Windows 10

[01101010]

Finally pushed the button on the home game machine.  I've had my laptop and work machine on 10 for a while, so I was ok with the process and the newness of it.  Upgraded to pristine clean Win10 in around 15 minutes and now my gronky games are actually flying in terms of performance.

I'm a happy chappie right now.

Well that is it guys, the first seal has been broken. We're all doomed. 

[Fordel]

So perhaps a silly question, but how much of my configuration would I lose from upgrading to 10 - is it essentially like an OS wipe? Am I going to lose the other non-Windows 8.1 data on my OS partition?

You lose nothing. Everything will stay the same except "the look".

Yea, I went from 7 to 10 and it kept everything as I left it, the only difference was the actual 'style' to the task bar and stuff.

[Paelos]

Why are they doing this rollout this way? Where's the $$$ coming from in this deal?

[Hawkbit]

My #1 annoyance is that sticky corners between multiple monitors can't be disabled. If anyone knows of a fix, please let me know.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Anyone know off-hand if Photoshop CS5 (or rather, the whole creative suite) works fine on 10?  I'd rather not find out after the fact that it doesn't.  I think that's the only thing I'm running regularly that I'd have a question about.  Other than maybe iTunes.

[apocrypha]

Anyone know off-hand if Photoshop CS5 (or rather, the whole creative suite) works fine on 10?  I'd rather not find out after the fact that it doesn't.  I think that's the only thing I'm running regularly that I'd have a question about.  Other than maybe iTunes.

Photoshop, Illustrator and Lightroom all work perfectly. I've had some issues with Bridge but I don't think many people use that any more. iTunes also works fine according to my wife.

[01101010]

Why are they doing this rollout this way? Where's the $$$ coming from in this deal?

DLC.

They barebones'd a lot of regular WIN10 so everything costs extra to have any functionality.

[HaemishM]

I'm not using Photoshop CS5, I'm on the latest version of the Creative Cloud thing, CC2015. But it works fine. I don't see why CS5 wouldn't work if it already worked on Win 7.

[Chimpy]

I'm not using Photoshop CS5, I'm on the latest version of the Creative Cloud thing, CC2015. But it works fine. I don't see why CS5 wouldn't work if it already worked on Win 7.

Don't be so quick to say that.

Adobe creative suites are notoriously bad about being forward compatible. Since CS5 stopped being available before Windows 8 was released, it is entirely likely that something won't function properly.

[Mandella]

Why are they doing this rollout this way? Where's the $$$ coming from in this deal?

Apparently, almost no one bothers to upgrade their old computers anyway. Almost all sales revenue comes from the licenses attached to new machines. As I understand it, they are losing very little by giving away the upgrade but still selling new Home/Pro packages.

And it seems they are going to (once again) show their powers of innovation by copying Google -- Win10 is set to be adware/spyware. They are at the moment testing pushing ads on Windows Insider, and they are openly mining sale-able information from all Win10 machines right now.

[Fordel]

I'm positive it's almost entirely to avoid another XP situation, worth it for them to miss out on whatever upgrade revenue might generate to just have their user-base on a OS that isn't old enough to drink.

[Yegolev]

Sounds like the CPU/RAM performance will go up but my network bandwidth will suffer from all my personal info being stolen and advertisements supplanting it.

[Viin]

I tried to upgrade to 10 from 7 but got a random unknown failure. I think it has to do with the fact that I've moved my Users folder to another partition (another drive, actually). And now I can't get into Recovery Mode to move it back ... hmm.

[Chimpy]

I tried to upgrade to 10 from 7 but got a random unknown failure. I think it has to do with the fact that I've moved my Users folder to another partition (another drive, actually). And now I can't get into Recovery Mode to move it back ... hmm.

In place upgrades pretty much always freak out when things are not in their default places.

[Viin]

Yeah and I was planning on doing a clean install anyways - but as far as I can tell, I have to upgrade my 7 to 10 before I can do a clean install - which means I now have to undo random registry hacks etc. Blah.

[shiznitz]

Finally pushed the button on the home game machine.  I've had my laptop and work machine on 10 for a while, so I was ok with the process and the newness of it.  Upgraded to pristine clean Win10 in around 15 minutes and now my gronky games are actually flying in terms of performance.

I'm a happy chappie right now.

I jumped off this bridge this weekend as well. Easy and I like how my machine is running. No issues with any of my games/programs. Then I did it to my son's Win 8 laptop. Hallelujah what a nice change.

[Yegolev]

Viin reminds me I need to see if I can remember any junctions I put in place.  I'm sure there is at least one.

[Yegolev]

I just have one junction that I put in place, moving the burn-temp folder to a larger drive.  I think all that is left is spite and bile.

[Yegolev]

Upgraded the gaming rig and the network settings are jacked up.  My gateway is not the lowest IP on my LAN.  I managed to add the correct gateway but I need to do something fancy to remove the bad one.  Sheesh.  Diablo 3 had better fly like an eagle after this.

[Ragnoros]

Found my first fun Windows 10 / AMD bug. My TV is hooked up to a Gaming/HTPC over HDMI with a R200 series card and anytime you turn the TV off or it goes into sleep mode the PC apparently forgets that sound is supposed to be being sent over HDMI and you have to go into device manager and disable/enable the Audio Device or restart. Apparently it's been a known Windows/AMD bug for a while.

[Trippy]

Microsoft through Windows 10 is basically trying to be Google. It sends as much data about what you are doing on the computer it possibly can by default. Seriously.

And can not be completed turned off.

[Severian]

And can not be completed turned off.

Thus third-party solutions: Spybot Anti-Beacon

[Viin]

For those of you who were waiting to install Windows 10 with a clean install, you are now in luck! The Windows 10 install process now accepts Windows 7 and 8 keys for a clean install from the get-go.
(The mysterious disappearance of my moved-but-hardlinked Users folder prompted me to do a clean install that wiped out my Win7 install, just took several tries to download Windows 10 onto a bootable USB for a brand new install).

[brellium]

And can not be completed turned off.

Thus third-party solutions: Spybot Anti-Beacon

Microsoft on a couple of occasions has disabled spybot on win10 with, system updates.

[Phildo]

Well, Spybot does make edits to the Hosts file...

[Sky]

The 10 phoning home things runs directly against our confidentiality policies. And the auto-updating runs directly against a public computing setting with disk protection software (MS had bought the Gates Foundation tool, improved it to be actually really awesome, then killed it). So I've been avoiding 10 like the plague, but the new nagware strategy is getting to be a huge hindrance. I've had to add a whole process to my install procedure just to get around MS's nagware (and part of it is I can't let the computers update at night, since one of the updates installs the nagware...which seems super shady to me).

But really, it doesn't hold a candle to how badly they're mishandling the Office OEM situation. Luckily as a non-profit I have a channel for low-volume VLKs, but this ended up being $600 down the drain for the library. Short story: DO NOT buy Dell OEM licenses, they're all most likely stolen by a piracy ring. Snippet of an example post from the MS 'help' forum:

Title: Install Office 2016 OEM without Live account

Reply:
I manage IT services for several small businesses and periodically need to purchase new computers with Office. I just purchased a new Dell laptop with the OEM version of Office 2016 Home & Business. It will not let me activate it without adding it to a MS account.

I know this is a perennial question, beginning with Office 2013, that is a major headache for independent technical consultants that support small businesses, as I do. But I have never seen a solid answer as to how to get this installed on the computer without the MS account--just a lot of try this, try that. This is NOT Office 365, just Office H & B 2016!

 I will not:

Add it to my MS account, or it will be forever stuck to me--which is inappropriate, since I will not own the computer or software once I am paid for the system by my client.
Make my client set up a MS account just for this.
Pry into my client's information to get his MS account information (if he even has one).
But I must have Office installed, activated, and updated before I give the system to my client. The activation dialog, in fact, gives me the option of using a product key instead of a login, but then proceeds to "Redeem Online"--which I believe will end up with the same result that requires a MS account.

At this point, I now have a bigger issue. I backed up the Program Data folder that contains the cached Office installation files, then uninstalled MS Office, hoping that a reinstall would give me some option to truly install without being forced to figure out a MS account for my client. The uninstallation removed the original setup folders. Good thing I backed it up, but then when I reinstall from any of those, it installs Office 2013, not Office 2016. And while it still validates the key when I click the option to use a key instead of a logon, it (as before) takes me to "Redeem Online".

Hello, Microsoft: this issue alone has just eliminated my entire profit from this project, given the time I have already spent trying to get this done, then uninstalling and attempting to reinstall.

I know there are versions that can be activated without a MS account, but I do not buy in bulk and can never seem to figure out which is which.

How do I get this installed for my client without being required to use a MS account?

Your post is GOLD

I had my first experience with 2016 last night when configuring a new PC for a client. Had to reinstall Win7 and then needed to install 2016. Like you I don't want it on my account, I don't want to create a new account everytime I Build/sell a box. I don't want to force this on the client or do it on his behalf.

Parts of Sydney even still get 3Mbs internet, how long to I sit on site whilst that download happens!

I have now also chewed up all the (little) profit I would have made on this box.

MICROSOFT LISTEN - thousands of us service small businesses who don't want to deal with you.

They want us to hand them a WORKING solution. They want it delivered,installed, loaded, activated, unpacked, switched on, updated and a waiting LOCAL login screen

They want it to work when they have no internet,

They know you offer no support to them so they want us to wade through the ambiguous and overburdened search results to fix their problems.

They don't want Microsoft accounts, they don't want Microsoft even knowing their name. They don't want their Start menu to disappear, and in fact they don't want any change. The PC is a TOOL they use to do their business and re-tooling is disruptive.

Until now we to have had good businesses supplying this service to clients.

MICROSOFT UNDERSTAND these clients are the engineer with 3 staff, the small motel with 2 PCs, the Financial Adviser alone on a laptop. We are their lifeline when they cannot work and its usually because you changed something. You are now removing OUR tools and our ability to  run our businesses efficiently. You have forced us to re-train ourselves at a pace which saps our resources, downtime and sleep. If we stop, you won't have a business either. MICROSOFT WORK WITH US!!! ....... the techs who sell your products with no profit

[Merusk]

His lasat bit is shouting into the dark.

The entire Software Industry has bought-in to the idea of always-on connections and phoning-home with information. There's a huge market space for companies that avoid these processes opening but nobody's jumping on it. Nobody's got the time, gumption, or money to compete against "big software."  Those that even show an inkling get so many dollar-signs thrown at them that they can't say no to being bought-out.

As a business owner you must accept it or learn *nux so you can manage things on your own. We know the latter isn't going to be a thing.

[Ironwood]

Microsoft have it fucked both ways though.  The amount of problems that 365 chaps have trying to get Live Accounts to co-exist is amazing.  I mean, these are things on the same place at the same company and are just not joined up in any way shape or form.  Even worse when the whole of Azure for Live is separate for the whole of Azure for 365.

And then you get to OneDrive.  Don't.  Even.

[Chimpy]

But but Azure-AD and federation will magically fix things!

[Ironwood]

Oddly, they do fix most things;  But that's NOT an option that any non-business will ever, ever, ever look at.  It also doesn't fundamentally fix the Live Vs OnMicrosoft issue because, well, they're separate AD's unless you work to bring them together and, even then, well fuck that.

(Azure AD is really nice btw.  But it doesn't fix everything.)

[Sky]

The entire Software Industry has bought-in to the idea of always-on connections and phoning-home with information.

Setting aside the digital divide issue, the ET phone home working directly against our mission (which is NYS law) means I may have to sit down with an attorney to discuss whether I can even install Windows 10 on a public computer. It's sad that the kids today don't even consider privacy issues anymore, but there are legal issues on the table. And honestly, it's cool to work someplace where that's the case. Also, it's the law.

NEW YORK STATE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW & RULES 4508, CHAPTER 112, LAWS OF 1988
Library records, which contain names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of public, free association, school, college and university libraries and library systems of this state, including but not limited to records relating to the circulation of library materials, computer database searches, interlibrary loan transactions, reference queries, requests for photocopies of library materials, title reserve requests, or the use of audio-visual materials, films or records, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except that such records may be disclosed to the extent necessary for the proper operation of the library and shall be disclosed upon request or consent of the user or pursuant to subpoena, court order or where otherwise required by statute.

[Chimpy]

Sky, if you update your machines through WSUS the nag updates and the upgrade itself are not pushed.

[Merusk]

The entire Software Industry has bought-in to the idea of always-on connections and phoning-home with information.

Setting aside the digital divide issue, the ET phone home working directly against our mission (which is NYS law) means I may have to sit down with an attorney to discuss whether I can even install Windows 10 on a public computer. It's sad that the kids today don't even consider privacy issues anymore, but there are legal issues on the table. And honestly, it's cool to work someplace where that's the case. Also, it's the law.

I get that, totally. However the industry has decided two things.

1) The potential the loss of your dollars because you have to drop the platform is a worthwhile trade-off vs. the amount of revenue they can make. Either by selling off your information or by being sure everyone is compliant.
2) That compliance isn't their problem. You're the guy that has the liability exposure, they made the info public. What's that, another library didn't have someone like you to catch this? Too bad.

Same thing with games and always-on high speed requirements. The very tone-deaf answer is, "well pay up and join the big boys table it's the 21st century." I don't agree with it, but that IS the sentiment.

[Sky]

Sky, if you update your machines through WSUS the nag updates and the upgrade itself are not pushed.

Yeah, looks like I finally have to get that set up. Also need to start with group policies. The nice thing about the Gates tool is that it (and the MS version, Steady State) obviated the need for me to learn and dick with that stuff. I like simple, I've got enough shit on my plate. So back to the point about MS costing the library more by way of my time (which could be better spent implementing new technology rather than just, you know, making something work like it did before they changed it).

[Engels]

While we're bitching about stuff related to Win8/10, can someone explain to me why UEFI  was such a grand idea? I know, there's this whole secured boot sector thing, which allegedly protected us from the Red Army or Aliens, but was it that needed in practice, for the average user?