Windows 10

[cloughie]

Does the installation of Wndows 10 involve removing all files, excel, word and windows media music files? I have 2 laptops, one with 7 and the other 8.1.

[Bryn]

Does the installation of Wndows 10 involve removing all files, excel, word and windows media music files? I have 2 laptops, one with 7 and the other 8.1.

I don't use any Microsoft Office products but I found no need to remove any music or Open Office files when I 'upgraded' the HP Pavilion dm1 from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Even obscure third part software such as Yamb, get_iplayer or mp3directcut posed no problem.

[gurnemanz]

I had no need to update since I was quite happy with Windows 7, so why not leave well alone. Of course, curiosity got the better of me and I clicked. It took about an hour. All my programs (now called apps for some reason) worked fine. The start menu is there if a bit different with some coloured tiles in a section on the right - you can customize that bit with shortcuts, which works fine. I think it is faster, certainly to boot up. There is a new look to the windows graphics which looks good and there are several useful options with new tweaks to improve navigation. I suppose some new features may arrive with future updates. All in all, for me not much change and nothing lost but I think I would not have paid for it.

[Beef Oven!]

Does the installation of Wndows 10 involve removing all files, excel, word and windows media music files? I have 2 laptops, one with 7 and the other 8.1.

Being relieved of all this nonsense was one of the benefits of switching to Apple, for me. I realise that it's not an easy decision, but no-one who does it, seems to regret it.

Maybe it's a good time to consider a move?

[Dave2002]

Being relieved of all this nonsense was one of the benefits of switching to Apple, for me. I realise that it's not an easy decision, but no-one who does it, seems to regret it.

Maybe it's a good time to consider a move?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Being relieved of all this nonsense was one of the benefits of switching to Apple, for me. I realise that it's not an easy decision, but no-one who does it, seems to regret it.

It was an expensive decision initially, but the right one.

[David-G]

No, you can refuse the repeated offers. It's on Windows 10 that avoiding updates is very hard. The license agreement actually obliges you to accept them.

Is it very hard but possible, or is it basically impossible to avoid updates?

Can they be postponed?

[Bryn]

Being relieved of all this nonsense was one of the benefits of switching to Apple, for me. I realise that it's not an easy decision, but no-one who does it, seems to regret it.

Maybe it's a good time to consider a move?

I tried a decade or so ago, the damned piece of junk sits in a wardrobe to this day. It's DVD drive would not recognise DVD-R discs burned on my Panasonic recorder, and the battery life was a sick joke. Then there was the lack of easy connectivity offered by Apple products (worse than the late, unlamented, Commodore range) and the same problem as with Windows re. incompatibility of legacy software with updated versions of the often expensive OS upgrades. No thanks. I will stick with the devils I know (Windows and Android), with the occasional recourse to Linux.

[David-G]

I'd say that a cheap laptop might last 3 years, an expensive one perhaps 6.

My expensive Dell XPS laptop broke after only 3.5 years. The replacement Samsung Ultrabook broke after only 2.5 years. Maybe I have been unlucky, but I would say that if you use a laptop, frequent backups are essential!

[gurnemanz]

Does the installation of Wndows 10 involve removing all files, excel, word and windows media music files? I have 2 laptops, one with 7 and the other 8.1.

Being relieved of all this nonsense was one of the benefits of switching to Apple, for me. I realise that it's not an easy decision, but no-one who does it, seems to regret it.

Maybe it's a good time to consider a move?

Luckily. there is no "nonsense" in this instance since all such files are left untouched with the Windows 10 upgrade, so that would not be a reason to switch.

[Beef Oven!]

I tried a decade or so ago, the damned piece of junk sits in a wardrobe to this day. It's DVD drive would not recognise DVD-R discs burned on my Panasonic recorder, and the battery life was a sick joke. Then there was the lack of easy connectivity offered by Apple products (worse than the late, unlamented, Commodore range) and the same problem as with Windows re. incompatibility of legacy software with updated versions of the often expensive OS upgrades. No thanks. I will stick with the devils I know (Windows and Android), with the occasional recourse to Linux.

Better the devil you know is sometimes the best policy - our ancestors who coined the phrase were not silly. But things have moved on and I don't know if it's wise to base a decision on an experience that is in all probability, no longer 'valid'.

[Bryn]

Is it very hard but possible, or is it basically impossible to avoid updates?

Can they be postponed?

There is/are workaround(s) (Googling might suggest approaches) but the licensing agreement specifically excluded avoiding updates. As to postponements, I think the only way is to stay offline. However, the 'upgrade' from Windows 7/8/8.1 to Windows 10 can be postponed, or indeed refused, even after 'signing up' for the 'upgrade'. If you do 'upgrade', I understand there is a time limited option to revert to the previous version.

[johnb]

My thoughts, as a curmudgeonly old git, are:

Firstly, IMO an operating system should be something that enables you to use your chosen software productively and efficiently, not some glorified must-have gizmo. So it is worth considering the benefits and disadvantages of upgrading to W10.

- IMO it is never a good idea to upgrade to a new operating system until it has been released for, say, 6 months. All new operating systems have bugs once they have been released into the wild, however well they have been tested. The free upgrade offer lasts for a year, so there is no urgency.

- If your are on Windows 8 or 8.1 it could make sense to upgrade to W10 but I certainly wouldn't do that upgrade now. I would wait until W10 has been out in the wild for a few months so that the upgrade bugs get sorted (and there are some upgrade bugs that have been reported).

- If you are using Windows 7 whether you move to W10 depends to an extent on whether you are a "must-have-the-latest-gizmo" junkie. Windows 7 is a very good operating system and is likely to maintain a substantial user base for many years ahead. At some stage it is likely that one will be forced to move to W10 (think Windows XP) but I can see little advantage for me, personally, in upgrading at the moment.

- It is worth mentioning that with the Home and Pro versions of Windows 10 you have to accept mandatory updates. This might or might not become an issue.

- There are some privacy issues with Windows 10, as Microsoft has decided to follow Google's example in treating its users as a data source.

- In any event - do your research.

As an aside - I am currently debating whether to buy a new laptop. If I do - it will be definitely be one with Windows 7 pre-installed.

Yes, they are still readily and widely available (W7 still has a 50% market share). As an example, dabs.com lists 454 laptops with Windows 7 Pro, vs 393 with Windows 8/8.1.

I used figures from dabs.com purely because their website makes it easy to get the figures, not because I have used them or recommend them. There are other established online retailers such as Misco and Ebuyer, etc, and, of course, the manufacturers own websites (some, eg HP, section off business PCs etc to a separate website) etc, etc.

[Later Edit]
These are personal views - people need to do their own research.

[johnb]

Is it very hard but possible, or is it basically impossible to avoid updates?

Can they be postponed?

With Windows 10, my understanding is that this depends on the version, but please check:

W10 Home: you have no options
W10 Pro: the updates can only be postponed
W10 Enterprise: gives much more flexibility (as the IT managers in business need to be able to control major updates)

[Beef Oven!]

Luckily. there is no "nonsense" in this instance since all such files are left untouched with the Windows 10 upgrade, so that would not be a reason to switch.

In this instance, but I mean taking all these things together, not in isolation. I found Windows to be intolerable, in the end and I am so pleased I made the switch - much happier than I imagined possible when I took the decision.