Overwritten.net
Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: idolminds on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, 06:08:56 PM
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Lucky you. (http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7866679/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-windows-7-and-8-1-users)
Terry Myerson just announced on stage that, for the first year after Windows 10 launches, any device running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows Phone 8.1 will be able to upgrade to the latest version of MIcrosoft's OS — for free. How exactly this program will work isn't clear just yet — it'll certainly be subject to some hardware requirements, particularly for older machines running Windows 7. But a simplified upgrade path will likely do a lot to help Windows 10 adoption — rather than dealing with a number of different versions of Windows and different upgrade costs, most consumers will simply take this free update and enjoy running Microsoft's latest.
Well, time for me to get a cheap Win8 key.
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Lucky you. (http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7866679/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-windows-7-and-8-1-users)
Well, time for me to get a cheap Win8 key.
I'm gonna need one too. I looked around and didn't find anything.
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Cool. I'm using retail Windows 7 at home.
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After everything I've read about Windows 10, I want nothing to do with it. Most especially the extreme focus on "Windows as a service". Windows 10 sounds like a shit-ton of bloat that I don't need or want on my system. I'm seriously wondering whether or not I can bite the bullet, give up most of my game library (or at least just dual boot and deal with segregating it), and switch to Linux.
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After everything I've read about Windows 10, I want nothing to do with it. Most especially the extreme focus on "Windows as a service". Windows 10 sounds like a shit-ton of bloat that I don't need or want on my system. I'm seriously wondering whether or not I can bite the bullet, give up most of my game library (or at least just dual boot and deal with segregating it), and switch to Linux.
I saw this yesterday, and I agree completely. No way am I on board with turning Windows into a service like Xbox Live. Not only is the user paying constantly for what used to be a product, but he also loses control of his system and much of its contents. (Don't like a new update we want you to sit through? Tough shit! Not even Office will work anymore without it. Mwahaha!) Windows 7/8 forever, or time to finally get into Linux. Bye bye permanently to AAA PC gaming too, since DirectX will be part of what gets held hostage by the new "service". I'm still using XP on this PC, 8 years after the introduction of Vista, so I'm not a stranger to bucking trends for the long haul.
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I'm pretty sure everyone interpreting "service" as "pay monthly" are wrong and it's going to be more like Mac OS X, where it is just constantly updated for free.
People afraid of updates and that refuse to install them are a problem, because such things fix major security issues. You're more likely to be part of a botnet and used as an attack platform against other targets. Cobra, you definitely just need to go on to Linux. You're using an operating system that hasn't had security updates in nearly a year. I don't know if you ever even finally installed at least SP2 or if you still stubbornly cling to the completely insecure SP1. If you go to Linux, you'll be able to get something that's modern, secure, and is completely under your control. Valve's also been making an effort to improve the Linux gaming scene, but it seems like you use the Xbox 360 for gaming anyway.
I'm jumping on Windows 10 pretty much as soon as I can. It's an improvement over both Windows 7 and 8.1. There are literally no downsides that I can see, unless it does end up being a for-pay subscription service as some fear.
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I'm not afraid of it going for pay, I just don't like the mentality behind it all, and every new feature they've been advertising is utterly worthless to me. I agree with scott in terms of security and such ... it's kind of rough since the computing world is so filled with skullduggery. Nonetheless, I'm having a very hard time justifying the existence of Windows 10. Oh, I know, it's better, blah blah blah ... but it's just continuing to take further steps in a direction I don't want to go. I'll be holding onto Windows 7 likely until it isn't supported or I'm forced to figure something else out. For now it's a moot point as my old system might not tolerate Windows 10 to begin with, or not without issues.
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I'm pretty sure everyone interpreting "service" as "pay monthly" are wrong and it's going to be more like Mac OS X, where it is just constantly updated for free.
People afraid of updates and that refuse to install them are a problem, because such things fix major security issues. You're more likely to be part of a botnet and used as an attack platform against other targets. Cobra, you definitely just need to go on to Linux. You're using an operating system that hasn't had security updates in nearly a year. I don't know if you ever even finally installed at least SP2 or if you still stubbornly cling to the completely insecure SP1. If you go to Linux, you'll be able to get something that's modern, secure, and is completely under your control. Valve's also been making an effort to improve the Linux gaming scene, but it seems like you use the Xbox 360 for gaming anyway.
I'm jumping on Windows 10 pretty much as soon as I can. It's an improvement over both Windows 7 and 8.1. There are literally no downsides that I can see, unless it does end up being a for-pay subscription service as some fear.
I have SP2, and a simple-rule whitelist firewall below the internet protocols (nothing in or out without explicit permission), and NoScript on all my browsing (whitelist-exception script blocking), and I keep tabs on my network traffic. If anyone is using me as an attack vector, they surely have earned it. We've had this conversation before. Thanks for the friendly warning, but this old PC is never seeing another OS. It's simply not worth it. It's an RDRAM Intel i850 motherboard with the original P4 slot and pre-PCIe expansion slots and AGP video slot--an absolute dead end. If I were to spend any money at all on moving forward, it would be something like what I got my mom: an inexpensive 64-bit Windows-7 system with 4-8GB RAM and integrated everything.
I hope you're right about Windows 10. There are some really intriguing things coming along with it, like integration with and into the Xbox One environment. There's also that Holo Lens (http://www.wired.com/2015/01/microsoft-hands-on/) "augmented reality", but that's most likely pie in the sky at this point.
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I'm not afraid of it going for pay, I just don't like the mentality behind it all, and every new feature they've been advertising is utterly worthless to me. I agree with scott in terms of security and such ... it's kind of rough since the computing world is so filled with skullduggery. Nonetheless, I'm having a very hard time justifying the existence of Windows 10. Oh, I know, it's better, blah blah blah ... but it's just continuing to take further steps in a direction I don't want to go. I'll be holding onto Windows 7 likely until it isn't supported or I'm forced to figure something else out. For now it's a moot point as my old system might not tolerate Windows 10 to begin with, or not without issues.
If your system runs Windows 7, it should run 10 no problem. That said, Windows 7 will receive security updates until early 2020 (slightly less that five years from today).
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I updated to Windows 8 fairly early and the complaints for it were valid. However now with 8.1, I've been able to avoid a lot of the unnecessary metro UI stuff and even been able to set things up back to where I'm working with it comfortably like Windows 7.
10 doesn't look scary to me, the whole Xbox integration they have been attempting to do for awhile with almost nothing useful coming out of it will probably continue to be useless and for the most part unnoticeable. That Holo lens however looks waaaay too ambitious for its own good, down right crazy with some of the things they were saying. I'll upgrade to 10 when its available and just use it like I do every Windows OS.
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Yeah, the hate for Windows 8 is valid, but 8.1 is a great OS. I still don't like the Start Screen, but instead of searching for program tiles on the screen I just push the Start button and start typing (performing a search) and then hit Enter. I own a license for Start8 and could install it on my work 8.1 machine if I wanted to, but 8.1 solved basically all of the major 8.0 problems except the Start Screen.
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I updated to Windows 8 fairly early and the complaints for it were valid. However now with 8.1, I've been able to avoid a lot of the unnecessary metro UI stuff and even been able to set things up back to where I'm working with it comfortably like Windows 7.
10 doesn't look scary to me, the whole Xbox integration they have been attempting to do for awhile with almost nothing useful coming out of it will probably continue to be useless and for the most part unnoticeable. That Holo lens however looks waaaay too ambitious for its own good, down right crazy with some of the things they were saying. I'll upgrade to 10 when its available and just use it like I do every Windows OS.
Well, for Xbox One users, it should not be nothing. For one thing, you're supposed to be able to stream Xbox games to Windows 10 systems. I can see a lot of remote connectivity happening here in the future, both ways. I can already see into my mom's shared folders with the Xbox, and play content directly from there (images, music and video). Now, if both systems get the same OS and the same universal apps, much more would be possible.
I'm very skeptical about that HoloLens gadget too. Look how laggy and dodgy Kinect turned out, and that thing is nothing compared to the touted capabilities of this head gear. I'd love for it to work as promised, though. That would restore some of my long-dashed illusions about the new century.
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ArsTechnica gets hands on the HoloLens (http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/01/hands-on-with-hololens-making-the-virtual-real/). Or should I say head? It seems like the same demo that Wired got. That's two reputable publications declaring this thing real. I so hope it can leave the lab and get practical for consumers.
The tech seems to be more than the typical stereoscopy. If it involves actual holograms, the visuals should integrate into the real surroundings much better, since it's not just a matter of 3D and position, but viewer focus as well. They would seem much more real by themselves as well if focal length matches their virtual positions in 3D space. To go along with this piece, I watched a video earlier where an engineer said it was one of the hardest things he'd ever worked on, because they were smacking into the laws of physics on what can be done with light. That too sounds like a lot more than stereoscopy.
The sub-title is what I was imagining when I first learned of this thing: "2015: The year that sci-fi becomes real." That would be awesome.
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I expect something similar to Kinect. It was announced in mid 2009 and no one could believe it was real. Press tried it and said it was real and was amazing. It got into consumers hands and it was barely usable. In late 2013 a more refined and better working version was released (with Xbox One), but for most people is just used for voice. I wouldn't be surprised if it's 3-5 years before we see a consumer version that works right, and it will probably be a little less impressive than what we're seeing now. Of course, by then we'll be used to it being subpar and we'll just be glad it works.
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I expect something similar to Kinect. It was announced in mid 2009 and no one could believe it was real. Press tried it and said it was real and was amazing. It got into consumers hands and it was barely usable. In late 2013 a more refined and better working version was released (with Xbox One), but for most people is just used for voice. I wouldn't be surprised if it's 3-5 years before we see a consumer version that works right, and it will probably be a little less impressive than what we're seeing now. Of course, by then we'll be used to it being subpar and we'll just be glad it works.
Yeah, Kinect is awful with motion control. And I don't like talking to machines, so that's that. I turned it off in the settings, but now I have this blurb permanently plastered on the top-right of the UI screen telling me to turn it on in Settings. I think I may just pull the plug on it entirely. I haven't done it already because I keep thinking it may still be of use somehow. I don't Skype either, and it's in the wrong place for that anyway, because it needs to be at a distance, and I sit less than 2 feet from the screen.
I do hope the Kinect experience has propelled MS engineering forward. This new gadget has to work much better than that, and be mass-producible for affordability, if they ever expect it to be the next big thing.
Scott, why did you delete your post? I've been thinking about replying since I saw it earlier. Now it's too late to formulate a good answer to such a good question. I need to go to bed. What did people in the 60s imagine for the future half a century later, and what could they never possibly have? As one of those people, I do have some things I'd like to say. Smiley
Tomorrow!
So, it's tomorrow. The Age of Tomorrow--that's the kind of hype we'd get in the 60s about the 21st century. We were supposed to get all these wonders like flying cars and colonies on the sea bottom and on the moon. 2001: A Space Odyssey did a great job of depicting that wild optimism. Much of it was supposed to be science-fact by now. This is the kind of stuff I thought about, along with intelligent machines. At the time, as a kid, I didn't understand that computers have no real intelligence at all. It's all tiny bits of captured human intelligence, running at breakneck speed, with no possibility of self-awareness. This awakening-machine fantasy was captured in Odyssey as well, in the form of HAL.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Digicomp_I.JPG/350px-Digicomp_I.JPG) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digi-Comp_I)
My first computer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx5Iawpm5Kg) (programmed to count from 0 to 7, but those movable plastic noodles allowed a variety of simple programs).
And that's the direction I thought computers would take back then. Always huge, and hugely expensive, but with unlimited potential for growth in intelligence. It never occurred to me that they would be miniaturized into something with the complexity of a city in the area of a thumbnail. In the mid-70s, when a college roommate told me that Texas Instruments had built an entire calculator on a single chip, I didn't believe him. I thought he had to be wrong. Moving the mind forward from certain hardcoded assumptions is not easy. They block new possibilities from entering.
Isaac Asimov's positronic brains were too far-flung to attach to imagined future reality in my lifetime. Imagining VLSI would be necessary to have the possibility of imagining the internet--which makes it unimaginable to the 2nd power. While iPhones as computers were nowhere on the mental horizons, fully mobile portable picture phones very much were. Dick Tracy had one on a watch band since decades earlier.
So, you're right, Scott. I don't think any contemporary of mine could have imagined the state of computer tech this century back in our youth. There are too many disconnects. It's amazing we got any predictions right.
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I think for me most of this is that I just don't even want any of this fancy "tomorrow technology". It all seems like clutter and waste that won't really add anything to my life, only complicate it. I want efficiency and simplicity in all things, and having to put on holographic glasses just to make use of something that is basically guaranteed to be less efficient than what I normally use is not a pleasing prospect. I have no doubt things like that are almost always going to be super cool when they do what's intended, but they just don't excite me. At all. Especially given that they never work. My vision of tomorrow is one that iterates on today, providing an increased level of tight and functional engineering to accomplish tasks with greater fluidity and elegance. Rarely do we see stuff that comes along to actually accomplish that.
I know, plenty has been done in the past that seemed sci-fi at the time. I get that. And eventually no doubt amazing things will be done with all kinds of crazy interfaces, and certainly they have to start somewhere. But I'd rather wait until it's actually there. I have shit to do and not enough time to monkey around with that kind of thing.
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I deleted my earlier post because it was too snarky. Who am I to question a person who actually grew up in the 60's about what people were thinking in the 60's?
Que, in regards to your post, it reads to me like a "bah humbug" from some stubborn old man and it surprised me. The Internet and mobile phones were both "tomorrow technology" at one point and they have absolutely revolutionized the lives and businesses of everyone in first and second world countries. Flight was "tomorrow technology" at one point.
Who knows what discoveries lie in wait for mankind in the future? I for one am excited for future generations that get to see them unfold. But we probably need to figure out how to reduce our impact on the Earth or some of those discoveries will never happen.
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I know I'm in the minority when I don't stand up and cheer for the relentless march of progress like everyone else, but yes, I'm very much like an old man in that regard. Just because I'm young doesn't make people any more trustworthy with an overabundance of power. I don't trust a lot of technological advancement and I think most of it is taking us to worse places, not better. Cell phones are useful, but I hate them and the effect they've had on society. Just because something is "revolutionary" doesn't mean the quality of its effects aren't debatable. Given humanity's proclivities, I don't see the god of progress bestowing sci-fi wonders on all of us like movies and books have promised since forever. I think it's far more likely that we either destroy the planet or kill each other first. As you say, we have to reduce our impact on the earth (and that's really a ridiculous fucking understatement that in no way reflects the severity of the situation), and while that's certainly a big one for me, it's still only one aspect of many, and I have little faith that humanity will suddenly just up and get responsible about that or about anything else.
Obviously this has nothing to do with useless Windows holograms, so perhaps we've gotten a little far afield here ... and of course I don't think UI experimentation is evil or anything. But in this case, my expectation is that it will be pointless clutter that likely won't be any more efficient or useful than what we currently have until people fuck around with it for another decade or two. Either way, any integration of such features into a new version of Windows is just useless marketing bullshit to me. I don't like bloat, and that (along with most of the other stuff they're advertising) reads like yet more bloat, which is already something I've gotten sick of just in Windows 7, let alone 8+.
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Streaming both ways (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/01/21/microsoft-is-working-on-streaming-from-the-pc-to-the-xbox-one.aspx?utm_content=buffer4da0d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer) in the works
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[youtube]
Streaming both ways (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/01/21/microsoft-is-working-on-streaming-from-the-pc-to-the-xbox-one.aspx?utm_content=buffer4da0d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer) in the works
They say that Game DVR will work with any game you play on Windows 10, but then they're browsing through games in the Xbox app that show achievement scores and such. Will it work for ANY game? What if I'm running a game through Steam, like H1Z1, and MS, Sony Online Entertainment, nor Valve have coded in support for the Xbox app on Windows 10? I really hope it'll still work. It's unbelievably convenient to be able to decide you want a recording of something right after it happens, instead of having to anticipate it or just record everything.
It's cool to see some of the cool features of Xbox One come to PC though. I tend to keep my Xbox One on next to my PC just so I can see what my friends are doing and get messages from them. This will allow me to do that on my PC.
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After some thought, my speculation is that all of this is doable retroactively with mods to the system software alone. When you say "Xbox, record that", it's a system command, not a game command. So that's easy. If Kinect or a microphone is not available on the Win10 device, then an equivalent button command could be used. At first I was thinking that streaming gameplay would require game-code support for remote control, but not really. Game input too can be virtualized by the system software. As far as the game would know, it's still getting input from the controller. This actually worries me a bit. If they do it wrong, they could add a layer of lag even if you're playing on the Xbox itself. I'm not sure about Xbox app support for PC games, and less sure about streaming PC gameplay the other way. Lots of variables here, and I'm not visualizing a universal solution in the short time I've taken to think this through.
Yes, it's all very cool for those of us with XONEs and Windows devices. Once both are on the same page, any back-and-forth stuff becomes possible, and good for MS business too (on both ends).
I deleted my earlier post because it was too snarky. Who am I to question a person who actually grew up in the 60's about what people were thinking in the 60's?
I didn't think it was snarky. I thought you just forgot you were talking to an old dude when you posted. I guess then you remembered. :)
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If Kinect or a microphone is not available on the Win10 device, then an equivalent button command could be used.
WindowsKey+G
http://youtu.be/RUCn_rvDU-A?t=5m40s
I'm pretty sure they do the voice recognition processing inside the Kinect (I think I've heard that somehwere, maybe multiple times), so I'm not sure just having a mic on your PC would be enough. Using the "Xbox record that" command is WAY more convenient than trying to do it with button presses and clicks though.
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I know I'm in the minority when I don't stand up and cheer for the relentless march of progress like everyone else, but yes, I'm very much like an old man in that regard. Just because I'm young doesn't make people any more trustworthy with an overabundance of power. I don't trust a lot of technological advancement and I think most of it is taking us to worse places, not better. Cell phones are useful, but I hate them and the effect they've had on society. Just because something is "revolutionary" doesn't mean the quality of its effects aren't debatable. Given humanity's proclivities, I don't see the god of progress bestowing sci-fi wonders on all of us like movies and books have promised since forever. I think it's far more likely that we either destroy the planet or kill each other first. As you say, we have to reduce our impact on the earth (and that's really a ridiculous fucking understatement that in no way reflects the severity of the situation), and while that's certainly a big one for me, it's still only one aspect of many, and I have little faith that humanity will suddenly just up and get responsible about that or about anything else.
Obviously this has nothing to do with useless Windows holograms, so perhaps we've gotten a little far afield here ... and of course I don't think UI experimentation is evil or anything. But in this case, my expectation is that it will be pointless clutter that likely won't be any more efficient or useful than what we currently have until people fuck around with it for another decade or two. Either way, any integration of such features into a new version of Windows is just useless marketing bullshit to me. I don't like bloat, and that (along with most of the other stuff they're advertising) reads like yet more bloat, which is already something I've gotten sick of just in Windows 7, let alone 8+.
I'm for the most part with you. There's been much negative impacts of technology but eh, I've been an active participant in it's benefits and it has shaped my life in some profound ways, some good and others maybe not as good. I still at least have some hope that we may hit a critical point with it's far reaching affects on the planet and maybe we find some good use for it to reverse it in some cases. I just can't sit around worrying we're all fucked all the time, as much as humanity can suck, I'm apart of it so maybe I'm living in an oblivious state of mind, but I at least try to look brightly on the horizon.
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No, that's entirely valid. I'm too much of a pessimist and always have been. And I'm pretty much in the same boat as you too ... I think it's just that lately in some ways I guess I've seen more and more the negative aspects of this stuff rather than the positive, and especially now having a more international mindset, seeing the effects of various things in other countries in different ways has gotten me thinking a lot more. I think technology is awesome and amazing and fascinating, but sometimes the potential (or even the actual usage when it comes to governments and such) is very scary, and I wish we sometimes as a species took a step back and looked at it with a little more of a critical eye instead of just getting excited about what might seem cool.
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WindowsKey+G
http://youtu.be/RUCn_rvDU-A?t=5m40s
I'm pretty sure they do the voice recognition processing inside the Kinect (I think I've heard that somehwere, maybe multiple times), so I'm not sure just having a mic on your PC would be enough. Using the "Xbox record that" command is WAY more convenient than trying to do it with button presses and clicks though.
Yeah, I thought of that. I was even going to speculate on Kinect speech-recognition emulation on PCs, but then I thought it would just clutter up the post with left-field suppositions.
Personally, I have the DVR functionality entirely shut off. I did that when I learned that quite a few games constantly record shit otherwise. That discovery happened when Forza Horizon 2 stuttered as I raced down the highway, and it informed me of the video capture. (I still have that video clip too, with the game stutter in it.) That got me looking things up, and I wasn't happy about what I learned. It's apparently out of the user's hands entirely, and the only way to prevent it is to shut down the whole thing.
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Actually with Cortana coming to Windows 10, that's effectively the same as Kinect's voice features, but with a text to speech program to talk back at you. The voice recognition has to be there then, so a voice command for recording shouldn't be too hard.
As for the performance issues with recording on Xbox One, is that just when it's trying to save a clip? I've never noticed any issues, but don't think many of my games actually record clips on their own. Battlefield 4 and Peggle 2 come to mind. I don't have Forza Horizon 2 though. Also all of my games are digital, so I don't know if that would make any difference.
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Digital and disc are exactly the same (for games available both ways). The game image either gets fully installed from the disc, or gets downloaded. This is the same process as the 360's except the discs are the much-larger Blurays. The only difference from digital is that the disc has to be in the drive as copy protection. I think you can even buy the digital version of an installed disc game, without needing to download it, because the image is already present and ready to go. Only your licenses file should need updating, which would take seconds instead of hours. It's probably worth doing when games get really cheap later on. Best of both worlds.
FH2 is a dodgy beast. When loading, for example, the animation on the loading screen stutters and freezes constantly. I already posted at length about the pitch of the engine sound freezing and lagging out now and then. It's all related to data streaming back and forth, and the shitty code taking care of it. Here's a system with 8 CPU cores, and they can't keep disk I/O from trampling on the real-time audiovisuals? Nonsense. So yeah, a video recording knocks down this house of cards, and makes the action stuttery, which is unacceptable in a racer. It may not affect other games, but I really don't want this happening in the background every time I do something that some game dev thought should be saved for posterity. That should be my decision alone.
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Any game with auto recording should really have an option in that game to turn it off. Partially because of what you're experiencing, and also because what if you just don't care about what it wants to record? I record funny and epic moments in games, and certain games will toss tons of clips in there, and you're limited on space. If the cloud storage for your clips gets filled, clips will stop recording. (even though the toast for them still shows up)
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Any game with auto recording should really have an option in that game to turn it off. Partially because of what you're experiencing, and also because what if you just don't care about what it wants to record? I record funny and epic moments in games, and certain games will toss tons of clips in there, and you're limited on space. If the cloud storage for your clips gets filled, clips will stop recording. (even though the toast for them still shows up)
Yes, that's it. I read some threads while reading up on this stuff that some games really abuse it, recording a huge number of small clips. There definitely needs to be a per-game option on the autorecord. The other part of it, with me, is my sense that all system resources should be going to the game I'm playing. It's part of being a programmer, I guess. In addition to no DVR, I also manually quit out of every running app when I launch a game, and I have autoupdates disabled. (Don't do anything other than run my game.) I can also make exceptions to any of these when it makes sense, like if I want to record video of what I'm doing. This is something I haven't thought much about. Long ago, I used to run consoles through VCRs so I could record the gameplay. I also had a video-capture card (still inside a dead PC--probably works, but is legacy 480i standard), and the software for that was my first DVR. I'm not sure why I've lost interest in that. I did watch the 5 clips that FH2 recorded without my knowledge, and saved 4 of them, so it's not like I don't care altogether.
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Since Windows 10 is out and all - did anyone decide to take the upgrade yet?
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Got it running on my Surface Pro 3. In fact I'm responding on it right now ;D
Gotta say it's pretty sweet so far. I really, really appreciate the option to switch between Desktop and Tablet modes.
Overall it seems very efficient and having a notification manager is a welcome addition, finally.
I'm digging Microsoft Edge too. It's not so insanely revolutionary that it "killed" IE.. It's more like IE's legitimate offspring.
Strangely enough, the way the UI is smooth and informative, it kinda feels like I'm using a Mac. All app windows feel autonomous and can go fullscreen or stay windowed. Practically everything can be docked to a part of the screen too.
These are my early impressions but so far, so good.
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I left my desktop behind at my house, so all I have is a Mac right now. Well I have my work Win8.1 laptop, but I'm waiting for Win10 to appear in the Microsoft VLSC so I can get the Enterprise version. Supposedly that will happen this weekend.
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Mozilla is not happy w/ Win 10 setting Edge as the default browser + with how you set & switch web browsers. (http://www.engadget.com/2015/07/31/mozilla-windows-10/?sr_share=facebook)
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I got the Win 10 64-bit version files downloaded yesterday with my Win 8.1 64-bit laptop (i.e. my non-modern gaming PC). Burned a bootable ISO DVD of the files, so I don't have to download the damn Win 10 installer files again. That was all easy enough. :)
If + when I do decide to finally test Win 10 out - I'll probably try it 1st on my laptop, before I decide to put it on my main Win 7 gaming PC (or not).
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DX12 is supposed to be much faster--closer to the hardware. I would have guessed that you'd be more interested in how it behaves with games. The talk of a yearly fee for Win 10 seems to be false too. If I had a Win 7/8 PC, I'd probably jump on it. I won't bother my mom's PC with such a change. It'd only confuse her.
Or can I use her PC to download a Win-10 copy to install elsewhere? >:D
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Or can I use her PC to download a Win-10 copy to install elsewhere? >:D
Yep, you can use a PC to download an ISO which you can use to install on another PC. You'll have to use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.
Here's a quick guide with all the necessary links: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/media-creation-tool-install
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DX12 is supposed to be much faster--closer to the hardware. I would have guessed that you'd be more interested in how it behaves with games.
Only problem is this: there are no games currently supporting DX12!
If you look around, people running DX11 and under games on Win 10 - they're running around the same.
The talk of a yearly fee for Win 10 seems to be false too. If I had a Win 7/8 PC, I'd probably jump on it. I won't bother my mom's PC with such a change. It'd only confuse her.
I think if more games requiring Win 10 (which would make it DX12 exclusive) would cause me to jump from my Win 7 gaming rig.
About my Win 7 PC - I got lots of stuff there installed. I'd probably want to 1st back-up lots of Game-Saves, actual game-folders (so I don't have to do re-downloads on BIG files), and whatnot on my Win 7 PC - just in case something completely goes wrong; or b/c I don't like that some App or game just won't work w/ Win 10.
If you do take Win 10 and upgrade - once done, you got 30 days to decide if you want to roll back to whatever you had before (i.e. Win 7, 8, 8.1). After that - supposedly, you can't roll back.
Or can I use her PC to download a Win-10 copy to install elsewhere? >:D
You have to have Win 7, 8, or 8.1 to be able to take the free upgrade.
If you are offered the "Get Windows 10" icon (i.e. you'll have to do all the important Windows Updates before you can get that icon, more or less); turn on Windows updates to automatic; reserve the Win 10 download; wait for it notify you that you'll read to take the download; actually download the files on a PC supporting it; and then make a bootable ISO of the install.esd file.
More instructions here on how to do all of that -> http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-win_upgrade/how-to-create-a-bootable-iso-file-from-your/07590098-90a9-4c7e-b6fe-5ce1632daf4b
For ISO creating, I used Free ISO Creator -> http://www.freeisoburner.com/
That's as far as I went. Not going any further with it, at the moment. Will wait a little bit on Win 8.1 PC, before I do it there. Want to hear more impressions first + let M$ maybe iron out some things, before I take it. I don't have much to lose on my Win 8.1 laptop, namely b/c ain't much installed there and backing up won't be much of anything - since most of it's older games. Most of that stuff on my laptop, I basically already have on my Win 7 rig. If need be - I just port saves back and forth b/t the PC's (for any Non-Steam Cloud supported games).
What I do know from lots of reading + vid-watching:
You install Win 10.
Then at Microsoft activation time (to phone home to their servers), you will NEED to use your Win 7, 8, or 8.1 product key to activate Win 10.
If you don't know what it is (b/c a lot of new pre-installed Win 8 versions only usually actually give your Product ID, not your Product key). So, get a program to ID both Product ID + Product Key like BelArc Advisor:
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
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Guess there is a 90 day trial of sorts (http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-launches-free-90-day-trial-version-of-windows-10/). Its the Enterprise version so it's missing some stuff, but it sounds like the stuff its missing is stuff I don't care about. I'm tempted to give it a whirl since I'm still on XP.
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Yep, you can use a PC to download an ISO which you can use to install on another PC. You'll have to use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.
Here's a quick guide with all the necessary links: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/media-creation-tool-install
Wait - I thought those M$ Tools were for Win 10 only?
Meaning, if you want to make that ISO w/ those M$ tools - you'd have to jump to Win 10 and then use those.
Does Media Creation Tools work on Win 7/8/8.1?
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Wait - I thought those M$ Tools were for Win 10 only?
Meaning, if you want to make that ISO w/ those M$ tools - you'd have to jump to Win 10 and then use those.
Does Media Creation Tools work on Win 7/8/8.1?
Yep. That's how I installed it on my system early.
You can use the Media Creation Tool for two tasks: Upgrade the current PC to Windows 10 or Download to ISO for Storage Media (USB or DVD).
If you plug in a USB stick it can also download straight to it and automatically create a bootable USB installation for you. Pretty handy.
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Yep. That's how I installed it on my system early.
That's what I thought.
You can use the Media Creation Tool for two tasks: Upgrade the current PC to Windows 10 or Download to ISO for Storage Media (USB or DVD).
Wait - I'm confused.
Can you install Media Creation tool on Win 7, 8, or 8.1?
Does that Media Creation tool work w/ Win 7, 8, or 8.1?
If you plug in a USB stick it can also download straight to it and automatically create a bootable USB installation for you. Pretty handy.
I used Free ISO Burner to create the ISO:
http://www.freeisoburner.com/
Easy + painless.
I used this b/c I was trying to avoid installing Win 10, for now.
I just wanted the W10 files, namely. I got a year to decide if I want to do it, on my 2 PC's (my Win 8.1 laptop + my Win 7 main gaming rig).
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Wait - I'm confused.
Can you install Media Creation tool on Win 7, 8, 8.1?
Does that Media Creation tool work w/ Win 7, 8, or 8.1?
Yeah, it is designed to either create media for an Installation of Windows 10 or to upgrade the PC it's used on to Windows 10. It would kinda defeat the purpose if it required Windows 10 to run.
I used Free ISO Burner to create the ISO:
http://www.freeisoburner.com/
Easy + painless.
If you're going to create a DVD then a burner is handy, although the Windows 7 and Windows 8 default burning tool gets the job done too.
I personally prefer USB installation since they have a faster transfer rate than optical discs. So An installation that would normally take 45-50 mins on a disc would take only about 20 mins from a USB.
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Yeah, it is designed to either create media for an Installation of Windows 10 or to upgrade the PC it's used on to Windows 10. It would kinda defeat the purpose if it required Windows 10 to run.
If you're going to create a DVD then a burner is handy, although the Windows 7 and Windows 8 default burning tool gets the job done too.
Good to know.
I personally prefer USB installation since they have a faster transfer rate than optical discs. So An installation that would normally take 45-50 mins on a disc would take only about 20 mins from a USB.
Hmmm. I probably could stick the Win 10 ISO on one of my external hard drives and boot off that if need be, eh?
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@Xessive
Hey, Xessive.
How are recent + modern games performing for you on your PC w/ Win 10?
Any issues or anything?
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Hmmm. I probably could stick the Win 10 ISO on one of my external hard drives and boot off that if need be, eh?
I'm not sure about a full drive. I think some devices can only boot from optical or flash media but not a portable hard drive. As long as you can boot from it, it shouldn't be a problem.
@Xessive
Hey, Xessive.
How are recent + modern games performing for you on your PC w/ Win 10?
Any issues or anything?
I'm still testing them out. I'll let you know how it goes.
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Thanks, guys.
You have to have Win 7, 8, or 8.1 to be able to take the free upgrade.
And I do have access to one: my mom's. I just don't want to bump her system past Win 7. That's pretty close to the XP she'd used to. You would not believe how difficult it is to get her to learn something new about computers. Given how intelligent, lucid and accomplished she is at her age, I can only conclude she's being obstinate rather than dense--like me learning how to cook. (Ain't happening.)
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Thanks, guys.
And I do have access to one: my mom's. I just don't want to bump her system past Win 7. That's pretty close to the XP she'd used to. You would not believe how difficult it is to get her to learn something new about computers. Given how intelligent, lucid and accomplished she is at her age, I can only conclude she's being obstinate rather than dense--like me learning how to cook. (Ain't happening.)
To be honest, Win10 is a lot closer to Win7 than Win8.
Other than the start menu (which is really more like the Win7 start menu) and the new notification manager, she should feel right at home. Let her have a field test when you set it up on another system to see how comfortable she is with it.
That said, it doesn't feel like Microsoft is taking a step back or regressing. It comes off more like a step in the right direction after the misstep taken with the Win8 Start Screen.
The UI is downright minimalist, just the way I like it. I used to have to custom skin the old Windows to make them look like this ;D
So far, as an OS it feels a lot more efficient.
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A couple things came to my attention that you may want to look into if you're running Win10.
Windows 10 is using your own bandwidth to deliver updates to others (http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-is-using-customersbandwidth-to-deliver-windows-updates)
n order to alleviate some of the load on its servers and allow users to upgrade faster, Microsoft has introduced what it calls Windows Update Delivery Optimization, which works similar to a torrent, hosting the install files on local PCs and then propagating them to other PCs on either your local network or the internet.
The problem comes in the fact that Microsoft has enabled this option by default and that no notice is provided to customers that Windows is, in the background, using some of their bandwidth and their data for updating other users' Windows. Several web sites have already called Microsoft out for this and what they - and other consumers - find to be misallocation of their network without permission.
Windows 10 ad tracking (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/07/30/windows-10-privacy-settings/)
Windows 10‘s privacy settings very much need to be frowned at. Essentially: unless you pay close attention to the fluffy options offered when you first install Microsoft’s new operating system, it’s going to quietly track your behaviour and use it to fire targeted ads at you, as well as keeping tabs on your location history, data from messages, calendars, contacts and God knows what else. It is a bit scary, despite coming off the back of Microsoft’s own pledge to offer ‘real transparency’.
Both sites explain how to disable those things, so if you just went with an express install then you may want to take a look at your settings.
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A couple things came to my attention that you may want to look into if you're running Win10.
Windows 10 is using your own bandwidth to deliver updates to others (http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-is-using-customersbandwidth-to-deliver-windows-updates)
Windows 10 ad tracking (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/07/30/windows-10-privacy-settings/)
Both sites explain how to disable those things, so if you just went with an express install then you may want to take a look at your settings.
Thanks, dude!
I'll look into those "features" and let you know how easy it is to get rid of them.
UPDATE:
The Windows Update "torrent style" kinda makes sense though it sucks that's it's enabled by default. It should be an opt-in feature.
I know this wasn't mentioned but I recommend also disabling WiFi Sense. Google that to see the potential horror that could be :P
With regards to personalized ads, I've been toying around with that concept for a while with Google's personalized ads system.
Admittedly, ads suck. However, the reality is I'm going to have to have to see ads, so if I'm going to have to deal with them on a daily basis I'd rather they were relevant ads.
To put things in context, if you live in the US or Canada, when you bring up YouTube (or any online news hub for that matter), without being signed in you'll come across information that's relevant to the region. Chances are it will also be English material.
Now, I live in the United Arab Emirates. Despite it being an Arab nation where the official languages are Arabic and English, if I hop on YouTube without signing into my account, the main page will be flooded with South Indian (Malayalam and Urdu) content, followed by Filipino content, then some Arabic content, and finally English content. The obvious reason being that a fair chunk of the population in the country are expatriates, predominantly labourers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, and the Philippines.
This is a reflection of the reality of the populace in the region. Unfortunately, it gets in the way of the relevance of the internet to me. I'm not interested in watching a Bengali music video, the hottest Bollywood trends, or the latest news in Manila. Even though I was originally against the idea, the only viable solution is to sign in and have a personalized view of the internet.
Of course, opting in to an ad scheme also opens you up to monitoring and targeted advertising. What really gets done with the information they get off me I'll never know, but hey it gets the news I want and the news I would want on the screen.
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Here's an awesome compiled at MaximumPC with linksto Windows 10 drivers for Motherboards and graphics cards:
http://www.maximumpc.com/windows-10-graphics-cards-and-motherboard-drivers-updating/
Btw, I've been test playing various games on Win10 and so far so good. It's hard to tell how much of an improvement (if at all). I tested with the following games:
The Witcher 3
Batman Arkham Knight*
Evolve
Call of Duty Advanced Warfare
Alien Isolation
The Crew
Dragon Age Inquisition
Dying Light
Unreal Tournament 3 (for shits and giggles)
* Interestingly enough Batman Arkham Knight ran better than it ever has but of course it is still locked at 30fps. It didn't crash, it didn't stutter, it ran like the console version, as far as I could tell.
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Some people are complaining that driver updates are forced on you, and that a tool to prevent that isn't working right yet.
It will be interesting to see if any games run better, even if they aren't optimized for DX12. What you said about the Batman game made me think. Is it DX12, or is it a general performance improvement that makes it run better?
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I hope there aren't too many forced auto-updates or my experience will turn shitty in a hurry.
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A couple things came to my attention that you may want to look into if you're running Win10.
Windows 10 is using your own bandwidth to deliver updates to others (http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-is-using-customersbandwidth-to-deliver-windows-updates)
Windows 10 ad tracking (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/07/30/windows-10-privacy-settings/)
Both sites explain how to disable those things, so if you just went with an express install then you may want to take a look at your settings.
I wonder how true that really is. I already knew about the Windows 10 peer-to-peer update mechanism, but my understanding was that it was for other computers in the same local subnet, not computers on the Internet.
I know this wasn't mentioned but I recommend also disabling WiFi Sense. Google that to see the potential horror that could be :P
Don't just disable WiFi Sense, change your home's WiFi SSID to end in "_optout". If you don't do that, anyone that uses Windows 10 (including Mobile) that you provide your WiFi passphrase to can share your WiFi connection information to everyone in their Outlook.com, Skype, and Facebook contact lists. These people won't have access to the actual passphrase and can't subsequently reshare the information to their own connections, but still...
Adding "_optout" to the end of your WiFi network SSID is how Microsoft is letting people opt out of this feature/behavior. It's dumb, but it is what it is.
I hope there aren't too many forced auto-updates or my experience will turn shitty in a hurry.
Windows 10 Home versions don't allow you to turn off automatic download and installation of Windows/Microsoft updates (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10#Update_and_support_system). That said, perhaps you can set your Internet connection to "metered", which should prevent updates from being forced on you.
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Ugh...thanks for the heads up. Maybe I could use a firewall to block that? Then just turn it off when I want to run an update "manually".
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Ugh...thanks for the heads up. Maybe I could use a firewall to block that? Then just turn it off when I want to run an update "manually".
I think two ways you might be able to turn off the automatic updates are to either turn off BITS (set the Background Intelligent Transfer Service to "Disabled") or to set your network connection to "metered", but I'm sure someone will figure out some sort of community-approved method of disabling forced Microsoft updates on Windows 10 Home users at some point in the near future. As far as I can tell, there will be no Microsoft-supported way of disabling automatic updating of Windows 10 Home at any point.
I keep mentioning Home, but the Pro version also has automatic updates. One of the differences is that you can set it to the Community Branch for Business, which keeps some of the feature updates back for a period of time, but eventually all the updates will come. Windows 10 Pro CBB is sort of like Firefox ESR. Only Windows 10 Enterprise has true update control, but that's only available if you have an Enterprise Agreement with Software Assurance.
Read more about Windows 10 updates here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10#Update_and_support_system).
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Cool, thanks for the info. I wish this didn't have to be a concern.
EDIT: I found this image (https://i.imgur.com/4m9nnVR.png) that shows you may be able to disable the updating, or at least have it notify that updates are available but not automatically download them. But it may be limited to Pro and not Home.
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* Interestingly enough Batman Arkham Knight ran better than it ever has but of course it is still locked at 30fps. It didn't crash, it didn't stutter, it ran like the console version, as far as I could tell.
Well, you could go through the INI's and unlock it, at your own risk:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/208650/discussions/0/523890046872349339/
To unlock your FPS or set to a value higher than 30 go to this file and edit it:
"STEAM_INSTALL_FOLDER\Batman Arkham Knight\BmGame\Config\BmSystemSettings.ini"
Once you're in there, hit CTRL + F and search for the line "Max_FPS=30.0" and change it to an FPS you want. I personally set mine to 60
But, it's not really recommended to so do - b/c framerates go all over the place for many when uncapping it.
Hence why it's capped at 30 FPS.
The other thing you could do, if you do uncap it - find a framerate it sticks around at a lot (that's above 30) and cap it at that w/ a 3rd party program like MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision X, etc. Those programs let you cap framerates however you see fit.
W/ those framerate capping programs:
With my older vid-card (560 Ti) for example - when playing Thief 2014, it stuck around 40 frames a lot. I capped it at 40.
With my current 4GB 960, on Far Cry 4, it's often around 45-50 frames. I capped it at 50.
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Cool, thanks for the info. I wish this didn't have to be a concern.
EDIT: I found this image (https://i.imgur.com/4m9nnVR.png) that shows you may be able to disable the updating, or at least have it notify that updates are available but not automatically download them. But it may be limited to Pro and not Home.
Everything I've read about Windows 10 Home says that automatic updates are forced on and not able to be turned off or deferred. At least not through the GUI using Microsoft-supplied and -supported methods.
I just installed Windows 10 Enterprise at work and Windows Update works like it did under 7/8/8.1: it says automatic updates are disabled and updates are deployed via the SCCM client.
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For those who own both XBox One + Windows 10 PC, here's something for you:
Here's how to unlock Higher Settings for X1 to Win 10 PC Streaming. (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2015-windows-10-xbox-one-streaming-very-high-quality-mode)
As usual - might be smart to back-up original file(s) and all of that mess, since who knows how much M$ has tested this or not.
You know, take the usual "mod at your own risk" pre-cautions + warning - if you're thinking of going forth with this.
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Interesting... I just discovered a game overlay built right into Windows 10. While in a game you can hit Win+G and you'll get the Xbox App overlay to record gameplay, take a screenshot, etc.
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Nice. I'm not surprised. They're trying to integrate the PC and Xbox functionality together as much as they can. Win 10 hits the Xbox by the end of the year.
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I'm using Windows 10 at work in a virtual machine for testing. I like it a lot, except that it keeps locking out my account in Active Directory when I unlock it. I don't seem to be the only one having this issue (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-security/windows-10-domain-joined-locking-out-user-account/489e7c38-ee9e-4d4a-a38d-abe673ab49bb?page=1&tm=1439816147430).
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I'm using Windows 10 at work in a virtual machine for testing. I like it a lot, except that it keeps locking out my account in Active Directory when I unlock it. I don't seem to be the only one having this issue (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-security/windows-10-domain-joined-locking-out-user-account/489e7c38-ee9e-4d4a-a38d-abe673ab49bb?page=1&tm=1439816147430).
I haven't tested any of the domain or work-related network features. This could be an issue that only occurs with specific domain/network configurations.
It's always the tiny things that happen in the background that we take for granted.
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I just finished upgrading to Windows 10. A friend had a legit copy of Win8.1 that he wasn't using so he gave me the key, so I was eligible for the free upgrade to 10. Reformatted and installed 8.1, upgraded to 10, then did the system reset so I'd have a clean install.
The system reset temporarily fucked my PC though. It froze like 3-4 times during setup, and would resume when I manually restarted the system. (I would wait 5+ minutes each time it froze, just to make sure.) Then once fully installed, it would freeze on almost every attempt to load into Windows. I finally got in again and ran Windows Update. It asked me to restart, and it did successfully. I've also restarted one more time since then, which worked fine. So I guess one of the updates fixed the issue. I hope.
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If anybody has Windows 10, good luck w/ getting going (especially older) games w/ Securom DRM or SafeDisc DRM.
(http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/17/windows-10-safedisc-securom-drm/)
Windows 10 won't run those games, without doing all kinds of fiddling & working-around.
More reasons dev's + pub's need to ditch the non-Steam crap DRM types.
And just stick to either Steam's CEG DRM (if they insist on DRM) or No-DRM period.
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GameSpot -> A Windows 10 EULA states that Win 10 can disable pirated copies of software. (http://www.gamespot.com/articles/windows-10-can-find-and-disable-pirated-games/1100-6429805/)
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Their ability to do this has been pretty much debunked, outside of their own software (XBL, MS apps, and such). If they don't control it already, they can't affect it. So for example, they can't check if something you installed on your own belongs to Steam, and then disable it.
Edit: Here's a relevant link. (https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3h5wwg/windows_10_disabling_pirated_software_not_so_fast/) I'm sure there are other sources out there. This one provides details and links to the agreements.
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Their ability to do this has been pretty much debunked, outside of their own software (XBL, MS apps, and such). If they don't control it already, they can't affect it. So for example, they can't check if something you installed on your own belongs to Steam, and then disable it.
Edit: Here's a relevant link. (https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3h5wwg/windows_10_disabling_pirated_software_not_so_fast/) I'm sure there are other sources out there. This one provides details and links to the agreements.
That makes MUCH more logical sense - Microsoft controlling their own stuff only.
If it was any piece of software - i.e. including 3rd party stuff - this could've been a disaster. Especially if you run mods for games; cracked EXE's for a game you own (in case you need one b/c Securom DRM + SafeDisc DRM is causing your legit copy to work on Win 10); or whatever the case may be.
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I just noticed that now the Xbox button on the Xbox 360 controller (or Xbox One controller) will also bring up the Game Bar (apparently that's what it's called). You can bring up the Game Bar at any time and manually tell it if the running application is a game if it didn't recognize.
I'm glad this is built right into the Windows UI.
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Microsoft unlocks officially the higher-settings for 1080p/60 option for XBox App (to stream games from your XB1 to Win 10 PC):
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-08-18-xbox-august-update-adds-1080p60-windows-10-streaming
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The game bar video capture stuff is all grayed out for me. It says, "this computer can't capture video". When I click the help link to learn more info, it tells me I need at least a GeForce GTX 600 series, and I've got a GTX 460. :(
I was looking forward to capturing video on the fly like I can on Xbox.
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The game bar video capture stuff is all grayed out for me. It says, "this computer can't capture video". When I click the help link to learn more info, it tells me I need at least a GeForce GTX 600 series, and I've got a GTX 460. :(
I was looking forward to capturing video on the fly like I can on Xbox.
Oh, that sucks. :(
How many GB of VRAM is your 460?
I recently went from a 1 GB VRAM 560 Ti to a 4GB 960.
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HowToGeek -> How to Prevent Win 10 from automatically downloading updates. (http://www.howtogeek.com/224471/how-to-prevent-windows-10-from-automatically-downloading-updates/)
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Oh, that sucks. :(
How many GB of VRAM is your 460?
I recently went from a 1 GB VRAM 560 Ti to a 4GB 960.
It's got 1GB, though dxdiag shows 4GB for some reason. It did this in Windows 7 as well.
Also, I had assumed Windows 10 would keep the drivers up to date, but the installed driver is from July 23, and the latest one listed on nvidia.com is from August 13. On Windows 7 I had the Geforce Experience thing installed and let it check for drivers periodically, but I had assumed I didn't need it with Windows 10. I was also avoiding installing it because I'd sort of like to not clog up my registry with leftover entries from programs I later decided I didn't want/need.
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It's got 1GB, though dxdiag shows 4GB for some reason. It did this in Windows 7 as well.
Also, I had assumed Windows 10 would keep the drivers up to date, but the installed driver is from July 23, and the latest one listed on nvidia.com is from August 13. On Windows 7 I had the Geforce Experience thing installed and let it check for drivers periodically, but I had assumed I didn't need it with Windows 10. I was also avoiding installing it because I'd sort of like to not clog up my registry with leftover entries from programs I later decided I didn't want/need.
Yeah, Windows keeps your drivers up-to-date as per the Windows Update registry of available driver versions, which is updated by Microsoft much less frequently than hardware vendors. It will eventually get the most recent driver but way down the road.
You can download the driver download manually from Nvidia without having to use GeForce Experience but that defeats the purpose of the concept of auto-updating. All in all though, I'm finding GeForce Experience relatively useful for drivers, quick game settings, and special Nvidia offers (it was how I got a copy of The Witcher 3 for free).
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I'm watching the MS Win-10 devices briefing, and the HoloLens demo blew me away. Even more impressive than the previous Minecraft demo.
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It's got 1GB, though dxdiag shows 4GB for some reason. It did this in Windows 7 as well.
Also, I had assumed Windows 10 would keep the drivers up to date, but the installed driver is from July 23, and the latest one listed on nvidia.com is from August 13. On Windows 7 I had the Geforce Experience thing installed and let it check for drivers periodically, but I had assumed I didn't need it with Windows 10. I was also avoiding installing it because I'd sort of like to not clog up my registry with leftover entries from programs I later decided I didn't want/need.
Microsoft only offers driver updates through Windows Update for drivers that vendors have submitted to Microsoft for WHQL testing and Microsoft has certified them. Therefore, they are almost certainly never the latest drivers and lots of driver revisions are skipped. On the plus side, they are generally quite reliable from a system stability perspective.
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Inquisitr -> Win 10 may later add X360 games support. (http://www.inquisitr.com/2487371/windows-10-may-be-able-to-play-xbox-360-games-in-the-future/)
Hopefully, if they do - it's an emulator. I don't own an X360.
And hopefully, if they do so - it doesn't need a XBL paying-membership. I don't want to pay for XBL.
Would be nice to see exclusives like newer Gears since Gears of War 2; Fable 2; and other XB exclusives that ain't hit PC natively now be able to run here even if it's using an official emulator.
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So after my PC upgrade, I decided to get Windows 10. I'd read some stuff about it, and feel a bit misled. Either way, I fucking hate it. I've had a real crappy experience with it on the whole, with lots of things that just plain don't work right, including the Windows 10 store and the few apps that I've tried on the store (which work fine for a while, then try to load and fail, over and over again, until reinstalled, which usually doesn't work because the Windows 10 store seems to have a lot of issues downloading things correctly).
Anyway, my main beef is all the telemetry stuff. I've been trying to figure out how to disable things, and there are various hacks you can do, but nobody can seem to agree whether they work or not, etc. I found this thing, though: https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10
It sounds great, but I haven't heard much about it. Anyone here have any experience with it?
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My terminal issue with it is that you can't prevent it from modifying itself, at least not the Home version--which is what everything I've seen for an affordable price comes with. Microsoft also is practically coercing Windows-7 and -8 users to update to Win 10 with some nagware that surreptitiously hijacks the Windows Update screen. Judicious cherrypicking of allowed updates can prevent it from installing, and there is a lot of discussion out there on how to block it. This (http://blog.ultimateoutsider.com/2015/08/using-gwx-stopper-to-permanently-remove.html) looks like the best tool for the job, so far. If I get careless with my Mom's Windows updates, I'll be installing that on her system.
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Good call, Cobra.
Well, I tried the software I linked to, and it's really nice and extensive. I have no idea if all of this stuff actually works, is the only thing. It looks nice to see that all the telemetry features are disabled ... but are they really? I have no way of knowing.
That said, the list of stuff the app lets you turn on and off is quite extensive. So I sure hope this works as advertised. It's free, and it lets you get rid of a whole ton of unpleasant shit. Also lets you turn off various automatic update options.
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Jennie got the Windows desktop computer. I wiped it and installed Windows 10. I haven't heard any complaints, but I barely speak to her so it's not like I'd necessarily hear about them.
We don't use it at work, even in pilot, but that's because our SCCM is version 2007, which only supports Windows 10 LTSB, which is basically like Windows 7. It has all the new Windows 10 stuff like universal apps, Edge, and Cortana stripped out. We need to upgrade to the new SCCM version so we can play with real Windows 10.
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Bought a gaming laptop today, which had Win 8.1 installed. Moved it over to W10.
Life is good. :)
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The Enterprise version of Windows has always been available only to Microsoft customers with an Enterprise Agreement. Generally, you are talking about medium and large business only. You'll never see it on a personal device, and if you do, it's probably an illegitimate version or otherwise in violation of a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement somewhere or the EULA itself.
As an InfoSec professional, I don't see the forced updating as anything but a good thing. In general, people just cannot be trusted to install security patches and otherwise keep their machines secure. Sure, there is a small (and very vocal, apparently) percentage of people that want to retain control of the updates for whatever reason, principal mostly. For them, all I can say is that the only options available to you are to stay on Windows 7 or 8.1 or move to Mac OS X or a Linux distribution. Be warned that there are rumors that Apple might move Mac OS X to an iOS-like release model and they are already very close in any case.
Edit: Just thought to add that I use Windows 8.1 at work and Mac OS X at home. But I have no problem with Windows 10, including the forced updating or telemetry.
I find it hard to reconcile what I'm reading here with your commentary on preserving the rights of people in their private communications, documents and other personal files. Somehow, the government wanting control over these is heinous, yet Microsoft is to be unquestioningly trusted in all future decisions regarding the operating system on the computing devices of those same people. No user control over what precisely that operating system is, and does, amounts to absolute power for Microsoft over the behavior, limits, intrusion potential, and capabilities of the devices relied upon by the entire Windows consumer base. The problem with benevolent totalitarianism is that one can be sure it will remain totalitarian, but not sure at all that it will remain benevolent (if indeed it ever was to begin with).
The argument is the same in both cases, isn't it? Regular people are such children. They can't be trusted to act in their own best interest. Therefore, a higher authority must intervene and seize that power for the greater good. You say that only a vocal minority opposes this monumental power play? If that is the case, what a shame. What a tragic shame.
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I'd like to start my response to saying that I respect your opinion. As I said, there are some people that don't like the changes that Microsoft has done with Windows 10, specifically with regards to the forced updates and the telemetry. People in that group, e.g. you, have a right to your opinion. I just don't share it.
I do have a question about the forced update antagonism because it is something I have a tough time wrapping my head around. What, exactly, is the problem with it? I've had my (non work) Windows machines set to auto-update since forever to close security vulnerabilities automatically. Were you planning on keeping your computer out-of-date and insecure and if so, why would you want to do that on purpose? Do you feel similarly with regards to forced updates on Xbox One? Or it the issue simply the feeling that you've lost control over something you used to have more control over? These are honest questions coming from curiosity. I'm not trying to start an argument.
With regards to the comparison of my opinion about Windows 10 and my opinion about government surveillance, these are two wholly separate issues. First of all, Microsoft is a corporation peddling products and services. A person has a choice whether or not to buy those products and services. You don't have to use Windows 10 if you don't like it for any reason at all. There are other options out there, including from Microsoft themselves. I know people hate hearing stuff like that, especially people arguing from a position of principle, but it's true. Microsoft is only totalitarian if you decide you want to put yourself under their reign, and even then I think using that phrase to describe their Windows 10 policies is incredibly hyperbolic.
This is in high contrast to our government which seeks to run roughshod over the Constitution in order to consolidate and fortify its power, at the expense of each and every citizen with seemingly no choice in the matter despite the fact that our government is supposed to be by the people and for the people.
I don't see the two issues as remotely the same thing at all.
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People have a choice whether to buy computing devices or not, sure. But it is not a good choice. The modern world pretty much dictates it in the same sense it dictates having a car. Not strictly necessary, but life would be harder without one in most American homes. You say Apple is going in the same direction, so there goes that retort.
I have no personal antagonism with you. I was a bit taken aback by that assumption, or did I misread you? Just like you, I feel each one of us is entitled to his opinion on the matter, and that includes you, of course. You are looking at it from the point of view of an IT professional, and what you have to deal with in your daily life. Totally understandable.
But I do have a great deal of antagonism against the relentless shift toward removing ownership of computers (in all shapes and sizes) from the buying public. This is the next step. Microsoft can slap a boatload of service-not-product labels on what it sells. If the user still controls his system, it matters little. It's still his personal system, behaving the way he wants. Without the ability to prevent remotely triggered changes to his system, he loses that right.
I don't have to go far afield to give you an example of what this would mean. For the past, what, 6 months? Microsoft has been engaging on a hard sell of Windows 10 (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2998967/windows/how-to-block-the-windows-10-upgrade.html) to its Windows 7 and 8 customers. The nagware comes through Windows update. Anyone with automatic updates enabled has been suffering through it for months. Fortunately for users who control the changes to their systems actively, the specific updates that bring down this pest can be blocked. That would not be possible under Windows 10. In fact, it wouldn't happen at all under Windows 10, because Microsoft would just inform you that your OS is about to change drastically, and then force the change on you within a specific time window. They don't have to ask your permission anymore.
My opposition is more than just principle. By allowing Microsoft to dictate without recourse what our systems will be and what they will do at any given time, we are giving up a lot of personal control. We are giving up all our ownership rights.
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I just found out how to move Windows Store installed apps (including games) to another drive.
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/move-windows-10-apps-other-drive-change-install-location
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Unstoppable Windows-10 updates spoil this pro gaming stream. (https://www.mweb.co.za/games/view/tabid/4210/Article/25780/Professional-CS-GO-streamer-flanked-by-Windows-10-update.aspx) Like I said, more than just principle. There are dire real-world consequences.
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Your qualification for what counts as a dire real-world consequence is clearly different than mine. Besides, Windows 10 upgrade notices are absolutely not "unstoppable" (I know, that's the random website's word and not yours):
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080351
- https://www.grc.com/never10.htm
I find these "Windows 10 update popup ruined x!" stories showing up everywhere are a little ridiculous. Has there never been an error message from some random program or an AV definition update notice popping up on a restaurant menu, digital sign, video stream, or presentation before? Don't tell me no, I see all kinds of pop up boxes on digital signage all the time.
The amount of FUD surrounding Windows 10 is ridiculous and goes way beyond anything I saw with Vista.
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I just set up the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on my main PC and my Surface. I was curious to see the desktop and tablet experiences as they were intended.
It's got a lot of refinements but it's an incremental update as opposed to an overhaul, yet it does have some substantial changes visually and functionally.
Much to my appreciation, there's finally a Dark Mode! Yeeeeeah! No more white Windows!
Tablet Mode finally gets the full screen experience back, which was oddly missing in Win10.
Anyway, you can check out the full feature list at Windows Central:
http://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10-anniversary-update
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I only have Windows 10 at work and we are running 1511 with the Defer Updates option enabled. So I don't have this yet.
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I only have Windows 10 at work and we are running 1511 with the Defer Updates option enabled. So I don't have this yet.
It's worth checking out on a personal system before launching it on the work units.
One thing they added to the Windows Update schedule now is the ability to set "Active Hours" so it will not update or run any automated tasks during these hours. Of course you can also forgo automatic updates completely with the Defer Updates option, as you mentioned.
I haven't delved into its inner workings yet but it seems to tackle most gripes people had about Windows 10 in general. I'm still going through its ins and outs but I'm pretty happy so far.
I know it's superficial, but the Dark Mode really caters to me :P
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I set up a couple laptops for my niece and nephew, and boy was that a nightmare. The most fun part was when Windows didn't recognize changes made to user accounts through Control Panel in Settings, or visa versa, so my niece was both an administrator for some things and not for others.
EDIT - Idol also pointed this out: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/08/xbox-one-controllers-and-windows-10-pcs-its-all-a-mess-right-now/
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I was going to post that link in your edit. The mess extends to more than just Xbox pads. It seems to affect all controllers. The recommendation for controller users is to avoid Anniversary for now, and revert to the previous Win10 version if already installed.
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EDIT - Idol also pointed this out: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/08/xbox-one-controllers-and-windows-10-pcs-its-all-a-mess-right-now/
WTH, Microsoft?
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Woah.. I've got Win 10 Anniversary installed on 4 systems (2 of which use gamepads) and I haven't experienced any of these issues at all.
One thing I did though is install the Xbox Accessories app (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/xbox-accessories/9nblggh30xj3) and used it to update my Xbox One controllers' firmware. That could be why I'm not seeing any of these issues.
Mind you, I am using 3 different types of controllers (depending on which needs charging I swap them out):
-Xbox One
-Xbox 360 (wireless)
-DualShock 4 (with and without software to emulate X360 gamepad)
All of them work fine, but the Xbox One controller doesn't work with Telltale games (except Batman), but that's because Telltale never added compatibility for them, for some stupid reason.
I've also been reading about people having freezing issues after the Anniversary update. Which is also shocking. I mean, did Microsoft test this?! I haven't experienced any issues at all, it's been a pretty smooth process and I'm quite happy with the update but damn.
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In the case of InputMapper (for DS4 controllers, maybe more 3rd-party?), if what I read (https://inputmapper.com/21-windows-10-anniversary-update-why-things-broke) is correct, it's related to something in Windows opening up all HIDs, and therefore making it impossible to access one (the controller, in this case) exclusively. Someone already came up with a workaround (https://inputmapper.com/20-windows-10-1607-au-exclusive-mode-fix). Assuming this is just sloppy code and not something intentional, I imagine it will be fixed soon.
One thing I did though is install the Xbox Accessories app (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/xbox-accessories/9nblggh30xj3) and used it to update my Xbox One controllers' firmware. That could be why I'm not seeing any of these issues.
Yes, that is the correct procedure to get the X1 pads working.* Of course, that does nothing for 3rd-party controllers.
* BTW, the new pads coming out with the Xbox One S will include Bluetooth, not for the Xbox, but specifically for Windows-10 PCs (and I imagine other Windows-10 devices).
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Latest Windows 10 update reset a ton of my settings, disabled system restore points which had been enabled prior, reset my default browser from Opera (and now won't let me re-select it), and broke several programs and a whole ton of shortcuts.
Someone please tell me Linux will be able to reliably run Windows applications soon.
EDIT - Oh, and not only that, now none of the apps I have will even give me the option to open links in Opera. It's Edge or nothing. Cool.
EDIT x2 - I had a similar problem to this before, and tried several alternative methods to get it working this time. Not sure if the one that finally worked was the one I used before or not. Regardless, had to use a completely different menu system to set things properly. Even though several other programs I have are still working as defaults, they don't show up in the list of defaults. VLC, for instance, doesn't populate properly in 2 of the 3 menu systems you can use to set defaults in Windows 10. The only options are iTunes and WMP. Funny, that.
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That sounds terrible, man! That would certainly irritate the crap out of me.
I'm on the latest version and I haven't come across any issues like that. After the update, it retained my settings and my defaults.
Did the update somehow mess with your registry?
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Oh undoubtedly. Lot of the stuff I turned off is stuff Windows absolutely does not want me to turn off and provides no legitimate means of doing so. That, of course, I fully expect, given the company and what they've been doing with the OS. There was a bunch of other stuff it fucked up, though, that it really shouldn't have, even given Microsoft's expectedly bullshit practices.
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So my new computer is up and running. Very excited. Two issues:
1. Old Windows 10 key not working. :(
2. Windows 10 is updating automatically. I don't know why this is happening but it has taken away the joy of upgrading my video card drivers etc. :/
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For the key you have to contact Microsoft to activate it on your new hardware.
For the updates, you can disable auto-updates from the Windows Update settings. I think there's a "defer updates" option or something.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
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If you have an nvidia card be forewarned, the new Geforce Experience update is fucking awful. I mean I get it, they made their own way of streaming games and that's cool and all, but when they're adding it's own fucking overlay onto every game then we're done, immediate uninstall. It's trying to become its own service now and it's intrusive as all hell.
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If you have an nvidia card be forewarned, the new Geforce Experience update is fucking awful. I mean I get it, they made their own way of streaming games and that's cool and all, but when they're adding it's own fucking overlay onto every game then we're done, immediate uninstall. It's trying to become its own service now and it's intrusive as all hell.
I was wondering why I hadn't noticed this, so I opened GeForce Experience to check. Gamestream, Share, and Virtual Reality are all unavailable to me because I don't meet the system requirements lol. You need a 600 series or higher and I've got a 460.
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Xessive, thank you. Microsoft reactivated my key. How awesome!
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Any time, dude!
The GeForce Experience stuff was quite annoying but it can be disabled from the settings. I like it because of the direct driver download but I generally avoid its other features.
At one point, NVIDIA were going make it the exclusive way to get drivers going forward. You would basically be forced to install it in order to download drivers. Of course, due to the inevitable backlash they seem to have rethought that plan.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
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I have to admit it is kinda cool that Windows 10 keeps all the drivers updated and all.
What's The GeForce Experience?
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I have to admit it is kinda cool that Windows 10 keeps all the drivers updated and all.
What's The GeForce Experience?
http://www.geforce.com/geforce-experience
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For the updates, you can disable auto-updates from the Windows Update settings. I think there's a "defer updates" option or something.
You're referring to "Defer Upgrades". That only applies to upgrades between major versions, like RTM to 1511 to whatever the Anniversary Update is.
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So here I am, after all the philosophical rantings, on a PC which came with Windows 10 Home installed. Yesterday was a verification of my misgivings about lack of control over your own system. While I had set the WiFi network to metered, and that did stop updates from downloading, it certainly didn't stop Windows Update from checking forever for them. I noticed that my CPU use was hovering around 25% in one task. So I searched, and immediately found a conversation about Update and quad-core CPUs. So, really, 100% hogging of one core. Brought up Settings, and sure enough, Update was stuck forever trying to download stuff.
So I thought I should let it do its thing unencumbered, and removed the metered restriction. No help. It was just stuck at this point. Restarting the system didn't help either. So I kept searching, and found I could download the latest cumulative update as a standalone, which I did. I let that install, then checked the update history. It said it failed to install about half a dozen times.
Now I thought I was really FUBAR. Windows Update was still trying with no seeming progress. I turned my attention back to the browser for a while, found out I could actually disable the Update service. When I looked back at the Update status, HEY! It showed 91% progress in downloading the updates I had already installed (but which were showing as a failed install in update history, even though the system info showed my Windows' build number as the latest under the 1607 update). Then it went to "install" the updates. The progress bar jumped to 80% and then to 100%, and it said I was up to date.
I never expected to be allowed to simply disable the Windows Update service. With all the draconian measures to force updates on consumers, I figured this simple back door would be shut and locked. Nope. Just go into services.msc, and get some respite from this pest for however long you feel safe with it. The only "downside" so far is that it takes the app store with it. Gee, and I was going to buy so many apps. :p
Made a note to myself, so far the only file in my Documents folder:
Windows Update disabled services:
Windows Update - normally Manual (Triggered)
Windows Modules Installer - normally Automatic
Will let you know if the Microsoft police break down my door and seize my system (or anything less dramatic goes awry with my box) as a result.
Edit: Took some time to re-read this entire thread. So maybe disabling the BITS service is better? I'm leaving it as is for now. Just something else to learn. Will read up.
I wonder if I can use that tool to download a Windows ISO to have a legit backup of Windows 10. My key is already activated, though. I don't know if that's a spoiler.
It's got 1GB, though dxdiag shows 4GB for some reason. It did this in Windows 7 as well.
Way late, but I can now give you the reason: dxdiag is reporting all the memory accessible to your card, which includes shared system RAM. My 6GB card reads as having 14 GB (LOL!). The system also reports that I have 8 GB of shared video memory.
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Windows 10 could be getting some kind of "Game Mode" in a future update:
http://www.pcgamer.com/windows-10-may-be-getting-a-new-game-mode-option/?utm_content=bufferaff3d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer_pcgamerfb
A recent discovery by Twitter user WalkingCat indicates that Windows 10 may be getting something called a "Game Mode" as part of the upcoming Creators Update. The leaked build 14997 of the software contains a new "gamemode.dll" file, which WalkingCat theorizes will enable Windows to adjust its resource allocations to prioritize games when the mode is enabled.
The feature isn't working at this point, but Windows Central says it will function similarly to the Xbox OS, which allocates resources to ensure that games run as well as they possibly can. Despite being a good (and obvious) idea, that's a feature that so far hasn't been supported by Windows.
Beyond the fact that the new dll exists, Game Mode at this point is questions across the board. Will it work automatically, or be a user-selected option? Will it support older Win32 games from other platforms, like Steam, or will it be exclusive to Universal Windows Platform? Could it require particular hardware of some sort? Anything that boosts PC gaming performance is okay by me, but if the focus is too narrow—which is to say, if it's locked to UWP—then I have to wonder just how much of an impact it will have over the long run.
I've reached out to Microsoft for more information about the new mode, and will update if I receive a reply.
Update: In response to my inquiry, Microsoft sent over a brief statement saying that it has "nothing to share at this time."
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PC Gamer - Microsoft turns off AMD Ryzen + Intel Kaby Lake updates & support for Win 7+8.1:
http://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-turns-off-windows-781-updates-for-ryzen-and-kaby-lake/
So, if you are going w/ AMD Ryzen or Intel's Kaby Lake, going forward you will need Windows 10.
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Win7 lovers, stick with Skylake, I guess. Kaby Lake is mostly optimization, not truly a next gen. But, Ryzen . . .
Dirty, dirty pool.
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Oh dick move!
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MS is really using its whole tool belt to get people onto Windows 10. We anticipated this last year and I informed our guy that does the workstation acquisition to identify systems that either were pre-Skylake or were on the list of approved Skylake systems and to only purchase systems from that list. Anything else can't be supported until we are prepared to upgrade to Windows 10.
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This guy gets it. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5mFI9spp10)
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Same guy again. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlWwIBwExaI) Windows 10 S (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-s). Oh, boy! Here it comes. This is a severely locked-down version of Windows 10, not the "special" "extra-nice" that an 'S' after the name would have most of us thinking. It runs only apps bought through the store, browses the net only with Edge, and searches the net only with Bing. It is now the standard version of Windows on the new Surface laptops. Their spin is security, but what you get is basically the same kind of walled-garden environment found on consoles and smartphones. You can spend an extra $50 to unlock it (for now).
It shouldn't take the help of a tinfoil hat to see where this might lead. Most people don't know how to prevent updates to their copies of Windows 10. As Jerry says in the video, the circle is slowly closing in. The new Creator's update will bring back the OS's default settings. Maybe this time, you'll really stick to Edge and Cortana. Slowly . . .
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What a bunch of horseshit.
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I don't get it... this is going to lead to all versions of Windows to only use Edge and Bing? It would be the downfall of the OS, no one would implement it in their business or even personal use. This is simply a macbook competitor, which I dont think will get far off the ground at all.
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I sure hope it goes nowhere. The scary part is that Microsoft have actually created a closed version of Windows for the so-far-open x86 PC platform. Not phones, not tablets; full-fledged PCs. It's like that salesman on your front porch who managed to get his foot in your doorway, and now you can't close the door. How hard is he going to push the door back at you? Don't know yet. I can imagine a financially alluring path to locked PCs, with the intent of gaining enough of the market this way to make punitive measures against open PCs affordable [for Microsoft], and ratchet up the pressure toward their lucrative ecosystem. (An example of a punitive measure is dropped support for Ryzen and anything after Skylake on Windows versions before 10).
Holdouts would be folks like us and businesses. The latter can afford a much higher price for open versions of Windows.
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Same guy again. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlWwIBwExaI) Windows 10 S (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-s). Oh, boy! Here it comes. This is a severely locked-down version of Windows 10, not the "special" "extra-nice" that an 'S' after the name would have most of us thinking. It runs only apps bought through the store, browses the net only with Edge, and searches the net only with Bing. It is now the standard version of Windows on the new Surface laptops. Their spin is security, but what you get is basically the same kind of walled-garden environment found on consoles and smartphones. You can spend an extra $50 to unlock it (for now).
It shouldn't take the help of a tinfoil hat to see where this might lead. Most people don't know how to prevent updates to their copies of Windows 10. As Jerry says in the video, the circle is slowly closing in. The new Creator's update will bring back the OS's default settings. Maybe this time, you'll really stick to Edge and Cortana. Slowly . . .
It's supposed to be a Chrome OS competitor since that is eating Microsoft's and Apple's lunch in the education sector.
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Is Windows 10 S Edition (locked-down version) a lot cheaper than the usual Windows 10 versions (that allow you do install, download, and use other stuff you want)?
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The education target was right up front. I understand why Microsoft want to compete there. What I don't understand is why they have to lock Windows like that to achieve it. If anything, that makes the environment more limited and inflexible. They could have used Windows openness as a differentiating factor in their pitch, and turned it into a competitive advantage. They could have added a "parental-lock" layer with teachers as administrators and students as restricted users. There is much they could have done without arriving at what they did, which is so obviously an attempt to lock the user to Microsoft's ecosystem, with a fee to escape it. This opens a door I never want to walk through.
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Massive vulnerability in Windows Defender leaves most Windows PCs vulnerable (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/windows-defender-nscript-remote-vulnerability/)
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/4022344
Patch was issued immediately. Anyone using Defender, Security Essentials, or other forms of this protection engine, make sure its engine version is 1.1.13704.0 or higher. Otherwise, force an update. Enterprise deployments may need hands on. (Thinking of Scott, but I'd bet he keeps in touch with such fun stuff.)
The massive part of this is that simply scanning a properly crafted file with the affected anti-malware software can infect you. And Defender does that automagically to whatever you download, as well as having a real-time component nosing around. Ain't that a kick in the head.
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Thanks for the heads up. That's ugly ... guess I better go turn Windows Update back on.
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You can update Windows Defender directly, right inside its UI. 2nd tab, I think. You can check its version in its Help->About
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My version is 4+, not 1? Also it's completely turned off, and I guess that probably means the exploit couldn't affect me since it needs to scan something?
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Yeah mine is off because I have a different anti-virus running.
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Guys, make damn sure whatever form of Windows you're using is updated past the zero-day exploits making this shit (http://www.thewindowsclub.com/wannacrypt-patches-for-windows-xp) possible (courtesy of the NSA).
They say Windows 10 isn't targeted, but I wouldn't bet my files on that. For those still on Version 1607 (latest before the upcoming "Creators" update) who prefer control over updates, here is the latest cumulative update (http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4019472). No nasty surprises after installing, so far. Everything still works for me as before.
To clarify the alarm, WannaCrypt is a worm--it finds its way without your involvement. It has been stopped for now by someone who found the kill switch (by registering a particular domain), but that may not last for long. Fully weaponized ransomware. Yikes.
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Yeesh. Yeah, I've updated myself on Win 10 until ... I don't know, a few weeks ago. Just got sick of the constant updating, frankly, and the absolute inability to turn off the goddamn notification to reboot, which loves to pop up at the worst possible times. And I'm also still really angry that you have to give it a "window" of when it can reboot, and you can't even set it to like a few hours, it wants I think 12 or something insane. Like no, how about I tell you when I want the machine to reboot and install updates? I hate this OS so much.
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This worm was so serious that Microsoft patched Windows XP, 2003, and 8.
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I downloaded the XP patch on the new PC. I'm not even sure I have SP3 on the old box. It may still be on SP2, so I don't know if it'll work. I'll disconnect the ethernet before I even power it on. If I can't patch it, I guess it stays offline until I find an alternate solution. (I think some port blocks might do. Kerio Personal Firewall 2.x blocks everything by default anyway; just have to make sure no rules allow the involved ports.)
Que, what I do after I'm happy with the state of my updates is disable the Windows Update service and the Windows Modules Installer service (in services.msc). That kills Update and all hogging of the CPU. It also kills the Windows Store (which I never use). Apps I have continue to work, but won't update, and I can't get new ones. (So this won't work well for anyone invested into Microsoft's walled garden.) When I choose to update again, I find the cumulative standalone msu file in that catalog site I linked above and download it. Then I disconnect from the internet, reenable the 2 services (manual and automatic, respectively, were the initial settings for me), launch the msu, and let it do its thing. After the reboot and completion of updating, I disable the 2 services again, and finally reconnect to the internet. It's a chore, but it gives me exactly what I want, which is full control over updates, and a nag-free environment.