Warning! Rant about Win10!

[SantaFeBill]

If you don't want to read it, please don't. But as I've been researching what I will need to deal with as I'm forced to move to Win10 as Win7 support is ended, I'm appalled.

Just one example (out of too many):

https://windows.gadgethacks.com/how-to/everything-you-need-disable-windows-10-0163552/ (And how many of these fixes still work, or will work after the next update?)

Then read about all the new 'features' coming in the April '19 update:

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www.howtogeek.com

As one commentator said about the April update, "I'm already appalled." The amount of time necessary to get up to speed on these - and the article is clear that it really doesn't cover 'everything', in spite of the title ... .

Why, Microsoft? Why not just give us an O/S that does the basics and let us add the functionality that we want and need? What a concept!

Might actually make using a PC enjoyable again.

(Do I remember something called 'MS-DOS'? I think it was something like that.)

 

[Ansel Spear]

It's called progress. Microsoft is under a lot of pressure to keep up with the new technologies that major software and computer manufacturers bring to market. It's a symbiotic relationship.

Older operating systems do not have the architecture to simply to bolt on upgrade modules when you need them. But things are changing. If you recall, Win7 was only capable of accepting service packs, security patches and bug fixes. Win10 provides complete technology updates which are free to market.

February's Adobe Lightroom upgrade introduced a new feature that's based on machine learning. Windows 10 had to release build 1809 to run this, as the feature doesn't work on earlier builds.

Given that I have invested many thousands of pounds in photographic gear, I think that spending a couple of hundred pounds every 4-5 years on an operating system is an extremely small price to pay to keep up to date with technological advances.

 

[mclewis]

If you don't want to read it, please don't. But as I've been researching what I will need to deal with as I'm forced to move to Win10 as Win7 support is ended, I'm appalled.

Just one example (out of too many):

https://windows.gadgethacks.com/how-to/everything-you-need-disable-windows-10-0163552/ (And how many of these fixes still work, or will work after the next update?)

Stop worrying. That article is a bit scaremongery.

Some of those things disabled in that article are actually useful. Why would you want to disable sharing of Windows updates across your own network? It saves time and bandwidth as you don't have to keep downloading them all for each computer on your network. If you have only one computer on your home network then it won't do anything if it is turned on.

None of those options are hard to find. They are all easily accessible if you want to turn them off/on. They are all fully described so you can make an informed choice on how you want them set. Once you have toggle the settings to how you want them you can forget about them. This is the same with any OS. Maybe you have a quick check after an update to make sure they are still set the way you want them but that happens twice a year for Windows.

 

[absquatulate]

If you don't want to read it, please don't. But as I've been researching what I will need to deal with as I'm forced to move to Win10 as Win7 support is ended, I'm appalled.

Just one example (out of too many):

https://windows.gadgethacks.com/how-to/everything-you-need-disable-windows-10-0163552/ (And how many of these fixes still work, or will work after the next update?)

Stop worrying. That article is a bit scaremongery.

Some of those things disabled in that article are actually useful. Why would you want to disable sharing of Windows updates across your own network? It saves time and bandwidth as you don't have to keep downloading them all for each computer on your network. If you have only one computer on your home network then it won't do anything if it is turned on.

None of those options are hard to find. They are all easily accessible if you want to turn them off/on. They are all fully described so you can make an informed choice on how you want them set. Once you have toggle the settings to how you want them you can forget about them. This is the same with any OS. Maybe you have a quick check after an update to make sure they are still set the way you want them but that happens twice a year for Windows.

Part of the problem is that Windows keeps changing your settings, which isn't like any other OS. I wonder how many people actually realise that they do this? Based on my experience of numerous rebuilds over the years I very much doubt many people actually check what's being altered, or even realise it's happening.

 

[afterburn]

If you don't want to read it, please don't. But as I've been researching what I will need to deal with as I'm forced to move to Win10 as Win7 support is ended, I'm appalled.

Just one example (out of too many):

https://windows.gadgethacks.com/how-to/everything-you-need-disable-windows-10-0163552/ (And how many of these fixes still work, or will work after the next update?)

Stop worrying. That article is a bit scaremongery.

Some of those things disabled in that article are actually useful. Why would you want to disable sharing of Windows updates across your own network? It saves time and bandwidth as you don't have to keep downloading them all for each computer on your network. If you have only one computer on your home network then it won't do anything if it is turned on.

None of those options are hard to find. They are all easily accessible if you want to turn them off/on. They are all fully described so you can make an informed choice on how you want them set. Once you have toggle the settings to how you want them you can forget about them. This is the same with any OS. Maybe you have a quick check after an update to make sure they are still set the way you want them but that happens twice a year for Windows.

Part of the problem is that Windows keeps changing your settings, which isn't like any other OS.

*cough*MacOS*cough*

 

[absquatulate]

If you don't want to read it, please don't. But as I've been researching what I will need to deal with as I'm forced to move to Win10 as Win7 support is ended, I'm appalled.

Just one example (out of too many):

https://windows.gadgethacks.com/how-to/everything-you-need-disable-windows-10-0163552/ (And how many of these fixes still work, or will work after the next update?)

Then read about all the new 'features' coming in the April '19 update:

https://www.howtogeek.com/402569/everything-new-in-windows-10s-april-2019-update/

As one commentator said about the April update, "I'm already appalled." The amount of time necessary to get up to speed on these - and the article is clear that it really doesn't cover 'everything', in spite of the title ... .

Why, Microsoft? Why not just give us an O/S that does the basics and let us add the functionality that we want and need? What a concept!

Might actually make using a PC enjoyable again.

(Do I remember something called 'MS-DOS'? I think it was something like that.)

To be fair, there does look like there are a lot of welcome improvements, however, I would be very suspicious of the 7gb update space windows is now going to reserve on your system. Bearing in mind their "privacy" philosophy, this could be very handy for them storing user data whilst you are working offline, in order to upload it when you are back online.

 

[absquatulate]

If you don't want to read it, please don't. But as I've been researching what I will need to deal with as I'm forced to move to Win10 as Win7 support is ended, I'm appalled.

Just one example (out of too many):

https://windows.gadgethacks.com/how-to/everything-you-need-disable-windows-10-0163552/ (And how many of these fixes still work, or will work after the next update?)

Stop worrying. That article is a bit scaremongery.

Some of those things disabled in that article are actually useful. Why would you want to disable sharing of Windows updates across your own network? It saves time and bandwidth as you don't have to keep downloading them all for each computer on your network. If you have only one computer on your home network then it won't do anything if it is turned on.

None of those options are hard to find. They are all easily accessible if you want to turn them off/on. They are all fully described so you can make an informed choice on how you want them set. Once you have toggle the settings to how you want them you can forget about them. This is the same with any OS. Maybe you have a quick check after an update to make sure they are still set the way you want them but that happens twice a year for Windows.

Part of the problem is that Windows keeps changing your settings, which isn't like any other OS.

*cough*MacOS*cough*

I haven't used a Mac for years now, so ok, you maybe right, but they aren't the only choices.

 

[tcg550]

I'm using Windows 7 Professional and will continue to use it until my computer no longer runs or I need some software that doesn't run in Windows 7.

That being said...

There are hundreds of millions of Windows 10 users who just use it with no troubles.

Of course those website need to write about something and writing a blog post or tech article that takes ten words or less just don't get the hits they want. They have to write tech articles, it's what they do.

I'm not too worried, plus with good backups a stray update that might cause usability issues is easily resolved.

 

[kelpdiver]

It's called progress. Microsoft is under a lot of pressure to keep up with the new technologies that major software and computer manufacturers bring to market. It's a symbiotic relationship.

Older operating systems do not have the architecture to simply to bolt on upgrade modules when you need them. But things are changing. If you recall, Win7 was only capable of accepting service packs, security patches and bug fixes. Win10 provides complete technology updates which are free to market.

Huh? Creative nonsense here. WTH are "complete technology updates?"

Programs are programs.

February's Adobe Lightroom upgrade introduced a new feature that's based on machine learning. Windows 10 had to release build 1809 to run this, as the feature doesn't work on earlier builds.

because.....? ML is another grossly overused descriptor now. So MS provided a library that Adobe makes use of.

Given that I have invested many thousands of pounds in photographic gear, I think that spending a couple of hundred pounds every 4-5 years on an operating system is an extremely small price to pay to keep up to date with technological advances.

MS could have delivered said advances without taking away the GUI many liked, or without removing user options around patching and reboot behaviors. Their move to implement more intrusive use of bing/tracking isn't unique to them, but is a case of serving MS's interests rather than providing technology advances to the people.

 

[kelpdiver]

To be fair, there does look like there are a lot of welcome improvements, however, I would be very suspicious of the 7gb update space windows is now going to reserve on your system. Bearing in mind their "privacy" philosophy, this could be very handy for them storing user data whilst you are working offline, in order to upload it when you are back online.

You can normally trust suspicious hackers to do this sort of research for us all, just as years back they determined how Apple was having the iPhone store a treasure chest of location data on its owner.

That partition's location is known, and can be probed, both during patching events and during normal usage. And to actually get the information, they'd need to send it, and packet sniffers can detect both the destination and the content.

Insufficient space has been a blocker for patching OSs for a long time. Very familiar to any old timer solaris users as Sun systems were known for undersized drives as IDE and SATA started bumping capacities. Made worse by the tendency at the time to define /var as a separate filesystem, and not that big of one.

 

[Archer66]

Bearing in mind their "privacy" philosophy, this could be very handy for them storing user data whilst you are working offline, in order to upload it when you are back online.

Play Paranoid!

 

[Chris]

In a way it's funny, first they made your computer manufacturer pay for the software, and then you. From that came XP, Windows 7 as much liked favourites. Then they decided to move into a new world, Windows 10. Not only cheap to move to, but it is a move in finding other revenue streams for Microsoft. So you're still paying, but perhaps not so much in money, but in information.

And as usual, some are worried and some think its the sign of the times, thinking that Microsoft puts morals before money, so it really doesn't mean that much.

I use Windows 10, but I will switch off as much of the gunk I can. Besides, I limit my Windows 10 to the lowest possible number.Windows 10 still feels like it was written for children, because over the years, the ability to make it look like yours has been steadily decreasing. My Office 2016 still forgets the theme I set it from time to time, and defaults back to what they think is the default. I find that more than silly, a 'professional' office suite that can't even remember what it should like. And you get all of three options... Wow...

But in the end, it is your choice. You can survive without Windows, there are options. Will be it hard, yes, of course, you've been spoon-fed and conditioned to believe Windows is the best, you will find it hard to see there are other ways. Nevertheless, they are out there. But there's a world out there where you can decide what your desktop looks like, where you decide what is sent, where if someone decides to change everything, some else decides to ensure it all stays the same.

So as long as you are aware of what's what, you are in control. And because of groups like this, you will be aware. Increasingly I am viewing my Windows 10 as nothing more than my Office 2016 device driver. The rest is does not need it. But as device drivers go, it's a pretty hefty one. In the end, it is the result you achieve that makes it worth it, not the software you used to get the result. And like with windows, many have set ideas on that as well.

 

[Austinian]

To be fair, there does look like there are a lot of welcome improvements, however, I would be very suspicious of the 7gb update space windows is now going to reserve on your system. Bearing in mind their "privacy" philosophy, this could be very handy for them storing user data whilst you are working offline, in order to upload it when you are back online.

You can normally trust suspicious hackers to do this sort of research for us all, just as years back they determined how Apple was having the iPhone store a treasure chest of location data on its owner.

Also the various national governments that have had access to Windows' source code for years.

 

[Austinian]

(Do I remember something called 'MS-DOS'? I think it was something like that.)

I remember MS-DOS very well, and the numerous kludges people used to (partially) overcome its many limitations.

I'll take modern Windows over DOS any day!

 

[Archer66]

Also the various national governments that have had access to Windows' source code for years.

Luckily for all Linux users goverments do not have access to Linux source.

 

[absquatulate]

Bearing in mind their "privacy" philosophy, this could be very handy for them storing user data whilst you are working offline, in order to upload it when you are back online.

Play Paranoid!

Troll alert!

 

[Robert Zanatta]

Some of that telemetry information is very useful for application developers. For example, an ISV can check daily for new diagnostic information about their program, allowing then to fix issues that may occur in the field.

 

[Pictus]

If you don't want to read it, please don't. But as I've been researching what I will need to deal with as I'm forced to move to Win10 as Win7 support is ended, I'm appalled.

Just one example (out of too many):

https://windows.gadgethacks.com/how-to/everything-you-need-disable-windows-10-0163552/ (And how many of these fixes still work, or will work after the next update?)

Your friend https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

Then read about all the new 'features' coming in the April '19 update:

https://www.howtogeek.com/402569/everything-new-in-windows-10s-april-2019-update/

As one commentator said about the April update, "I'm already appalled." The amount of time necessary to get up to speed on these - and the article is clear that it really doesn't cover 'everything', in spite of the title ... .

Why, Microsoft? Why not just give us an O/S that does the basics and let us add the functionality that we want and need? What a concept!

Might actually make using a PC enjoyable again.

(Do I remember something called 'MS-DOS'? I think it was something like that.)

Nice updates!
But I want more!!
I want a pure clean OS!!!
That is why I have to tweak the hell of it and use NTLite to
remove the bloatware and also create updated/clean Windows ISO.

My workstation is not a smartphone!
I do not want it to be "alive"/online/clouded/connected like a smartphone, with
lots of different programs/services running in the background to keep
the thing "alive"...
Linux would be the perfect OS, but sadly does not run all I need.

 

[Archer66]

Some of that telemetry information is very useful for application developers.

Then people turning off telemetry complain when application developer removes something bc their data says no one is using that function.

Good examples of this are Windows Start Menu and Lightroom Import screen.

 

[Chris Noble]

If you don't want to read it, please don't. But as I've been researching what I will need to deal with as I'm forced to move to Win10 as Win7 support is ended, I'm appalled.

Just one example (out of too many):

https://windows.gadgethacks.com/how-to/everything-you-need-disable-windows-10-0163552/ (And how many of these fixes still work, or will work after the next update?)

Then read about all the new 'features' coming in the April '19 update:

https://www.howtogeek.com/402569/everything-new-in-windows-10s-april-2019-update/

As one commentator said about the April update, "I'm already appalled." The amount of time necessary to get up to speed on these - and the article is clear that it really doesn't cover 'everything', in spite of the title ... .

Why, Microsoft? Why not just give us an O/S that does the basics and let us add the functionality that we want and need? What a concept!

Might actually make using a PC enjoyable again.

(Do I remember something called 'MS-DOS'? I think it was something like that.)

Be patient, as soon as Microsoft comes out with Windows 11+, you can rend your garments about it, and pine for the good old days of Windows 10.