Window 10 Update

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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I upgraded to 10 a couple of days ago
Went of smoothly
Audio wise I don't see any reason to upgrade or not to upgrade.

Except of course when you have a TP driver for your DAC.
Do check if it is Win10 compliant otherwise it is probably silence.

Just finished the Win 10 update. Took exactly one hour and no apparent hiccups.

Those are excellent news, Vincent and John.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
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I have been to hell and back over this :(. After I post my last message, I decided to use a third-party tool to increase the size of the (hidden) boot partition. Bad, bad idea. It did its thing, rebooted the machine and the error "NFTS error" flashed for a second. The system then got stuck in an infinite loop of Blue-screen of death! THankfully I had a year old version of my boot SSD and powered up using that. Unfortunately, a test of my 1 Terabyte SSD that I was using for it to be corrupt!!! And I don't mean a little. I mean the file system was screwed up and screwed up bad. Two days of messing with it enabled me to make it functional so that I could take my files off of it. But I still cannot get it to boot.

What a pain it is to go back to my boot system from a year ago. None of my site passwords were valid anymore. Some of my newer programs not installed. Total mess.

Meanwhile as I search to see how I can restore this disc, I see that people are saying Windows 10 immediately faults on my system (HP Zbook 14) anyway. This machine has dual graphics controllers, an Intel and Nvidia. Windows 10 has a driver for Intel controller but not Nvidia! And neither does HP!!! That results in an immediate crash and blue-screen just the same!

Now, these are corner problems but sad that I got pulled into the mess, winding up with half functional computer.
 

Orb

New Member
Sep 8, 2010
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....

Meanwhile as I search to see how I can restore this disc, I see that people are saying Windows 10 immediately faults on my system (HP Zbook 14) anyway. This machine has dual graphics controllers, an Intel and Nvidia. Windows 10 has a driver for Intel controller but not Nvidia! And neither does HP!!! That results in an immediate crash and blue-screen just the same!

Now, these are corner problems but sad that I got pulled into the mess, winding up with half functional computer.
With Windows10 now doing driver updates that are forced to a specific version it is barmy, may remember my post a little back about how drivers is a biiiiig headache now with Windows10.
Preferred it when we could do all of that outside of the OS, and then not worry about the OS then trying to update them itself.
Another big issue IMO, why the eff have they implemented P2P OS updates as an option, if I was a hacker I would be seriously looking at a combination of attacks including the use of that on its own or in a multi-stage attack.
Some stupid back end ideas in Win10 at the moment, IMO of course :)
Cheers
Orb
 

Barry2013

VIP/Donor
Oct 12, 2013
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Commiserations Amir,
Sounds horrendous.
Makes you wonder how something like that could happen without any warning to HP users.
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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I guess I'm lucky in that I'm no longer a power user, nor do I have much concern about the music on my laptop, since I only listen to it sporadically.
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
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580
Boston, MA
I have been to hell and back over this :(. After I post my last message, I decided to use a third-party tool to increase the size of the (hidden) boot partition. Bad, bad idea. It did its thing, rebooted the machine and the error "NFTS error" flashed for a second. The system then got stuck in an infinite loop of Blue-screen of death! THankfully I had a year old version of my boot SSD and powered up using that. Unfortunately, a test of my 1 Terabyte SSD that I was using for it to be corrupt!!! And I don't mean a little. I mean the file system was screwed up and screwed up bad. Two days of messing with it enabled me to make it functional so that I could take my files off of it. But I still cannot get it to boot.

What a pain it is to go back to my boot system from a year ago. None of my site passwords were valid anymore. Some of my newer programs not installed. Total mess.

Meanwhile as I search to see how I can restore this disc, I see that people are saying Windows 10 immediately faults on my system (HP Zbook 14) anyway. This machine has dual graphics controllers, an Intel and Nvidia. Windows 10 has a driver for Intel controller but not Nvidia! And neither does HP!!! That results in an immediate crash and blue-screen just the same!

Now, these are corner problems but sad that I got pulled into the mess, winding up with half functional computer.

I use http://clonezilla.org/ or Acronis True Image to take full images of the drives. I think they would have saved you all this hassle, and they have saved me in a number of occasions - very techie tools to use, but should be easy for you.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
I use http://clonezilla.org/ or Acronis True Image to take full images of the drives. I think they would have saved you all this hassle, and they have saved me in a number of occasions - very techie tools to use, but should be easy for you.
I have always used Acronis too and I think that is how I originally cloned my SSD. For some strange reason, they all create small reserved partitions which works for that OS but fails to allow a) Windows back up to work and b) OS upgrades this way.

The tool I used is Partition Magic's Mini Partition Tool. I have since used it to do a bunch of stuff and is very reliable. Not sure how it managed to screw things up so badly the first time.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
Commiserations Amir,
Sounds horrendous.
Makes you wonder how something like that could happen without any warning to HP users.
It is stunning because HP, Dell, etc. all have employees literally on Microsoft campus and nearby offices to make sure such things don't happen. This is a $2,200 "workstation" laptop targeted toward professionals who use their computers for CAD/design. And the machine is 100% corporate style instead of consumer. You would think this would be the first system they would test with to make sure it works. Yet they are sitting there still without even a driver for the second GPU that allows the system to boot.
 

es347

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Apr 20, 2010
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Midwest fly over state..
I looked this up. Obama is a Mac person as that is how his campaign was run. I found no other information on the rest of the people you list although if I were to bet, I would say Buffet would be inclined to use Windows given his strong friendship with Bill Gates.

..you looked it up? Really? I couldn't give a healthy dump what OS BHO runs or any of the other dudes mentioned...sheesh
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
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0
Seattle, WA
..you looked it up? Really? I couldn't give a healthy dump what OS BHO runs or any of the other dudes mentioned...sheesh
I didn't do it for myself. Question was asked and I hate unanswered questions :). So I went at it. There were ton a of hits on Obama so clearly there is interest from many....
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
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Boston, MA
I have always used Acronis too and I think that is how I originally cloned my SSD. For some strange reason, they all create small reserved partitions which works for that OS but fails to allow a) Windows back up to work and b) OS upgrades this way.

The tool I used is Partition Magic's Mini Partition Tool. I have since used it to do a bunch of stuff and is very reliable. Not sure how it managed to screw things up so badly the first time.

Hmm, have you tried the EaseUS Partition Master? They claim many G2000 companies and I have found it to be flawless, but then again... http://www.easeus.com/ppc/partition-manager/partition-magic.html?gclid=CIOM--atpMcCFYOPHwodomwOTQ
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
Hmm, have you tried the EaseUS Partition Master? They claim many G2000 companies and I have found it to be flawless, but then again... http://www.easeus.com/ppc/partition-manager/partition-magic.html?gclid=CIOM--atpMcCFYOPHwodomwOTQ
No, I had not heard of that. Will look at it in the future.

Current problem is that I have all the partitions correct but Windows repair utility claims there is no OS on my Windows partition even though I see it clear as a day when I boot from my alternate drive and look at the suspect drive!

I am getting closer and closer to reinstalling the darn thing but I just hate to have to bring it up to date again....
 

Orb

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Sep 8, 2010
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Anyone else installed Win10 while using one of those 3rd party partition tools?
Cheers
Orb
 

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
I am going to share my own way of thinking based on my own experience and multiple readings @ several places, and then ask a simple question.
It's going to be very short and to the point.

Right now my PC is running Windows XP...I know I know...it's a lost cause and I don't use it anymore.
My laptop, about two years old, with Windows 8.1, crashed on me (Blue screen of death) about five-six times so far. For me this is normal as I am a daredevil.
Now, two years is very old in the world we live in, so I am thinking to get a new PC.

Question: Should I wait to buy one with Windows 10 installed, or save some money now and get an older one with say Windows 7 and then get a tech guy to install Windows 10 and with a warranty? ...If it's even possible.

I wouldn't ask this question if I had several PCs and laptops, but all my PCs are all way too old, and one laptop is all I really need, even when it dies because I always find a way to resurrect it.

My older IBM PC was the type the size of a CD player, I would love to find one like that again; 8GB RAM minimum, core i7 equivalent, SSD hard drive, quad-core 3.0 or + GHZ and fast, BD-R drive.
Windows 10 of course. ...I am a computer illiterate, as you probably figured it by now.

Sure, I can upgrade my laptop right now...but my confidence level is only @ approximately 90% .... it truly needs to be @ 100% or there is simply no go.
It's like that last truck I bought for ten grands (used) and within a year I added $20,000 in repairs.
Or that $500,000 I invested in solid companies, and a year after it was all gone!

And no I kid you not. But here we go now with Windows 10, the topic of this thread. I've read some good positive stories here and there and over there, and I've also read few "hiccups" shall we say.

I tend to trust a lot of people, and it didn't pay off in my life. It's not the world I thought it would be @ first.
And to be perfectly frank I know even less about PCs than people.
Amir here used to be a Microsoft guy, and we've read what he posted in this thread.
There's a guy @ another forum, who is highly skilled in all things computers related stuff, and he has just been banned!
And then there's another guy @ another different website, and had computers for the last 30 years or so...and he did a Windows 10 upgrade on one of his laptops (or PCs I cannot exactly remember), and he seems happy.

Some folks are better @ this than others, and I'm from the later group. ...If something is not working properly...audio or whatever...I might be in trouble for a much longer time than someone else with experience...as an example. ...100% most likely than not.

Hey, some people buy a watch that they never have to crank or replace a battery in order to make it work; it already was when they bought it and will always remain like that...no cranking, no batteries.
...And no upgrade either because time has hardly changed for the last few million years...seven days a week...twenty-four hours a day...and 365 days a year. ...And if it does, the watch simply upgrade itself.
 

Orb

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Sep 8, 2010
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Just read this recent-ish Service Agreement update from Microsoft, specifically 7b:
7. Updates to the Services or Software, and Changes to These Terms.
a. We may change these Terms at any time, and we’ll tell you when we do. Using the Services after the changes become effective means you agree to the new terms. If you don’t agree to the new terms, you must stop using the Services, close your Microsoft account and/or Skype account and, if you are a parent or guardian, help your minor child close his or her Microsoft account or Skype account.
b. Sometimes you’ll need software updates to keep using the Services. We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices. You may also be required to update the software to continue using the Services. Such updates are subject to these Terms unless other terms accompany the updates, in which case, those other terms apply. Microsoft isn’t obligated to make any updates available and we don’t guarantee that we will support the version of the system for which you licensed the software.

This should raise alarm bells because if they make a mistake and you use Windows 10 for Audio/video whether music files or potentially certain applications and hardware from what I read on the web it may also in future delete the content that is flagged (this is only a thought and depends how heavily Big Content lobbies), and who is to say definitively what unauthorised hardware peripheral devices should be (especially if eventually other interested 3rd parties get involved - looking at Big Content)...

Yeah a slight over-reaction by me, but that is because it gives Microsoft a lot of wriggle room that can come back and bit legitimate users in the future, who may have a more unusual or Audio-video niche setup.

Cheers
Orb
 
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Barry2013

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Hi Northstar.
I see where you are coming from as someone who is also not the greatest with IT but getting better with experience.
The safest option is obviously to buy a new one with Windows 10 already installed and from a maker with good tech support as part of the deal. I bought my Dell Inspiron 17R SE with premium support just under three years ago and it has been a great buy. The harddrive went about a month ago although I did not immediately realise that was the problem and I managed with their preinstalled software and website to get it back up. I then rang them to say the diagnostic test indicated there was a problem with the hard drive. They did an online check to confirm that at about 11am and at 9.15 the next day their technician arrived and installed a new hard drive. After installing Windows 10 with Lars help (see earlier post) I had a problem with Google earth which had disappeared, rang them and they sorted it with no problems. I really cannot speak too highly of their online tech support.
There must be some good deals around for new PCs with Windows 7 that include a free Windows 10 up grade which should not be difficult to install and provided the maker has good online tech support it should not be a problem.
Does the maker of your current PC offer any online support you could access to sort the current problems or could you find some good local tech guy who could sort it at your home?
Hope that helps!
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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Hi Bob.....I'd get a Win 10 machine and be done with it. I'll also give a shout out to DELL. My last 3 PC's have all been from Dell and I've had zero problems.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Just read this recent-ish Service Agreement update from Microsoft, specifically 7b:

This should raise alarm bells because if they make a mistake and you use Windows 10 for Audio/video whether music files or potentially certain applications and hardware from what I read on the web it may also in future delete the content that is flagged (this is only a thought and depends how heavily Big Content lobbies), and who is to say definitively what unauthorised hardware peripheral devices should be (especially if eventually other interested 3rd parties get involved - looking at Big Content)...

Yeah a slight over-reaction by me, but that is because it gives Microsoft a lot of wriggle room that can come back and bit legitimate users in the future, who may have a more unusual or Audio-video niche setup.

Cheers
Orb

In my above post I mentioned "trust" ...everything is about our level of trust. ...The trust we give and the trust we're getting back.
So what you just posted above is simply the way of life, tout a fait normal. ...The agreement is understandable and nobody is responsible but us.

Hi Northstar.
I see where you are coming from as someone who is also not the greatest with IT but getting better with experience.
The safest option is obviously to buy a new one with Windows 10 already installed and from a maker with good tech support as part of the deal. I bought my Dell Inspiron 17R SE with premium support just under three years ago and it has been a great buy. The harddrive went about a month ago although I did not immediately realise that was the problem and I managed with their preinstalled software and website to get it back up. I then rang them to say the diagnostic test indicated there was a problem with the hard drive. They did an online check to confirm that at about 11am and at 9.15 the next day their technician arrived and installed a new hard drive. After installing Windows 10 with Lars help (see earlier post) I had a problem with Google earth which had disappeared, rang them and they sorted it with no problems. I really cannot speak too highly of their online tech support.
There must be some good deals around for new PCs with Windows 7 that include a free Windows 10 up grade which should not be difficult to install and provided the maker has good online tech support it should not be a problem.
Does the maker of your current PC offer any online support you could access to sort the current problems or could you find some good local tech guy who could sort it at your home?
Hope that helps!

Hi Barry, my PC is an IBM ThinkCentre (Lenovo now). And my laptop is a Sony VAIO (gone now, as Sony exited the laptop market).
- The PC is dead...it is very old with only 0.5GB of RAM and 40GB of total memory. ...No resurrection possible...none.
- The laptop is cheap, and I won't upgrade it because I'm too afraid to really kill it for good...I'll wait till it dies on its own...with Windows 8.1 installed by a tech before.
{When I bought it it came with Windows 8.}

So IBM is dead, and Sony is also dead. No way to get support anymore.

You answered my question perfectly; get a new PC with Windows 10 already installed and under warranty and full support...Dell sounds like one of the most reliable companies, from what I've read around, with excellent support.

Hi Bob.....I'd get a Win 10 machine and be done with it. I'll also give a shout out to DELL. My last 3 PC's have all been from Dell and I've had zero problems.

John, I tend to agree with you, ...full steam. :b

- A new PC, yes.
- As for another laptop what I like is this: you can purchase a reconditioned one, business type with full metal jacket that used to be $2,000 brand new, but you can get for something like $300-500 now. ...And then get Windows 10 in it, with the help of someone.
Because a brand new laptop with Windows 10, an SSD Drive of say 250GB, an i7 core, 8 to 12GB (or 16) of RAM, with a Blu-ray drive, ...will cost @ least a thousand bucks (1080p).
And now they have 4K (UHD) screen's laptops, and a top business laptop will cost you in excess of three grands. ...Same for a PC limousine...and $5,000+.

I need no best, but I need no rest either. :b

A brand new Windows 10 PC with adequate requirements for my own personal use is roughly (I assume) $700-800. ...No screen (I don't need a screen).
But, I love those type that are small like a CD audio player, and not those ugly large boring boxes. ...Space is good in life, and the smaller the better...when it comes to PCs...I think.

As for a new laptop with my requirements, brand new, it's also about $800-900 ...maybe $100 less on sale.

For some folks this is peanuts; they wouldn't even consider. But they also work their business with them...so they go for the goods...$2,000 or so.
Today, for my own requirement as a retired gentleman who has no use for all the latest highest speeds in highway streams...I can get away with less.
But what I know less is this: Is it worth it to buy a second-hand laptop for say $400 and that three years ago or so was worth around $1,600 (metal) and with Windows 10 installed by the tech guy from that PC store? Or is it better to buy online when shopping for PCs and laptops?

* We could have a poll; how many people were satisfied with Windows 10 upgrade, and how many were not. ...Better than no poll @ all? :b
 

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