Windows 9 is now Windows 10

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Nick Harvey
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So who's going to be brave and install the Windows 10 update on a 'live' machine tomorrow?

I know one person who's intending to, but suspect that most people, like me, are intending to wait and see what comments come from the early installers.
cwathen
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Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 17.28

There are still some things I wish were implemented differently (I still believe the original implementation of the start menu was better, and the general flat monochromatic drabness of the UI I don't really see as progress from Aero, but then that's just what everyone's doing these days) BUT I have to say though that there's nothing obviously wrong with it in terms of being a functional and reliable OS. Certainly I wouldn't have any qualms about relying on it to do my work if I upgraded tomorrow.

I won't be upgrading my main system just yet though (I've not even let the updates to do the upgrade install yet), partly because of the 'just in case' factor that there might still be some horrific bug in it which no one has stumbled upon yet, but also because I remain concerned at the prospect that I will no longer be able to control the updating of it and need to know if Microsoft will backtrack on this or someone will find a workaround for it. There are also remain several unanswered questions about what will happen if you take the free upgrade and I want others to find the answers to these out before committing myself - specifically:

*Will you be able to upgrade a 32 bit Windows 7 to a 64 bit Windows 10 (something I particularly want to achieve when I do upgrade, I am very much hitting the RAM ceiling now and want to be able to install more than 4GB)?

*Will they still implement locking your free upgrade to specific hardware when like me you bought a full retail version of Windows 7 and thus can move it from one PC to another?

*What will happen with my Windows 7 licence after the upgrade - fair enough you can't run 7 on one machine and 10 on another, but if I decide I want to ditch 10 and go back to 7, will my 7 still activate or will my key become a Windows 10 key in a one-way move as has been suggested?

*We've been told that reinstalls will be possible, but there is still little to no information about this. Anything less than being able to download an ISO for clean reinstall wouldn't really cut it for me.

All of that said, if none of the above particularly bothers you, I'd say take the plunge.
JAS84
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Location: Hull, UK

Don't upgrade yet if you have an Nvidia graphics card - Windows is forcing a driver update that overwrites drivers even if they're newer!
http://betanews.com/2015/07/26/windows- ... -computer/
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Pete
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Location: Dundee

cwathen wrote: *Will you be able to upgrade a 32 bit Windows 7 to a 64 bit Windows 10 (something I particularly want to achieve when I do upgrade, I am very much hitting the RAM ceiling now and want to be able to install more than 4GB)?
I don't think 32 - 64 bit upgrades have ever been possible. At least not since vista. Always requires a clean install.
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rob
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Just upgraded from 8.1

Upgrade process was easy, although it took 3 and a half hours at my end. Nice clean layout, great to have the start menu back.

Haven't had a proper chance to play around with it yet, but will do when I finish work.
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dosxuk
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JAS84 wrote:Don't upgrade yet if you have an Nvidia graphics card - Windows is forcing a driver update that overwrites drivers even if they're newer!
http://betanews.com/2015/07/26/windows- ... -computer/
From what I've heard the problem is that the driver on Windows Update is newer than the one in the nVidia driver manager database. So Windows (correctly) updates the driver, nVidia then goes "that's not the most recent driver", and replaces it with the older version, Windows Update then (correctly) updates the driver, nVidia then goes...

Despite all these people
predicting doom with automatic updates being turned on, I've never seen a computer broken by one.

On another note, I really wish the press writers would get a sense of reality. Windows is by far the world most popular desktop operating system. The way some of them are going on about the new version you'd think they were talking about Windows Phone. I think it was the BBC who've said Microsoft desperately needs the support of app developers, ignoring the fact there's more software available for Windows than any other platform.
Critique
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I greatly disliked Windows 8.1 when my PC updated to it last year so subsequently downgraded back to Windows 8 and turned off automatic updates. I'm now having to install 8.1 to be able to install Windows 10! 'Update 1 of 177'...
Martin Phillp
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Joined: Wed 11 May, 2011 01.28

I finally have the Windows 10 notification update which was a recommended rather than an important download. However I haven't had the icon yet on my Win 7 desktop.

On the other hand, I've read both Computeractive and WebUser which are published by Dennis and have the same editor. Computeractive has been pro Win 10, while WebUser which was published today has been scaremongering.

UPDATE: After installing 37 recommended updates for Win 7, I have reserved my copy of 10.
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woah
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Joined: Sun 28 Mar, 2010 12.39

I decided not to be sensible and wait, and took the plunge this morning on my home PC. It took all of 15 minutes for me, everything seems to be behaving perfectly well so I'm very happy so far. Even my NVidia drivers work fine, though mine is an onboard Intel/NVidia switch mode thing so perhaps it is treated differently.

The interface in general is loads better for desktop and laptop PCs, it's exactly what Windows 8 should have been. It's removed the mish mash for Desktop users without compromising for tablets, because it all works well for touch screens and keyboards/mice - right down to the little bits like the Calculator app, time/date and calendar on the taskbar, Settings (shock horror: now including all settings so it replaces Control Panel) and even the WiFi panel works well now, because it no longer insists on opening that giant Metro panel on the side of the screen and trying to drag you into the full screen Metro settings should things go a bit wrong which was missing most settings you would actually want to use.

Overall it doesn't feel like a huge step from 8.1, but everything is a lot nicer to use in general - it's certainly a lot less alienating for those who are used to Windows 7 which is exactly what was needed as far as I'm concerned, particularly when it comes to corporate and business users.

Edge seems pretty good but not good enough to move me away from Chrome. I thought IE11 was okayish, but I think the new browser is a good move because even your average user tends to replace IE within about 5 seconds of getting a new PC nowadays.
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Beep
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woah wrote:I decided not to be sensible and wait, and took the plunge this morning on my home PC. It took all of 15 minutes for me, everything seems to be behaving perfectly well so I'm very happy so far. Even my NVidia drivers work fine, though mine is an onboard Intel/NVidia switch mode thing so perhaps it is treated differently.

The interface in general is loads better for desktop and laptop PCs, it's exactly what Windows 8 should have been. It's removed the mish mash for Desktop users without compromising for tablets, because it all works well for touch screens and keyboards/mice - right down to the little bits like the Calculator app, time/date and calendar on the taskbar, Settings (shock horror: now including all settings so it replaces Control Panel) and even the WiFi panel works well now, because it no longer insists on opening that giant Metro panel on the side of the screen and trying to drag you into the full screen Metro settings should things go a bit wrong which was missing most settings you would actually want to use.

Overall it doesn't feel like a huge step from 8.1, but everything is a lot nicer to use in general - it's certainly a lot less alienating for those who are used to Windows 7 which is exactly what was needed as far as I'm concerned, particularly when it comes to corporate and business users.

Edge seems pretty good but not good enough to move me away from Chrome. I thought IE11 was okayish, but I think the new browser is a good move because even your average user tends to replace IE within about 5 seconds of getting a new PC nowadays.
Control Panel is still there, albeit hidden slightly. If you type Control Panel into the address bar in Explorer it'll take you there!
Jake
Posts: 215
Joined: Tue 27 Jun, 2006 13.00
Location: Derbyshire

Beep wrote:
woah wrote:I decided not to be sensible and wait, and took the plunge this morning on my home PC. It took all of 15 minutes for me, everything seems to be behaving perfectly well so I'm very happy so far. Even my NVidia drivers work fine, though mine is an onboard Intel/NVidia switch mode thing so perhaps it is treated differently.

The interface in general is loads better for desktop and laptop PCs, it's exactly what Windows 8 should have been. It's removed the mish mash for Desktop users without compromising for tablets, because it all works well for touch screens and keyboards/mice - right down to the little bits like the Calculator app, time/date and calendar on the taskbar, Settings (shock horror: now including all settings so it replaces Control Panel) and even the WiFi panel works well now, because it no longer insists on opening that giant Metro panel on the side of the screen and trying to drag you into the full screen Metro settings should things go a bit wrong which was missing most settings you would actually want to use.

Overall it doesn't feel like a huge step from 8.1, but everything is a lot nicer to use in general - it's certainly a lot less alienating for those who are used to Windows 7 which is exactly what was needed as far as I'm concerned, particularly when it comes to corporate and business users.

Edge seems pretty good but not good enough to move me away from Chrome. I thought IE11 was okayish, but I think the new browser is a good move because even your average user tends to replace IE within about 5 seconds of getting a new PC nowadays.
Control Panel is still there, albeit hidden slightly. If you type Control Panel into the address bar in Explorer it'll take you there!
Or right-click the Start button.
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