[SOLVED] Laptops and windows 10 question

Sep 16, 2019
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So I recently did a nice little upgrade of my laptop.

I ended up getting a dell g5 laptop intel i7 9750H and rtx 2060 6gb, and 16gb ram.

So the laptop comes installed (like most all laptops do as far as I am aware of) windows 10 Home.

My main beef with home is there is no way to disable the MS updates completely, you can only delay them, but eventually they get installed. In windows 10 pro you have gpedit where you can disable the updates completely and only do manual updates if you choose to.

Why is this such a big deal you may ask? well I remember at one time MS had a patch out that was actually deleting files off of people hard drive, and it was totally random with multiple people, some lost pics, some lost files, etc.....so it was not just a specific thing, MS recognized AND confirmed yes it was a problem and was happening and removed the patch off the their site. So with disabled updates I or anyone else could have avoided the incident from happening. I did not have this happen but I do have a friend that it did happen to, and he was NOT happy at all, and rightly so.

So fast forward to today, and the dell laptop. I proceeded to install pro instead of home, but sadly the nvidia video drivers say it wasn't support by this system :(.

So I guess I'm asking is, am I doomed as a laptop user to be stuck with windows home for the duration of every laptop coming out, or this a dell laptop specific thing? Can I return this and get an msi and be ok?

I currently have a 2 yr old acer that has win 10 pro on it, and has had no issues, and had no issues installing drivers.

It makes me think it's a manufacturer thing (Dell) as apposed to a laptop issue, correct me if I'm wrong please.
 
Solution
Yes, it happened,to some small subset of users.

The best way to prevent data loss like that?
A comprehensive backup routine.

There are many other ways your files can go bye bye.
Trying to prevent OS updates is not the way to protect your files. In fact, quite the opposite.
Turning off all updates leaves your system open to whatever the next major virus attack that comes down the pipe.

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Why is this such a big deal you may ask? well I remember at one time MS had a patch out that was actually deleting files off of people hard drive, and it was totally random with multiple people, some lost pics, some lost files, etc.....

Every OS update, Windows, Apple, Linux...has some degree of "issues". All of them.

Some small, some large.
You can't avoid updates forever.

For the specific issue you refer to...none of my systems, Win 10 Pro or Home, suffered any issues with data loss.
 
Sep 16, 2019
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You were probably looking at the Dell Home Laptop systems. The Dell Work laptops seem to come with Windows 10 Professional (and yes, there are "gaming" systems here too).

This G7 Gaming comes to mind. You might want to consider exchanging.

-Wolf sends

Yeah, I'm taking it back. I put home on, exactly like the specified via the MS creation disk, installed home this time and had the exact same issue.

The drivers I looked at were definitely for that laptop, because they have a key on the bottom on the laptop you type in, an Express key I think they call it.

I tried installing video drivers again and had the same issue, so it wasn't pro at all it's something about the laptop.

When I called them back they remotely connected and couldn't explain why they didn't install and where having issues, so after 10 mins of letting him putz around I finally just says ok I'm done thanks. I'll just take the laptop back and refund it.

Definitely a real sour tatse after this with Dell, not happy at all. Spent 6 hrs on and off the phone all to have to just return it, what a waste 😞
 
Sep 16, 2019
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Every OS update, Windows, Apple, Linux...has some degree of "issues". All of them.

Some small, some large.
You can't avoid updates forever.

For the specific issue you refer to...none of my systems, Win 10 Pro or Home, suffered any issues with data loss.

Yeah, this is true, I just prefer to manually do stuff as apposed to being forced to do something.
I to never experienced it, and I know a few who haven't had any issues either, but the fact MS did admit to it happening it still a scary thought that it did happen.
Imagine pictures you have saved of your grandparents and now they are gone..... Or better even a report you have to turn into work tomorrow, you go to bed and wake up to windows saying it updated and to your surprise your file/files or reports are no longer there because the update decided to delete them, and you have to end up explaining to your boss where the vital reports went to.
Regardless of it happened to you or I it's still something that I would like to be pro-active about, as apposed to crossing that bridge when you come to it, because sometimes crossing that bridge and handling it then it's a bit too late for that.
That just one time I can remember but I do recall two other times MS had issue with patches causing issues to machines and having to pull the update of the site. I guess I'd call it covering your butt so ta speak.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Yes, it happened,to some small subset of users.

The best way to prevent data loss like that?
A comprehensive backup routine.

There are many other ways your files can go bye bye.
Trying to prevent OS updates is not the way to protect your files. In fact, quite the opposite.
Turning off all updates leaves your system open to whatever the next major virus attack that comes down the pipe.
 
Solution

britechguy

Commendable
Jul 2, 2019
1,479
243
1,340
The best way to prevent data loss like that?
A comprehensive backup routine.

There are many other ways your files can go bye bye.
Trying to prevent OS updates is not the way to protect your files. In fact, quite the opposite.
Turning off all updates leaves your system open to whatever the next major virus attack that comes down the pipe.

This needs to be repeated like a mantra.

One does not prevent problems by blocking updates, but ensures them.

The only thing that comes close to 100% insurance against data loss is taking full system image backups and separate user data backups on regular cycles, and preferably rotating the backup medium if one can between each cycle so should it actually fail somehow you've still got another. But even if you have only one backup drive, it's essential that it be used as part of a backup routine on a fixed cycle, with possible additional "off cycle" backups if you've made major changes you would not like to have to make again.

---------------------------------

There really isn't a point to checking for updates and not installing them. . . It's important to install all available updates. I've been doing this since the days of DOS, and I still don't have the confidence to pick and choose among updates. There are just too many variables involved - and most people can't evaluate the full consequences of installing/not installing updates.
~ John Carrona, AKA usasma on BleepingComputer.com, http://www.carrona.org/
 
I agree with USAFret and Britechguy. Making backups is the ONLY way to protect yourself against data loss, and it's something EVERYONE who values his data and doesn't want to reinstall everything should do. I use the free version of Macrium Reflect but there are numerous other backup programs as well.
I also agree that delaying Windows updates is more likely to create problems than solve them. Those updates solve many more problems than they create.