I downloaded the iso images for both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions yesterday so that I could update my machines at the time of my choosing. Currently, updating an old spare 32 bit machine to evaluate the process and the result.

Downloading the images from Microsoft was no problem at all - there were no bandwidth issues.

Not to be dismayed. If you do a search on "Windows 10 iso" you will eventually find a web page, on MS's servers, where you can download the upgrade directly without having to wait.

Here's the link:

Windows 10 ISO

Upgraded my HP laptop a couple of days ago from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10. The entire process including download took about three hours from start to finish and was fairly straightforward. In fact, if you select the default options for everything, it is entirely straightforward, but then you authorise Microsoft to essentially monitor everything you do on your computer for ever.

Take a little time to check the small print on the settings screen, do you really want your computer tracked so that geographically appropriate adverts can be displayed? Do you really want copies of everything uploaded to the cloud? Do you really want all your enquiries to be logged and analysed to provide quicker and more specific responses to your queries?

If you have a Windows phone, tablet and PC, then upgrading to Windows 10 makes absolute sense and enables all of your devices to synchronise files.

If you are running Windows 7 the case for upgrading is less clear cut. You will need to obtain a third party media player to burn and play DVDs and CDs and commercial programs are not particularly cheap. The well loved solitaire programs are replaced by new versions which are less attractive to use in my opinion. If you have copies of the files from an older version of Windows, they can be copied and pasted into the appropriate directories of Windows 10 and they will still run. Esentially the cards.dll file is copied to the system directory and the sol.exe file and other solitaire game files you want to the program file directory and just make a shortcut to sol.exe (and other games) from the desktop.

All the other programs and files you have installed in your computer remain unaffected and just work as usual once you have completed the upgrade.

You may need to download new graphics driver files before Windows 10 will invite you to upgrade, provided you have the little Windows flag in the toolbar at the foot of the screen. I had to download the new screen drivers before the Windows update message moved passed the you will be notified when your update becomes available stage.

So if you are running Windows 8, upgrade immediately and lose that annoying jump into the tiled screen from the desktop everytime you move the mouse to the top right of the screen. Worth it just for that.

Windows 7, Meh! Probably best to just carry on using that, unless you need some Windows 10 feature.

This is by some margin the least eventful update I have done with a Microsoft operating system and I have been through every one since DOS 3.0 including Windows 286!

Re DVD & CDs: Win 10 will burn and play data DVDs & CDs. Via the media player, it will burn audio CDs. This is the same as Win 7 and Win 8/8.1. In a near-future update, it will play video DVDs (on most versions of Win 10). The only thing I think it cannot do is create and burn a video DVD. There are free tools that will take care of that part.

Thanks Gouli and Bushfiva: good info there. :D

For ever!. That sounds dramatic.

The fact is that all the options available under 'customize settings' during installation are also available in the 'privacy' menu after installation.

KBPsen

Apologies for the dramatic licence, but how many people mess about with the settings once the computer is up and running?

Windows 10 is not dissimilar to the Apple operating systems in its requirements for personal data to enable all the features. People seem happy enough with their personal details and browsing habits being monitored by Apple,
Google, Facebook, etc., so why not Microsoft?

What does give rise to some concern is that around 90% of all the computers in the world are running Microsoft Windows in some form. The collected data will potentially put Microsoft in an unassailable position of power and influence in determining what can be done on your computer, what search results are returned, what websites you access, whether any of your stored documents are "suspicious", who you communicate with, etc., etc. How Microsoft uses this data and whether it is shared with any government agencies now or in the future is what I find worrying.

Of course I have nothing to hide except my banking records, health records, personal contacts, business contacts, commercially sensitive product development information and future business plans...

You could use something like Cloudfogger to encrypt the cloud-based copies of your files. There are several other products, some which only support Dropbox. You could also choose a cloud provider that, say, doesn't store your data within the US, or which uses its own encryption driver using keys you generate, such as Mega (though that's got problems with speed).


Alternatively, you could set up your own VPN using something like NeoRouter, then sync machines across that using any of a number of tools such as AllwaySync or the OS' own sync tools.


As with all these things, the more you secure your data, the less useful some of the social tools become

I don't know, do you? I would imagine it's a lot more than are messing around with the settings during installation.

I have switched off most things in the privacy settings. Perhaps you could tell me which features I'm missing out on, as I haven't noticed any yet.

I thought you'd said certainly not. Are you now saying why not?

Wow.

I guess I'm kinda with Goudi on this one, though not singling out Microsoft in particular. Some of the three-digit agencies probably can't believe their luck that companies are moving their commercially-sensitive data to the cloud. It's the same windfall as when fax machines were introduced.

Japanese Government was, and maybe still is, using Googledocs for its stuff. How bat**** crazy is that, especially now we know all its phones have been targeted for many years.

Sometimes it's OK to be a little bit paranoid. If you want something to be secure, you need to do it yourself.

Edit: *thinks* Lordy, Edge needs an ad blocker on this site. Then rediscovers the "PPRuNe no ads style" setting.
Editdit: Goudi > Gouli

You're kinda not. When you think that MS is planning to take over your computer and the internet, you're not just a little paranoid. You're in the bat**** crazy category.

MS may not have any intention of taking over the internet and controlling vast numbers of computers, but repressive governments around the world have no such morals. Those of us fortunate enough to live in notional democracies have no guarantee that our assumed freedoms might not disappear overnight given sufficient provocation.

Edward Snowden has demonstrated that even democratic government organisations do not always play by the rules.

Windows 10 does collect more information about its users than previous Windows software. How that information might be used is worthy of consideration. For the vast majority of users, I suspect it won't matter a jot. Those living under repressive regimes probably already take precautions.

That said, Windows 10 is a great upgrade and vastly superior to Windows 8.

I upgraded my HP (15-n096sa) laptop from 8.1 to 10 without any issues, and it seems mostly fine so far.

The only problem is that now when I shut the laptop lid, it goes to sleep (yes, I checked this is what it is supposed to do), but it won't wake up whatever I do when I reopen the lid. I have to hold the power button down until it powers off completely and then power it up again. I have gone through every machine setting I can find. It didn't do this under 8.1.

Any ideas anyone?

There are a bazillion updates for your machine with Windows 10 on the HP support site. Maybe you should install them and see if things automagically get fixed.


HP Software and Driver Downloads for HP Printers, Laptops, Desktops and More | HP® Support


You may want to use the automatic check rather than the manual one NI link to.

Bushfiva, thanks for the link, I will give it a go.

Meanwhile my temporary work around is to select "nothing" when it asks me what I want to happen when the lid is closed.

This is a generic and only partial solution, but maybe you could check device manager > keyboards >keyboard > power management tab, then look for a box called something like "allow this device to wake the computer" and tick it.

So, if opening the lid doesn't start the computer, hitting any key will.

But you may not have a power management tab. :8

As someone who is perfectly happy with my win 7 on a mid-spec home pc, and who hated win 8 when I had to set it up for a daughter on her new lappie, how long should I wait before moving over to win 10?

My inclination is to download it around the turn of the year, by which time all you techies types will have found all the glitches, and M/S should have resolved them. Does that sound about right?
Thanks
AO.

Ancient:

Why wait when you too can be on the forefront of MS's endeavor to have the general public find all the bugs and security issues in Win 10? :}

You can probably leave it until late 2019...

SD