Win 10 Free Upgrade

[Hawk]

For those of you that received the Win 10 Free Upgrade tray notification update, here's a little bit of info that may, or may not be of interest to you.

The version of Win 10 you get is decided by which version of Win 7 SP1 (SP1 required) or Win 8.1 (free upgrade not available for Win 8) you have. If you have Win 7 SP1 Home Premium, you get Win 10 Home. If you have Win 8.1, not Premium, you get Win 10 Home.

This free upgrade will be available to qualified users starting July 29, and will be available until July 29, 2016.

If you can run Win 7, you can run Win 10, as far as system spec requirements go. Here's a link to the Win 10 FAQ.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq

As some of you know, I'm still running XP, even though I have a copy of Win 7 SP1 Home Premium. I just haven't found a need for anything Win 7 offers yet. I have installed it and tried it, but it really didn't impress me that much.
However, I thought I'd give Win 10 a shot, so I figured I'd install Win 7 on a hard drive I have laying around to see if I'd get the Win 10 Free Upgrade notification. I may not since I have an OEM version, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway, that is until I read this:

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.

which is found at this link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows ... ifications under the Feature deprecation section.

I'm one of those people that has (had until updates ended for XP) the option under Windows Update checked to "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them".
With that option eliminated (deprecated) in Win 10 Home, I've decided that my interest in Win 10 has shot straight down to 0.

The automatically available part of the above quote I take to mean you get them installed whether you want them or not. My take on that is based on my perception of MS marketing strategy, so as not to blatantly scare off folks like me.

Just a heads up for anyone interested.

[Logales]

THanks for the input ... That's sure not very nice from Microsoft !

[Hawk]

I just got some new information on Win 10 in a newsletter I got this morning.

http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/wha ... 10-launch/

This article updates some of the information about Windows updates patches that I posted previously.

[Gumboots]

I suspect that Win7 users will be happy to wait — that OS is familiar and solid. (Some Win7 users will probably wait for Windows 15.)

Sounds about right. After looking through the available info, I can't see anything compelling about W10 right now.

[Hawk]

Sounds about right. After looking through the available info, I can't see anything compelling about W10 right now.

Me neither. Course I'm still running XP.
I have Win 7 but found nothing in it compelling enough to use it.

I was going to install Win 7 to see if I got the Win 10 Free Update offer (just to check it out), but I don't think I'm even going to do that now.

[Blackhawk]

While I don't like the idea of windows forcing its updates on you, I thought I'd post this:

http://lifehacker.com/microsoft-confirm ... 1712774167

Seems if you download the last version of preview/beta version you essentially get to keep it. So for those with vista/xp it provides a way to upgrade. Or for those building a new computer without an OS, you get a chance to get a free OS.

[RayofSunshine]

There was some discussion in some RRT about the "new free Win 10, but am putting this into a sperate thread, mainly as I don't remember the thread that was involved.
It may not be "new news" as I don't always stay abreast of technical stuff, however it has been brought to my attention that Win 10 is full of "spy ware". Basically a "foot hold" for the NSA to take away more of ones privacy. Supposedly the manufacture was to "clean up" such part of the program, but as yet, there are still bugs, associated with NSA.
Just thought I would bring this to the attention of all users.

[Hawk]

Merged with the thread already started about Win 10.

[Gumboots]

There was some discussion in some RRT about the "new free Win 10, but am putting this into a sperate thread, mainly as I don't remember the thread that was involved.
It may not be "new news" as I don't always stay abreast of technical stuff, however it has been brought to my attention that Win 10 is full of "spy ware". Basically a "foot hold" for the NSA to take away more of ones privacy. Supposedly the manufacture was to "clean up" such part of the program, but as yet, there are still bugs, associated with NSA.
Just thought I would bring this to the attention of all users.

It's nothing to do with the NSA, or at least not directly. It's all to do with marketing, and with making more money out of you. That's why Microsoft are making it almost impossible for people to opt out of this stuff.

[Hawk]

Here's some links about Win 10, if anyone is interested in how they're using you and your info for marketing and other monetary considerations, as mentioned by Gumboots.

http://www.metzdowd.com/pipermail/crypt ... 26136.html

https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-p ... ta-abused/

http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/001115.html

http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/001116.html

http://thehackernews.com/2015/08/windows-10-update.html

And on the bright side:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/07 ... -settings/

Submitted for your ponderation in hopes of easing your consternation.

[Gumboots]

Y'know one day I'll get around to trying a Linux distro with a few W7 apps running inside a virtual box. If W7 is in a VB with no access to the outside world, there would be no need to keep it patched and no need to run an AV. I could just run the OEM version of W7 straight from the disc, and skip all the spyware crud that is added by later updates.

I can see that's how things are going, and as long as there's enough RAM available it should be fine. AFAICT RT3 should be fine on a virtual box.

[Hawk]

Let us know if you try that. I like Linux but don't use it because of all the Windows dependent games and apps that I use.

I'm still running XP and doing just fine with it, but I'm sure there will come a day, just as with Win 98, that I'll have to give it up. I do have an OEM version of Win 7 that I can use when that day comes, but a Linux distro would be a better choice if all my games would run in it.

[AdmiralHalsey]

I decided to pass on upgrading. I have so many older games running just fine on my Windows 8.1 that shouldn't be and i'm not risking having that get messed up.