Windows 10

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Vince Massi

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Finally, Microsoft decided to put Windows 10 onto three of my four computers!

If you don't have it yet, check Control Panel and then Windows Updates--that's where it will be.

It is functioning smoothly on two Windows 8 laptops and my Windows 7 desktop (to which I had previously added Windows 8).

I see no improvement over Windows 8.1--the tile page is part of the Start menu, and it is much smaller than when it had its own desktop.

It is a heavy improvement over Windows 7, booting up much more quickly, and allowing you to use the Windows Store.

The Start Button has been returned, but with a twist. It has two columns: the left column is your traditional Start Menu. The right column is the tiles. I have dragged it as large as I can, and it works fine, but I miss the much larger Tiles desktop.

I am unimpressed with "Edge," the new browser that will eventually replace Explorer. I installed Firefox and it works fine. However, I had to sign in on every site that ever required me to register.

All of my aps transferred without a problem, and so far, all of them are working fine on 10.

My conclusion? It is free until sometime this autumn. It took me about five hours per computer to complete the installation. Microsoft has ended support for Windows 7 & 8, but not for 8.1. It intends to drop support for Explorer. I advise you to install it.

Comments, pro and con?
 
Okay, here are the numbers, as of January 2016:

Total Market Share
Market Share of Windows 7 Windows 7 52.47%

Market Share of Windows 10 Windows 10 11.85%

Market Share of Windows XP Windows XP 11.42%

Market Share of Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 10.40%

Market Share of Windows 8 Windows 8 2.68%

Market Share of Linux Linux 1.71%

Market Share of Windows Vista Windows Vista 1.69%

Market Share of Windows NT Windows NT 0.08%

Market Share of Windows 2000 Windows 2000 0.01%

Market Share of Windows 98 Windows 98 0.00%

Almost everything else is some version of Mac.
 
I just built a new computer (my old one died a couple months ago), so I started with a fresh install of Windows 10.  I had to re-install it in order to get Linux on my computer, too.  The first install used legacy bios.  I wanted the UEFI bios, which pretty much required a re-install from scratch (there are ways to convert from legacy to UEFI but they're more trouble than reinstalling if you're starting fresh.  I got my copy off the Microsoft developers network (before my membership expired). 

So far I think it's pretty good.  It still has some problems and bugs, but I'm liking it more than Windows 7.  I'm still getting used to the fact that there are so many ways to get to the same configuration setting, but it's not that bad.  My only real complaint so far is that it automatically upgraded to a new version of Windows 10, and when it did, it uninstalled some features.  Then I had to go hunt for the latest Microsoft patches to restore the features, and that wasn't easy.  I don't mind it upgrading automatically (although I just turned that off), but it should warn you that some features will be removed and won't be upgraded.

On the other hand, I like how it puts the previous version of Windows 10 in a Windows.old file, and gives you a fairly simple way to delete the old version.  The old version took up 17 GB of disk space, so I cleaned it off. 

 
Okay, here are the numbers at the end of February 2016!

Total Market Share
  Windows 7
52.34%
  Windows 10
12.82%
  Windows XP
11.24%
  Windows 8.1
9.83%
  Mac OS X 10.11
3.72%
  Windows 8
2.43%
  Mac OS X 10.10
2.20%
  Linux
1.78%
  Windows Vista
1.66%
  Mac OS X 10.9
0.87%
  Mac OS X 10.6
0.34%
  Mac OS X 10.8
0.28%
  Mac OS X 10.7
0.28%
  Windows NT
0.12%
  Mac OS X 10.5
0.05%
  Mac OS X 10.4
0.02%
  Windows 2000
0.01%
  Windows 98
0.01%
  Mac OS X (no version reported)
0.00%


  Let me re-organize the numbers:
Some version of Windows:  90.46%
Some version of Mac OS:  7.78
Some version of Linux:  1.78%

Some notes: Mac OS X 10. 4 ( Mac Tiger) was released in 2005. With .02% of the market, Tiger is the only operating system that can run Mac OS IX software.
Windows 98 is more popular that Windows ME that replaced it. Windows 98 fans point out that it never glitches.
Why does XP have 11.24% of the market? Because the machines that use it are wearing out?otherwise it would have even more.
Why do more than half of all computers still use Windows 7? Because if you think Microsoft is having trouble getting rid of XP, they?ve met their match with 7.
Why do more than twice as many computers use 7 as use 10, 8, and 8.1 combined?
1) Microsoft?s incredibly stupid decision to get rid of the Start Button in Windows 8 decreased consumer confidence in MS.
2) Windows 7 works so well.
3) The difficult, painful upgrade from 8 to 8.1 frightened many consumers out of the easy upgrade to 10.
4) Microsoft?s incredibly stupid decision not to restore the Start Button to Windows 8 decreased consumer confidence in MS.
5) Microsoft?s incredibly stupid decision to add an imitation Start Button to Windows 8 decreased consumer confidence in MS.
6) If it ain?t broke, don?t fix it?especially when dealing with a company like Microsoft.
 
Okay, a neighbor and I installed Windows 10 on his Windows 7 machine. His few programs made the download last for one hour and 10 minutes (Mine lasted five hours), and then fifty minutes to get him online.

When you install Windows 10, ALL your websites that require a password require you to sign in, and all your web browsers cancel your home page and begin with their start page.

Although his programs all transferred, his wireless program was rejected as incompatible with Windows 10. I transferred him over to his DSL cable and he then went onto the internet with no problems.
 
Valuable tip from Rogue Tomato: " I don't mind it upgrading automatically (although I just turned that off), but it should warn you that some features will be removed and won't be upgraded. "

Valuable tip from Vince: Right/click the Start Button, and a menu of problem-solving options pops up.
 
Solve Problems with PowerShell


  Folks, I recently solved a problem with my Start Button by using PowerShell. It is a free utility built into Windows 10, that is primarily designed to help developers. However, it has a few problem-solving tools that you can use. To enter PowerShell, right-click your task bar and select Task Manager--File--Run New Task. Then type powershell into the box and check the box giving you Administrator privileges.

        Surfing the web, I found these useful problem-solvers:


        When the Start Button won?t work--- Run the System File Checker

        Type sfc /scannow into the window and press the [Return] key. The scan may take some time and will end with one of three results. Windows did not find any integrity violations and Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and repaired them mean there are now no corrupt files, but Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some (or all) of them indicates a problem.

        In this latter case, type (or copy and paste) DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth into the PowerShell window and press the [Return] key. This will download files from Windows Update to replace the corrupt ones and, again, this may take some time.

        If your Start Button still won't work---Re-install the aps that came loaded into your Start Button:

        Reinstall Windows apps

        Launch the Task manager and open a new PowerShell window with administrative privileges, as explained above.

        When the Windows PowerShell window opens copy the line below and paste it into the PowerShell window by simply right-clicking at the blinking PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> prompt, or by pressing [Ctrl] + [V] on the keyboard:

        Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

        Wait until the app download and installation process completes ? ignore any red text that appears ? and restart Windows.




        Remove Pre-Installed Apps

        You can use PowerShell to remove pre-installed apps. Use the following code to remove Zune Player from Windows 10 operating system.

        Get-AppxPackage -Name *ZuneMusic* | Remove-AppxPackage



        If you have any other app that you wish to uninstall then simply change the name between the asterix symbols.



        Can't get rid of malware because it starts automatically and it can't be deleted while running?
        Stop Running Process (Application)

        Let's assume that we have Notepad app running in the background. If you wish to disable or close the app then use the following command.

        Stop-Process -Name notepad




        Malware has blocked you from running Windows Defender?

        Run Windows Defender

        Run the Start-MpScan command. The base command will start a scan using default parameters. You can signify which drive or directory to scan using a parameter like -ScanPath ?C:?. You can also indicate a scan type using -ScanType [QuickScan/FullScan/CustomScan].

        Update threat signatures. Malware scans with Windows Defender are only as good as the threat definitions that Windows
 
 
Thanks for posting this information.  I am a MAC user, but my husband decided to try Windows 10 and I looked at some of your posts to help him through a few problems. 
 
Folks, so many people are having trouble with the Start Button not working in Windows 10, that I have assembled all the various cures. None of them will work every time, but there?s a good chance that one of them will.

1) Go to this web page  http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/computing/has-your-windows-10-start-menu-stopped-working-here-are-four-ways-to-fix-it-11364000314532  to learn how to use PowerShell (a built-in Windows utility that you already have) to fix it. His first two ideas are pretty good. Don?t do his more drastic solutions, though, until you try these other ones.
2) Uninstall your anti-virus program and re-install it.
3) Simply use the Windows key (between the Ctrl and Alt keys) instead
4) Type ?Classic Shell? into a search engine and install it. It is a free Start Button that works great.
5) Use System Restore

On its official site, Microsoft recommends:

Method 1:
1 Open run command. (Windows logo + r)
2. type regedit and press enter.
3. click ok when notification window prompt.
4. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Explorer>Advance
5. Create a Dword with name ?EnableXamlStartMenu?.
6. Give it value 0
7. Log off and login again.
If it still doesn't work try these methods.

Method 2:
I would suggest you to try ?sfc scan? if you haven?t tried it yet.
Let?s use the System File Checker (SFC) tool to see if it can find any missing or corrupted system files. If so, it will attempt to repair and/or replace them.  Follow these steps:
1. Press Windows +x
2. Select command prompt admin.
3.  At the command prompt type ?sfc /scannow? (no quotes), and then press ENTER
Method 3:
1. Press Windows + x
2. Select command prompt admin.
3. Type dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
4. Reboot PC. 
 
I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit. It has not offered to upgrade me to Windows 10, and it all works well, so I don't much care.

That's my gaming computer.  My other one is for all the non-gaming stuff, and it runs Linux Mint Cinnamon.
 
You can buy a good Windows 10 tablet with a 32 gigabyte hard drive. But Windows 10 takes up 20 gigs. As you keep receiving updates, you will run out of room, possibly in the next couple of months.

But Microsoft isn't telling people this.
 
Vince Massi said:
You can buy a good Windows 10 tablet with a 32 gigabyte hard drive. But Windows 10 takes up 20 gigs. As you keep receiving updates, you will run out of room, possibly in the next couple of months.

But Microsoft isn't telling people this.
Click to expand...

Can't imagine wanting such a ginormous OS on a tablet. Especially since the nicely compact Android is the norm for them.
 
Right you are, Izdaari. This one could blow up in Microsoft's face.
 
Uh huh. My tablet is a Kindle Fire HDX 7". It's just small enough to fit comfortably in a coat pocket, and just large enough to watch movies in 1080P. It runs an Amazon-customized version of Android, and I've been very happy with it.
 
Before you buy ANY new computing device, write down its model number and specs. Then go home where the salesclerks can't pressure you and research it on the web.

If you are buying a Windows 10 computer, make sure it actually is built for Windows 10. Posters on a tech forum have been dismayed to learn that the brand-new Windows 10  computer they bought has problems because it is a Windows 8 machine updated at the factory.

Yes, you can update 8 to 10, and I've done it on three laptops. And, yes, it can be a good idea to buy a new Win 8 computer updated to 10 IF it has a lower price than a machine built from the ground up for 10.
 
Folks, I write on two tech forums about Windows 10, and here are some things you need to be aware of if you plan to upgrade:

1) Make sure you know your passwords. When you upgrade to 10, the internet thinks that you have a different computer. EVERY site that ever required a password (including this one) wants you to sign in. If you don't know your password, you can have it sent to your e-mail account, but you have to know the password to your e-mail account.

2) Do NOT buy a Windows 10 tablet with 32 gigabytes of hard drive! Windows 10 takes up 20 gigs, and other programs take up more. Within the next couple of months, these tablets are supposed to be unable to accept updates.

3) Before you buy a new Windows 10 computer, write down its number and specs, and then go home where the sales clerk can't pressure you. Look it up on the internet. A lot of these "new" computers are unsold Windows 8 computers that have been upgraded to 10 at the factory. They'll still work well, but they should have a lower price than a machine designed for Windows 10.

4) Most people who upgrade to 10 do so successfully. Most problems are due to not understanding how to run a new operating system. Some problems are due to clashes between old software and the new operating system. The few problems due to glitches in 10 can be solved by posting your problem on the web.

5) It's not as bad as Microsoft says: They will support Windows 7 until 2020, and Windows 8.1 until 2013. And whenever Microsoft has ended support for an operating system, free anti-virus and other programs will still support them.

6) When you upgrade, make sure that ALL your peripherals are plugged in and turned on. 10 will then install the correct drivers for them. Printers and cameras are often forgotten, and this causes problems later.

7) Edge is the new browser for Windows 10. While every major browser works well on 10, Edge is the fastest-growing browser in the world. I am using it right now, and I think it's great.

8) Over 200 million devices are currently using Windows 10. There are several good forums to answer your questions.
 
On another forum, someone wrote in to disagree (politely) with my warning not to buy a Windows 10 tablet with 32 gigs of hard drive. The writer said:

"Case in point: with a fairly full program load and all updates, the internal 32GB eMMC in my Quantum Byte has just under 5GBs left."

I rest my case.
 
Ask Cortana

"Ask Cortana" is a search engine in the bottom left corner of your Windows 10 screen. When you want to search online, type your query there. Want to set a Restore Point?Type "Restore Point" and Cortana takes you there. Trying to find some function in Control Panel? Type it into Cortana.

Windows hasn't had a good internal search engine since XP. Now it has a better one.
 
The problem I have most with Windows 10 is after a while, I can't open Google Chrome without logging off and back on again. It's like something suddenly decides to shut off Chrome but the new Edge works without the issue.
 
I'm surprised to hear that Coffee. All of the popular browsers work fine on Windows 10 most of the time. However, some software from your previous OS might clash with your browser, even though it didn't clash before.

You could re-install Chrome, making sure you get the newest version.

On a sidenote:

Chrome is the second most popular browser in the world, and has been gaining steadily on Explorer for several months. I predict that by the end of this month (April 2016) Chrome will pass Explorer.

But the fastest-growing browser in the world is Edge. Two months ago, it was less than .5%. Last month, it was over 4%. New Windows 10 users have a hard time with the learning curve. But once they get the hang of it, they generally like it better. A few weeks ago, I rejected my beloved Firefox in favor of Edge.
 
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