that will no longer be supported fairly soon.

Do it. It's easy and quite painless.

Jim


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## Kal (Jul 24, 2016)

There are work arounds to avoid paying for Win 10 later on.

 Upgrade to Win 10 now.  In doing so, your machine is automatically registered as a Win 10 O/S.  Then roll back to the previous Win 7, 8 or 8.1

 If you subsequently want to install Win 10 for free, just upgrade at any time.  Since the machine is already registered in the Microsoft databank, there will be no charge to upgrade after July 2016.  There is no longer a 25 digit product code stored on any specific computer.


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## Kal (Jul 24, 2016)

bogey21 said:


> ... I will not convert. Windows 7 for me until my laptop shoots craps and I buy one with Windows 10 already installed and hopefully 100% debugged.
> 
> George



Ah yes, the good ole days when a great new Windows O/S is never as good as the old one!

As I look back, every new upgrade was considered by me as questionable as the one in hand was rock solid and met my every need. Generally, humans are creatures of "status quo". But in hind sight, every new upgrade was substantially better than the former. I was absolutely shocked on the changes presented in Win 3.1, then again with Win 95, and Win XP and Win 8.1. Now I take it for granted that the MS geeks are pretty savy and on their game!

Win 3.1 - 4/92
Win 95 - 8/95 (the first fantastic user interface)
Win 2000 - 2/00
Win XP - 10/01
Vista - 1/07
 Win 7 - 10/09
Win 8.0 - 10/12
Win 8.1 - 10/13
Win 10 - 7/15

Your Win 7 system is now going on 7 years old. Is there a chance that you're using a very unsecure and outdated system? Especially in this day where NOBODY is free from worldwide hackers.


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## Ron98GT (Jul 24, 2016)

csxjohn said:


> We converted 3 lap tops this week.  My wife is up on that kind of stuff and she did a "clean install."  That is she installed it then wiped out everything else.  If you do it the other way around you won't have the license to do it for free.
> 
> She took off a lot of the junk we don't want.  She says they are trying to make the computer like a smart phone with all the icons and apps and things.  I hate that stuff, don't have a smart phone and don't want one.
> 
> ...


http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/make-windows-10-like-windows-7

http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/change-windows-10-interface-look,2-302.html

Or show & tell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEblJ1UBQF0


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## GetawaysRus (Jul 25, 2016)

I updated both my laptop and then my desktop.

The laptop is about 3 years old - no issues with the update.

The desktop is 5-6 years old.  After the update, I had issues with the video display.  The desktop has the original ATI video card and I use a 25 inch monitor.  Under Win 10, the video looked "mooshed" and would not display full screen.  It took a few hours of searching the web to find an answer and fix the problem.  Apparently, AMD had stopped updating the video drivers for these older cards several years ago.  I had to install the latest version of the video driver that I could find, then run the video driver in Windows 7 compatibility mode.

If your laptop is 5 years old, I think the decision about whether to update to Windows 10 depends mainly on how long you plan to keep it.  If you might be replacing the laptop soon, and if everything is running smoothly, I might not bother with the update.  But if you plan to keep it as long as possible, then I'd go ahead with the update.


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## PigsDad (Jul 25, 2016)

bogey21 said:


> I have blocked all of Microsoft's efforts to get me to convert to Windows 10 using GWX Control Panel.  I will not convert.  Windows 7 for me until my laptop shoots craps and I  buy one with Windows 10 already installed and hopefully  *100% debugged*.



You think Windows 7 is 100% "debugged", as you call it?  :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:


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## bogey21 (Jul 25, 2016)

GetawaysRus said:


> If your laptop is 5 years old, I think the decision about whether to update to Windows 10 depends mainly on how long you plan to keep it.  If you might be replacing the laptop soon, and if everything is running smoothly, I might not bother with the update.  But if you plan to keep it as long as possible, then I'd go ahead with the update.



My thinking exactly.  My laptop is a little over 3 years old.  My practice is to replace one when it no longer operates smoothly.  The worst I had failed after about a year and a half.  The best, about 5 1/2 years.

George


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## Kal (Jul 25, 2016)

PigsDad said:


> You think Windows 7 is 100% "debugged", as you call it? :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:



 And almost 7 years old, and significantly less secure...

 Win 10 is a year old and there will be a major update shortly after the freebie period ends.  Debugging is in the rear view mirror.


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## "Roger" (Jul 25, 2016)

I just upgraded, mostly out of concern (a big concern) about security. This is my second try and my experience is much better than my first go around several months ago (after which I reverted back to Windows 7). 

The single biggest issue on my first try was trying to get Windows 10 to recognize my printer. When I wanted to print something, I would first have to choose print to Quicken and then after that it would recognize that I had a Canon hooked up (usually, not always). To say the least, not something I wanted to go through every time I needed to print something. I presume that the problem was connected to needing a new driver, but Microsoft was no help when I asked to check for a driver update.

This time around I was able to get a driver update and everything seems to be working fine. My biggest decision at the moment is whether to replace the old Microsoft IE browser with Microsoft Edge or Chrome.


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## Passepartout (Jul 25, 2016)

"Roger" said:


> This time around I was able to get a driver update and everything seems to be working fine. My biggest decision at the moment is whether to replace the old Microsoft IE browser with Microsoft Edge or Chrome.



Glad it went fairly painlessly. On the browser issue, I'm using Edge, however reluctantly. I haven't found a decent pop-up blocker for it. And I was finding Chrome to be a resource hog. So Edge it is, at least for now.

Jim


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## rapmarks (Jul 25, 2016)

I tried to update to windows 10 yesterday, after an entire day of saying it was downloading it failed to go through.  then i couldn't get my computer to work at all.   I am now pretty cautious about trying it again.


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## Kal (Jul 25, 2016)

Internet Explorer is already on Windows 10, you just have to turn it on.

Do a Google search and you will find plenty of instructions on using IE.

I'm using IE as a default because it has an important add-on that Edge can't handle. I also go back and forth to Chrome and Edge as needed.  Just pin them to the task bar and select when needed.


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## MULTIZ321 (Jul 26, 2016)

Microsoft's Free Windows 10 Upgrade Ends on July 29th - by Mariella Moon/ Personal Computing/ Engadget/ engadget.com

"A license will set you back at least $119 after that date.

If Microsoft's pushy upgrade notifications weren't enough to compel you to install Windows 10, then maybe a looming deadline is. Windows 10 will no longer be a free upgrade after July 29th, a year after the OS was released and shortly before its anniversary update rolls out. The company revealed the features coming out with the anniversary refresh during Build 2016, and they include advanced gestures, new Cortana commands and the merged version of the Windows/Xbox One app stores...."

Richard


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## SmithOp (Jul 26, 2016)

I just upgraded today, it included a compatibility check.  My desktop is at least 5 years old, an AMD cpu, everything went fine.  It took about 30 minutes and the desktop looks the same, it kept the W7 look, no tiles or tablet doodads.


Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk


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## Kal (Jul 26, 2016)

It will be interesting to see how many users take advantage of the freebie at the last minute.  Previously, Win 10 was installed on 300 million machines but the goal at the initial release was 1 billion.  That tells me MS might come up with another enticement to boost the total number.


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## BJRSanDiego (Jul 26, 2016)

I have three computers.  My wife's forced an upgrade to Win 10.  My second one is running on Win 7 and is stable.

I am currently typing on an underpowered netbook running Win7.  It started out okay but with a Win 7 software update about every few days, plus Adobe updates, Active X, etc. it eventually became essentailly unusable.  I disabled ActiveX and that helped a little.  Then I shut off some other stuff and that helped a little.  Eventually I doubled the memory and that helped - - for a while.  

But when I stopped using IE 10 and switched to Google Chrome, and that has helped quite a bit.  The "unresponsive" messages occur much less frequently and when they do, Chrome can pick up whereas IE10 just kind of hangs.  Also, Chrome does a much better job remembering login IDs and passwords.  

So, IMnsHO, Microsoft blew it on IE10.  

When I replace the netbook in a year or two I'll switch to Win 10 or 11 or 12.  But in the meantime, I'm not going to migrate to the new platform.


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## Brett (Jul 26, 2016)

I upgraded to Win 10 earlier this year, the old programs work fine and in some cases seem faster.


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## bogey21 (Jul 26, 2016)

BJRSanDiego said:


> .....when I stopped using IE 10 and switched to Google Chrome, and that has helped quite a bit.  The "unresponsive" messages occur much less frequently and when they do, Chrome can pick up whereas IE10 just kind of hangs.



Agree.  I use both Chrome and Firefox.  Both work 100% better (and I am not exaggerating) on my laptop than IE.

George


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## SmithOp (Jul 26, 2016)

There are two things you can do to extend the life of an old laptop, max out the memory and install a new SSD drive. I've done that to my desktop and the speed improvement running Windows is very noticeable.


Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk


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## Kal (Jul 26, 2016)

BJRSanDiego said:


> ...But when I stopped using IE 10 and switched to Google Chrome, and that has helped quite a bit. The "unresponsive" messages occur much less frequently and when they do, Chrome can pick up whereas IE10 just kind of hangs. Also, Chrome does a much better job remembering login IDs and passwords.
> 
> So, IMnsHO, Microsoft blew it on IE10.
> 
> When I replace the netbook in a year or two I'll switch to Win 10 or 11 or 12. But in the meantime, I'm not going to migrate to the new platform.



 IMHO, there has been a significant change in web sites where they incorporate a much higher degree of streaming video, ads and images.  This uses lots of bandwidth which impacts not only browser response but the machine functionality.  If the machine is challenged by processor speed and memory locks will occur.

 As an experiment, compare the various browsers on a site with largely text to a site with heavy graphics and streaming video.  Then too, your choice of home page makes a huge difference.  Oddly, Microsoft's MSN home page is extremely rich in graphics and will challenge many of the older vintage machines using IE.


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## WinniWoman (Jul 26, 2016)

My son upgraded to windows 10 on his laptop and it is virtually unusable now. Locks up continuously. He has a pretty new computer (3 years old) and it cost like $2000 and now he can't use it! Such a shame! He tried everything- nothing helped.

He no way can afford another one. He has to resort to using his cell phone only.Now can't use his printer...

I told him next time- whenever that will be- to just leave well enough alone. I used my Vista laptop for many years after all these versions came out- i refused to update and honestly- though not the greatest- that VISTA laptop is still functional.

I have since bought an HP with windows 10 already installed. Any upgrades come out- I stick with what came in the computer until I need a new one.


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## Kal (Jul 26, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> My son upgraded to windows 10 on his laptop and it is virtually unusable now. Locks up continuously...



He should do a "clean install" rather than the upgrade. Or just reinstall the previous version of Windows that worked.

 By chance is his computer an HP?


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## Ron98GT (Jul 26, 2016)

Kal said:


> He should do a "clean install" rather than the upgrade. Or just reinstall the previous version of Windows that worked.



Agree, user needs to do a clean install, which includes saving off all of the files, reformatting the HD, installing the OS (either the old OS or Win-10), reinstalling all of the Ap's, and then reinstalling the user files.  One Problem:

When you do the free upgrade to Win-10, how do you get a copy of the CD's, to do a clean install. Assuming the user has a way to reinstall the old OS, be it the original OS CD's or from the HD, reinstalling Windows 10 over the old OS defeats the purpose. I'm at this dilemma with my wife's PC, who is currently running XP Pro. 

The following article 

http://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/

describes how to create installation media, using flash or DVD, that could be used for doing a clean install of Win-10.

I wonder if anybody has tried it, since we only have till the 29th of July for the free upgrade?

Here is the MS link, which I may try for the DW's PC, so I can get her free copy:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sof...2459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-L.jKNfxFJfn3F2S7zmWXuQ)()


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## Kal (Jul 26, 2016)

Ron98GT said:


> ...When you do the free upgrade to Win-10, how do you get a copy of the CD's, to do a clean install. Assuming the user has a way to reinstall the old OS, be it the original OS CD's or from the HD, reinstalling Windows 10 over the old OS defeats the purpose. I'm at this dilemma with my wife's PC, who is currently running XP Pro.
> ..



There are lots of instructions on how to do a clean install and to get CD for the install.  Actually, the technique is based on upgrading, THEN doing a clean install.  That way, the machine will provide the product number to verify previous Win O/S.  However, you may have to contact MS to get that verification if you can't do the initial upgrade and registration effort.

 The clean install is a 2 part project.  The first is a routine on a thumb drive, then the install CD.


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## uop1497 (Jul 26, 2016)

Thank you ALL for sharing your inputs .

I will get a new laptop thru Costco which has window 10 in it. 

This old laptop will not be upgraded because my son thinks window 10 will not make this old lap top running faster and better. I am waiting for my new lap top to be shipped to my home address. Not sure if I will like this new laptop. However DH and son , both said , I must learn how to use it and I will like the new laptop after a while.


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## zinger1457 (Jul 26, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> My son upgraded to windows 10 on his laptop and it is virtually unusable now. Locks up continuously. He has a pretty new computer (3 years old) and it cost like $2000 and now he can't use it! Such a shame! He tried everything- nothing helped.



Does your son ever perform backups of his laptop?  In addition to file backups being able to make an 'image' backup is built into Windows 7, 8 and 10, just need an external hard drive to connect to the laptop.  An image is a copy of everything (OS, programs, files, etc.) on your computer.  At a minimum it should be done before performing any major upgrade.


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## Ron98GT (Jul 27, 2016)

Kal said:


> There are lots of instructions on how to do a clean install and to get CD for the install.  Actually, the technique is based on upgrading, THEN doing a clean install.  That way, the machine will provide the product number to verify previous Win O/S.  However, you may have to contact MS to get that verification if you can't do the initial upgrade and registration effort.
> 
> The clean install is a 2 part project.  The first is a routine on a thumb drive, then the install CD.



Unfortunately, your right, the only way to get the free upgrade is to upgrade the current OS to Win-10, before July 29th.  After the current OS is upgraded. the user can then create the media flash/CD, and then do a clean install.

Before doing a clean install, make sure you back up all of your data, including your Outlook .ost and .pst files.


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## Kal (Jul 27, 2016)

Ron98GT said:


> Unfortunately, your right, the only way to get the free upgrade is to upgrade the current OS to Win-10, before July 29th. After the current OS is upgraded. the user can then create the media flash/CD, and then do a clean install.
> 
> Before doing a clean install, make sure you back up all of your data, including your Outlook .ost and .pst files.



Actually, if the upgrade doesn't work, the user can call MS and provide them the 25 digit product number of their current Win version.  MS can then register the machine in their system to receive the clean update.


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## pwrshift (Jul 27, 2016)

I have a high end computer made for me by a maker who specializes in making broadcast computers for print design and videos.  It has Windows 7 Professional on it so I called him for advice as July 29 is almost here. 

He advised me that Win 10 could cause some compatibility problems with potential added software costs and said if Win7 is working well not to upgrade and save some migraine headaches.  Not sure what it means but he said Microsoft has to support Win7 until 2020 and they are putting in an advance install date of this Friday so as to lessen the rush in 4 years at which time I'd probably have a new computer.  

I did install it on a 17" HO laptop I use for trips and it really took a long time to install and did have a few software problems and connectivity issues.  I don't use the laptop regularly but haven't had many problems...but I do feel it's not as good as 7 but a lot better than 8.

Brian


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## rapmarks (Jul 27, 2016)

I am trying to upgrade.  It has been running about 4 hours, and it says it is 3  percent downloaded, so my guess is something is wrong.


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## Ken555 (Jul 27, 2016)

rapmarks said:


> I am trying to upgrade.  It has been running about 4 hours, and it says it is 3  percent downloaded, so my guess is something is wrong.





I downloaded it last night in about 20 minutes, or less (I walked away for a while). How slow is your internet connection?


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## Kal (Jul 27, 2016)

rapmarks said:


> I am trying to upgrade. It has been running about 4 hours, and it says it is 3 percent downloaded, so my guess is something is wrong.



One one of my machines I went to bed and it was fine by the AM.  On another I monitored the activity.  Seems to me it took about 4 hours, but I have an extremely fast internet connection.


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## rapmarks (Jul 27, 2016)

It failed again.  Don't know what is going on, but the download has failed three times.  Computer is less than three years old, has Windows 8.1


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## janej (Jul 27, 2016)

I've been trying to upgrade an old laptop for the past few days.   It failed 3 times before I got it to work.   The laptop has not been used for a few month before this week.   I think one of the issue was that before Windows 10 was installed, many other updates are required and many of mine failed during the first few tries.

I think what made difference in my case was that I finally upgraded Java to the latest version and removed the older versions.   It still took long time to install but finally done.   I have not used it much to know if there are issues with the upgrade.   So far everything seems fine.


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## bogey21 (Jul 28, 2016)

janej said:


> The laptop has not been used for a few months before this week.  * I think one of the issues was that before Windows 10 was installed, many other updates are required*.



As one who has not (and will not) install Windows 10 let me say I think this statement is true.  I have refused to install many of the Windows 7 updates because their primary purpose is to "groom" Windows 7 to prepare for the Windows 10 installation.

George


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## Kal (Jul 28, 2016)

bogey21 said:


> As one who has not (and will not) install Windows 10 let me say I think this statement is true. I have refused to install many of the Windows 7 updates because their primary purpose is to "groom" Windows 7 to prepare for the Windows 10 installation.
> 
> George



 OMG, a definite conspiracy


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## Talent312 (Jul 28, 2016)

Kal said:


> OMG, a definite conspiracy



“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.”
-- Joseph Heller, Catch 22

I upgraded a personal laptop from Win 7 with no issues.

At work, we still use Win 7 with a multi-site network.
Our IT guy said an upgrade could kill the network...
too many components would need updating, first.
.



.


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## pedro47 (Jul 28, 2016)

Is 7/29/2016 the last day to upgrade Windows 10 for free ?


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## Kal (Jul 28, 2016)

The most probably reason a machine cannot be upgraded is because the key programs and hardware need to include the latest revisions prior to upgrade.

 Then there is HP which seems to have abandoned many of those machines.  The upgrade may result in the need to do a clean install of the previous O/S.


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## zinger1457 (Jul 28, 2016)

Kal said:


> Then there is HP which seems to have abandoned many of those machines.  The upgrade may result in the need to do a clean install of the previous O/S.



Doing an image backup before upgrading and restoring the image later if needed would be a lot easier and faster.


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## Passepartout (Jul 28, 2016)

pedro47 said:


> Is 7/29/2016 the last day to upgrade Windows 10 for free ?



Yup. It is.


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## Ken555 (Jul 28, 2016)

I've been peripherally involved with updating dozens of computers to W10, but hadn't updated my own box until this week. I did so a few days ago, then promptly saw it crash and burn repeatedly. I've got a decent box with an expensive (or what was once expensive) video card and more. I've had to manually power down and restart the PC about five times so far, and haven't used it beyond a few minutes in a couple apps for testing and trying to run the software update (which is repeatedly failing). I suspect it's just having issues with lots of people updating this week, but I'm not yet sure why it's repeatedly crashing (without doing anything). There's nothing fancy in terms of software on this particular system.

I just restarted it again about 30 minutes ago after which it took about 10 minutes to freeze and show a black screen (other than the mouse) and will let it try to recover, again, by itself for a couple hours while I do work on my real computer...a Mac. If these issues continue, I'll likely revert to W7 for myself since it was working great.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## John Cummings (Jul 28, 2016)

I just upgraded Windows 7 Professional to Windows 10 Pro. It went very smoothly. My son also did the same upgrade today with no problems. I need more experience with Windows 10 before commenting on it. So far I like it and it is faster.


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## Carol C (Jul 29, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> My son upgraded to windows 10 on his laptop and it is virtually unusable now. Locks up continuously. He has a pretty new computer (3 years old) and it cost like $2000 and now he can't use it! Such a shame! He tried everything- nothing helped.
> 
> He no way can afford another one. He has to resort to using his cell phone only.Now can't use his printer...
> 
> ...



Did you buy the HP Pavillion? I did after getting a Delta Skymiles offer with a $250 off price tag on the Pavillion. I was using a 12 yr old Acer with Win 7 installed. I did research Win 10 online and reviews in Cnet, PCMag and others were excellent...so I took the leap. I'm just now starting to use it with wifi and have installed CCleaner and Avast (although McAfee comes with it for 30 days, I won't buy that one and will use Avast). It seems pretty fast, and thus far I'm pleased. I have about 20 days to return it with no restocking fee...so until then I'm gonna wear this sucker out! :rofl:


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## rapmarks (Jul 29, 2016)

after attempting to download on three year young computer every day for past six days, I reported to microsoft with the error code and scheduled a call back from them.  they never called back, I am giving up on the upgrade.:annoyed:


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## Ken555 (Jul 29, 2016)

I reverted to W7U in ~10 minutes this morning and now the PC is humming along without issue. I may try again in a few months when I have more time to diagnose. We helped upgrade a client yesterday and today as well (~12 computers) and they reported no problems, so I assume something is having problems with my system - likely a driver conflict or similar.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Born2Travel (Jul 29, 2016)

I upgraded 3 pc's.  One has no problems, another is just recently done and I haven't tried it much.  The third is a problem (and that is the one I use most)
   It seemed to upgrade fine and I used it for several days (4-5) with no issues, then one night it shut itself down in the middle of using it.  I quit and went to bed.  Next day when I tried to use it, it came up as if I had just installed the upgrade and all my documents, pictures, and music have disappeared.  (I'm not sure what else is gone, I'm afraid to look)  I'm not sure reverting back to 7 will "fix" that problem.  Otherwise it works fine, but I did not want to lose everything I had on the pc   Not very happy at the moment.


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## Kal (Jul 29, 2016)

Born2Travel said:


> all my documents, pictures, and music have disappeared. (I'm not sure what else is gone...




 Just retrieve your personal files from your backup.  That's why the upgrade instructions advise users to back up their personal files before initiating the upgrade.


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## WinniWoman (Jul 30, 2016)

Carol C said:


> Did you buy the HP Pavillion? I did after getting a Delta Skymiles offer with a $250 off price tag on the Pavillion. I was using a 12 yr old Acer with Win 7 installed. I did research Win 10 online and reviews in Cnet, PCMag and others were excellent...so I took the leap. I'm just now starting to use it with wifi and have installed CCleaner and Avast (although McAfee comes with it for 30 days, I won't buy that one and will use Avast). It seems pretty fast, and thus far I'm pleased. I have about 20 days to return it with no restocking fee...so until then I'm gonna wear this sucker out! :rofl:



Yes. The HP Pavillion laptop with 17 inch screen.
 I use windows defender. Use it with wifi.


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## WinniWoman (Jul 30, 2016)

Kal said:


> He should do a "clean install" rather than the upgrade. Or just reinstall the previous version of Windows that worked.
> 
> By chance is his computer an HP?



He has a SONY VIO. He originally tried to upgrade and had issues and then decided to wipe out his entire hard drive and do a clean install- but still unusable.

He doesn't have the old Windows version on a hard drive so not sure where he could get the old Windows version. (Remember when they used to give you a disk?)


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## PeterS (Jul 30, 2016)

Some interesting articles have surfaced about the NEW Win 10 Anniversary update coming out ASAP... (GOOGLE Window 10 and look under News)

The ability to shutoff Cortana seems to be gone, also a number of controls to allow you to control the data collection are being diminished or done away with, and Win 10 now can install any apps it wants on Win 10 machines without any approval and load it into your Live Tiles. It is still unclear how it does this without having to ask users about accepting permissions. And the worse part is that under Win 10 you can't stop these changes and you can't control it because updates are not in your control anymore.

Did Microsoft put in the ability to control your privacy as a sales point to get people to convert?
Right after the deadline, users get a forced update (an update they held back until after the deadline) that takes away all the controls... This will be interesting to see if this generates more lawsuits.


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## Kal (Jul 30, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> He has a SONY VIO. He originally tried to upgrade and had issues and then decided to wipe out his entire hard drive and do a clean install- but still unusable.
> 
> He doesn't have the old Windows version on a hard drive so not sure where he could get the old Windows version. (Remember when they used to give you a disk?)



 Like almost all recent machines, the old Windows 7 is provided by Sony VAIO on a Recovery Partition of the computer.  

 In general, power on the computer and press F10 several times.  This should take you to a step-by-step reinstallation by selecting "Start Recovery Wizard".


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## John Cummings (Jul 30, 2016)

Now that I have had a chance to use it, I really like it a lot. I just got the Windows 7 games for Window 10 ( free ) installed so that makes me happier. I fixed up the task bar so it looks just like the Windows 7 task bar.


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## susieq (Jul 31, 2016)

We have 2 computers ~ the desktop is only months old and came with Windows 10, my laptop is a few years old, and had 8.1. After much procrastination, I finally gave in and got the update while it was free.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jul 31, 2016)

I've been running W10 on my laptop while keeping my main desktop work computer on W7.  That way I could investigate without jeopardizing my critical hardware and software.  I also figured that if I waited as long as possible, there would be more bugs found and fixed.

So I converted the other computer a couple of days ago. So far so good.  I mss the old start menu - pinning a tile isn't nearly as efficient as the Win7 start menu pin. Had uninstall and reinstall one program so it would interact with my printer.  Other than that, no problems yet.


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## Kal (Jul 31, 2016)

Steve - You never even have to look at tiles.  Easily set up the user interface so it is exactly like W7!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 1, 2016)

Kal said:


> Steve - You never even have to look at tiles.  Easily set up the user interface so it is exactly like W7!



I know that you've said how to do that before, but when I follow your instructions it doesn't work for me.  And when I google making Win10 look like Win7 the hits talk about installing a new shell.


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## Born2Travel (Aug 1, 2016)

Kal said:


> Just retrieve your personal files from your backup.  That's why the upgrade instructions advise users to back up their personal files before initiating the upgrade.



Thanks, I  retrieved the photos.  The rest is on a portable backup drive but I  decided I probably don't need all of it on my laptop yet.  Maybe I  will just leave it on the external drive until I need it.


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## Brett (Aug 1, 2016)

PeterS said:


> Some interesting articles have surfaced about the NEW Win 10 Anniversary update coming out ASAP... (GOOGLE Window 10 and look under News)
> 
> The ability to shutoff Cortana seems to be gone, also a number of controls to allow you to control the data collection are being diminished or done away with, and Win 10 now can install any apps it wants on Win 10 machines without any approval and load it into your Live Tiles. It is still unclear how it does this without having to ask users about accepting permissions. And the worse part is that under Win 10 you can't stop these changes and you can't control it because updates are not in your control anymore.
> 
> ...



you can completely disable "apps" like Cortana that collect data but it involves work-arounds like renaming files and not using the menus in the control panel


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## Kal (Aug 1, 2016)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I know that you've said how to do that before, but when I follow your instructions it doesn't work for me. And when I google making Win10 look like Win7 the hits talk about installing a new shell.



 There are various settings available to mimic Win 7.  Here are a few:
 - Desktop
 - Start menu
 - Lock screen

 For the desktop, hold down the Windows button on your keyboard and click "A" (action center). At the bottom of the panel, click on "Tablet mode".  This will take you to the icon loaded desktop view.  This view should be populated with some or many icons.  You can add more icon shortcuts to favorite programs as you desire.  A common way is to go the the actual application file (*.exe) thru windows explorer.  Right click the program and select "Send to", then "desktop".

 For the start menu, do an internet search to change look of W10 to W7.

 For the lock screen (the screen the appears at system start up) do another similar search.

 Please let me know how this works.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 1, 2016)

Kal said:


> There are various settings available to mimic Win 7.  Here are a few:
> - Desktop
> - Start menu
> - Lock screen
> ...



tablet mode is ghosted.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 1, 2016)

And here's something I definitely don't like. 

In Windows 7, after doing a search in File Explorer there was an icon at the bottom of the search to create a custom search, where you limit the drives and folders to be searched.  That was a great option, as I often know several locations where files I want to find will be stored. So I could specify those locations and not run a search on the entire computer.

That appears to be gone in Windows 10.  So now I have to run the same search over and over, in each location.


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## Kal (Aug 1, 2016)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> tablet mode is ghosted.



 Wonder if this involves a secondary monitor situation?

 Go to "Settings", then "System", then scroll down to Tablet Mode.  See if the ON/OFF toggle is operable.


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## Phydeaux (Aug 1, 2016)

Good golly, am I ever happy I bought a iMac! Current Mac runs circles around every PC I've ever owned in my life, and those provided by my employers.  And that's an understatement. 

:whoopie::whoopie::whoopie:


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## taterhed (Aug 1, 2016)

I updated a Fujitsu convertible tablet (4 years old?) that I had previously tried to update from W7 to W10 with poor results (my fault).

The first time around, I attempted to follow the recommended upgrade process (from Fuji website) but didn't do it correctly (uninstall, re-install, update, patch etc...). Afterwards, I allowed a third party driver update program to update my drivers to W10. That's what messed me up. I rolled back to W7. I discovered that I had W8pro on the machine. Thought I'd give it a try and see what all the fuss was about.
Yikes! What a sorry OS. Needless to say, I reinstalled W7 Pro from a clean install. Nice. Forgot about the Windows update 'hanging' problem. Finally found the script/commands/deletes to repair the windows update client and it updated very quickly and completely. W7pro is a great OS IMHO. Many of you may have experienced this 'windows update hanging' phenomena when trying to upgrade to W10. 

On July 29th at 1030pm, I started the W10 download/update process on our slow internet connection (5m or less). The download was smooth and took about an hour.... the complete install and first round of upgrades was complete in less than 3 hours (I was gone, so don't know how long...) I correctly completed the Fujitsu rec'd before/during/after steps for the W7pro to W10pro upgrade...and the results were very good. Runs like a racehorse now.

Having said all that.... I also bought a Dell 15.4 i3/6m/500g/HD laptop from Wally-world for $170 (new, clearance). This little baby (with W10 installed from factory) runs like a top. The W10 experience is better, faster and more.....logical and fluid on this machine. Hard to explain, but obviously the machine was designed/optimized for W10 and it really shows.

A little advice from reading the thread:


My $170 brand-new Dell outperforms my other $$$$ laptop (W7 or W10) by a big margin. And yes, the $$$$ laptop is a clean install and has bloat removed and scrubbed registry. NEVER underestimate the value of owning a machine designed for the running OS. Lots' of decent W10 machines out there for under $300. Why deal with the hassle of upgrading a 5yr+ machine for sub-par performance? And, yes, I still have a Vista machine I tinker with. 
If you think you're seeing too many streaming ads, videos and other 'referred content,' you are. Run Chrome or Firefox with Adblock plus (or similar) and use a pop-up blocker and suppress tracking. Your system will love you.
ALWAYS consult the manufacturer's website first to see if an OS upgrade is recommended/supported on your system and 1) what steps you take to upgrade 2) what software must be un-installed prior to upgrade or will not work after the upgrade.
Always backup first and shut-down (stop, exit etc..) any and all unnecessary programs and start-ups prior to upgrade. This includes unplugging USB devices etc.... (generic keyboard/mouse is ok). Many thumb-drives and other portable devices will crash the upgrade when the drivers become unsupported or attempt to update during the OS upgrade process. (booting from USB/DVD excepted)
 JMHO, hope it helps.
 BTW:  there is still a process to upgrade to W10 for free if you missed.  Loophole will probably close soon.  Search for it on slickd*als or g**gle.


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## John Cummings (Aug 1, 2016)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I know that you've said how to do that before, but when I follow your instructions it doesn't work for me.  And when I google making Win10 look like Win7 the hits talk about installing a new shell.



It was very easy to make Win 10 look like 7. I upgraded from Windows 7 Professional to Win 10 Pro. It may be different for the home edition.


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## SmithOp (Aug 1, 2016)

John Cummings said:


> It was very easy to make Win 10 look like 7. I upgraded from Windows 7 Professional to Win 10 Pro. It may be different for the home edition.





You are probably correct, I upgraded from Win 7 Ultimate and it looks the same, I didnt have to make any adjustments.


Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk


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## MULTIZ321 (Aug 2, 2016)

You Can Still Get Windows 10 for Free With This Trick - by Tom Warren/ Microsoft/ Tech/ Windows 10/ The Verge/ theverge.com

"Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 10 ended last week, or did it? The software giant has introduced a "free upgrade offer extension" for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users who use assistive technologies. While, technically, the free upgrade offer for the general public has ended, Microsoft has introduced a loophole with this extension that lets anyone get Windows 10 for free..."

Richard


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## PeterS (Aug 2, 2016)

Brett said:


> you can completely disable "apps" like Cortana that collect data but it involves work-arounds like renaming files and not using the menus in the control panel



Does this still work after the August 2 - Win 10 Anniversary Update?

According to PCNet and others, Cortana is now melded into the PC search and it looks like you can only limit exposure by hiding the search function and not using ever searching your PC...

Also, not being able to stop apps from being installed... The example used was that Microsoft can push Candy Crush onto every PC in a corporation even if playing games on a corporate PC is forbidden. 

I guess many will find out soon as the Anniversary Update starts today and it can't be stopped...


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## bogey21 (Aug 2, 2016)

More arrogance from Microsoft.  Users shouldn't be put through this to get rid of something they don't want.

George


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## John Cummings (Aug 2, 2016)

I don't know why some people are having problems.

I turned off cortana very easily just by clicking on Cortana "disable".

I have been using the new Microsoft "edge" browser and I really like it. I was using Google Chrome. I like the "edge" user interface and it is definitely much faster than Mozilla ( Firefox ), IE, and Chrome. I have them all on this computer.

"Edge" still needs some more work as Microsoft said. For example it doesn't support the Norton toolbar so I can't use my Norton Identity safe yet. I am sure that will be remedied in the near future.


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## PeterS (Aug 3, 2016)

John Cummings said:


> I don't know why some people are having problems.
> 
> I turned off cortana very easily just by clicking on Cortana "disable".
> 
> ...



Agreed, Cortana HAD a disable switch but it is being reported that with the anniversary update which just started yesterday... the switch is gone.

Also, microsoft can push any app onto a PC and into the live tiles... one example reported games like Candy Crush could be pushed to all company PCs.

Have you gotten the update? Do you still have the Cortana disable switch?
Have you found new apps showing up on your PC, that you didn't install or want?

I haven't found this yet but the anniversary update just started... 
I was just posting this as an headsup to what is being reported.
If it is a concern to someone who converted, they may still have time to revert.


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## Passepartout (Aug 3, 2016)

PeterS said:


> Agreed, Cortana HAD a disable switch but it is being reported that with the anniversary update which just started yesterday... the switch is gone.
> 
> Also, microsoft can push any app onto a PC and into the live tiles... one example reported games like Candy Crush could be pushed to all company PCs.
> 
> ...



I asked my step son (Mgr at MS over some of these items) about the Cortana thing. he told me that the 'new' Cortana, they are calling 'Mini-tana'. It no longer is the assistant it was. It no longer needs access to email, or location or your work schedule. It won't figure out who is your spouse or kids' names and birthdays. it is much more of just a search engine. It will find files, or give directions, or spell 'psychiatrist'  for you, but it won't automatically check your route to work and suggest leaving early because of rain.

No other search engine has an on/off button, why should Cortana?

Jim


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## John Cummings (Aug 4, 2016)

Passepartout said:


> I asked my step son (Mgr at MS over some of these items) about the Cortana thing. he told me that the 'new' Cortana, they are calling 'Mini-tana'. It no longer is the assistant it was. It no longer needs access to email, or location or your work schedule. It won't figure out who is your spouse or kids' names and birthdays. it is much more of just a search engine. It will find files, or give directions, or spell 'psychiatrist'  for you, but it won't automatically check your route to work and suggest leaving early because of rain.
> 
> No other search engine has an on/off button, why should Cortana?
> 
> Jim



Ah, but it does have an off button. I completely disabled both Cortana and the search. You will see no sign of it on my Windows 10 Pro.


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## dsmrp (Aug 4, 2016)

*I bit the bullet*

I bit the bullet and downloaded Windows 10 about 4 hours before the original free offer expired.  I have the home edition. So far it's been fine; the update respected my W7 desktop and taskbar settings but not all my shortcuts on the "Start Menu". The "Start" icon is no more, replaced with a trapezoid shaped stylized 'window'

My son showed me how to turn off Cortana. Except I left Device searching on, so now it appears and function like a basic search (ok call me old-fashioned). 
My son also has seen several Win10 updates where the old My Computer(now 'This PC') file system icon isn't shown by default on desktops. 

He also told me to right click on the new 'start' icon to find the other computer management functions or shortcuts such as "Run" or the command window that used to be on the left click display.  I don't recall if right clicking on the Win7 Start icon ever showed a menu ???


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## Roger830 (Aug 4, 2016)

dsmrp said:


> He also told me to right click on the new 'start' icon to find the other computer management functions or shortcuts such as "Run" or the command window that used to be on the left click display.



Thanks for the useful tip.

I installed Windows 10 on my laptop about 4 months ago and on my desktop 1 month ago with no problems. I like it better than the 8.1 that I had.


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## PeterS (Aug 4, 2016)

Rather than trying to interpret the articles...

Can anyone comment on these PCWorld and CNet articles regarding Cortana:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3100...ana-in-the-windows-10-anniversary-update.html

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/cortana-is-mandatory-in-the-windows-10-anniversary-update/

Maybe, I am reading it wrong....


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## taterhed (Aug 4, 2016)

If you don't want an interactive Cortana search, turn off all interaction, clear the memory, don't sign in with a windows account or use msn cloud services.....  disable all your bing tracking as well....   hide the box and periodically check and make sure you got it right; and that she's not monitoring/learning from you.

 Then, just type your search into the Chrome search bar:  Google will search for you.

 Oh, BTW, Google tracks you as well and integrates all your data from location, history, mobile and searches etc....

 Feel better?


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## Brett (Aug 4, 2016)

PeterS said:


> Rather than trying to interpret the articles...
> 
> Can anyone comment on these PCWorld and CNet articles regarding Cortana:
> 
> ...



I'll say it again, if you want to permanently disable Cortana google 
"permanently disable cortana".  

Or wear an aluminum foil hat to block those privacy intrusions


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## PeterS (Aug 4, 2016)

Ok.... got it!

So if you want some decent level of privacy... such as locally held email, files, and photos, (no Cloud) and you would like to be able to install programs you want without having to setup an account with Windows, Msft, etc, to install APPs...  you have to switch to Win10 and then cripple the system by shutting down system functions and keep checking it, because Msft can install/update anything it wants, turn on anything it wants without any approval or notice.

They have even started charging enterprise groups a subscription fee, so somewhere down the road will all users be included?

No need to reply... I got my answer.. Sorry if I disturbed anyone...

Back to timeshares.....


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## Passepartout (Aug 4, 2016)

If anyone thinks that anything even vaguely resembling privacy exists in this world with cell phones, internet search engines, security cameras, Google Street-view cars, aerial drones you're dreaming.

Unless you were born in a cave and never emerge, and never pick up a phone, drive, have a job, file taxes, go to a doctor or a bazillion other things that 'accidentally' make you bump into society, there is no such thing as privacy.

Tinfoil hats won't help.

Get over it.

Jim


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## bogey21 (Aug 4, 2016)

Passepartout said:


> If anyone thinks that anything even vaguely resembling privacy exists in this world with cell phones, internet search engines, security cameras, Google Street-view cars, aerial drones you're dreaming.



Agree.  I know I can't protect against everything but what I have done is not use Social Media (no Facebook Account, etc.); not have a smart phone (I have an old clamshell with text messaging and voice mail blocked); am avoiding Windows10; and have freezes on my accounts with the Credit Reporting Agencies.

George


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## PeterS (Aug 5, 2016)

bogey21 said:


> Agree.  I know I can't protect against everything but what I have done is not use Social Media (no Facebook Account, etc.); not have a smart phone (I have an old clamshell with text messaging and voice mail blocked); am avoiding Windows10; and have freezes on my accounts with the Credit Reporting Agencies.
> 
> George



You hit my point exactly. You can't protect yourself from everything but you can be careful in what/where you share info, and minimize your exposure.
My original post was to share info so they could make an informed decision on Win10.

Careful, if you show any care about privacy or security, you will be labeled paranoid and told to put on your "tinfoil hat".


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## Kal (Aug 5, 2016)

Just because they really are out to get you doesn't mean you aren't paranoid.


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## "Roger" (Aug 5, 2016)

Maybe I am missing something, but I am puzzled by the concern over what has happened with regard to Cortana. 

My understanding (perhaps wrong) is that Microssoft has replaced Bing with Cortana as its search engine. The only thing unusual is that you can activate the search engine from your main screen as opposed to within a browser. (Part of the reason for this, I guess, is that Cortana can also serve as something akin to Siri or Google Now.)  

Whether you can turn off Cortana seems to be a matter of rhetoric. The default setting is to have anything Cortana learns sit in a cloud.  If you have multiple platforms (a home computer, perhaps, and a lap top), any convenience from learning your habits carries over from one platform to the next.  I do understand the concern about not wanting to have any personal information sitting there on a cloud, but Microsoft allows you to turn that feature off. (I intend to, myself.) If you are really concerned and don't want to have any personal history to reside on your own computer (all computers to my knowledge track your personal history), you can turn that off also. So, the options are there. (As mentioned by someone in a previous post, Google Chrome tracks history and I am not sure if there are options on that. I don't particularly care for it, but when I use Amazon, that info sits in a cloud.)

So, going back to my opening statement, I do not see all of this as a big deal.

As somewhat of an aside, I always enjoyed reading David Pogue columns. Here is a link to his review of the anniversary update. Missing is any sense of fear in his column.


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## PeterS (Aug 5, 2016)

Roger,

Great info from your post and the article.

It looks like the changes with the Anniversary Update can be controlled.
The best article that addresses the concerns with Cortana, (which I just found) is here:
http://www.windowscentral.com/you-can-disable-cortana-windows-10

It talks about how a bit of panic articles came out at first glimpse of the update but there are already workarounds. What used to be a simple on/off switch is now a series of settings that can eliminate 90%+ of the concerns.

I did not want to panic anyone. I just saw a number of articles from reliable sources (noted in earlier post) about concerns on the anniversary update just as the deadline for Win 10 was coming up.

For me it is a simple point that if it is not a good idea to post your vacation plans on Facebook, why would I want a personal assistant program to compile my calendar, flight plans, hotel reservations, banking info etc.. from my PC/email/files and store that on the cloud?

This is just my opinion. If someone is comfortable with that, they should go right ahead... 

So going back to your original statement... after gathering more information... 
it is controllable so you are correct, it is not a big deal after all... just something to be aware off.


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## MULTIZ321 (Aug 21, 2016)

Massive Windows 10 Update Causing Serious New Problems - by Gordon Kelly/ Tech/ Windows 10/ Forbes/ forbes.com

"Windows 10 is in a dangerous moment. It has missed sales expectations, is no longer free and now the troubled ‘Anniversary Update’ – the biggest upgrade Windows 10 has received to date – is causing new problems…

Discovered by Microsoft MSFT +0.00%-centric blog Thurrott, the Windows 10 Anniversary Update has been found to break “millions” of web cameras for upgraders. The bug affects web cameras of all brands and is even breaking Skype – Microsoft’s own audio and video chat service. 


As Thurrott writer Brad Sams notes, of particular concern is a Microsoft support thread where it is clear that customers of substantial enterprise clients are being hit hard..."

Richard


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## Brett (Aug 21, 2016)

PeterS said:


> Roger,
> 
> Great info from your post and the article.
> 
> ...



right, no big deal, just disconnect the "personal assistant" 
Win 10 on my Lenovo still working great


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