Windows 10 Announced - Released 29-Jul-2015

Same here.

@ mods,
Maybe we have to open a new thread (Windows 10 Anniversary Update).

 

Noticed the follows:
1. After upgrade the system restore (which was enabled prior to upgrade), found disabled. Enabled once again.
2. Edge: Too may bugs with Adblock/Adblock plus.

 

Good news for those of us with a fully legit copy of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com...it-pros-in-the-windows-10-anniversary-update/

 

That is a stable branch.

If Microsoft released an ESR branch of Windows 10 to consumers, a lot of people would be happy.

 

Great article here from Geeks To Go on how to tweak Win 10 to control auto Windows and driver updates: http://www.howtogeek.com/224471/how-to-prevent-windows-10-from-automatically-downloading-updates/ .

I use the "metered connection" trick since I connect to my router via a WAP to wireless USB adapter connection. Updates will be shown as "waiting to be downloaded." You can then download a .cab utility from here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3073930 that will allow you to hide any update you don't want to install.

 

Useless if you have Ethernet.

The point of a well-designed Windows is one shouldn't have to put a great deal of effort to tweak the most important features.

And I don't consider forced updates well-designed.

 

I don't if this has been posted previously. If so, please ignore.

You can still get the free Win 10 upgrade as follows by:

1. Go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/acc...30X911647Xa741815d626bd5dded6ddef8de4fe6e1)()

-or-

2.

Ref.: http://www.redmondpie.com/get-windows-10-free-upgrade-even-after-july-29-heres-how/

 

Sure you can upgrade to Windows 10.

I wouldn't consider it worth upgrading at $119 when it didn't have compelling killer features to upgrade when it was free.

 

Perhaps you missed the "free" ref. in my prior posting?

 

I haven't.

My take on Windows 10? Its a very ugly duckling... that could someday grow into a beautiful swan.

Microsoft has a vision of a cloud Windows. Its nowhere near as elegant and intuitive as Google Chrome OS.

Windows 10 is still an incoherent mess and isn't ready for prime time.

One day it will be though. Microsoft has a lot of work to do to make a Windows people will fall in love with.

I'm just not drawn to it in its present incarnation.

 

Seems Microsoft are going to close that loophole: http://betanews.com/2016/08/03/microsoft-to-close-free-windows-10-loophole/

Surprised they never thought of this before.

 

Yeah, I figured that the accessibility one would go first.

Bet that setting the system clock back to July 29, 2016 12:01 AM in the BIOS would still work. I do wonder if you would have to use one of the generic upgrade Win 10 activation keys though if you did this.

 

People who were resistant to upgrading when it was free are not going to shell out $119.

Microsoft should have made it permanently free but there's arrogance and the bet that people will pay anyway for what amounts to an unfinished beta product. Good luck with it.

Windows 10 on that account has nothing in common with earlier RTM Windows.

 

It's just better than earlier Windows versions. And it keeps getting better.

 

I liked Win 8 a lot, but there was a definite crescendo with Win 8.1, Win 10 and now the Anniversary update. For a company that is well known for its pay only business model, MS for once is offering a new OS for free. True Win 10 could be seen as a service pack to Win 8.1, nevertheless a positive move towards a different business model more in line with Google and Facebook. Not surprisingly, a lot of Wilders members see this new trend with cynicism, and perhaps a trade off with our privacy, only time will tell.

 

I firmly believe that no corporation in history has ever done anything truly benevolent if they believe it will compromise profit. Some will make seemingly benevolent decisions to engender a positive view of the company (securing future customers and thus future profits), some will make seemingly benevolent decisions in a moment THINKING it will engender a positive view of the company, some will make benevolent-on-the-surface-but-secretly-nefarious decisions to engender profits now due to some current event, and some will make benevolent decisions so they have a store of "good deeds" to defend themselves to a community, etc.. but none are truly benevolent. Corporations are not people- corporations by definition are concerned with profit. They do not feel- they are a machine that in many jurisdictions are by law required to pursue profit at any social expense in the interests of their shareholders. CEOs are only truly held liable in cases where they are involved with fraud (where the government can step in), or when they dont secure sufficient profits (where they will be ousted by their shareholders).

Microsoft has not proven to be even seemingly benevolent in the past, and certainly not recently with their "upgrade to 10 now or later but you will upgrade" shenanigans. Microsoft offering Windows 10 for free is not a benevolent decision- it is a decision made in the interest of profit. Users who are "cheap" are notoriously difficult to get buying a new OS for hardware they already own (E.g. Windows XP)- this was a way to move those users onto an OS where Microsoft has more control, and where they can target advertising via telemetry data. They plan to integrate small purchases as one prospective money-maker- "cheap" people are much more likely to drop $2 than $190, and so by getting them onto Windows 10, they open up that revenue source. They also plan to use the telemetry data for the purpose of selling information to third-party advertising networks, creating another revenue stream. And since they havent made Windows 10 free forever, they have still also secured the long-standing prospect of making money via OEM licenses, those users who find a need to upgrade to Windows 10 in the future for more esoteric reasons, and in maintaining vendor lock-in that has grown their proprietary software ecosystem inevitably making their products harder to avoid. They have even developed a subscription model for enterprise users to increase profits over time, AND they have relegated "windows 10 pro" to a neutered consumer version not capable of controlling telemetry/advertising to the extent of the enterprise version. You may argue on behalf of their OS having the majority of software available, you may argue on various technologies that Windows now incorporates, you may argue on its apparent simplicity, but you cannot argue on behalf of their corporate policy in terms of prospective benevolence with any certainty.

Microsoft is one of the most entrenched, ruthless, money-hungry and powerful tech corporations in the history of the world. I dont think even for one minute that the cynicism of Wilder's members is unwarranted...

 

My post was a positive statement regarding a clear improvement from Win 8 > Win 10 as far as operating systems are concerned, I've never said that the cynicism of Wilders members is unwarranted. To expect benevolence in MS, Google, Facebook and their ilk is tantamount to expect benevolence in capitalism, as you said the bottom line is always money... You do have choices though, don't upgrade, go with Apple, Linux... I know at least of one savvy Wilders member who still uses Win 98!

 

Good connection with capitalism- I see I was preaching to the choir I have been using Linux full-time since 07, so I know about other options.

I have windows basically only for esoteric software (forscan for example). Since I will not buy a windows license on principle, my current computer's windows install only had security support until 2020- upgrading to 10 turns that into 2025 which will likely outlast my hardware. As a bonus since I had 7 pro, I got bitlocker for the NTFS partition upon upgrading.

But considering what I pointed out above and what you point out, you better believe I have a backup of my windows 7 install and a windows 7 install cd ready to go

 

Has anyone heard from said? Last public activity on that account was over a year ago, if I'm reading it right.

 

Don't know alot about the particulars, but what i'm trying to understand is why microsoft would even think that an operating system which gathers private information from it's users would ever be accepted in the first place? Secondly I am surprised that is has done even as well as it has, and that the public has accepted it. What broader implications for the future does that hold, that people will willingly use an operating system that they know is collecting info on their private matters?
Third, what alternatives are there for those who value their privacy and don't want to take part? I suppose you could use an offline windows install for gaming if you play games/crucial-to-user windows-only software, and for all else, force yourself to learn and use linux.

 

Or remain on win 7 ?

 

Or you could switch to Apple or LInux.

Point is if you don't like what Microsoft is doing, there are options.

And of course, stay on Windows 7. It'll be supported through 2020.

 

With another "PosReady" trick it could be supported even longer

 

I'm assuming you mean after Windows 7 EOL.

You could reduce your exposure to the absolute minimum and do your best to stay offline. However, would some Windows games and/or crucial apps need Internet access? Intend to update the OS at some point? If there is a yes, then you'd have to learn and use whatever steps are available to tightly restrict the comms and put up with whatever falls through the cracks.

If you wanted to play it safe, you would literally never expose any data, activities, etc to a Windows instance that will go online. IOW, think of going online as a fatal event that causes Windows to phone home absolutely everything it possibly can. You could create a parent Windows VM that is never used for anything but is kept updated. Then access your data with clones of that parent VM. Never allowing the parent VM to see any of your data and never allowing the clone VMs to see the Internet or alter the parent. VMs not hosted by Windows obviously.

Some of your personal data will probably come from the Internet (email, documents, statements) and you'll also need something for general Internet use. Linux, or some other OS that satisfies you, would have to be used for that. If the plan involves transitioning to an OS you aren't already using, make sure to leave plenty of time to make that adjustment.