Windows 10 is Here, Almost... - Comments Page 2

I still hate Windows 8/8.1 after persevering with it since November 2013. So I cannot wait to get Windows 10, as I believe and hope that it will be better than Windows 8.1. And coupled with the fact that I will never have to buy an upgrade to a newer version of Windows makes the free upgrade a no brainer to me. Let's hope that doesn't prove to be false!

Sounds to me like MS is just saying "trust us", kind of like many of our politicians! You don't mention anything about the on going update/maintenance annual fee!

I actually have a 32 bit Windows 7 inside my desktop, but I recently changed the motherboard to a new one with a 64 bit processor. Shall I change to 64 bit first or the upgrade to windows 10 will do that?

EDITOR'S NOTE: My guess is that you'll be offered the 32-bit version of W10. If you want the 64-bit version, you should upgrade your W7 to 64-bit.

What happens if next year I get a new machine? Or if I have a catastrophic failure? I have a valid Win 7 disc, but how would I reinstall Win 10 without physical media? MS said the automatic update is good for 'the current machine'. Will I have to pay for Win 10 when I retire/replace my current computer(s)?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I assume that you'd be able to download W10 installation media if needed. As for the future, if you get your next W7/W8 machine after July 29, 2016, nobody knows if you'll have to pay for W10. My guess is yes.

Will I be able to specify time of day for the automatic updates with Windows 10? (I use satellite for internet access and have LIMITED bandwidth. Some downloads would use up my bandwith allotment.)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Microsoft has not released the details of the upgrade process.

There's a little confusion here with MS saying users who have W7, 8 or 8.1 and your article indicating more than once that I'll need 8.1 to get the new W10 or at least the "notification".

Do I have to have W8.1 installed? I got comfortable with W8 (even without a touch screen) before they came out with 8.1 and never saw the need to "upgrade".

EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't see anything in my article indicating that W8 is required. I think I said pretty clearly that the free update is for those with W7 OR W8.

Another question-I use Windows Media Player in my W8 laptop for compatibility with our Mp3 players and ease of use. Will I still be able to use it in W10?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Windows Media Center will not be in W10. I suggest VLC Media Player as an alternative.

I also noticed that MS will be using "Home" users as their guinee pigs as there is no longer an option to delay WU. Wow! I've always deayed the updates by a few days and glad I have. MS track record with failed updates this past year doesn't inspire much confidence in this process.

Will you have to remove Windows 7 Pro before you install Windows 10?.

Will you have to remove Windows 7 Pro before you install Windows 10?.

Can I expect my office 365 to load in the correct useable areas, unlike what I experienced with 8/8.1 Presently it takes me 1/2 hours or more, sometimes not all to locate files.My work production has drawn to almost a stop. Please tell me there a chance 10 is going have me up and running!
Is this going to be a "working" program or a game box first?
I have no choose since I left "7"

Bob. Where did the upgrade icon appear and on what screen? PS. As always, great material. I'll be happy to purchase another candy bar for you. Thanks again.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the Windows taskbar, lower right on most displays.

Nice summary, Bob. And I really appreciate that you were able to respond to so MANY questions with your "Editor's Note" comments. Thank you very much.

In reading the Microsoft information I found by following links in the "Get Windows 10" icon, I found that there will be a roll-back capability. That is, if you're not happy with the new Windows, you should--("it says here")--be able to roll back to your current version. I was glad to find that.

However, if, a year from now your hard drive is trashed, in order to reinstall Win 10, you will need to BUY A LICENSE for it.

That piece of information, and other gems, are found in the community forum, which appears to be actively monitored by MS engineers.

Right-click the Get Windows 10 icon, then click "Get to know Windows 10." Scroll down to the last question, "Have additional questions? We can help," and click to open the answer. Follow the link to "community forum," where you'll find dozens of pages of Q & A, rants, disgruntlement (yes, that's a real word), and a few happy campers.

Some caveats:
1. To start the reservation process, Windows Update KB3035583 must have been installed in the system >> which means that Win8 had to be upgraded to Win8.1 previously, so that this KB3035583 can get installed in the system.
2. This 'reservation' app adds a WHITE Windows icon to the system tray. If KB3035583 has been installed and if you have not had this 'reservation' window pop up yet, try going to C:\Windows\System32\GWX folder and run GWX.exe inside.
3. If the TaskTray WHITE Windows icon is annoying you, you can uninstall the Windows Update KB3035583 and that should get rid of the icon, alternatively you can simply hide the icon too.
4. Making an image/archive (e.g. Acronis TrueImage) of your current WinOS prior to Win10 upgrade is strongly recommended; in case things don't go quite smooth during upgrade process.
5. Windows MediaCenter alternatives in addition to VLC are many but the one that others prefer is Kodi (aka XBMC) which is an award-winning FREE and open source (GPL) software at http://kodi.tv/about/
Cheers.

I've got 5 computers; Am I going to eventually end up paying a subscription to use Win 10 on each one of these? Please be honest here.... What's up with Microsoft not telling us what this is really going to cost? Not fair at all....Come on fess-up and be truthful. UPSET... Tired of being 'reeled-in' like a fish by a bunch of con-artists.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The only info we have at present is that Win10 and updates will be free for the "supported lifetime of your device." If you are concerned about future costs, you can stick with W7 until 2020, or W8 until 2023.

I think I will wait a few months and let others figure out the early problems before I try it. Then again, maybe I will dump Windows for a version of the old "dumb terminal" and get a Chromebook; or a Chromebox (which appears to be a lot like the early mainframe connected PC's in that you could still do something if your connection was down).

while surfing I found a page of Windows 10 FAQ:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq?ocid=win10_auxapp_context

This will answer a lot of questions being asked on your forum
donmac71

while surfing I found a page of Windows 10 FAQ:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq?ocid=win10_auxapp_context

This will answer a lot of questions being asked on your forum
donmac71

I've been trialing pre release Win 10 for several months now and while not easily impressed these days, I must agree with your take MS has removed most if not all the previous annoyances ( a win for the management progressives perhaps :) In short, I like it for a variety of reasons and predict it will be a winner - tho then again I quite liked Win 8.1 after tweaking out as much as was possible all the frustrating features alluded to in your report.

Bob, let's say I have Windows 7 Home Premium edition, but I would like to upgrade to Windows 10 Professional edition, even if there is a cost. How would that work?

Would it be a two-step process to upgrade to Windows 10 Home Edition, and then upgrade again to Windows 10 Professional? Or could I upgrade directly from Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 10 Professional?

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can probably do the upgrade directly, but I'm not sure. You'll probably have to pay $99 either way.

1. Can I expect all my apps to still run OK if I upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes.

2. Let's say I image my system before upgrading, then upgrade to Windows 10. If I decide later to revert back to Windows 7 using my image, will Microsoft still recognize my (reinstalled) Windows 7 as a genuine copy, or will Microsoft now have my system registered as only a Windows 10 genuine copy?

EDITOR'S NOTE: It should work. If not, a phone call to MS will get things straightened out.

I saw yesterday on CNet that once you get W10 downloaded, you don't have to install it right away. It would probably be a good idea to wait to install it for a month or two to insure the bugs are worked out.

For people that never updated their W8 to W8.1, is it still possible to do that for free?

Bob, I hope you when this process starts you talk us through the backing up process and the process in making recovery disk for W10 in your usual helpful manner.