Your Experience with Windows 10

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Improve what? Windows 10 works almost flawlessly in my opinion.
 
I was very excited leading up to the Windows 10 release. I had played around with the beta and felt it was superior to Windows 7 in many ways. When I finally started using it, though, I didn't quite feel the same way about it. What put me off at first was the privacy issues. Microsoft laid it all out for Windows 10, and even now I feel like everything I type is being read as if someone is over my shoulder, and I don't like it.

That aside, my computer is old (going on 8 years), so there are issues. My hardware works, but there are no drivers for Windows 10. The newest driver I have is a Windows 8.1 driver for my ATI Radeon HD 4670 x2. Everything else uses generic drivers that come with Windows, which means my performance could be much better than it is. Anyway, that's more my issue than Microsoft's.

Back to the experience itself, I initially wanted Windows 10 so I could have fun with Cortana! It was going to be great to issue commands, do fast voice searches, and have her as a companion like I do on my phone, but it didn't work out that way at all, and I now have her disabled. I know Cortana gathers info, I know she does on my phone, but my desktop is different. I use my phone for calls, music, news, and quick internet searches. My desktop is almost sacred by comparison, and I don't like that she digs into *everything*.

Aside from that, I'm not really a huge fan of the color scheme. I swear Windows 3.1 had more options for theme customization than Windows 10 has. I realize they're making it to be compatible on a wide, wide range of systems, but really? I don't like the flat look. It makes me feel like I downgraded from the gorgeous look of Windows 7, and in terms of visual style, I think I have.

The tiles in the Start Menu don't bother me, but I did download and use Classic Shell, because it takes up far less space, and is much easier for me to access. Plus, I have no use for live tiles. Again, not a phone, it's a desktop. Still, I do like having that option.

Windows 10 crashed on my system a little over a week ago. Took down everything, so I had to reinstall all of it. Once I got everything back in place, I had the November update roll through, and when it was done, I had to set everything back the way I had it *again*. That was irritating.

So overall? When I was on beta, Windows 10 was getting an easy 9/10. Now that I use it every day, and have been using it as my sole OS (turns out Windows 10 hates dual boots, at least on my PC, so bye bye Linux *sigh*), I would give Windows 10 a 6.5/10. It's okay, but there is great room for improvement. If I could go back to Windows 7 without having to reinstall everything (again), and without being harassed to update to Windows 10, I would. Still, since it's here, I'll make the best of it as I can. It doesn't really matter, because when I build my next computer, I'll have to buy a new copy. So they're going to get me either way.

TL;DR:
Windows 10 beta? 9 out of 10.
Windows 10 release? 6.5 out of 10.
 
Even MS does not have the resources to send everything you do to them.

If they did you would not have to use the reproduce option to log what you did to cause a program error when you opt to.

They do reserve the right to see things that you do with online services(outlook,onedrive,ect). Also they clearly need to know what you type or say in Cortana to perform web searches. They do strangely at least in the insider builds log that you start a search(but not what is typed when search the web is OFF).

I am not saying this is a good thing. I am just saying it may not be as bad as some users think it is.

I DO agree that the updates resetting things does suck(even more so since I have many registry edits that require permission changes). I think they are trying to avoid conflicts with old settings. This kind of thing has happened in the past.
 


Yes, driver updates can come with regular Windows updates.
However....I have that turned off, specifically. If I need a driver update, I'd rather go get that myself, direct from the manufacturer.

Microsoft pushing Windows updates? Sure.
Microsoft pushing Nvidia or AMD updates? Not so much.
 


If having trouble finding device updates area follow this: http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2763685/stop-windows-automatically-updating-device-drivers.html

@ LotusTeaDragon, regarding the upgrade Win10 notification, can avoid it with a little google search finding the few Microsoft updates involved and choose to hide them. That will stop Win10 from popping up and also avoid similar Win10 privacy issues Microsoft wants to push onto 7&8/8.1 as well.
 
I like W/10, having upgraded from W/9x to XP to W/8 to W/10, all with much customization. As i keep my data files and even folders (with shortcuts to programs) on another partition, then it makes it easier to upgrade. After upgrading to W/8 from XP (for 29.00 w/ NewEgg rebate card) I found<a href="http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/ "> Classic Shell </a>, which I find is an improvement even in W10.

One of the first things I do with an upgrade is to set Windows View to Details (though that will not carry over to all folder types even if you choose Apply to.. in FolderOptions).

Change the Win key +E shortcut to launch File (Windows) Explorer), not Quick Access. (Run: control.exe /name Microsoft.FolderOptions)

While there, choose to show everything and hide nothing.

Add the buried Quick Launch (%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch) to the Task bar (actually i have my own Quick Launch folder on another partition which i add instead)

Make shortcuts to the Send To (%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo ) folder, and place one in it, so i can send other shortcuts to it, like to the Quick Launch folder. And make shortcuts to Start up folders (Main one is in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp), and to others, which are placed in the Quick Launch if not there already. The hidden Libraries folder is in %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries

Copy many profile folders from my old Windows user folder (which if you installed over a previous Windows Hard Drive, should be in your C drive marked Windows.old) into my new user folder %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming

Install Firefox with multiple profiles, which profiles were on another partition, and changed the shortcut to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p

Turn off Indexing, and Cortana (if not done during install).

Turn off Hibernation so Sleep with actually sleep, not hibernate, but executing powercfg -h off in Command Propt (Windows key + x). My shortcut key for Sleep: C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState 0,1,0 And which i hot keyed to Ctrl+Alt+z, which in turn was remapped to ScrollLock via AutoHotKey.

Install <a href="http://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK ">DesktopOK </a> (saves desktop layouts), Unlocker, Agent Ransack. Win Patrol, Phone Try Free, Process Hacker, Win32Pad, Apache Office, among many other free programs.

Among many other changes you can make, thank God.

What i look for is a OS that has at least all of the following capabilities (not in order of importance), in addition to what most can do:

1. A Start/ App menu with icons that you can r. click and easily find the source, choose as default app, easily make hots keys for, and copy the address (missing in some Linux distros).

2. A quick (W/9x W/Exolorer actually was faster loading) window manager that allows tabbed browsing, with multiple rows, dragging tabs, different colored tabs, changing tab size, bookmarks, saving sessions, and find text, in other words, do what Firefox/PaleMoon/Waterfox web browsers can do, with extensions.

3. Also, a window manager the provides folder sizes as an option (like Folder Size) a compact but customizable (like QTtabBar ) navigable single pane view with details of file types, date, size, versus large playground icons, and does not hide files.

4. Likewise enables customizing individual Taskbar buttons.

5. A clock with seconds, plus cpu and available ram stats (stacked), and alarms, calendars, and other useful right click options (like T-Clock )

6. That will never exclude one from having full permissions (root) without having to engage in learning coding (Ubuntu locks the hood in your own car).

7. Has a hot keyed extensive inclusive systems and configuration menu.

8. The ability to add multiple functions to r. click menus, like <a href="http://www.thewindowsclub.com/right-click-context-menu-extender-for-windows-7-released ">Right Click Extender </a> can.

9. A much improved speech to text program (I have used the Windows version in W/8)), that enables you to make whatever custom commands you choose to execute whatever functions your choose (you provide the address or scripts, etc), and uses your own documents to read from learn how to recognize your voice. (Linux is far behind on this, which has much potential).

10. Can remap keys easily, like CapsLock to ctrl+c (which <a href="http://www.autohotkey.com/ ">AutoHotKey </a> enables, but hard to find for Linux)

11. Enables extensive customization of windows borders, title bars, tool tips, etc. like in XP (which level is missing in W/8/10)
 


Thank you! I'll have to keep it in mind if I install Windows 7, which to be honest I'm loathe to do because I've already installed an OS 3 times this month, and may wait a long while before going through that drudgery again. The installation process isn't long, but getting everything the way I like it, and my files and programs in their proper place, takes hours and it can get mind numbing after a while.

Did you ever have one of those days where you know you should do something, but even thinking about it exhausts you? I've been having one of those weeks. 😛
 


Yes, that is something i addressed in Windows Feedback, as did many others.

Windows 10 crashed on my system a little over a week ago. Took down everything, so I had to reinstall all of it.

(turns out Windows 10 hates dual boots, at least on my PC, so bye bye Linux *sigh*), I would give Windows 10 a 6.5/10. It's okay, but there is great room for improvement. If I could go back to Windows 7 without having to reinstall everything (again), and without being harassed to update to Windows 10, I would.
Click to expand...

What i usually do is to unplug the Windows HD and install a second OS on a different HD. Then plug the Windows HD back in, and use (on this Dell 780) the F12 key during POST to bring up a boot menu, and choose which drive to boot from. Only drawback is that W/10 cannot natively read Linux, but which i rarely use.

Your need to reinstall could be due to a failing HD.

 
decided to give win10 another try... so far so good... i cant stand all the automatizations though. i got used to do some stuff before i can use something... now it feels like i did nothing and the devices are ready to use... weird feeling
 

I'm fairly certain the HDD is fine. Granted that even at 6 months a drive can fail (if it's defective), but there are no other signs of HDD failure. Plus, I tracked it back to Windows deciding that my 1 TB secondary drive would be perfect for Windows 10, and I didn't catch it. So that's partly on me for not paying enough attention.

I do hope there are some themes coming for Windows 10. I know with Linux Mint I could make it look like Windows 7, and did. It looked gorgeous (IMO). Hopefully someone will come up with a nice Win7 theme, as I still think 7 looked the best.
 
I love my Windows 10. Aside from the HORRIBLE bug which makes me unable to update to build 1511, I love it. I'm an early adopter, since I have installed it on my PC 2 days after launch.
Memory management is MUCH better in Windows 10, and I also like the new look.
It also feels smoother...
 
Windows 10 is terrible, like in inside and outside. It keep freezing for me and its half-baked. Display is not so bad but its so hard to acces something, to start search thingy in taskbar i have to wait about 2-3 secs which is long and once it bugged and i couldnt even open it and start menu. I degraded as fast as i could, maybe ill upgrade to 10 again after microsoft fix it, but still....
 
Win10 reliability varies from machine to machine it seems and I'd put my finger on somewhere between the following making Win10 not running so well given you meet the requirements and nothing is physically wrong with your PC :)

1: No manufacturer specific drivers (Win10 versions) relying on Windows device update
2: Who's to know how reliable Windows device drivers are? Could be before or after you get a good driver, how would you know?
3: If system is stable, people aren't turning off automatic device updates
4: If system is unstable, people aren't turning on automatic device updates
5: After Win10 upgrade, haven't done a Reset or Fresh install
 
In all fairness, my system is old. It's about 8 years old, was mid-range when I got it, which is why I'm building my next one. I got a great deal and thought "hey, cheap and already built, what could go wrong?" and the answer was nothing went wrong, for the first 5 years, but at this point it's beyond any more significant upgradeability, which is the trap of buying pre-made.
 


8 years...you got your money's worth out of it.
 


Yep. I definitely got my money out of it.

I want to build a new system, but it just so happens at the moment I am at a significant economic disadvantage (poor as dirt), and so I'm having to make my old hardware stretch as far as it can. I'm worried that at any given moment, I'll hear something give out, and that will be it. I have to be honest, though, you're right, this little HP has been very reliable these 8 years. I was hoping Windows 10 would breathe new life into it, and it does. I just wish the little things could be resolved, and I'm sure they will, but dealing with it in the meantime is frustrating.
 
I, on the other hand, can't say that I got my money's worth out of my own system(Acer Aspire IE3460). It's seven and a half years old now, and stutters when playing H.264 videos on VLC in Linux.
When I first got the system, I got a prebuilt system, which I should have checked when I bought it. It came with a Core 2 Duo, and I was fascinated as what I thought the fastest of that time were the P4's.
Unfortunately, the CPU I got was the Allendale, and the motherboard was one of the 945G chipset, which is an old chipset designed to support newer 775 based P4's and entry level C2D's(65nm). Needless to say, the CPU was the second fastest of its series, but the chipset didn't support the 45nm Wolfdales, so I was stranded with it. To add insult to injury, I learnt 3 years later that the particular motherboard I bought only supported 2x1GB RAM(as opposed to 2x2GB for competing motherboards) sticks. Fortunately, the PSU was a 250W Delta which ran a Geforce 210 and lasted till 2013 when I got a new CX430 and a GTX 650.

I'm not making that mistake again(or maybe I am, but I won't probably feel the bite as much): now I'm getting a i5 4690K, a Asus Z97-A motherboard and 16GB of G.Skill Ares series RAM(I want to currently stick to Windows 7, so I want compatibility with it).
 


Ouch, I sympathize! Then again, it's hard to know what will succeed and what will fail.

My HP has an AMD Athlon X2 64 bit (2.5Ghz) processor in it, though my motherboard only goes up to 4 GB (2x2), which is hampering any future upgrades. I bought what I considered a nice video card in 2009, an ATI Radeon HD 4670 X2 1GB, and it has worked like a champ, even now. I can still play more recent games, up to about 2013 or so (thanks to the Xbox 360 and tablet gaming!), without it giving me major issues. It was when I saw some of the modern system requirements for games where my little mind just went up in smoke. Windows 10 fooled me into thinking my system could stay current, boy was I wrong on that. lol


 
I want to add a correction. Competing motherboards went upto 1GB, but had 4 slots, even with the same 945G chipset. I actually remember trying to fit 2 sticks in one slot, thinking it held two sticks. As a rookie, it took me time to realize that they were in fact two slots, not 4.


Thanks. People are still using four year old 2500K's pretty comfortably, so I am inclined to think the 4690K won't let me down for atleast the next three years. And the Z97-A could hold another set of 8GB sticks, so no problem there either.

Actually, now I am beginning to think that after the PSU, the component someone shouldn't cheap out on is the motherboard. Unfortunately, local shops don't have high end motherboards in Nagpur. All you'll find are H61's and H81's, fortunately from Asus.
Funnily I also found some G41 based locally made boards.
 


Turns out it's actually good for using as a HTPC when using an old Geforce 210. Good thing that that card is still good for something at least.
I was getting MASSIVE stuttering and high CPU usage with the integrated GMA 950.
 
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