I have noted on the way through that Windows is the most used (popular?) OS worldwide? It reminds me of the days of XP which I also found easy to work with.
Anyway the good thing is that the rubbish is all out of my laptop now, the ‘automatic’ upgrade to Windows 10 via Microsoft official website didn’t work, and has given me chance to consider what I really or partially need from the internet - and the first thing I DON’T need is more technobollocks from spotty-faced nerds at MIcrosoft!
Access to internet, and Skype are the two major things. I left Facebook and lInkedIn years ago, and Twitter is really for ‘Twits’ so what else do I need? - very little. The less I pay to Windows the happier I am, although I recognise that Microsoft owns Skype now - and doing their best to balls it up if my experience recently is any guide.
Touch wood if the nerds stop ‘fixing’ something that ain’t broke, the happier I will be - but as long a there are people who will rush to empty their pockets for Windows et al for the ‘latest & Greatest’ true or false, the rest of us will just get swept along in the rush, I suppose.
Perhaps l’m in the minority here but l have never had a problem with Windows 10 - Microsoft rolled it out free of charge a couple years ago and their recent upgrade downloaded overnight and caused me no problems.
Windows 7 is STABLE and pretty well error free by now. Originally it was a “fix release” from Microsoft to clear out the disasters caused by Windows Vista, and as such did not fall into the trap of inventing new features (that few people want or need). Having declared an end to updates for 7 as far back as 2015, Microsoft are claiming to finally end support for Windows 7 in January 2020, which is good news because their updates often create more problem than they fix. Broadly speaking, Windows takes fewer resources in terms of space, memory and CPU cycles.
Windows 10 on the other hand was beset by issues right from the release, and still is, including the horrible automatic update. It takes more resources for less performance, and I speak from some experience with 4 PCs (two with 7, two with 10). If you do decided to upgrade, without a clearly identifiable need such as a particular software application, then I guarantee that you will wish you had not bothered.
Couldn’t have put it better myself. I was almost heartbroken when eventually moving from XP to Windows 7, both of which were “fix” releases to patch up Microsoft’s cockups usually caused by adding new “features” that no-one wanted or needed. Best news I ever from heard them was when they ceased to issue updates to Windows 7 (no doubt to focus on that awful Windows 10 automatic update) and now, having weeded out their dross, I am happy (and the system stays up).
I don’t necessarily agree with you comments - the updates that Microsoft issue are often security patches rather than fixes of broken elements.
Windows 7 as an older product will be more stable, but I find Windows 10 more efficient to use and I think it is an improvement over Windows 7.
My parents had an issue with a Windows 7 pc, so I decided to upgrade it with an SSD and Windows 10 at the same time - much to my parents dread as one of their friends had told them not to change as it was dreadful - to my surprise they are over the moon with how it works.
I agree that Windows 10 is different but I think it is an improvement - it does seem that any new version of Windows gets a slating over a few years and a reputation for being bad when it actually isn’t.
I now embrace the new software that Microsoft releases and hunt out the new features rather than complain that it is different.
I’ll never regret getting the free upgrade to W10. It works fine on my 8 year old hardware and I fully expect to go at least two more years before getting pensioned off as a second PC.
Well I am happy that others are happy and I too have a few oldies like me who are in the same boat BUT when I questioned them, it transpires that the majority use almost exactly the same things they used with 7 (notably) and don’t use or need half of the extra-clever nerdy things as quite simply they don’t understand them. They stay with the familiar. Others closer to home hate it as they cannot come to terms with the new interface - and not having the programme I cannot really comment on the content sensibly.
However, having followed all the legalities on updating FROM MIcrosoft’s own website and trying (also on two computers) to use this wretched ’ Media CreationTool’ that simply does not work, I remain deeply unimpressed.
However as I have said earlier the process did cause me to look at the amount of dross accumulated in both my laptops and bite the bullet and clear masses of stuff out. If I doubted about losing it I have put these on an external hard disc that works fine even though Windows seems to hate it and demands that it be ‘checked’ every time I use it - which I ignore as it works better than any of the memory sections on Windows anyway.
So my computers are now leaner and meaner (wish I was the same - at least for the frst part ) and I now have what I want and even need in my life - which is a non-gaming, non-business one, so I am happy. The the disc with the Media Creation Tool on it is now lying in the bottom of may drawer, probably to be joined by a Windows 11 or 12 in due course?
I have just come across Dylan Currie’s article shown here exactly a year ago, but is very interesting s it answers some uestionsas to why I get the ads I do (and I used to be an adman as many know, but never a techie).
I am aware of Google Historique but never realised just how far this went. As an avid and eclectic reader of books, films, politics, history etc., etc I have obviously left a bewildering footprint which as far as the intrusive ads are concerned means I am interested in over-age hookers, property deals in the Solomon Islands, and much more. What doesn’t seem to have registed though is I am a 79 year old pensioner living on a much reduced income, which was just about the first analytical point raised when I was in Direct Marketing ‘Interested in? Yes, Can he afford to Buy? No’. Masses of data and largely useless information.
Jeremy I would agree to having the free upgrade, which is what I was trying - legally to get on two LEGAL (OEM) laptops fromthe Microsoft site. Simply didn’t work - end of story plus the daft ness of providing an ISO file and then stating that Windows couldn’t open a file they had produced?! You really couldn’t make this up could you? Well, I couldn’t.
Regarding keeping 7 safe, I have since read that MIcrosoft are under no obligation - legal or moral to support ANY OEM fitted computer. That they do so generally is basically a concession when getting the OS into the mass market sales area where most people I would suggest buy a computer with the OS system included?( OEM). So no guaranteed support anyway.
It is apparent that the upgrade process is not as easy as it should be.
The media creation tool is there to generate the equivalent of the CD/DVD (or even a USB stick) that you would buy from a shop. The files created are not programs that you just run from file explorer, instead you have to reboot you PC with the CD/DVD in place and have that disk be read early in the boot sequence as specified in the bios. It should then start the Windows 10 install instead of loading windows on startup.
But as I said Microsoft have not made the upgrade process particularly easy.
Well, it was another wasted morning ctually, as the upgrade didn’t work on either laptop. Did as you suggested and re-booted with both a flashdrive and a disc (separately) and the systems simply didn’t accept them OR announced ‘there was a problem - try again’ - by which time I was nearing the ‘Go Forth & Muliply’ response!
Anyway, thanks for the help, but that’s it as far as I am concerned, and as far as is humanly possible I will not use any product from Windows/Microsoft. As I said earlier for most things OpenOffice is actually better than Powerpoint and Publisher, and although Skype is already suffering a bit from the Microsoft ownership, I haven’t yet found anything better. Although also shakey on occasions what I get from Orange still represents good value, so that will do me.