Windows 10....one year later....disscussion, thoughts.

[Amaris]

I had the damnedest time getting my computers properly updated to Windows 10. They were both on 8.1. The automatic install would go through 3 phases... totaling 2 hours or more. And then, near the end, it would hit some snag that threw an exception, tossing out a cryptic error code and reverting back. Searching on-line turned up a smattering of tips and tricks here and there from others who suffered the same or similar fate... and none worked, while some got me closer, but still no completion.
What finally helped me get over the hurdle was to download a full ISO image of Windows 10 and install that, while keeping anti-virus off and all services stopped except for Microsoft ones. After upgrading I was fine... until Windows 10 recognized I was not on the latest and tried to auto-update my computers again (I have 2). And same kinds of failures once more. I couldn't get up to the Anniversary release. I eventually solved this by resorting to the same ISO download again. But it wouldn't work directly with the Anniversary release. I had to select the one just prior. And that worked. From there, the auto-update to the Anniversary edition tried to process... but it failed. I let Windows send the log back to Microsoft. It went at it about 3 different times until someone at Microsoft fixed the code so that it leap frogged over the issue and completed. However... it worked for only one computer. The other one was still stuck on the release prior to the Anniversary edition! And it went through 4 update attempt iterations over the course of 2 months before it finally worked. Now both are on the latest version.
This was the most excruciating problem I ever faced with Microsoft Windows versions. This was a terrible mess. Windows 10 increased installation complexity and it just wasn't ready. But everything is fine now. I'm not going to hold my breath on Windows 11, though.

I feel your pain. Windows 10 installed mostly smoothly, though there was an initial scare when it rolled back to Win 7 after some cryptic message. When I tried again, it installed properly. The real nightmare was on my second machine, which mocked me by repeatedly rolling back Windows 10 over and over again, and there was never any real reason why it would do so. Everything looked great, the upgrade advisor said the PC was ready to go, but every single time, for 12 installations, it just rolled right on back. Eventually, I just gave up and switched it over to Linux Mint. It still uses that to this day.

I don't think there's going to be any Windows 11 or numerical equivalent any time soon. From my understanding MS is using 10 as their core base and just adding onto that with future updates.

This is true, and what Microsoft has said. Of course, who knows, maybe they'll decide they want to keep the numbering system, or perhaps they'll start naming it things like "Creator Edition," or some such.

 

[Gary7]

^ I was very tempted to install Linux on one of my active laptops. Once I get an SSD drive, I'll probably go for it. Windows 10 is pretty stable, although not quite as good as 8.1. On 8.1 I never had a BSOD. On Windows 10, it has happened a few times. I also don't like the built-in Microsoft spyware. There are supposed to be ways to defeat it, but then it compromises automatic updates.
It is important to have a numbering system, so you know what version you're dealing with. If updates go on long enough, eventually some older software will have problems. Unless miraculously, Microsoft has solved that problem. Install any old version of Windows 10, and it'll magically update you to the latest. Yeah, right!

 

[Amaris]

^ I was very tempted to install Linux on one of my active laptops. Once I get an SSD drive, I'll probably go for it. Windows 10 is pretty stable, although not quite as good as 8.1. On 8.1 I never had a BSOD. On Windows 10, it has happened a few times. I also don't like the built-in Microsoft spyware. There are supposed to be ways to defeat it, but then it compromises automatic updates.
It is important to have a numbering system, so you know what version you're dealing with. If updates go on long enough, eventually some older software will have problems. Unless miraculously, Microsoft has solved that problem. Install any old version of Windows 10, and it'll magically update you to the latest. Yeah, right!

There's technically a number system, but it's build numbers. Right now, when you refer to different versions of Windows 10, you use the release name. For example, Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, or Windows 10 Creator's Update. I think they're pushing for trendy. You know, like how Apple has build numbers for the Mac OS, but everyone knows the actual software by its familiar name: OS X Snow Leopard or OS X El Capitan. Same thing here. As usual, Microsoft's about 10 years behind, and $10 short, and I say this as a Microsoft fan.

As for alternative operating systems, Linux Mint is my absolute favorite version of Linux to use. It's easy, intuitive, flexible, stable, fast, and looks great. If you're going to pick one, I suggest that one. If for no other reason? When you start it up, it looks and behaves a lot like Windows, and you don't even have to open up the terminal if you don't want to. All point and click.

 

[Santaman]

I've been using Mint 18.1 for the last few months, almost half a year now and I can say that I am no longer using Windows for anything besides games, I have one gaming rig with Windows 8.1 on it and steam and that's it, everything else I do with Linux Mint, good riddance.. I have 10 machines using Mint, some are ancient, some are new, I've got single, dual and quad cores with all kinds of different hardware both Intel and AMD and not once on any of those machines I had the slightest bit of troubles and even on a single core Sempron 145 its quite responsive.

 

[Marc]

Of course, now I'm about to update to the Windows 10 Creator's Update, and I'm a bit worried. Knowing my luck, that will screw up everything.

I upgrade my wife's laptop to Creator's update (build 15063) the other day. No problems with it and she's blissfully unaware of so I get to live another day

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

What's the point of the messaging app in Windows 10? It doesn't actually let you send any messages. I mean I can look up all the people in my contacts and create a message but it won't send it. The send button is greyed out.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Another vote for Linux Mint here, although I haven't used it as much in recent years because the way they handle packages is asinine. (They may have fixed this situation more recently.)

And yeah, Windows 10 is the last numbered Windows release only for as long as MS says so. If they need a marketing kick, they will come up with a new number, I'm sure.

 

[Kor]

What's the point of the messaging app in Windows 10? It doesn't actually let you send any messages. I mean I can look up all the people in my contacts and create a message but it won't send it. The send button is greyed out.

This is more of the kind of stuff that I find really annoying in Windows 10. Things just don't work right.

By the way, that is a great avatar. What is it from?

Kor

 

[Gary7]

There's technically a number system, but it's build numbers. Right now, when you refer to different versions of Windows 10, you use the release name. For example, Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, or Windows 10 Creator's Update. I think they're pushing for trendy. You know, like how Apple has build numbers for the Mac OS, but everyone knows the actual software by its familiar name: OS X Snow Leopard or OS X El Capitan. Same thing here. As usual, Microsoft's about 10 years behind, and $10 short, and I say this as a Microsoft fan.

As for alternative operating systems, Linux Mint is my absolute favorite version of Linux to use. It's easy, intuitive, flexible, stable, fast, and looks great. If you're going to pick one, I suggest that one. If for no other reason? When you start it up, it looks and behaves a lot like Windows, and you don't even have to open up the terminal if you don't want to. All point and click.

Yes, you're absolutely right -- there's the version number and then the build numbers. For example, the Anniversary version is 1607. And right now my computer is up to OS Build 14393. So in theory, they could keep saying Windows 10 with whatever "version name" they wish to add. Maybe in a few more years there will be Windows 10 5th Anniversary edition.

Good to hear your satisfaction with Linux Mint. I've had that on my radar. I've used a different flavor of Linux in the past (can't recall it off hand... might have been Mandrake), and liked it. I've heard that there's a trick to getting a dual boot system properly installed with Windows so that they both work well. Microsoft doesn't make it easy...

 

[Gary7]

By the way, that is a great avatar. What is it from?

It's a movie. "The Green Slime - Invaders from Beyond The Stars". Here's a big res image for you: LINK

 

[Random_Spock]

Well, I reinstalled Windows 10 last night. Everything was slower than a donkey cart moving uphill in a hailstorm, and I started getting errors in places where I should not have been getting errors. So I figured a fresh install would do wonders, and so I wiped everything, reformatted the hard drive, and reinstalled Windows 10. Yeah, there's the refresh option, but I'm a firm believer in scorched earth when it comes to OS installation. I want everything to be fresh as a daisy, and not sitting on top of semi-clean data.

It seems the fresh install did wonders. Speed is back to what it was, stability is 100%. Also, a great side effect: my drive transfer speeds hover around 140 MB/s, which is crazy good as far as I'm concerned. I don't mean for 5 or 10 seconds at a time, either. I transferred a 5 GB file, and it just flew from one drive to another at top speed. I was impressed. So perhaps it was just a bad install.

Of course, now I'm about to update to the Windows 10 Creator's Update, and I'm a bit worried. Knowing my luck, that will screw up everything.

Hence, I'm making a drive image as we speak, just in case. I got everything how I want it. Like hell if I'm going to let it get screwed up by an update.

Nice. My mom's laptop has been running into some issues. I've been thinking that the computer people installed it wrong. We've had to wait to get it in though. So I've been sharing mine with her until she can get it in for a fresh re-install.

As for the Creator's update -- first part just showed up on my laptop's doorstep (Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB4015217)). Not thrilled. Glad I backed up recently. Hoping it installs ok.

 

[Amaris]

I've been using Mint 18.1 for the last few months, almost half a year now and I can say that I am no longer using Windows for anything besides games, I have one gaming rig with Windows 8.1 on it and steam and that's it, everything else I do with Linux Mint, good riddance.. I have 10 machines using Mint, some are ancient, some are new, I've got single, dual and quad cores with all kinds of different hardware both Intel and AMD and not once on any of those machines I had the slightest bit of troubles and even on a single core Sempron 145 its quite responsive.

Mint is truly awesome. If it wasn't for a handful of games I love playing, and for my Plex media server not working right on Mint (I have tried every trick in the book, and Plex is just too damned temperamental for Mint), I would have permanently switched a long time ago.

I upgrade my wife's laptop to Creator's update (build 15063) the other day. No problems with it and she's blissfully unaware of so I get to live another day

That's the best kind of aware you want your SO to have when it comes to upgrades. Good work.

What's the point of the messaging app in Windows 10? It doesn't actually let you send any messages. I mean I can look up all the people in my contacts and create a message but it won't send it. The send button is greyed out.

It's a component of Windows' cross-platform OS compatibility. Every device is a potential mobile device.

Another vote for Linux Mint here, although I haven't used it as much in recent years because the way they handle packages is asinine. (They may have fixed this situation more recently.)

And yeah, Windows 10 is the last numbered Windows release only for as long as MS says so. If they need a marketing kick, they will come up with a new number, I'm sure.

Exactly. I expect at some point we'll either get Windows Infinity, Windows 0, or something to that effect. Regardless, this isn't the last version of Windows.

Yes, you're absolutely right -- there's the version number and then the build numbers. For example, the Anniversary version is 1607. And right now my computer is up to OS Build 14393. So in theory, they could keep saying Windows 10 with whatever "version name" they wish to add. Maybe in a few more years there will be Windows 10 5th Anniversary edition.

Good to hear your satisfaction with Linux Mint. I've had that on my radar. I've used a different flavor of Linux in the past (can't recall it off hand... might have been Mandrake), and liked it. I've heard that there's a trick to getting a dual boot system properly installed with Windows so that they both work well. Microsoft doesn't make it easy...

The trick for me was to install Windows 10 first, make my Linux Mint DVD, restart in UEFI boot (available through the PC settings advanced menu), select boot option, then CD/DVD drive, and install from there. Mint will give you an option to boot side by side with Windows, and there you go.

Nice. My mom's laptop has been running into some issues. I've been thinking that the computer people installed it wrong. We've had to wait to get it in though. So I've been sharing mine with her until she can get it in for a fresh re-install.

As for the Creator's update -- first part just showed up on my laptop's doorstep (Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB4015217)). Not thrilled. Glad I backed up recently. Hoping it installs ok.

Yeah, I try to backup all of my documents every week (except for significant changes which get backed up right then), and image my system once a month. Like I said before, I like Microsoft, I'm a fan, but deploying updates to millions of PCs invites the chance for disaster.

 

[Kor]

It's a movie. "The Green Slime - Invaders from Beyond The Stars". Here's a big res image for you: LINK

I know what I'm ordering next payday!

Kor

 

[Gary7]

The trick for me was to install Windows 10 first, make my Linux Mint DVD, restart in UEFI boot (available through the PC settings advanced menu), select boot option, then CD/DVD drive, and install from there. Mint will give you an option to boot side by side with Windows, and there you go.

Thanks! I'll be sure to do that. I still have a DVD burner, but I suspect a USB drive formatted for a bootable image will work as well.

 

[Amaris]

Thanks! I'll be sure to do that. I still have a DVD burner, but I suspect a USB drive formatted for a bootable image will work as well.

It will. I'm old fashioned, and still prefer boot CDs.
Back in my day, if something wasn't wooshing, swishing, or humming, it wasn't working.

 

[Marc]

It will. I'm old fashioned, and still prefer boot CDs.
Back in my day, if something wasn't wooshing, swishing, or humming, it wasn't working.

in the old days there was no guarantee the computer would boot from a USB drive either.

 

[Amaris]

in the old days there was no guarantee the computer would boot from a USB drive either.

I had a system I just gave away a month ago that couldn't boot from a USB key. It had a floppy drive and everything. I wanted to keep it, but we have no room, so I gave it to a friend, who will give it to a donation center. They'll find a family who needs a basic computer and give it to them. Older, but a good computer.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

This is more of the kind of stuff that I find really annoying in Windows 10. Things just don't work right.

By the way, that is a great avatar. What is it from?

Kor

DVD cover for The Green Slime. I just saw someone else had answered me before I had replied to you. Got to love time differences and sleep. You miss the other posts. LOL

 

[Amaris]

The Windows 10 Creators Update seems pretty solid. There are no major issues I'm seeing, although there is one minor thing: the Mail app is now pinned to my taskbar, and it cannot be unpinned.

 

[Random_Spock]

The Windows 10 Creators Update seems pretty solid. There are no major issues I'm seeing, although there is one minor thing: the Mail app is now pinned to my taskbar, and it cannot be unpinned.

Cool. It went through ok on my end so far too. Just going to double check to make sure that it didn't change any settings on my laptop.