Are you upgrading to Windows 10?

[sidecross]

I tried too. First Microsoft gave my personal info to Skype. I never had a skype account and as soon as the w10 installation was over I got emails confirming my new skype account (that I don't want) and it has info it got from my Microsoft account.

I really, REALLY do not like Microsoft sharing my private info with some other company. Not just my email addy but name and other things only Microsoft knows.

Next I don't like that it created a mail app identity on its own. I use my gmail addy as Microsoft id. It put this id in the mail app but it cannot sync because it won't let me change the settings to a gmail account. You can create another gmail account but cannot get rid of the one microsoft creates for you. Of course you can delete the mail app or just ignore it but it is an annoying bug.

I'm back on 8.1

https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28...r-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/

 

[davesc]

It's an interesting bunch of people here. And I thought I was one of a few. I upgraded to 10 from 7 when it first came out. I have three computers running 7 and thought would give one a try with Win 10. Right away, I had problems with some of the drivers. I did not like the layout and spent some time learning to change things around. My browser had some problems, also. Background colors, etc. I hate Edge. After awhile, I threw up my hands and said, "It's not worth it".

I really do like Win 7 and am efficient and comfortable with it. I rolled the upgraded computer back to 7. I did not like what I saw using 10. If I wanted my computer to look like a smart phone, I would just use a smart phone. To me a program is a program and not an app.

Win 7 will be supported until 2020. By then, my computers will be old and junk. And I will go to Apple.

 

[jabe1]

I have been using 7pro for a few years now. Upgraded to it from 2000 pro, which I loved. Very configurable.

I will avoid win10 for as long as I hear that it "phones home". Google and Amazon already are pretty knowledgeable regarding my habits, I don't want another one too.

Haven't used internet exploder in a decade and a half, and have been using Libre since it first came out as Open Office.

I find it preferable to use programs from the smaller companies.

 

[sidecross]

It is one reason Microsoft made Windows 10 free; they felt they would make up more revenue selling the information Window 10 collects of the user then by selling Windows 10.

There is no free lunch.

I am now more careful about what I write on any computer connected to the internet.

 

[recDNA]

It is one reason Microsoft made Windows 10 free; they felt they would make up more revenue selling the information Window 10 collects of the user then by selling Windows 10.

There is no free lunch.

I am now more careful about what I write on any computer connected to the internet.

Is there any way to use the computer WITHOUT logging in to my windows microsoft account in Windows 10?

 

[Kestrel]

If anybody wants to 'protect' their Windows system from an automatic Win10 "upgrade", I have been using GWX for the past ~6 weeks or so and it seems to work quite well.
http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

[...] http://blog.ultimateoutsider.com/2015/08/using-gwx-stopper-to-permanently-remove.html

One aspect of the above is that since Windows 7 & 8 can secretly download the (multi-GB) Win 10 installation files without any approvals, the above freeware not only notifies me at what point of the process this is in but gives me the option of eliminating what has been downloaded so far.

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

You can just use a local account login. You don't need to create a microsoft account if you don't want to. There is also a third party program that disables windows tracking (in addition to the settings you can access yourself in windows, which are frankly convoluted, and I wouldn't expect a basic user to go into).

There have been some annoyances with windows 10, but for the most part I'm fairly happy with it. The latest was the fact that an update that changed settings requiring a sign in on startup, or on wakeup from sleep. The thing is, I don't need that on my personal pc, that stays at home. In order to get rid of the sign on, had to create a password, only then I could disable the setting. That was quite stupid.

Aside from that, had some minor issues with games, and drivers, but have been able to resolve those very quickly. Only exception to this was with drivers for my soundcard, and that took some work, but surprisingly windows did release an update for those drivers as well.

MS is interested to migrating everyone to W10, because it will be their last OS. In the future we'll have service pack updates, and I'm sure paid addons, as well as subscription based options. It's also worth noting, that if you're sticking with windows 7 or 8, and you have installed all the updates MS put out... well, you installed all the tracking too.

 

[Borad]

It will be interesting to see what comes after this "last" Windows OS. Because I don't believe it will be the last. There's too much very different stuff that will happen with computers in the next 20+ years and Microsoft won't waste the opportunity to show that their next version of Windows is something special. There's good reason that food packaging changes now and then with no change to the product, as do product names.

 

[sidecross]

It will be interesting to see what comes after this "last" Windows OS. Because I don't believe it will be the last. There's too much very different stuff that will happen with computers in the next 20+ years and Microsoft won't waste the opportunity to show that their next version of Windows is something special. There's good reason that food packaging changes now and then with no change to the product, as do product names.

There will be changes, but they will be like Windows 10 in that they will be probably be in the form of up dates to be downloaded after the usual box to check that 'you agree'.

Our personal computer for most people will just be a terminal with most of the content be stored and sent from a 'Cloud'. Government will soon have control of encryption via a back door key.

In the name of 'National Security' most nations, if not all, will have access to data stored on mainframe computers.

 

[recDNA]

You can just use a local account login. You don't need to create a microsoft account if you don't want to. There is also a third party program that disables windows tracking (in addition to the settings you can access yourself in windows, which are frankly convoluted, and I wouldn't expect a basic user to go into).

There have been some annoyances with windows 10, but for the most part I'm fairly happy with it. The latest was the fact that an update that changed settings requiring a sign in on startup, or on wakeup from sleep. The thing is, I don't need that on my personal pc, that stays at home. In order to get rid of the sign on, had to create a password, only then I could disable the setting. That was quite stupid.

Aside from that, had some minor issues with games, and drivers, but have been able to resolve those very quickly. Only exception to this was with drivers for my soundcard, and that took some work, but surprisingly windows did release an update for those drivers as well.

MS is interested to migrating everyone to W10, because it will be their last OS. In the future we'll have service pack updates, and I'm sure paid addons, as well as subscription based options. It's also worth noting, that if you're sticking with windows 7 or 8, and you have installed all the updates MS put out... well, you installed all the tracking too.

Could you tell me how to do a local account log in?

Never mind. I found directions but I would lose desktop settings shortcuts and some files might not open without signing in? NG

 

[Borad]

My time to go back to Windows 7 expired. I was going to do it today.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Did it expire yesterday? If so, I would contact Microsoft. It seems that they should make allowances for a one day grace period, although that's' just my opinion.

 

[Borad]

Probably earlier. The last straw was my printer not working with my re-manufactured ink cartridges, but I'm not sure I'd be able to revert to a version of printer software that worked like it used to. I get a notification that the color cartridge is out of ink, and it probably is, but when I used HP cartridges with Windows 7, I was able to print with no color ink left.

 

[Stream]

Netflix - It is too bad that Netflix will not run under Linux Mint - or has someone found a work around that does not involve wine?

You can watch Netflix in Chrome. If you don't like Chrome (who does?), then I believe you can watch it in Chromium if you install chromium-widevine. Just do a repository search for it. I think there's also something you can install for Firefox, but I forgot what it's called.

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Could you tell me how to do a local account log in?

Never mind. I found directions but I would lose desktop settings shortcuts and some files might not open without signing in? NG

That hasn't been my experience. I mean I already had a local account setup initially, right on install (and I did a clean install after the upgrade - which eliminated a TON of issues btw). After updates 1-2 weeks back all of a sudden I would end up on the sign in screen, even though I didn't have a password setup. Just need to click ok, but I'm a pretty impatient person with technology. For me the setting to bypass the screens was grayed out until after I put in a password.

As far as I know, you can't really have an install of windows 10 WITHOUT somekind of local account - if you named your pc, you already had one. Or even if you didn't one would still be assigned. So not sure why any setting would be lost, or files won't open.

Largest annoyance left for me, error messages when I open games, which I just have to ignore.

 

[recDNA]

That hasn't been my experience. I mean I already had a local account setup initially, right on install (and I did a clean install after the upgrade - which eliminated a TON of issues btw). After updates 1-2 weeks back all of a sudden I would end up on the sign in screen, even though I didn't have a password setup. Just need to click ok, but I'm a pretty impatient person with technology. For me the setting to bypass the screens was grayed out until after I put in a password.

As far as I know, you can't really have an install of windows 10 WITHOUT somekind of local account - if you named your pc, you already had one. Or even if you didn't one would still be assigned. So not sure why any setting would be lost, or files won't open.

Largest annoyance left for me, error messages when I open games, which I just have to ignore.

My "local account" is my Microsoft account. I wanted to divorce myself from microsoft however I do like the mail app so that kind of kills the local account idea. My best bet is to stick to 8.1 but the incessant remjnders drive me crazy. There are downloads to get rid of it but I have learned to never trust freeware no matter how good the reviews are.

 

[bykfixer]

Nope!

Sticking with 7.

 

[Cyclops942]

Just check all your 'Plug-ins' and other devices such as printers work with Window 10 before the end of 30 days.

Everything works the same as it did under Windows 8.1... this is a recently-acquired netbook that was never intended to have much to do other than surf the web, print a few things, and play a few light games, so my expectations have always been pretty low. The main reason for upgrading to Win10 was the near-constant BSODs (Blue Screens Of Death) under Win8.1, and that seems to be okay now (well... so long as I don't tax the wimpy, unable-to-be-upgraded 2GB of RAM, anyway).

 

[bjt3833]

What netbook do you have that can't upgrade the ram? I didn't know those even existed.

Everything works the same as it did under Windows 8.1... this is a recently-acquired netbook that was never intended to have much to do other than surf the web, print a few things, and play a few light games, so my expectations have always been pretty low. The main reason for upgrading to Win10 was the near-constant BSODs (Blue Screens Of Death) under Win8.1, and that seems to be okay now (well... so long as I don't tax the wimpy, unable-to-be-upgraded 2GB of RAM, anyway).

 

[dc38]

Netbook or chromebook