Goodbye Windows 10

[DeanoH]

Well I've finally had a gut full of Windows 10.

Those miserable, incompetent arrogant bastards at Redmond have finally pushed me too far. My latest Win10 update, the ridiculously named 'fall' update has caused me to 'fall' from the Win10 OS.

I've been battling poor internet connection speeds and inability to connect for some time now and blamed it on the usual suspect, Telstra, my degraded rural copper connection and a push to NBN with consequent degradation of my existing service. I couldn't have been more wrong.

**** ing Microsoft Windows Update has been trying to install an updated version of Win10 but has been unable to do so, for several months according to my update history. The update to Win10 ver 1709 (the so called 'fall update') is so poorly written that it downloads, can't install so downloads again still can't install so downloads again and again and again and again ................ until my download limit is reached. Every now and again a pop up advises me that 'a Windows Update has failed' with a generic check virus scanner, run scandisk etc message but no specific reason and keeps on downloading and failing to install. A constant loop with no "hey, I've downloaded this 427 times perhaps I should give some sort of hint as to why installation fails and abort the ongoing download/fail cycle". Not the ignorant muppets at Microsoft, why would they ?, in the home of the brave and the land of the free obviously everyone has unlimited download volume/bandwidth and since when did Microsoft give a **** about anything to do with service ?, like many American company's don't give a rats about anything outside the continental US, sort of reminds me of the Microsoft PR campaign several years ago with the "trust Microsoft" theme, I laughed so much I nearly cried.

The main problem with this 'cyclic download' is that it gobbles up ALL router bandwidth at times effectively wiping out my PC, network and all internet connectivity. Talk about poorly written script, I'd expect a first year IT student to do better job than this.

Being an old bastard and relatively computer literate I've been an avid user of Microsofts products since I gave up IBM DOS and graduated to MS DOS 2 many, many moons ago. I'm currently typing this on my obsolete 32 bit, 4G RAM, Win 7 Core2Duo PC and what a pleasure it is to use compared to my 'current' 64 bit, 16G RAM, Win10, Core i5 SSD HDD PC. I've had viruses and malware less malevolent than **** ing Microsoft Windows Update.

Well the bastards at Microsoft have pushed me too far this time. I was never real happy with the enforced update regime that came with Win 10, the no Beta testing, money saving, enforced download and customer screwing "trust me I'm Microsoft" environment similar to that used by Apple.

The original Win10 was quite good despite my reservations about forced updates, brilliant driver and update support and better still no Cortana :) This unfortunately was a short lived 'fools paradise'. Soon after Cortana was forced down all Win10 users throats but fortunately could still be disabled in Group Policies. The search function took a bit of a hit but was well worth it to get rid of Cortana even though its memory allocation couldn't be recovered :)

Cut to the present, Windows 10 can't update to current version with no clues as to why and I'm over trying to figure out why but in the short term I need to disable auto update to get some control back over my PC/network. I figure editing local hosts and re directing auto updates to 127.0.0.1 should do the trick, has anyone out there done a similar thing ?

Ultimately I need a long term solution and it's NOT going to be the latest Win10. I fired up my Core i7 Win10 laptop which had no problems updating to current version but with typical Microsoft arrogance has decided to re name command prompt to some other silly name, installed a number of unsolicited game tiles/nuisanceware and continually pesters about downloading programs from a 'Windows Store' which I guess is a poor mans would have been if it could have been Android Apps/Play Store copy.

Sorry Microsoft Windows 10, but for this little black duck you've run your race ............ and lost, so as I see it I have the following options.

1/. Disable Win 10 auto update and keep my old Win10 version and 'go down with the ship'.

2/. Go Back To the Future and upgrade back to Win 7 and live happily ever after :)

3/. Bite the bullet and embrace the Penguin with Ubuntu, Open Office etc and completely cast off all Microsoft products.

note. Apple is not an option, IMO the only company that can out Microsoft even Microsoft for sheer amoral bastardry and also IMO the worst value for money IT products on the market.

Any suggestions ?

Deano :)

[incisor]

note. Apple is not an option, IMO the only company that can out Microsoft even Microsoft for sheer amoral bastardry and also IMO the worst value for money IT products on the market.


build a bridge :p

the penguin is fine if you want a cut down version of MacOS

it will do all that you want and more once you get your head around it...

lots of fine distributions out there, none quite as complete as MacOS, but you get what you pay for...

my backup machine i use for collecting and storing all my backups is a Ubuntu box and it operates flawlessly

AULRO.com runs on several debian instances and is the most stable dist i have found, but ubuntu is a better dist for a desktop user.

my humble opinion after being in this game for a few decades...

[biggrin]

[Tins]

note. Apple is not an option, IMO the only company that can out Microsoft even Microsoft for sheer amoral bastardry and also IMO the worst value for money IT products on the market.

Any suggestions ?

Deano :)

Impressive rant. Amazing how you have painted yourself into a corner. Long time hater of Apple, and now the provider of choice has ****ed you over.

Hilarious. Have fun working out Linux.

No sympathy from me.



[JDNSW]

I ditched Windows for the penguin about eight years ago. I have used Mint for the last three or four years, but have looked at others and have varied what desktop I use. The machine I am typing this on uses Mint, with three different desktops available. While a long term KDE user over a variety of distributions, I am currently using Xfce, as the latest KDE is a mess. But try a few and decide what you like.

[101RRS]

Windows 7 still works for me [smilebigeye].

[Gordie]

Windows 7 still works for me [smilebigeye].Same...main PC has 7, spare has 10, quite happy to keep using 7.

[Graeme]

Is the network connection set as metered?
Is update over metered connections not allowed?
Are the Delivery optimisation limits set to minimum?

I'm just getting over re-installing Win10 from scratch after a total HDD failure then re-migrating Dos programs from an XP system abandoned 18 months ago. At least my fixed wifi nbn connection is quite fast compared with the copper then satellite connections from earlier times.

[trout1105]

I have had a few cracks at using various Linux OS's But I find them too "Fiddly" and have always fallen back onto the MS offerings.
Having said that I do believe that the Linux OS's are more stable than the MS offerings and better still they are FREE.
So if you are serious about dumping MS give a Linux based OS a go [thumbsupbig]

[PhilipA]

I finally found after several months of not being able to download the "developers" update , that my HDD was slowly deteriorating and was corrupting files. The update requires that registry files are not corrupt.
I ran the Microsoft tools MANY times.
However I then bit the bullet and replaced my hard disk and now Win10 runs sweetly with no problems since 9/17 when I replaced the Hdd.
I was able to reload all of my files( give or take groups in Outlook) by imaging all files to an external HDD then restoring.
My point is that it may not be a Win10 problem but an old Hdd causing your problems.
Regards Philip A

[AK83]

To stop Win 10 auto updating(ie. downloading of updates), you need to set a wifi connection to 'metered connection'.
This has to be hacked for an ethernet connection tho.

I've done this to my Win 10 prior to doing a cumulative update, which then changed back to auto(but haven't done the registry hack again since).

I just followed a tute I found online.

SEE HERE (https://www.cnet.com/how-to/meter-your-ethernet-connection-in-windows-10/) for what to do if you're on a ethernet connection.

I used the same instructions I found on windowscentral(I think) .. or somewhere like that.

Back then I was on a metered connection, and kids were killing it, so I updated my ISP plan to an unlimited .. so less of a hassle.

One way to manually install updates is via the Microsoft Updater Catalog. (google it).

Works ok, look for the updates download them to a location install them as needed.

[p38arover]

I've not had any issues.

I've tried various distros of Linux but I can't get my head around it.

My wife uses a Mac but it's worse than Linux.

[PhilipA]

I just had this update plus updates for Office 2010 a couple of days ago and it worked perfectly.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4074588/windows-10-update-kb4074588

Regards Philip A

[onebob]

Macs just work - day in day out, they’re not the workhorse of the Printing and allied industries no reason!

happy days ...... [emoji846]

[Eevo]

i prefer warp os/2

[vnx205]

Like John, I have been using Linux for some time, partly because my computers have usually been someone's free cast off. There are versions of Linux that perform really well on ten year old computers.

I have also installed Linux on computers for several elderly computer users. Not one of them has ever come back with a comment that Linux is too confusing or that there is too much to get your head around.

I often wonder why some people seem to find it difficult. I can think of a few possible reasons.

Maybe it is quite a few years since they tried Linux and don't realise how much easier many of the versions of Linux are now to install and use.

Maybe it is because they have some strange peripherals that Linux doesn't readily recognise.

Maybe it is because they want to do things with Linux using exactly the same techniques they used with Windows.

Once you accept that Linux is not Windows, it is not difficult. It is different, but for a lot of users the differences never become apparent and they wouldn't have a clue what operating system was behind the software they are using.

At least with Linux, you can download it and try it out without actually installing it on your computer. You can do as John suggested and try a few and either settle on the one you like best or possibly the one some of your friends use so they can offer help in the unlikely event that you will have a problem.

Linux isn't for everyone, but it isn't difficult. You can find out for yourself if it suits you without making any changes to your computer.

I have looked at other versions, but have stayed with various versions of Ubuntu, usually the ones intended for low spec machine. I have used LXLE for a few years now.

[austastar]

Hi,
For the last few years at work I ran Ubuntu on a desktop as a trial for the I.T. boys, to see how it would perform on a Windows domain of 200 odd Win XP and Mac computers.
It was used for routine office tasks and for domain and server administration tasks with no major hassles.

We recommended that the Uni could adopt it and save a fortune in licence fees, but the bean counters wouldn't move from a commercial product and it's legalities.

When I left I was told to take the computer with me as it was quite old. On plugging it in at home and powering up, it gave a message on the screen about doing some checks as it had not been restarted in some 240 days.
That is a long time of heavy use with out needing a restart.
Cheers

[grey_ghost]

This is an interesting thread to read... I myself use Windows (and sometimes have a love/hate relationship with it!) 7 & 10.

I have also used various forms of Linux - Ubuntu was probably the best, Suse, Red Hat, AIX, Xenix (now that's going back a while)...

At work we stick with Windows.. Why? It's still the most common version of operating system out there, with the most applications and importantly - the vast majority of staff know how to use it.

Yes - I've experimented with Ubuntu (at home and in the office) - but retraining the staff just isn't worth the hassle.
Don't get me wrong - Microsoft can be very frustrating. But we also have plenty of problems with our Macs, and don't get me started on iTunes.. [happycry]

At the end of the day - in my experience - it's different horses for courses... My father used to swear by Ubuntu - he hated Microsoft with a passion, but eventually he created a dual boot PC with Windows & Ubuntu because he couldn't get all of the applications that he wanted on Ubuntu...

Cheers,
GG.

[donh54]

i prefer warp os/2

I ran FreeBSD for 12 months or more a looong time ago! [biggrin] Actually spent 18 hours straight getting a sound card working (it was a server o/s, so no native sound support). Then I went more mainstream (?) and ran Suse Linux for a couple of years. Mind you, I was teaching Network Support at the time. [thumbsupbig]

Nowadays, it's a Windows world, but I still reminisce wistfully about The Good Old Days (or maybe I've become an absent-minded old fart? [bigrolf]

[p38arover]

Nowadays, it's a Windows world, but I still reminisce wistfully about The Good Old Days (or maybe I've become an absent-minded old fart? [bigrolf]

I was quite fond of NewDOS.

[PhilipA]

Funny I tried Ubuntu on a atom based laptop that was very slooow on win 10.

It was just as slow on Ubuntu as it seemed to take just as many resources to display the interface.

I tried the stripped down Linux and the screen was so basic I thought it was rubbish. It was quicker though.


I don't mind Win 10 even though I had dramas with the big update.

I tend to use PowerPoint a bit and it has to show on another PC attached to a projector. Win 10 does this seamlessly. I just did a PowerPoint where someone brought over some Mac generated Jpegs. What a drama. Got it done in the end as the answer was that she had to change the folder that the jpegs were in before sending them or Iphotos added all this crap.
Regards Philip A

[vnx205]

There are better choices than Ubuntu for very low spec machines. Some of the Ubuntu based ones like Lubuntu or LXLE should be noticeably quicker.
On my computer LXLE uses about 430MB with nothing open and about 730 with Vivaldi browser running and 920 with a couple of tabs visible. How does that compare with what you had?

[p38arover]

I just did a PowerPoint where someone brought over some Mac generated Jpegs. What a drama. Got it done in the end as the answer was that she had to change the folder that the jpegs were in before sending them or Iphotos added all this crap.
Regards Philip A

Yesterday I sent an email (from Outlook/Win10) with a photo to a bloke who runs a Mac Pro. He couldn't open the image. Gahhh!

[vnx205]

Yesterday I sent an email (from Outlook/Win10) with a photo to a bloke who runs a Mac Pro. He couldn't open the image. Gahhh!

OTOH I have seen someone save a Word file on one version of Windows who could then not open it on another computer with an older version of Windows.

However it opened with no problems on that same computer when it was booted with Linux and running Open Office.

So sticking with Windows is no guarantee that you won't have problems.

[Tins]

I ditched Windows for the penguin about eight years ago. I have used Mint for the last three or four years, but have looked at others and have varied what desktop I use. The machine I am typing this on uses Mint, with three different desktops available. While a long term KDE user over a variety of distributions, I am currently using Xfce, as the latest KDE is a mess. But try a few and decide what you like.

I quite enjoy the Penguin running on an emulator, but no way would I go there for my main system. Horses for courses I guess.

[Tins]

My wife uses a Mac but it's worse than Linux.

Only for you, Ron. A Mac is a breath of fresh air after dealing with Windoze. MS still think they are the biggest kid on the block, but believe me they ain't. They are old and slow to react. Bloated in fact, just like IBM before them. Heck, don't they still charge $$$ for new OSs they "introduce"? Apple have been giving away their polished, incredibly competent and powerful OS for years. MS can't release a finished version of Windoze at all, and yet they make you pay. Windoze 8, anyone? Vista? Most folk are still using 7. 10 is a disaster, trying to be too smart for it's own good. Who needs touch screen tech for a desktop? Who needs bloated desktop software for a tablet or phone, when Android, or my fave ios, do the job so brilliantly?

Personally, I reckon open source is probably the way forward, but the problems are legion. Which Linux version is best? Who knows? I have Unbutu here on my emulator, and I hate it. I might try Mint, as recommended by JDNSW. But I will still run it on a high end Mac.

[JDNSW]

Apple has the advantage from the user's point of view that the ecosystem, both hardware and software, is controlled by Apple, meaning that everything tends to work smoothly together. It also has the disadvantage that the ecosystem is controlled by Apple, meaning that Apple can charge what they want to for both hardware and software, and change both in ways that may or may not suit the user whenever they decide to.

One result of this is that Apple products are very difficult to justify for anyone with competing demands on a limited income, but also means that innovation and fixes will tend to lag compared to open source.

Of course, it can be argued that Windows has the worst of both worlds - Microsoft controls the software, but not completely, as most applications are third party, but has influence but no control over the hardware.

[LRT]

I've been using Mac since the 1990's and try to avoid Windows.

It's hard to explain but Mac does everything with less clicks and mucking around. I can still use Terminal for command prompt but hardly use it.

I currently have a 2010 MacBook laptop and the only issue I'm finding is the battery isn't holding charge after 8 years of use. I replaced the battery with one of those $40 eBay batteries last week but it isn't much better.

I've increased the RAM from Apple's max of 4GB to 8GB. I'd like to try out two 8gb cards but it hasn't been a priority.

I've also put in one of those Seagate 2TB FireCuda hard drives and run a partition for Windows 7 so I can run SolidWorks. It copes quite well considering I haven't got a supported graphics card but I hardly do any rendering with it.

I have decided not to upgrade to High Sierra because it cuts out 32 bit applications and also moves from HFS+ to APFS (Apple File System)

I'm also reluctant to buy a new Mac because I can't upgrade the soldered in RAM and SSD. However, I can't upgrade the 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 duo processor on my Mac so I'll reach a limit eventually!

What I'd like to do is run a 'hackintosh' but it seems very complicated...

Although I find iPhones frustratingly limiting in terms or file storage and reliance on iTunes, I do prefer the ease of use and premium feel. I have been using an iPhone 4 until this year when I upgraded to a second hand iPhone 7 plus. I think it is best to buy Apple products second hand as when the new one comes out everyone has to keep up so they get rid of perfectly good devices.

[Eevo]

What I'd like to do is run a 'hackintosh' but it seems very complicated...

i've done that before.
very complicated. i never got everything running perfect

[workingonit]

Try Xenialpup.

Loads to RAM, no hard drive required. Total package about 330meg. Comes with browser, office suite, file manager, firewall. You can make free upgrades to Libreoffice and Thunar and Xfe via pup store. No constant windows system upgrade nonsense. Save any word processing, spreadsheets, vids, etc to an external drive, and back up to another (obviously [thumbsupbig]) otherwise one day [bigsad]

The difficult part I find these days in using Linux is finding where computer manufacturers hide the configuration changes in the BIOS so that you can boot something other than windows. Microsoft puts the argument that booting anything other than another windows version is a danger to your current windows set up, so the BIOS configuration from the outset is biased to that point of view. Go to the boot menu. If you see some sort of speed boot then disable it and a hidden menu should pop up. Look for legacy UEFI options you can play with. You may have to search the net for clues for your system on how others have done it.

Buy some new USB sticks ie Toshiba from Woollies, already formated ready to go.

Download Xenialpup iso file from repositories mentioned here Download latest Puppy Linux release (http://puppylinux.org/main/Download%20Latest%20Release.htm).

Download unetbootin for windows here UNetbootin - Homepage and Downloads (https://unetbootin.github.io/)

Open unetbootin. Don't bother telling it the linux version. Point it to your iso file, to USB, to which drive. Let it do its thing and you should end up with an operating system on a stick.

Assuming you have configured your BIOS, fire up machine with USB plugged in, hit the ESC, then F9, select your usb, Xpup should boot.

Like windows, you will need to configure wireless (it hunts for signal and asks for your password), keyboard preferences, time zones, firewall. It will often recommend defaults.

On your first close down you will be asked to assign your personal storage space (on a modern USB choose the max). Anything you change from what is in the standard program package gets stored here, ie if you want to download a different browser, or file manager. If you want to downloading Libreoffice office you will see that it is a very large package and gets its own storage space or sfs suffix.

When you open Xenialpup the second time, go to system/puppy event manager/save session. Set the save interval from default 30 minutes to zero minutes, and tick the 'Ask at shutdown whether to save session or not'. If there are settings you want to save ie in your browser, then make these settings when you boot up, then exit and save. Don't make the settings you want, then muck about with other junk you really don't want to save when the time comes.

Note, Xenialpup is a single person OS, and you are administrator or root. You can set a password if you wish but the designers say it is not necessary.

I rarely use windows now. If you're a gamer then by all means, but I'm not.

We inherited two Mac laptops from the father in law who now has dementia. His academic work and adventures are all locked up in Clarisworks. Thank goodness that Libreoffice keeps legacy file types so we can open Clarisworks docs. He was not really adventurous in terms of managing his computers, but relied on the Apple Shop for help with system issues. The reason he had two Macs? The original one kept dropping internet connections - told it's broken and buy a new one - when we got the computers my son noticed the issue in the older machine and traced it down to a network protocol change and now works perfectly. We have a few spare mini drives, one with windows, and another with Lubuntu. Pull the Mac disk and choose another OS...

[LRT]

We inherited two Mac laptops from the father in law who now has dementia. His academic work and adventures are all locked up in Clarisworks. Thank goodness that Libreoffice keeps legacy file types so we can open Clarisworks docs. He was not really adventurous in terms of managing his computers, but relied on the Apple Shop for help with system issues. The reason he had two Macs? The original one kept dropping internet connections - told it's broken and buy a new one - when we got the computers my son noticed the issue in the older machine and traced it down to a network protocol change and now works perfectly.

Wow Clarisworks! I remember using that years ago. Snow Leopard software was the last to support Power PC, the newer Mac OS is Intel only. I only upgraded from Snow Leopard after the hard drive died last year.

[workingonit]

I've also put in one of those Seagate 2TB FireCuda hard drives and run a partition for Windows 7 so I can run SolidWorks.

Try Freecad. I do all my CAD on it. Do some of the lessons first. Bit quirky but you get used to it. Files happily go through a slicer and into a Prusa 3d printer. It has some FEA. I think the founder originally helped develop Solidworks, and their eventual goal is an all in one system porting direct to multi axis machines.

Then there is SALOME, free and French - viva la France. Used to design nuclear reactors amongst other things. And it doesn't have an 'undo' option!! OPEN CASCADE (https://www.opencascade.com/)

The world of open source programs is amazing. There is talk of making package downloading uniform between linux flavours to make it more like downloading a windows exe.