Windows 10

[JBW]

Love it or hate it we are no doubt stuck with Windows 10. We no longer have the choice when or if updates are done. MS and Adobe now update whatever and whenever they want without so much as if you please or by your leave. I have sat for twenty minutes waiting for MS updates to install when all I wanted to do was check my email. I got fed up and checked Email by phone.

I trust nobody runs Windows under Administrator (except when doing Administrator tasks) and you all have a normal user under which you do normal work. If not all I can say is you are most unwise.

Win 10 is not bug free, a common bug is "Group Policy Client service fails to start" the text below shows how to fix that annoying and regular bug.
http://www.googledrive.com/host/0B9U...V9GTEs2UUpNaDQ

Another common bug is caused by power failure when Windows is doing certain critical tasks. It results in the 'Windows' icon on the Taskbar only responding to 'right-click' not 'left-click'. A real PITA, there is a fix for that that can be found if you Google the symptom.

Dicky.

how would I know and how would I not

[mastamak]

I built a new computer about a month ago and went Windows 10 with the motherboard. I use the "Classic Shell" interface with it

Manfred, your post reminded me that I also had the "Classic Shell" with my Windows 8 installation because I hated not having a start bar. When I upgraded to Windows 10, as I now recall, I had a whole lot of installation problems until I got rid of Classic Shell. It seemed to be in conflict with the Windows 10 start bar. Once Classic Shell was removed W10 installed OK and has run smoothly ever since. Not too sure why you need classic shell as the W10 start bar is quite an improvement.
Grant

[John 2]

I've now updated four machines to W10 (family members), one from W8.1 and three from W7 Pro. Only one has briefly suffered the start button problem described by Dicky. The remainder have been ok from day one. I did have a problem with a clean build of my own machine but that was down to the ASUS motherboard built in bios security function. It is different to W7 and that takes some learning (not much) but ultimately, it is well organised and clear. I find that it is very flexible in terms of work flow not least because you can set it up to be used just like W7 if you so wish. The pro version does give you the option to accept or reject none security updates but I don't think the Home version has the same option. I loved W7 but hated W8.1 with a vengeance. W10 has grown on me and I have come to like it as much as I did 7.

[mastamak]

I trust nobody runs Windows under Administrator (except when doing Administrator tasks) and you all have a normal user under which you do normal work. If not all I can say is you are most unwise.

Hey Dicky, can you clarify your comment above? I always run under Administrator as I get tired of being told I do not have administrator status when trying to do something simple. I am keen to know why this is a problem.

I must confess that my operating system experience goes way back to even before MS-DOS and I like to tinker with stuff under the hood from time to time. I get quite emotional when the computer tries to take control of my life and tells me I am not allowed to do some minor task that I think will improve my life. So far my computer/s have not imploded as a result of my ignoring the various frightening messages that pop up from time to time but who knows what the future holds.
Grant

[John 2]

I trust nobody runs Windows under Administrator (except when doing Administrator tasks) and you all have a normal user under which you do normal work. If not all I can say is you are most unwise.

For me too please Dicky. BTW, my updates seem to load in the background.

[Manfred M]

Not too sure why you need classic shell as the W10 start bar is quite an improvement.
Grant

It may be "quite an improvement", but that doesn't mean it is good enough.

[DickyOZ]

Many of the mandatory updates are security fixes.

All updates are now mandatory since we no longer have a choice about if and when they are installed. Security fixes are very important but I too have important things to do before Microsoft commandeers my PC for half an hour. I was quite happy with the old notification "Updates are available..." and would do them at my earliest convenience.

[DickyOZ]

Hey Dicky, can you clarify your comment above? I always run under Administrator as I get tired of being told I do not have administrator status when trying to do something simple. I am keen to know why this is a problem.

I must confess that my operating system experience goes way back to even before MS-DOS and I like to tinker with stuff under the hood from time to time. I get quite emotional when the computer tries to take control of my life and tells me I am not allowed to do some minor task that I think will improve my life. So far my computer/s have not imploded as a result of my ignoring the various frightening messages that pop up from time to time but who knows what the future holds.
Grant

Hi Grant,
I have three users on my PCs. An Administrator that I only sign on as when doing administrative tasks and nothing else. A Power user I sign on as when developing and debugging programs. And a Normal user for all other work/play/Email/browsing etc. It is very easy to have all three signed in and to switch between them. Any malware will only get the chance to download via the network access of the normal user and can only run under the normal user so the damage it can do is very limited and contained because it will never have administrator access. If anything pops up to say it needs Administrator access I will deny it. Many friends run only one user - the Administrator and I quite often waste half a day evicting malware from their PCs and telling them how foolish they have been.
Dicky.

[DickyOZ]

For me too please Dicky. BTW, my updates seem to load in the background.

Yes, they download in the background but are applied at startup and shutdown. It is when they hold up the PC on startup that I am most annoyed; after all I have started the PC because I want to do something not twiddle my thumbs while the operating system does its housework.
Dicky.

[tao2]

Control auto updates



with the caveat that ye use at yer own risk.

PS here's ma settings for update...

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Notify means that Windows still downloads but only security updates. Doesn't install 'til ah choose a time/date. Defer upgrades, stops new software for one, two, or even several months. It will auto install eventually but not 'til it's been thoroughly tested by the "insider program" mob - they're like a Beta tester group and those on the standard Win 10 (whether they like it or not), they don't have this option. Only Win 10 PRO and upwards allows this step. It'll cost ye around $99 tae upgrade tae PRO, though rumours have it, that this may be reduced tae around $50/60.

Ah ran the Win 10 Beta a couple of years ago and it had an option which fooled Windows intae never updating anything ('til the user chose what he/she wanted, then did it manually). Ye pretended ye were on a laptop and set Win 10 not tae download on a metered connection . So... Windows would only download if it was in a Wi-Fi hot spot - which was never.... Ma mate told me that option was still in Win 10, haven't looked for it yet...

[Cantab]

Boab, that's a very interesting comment about telling W10 that the desktop is really a laptop, etc. Hopefully someone who hates the automatic downloads will find out if this trick is still doable.

[John 2]

Hi Grant,
I have three users on my PCs. An Administrator that I only sign on as when doing administrative tasks and nothing else. A Power user I sign on as when developing and debugging programs. And a Normal user for all other work/play/Email/browsing etc. It is very easy to have all three signed in and to switch between them. Any malware will only get the chance to download via the network access of the normal user and can only run under the normal user so the damage it can do is very limited and contained because it will never have administrator access. If anything pops up to say it needs Administrator access I will deny it. Many friends run only one user - the Administrator and I quite often waste half a day evicting malware from their PCs and telling them how foolish they have been.
Dicky.

Interesting approach. Might try it. Presumably, it's possible to set up the PC to only respond with functions dedicated to a particular user for all sorts of things. For instance, could I shut down ethernet access for one user but retain it for another - or have I misunderstood.

[marlunn]

so for win 10 the 'anniversary updated will make a few changes for you that you cant do anythign about - http://winaero.com/blog/microsoft-lo...ersary-update/

interesting one is this-

Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences
Using this option, you could prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading and installing promoted apps like Candy Crush Soda Saga, Flipper, Twitter, NetFlix, Pandora, MSN News and many other potentially unwanted apps and games. Now you can't prevent these apps from being automatically downloaded and installed if you are using Windows 10 Pro or Home editions. The policy setting (or Registry setting) has no effect in these editions.

[Cantab]

so for win 10 the 'anniversary updated will make a few changes for you that you cant do anythign about - http://winaero.com/blog/microsoft-lo...ersary-update/

interesting one is this-

Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences
Using this option, you could prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading and installing promoted apps like Candy Crush Soda Saga, Flipper, Twitter, NetFlix, Pandora, MSN http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/07/22...-us-borderNews and many other potentially unwanted apps and games. Now you can't prevent these apps from being automatically downloaded and installed if you are using Windows 10 Pro or Home editions. The policy setting (or Registry setting) has no effect in these editions.

Does anyone know if these apps can be uninstalled once they've been installed by Windows 10?

[John 2]

Mark, there is some control in pro however on the subject in general, have a look at this link for an article entitled "How to Prevent Windows 10 From Automatically Downloading Updates".

http://www.howtogeek.com/224471/how-...ading-updates/

Also on a general point, don't forget to make your start up disk. Without it, your backups might be useless particularly if you have a machine that came pre-loaded with Windows and without software disks.

[tao2]

so for win 10 the 'anniversary updated will make a few changes for you that you cant do anythign about - http://winaero.com/blog/microsoft-lo...ersary-update/

interesting one is this-

Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences
Using this option, you could prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading and installing promoted apps like Candy Crush Soda Saga, Flipper, Twitter, NetFlix, Pandora, MSN News and many other potentially unwanted apps and games. Now you can't prevent these apps from being automatically downloaded and installed if you are using Windows 10 Pro or Home editions. The policy setting (or Registry setting) has no effect in these editions.

Aye ,

There's 3/4 pieces of software being installed in the anniversary update, that cannot be overridden by the user (there may be hacks in the future). So, Win pro will be, no longer, "professional". This is a deal breaker for me. Ah've defended Windows in the past, often vigourously, but this is malware (no other word for it) being installed on MY computer, and I can't get rid of it. So what's next? Microsoft spying for Homeland Security? This is Microsoft - the corporation, driving this, not IMO, the Windows developers. Mebbe a concerted effort by them tae drive business users off the PRO platform and ontae enterprise/ education and thus volume licensing - which means ye havetae buy a minimum number of licenses.

This is gonna come back and bite MS in the ass...big time. Not just by business users but by folk like us, who won't accept these intrusions.

Ah fought the law...but it didn't win...ah uninstalled it...

AH was given an old Dell Inspiron, which ah spent a fortune refurbishing. £6 for a 64 bit AMD Turion 2.3gb processor, £5 for 4gb of memory. £40 for a used (1 yo) Samsung Evo 250gb SSD. Runs far better than it did new. Installed Linux Mint Rosa(KDE) 17.3...FREE. Gonna learn this over the next year whilst running Win 8.1 on my desktop.

[marlunn]

staying with win 7 pro 64bit - PS and PR require windows or mac - if i lose the fight on win 10 - its a 2nd hand mac for me for PP work and a Ubuntu build for all else

[Simon Garrett]

Aye ,

This [software that can't be uninstalled] is gonna come back and bite MS in the ass...big time. Not just by business users but by folk like us, who won't accept these intrusions.

I'd like to think you're right, but I have my doubts. People are getting used to operating systems with stuff they can't remove. Think Android, ios... I've 3 Android devices from different makers that have a shed load of stuff I can't remove. My Samsung phone has several Samsung apps that I never use and can't uninstall (and if I stop them they just restart).

Up to now, even though some W10 Microsoft apps can't be uninstalled, AFAIK virtually all of them can be turned off. Let's hope that continues.

[tao2]

I'd like to think you're right, but I have my doubts. People are getting used to operating systems with stuff they can't remove. Think Android, ios... I've 3 Android devices from different makers that have a shed load of stuff I can't remove. My Samsung phone has several Samsung apps that I never use and can't uninstall (and if I stop them they just restart).

Up to now, even though some W10 Microsoft apps can't be uninstalled, AFAIK virtually all of them can be turned off. Let's hope that continues.

Hi Simon,

Yer correct in what ye say. Ah have virtually everything turned off and have uninstalled what I can. Shouldha learned my lesson when ah bought a Win 10 phone ( thinking it would be a nicely joined up connection with Win 10 desktop). Man - what a mess that software and phone were, got my money back and contract cancelled after 2 months of misery.

Unfortunately the phone, like Win 10 desktop, often needs - at minimum - a trio of apps running (and often 4+) tae enable functionality on a single app. This connectivity's not by chance, nor is it tae "enhance the user's experience". It's designed tae glean every possible piece of information from the PC and phone use. It was becoming tedious switching apps on and off tae prevent tracking and recording of my use of phone functions, but needing them for a fully functioning phone/PC.

Had two Windows phones in the past and they were quite excellent because MS only provided software, eg my Orange SPV , which ah kept for several years 'til the phone fell apart with (mis)use. A superb phone. Ms AND Nokia were another thing altogether. MS, for some reason (more than just business) set out tae destroy Nokia and they're succeeding. Remember reading a speech where MS's vice-president outlined the path they would use and it's largely succeeded.

Ah still thought that Win 10 would be an excellent upgrade - and it is/was...then along came the anniversary update. Ah think MS/Windows main problem is that all the good and great staff members have grown older and retired together and their replacements are simply not as good nor have they, " the vision" . They're probably the equivalent, of what are described in the UK, as "Thatcher's children" and now grandchildren, knowing "the price of everything and the value of nothing".

[loosecanon]

using a win 10 that updated itself used up all the data allowance on 4G connection.