Free Windows 10 upgrade
Jun 22, 2015, 9:18 pm
#76
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,154
I've been known to have a few people drop their jaw when they enter my office (and not just because it's something of a mess). Right now I'm running 3 screens off the pc (a 27", 24" and 22"), with a 27" imac next to that, and a 20" or so monitor connected to a kvm that I use for setting things up. And yes, at times I do have things being worked on on all of the screens. (Although I have to admit, I don't think going to the third monitor on the pc has been as big of a productivity boost as going to 2 monitors was.)
To bring it back to W10 some, I have to admit, I've been somewhat pleasantly surprised that it hasn't been as bad as I thought it might be. There's some things that I think could be done better, but I think there's potential for it to be a step up from windows 8. Of course, part of that could be because I've become a lot more accepting for window 8.1 with classic shell installed, so maybe I'm more tolerant of what windows 10 is becoming. I do have some concerns that they still seem to be doing an awful lot of fiddling with things considering how close their release date is. So personally, I've been recommending people wait a little while and see if anything major crops up after it's released. I haven't had as much time to mess with it as I'd have liked to have by now, but I was spending some time working on testing some directaccess stuff with a laptop with it installed, and things seemed fairly smooth for most things (except for some odd, random pauses at times).
To bring it back to W10 some, I have to admit, I've been somewhat pleasantly surprised that it hasn't been as bad as I thought it might be. There's some things that I think could be done better, but I think there's potential for it to be a step up from windows 8. Of course, part of that could be because I've become a lot more accepting for window 8.1 with classic shell installed, so maybe I'm more tolerant of what windows 10 is becoming. I do have some concerns that they still seem to be doing an awful lot of fiddling with things considering how close their release date is. So personally, I've been recommending people wait a little while and see if anything major crops up after it's released. I haven't had as much time to mess with it as I'd have liked to have by now, but I was spending some time working on testing some directaccess stuff with a laptop with it installed, and things seemed fairly smooth for most things (except for some odd, random pauses at times).
Jun 23, 2015, 6:28 am
#77
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: YYZ
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Just to follow up on my questions to MS about W10.
Two people responded there, and both basically answered similar to what has been mentioned here on FT.
Paraphrasing:
1. My older printer may be able to work if I can find a driver for it on the MS website.
2. W10 will let us still use our keyboard and mouse, though it may take getting used to, with (obviously) a completely different style. I read that as not quite the same functionality and ease that we've become accustomed to with W7, at least for us if we can't use all it offers.
3. We should be able to revert back to W7 if we want to, but with great emphasis on BACKING UP everything before going to W10, just in case.
Still going to wait for a while after the initial release to the public on July 29 to see how well it goes for others.
bj-21.
Two people responded there, and both basically answered similar to what has been mentioned here on FT.
Paraphrasing:
1. My older printer may be able to work if I can find a driver for it on the MS website.
2. W10 will let us still use our keyboard and mouse, though it may take getting used to, with (obviously) a completely different style. I read that as not quite the same functionality and ease that we've become accustomed to with W7, at least for us if we can't use all it offers.
3. We should be able to revert back to W7 if we want to, but with great emphasis on BACKING UP everything before going to W10, just in case.
Still going to wait for a while after the initial release to the public on July 29 to see how well it goes for others.
bj-21.
Jun 23, 2015, 10:04 am
#78
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Freeload Univ. Where are you sitting?
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We don't know the details yet, but it would seem to me that the best course is to download the image and burn a DVD (or a USB stick) and watch what everyone else is doing and the problems they are having and solving. Best might be installing it on a non-critical computer and do your own testing.
I think what I'm going to do is put it on a desktop first, and install it on a separate drive (and let it take care of the dual booting details). If it really goes tits up, you're only a re-boot away from the warm and familiar.
Jun 23, 2015, 11:29 am
#80
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
Just to follow up on my questions to MS about W10.
Two people responded there, and both basically answered similar to what has been mentioned here on FT.
Paraphrasing:
1. My older printer may be able to work if I can find a driver for it on the MS website.
2. W10 will let us still use our keyboard and mouse, though it may take getting used to, with (obviously) a completely different style. I read that as not quite the same functionality and ease that we've become accustomed to with W7, at least for us if we can't use all it offers.
3. We should be able to revert back to W7 if we want to, but with great emphasis on BACKING UP everything before going to W10, just in case.
Still going to wait for a while after the initial release to the public on July 29 to see how well it goes for others.
bj-21.
Two people responded there, and both basically answered similar to what has been mentioned here on FT.
Paraphrasing:
1. My older printer may be able to work if I can find a driver for it on the MS website.
2. W10 will let us still use our keyboard and mouse, though it may take getting used to, with (obviously) a completely different style. I read that as not quite the same functionality and ease that we've become accustomed to with W7, at least for us if we can't use all it offers.
3. We should be able to revert back to W7 if we want to, but with great emphasis on BACKING UP everything before going to W10, just in case.
Still going to wait for a while after the initial release to the public on July 29 to see how well it goes for others.
bj-21.
We'll have to get some of the beta testers to chime in on this, but from the previews I've seen online, it looks like the desktop, start menu, start bar, and system tray all work the same as in Win7, but with tiles from the Win8 start screen added to the right side of the start menu to make it more touch-friendly. Not sure, but I think you can turn the tiles off and just use the start menu the way it worked in Win7.
Frankly, it sounds like it's set up the way Win8 should have been set up from the beginning.
There are definite advantages to being conservative on something that could affect your whole lifestyle/livelihood.
We don't know the details yet, but it would seem to me that the best course is to download the image and burn a DVD (or a USB stick) and watch what everyone else is doing and the problems they are having and solving. Best might be installing it on a non-critical computer and do your own testing.
I think what I'm going to do is put it on a desktop first, and install it on a separate drive (and let it take care of the dual booting details). If it really goes tits up, you're only a re-boot away from the warm and familiar.
We don't know the details yet, but it would seem to me that the best course is to download the image and burn a DVD (or a USB stick) and watch what everyone else is doing and the problems they are having and solving. Best might be installing it on a non-critical computer and do your own testing.
I think what I'm going to do is put it on a desktop first, and install it on a separate drive (and let it take care of the dual booting details). If it really goes tits up, you're only a re-boot away from the warm and familiar.
Jun 23, 2015, 11:39 am
#81
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but from the previews I've seen online, it looks like the desktop, start menu, start bar, and system tray all work the same as in Win7, but with tiles from the Win8 start screen added to the right side of the start menu to make it more touch-friendly. Not sure, but I think you can turn the tiles off and just use the start menu the way it worked in Win7.
The new search interface from the start menu is quite different.
For people who manage a lot of files, the file management interface in explorer still has the ribbon-ification from Windows 8 -- the traditional menus are gone, and the keyboard shortcuts changed significantly. The system comfiguration interfaces are a bit cleaner than in Windows 8, but more have moved to the new interface.
It's an older Dell desktop that's in need of a wipe and reinstall anyway, so I'm just going to wait until the release and put a clean install of Win10 on it.
Jun 23, 2015, 11:45 am
#82
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I remember, and have unsuccessfully been trying to find, an article/interview (I believe it was in a Seattle newspaper) with the then Win8 chief who said something along the lines that users will just have to get used to the Metro interface. I guess he is long gone.
Jun 23, 2015, 12:10 pm
#83
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I remember, and have unsuccessfully been trying to find, an article/interview (I believe it was in a Seattle newspaper) with the then Win8 chief who said something along the lines that users will just have to get used to the Metro interface. I guess he is long gone.
Jun 23, 2015, 1:22 pm
#84
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LGA - JFK
Programs: UA, AA, DL, B6, CX, KE, Latitude, VIFP, Crown & Anchor, etc.
Posts: 2,589
FYI - System Tray's logo "Get Windows 10" pop-up has been updated by $S this week, i.e. on Windows 7 SP1 install, click on Windows Update - message "Windows 10 Upgrade reserved" We will let you know ... (displayed on screen)
Free, retail value of W10 Home license is $110, prices varied, etc. - more info displayed by scrolling across. It seemed to have ran another hardware/app scan of my systems & reaffirmed it's ready for download, install when I'm ready. "Touch screen Not Required"
Took time to turned on those external USB HDD's this weekend to prep system's images including data/files/folders & backed up several PC's to get it ready ahead of the free downloads & installation ... Got the old Dell Optiplex 7xx desktop as a sterile, bare-bone ready for bench testing, plan is to do the "simple" upgrade first to see how it will go and then a clean wipe/fresh install.
$S has the tool to burn the ISO image to 4 or 8GB sized usb drive, use that option for a fairly fool-proof W8 installation, much faster & easier than running off DVD's ISO.
Free, retail value of W10 Home license is $110, prices varied, etc. - more info displayed by scrolling across. It seemed to have ran another hardware/app scan of my systems & reaffirmed it's ready for download, install when I'm ready. "Touch screen Not Required"
Took time to turned on those external USB HDD's this weekend to prep system's images including data/files/folders & backed up several PC's to get it ready ahead of the free downloads & installation ... Got the old Dell Optiplex 7xx desktop as a sterile, bare-bone ready for bench testing, plan is to do the "simple" upgrade first to see how it will go and then a clean wipe/fresh install.
$S has the tool to burn the ISO image to 4 or 8GB sized usb drive, use that option for a fairly fool-proof W8 installation, much faster & easier than running off DVD's ISO.
Jun 23, 2015, 2:51 pm
#85
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
From https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq
What if I have more than one Windows device—can I upgrade them all?
Yes, you can get a free upgrade for each of your eligible Windows devices. All you need to do is make a separate reservation for each device you want to upgrade.
[...]
Probably. They will be providing a key somehow, since you'll be able to do a clean reinstall if needed (see same FAQ) but once activated, it's probably tied to the hardware.
What if I have more than one Windows device—can I upgrade them all?
Yes, you can get a free upgrade for each of your eligible Windows devices. All you need to do is make a separate reservation for each device you want to upgrade.
[...]
Probably. They will be providing a key somehow, since you'll be able to do a clean reinstall if needed (see same FAQ) but once activated, it's probably tied to the hardware.
Jun 23, 2015, 4:25 pm
#86
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I'm not so sure on this, unless they're changing how the keys work. Anyone know if that's the case? All my machines (3) run on the same key for Windows 7, though I will be holding off any installation of W10 until I know that the update is a lossless install and all my programs are W10 compatible...
As for running the same key on 3 machines, that has to either be an OEM or MAK key, or you'd be running into activation trouble if any of the machines needed to reactivate within a 120-day period. With Windows 8/8.1, it's even worse: they phone home regularly, rather than only if it's triggered by a hardware change, and I expect that to carry over to Windows 10.
My X201 was a very smooth upgrade from Windows 7; didn't have to uninstall anything, and even the antivirus (MS SystemCenter Endpoint Protection, the paid-license version of their free stuff) carried over.
Jun 24, 2015, 2:42 am
#87
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
95 - great
98 - OK
Me - awful
XP - brilliant
Vista - cr@p
7 - brilliant
8 - rubbish
10 - ????
Jun 24, 2015, 3:40 am
#88
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,611
Jun 24, 2015, 5:34 am
#89
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
95 - OK but a little clunky
98 - Much better
98SE - Nearly brilliant
ME - Brilliant - as long as you disabled System Restore and didn't try to run DOS applications
XP - Brillianter yet - after SP2 and some Black Viper tweaks
Vista - giant steaming pile of dewback poodoo
7 - Brilliant
8 - Works brilliantly, horribly designed nearly to the point of complete unusability
8.1 - Band-Aid on a sucking chest wound
10 - "That's what this hearing will decide."
Jun 24, 2015, 5:51 am
#90
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
The start menu behavior is a bit different from Windows 7, and (for example) if you're used to the quick access menus for things like Recent Files, Documents, Downloads, etc, I was not able to find a trivial way to bring them back -- but I didn't spend a long time looking, nor did I check if you can turn the tiles off (I should; I don't care for them.)
The new search interface from the start menu is quite different.
For people who manage a lot of files, the file management interface in explorer still has the ribbon-ification from Windows 8 -- the traditional menus are gone, and the keyboard shortcuts changed significantly. The system comfiguration interfaces are a bit cleaner than in Windows 8, but more have moved to the new interface.
I wouldn't wait on that one, and just try it with the preview release now.
The new search interface from the start menu is quite different.
For people who manage a lot of files, the file management interface in explorer still has the ribbon-ification from Windows 8 -- the traditional menus are gone, and the keyboard shortcuts changed significantly. The system comfiguration interfaces are a bit cleaner than in Windows 8, but more have moved to the new interface.
I wouldn't wait on that one, and just try it with the preview release now.
I use a third-party file manager called Total Commander (best piece of software I've ever bought!) which has its own interface, completely different from the Windows Explorer model, and includes its own fairly robust file search engine.
That test-case PC has been sitting in a box for three months because I just haven't had time to put it on the bench, but when I finally get around to it, I may go with your suggestion and try the Win10 beta.