Are you loving or hating Windows 10? Need your feedback

I had installed Windows 10 and I was loving it. I liked the cortana in some ways because you asked questions and it will provide you with answers, but in some other way I wasn't too crazy about it because when I was asking for something that I knew I had in a file, it would not show it to me, it would only give me web search responses. Now the big disappointment was, the upgrades. The last upgrade it did on my computer, it disconnected me from quick books. I could not log in for nothing. Then I tried to go back to a date when I know my computer was fine, and the only choice it was giving me was the last date of the prior update. There was no place for me to enter my date. So I was forced to lose what I had in my computer and do a clean up and install it back to windows 7. Now if I want windows 10, they are telling me that I have to buy it, which I thinks it's crazy because I don't have it because of your updates, not by choice. So unless, they give it back to me for free and not ruin me again, I guess I will stick to windows 7.

For the most part I'm using Windows 7 which I find not lacking in any way. It is stable, providing all of the features I need, want, or desire. I have Windows 7 on my fast desktop where I do most of my work, two to 6 hours a day.

I might switch to Windows 10 except for a couple of things.

1) The biggest problem I have with Windows 10 vs Windows 7 is the loss of Windows Explorer which is far superior to File Manager. I heavily use the Tag feature for my photos but that feature is 90% damaged or missing in File Manager.

2) Automatic updates. They come at inopportune times and have proven to cause problems from time to time. I prefer that a new OS release is out in the field for a while, showing that it is worthy of installing, before I chose to install a new OS release.

3) I have Windows 10 installed on my 2-in-1 laptop. There are times when the software keyboard comes up on the screen, blocking something that I wish to view, in spite of the fact that my physical keyboard is operational.

4) I do not like the near border-less windows in Windows 10, especially because there is no user control to make the borders thicker if desired.

I will remain on Windows 7 as long as I can, knowing that Microsoft won't release or support Windows Explorer on Windows 10.

I am not a fan of Cortana. In general I don't speak to my computer, nor do I want it speaking to me. There are too many environments where that is not convenient or appropriate. I don't use digital software assistants on iOS or Android either. I prefer to rely on Google Search for my answers. I find the Digital Assistants make too many errors to be useful.

I don't find any of the "enhancements" of Windows 10 to be things I want or need. I really don't like that the search/find feature now includes answers from the internet. I prefer to have search just focus on my computer and the data on my disk drives, and Google Earth for internet searches. On Windows 10 I get too much information from search because it shows both data from my computer or the internet.

I am Robert, a 51 year old musician, guitar player from Corpus Christi TX
I have had a bone or 2 to pick at about Windows since Windows 7. I use the computer
as a recording studio, through various programs like Sony Acid Pro, Adobe Audition
I have had latency issues using Microsoft Sound Mapper. When I was using Windows XP, there was a low latency sound driver available called ASIO 4 All. It worked fine for XP, and Vista, but could not get it to run on 7. I never even tried 8 or 8.1 because the interface was so horrid
that I didn't bother having it and used Linux instead. I do have Windows 10 64 bit, full version
and it seems to work ok, for web browsing, But I can't get ASIO to work on it.So I have another PC that isn't on the web running Windows XP for my studio work. Looks like I am going to have to go get a Mac !

Was trying to write a response on my Android & couldn't get past the subject line.

Now, on to my comments/observations regarding Win 10: As stated earlier, it seems to be reasonably responsive on older/slower computers. So, for anyone who does not have the"latest or greatest" hardware: fear not, in most cases it will be just fine and in MOST (but not all) cases, it will find suitable drivers in its own.

The one caveat I will add is, after your installation finishes, take some time to clean up the traces of dreck intentionally left by MS Ie: there are lots of start menu items of questionable value that you can simply right click to remove or uninstall. Doing this will enable you to shrink the physical size of your start menu down to make space for shortcuts to the apps you actually do use. Please note that once you save a shortcut to your start menu, you can then drag/drop them to any position and organize them any way you wish

Next, jump head first into the "settings" menu, more specifically the PRIVACY section and TURN OFF EVERYTHING, THERE IS NOT A SINGLE PERMISSION THAT YOU NEED TO GRANT IN ORDER FOR WIN 10 TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. Any such access can be set from the apps you use such as allowing Skype to use your on-board camera, And speaking of your camera, it is a widely held belief by IT professionals that everyone should block their camera lens with a simple piece of tape/sticker or other when not in use. That may seem like a paranoid move but, you never know if a hacker has gained remote access to your computer & subsequently your webcam without your knowledge or permission.

There is also an important step one must take when installing software & that is to RIGHT CLICK on the executable & select "RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR" from the context menu. While this has been an option for years, it seems that Win 10 INSISTS on this protocol when installing many items in order to gain full control of an app's options & settings

I also highly recommend a couple of hacks you can easily find by Googling: 1) Permanently disable Windows Defender & use whatever Anti-Virus program you choose. Sure, MOST AV programs shut off Win Defender by default but, sometimes it continues to scan in the background, robbing your computer of precious CPU cycles & while there is a button to turn it off manually, it defaults back to the "on" position on the next reboot. And 2) there's that useless piece of artificial intelligence crapware known as Cortana. In a desperate attempt to compete with Amazon's "Alexa" & Google's "OK Google" MS is intent on shoving this useless utility down everyone's collective throats! Now, in the initial Win 10 release, it was possible to turn Cortana off and revert back to the original (spyglass) search button but, that's no longer possible, once you get the "Anniversary update" Which is why some industrious person came up with a very simple macro, just Google it. BTW, both of these aforementioned macros also come with a second macro to revert back if you ever decide to change your mind.

Of course as always, these are my views & opinions and your mileage may vary but, I hope this information proves useful to the C/net community and for anyone sitting on the fence regarding Win 10.

-Steve

I've been using Windows since version 3.11; I got it along with MS-DOS 5 and OS.2 Warp 3 on my first custom-built computer. I've used most of the major releases since then, somehow skipping the NTs (but including 2000), ME, and server versions. I loved most of the versions I've used, with the notable exception of Windows 8 -- yes, I even mostly-liked Vista, and "like" turned to "love" after the second Service Pack.

Of them all, Windows 10 Home is easily my favorite, at least the "standard" version most people use. I'm a "fast-ring" adopter, so I've seen some wonky builds, but even most of the fast-ring builds have been very good. My test-ring machine is also my daily driver, an HP Pavilion TS15 laptop; I chose to use it as a tester because it is the machine I use most often, so I'd have to try new builds as they come out. But I'll admit it's used mostly for Web-surfing, e-mail and word processing, none of which really put much stress on either hardware or software. For more serious computing I rely on a homebrew Haswell Core i5 running Windows 10 Home, which gets only the occasional updates most people take; it's the computer I use when I need the most possible stability and reliability under Windows. (The Haswell machine is also Windows-only; both of my other computers share Windows and Ubuntu in dual-boot, with my older desktop occasionally used to test other Linux distros.)

My conclusion: Windows 10 is the best version of Windows yet -- yes, even better than Windows 7, which set a high bar. It seems to run faster than 7, certainly boots and shuts down faster than 7, and I'm told it requires fewer resources. On my main desktop, it's been utterly reliable since the first General Release.

I am oprerating a free upgrade from pre-installed WIN8 on HP Stream 13. I installed it from the off (Aug2015). This Laptop/Notebook only has 32Gb of SSD plus 32Gb miniSD + 16Gb USB mem stick. After the the most nauseating struggles it finally got going well enough in the New Year. {2016}.

Now I am being offered a free Anniversary upgrade that addresses many improvements, (and various security issues). However, it can't be completed. It needs another 5Gb on HDD C:\ I have only <2.5Gb free. There are 3 partitions: There's an area of 829Mb for System Restore and 260Mb EFI. This leaves drive C:\ with 27.93Gb (NTFS) for the Op Sys and Apps. They produce "work" files that are mainly stored on the SD card.
The USB mem stick (requested by MS) is there for WIN10 to use as a back-up when it does the upgrade.
However, the WINDOWS folder registers 20Gb of used space. There is 3Gb of Program files (Apps?). Although the figures don't add exactly you can plainly see there's not much room left - and crucially NOT enough for the Anniversary upgrade.

I need to know two things:
1) Has anyone else hit this buffer of not enough space? And
2) Has anyone found a solution to it?

I don't mind a discussion on the merits of a "Clean install." I imagine this being done from an ISO print that is first downloaded into a memstick from which you then boot up and install the latest version of WIN10 (including the Anniversary updates). I don't doubt there are risks to this, (if it doesn't work you have nothing), and that all existing settings would be lost. That means a huge amount of setting up and downloading for re-installation of Apps. I've only got two important APPs that I can think of! Open Office and a music sheet & coupled mp3 player called Power Music. However there is also the issue of reinstalling AVAST anti-virus

I want to be able to:
A) Surf the net.
B) Deal with emails
C) Write and edit text documents
D) Run Power Music

I cannot make sufficient room without I start removing WINDOWS component files. Apps and a few of their files will nowhere near cut it. I need to find around 2,5Gb. There are some temporary files and mem dumps that I have transferred to the mniSD. They don't add up to nearly enough space/ Tinkering levels!

I need some hot guidance on this issue. How best to proceed? Yes I would be very grateful!

Sincerely,
Berry in UK

I like many others jumped ship when the upgrade was free and the initial download rush was over. I've used Windows in many different forms over the years and I have to say I quite like Win10, mind you unlike many others I also liked 8.1!! Like most new things the "tweaks" take time to complete and whilst there are some apps currently struggling to work through Win10, e.g. bookface app does not currently work, there are many other great apps that do work. It's quicker on start up, Cortana is my own personal slave setting my reminders and "researching stuff" for me - so much quicker than my typing

I personally would recommend it - after all in the words of the ole song "things can only get better" Good luck!

WINDOW 7 I PLUGGED IN MY HP-970-CXI AND IT SELF INSTALLED -WINDOWS 10 HAS NO DRIVERS FOR YOUR PRINTER YOU USE OR THAT FAVORITE OLD ONE YOU HAVE --AND HP DON'T HAVE DRIVER FOR WHAT I NEEDED -SO IT SEEMS --LUCKY ME I HAD A DVD FOR IT

I've been using W10 since it first went live for the public "beta", and did a clean install once the retail version was released. I did not yet install the Anniversary Edition updates for fear of losing my webcam or printer support.
So far, I've had no problems with the "retail" version. I don't know if it runs any better than W7 did on my 2011-vintage machine, but it does not run any worse. The transition from 7 to 10 for me was pretty painless, and that is a good thing.

Mr Peter:
Are you an IT tech? By chance do you have tools on your machine to make boot disks (Yumi, Hirens, Nirsoft, etc)? If you do W10 will delete or quarantine them so that you can't use them. Do you have programs that have info on them that you can't do without? Make sure their W10 compatible, but even then you may lose them. W10 forces you to update whether you want to or not. And not all the updates from Microsoft are ... shall we say... beneficial? Ask anyone who got the Nvidia graphics driver update from Microsoft last year. Half of them lost their cards and had to get new ones and Microsoft won't reimburse them for damages. The EU has issued an ultimatum to Microsoft about the privacy issues in W10 home and pro. I'm a one man shop and I have better things to spend my business funds on than an Enterprise license for W10 so that I can have total control like I have with W7 and W8.
I know quite a few people, including some of my clients that have already switched to Linux and when Microsoft kills W7 and W8 like they did XP then I'm switching to Linux also.
My suggestion is to look over everything and then decide.

I downloaded the new operating system day 1, and myself have done a clean install and an over right on 2 different computers respectively. Both installs work just fine for functionality and use. I did discover first hand that the compatibility wizard that analyzes your system cannot be trusted. It will tell you everything is 100% compatible with your current software. But after the install, a lot of my aftermarket software, video software, audio software, and games no longer functioned correctly, and some did not work at all. I ended up spending a lot more money upgrading to new software to match the new operating system. Also be aware the new Windows 10 forces you to yield 2 gig of drive space for it to sit on, whether you like it or not. Here being one year later with tons of updates and fixes to the OS and aftermarket software it is a good working operating system. Just be aware of settings and configuration for your home network or connectivity. Be sure to read the history and background for the operating system as some connections and settings are left wide open.

I have not had a problem doing the upgrade for a few simple reasons.
1/. Clean install of Win 7 or Win 8 then upgrade from a Win 10 ISO on a usb flash drive.
2/. Ran a Malware Program (Spy Hunter) which fixes the problems of the existing OS then used the flash drive ISO to install Win 10.
3/. No Win 10 updates during install = no problems.
4/. Drivers for video, sound, Blu Tooth etc from either manufacturer eg:- Dell etc or from specific suppliers like Nvidia, Broadcom etc. Also say a Dell Latitude e6520 has no Win 10 drivers but there are Win 10 Drivers for the e6530. I use those and it's the same for most manufactures.
You can get the ISO from here as well as Produkey to get the COA for a clean reinstall:- http://www.forbes.com/sites/antonyleather/2015/07/30/windows-10-updating-reinstalling-and-activation-guide-essential-advice-to-avoid-problems/#320008fe1454

To get the ISO download the Windows Tool and take the option for another computer. It the gives you to option to put it on a 4Gb Flash Drive.

I have done a number of Win 10 upgrades after the Cut Off Date because I elect not to allow Win 10 updates to happen during the install and have found that Win 10 is fully activated.

No I'm not an IT Pro however been around computers since DOS and most upgrades of OS's fail due to malware etc being present in the OS being upgraded or allowing the upgrade software to search & apply updates while upgrading the OS

I have a (200 7520G Acer with T7500 Dual core and it's running W10x64 cooler than W7x64. The upgrade process was very error prone. So after activating that I immediately did a fresh install of W10. A few glitches remained to resolve:
- Sound was terrible. Installing the latest Realtek drivers solved that
- My Hamachi installation was ****** up. But then again I use a very old version 2.1.0.215 (the last free edition that runs without logon). I had to go in the "accept unsigned drivers mode" to fix things.
- My intel 4965agn WiFi card's connection would not survive sleep. Reboot was mandatory. Installing Intels latest W7 drivers + disabling ällow to turn off the power to the WiFi card in the device manager overcame that.
Last moth upgrade to the anniversary version made me go through the same exercise again. Because the upgrade ruined all of the above.

In august 2015 as well as in august 2016 after the anniversary update the machine suffered from BSOD's. But without registered updates they mysteriously disappeared I don't trust MS in not making changes that are not recorded as updates. But if it's for the better I should not complain or should I.

Newer Dell Vostro 3550 i3 also didn't pass the compatibility test which annoyed me a bit. But after putting a bit of elbow grease in it they operate fine. So far for the system basics.

Functional I don't like
- the pushed updates. They always kick in at the most terrible moment
- the opt out for privacy infringements. That should definitely by opt in
- the lack of control in Edge although somewhat better in the anniversary update
- the amibguity in where all the setting are. Some in the settings apps and others in the old school control panel. It's shifting to the apps but with that also some settings get lost.
- after booting very fast the first few weeks in august 2015 that's gone now

Things I like
- smooth operating
- smaller footprint after thorow disk cleaning (also with Dism and removing bloatware packages)

I argued with myself for weeks doing research on if I should go to Win10 but finally decided to keep using Win8.1 and I'm well satisfied by doing that. Probably won't make the change unless I'm forced to...with Win 8.1 I just deleted ALL the packages I didn't want or use and saved some space. I didn't want to change for the sake of changing and I also updated the Classic Shell format and it's similar to WinXP desktop which I probably should have stayed with, but in any case, I didn't like the snoopy Win10 and other programs with auto install of updates. I like selecting what I want updated. Some people prefer 10 but I'll stick with 8.1. I didn't like being forced into using a Mobile Ap on my desktop but I'm getting use to it.

Loaded Windows 10 on three computers, two desk tops and one laptop, directly over Windows 7 and have had no problems.

It takes effort and energy to hate something and the rewards from that expenditure are between -0- and nothing... and that is what 10 is, nothing but expended energy with no reward at all. Then again, it could be the new thing they call a computer with a four letter word: DELL on it.

microsoft edge is always doing unwanted tasks in the background, does anyone know how to shut down EDGE?? messed up many of my drivers, huge time waster

I was sum what happen after 6 months then along came a MS update, afterward my Thunder Bird mail folder and all was gone, I decided to go back to my last win 7 image and I'm staying with 7 for a good while.

I purchased a new Dell laptop 5758 solid state, running Windows 10.
I had to purchase Glarysoft and Advanced System Care to sort out the continuing corrupt and incorrect downloads from Windows, example, three hours cleaning this morning and that is with the computer left in a completely clean condition.
I shall certainly be investigating Linux in the near future.