The free Windows 10 update

Karsten75 · June 03, 2015, 01:00:14 PM

Microsoft will make Windows 10 available for a limited time (12 months?) for most users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.x.

You can get notified if you qualify by making sure your Windows Update install the optional Windows KB3035583 package. I did this and about 24 hours later I now have the notification icon and the offer. :)

knucracker · June 03, 2015, 03:49:30 PM

Are you running an OEM self-installed version of windows (like you bought windows 7 OEM from newegg at some point)? If so, awesome. MS hasn't been real clear on what they mean by some OEM versions not getting the free upgrade offer....

Also, I'm really interested in what the clean install path will be. For instance, I have windows 7 on a system and I want the free upgrade... but I sure don't want to install it by 'upgrading' from a 5 year old windows 7 installation. I'll be wiping clean and maybe even replacing the hard drive in the process (did this already on one system and my old dev system may get the same treatment in time).

I guess time will tell... and supposedly that time is fast approaching.

Karsten75 · June 03, 2015, 03:55:56 PM

All my machines are OEM with software I bought from Newegg. :)

I guess if you want a clean install, you may have to buy the cow. :)

Michionlion · June 03, 2015, 04:25:18 PM

July 29, apparently.

J · June 03, 2015, 05:20:04 PM

Chances are about 5% that I will install it on my current rather old laptop. I've not yet decided if I'll install it on my new laptop coming tomorrow (will post in other thread next week). I'm still curious why they skipped 9, renamed IE to spartana and if I'm able to disable most of the new functionality (like the windows store, in win7 I've found a way to remove IE, hope the same tool is still available).

Karsten75 · June 03, 2015, 05:27:54 PM

Quote from: J on June 03, 2015, 05:20:04 PM
Chances are about 5% that I will install it on my current rather old laptop. I've not yet decided if I'll install it on my new laptop coming tomorrow (will post in other thread next week). I'm still curious why they skipped 9, renamed IE to spartana and if I'm able to disable most of the new functionality (like the windows store, in win7 I've found a way to remove IE, hope the same tool is still available).

It's by all accounts much better than Windows 8.1 (which you are most likely getting on your new laptop).

They skipped Windows 9, because many programs were only testing one character of the version and then it can be confused with Windows 95 and/or Windows 98.

The new browser is called "Edge" - the development code-name was Spartan.

Cortana is the voice assistant - similar to Siri on Apple devices.

Karsten75 · June 03, 2015, 06:57:58 PM

Well, apparently a Clean install is possible after an upgrade.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9334/microsoft-confirms-you-can-clean-install-windows-10-after-upgrading

knucracker · June 03, 2015, 07:06:18 PM

I'm actually running the windows 10 preview (the latest fast ring build) on my wife's old computer. It's a 5 year old i7 860 system with a radeon 5700 hd, 8G ram, and a new 250G samsung 850evo SSD (decommissioned the old hard drive).

She was used to windows 7 and I've been running windows 8.1 on my main desktop for I guess about a year now. Windows 10 definitely boots up more favorably on traditional mouse and non-touch screens than windows 8/8.1 did. I spent a couple hours turning windows 8.1 back into something as much like windows 7 as possible. So the difference between my windows 8.1 and windows 10 isn't that severe actually.

The biggest things that immediately jump out (for me) are the integrated return of the start menu... with some enhancements like tiles, windows store apps that run on the desktop now in windows, multiple virtual desktops, and Cortana.

Sure the spartan/edge browser is there and it is ok. You doodle on a few web pages to see what that is like, then you never do it again. I installed chrome after about 30 minutes and just called it a day. How they land with respect to flash, the unity web player, javascript performance and support.... that's all that will matter in the end for me. Other than that, it's just a cleaned up browser.

Cortana... I'm reserving judgement. I've used Siri and Alexa and they are both pretty smart and really good at understanding what I say. Cortana, more irritation than help at this point. She doesn't understand me as well and she is baffling in her inability to actually do anything useful. But, she will probably get better and get better fast... so it's something I reserve judgment on.

The windows store integration I'm actually happy about. The apps that used to run only on the tile screen of win 8 in full screen now can run in windows on your desktop.

At the end of the day I'm really rooting for it... I want everybody to upgrade as fast as possible so I can stop supporting directx 9 at some point before I retire :)

knucracker · June 03, 2015, 07:09:12 PM

Quote from: Karsten75 on June 03, 2015, 06:57:58 PM
Well, apparently a Clean install is possible after an upgrade.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9334/microsoft-confirms-you-can-clean-install-windows-10-after-upgrading

That's what I was afraid of :) I have to install windows 7 on the new SSD, probably patch it to sp1, then upgrade to windows 10... then start over like I never did any of that.

Looks like that would just take a windows 7 activation key during the windows 10 install and validate it the same way they will when I reinstall windows 7...

asmussen · June 04, 2015, 03:54:53 AM

For people considering doing the upgrade, be sure that you know that certain features will no longer be available in Windows 10. From the official specifications page (Which is still subject to change):

Feature deprecation section

If you have Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8 Pro with Media Center, or Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center and you install Windows 10, Windows Media Center will be removed.
Watching DVDs requires separate playback software
Windows 7 desktop gadgets will be removed as part of installing Windows 10.
Windows 10 Home users will have updates from Windows Update automatically available. Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise users will have the ability to defer updates.
Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Hearts Games that come pre-installed on Windows 7 will be removed as part of installing the Windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft has released our version of Solitaire and Minesweeper called the "Microsoft Solitaire Collection" and "Microsoft Minesweeper."
If you have a USB floppy drive, you will need to download the latest driver from Windows Update or from the manufacturer's website.
If you have Windows Live Essentials installed on your system, the OneDrive application is removed and replaced with the inbox version of OneDrive.

Grayzzur · June 04, 2015, 10:13:31 AM

Well, Windows 7 already lost desktop gadgets on it's own awhile back. I think SP1 knocked them out.

Many of the new "features" of 10 (running Metro apps in a window, a proper start menu, etc.) are things my 8.1 box (which is not my main computer -- that's still 7) does thanks to StarDock's Object Desktop collection of windows addons. Some of them are new and useful from any Windows version, others are "fixes" to newer Windows versions (like "Start8" -- guess what that one does). But many of them should have been built in to 8 from the start.

At least once I have to stop using 7, I won't have to go to 8.1.

I'm sure they'll screw it up again with Windows 11, and then try to appease consumers again with Windows 12. It's a vicious cycle they've been in since Vista.

Karsten75 · June 04, 2015, 10:31:37 AM

Quote from: Grayzzur on June 04, 2015, 10:13:31 AM

I'm sure they'll screw it up again with Windows 11, and then try to appease consumers again with Windows 12. It's a vicious cycle they've been in since ~~Vista~~ Windows ME.

Fixed it for ya.

The old saying is that they made Windows versions CE, ME and NT.

knucracker · June 04, 2015, 10:32:37 AM

The thing that has me most nervous is the update model. They seem to want to move to a model where features and fixes are mixed together and pushed out more frequently. Fantastic.... if they do a good job in the process. Seeing how they are doing updates during the preview releases (just 2 months out from their release) gives me pause, though.

I just installed the preview the other day from an iso and then it immediately wanted to update to the newly release fast ring build. It failed.... after it had downloaded the many megs of update. The problem was that I had to clean out some temp folder that it was using (mind you I had just installed it from iso). I did that, and it downloaded and proceeded. It still felt like I was reinstalling the OS, though. It took a long time and sat on a black screen for a really uncomfortable time. Some of this might be beta pains... and I didn't think much of it till I saw that the release was the end of next month. Gulp.

If that is the model for updates and that happens 10 times in the first 3 months after the release... sit back for interesting stories and press coverage the second half of this year.

Karsten75 · June 04, 2015, 10:41:44 AM

Quote from: virgilw on June 04, 2015, 10:32:37 AM
The thing that has me most nervous is the update model. They seem to want to move to a model where features and fixes are mixed together and pushed out more frequently.

The "not-simple" solution is to run Pro. It lets you defer some types of updates. Home users get the short end of the stick. Think pâté de foie gras.

How Pate is made - PETA

Foie gras is made from the grotesquely enlarged livers of ducks and geese who have been cruelly force-fed. Although France is the primary producer (and consumer) of this so-called "delicacy"—France produces more than 20,000 tons of foie gras each year—force-feeding takes place on a few duck farms in the U.S. too.

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knucracker · June 04, 2015, 07:12:21 PM

My experiences almost exactly....
http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/2/8704191/is-windows-10-ready