After reading the negative comments about Windows 10

I downloaded Start Menu 8 and with that, my computer goes directly to the desktop instead of the Windows 8 Start menu when the computer is turned on. I have been configuring it and it feels like a Windows 7 to me and I haven't had any serious problems with it.

It would be a lot safer to buy a new computer with Windows 10 down the road after Microsoft fixed all the bugs that the current Windows 10 is having.

Not one version of any OS to date has had all the bugs fixed. The upgrade from older windows to 10 is going to uncover issues and here's one I find folk today are not happy about.

Drivers and machine specific apps. Dell has their Quickset, Tosh the TVAP and others have their own. Touchpads seem to come up a lot too.

But today's users are not accepting the system as it is today. The OS is from one company yet drivers and machine specific helper apps are from other places. I think folks today want the Apple experience.

Totally agree!
Dafydd.

I am betting that Microsoft will improve Windows 10 after hearing all the problems people area having with the free upgrade. Since I have a laptop, the last thing I want is the touch pad not working.

Again, I am going to hold on to Windows 8.1 and hopefully it will function properly until it i time to buy a new computer with Windows 10 knowing the OS is working smoothly with all the drivers and programs.

As for Apple....it might be a better computer, but it is too expensive for me.

You seem to miss that only those that have an issue report and seek help. Upgrading is working in about 99% of the machines and maybe better.

Even if you wait, Microsoft's view on drivers, helper apps will not change. The industry pushed back about developing standards for hardware detection. So here we are with a big mess that requires the same old methods of driver and app hunts we did 20 years ago.

You would think it would be smoother to upgrade. With Microsoft, a person has to hold his or her breath while upgrading.

And, where are those 99% writing a positive comment about Windows 10?

I've had no problem.
Dafydd.

and one of the few who had no problems..

... because they only have one PC ... and the upgrade effort put it out of action for the foreseeable future.

After decades I'm unsure how this lesson is going to be discussed. If folk haven't learned by that backups are not optional what to do now?

But if you look at what folk are using to get to the web, the Windows PC is at an all time low of about 50.4%. The signs are clear. Folk are getting tired of being on this treadmill.

If not a PC then it is an Apple and we all know they are extremely expensive. Androids are good for tablets and phones only. You would think after 30+ years Microsoft as been designing an OS, they would get it right by now. By the by...will there be any blue screen of death with Windows 10? I am getting tired of getting them with Windows 8.1.

Microsoft did make the OS but then we have the PC makers. The makers pushed back on standards to identify hardware so drivers could be automatically fetched. You also have malware, trojans, virus and more so Microsoft tried another Windows called Windows RT but the public didn't bite.

If you are getting BSODs with 8.1, and you didn't track down why then you will likely get them in 10. Here and at the office we rarely get a BSOD. At my office I haven't seen one in over a year.

I only had the BSOD three times. The last time I had one was a month ago. How do you go about checking the problem?

I remember when Bill Gates was giving a demonstration with a gentleman regarding Windows 98 plug and play option with a printer. He turned on the printer, and the man said now you will see Windows 98 will recognize the printer and as soon as he said that, the BSOD came on the large screen for the audience. The whole crowd was cheering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW7Rqwwth84

And while I work on other PCs fixing, etc this one was mine so I lucked out that I was there when it BSODed. I noticed the HDD spun drive then BSOD. The drive passed all diagnostics but it was a Seagate so cloned it and popped in the new drive. Never BSODed after that.

Imagine those that think it's a Microsoft bug. No it's an industry issue. The HDD is now just a copy in the cabinet. Never to be trusted.

So, what you saying is the BSOD on my Lenovo is not a Windows 8.1 issue, but a hardware issue mainly the hard drive?

That is, since PCs often have poor to non-existant diagnostics the cause of the BSOD is left to the Sherlock Holmes of the tech world. While I think I'm fairly good at sleuthing I didn't mean to write your BSOD was the same as a recent find by me. I shared it because it had nothing to do with the OS so to speak.

The HDD glitched and Windows BSODed.

Who writes the information on the BSOD? Is it Microsoft or the makers of the PC? Especially, with Windows 95 and 98.

and not a printer.

Rarely if ever post. You'll see the same effect in car, TV and other forums.

I upgraded from 8.1 and had only one problem with an update, but I uninstalled that update and used the trouble-shooter app from Microsoft to hide it and everything running smooth as ever.

What was the update?

MS writes the OS. Dell, HP and the many other design the hardware. Those hardware designers use 1000's of components from mixed vendors to build their machines. Those components need to talk to Windows to work. Example you send a command to print in software which may or may not be MS's software. Well that software has to talk to Windows then Windows has to interpret the language to talk to the printer to print. It sort of like u being on vacation in Paris and going to a Spanish restaurant with the menu in Spanish and the server is French.

I'm one of those who haven't had any problems. I've updated 1 deskside, and 3 or 4 laptops. I have another Desktop and maybe 6 more laptops with upgrades reserved. I've had no problems. Thought I had a problem with MS Publisher on Win 10, but I replicated it on Win 7, so it's just a Publisher problem. In fact, Win 10 actually fixed a Win 8.1 problem on a Lenovo Twist (?). The USB ports were blocked under Win 8.1, but Win 10 cleared them. So I am very high on Win 10 after loudly complaining about what a disaster Win 8 was. Win 10 isn't perfect, but it mostly reverses Microsoft's cranial rectal impaction that led to Windows 8.

MEH. If I wanted an Apple experience I would get an iThingie or a Mac. I don't want that. If upgrading to Win 10 is too strenuous, get an LTS version (I think 14.10 is most recent) of Ubuntu and install that. the upgrades are easy, just plug in the disk and let it go. I don't even have any trouble prior to 10 of dual booting. studying up on 10 so I don't loose my current Linux - it's what I work in, I use windows for gaming.

IMHO Microsoft seems to have lost cognizance of the fact that they are dealing with human beings and not merely computers. To continue to push their new Win 10 OS to existing Win users as though it is ready for prime time is cruel at the least. I finally capitulated to one of their on screen splash prompts to upgrade my win 7 HP laptop which is 4 years old and works absolutely wonderful. This computer was not vital in my life and I thought I could afford to risk it in curiosity about just what MS was rolling out to an unsuspecting public. The first attempt to install resulted in an error and was aborted. No big deal it happens. The second attempt resulted in installation success however the first thing I noticed was my track pad other than left button and right button was totally dysfunctional. I am aware that these trackpad failure reports with Win 10 upgrades are common but my point is how can MS say their wonderful new OS is ready for prime time on my specific evaluated laptop and in installation into customer's computers when it will take away one of the life bloods of your computer meaning the actual user interface. MS is delusional if they really think this is somehow acceptable. I could find no help for my HP Compaq at the HP support website. Apparently as of August 2015 they were not concerned about supporting backdated products for compatibility with Win 10. I struggled with the machine without trackpad for about a week to see how I liked the OS otherwise and finally could not take it anymore especially because I recalled there was a limited time to roll back to Win 7 and restore my original computer to a working status if I did not like Win 10. At least MS understood you should only subject your customers to pain an frustration for a limited time only. After about 2 weeks I jumped the Win 10 ship and took advantage of the free roll back out of Win 10 and it was totally successful (Good job MS) and I was back to a great Win 7 HP laptop as I experienced before the Win 10 fiasco. So I say do not upgrade unless you have the research of pretested experiences with your exact computer config and can be assured it will work to your satisfaction after the upgrade. Again I reiterate how cruel it is of MS to continue to force out those splash screen ads for the upgrade like it is nothing and also implying that a given computer has been evaluated and is ready for the upgrade when MS does not even seem to have any concern that you will loose something as critical as your trackpad after the upgrade. This is beneath the dignity of MS and I think it will buy them much loss of good will if there is any left to loose.

At no time has Microsoft treated our files, drivers and setting with care since, well, ever.

I'm guessing you didn't start with DOS 1.0 or even Microsoft's C/PM and Xenix but not once since those early days has this company maintained that they will not wipe out. That is, it's deep in the company DNA that you are responsible for your files and drivers.

wait.