Windows 10 – Upgrade?

[haraldo]

I am looking into a potential of a mostly or maybe 100% "windows-less" environment
I am changing job on 4th July and my new employer uses as follows:
- Macbook Pro retina 15" for engineers and architects
- Main virtualized guest os is Ubuntu

Since the introduction of Windows 3.11 I always had windows in one way or another on my work computer, either as a host or guest system (virtualized).

Finally I will be free from the Windows 10 straightjacket

 

[haraldo]

I read a story in a Norwegian online IT news the other day about a guy having a two-part exam on a Norwegian University, the first part is an oral exam, the second part is an online computerized exam.
As he was doing the time-limited online part of the exam, in the middle of the exam Windows started doing a forced major update of Windows, with the result that all the programs closed, chrome browser forced exit and the computer started a two hour upgrade.

The result, the student failed the exam, he did not get his degree, and he has to retake the exam at fall. The University has very clear regulation and no possibilities to appeal... If you fail, you fail.

As all Universities here start the studies at fall there is a good chance he will loose one year of his education, losing time and valuable money, not to mention how is he going to explain that he needed one more year to finish his education?

The only one to blame in this case is actually Microsoft and the policy of forcedly pushing upgrades onto users. In this case Microsoft provided an apology, but that does not help very much at all.

Microsoft is really going haywire with some of their policies now.

 

[Rickster71]

I read a story in a Norwegian online IT news the other day about a guy having a two-part exam on a Norwegian University, the first part is an oral exam, the second part is an online computerized exam.
As he was doing the time-limited online part of the exam, in the middle of the exam Windows started doing a forced major update of Windows, with the result that all the programs closed, chrome browser forced exit and the computer started a two hour upgrade.

The result, the student failed the exam, he did not get his degree, and he has to retake the exam at fall. The University has very clear regulation and no possibilities to appeal... If you fail, you fail.

As all Universities here start the studies at fall there is a good chance he will loose one year of his education, losing time and valuable money, not to mention how is he going to explain that he needed one more year to finish his education?

The only one to blame in this case is actually Microsoft and the policy of forcedly pushing upgrades onto users. In this case Microsoft provided an apology, but that does not help very much at all.

Microsoft is really going haywire with some of their policies now.

Sounds more like an IT dept screw up.
Can't imagine updates can't be scheduled on mission critical equipment.

 

[haraldo]

Sounds more like an IT dept screw up.
Can't imagine updates can't be scheduled on mission critical equipment.

Nonmanaged end user pc starting update without notice during an exam, possible to deal with for any it pro, but that's not the point.....

 

[Rickster71]

Nonmanaged end user pc starting update without notice during an exam, possible to deal with for any it pro, but that's not the point.....

How do they monitor or control cheating with the student using their own PC on an exam?

 

[rojo]

How do they monitor or control cheating with the student using their own PC on an exam?

Here's one way, although such solutions do nothing to prevent a student from Googling answers with his phone, a tablet, or a second computer.

Weird that this student's PC automatically rebooted while he was taking a test, though. My Win 10 PC doesn't automatically reboot for updates until around 3:00 AM.

Windows 10 updates are mandatory (unless you have domain policies and a WSUS server configured to avoid them), and that's not such a bad thing. Unpatched workstations are how some worms spread, and where some botnets live. Unpatched PCs attached to the Internet are like unvaccinated children sent to public schools.

On the other hand, Windows 10 does install with a ton of questionable default settings enabled. The auto restart thing is one of them. If you consider your workstation to be mission critical, you should go to Settings --> Update & Security --> Advanced Options, and change "Automatic" to "Notify".

If you're on Xfinity / Comcast or some other metered (monthly quota capped) connection, regardless of whether your workstation is mission critical or not, you should go to Updates & Security --> Advanced Options --> Choose how updates are delivered, and change the radio button to "PCs on my local network". If you are allowed a finite amount of data per month, you certainly don't want to waste your transfer bytes seeding Windows updates to the rest of the world.

 

[Rickster71]

Here's one way, although such solutions do nothing to prevent a student from Googling answers with his phone, a tablet, or a second computer.

Weird that this student's PC automatically rebooted while he was taking a test, though. My Win 10 PC doesn't automatically reboot for updates until around 3:00 AM.

Windows 10 updates are mandatory (unless you have domain policies and a WSUS server configured to avoid them), and that's not such a bad thing. Unpatched workstations are how some worms spread, and where some botnets live. Unpatched PCs attached to the Internet are like unvaccinated children sent to public schools.

On the other hand, Windows 10 does install with a ton of questionable default settings enabled. The auto restart thing is one of them. If you consider your workstation to be mission critical, you should go to Settings --> Update & Security --> Advanced Options, and change "Automatic" to "Notify".

If you're on Xfinity / Comcast or some other metered (monthly quota capped) connection, regardless of whether your workstation is mission critical or not, you should go to Updates & Security --> Advanced Options --> Choose how updates are delivered, and change the radio button to "PCs on my local network". If you are allowed a finite amount of data per month, you certainly don't want to waste your transfer bytes seeding Windows updates to the rest of the world.

I guess I'm just stuck in the old days, going to the testing center. A closed network/server for testing only.

 

[herbu]

I guess I'm just stuck in the old days, going to the testing center with a sliderule. A closed network/server for testing only.

 

[rojo]

I guess I'm just stuck in the old days, going to the testing center. A closed network/server for testing only.

Yep, the best solution is a crabby person hovering over the students saying "Keep your eyes on your own test you little snot." Lockdown browser is nice on the testing center computers though, for removing the need for the closed network. That in combination with your learning platform's controls for ip range restrictions would let you set up every computer lab on campus as a testing center.

 

[Ponzio]

well here we go.

after purchasing a pre-configured PC with Windows 10 from COSTCO a month ago I'm ready to take the plunge and upgrade my existing custom PC with Win 7 pro(64-bit) to Win 10 Pro(64-bit) using an officially sanctioned Microsoft DVD Win 10 disc with the hope and dream that a vast majority of my drivers/applications/files don't turn into mush. Downloaded a Microsoft tool that scanned the existing setup and only 4 minor programs will be affected. Praise [insert ur god here]!!!

let us pray!

 

[TLS Guy]

well here we go.

after purchasing a pre-configured PC with Windows 10 from COSTCO a month ago I'm ready to take the plunge and upgrade my existing custom PC with Win 7 pro(64-bit) to Win 10 Pro(64-bit) using an officially sanctioned Microsoft DVD Win 10 disc with the hope and dream that a vast majority of my drivers/applications/files don't turn into mush. Downloaded a Microsoft tool that scanned the existing setup and only 4 minor programs will be affected. Praise [insert ur god here]!!!

let us pray!

If you have a good Internet connection, I would not use a disc. You will get an old version. Basically it means you will be loading it twice. You will load from the disc, and then have to load the updates from the NET which will also be a huge download.

So I would load from the Net and you will get the latest version right away and be done.

 

[j_garcia]

well here we go.

after purchasing a pre-configured PC with Windows 10 from COSTCO a month ago I'm ready to take the plunge and upgrade my existing custom PC with Win 7 pro(64-bit) to Win 10 Pro(64-bit) using an officially sanctioned Microsoft DVD Win 10 disc with the hope and dream that a vast majority of my drivers/applications/files don't turn into mush. Downloaded a Microsoft tool that scanned the existing setup and only 4 minor programs will be affected. Praise [insert ur god here]!!!

let us pray!

Most applications that worked in 7, with the exception of maybe specific features that are not W10 compatible, have worked for me so far. I have some apps that were designed long before W10 but were W7 compatible that some features don't work 100%, but the application functions.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

well here we go.

after purchasing a pre-configured PC with Windows 10 from COSTCO a month ago I'm ready to take the plunge and upgrade my existing custom PC with Win 7 pro(64-bit) to Win 10 Pro(64-bit) using an officially sanctioned Microsoft DVD Win 10 disc with the hope and dream that a vast majority of my drivers/applications/files don't turn into mush. Downloaded a Microsoft tool that scanned the existing setup and only 4 minor programs will be affected. Praise [insert ur god here]!!!

let us pray!

You'd need to get or buy windows 10 retail license. The free win7 to win10 upgrade period already lapsed long ago
Costco pc with windows 10 is OEM and you can't transfer it (not easily) to DIY pc. If you work in IT or know someone who does - they probably could provide you with needed windows 10 licenses as typically everyone has spares due to complex licensing it's near impossible to have always 100% aligned

 

[TLS Guy]

You'd need to get or buy windows 10 retail license. The free win7 to win10 upgrade period already lapsed long ago
Costco pc with windows 10 is OEM and you can't transfer it (not easily) to DIY pc. If you work in IT or know someone who does - they probably could provide you with needed windows 10 licenses as typically everyone has spares due to complex licensing it's near impossible to have always 100% aligned

I think you can but a license on line, at download from the Microsoft store.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I think you can buy a license on line, at download from the Microsoft store.

Yes. there are several ways to buy windows 10 license online, but my point of having official media (windows install cd) does not mean you don't need to provide the license.

https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Windows-10-Pro/productID.319935900

 

[TLS Guy]

Yes. there are several ways to buy windows 10 license online, but my point of having official media (windows install cd) does not mean you don't need to provide the license.

https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Windows-10-Pro/productID.319935900

I understand your point now.

 

[Ponzio]

my years or cruising the ether are over. life is easier, if more expensive, with a retailed licensed copy. and yes i anticipate another hour of updates after the upgrade and further upgrades moving forward. where am i going?

doing the backups now.

 

[mtrycrafts]

,,,

let us pray!

Good luck with that.

 

[Ponzio]

Pardon my rudeness for not updating my upgrade status. I got sidetracked by life. Here are my notes I sent to some friends.

As many of u know I recently upgraded my Windows OS (operating system) PC from 7 to 10, the operative word being “upgraded”; on an existing Windows OS vs. a clean install on a reformatted HD (hard drive). Most experts will recommend a clean install vs. an upgrade for the simple and obvious reason of the inherent issue of software apps incompatibility and its possible corruption of said software, causing all kinds of mischief, if not outright failure. In the past I followed that advice religiously from Windows OS’s 3.0, 95, 98, ME & XP. The one time that I didn’t heed that advice, from XP to 7, it went disastrously wrong and I ended up doing a clean install anyway. But I can be a stubborn ass at times and the mere thought of having to reload all those programs again this time besides the 2 to 3 hours just loading the OS and another day or two tweaking the PC to my personal preferences didn’t leave me jumping for joy. So I decided to tempt fate anyway and … and … it ‘effin’ worked. Oh sure some of the old, old programs were vaporized; four to be exact. But they were so ancient I’d completely forgotten about them and they wouldn’t be missed. The only niggle’s that leave me a bit peeved is my Blackberry Link program which syncs my Outlook contacts/calendar with my Blackberry Classic cell phone. Research into the issue revealed that RIM (Research In Motion, Blackberry’s parent company) hasn’t updated their latest OS since 2015 to keep up with Microsoft, Apple, Linux, etc. latest OS’s. The calendar sync works just fine but the contacts update/new sync function is out to lunch. Hello Android. And the other is Microsoft’s ongoing Achilles Heel, their web browser, rechristened in Win 10, The Edge … of what? the edge of the cliff? The aesthetics and supposed functionality may have been improved but not its performance, as usual. It still burps & farts just like the old IE, so I’m betrothed to Firefox for now until something else comes along that catches my fancy.

So why upgrade if ur happy with Win 7? The most stable OS Microsoft has ever produced in my view. There is no sane reason but the cycle of OS’s will go on till infinity and so it was time to jump on. The PC is faster, more responsive without any changes to the hardware; it has a Win 7 Start/Menu emulation layout for creatures of habit like me, way less junk mail (in Outlook), more intuitive and … well u get the idea; Kudos to Microsoft! Like XP and all the previous Windows OS’s, Win 7 will be phased out as surely as death & taxes; u may have no choice. It may be that time to take the leap and stay ahead of the piranhas.

Technical Note: If u decide to go the “upgrade” route vs. a clean install, like I did, the OS’s must be of the same classification. For example if your current Windows 7 OS is the Home (32-bit) version, the upgrade version must also be the Windows 10 Home (32-bit) version. I went from Windows 7 Pro (64-bit) to Windows 10 Pro (64-bit). Otherwise you’ll just be pissing in the wind and have no choice but to do a clean install. Also Microsoft Support offers a gratis Windows Upgrade Assistant app to find out exactly what programs/apps will be left behind if u upgrade from Windows 7/8/8.1 to Windows 10.

 

[Ponzio]

One other thing I forgot to mention when it comes to annoyances about Win 10 is the Windows Explorer default search view setting to “Content” instead of “Details” which I prefer and which I applied to all my folders in my preferred standard view. I’ve googled the issue … it seems I’m not the only whiner on this … and outside of one site where someone recommended u download his registry batch zip file, I’ve had no luck whatsoever. I’ve changed the Properties/Customize tab on the main folder(s) and optimized it to various settings (General items/Music/Pictures/Documents/etc.) and it always defaults to Content view no matter what changes u make in the Properties dialogue box. If anyone here has resolved this I’d be eternally grateful for the magic setting(s) without traipsing thru the registry.