[solvegas]

Well, I've done the deed and I've installed Windows 10. Funny how they changed the look to be more like XP or Windows 7. When I got this machine a couple of years ago it had Windows 8. I hated it. As soon as I was able to get 8.1, I did. I waited for this installation for a few months so they can work some of the bugs out. Went to my brother's house this Christmas and his machine uses Windows 10. I liked it more than 8.1 and so today I installed Windows 10. I hope it becomes like XP which was a good operating system especially for my simple needs. Crossing my fingers.

[rtpoe]

In addition to the "spying", here's what else Windows 10 does:

Treats your computer as a torrent hub. Essentially, your PC is used by Microsoft to host its software:

"Microsoft’s new desktop operating system has employed a torrent-style approach to sharing updates with your fellow Windows 10 users.

The OS employs a system of sharing updates between users’ PCs and across their own networks rather than download direct from Microsoft. The system is called Windows Update Delivery Optimisation, or WUDO.

The system has been switched on by default and can only be turned off by digging into advanced options under Windows Update, diving deep in update and then poking about in security and settings."

Microsoft's Windows 10 Torrent-U-Like updates GULP DOWN your precious bandwidth

Uninstalls other software, seemingly at random:

"According to reports on the Internet, Speccy is not the only program affected by this. Others report that programs like CPU-Z, AMD Catalyst Control Center or CPUID were removed as well during the upgrade. AMD's Catalyst Control Center needs to be mentioned specifically as it is a core program for Radeon users allowing them to control various video card settings directly from within the operating system. It is unclear which versions of the programs are removed by the upgrade, and if there are versions that are not removed.

Then, all reports indicate that the forcefully uninstalled software would install and run fine on the system without issues. This makes it more likely that a bug caused the issue and that it was not a deliberate action programmed into the update.

The outlook is even worse. Who in their right mind would install an operating system that might remove installed software -- maybe even paid for software or critical software -- without user interaction or consent, especially if it turns out later that the software works just fine on the system?"

Beware, latest Windows 10 Update may remove programs automatically

And even if you turn off the "spying" settings, it's still watching you:

"Other traffic looks a little more troublesome. Windows 10 will periodically send data to a Microsoft server named ssw.live.com. This server seems to be used for OneDrive and some other Microsoft services. Windows 10 seems to transmit information to the server even when OneDrive is disabled and logins are using a local account that isn't connected to a Microsoft Account. The exact nature of the information being sent isn't clear—it appears to be referencing telemetry settings—and again, it's not clear why any data is being sent at all."

Even when told not to, Windows 10 just can’t stop talking to Microsoft

(emphasis mine in all cases)

[Palomine]

I've got Windows 7 on a couple little-used machines at home (one of which I boot into Ubuntu Linux via a USB flashkey but I've left the original Win install alone so I can run a few Win-only utilities like counterfeit memory card checkers, etc...) and on my work laptop, which must run Windows  in order to run some custom software. They all have that little Windows icon now appearing in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, prompting the upgrade to Windows 10 while it's still free.

Of the three machines, the one I use most is the work laptop and it more-or-less runs OK as-is: Windows 7 contains a lot of foolishness that I've detailed in another thread, but I can do my work with it (even if that damn "want to upgrade Java?" reminder comes up and interrupts my work almost daily no matter that I turned off all the upgrade reminder settings) so there's no point in rocking the boat.

I didn't upgrade any of these three machines to Windows 8 of course, and I won't be upgrading any of them to Windows 10 either, free or not.

[TheZookie007]

I've got Windows 7 on a couple little-used machines at home (one of which I boot into Ubuntu Linux via a USB flashkey but I've left the original Win install alone so I can run a few Win-only utilities like counterfeit memory card checkers, etc...) and on my work laptop, which must run Windows  in order to run some custom software. They all have that little Windows icon now appearing in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, prompting the upgrade to Windows 10 while it's still free.

To turn that nonsense off for good:

TechJourney: "Disable & Remove Get Windows 10 Upgrade Reservation Notification & System Tray Icon"

[rtpoe]

So, with two months to go on the "free upgrade" thing.....

Have there been answers and solutions to all the problems critics have noted?

The beta testing phase should be nearly over by now.

[TheZookie007]

So, with two months to go on the "free upgrade" thing.....

Have there been answers and solutions to all the problems critics have noted?

The beta testing phase should be nearly over by now.

The thing is, the problems have gotten even worse. Now Windows 10 has changed the nature of the close button on the popup prompting you to upgrade to Win10: instead of closing the window and stopping the upgrade, the upgrade actually continues in the background, without your consent. Horrible.

Here's some ways to stop the Windows 10 spyware update from occurring:

• TWiT, May 2016: "Fight Windows 10 'Upgradegate' with Gibson Research's Never10"
• Barnacules Nerdgasm, May 2016: "Forced Microsoft Windows 10 Upgrade Explained - Why?"
• Barnacules Nerdgasm, Nov. 2015: "Disable Windows 10 Spying - Privacy & Security"

[rtpoe]

I was considering doing the upgrade, but now that MS made the tactical mistake of **77** it on us, I'll be damned if I'm going to let them take over my computer.

NEVER 10 - http://www.grc.com/never10.htm

[TheZookie007]

I was considering doing the upgrade, but now that MS made the tactical mistake of **77** it on us, I'll be damned if I'm going to let them take over my computer.

NEVER 10 - http://www.grc.com/never10.htm

Damn right.

And what's worse about this whole thing is that, overall, Win10 is a good OS. If I ever were to get a Surface Pro 4, I'd use it. But this attitude of "you're gonna get this, whether you like it or not" is truly unnecessary.

[Hiram]

But this attitude of "you're gonna get this, whether you like it or not" is truly unnecessary.

Smacks of desperation in my view. They need to get as many people on W10 for the subtle data they're recovering from each user. This is how MS will make money going forward.

[TheZookie007]

Smacks of desperation in my view. They need to get as many people on W10 for the subtle data they're recovering from each user. This is how MS will make money going forward.

Yes. Evil and desperate.

[rtpoe]

Another user finds another reason to hate W10:

"A problem I've found with troubleshooting Windows 10 (which I've had to do many times in the past several months) is that it has fewer different "symptoms" for many different problems. So a billion people will post nearly identical symptoms to the internet, each of which is given about twenty million different diagnoses, and there's no way to search for my problem without returning every one of those results, and getting the common "solutions" that invariably don't work for me, nineteen million times. So it becomes a matter of poring over a billion Google results and trying every "solution" to everything even vaguely related to my problem... Alternating with periods of curling up in a ball and crying in frustration, and stomping around cursing until my neighbors think (or confirm) I'm crazy."

[TheZookie007]

When the cure is worse than the disease...ugh.

[MaxBigfoot]

I agree with all the naysayers about Win10.  I'm on Win7, and I'll stay on Win7 until I'm forced to change.  Hell, if I had my druthers, I'd love to go back to XP.

[Nimrod]

Reading this whole thread is interesting for me. About every other post had me thinking to myself...
"Oh, that is just like Apple."
"Oh, that is just like Apple."
etc.

All I can say about Windows 10 is that it did three core things to our computer I like (having been Win 7)

1) It made the whole system, home network, connections, etc. just run better, easier to set up and check.
2) I really like the improved searching, ability to adjust settings, make the system customized.
3) Stability - YES, I have been using Win 10 from almost the start and have only had to reboot 1 time!

I have worked on most of the major OS out there by now and have to say that they each have their pros and cons.
For the type of things I want to do on a computer, Windows simply fits my approach to computing the best.

I recently started working on a brand new Apple Desktop (Mac Pro) with OS X and find the whole experience a bit frustrating and it reminds me again why I do not like Apple's approach to basic user / computer interaction. Also, in the span of 2 months I have had the Apple machine crash 4 times or about x24 worse than my Win 10 machine.

[TheZookie007]

My reason for being on a Mac is so that I can install VirtualBox and run Linux (or any other OS) on it. I spend 15% of my time these days on Windows 7, 55% on Linux (via VM) and 30% on OS X. Here is yet another reason why I will never install Windows 10 on any of my machines.

"Microsoft Windows 10 has a keylogger enabled by default – here’s how to disable it"