'Free Win 10 upgrade?'

[BEagle]

I see that Microsoft has now admitted that it screwed up. From ITPRO:

Microsoft has apologised for a mistake in a recent Windows update that led to Window 7 and Windows 8.1 computers being automatically upgraded to Windows 10.

While Microsoft has been heavily promoting its new OS and strongly encouraging customers to upgrade, it has been an opt-in, rather than an opt-out process. However, Ars Technica readers started to complain that the upgrade was happening without their permission.

Microsoft acknowledged the issue, telling the website saying it was an unexpected bug.

"As part of our effort to bring Windows 10 to existing genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers, the Windows 10 upgrade may appear as an optional update in the Windows Update (WU) control panel," Microsoft said in a statement. "This is an intuitive and trusted place people go to find Recommended and Optional updates to Windows. In the recent Windows update, this option was checked as default; this was a mistake and we are removing the check."

There's a large Windows 10 update coming in November - those who have Win10 Home won't have any choice over the download as the ability to manage updates has been deleted from Win10 Home as they're now downloaded automatically.

Oh good - I can hardly wait....

Can we have something useful back please, Micro$oft? Such as AutoRoute??

[Loose rivets]

I dug out an old Vaio today and defragged drive c-colon. I set about downloading 10 only to find it took half of eternity to load and is now taking the other half to check for updates. Well over an our and still on 0%.

First time around I pulled the plug on it. Literally. I almost gave up on an earlier stage, but suddenly it went into the update check thing so was hesitant to give up too early, but I've loaded all brands of DOS and Windows and never encountered delays like this.

The computer is dual boot. Could that be a problem? Can't see why as it's responding normally in every other way.

[Loose rivets]

Huh! After well over an hour of being on 0% it suddenly started to do things. It's now writing to the disc for the first time in ages and installing the basic (sadly) copy of 10. Even my PC is 32 bit - I recall thinking I'd only need that for my software and didn't know about the memory limitation. Still, I've got the i7 Vaio that I lugged back from Texas.

It's nearly as heavy as the PC.

[Loose rivets]

Running. Brisk. Toys look fairly straightforward. But, the screen is fuzzy. It says it optimum res, but the darn thing looks like a TV scene where they soften the focus. Anyone else?

I can't see an obvious selection for this. And one thing this computer had - a stunning little screen with strong clear colours

[le Pingouin]

You need to find out what the actual native resolution of the screen is and then compare to what it's actually displaying.

[Bushfiva]

Right click on the desktop, Display Settings, change size of text/apps/etc here.

Then, Advanced display settings where you can check the screen size, color calibration, adjust ClearType, and micromanage text sizes.

You can do all this via the control panel too, if you prefer,

[Loose rivets]

It reccomended a res, but I tried a tad either side of it and that was worse and the 'raster' didn't fit. so, I guess It's okay.- ish


The hello screen is smoke-filled anyway, so that doesn't help.

All in all not too bad but not quite that edge the other one had.


For now, doesn't matter as this little laptop will only be for reading Kindle etc. I see it has a serial port, so may do morse on it.


Now, it has dual boot with the original Vista. That came first obviously. Then I made a partition or three and then dual boot with a legal copy of W7. W10 has gone over that W7.

Question is, can I put the W7 - which has the same key as the 10*, where Vista is now. That would be neat, and this machine would only have one copy of Windows on it. i.e. one Key. The W7 has been the main OS for at least 5 years.

* I see it's the same key from Belarc which by the way, shows the 10 as 8.1 Confused? You will be.

The MS super-computer somewhere in the US will only see that reg key at any one time and one is allowed to go back to the old OS anyway, but in my case I would be hopping to and fro.

Legal issues aside, is it now possible to do a clean install of W7 for the dual boot? i.e. do the first partition last? l see W10 has a nice screen especially for dual booting. Not at bios level now. So, while this is nice, it does mean the OS is more aware of what's going on with dual booting and may object.


I only kept my Vista to help a pal with support over the phone. He now has his own guru, so one is free of that duty. I can see plugging in a clean install where the Vista was might cause all sorts of problems.

[MG23]

Apparently, next year, Microsoft are going 'make upgrading to Windows 10 easier' by doing it for you automatically:

Making it Easier to Upgrade to Windows 10 | Windows Experience Blog

[Loose rivets]

Might be a bit pointless dual booting from W10 to W10



But look here, MS. I paid for a specific product. Nothing In my bill of sale that said you could take it back again . . . erm, or is there? I don't think I ever own it, so that cocks that notion up.


I still don't know where these dual boot items lie. I cleaned out drive C and defragged it just left 7 on there in basic form. When booting in Vista I can see all my photos, book etc., so I'm not sure where this w10 green field site came from. Always wondered about that.

D and E logical drives seem unaffected.

[Private jet]

Is CTRL-ALT-DELETE still available on 10?

[boguing]

Yes, but trying it just now was the first time I've used it...

[FullOppositeRudder]

Sadly I can report that I am aware of three of my friends who elected to accept the free upgrade to W10 on their machines discovered some basic things that no longer worked as they did on W7 and W8. The common factor was that the machines themselves were getting on in years - still very useful and usable, but no drivers for W10 seemed to be available for some hardware components.

In another instance, an entire office elected to go with the flow and 'upgrade' about ten machines at once. All went well in the upgrade process, but the rest of the day was spent resetting basic installation parameters back to "Australian" regional settings, and trying to discover where everything they used in the past was now hiding. I think all is now well, but none of these people apparently had sufficient 'geekness' to deal with changes which they didn't anticipate or expect.

I think I'll wait a bit longer.

FOR

[le Pingouin]

FOR, do your friends realise they can revert to their previous version?

http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/h...ows-10-upgrade

Note they only have a month to change their mind.

[Rick777]

I have an old laptop that came with Vista. A couple of years ago I put in a new HD and installed 8. It was an improvement, but not much. I installed 10 as soon as I could. I really like it. It is a lot faster than 8, and it is nice to have an actual start button again.

[FullOppositeRudder]

FOR, do your friends realise they can revert to their previous version?

Thanks - however I think the time had well and truly passed by the time they had talked to me about it.

The office / network installation has been pretty well sorted out eventually, and I doubt that they would turn back having done all of that work. They're accepting of the fact that this is the way it will be, so having made the move, and sorted out the challenges (as far as I am aware), it was going to stay that way. It's a 'serious' office network in the National Capital (yep - that serious!), the machines are work horses to do the job, extensive written material is their tool of trade, and there is too much at risk to fiddle beyond the minimum necessary.

Thank you again,
FOR

[le Pingouin]

That's often the way, particularly when there's a lack of planning - it's easier to push on after a certain point than try to untangle what you've done.

[dazdaz1]

As to OP and post #2 some may find it helpful to delete windows update KB 3035583

[nipva]

Don't go there

I would not recommend W10, I too tried the free upgrade but was immediately put off by all the 'noise' on the screen start-up, the dependency on being hooked up to the web and the loss of some functions that I had liked. Oh yes, it wiped all my emails from Outllook Express in the process. I am now happily back with Windows 7.

[Loose rivets]

Reading about reinstalling, I had a thought. My dual boot is Vista first, and now 10. Works fine, but now, the dual booting choice is on a 10-like screen not just a BIOS affair. Looks cool, but what the heck happens when you need to do a full reinstall of 10?

It seems to me you'll have no way of getting to that boot-specific partition, so a format followed by a clean install becomes a bit of a mystery.

[Loose rivets]

Oh, Gawsh. My old Sony Vaio lost its fn controls due to never getting drivers working on W7. Believe me, I tried. (Vista boot fn's still work okay.) But all was not lost.

Windows button + X would give me a screen for the total management of added screens/projectors etc. Now, W + X gives the old Start menu items. Nice, but I need my screen control for adding big screen for editing.



Updating 10. Is all updating automatic now? I see no invitation to bring it up to date.
Found it - while right clicking on desktop looking for Power settings. Settings. Update and Security.