So, anyone else upgraded/upgrading to the new Windows 10?

[cheezMcNASTY]

So glad I upgraded. I'm loving the UI.
All the best things about pre 8, plus improved versions of the few things I did like about 8. It's all been thrown together in a great, intuitive way and I haven't run into a single compatibility issue yet.

I haven't tried it on my slower computers yet so we'll see how it is on a craptop in the near future.

 

[Firis]

I have no doubt that Microsoft is continuing to improve their products, I have seen all the things the newer computers do and I am very impressed; but I have been using XP for over ten years (My previous OS being a 98 that my parents had and I used until we got an XP in 2003/2004) and I'll be honest; each time I buy a new PC I switch it to XP, I'm just comfy with it. I can't afford the parts to make my computer suitable for modern gaming, I don't use it for office work, in fact I only use it for old school PC games and for the internet. Unless I were to become financially stable enough to afford a gaming PC I'm afraid I will be using XP all my life.

 

[Precipice]

I have no doubt that Microsoft is continuing to improve their products, I have seen all the things the newer computers do and I am very impressed; but I have been using XP for over ten years (My previous OS being a 98 that my parents had and I used until we got an XP in 2003/2004) and I'll be honest; each time I buy a new PC I switch it to XP, I'm just comfy with it. I can't afford the parts to make my computer suitable for modern gaming, I don't use it for office work, in fact I only use it for old school PC games and for the internet. Unless I were to become financially stable enough to afford a gaming PC I'm afraid I will be using XP all my life.

Have you ever experimented with other, non-Microsoft OSs? If XP is your thing there's nothing wrong with that, but you don't want to be left out of the cool kids' club. Get Ubuntu and put it on a stick drive, give it a spin and see if you like it. And if you don't, delete it, it's free. Just to see what else is out there, otherwise you might end up like my pops and be using XP 50 years from now while everyone else is on the latest Skynet OS.

 

[Gikoku]

I have no doubt that Microsoft is continuing to improve their products, I have seen all the things the newer computers do and I am very impressed; but I have been using XP for over ten years (My previous OS being a 98 that my parents had and I used until we got an XP in 2003/2004) and I'll be honest; each time I buy a new PC I switch it to XP, I'm just comfy with it. I can't afford the parts to make my computer suitable for modern gaming, I don't use it for office work, in fact I only use it for old school PC games and for the internet. Unless I were to become financially stable enough to afford a gaming PC I'm afraid I will be using XP all my life.

I can understand that though I have to ask if you managed to give any of the new OS' a chance before reverting back to XP?

The only real issue I have with such is that like most outdated software they eventually stop getting supported from stability to security. Not just from Microsoft themselves, but even from all the third-party applications like the lovely choice of browsers we have today and their stability and security features in versions designed for later OS releases. Eventually XP will go the way of Win '98. XP is more prone to malware now than ever with how well-known it is inside and out these days, you and Markie are livin' on the edge.

I agree with Precipice's advice on trying a Linux OS. They're free, lightweight, open-source, and continuously updated so you can get to enjoy all the fancy shiny new applications these days with excellent security. The only downside to Linux from my experience (I've only used Mint so it probably isn't the same for all of them, please correct me if so) is that to update you have to reinstall the OS every time and that Linux isn't the most popular of operating systems, so you may find some awesome programs out there--BUT OH NO! Windows & Mac only. Bah.

 

[Precipice]

The only downside to Linux from my experience (I've only used Mint so it probably isn't the same for all of them, please correct me if so) is that to update you have to reinstall the OS every time and that Linux isn't the most popular of operating systems, so you may find some awesome programs out there--BUT OH NO! Windows & Mac only. Bah.

The update thing hasn't been my experience but I've only used Hardy Heron and whatever the I one is called after that, so that could very well be the case. And you're right about applications as well, often you'll be able to find a good enough equivalent but not always. Where this is especially noted is with games, but if it's just for browsing around and playing solitaire or emulating oldschool classics you're alright.

 

[Firis]

My security is okayish right now, I tried Vista and hated it; I haven't had a chance to try the newer stuff.
I've used Macintosh before and liked it, but not enough to make the switch, and I've been intrigued with Linux but haven't tried it yet; I have always been under the assumption that Linux/Ubuntu or whatever was difficult to learn but I've never tried it but I wouldn't know.

Also, thanks Giki for reminding me to give Markie a message some time; haven't talked to her in a looooooooong time.

 

[Gikoku]

The update thing hasn't been my experience but I've only used Hardy Heron and whatever the I one is called after that, so that could very well be the case. And you're right about applications as well, often you'll be able to find a good enough equivalent but not always. Where this is especially noted is with games, but if it's just for browsing around and playing solitaire or emulating oldschool classics you're alright.

Yeah games were definitely a problem before, but as of recently the guys over at GOG pulled through and managed to get almost all of the games on their store to support Linux. From Baldur's Gate & Planescape to Shadowrun & The Witcher series, they did good.

My security is okayish right now, I tried Vista and hated it; I haven't had a chance to try the newer stuff.
I've used Macintosh before and liked it, but not enough to make the switch, and I've been intrigued with Linux but haven't tried it yet; I have always been under the assumption that Linux/Ubuntu or whatever was difficult to learn but I've never tried it but I wouldn't know.

Also, thanks Giki for reminding me to give Markie a message some time; haven't talked to her in a looooooooong time.

I can agree with you on Vista, terrible piece of software. I think you would've enjoyed 7 as it's basically a nicer XP in my book. If you ever get your hands on a new computer with the latest OS give it a try, you might be surprised. That's a common misconception with Linux for some reason (I thought the same as well years ago), it's actually really easy use. Especially if you opt for the more popular variants like Ubuntu & Mint, where the latter feels like Mac & Windows had a baby. Same functionality really with my first reaction to trying it being "Huh, this isn't so different at all! What the heck were people complaining about?"

And you're welcome, she's always still around on FB but I'd love to get her back on here. This place could do with another woman's touch.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Upgraded my dads old laptop with Windows 10 last night and seems to have done it just fine, he was having GFX driver issues and loads of random errors on Windows 7 due to unknown reasons and hoping this upgrade rectifies that.

 

[Gikoku]

Upgraded my dads old laptop with Windows 10 last night and seems to have done it just fine, he was having GFX driver issues and loads of random errors on Windows 7 due to unknown reasons and hoping this upgrade rectifies that.

I still have to upgrade my mom's computer soon as well. She's really bad with updates not only for the system itself but also all her applications, whenever she gets a Windows Update pop-up she treats it like it's malware. Closes it, avoids it, gets irritated by it, I just don't understand it. I recently updated her computer in preparation for Windows 10 and she was 2 years behind on updates, her Firefox browser version was over 20 versions old. Took me a good few hours to sort it all for her.

Hopefully Windows 10 will help with that since its automatic updates are strictly background processes now and will just do its thing whenever she restarts her computer.

 

[Dark Drakan]

I still have to upgrade my mom's computer soon as well. She's really bad with updates not only for the system itself but also all her applications, whenever she gets a Windows Update pop-up she treats it like it's malware. Closes it, avoids it, gets irritated by it, I just don't understand it. I recently updated her computer in preparation for Windows 10 and she was 2 years behind on updates, her Firefox browser version was over 20 versions old. Took me a good few hours to sort it all for her.

Hopefully Windows 10 will help with that since its automatic updates are strictly background processes now and will just do its thing whenever she restarts her computer.

My moms exactly the same as that, my dad tends to read things before doing them but if he doesn't understand something he will quickly close it and ignore it.

 

[Precipice]

Sounds like our parents are all much the same in this respect. Mom does the exact same thing. Dad reads stuff and then defers to someone he believes is more knowledgeable, which would be good except Dad doesn't know who is knowledgeable so anyone in earshot gets a say in the goings on of my computers. I don't approve.

Hopefully Windows 10 will help with that since its automatic updates are strictly background processes now and will just do its thing whenever she restarts her computer.

You're using it, right? If I can talk my family into Win10 and I can make it look as much like XP or 7 as possible, they'll still not like it but do you think their experience will be more user-friendly? As much as I enjoy being the son that fixes problems for them, sometimes they throw a lot at me at one time.

 

[Dark Drakan]

You're using it, right? If I can talk my family into Win10 and I can make it look as much like XP or 7 as possible, they'll still not like it but do you think their experience will be more user-friendly? As much as I enjoy being the son that fixes problems for them, sometimes they throw a lot at me at one time.

I have installed it for my dad so I will let you know how he gets on, im giving him the laptop back tonight.

 

[Gikoku]

My dad is also the same as your dads, he'll ask first before he should do it and always tries to find someone knowledgeable first for all his problems before attempting to wing anything. It'll typically be me that has to get him out of whatever pickle he manages to find himself in, and if I teach him something, he'll forget it the next day. If you told him to download more RAM for increased performance... he'd believe you.

You're using it, right? If I can talk my family into Win10 and I can make it look as much like XP or 7 as possible, they'll still not like it but do you think their experience will be more user-friendly? As much as I enjoy being the son that fixes problems for them, sometimes they throw a lot at me at one time.

Yeah, on its own it's quite easy to get the hang of and is rather streamlined where necessary (changing system settings is more simple and obvious now), there's even a starter guide built in called "Get Started". But since they're making the jump from XP/7 the changes and interface of things will likely be quite jarring and overwhelming like the ribbon bar in Windows Explorer that came from Win8. I'm not sure how much you'll be able to modify of the interface at the moment, but off the top of my head there's Classic Shell that turns the start menu into 7's: Link.

I'd probably disable Cortana though as I can imagine them finding her annoying (she's not incredibly useful anyway) and can take up a bit of resources. Other than them potentially losing a priceless and cherished family photo of the Grand Canyon as their background, I think they'll be fine.

 

[Precipice]

Other than them potentially losing a priceless and cherished family photo of the Grand Canyon as their background, I think they'll be fine.

You joke but that's serious business.

Thank you both for your time, advice and the stories.

 

[Dark Drakan]

You joke but that's serious business.

Thank you both for your time, advice and the stories.

My dads background remained the same if that's any consolation & all photos were intact.

 

[Precipice]

I upgraded the Win7 at home to 10. It's a pretty nifty OS, certainly better than 8, but the change didn't go over well with Mom and Dad. At all. I have a Windows phone so I recognized a lot of the stuff going on, but they're Android people so the whole thing was very alien to them. I tried making it look and act more familiar to no avail. Dad's initial biggest complaint was the lack of a My Computer on the desktop, frustrated that he wasn't able to get to his files. Then there's this app stuff he didn't take to, all the familiar Windows features everyone's used to, being replaced by things he doesn't know and doesn't want. And there's no Chess Titans. I guess that's important. Mom was concerned she lost all her documents and pictures because she didn't know how to get to them and she didn't have her weather desktop gadget thing.

Ultimately had to revert to Win7 to make them happy again, a very time-consuming and painful ordeal. And progress on convincing Dad to give up XP remains hopeless, sadly. It was worth a try.

 

[Dark Drakan]

I upgraded the Win7 at home to 10. It's a pretty nifty OS, certainly better than 8, but the change didn't go over well with Mom and Dad. At all. I have a Windows phone so I recognized a lot of the stuff going on, but they're Android people so the whole thing was very alien to them. I tried making it look and act more familiar to no avail. Dad's initial biggest complaint was the lack of a My Computer on the desktop, frustrated that he wasn't able to get to his files. Then there's this app stuff he didn't take to, all the familiar Windows features everyone's used to, being replaced by things he doesn't know and doesn't want. And there's no Chess Titans. I guess that's important. Mom was concerned she lost all her documents and pictures because she didn't know how to get to them and she didn't have her weather desktop gadget thing.

Ultimately had to revert to Win7 to make them happy again, a very time-consuming and painful ordeal. And progress on convincing Dad to give up XP remains hopeless, sadly. It was worth a try.

You can create a shortcut to act like My Computer I believe as that was pretty jarring to me also.

However I much prefer the storage layout of Win10 as it tells you exactly what is using the space & can clean up music, pics, apps & games all separately.

Mine (1 drive as example)



Pretty easy to setup shortcuts to pics on start menu too as well as the weather widget being on start menu (I have that myself).

Mine

 

[Gikoku]

I upgraded the Win7 at home to 10. It's a pretty nifty OS, certainly better than 8, but the change didn't go over well with Mom and Dad. At all. I have a Windows phone so I recognized a lot of the stuff going on, but they're Android people so the whole thing was very alien to them. I tried making it look and act more familiar to no avail. Dad's initial biggest complaint was the lack of a My Computer on the desktop, frustrated that he wasn't able to get to his files. Then there's this app stuff he didn't take to, all the familiar Windows features everyone's used to, being replaced by things he doesn't know and doesn't want. And there's no Chess Titans. I guess that's important. Mom was concerned she lost all her documents and pictures because she didn't know how to get to them and she didn't have her weather desktop gadget thing.

Ultimately had to revert to Win7 to make them happy again, a very time-consuming and painful ordeal. And progress on convincing Dad to give up XP remains hopeless, sadly. It was worth a try.

Sorry to hear about that, thought it would've gone a lot better for you. Some of the problems you listed have pretty easy solutions though, for the My Computer issue you can open up explorer and at the top click "View", then on the right side of the top menu click on "Options" it'll bring up the old Folder Options from previous OS versions. The first option is there to turn File Explorer into My Computer by changing "Open File Explorer to - Quick Access" to "Open File Explorer to - This PC/My Computer".

Also "Quick Access" is the same Favorites side-bar feature from Win7, just renamed.

As for your mother's issue, if you did a straight upgrade, all her documents and pictures would remain intact and right where she left them. You can have all the main explorer folders listed in the Start Menu as well by going to: "Start > Settings > Personalization > Start > (at the bottom) Choose which folders appear on Start" and there, they can pick all the folders they want to show up there. As for the weather gadget app, you can use an alternative desktop gadget out there called Rainmeter which is fully customizable with weather, system specs, etc.. tons of skins to download also. Or, there's the Weather app that's already installed.

All the apps can be uninstalled, I don't even use them except for the Photos one and on occasion the News one. What features was he worried about? Pretty much all features since Win7 are still there, just moved around mainly. You can still download and install software the old fashioned way, all the programs I've been using since Win7 I still have. Stuff like Paint are still there, you have to go "Start > All Apps" then scroll all the way down to the W's until you get to the folders Windows Accessories, Windows Administrative Tools, and Windows System. There you'll find all the familiar old windows programs and tools (including the old Control Panel which can also be accessed by right-clicking the Start icon).

Again though, sorry it didn't go well for them. It was jarring for me when I upgraded, but once I figured out where all the useful system tools were rearranged to I was able to get right back to where I left off at Win7. Sometimes you have to endure the change and give it a chance for a few days before giving up. Maybe they can try again one day down the road.

 

[Precipice]

You can create a shortcut to act like My Computer I believe as that was pretty jarring to me also.

However I much prefer the storage layout of Win10 as it tells you exactly what is using the space & can clean up music, pics, apps & games all separately.

Mine (1 drive as example)



Pretty easy to setup shortcuts to pics on start menu too as well as the weather widget being on start menu (I have that myself).

Mine

Sorry to hear about that, thought it would've gone a lot better for you. Some of the problems you listed have pretty easy solutions though, for the My Computer issue you can open up explorer and at the top click "View", then on the right side of the top menu click on "Options" it'll bring up the old Folder Options from previous OS versions. The first option is there to turn File Explorer into My Computer by changing "Open File Explorer to - Quick Access" to "Open File Explorer to - This PC/My Computer".

Also "Quick Access" is the same Favorites side-bar feature from Win7, just renamed.

As for your mother's issue, if you did a straight upgrade, all her documents and pictures would remain intact and right where she left them. You can have all the main explorer folders listed in the Start Menu as well by going to: "Start > Settings > Personalization > Start > (at the bottom) Choose which folders appear on Start" and there, they can pick all the folders they want to show up there. As for the weather gadget app, you can use an alternative desktop gadget out there called Rainmeter which is fully customizable with weather, system specs, etc.. tons of skins to download also. Or, there's the Weather app that's already installed.

All the apps can be uninstalled, I don't even use them except for the Photos one and on occasion the News one. What features was he worried about? Pretty much all features since Win7 are still there, just moved around mainly. You can still download and install software the old fashioned way, all the programs I've been using since Win7 I still have. Stuff like Paint are still there, you have to go "Start > All Apps" then scroll all the way down to the W's until you get to the folders Windows Accessories, Windows Administrative Tools, and Windows System. There you'll find all the familiar old windows programs and tools (including the old Control Panel which can also be accessed by right-clicking the Start icon).

Again though, sorry it didn't go well for them. It was jarring for me when I upgraded, but once I figured out where all the useful system tools were rearranged to I was able to get right back to where I left off at Win7. Sometimes you have to endure the change and give it a chance for a few days before giving up. Maybe they can try again one day down the road.

Indeed, a lot of the things could have been fixed or remedied in one way or another and I was working on those as fast as I could before finally they told me to stop and just put it all back the way it was. It's disheartening trying to explain that these things are very minor issues that can be taken care of and being told that it was better the way it was before you started. Slow to change, can't be helped. Still, a very educational experience and when they're finally ready, if ever, I'll be better able to set them up faster and with any luck more smoothly than this time around.

I kept trying to explain that I was working on some under-the-hood type stuff before I dress the desktop up in everyone's favorite colors, things like the shortcuts and menus looking and feeling more familiar. Mom doesn't know what an app is, except in the context of endless appetizers at Applebees. She knows what a widget is but she calls it a gadget. Using the included apps requires using the start menu which doesn't look like her start menu and she didn't like that. Dad's much the same, doesn't like change. He doesn't want some measly app, he wants a sophisticated program. He also dislikes flapjacks but enjoys pancakes. I love the guy, but trying to change his mind on anything is an exercise that ends with slapping your own face in frustration.

At one time I had convinced them to stop using IE as their default browser, but I probably should have encouraged the automatic updates more. It had been a while since I've seen a single-digit version of Firefox. It had also been a long time since I've seen any version of Firefox, having switched to Chrome these past couple years. So at the very least I got them some much needed updates to various things. I won't call it a win, but I'll take what I can get.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Indeed, a lot of the things could have been fixed or remedied in one way or another and I was working on those as fast as I could before finally they told me to stop and just put it all back the way it was. It's disheartening trying to explain that these things are very minor issues that can be taken care of and being told that it was better the way it was before you started. Slow to change, can't be helped. Still, a very educational experience and when they're finally ready, if ever, I'll be better able to set them up faster and with any luck more smoothly than this time around.

I kept trying to explain that I was working on some under-the-hood type stuff before I dress the desktop up in everyone's favorite colors, things like the shortcuts and menus looking and feeling more familiar. Mom doesn't know what an app is, except in the context of endless appetizers at Applebees. She knows what a widget is but she calls it a gadget. Using the included apps requires using the start menu which doesn't look like her start menu and she didn't like that. Dad's much the same, doesn't like change. He doesn't want some measly app, he wants a sophisticated program. He also dislikes flapjacks but enjoys pancakes. I love the guy, but trying to change his mind on anything is an exercise that ends with slapping your own face in frustration.

At one time I had convinced them to stop using IE as their default browser, but I probably should have encouraged the automatic updates more. It had been a while since I've seen a single-digit version of Firefox. It had also been a long time since I've seen any version of Firefox, having switched to Chrome these past couple years. So at the very least I got them some much needed updates to various things. I won't call it a win, but I'll take what I can get.

I find its always best to get things up and running and looking as much like the old system as you can BEFORE you reveal it to them. That way the transition doesnt seem as jarring and when they ask where certain things are or how you get to a certain setting you can easily show them. Soon as they hear you being unsure or say something along the lines of 'I will find a way to get that back' they instantly worry that everything is more long winded and complicated.

My dads been enjoying Windows 10 but I had a full day with it to customise it and make it look as much like the desktop and setup he had before. He had kept all his programs/pictures and even his wallpaper so felt instantly familiar and at home and the rest was pretty self explanatory.