Advantages over Windows 7?

You · 03 Aug 2015

If fast boot works well on your system, it's definitely a reason to upgrade, but it looks like it isn't. The multiple desktops feature is also really nice. Direct X 12 is another reason to upgrade which you already acknowledged, but I won't be able to utilize it until I upgrade my graphics card. I have had no problems regarding the operating system itself. It's snappy, fast boot works well, all of my drivers work with it, etc. However, I could not upgrade by computer even after uninstalling my antivirus and as many programs as possible (I just left Visual Studio 2013 Ultimate and a few other programs because it would be too much trouble to download them), so I had to back up my files and do a clean install of Windows 8.1 with the product key, update it (which took forever), upgrade to Windows 10 using Get Windows 10, download a Windows 10 ISO, burn it to a disc, format the upgraded Windows 10 installation and install it using the disc, then install all of my programs again. My files didn't pose that much of an issue because I didn't have many.

You · 03 Aug 2015

Gary said:

I am not having any issues with Win 10 Pro, true the task manager looks like crap but I use Procexp to see what processes are running. I am sure someone will come up with a mod for it, they did with 7.

If you want the old task manager back, simply go to the Details tab.

lehnerus2000 · 03 Aug 2015

Dude said:

I would give it a little more time. After running windows update and another reboot ot two it will run a lot better for you. A clean install is a pain, but that may also fix your problems.

I had to run b10240 for a week (i.e. multiple restarts) before my "mouse not starting" and "excess RAM usage" issues stopped.

I haven't downloaded the latest update yet (actually it hasn't been offered).

Update
I "spoke too soon".
The mouse has started misbehaving again.

Ztruker · 03 Aug 2015

Victek said:

If you do a "reset" using the built in recovery feature I believe the OS will retain the existing drivers (maybe double check that given your situation). See here:

How to refresh, reset, or restore your PC - Windows Help

In "10" go to Settings/Update & Security/Recovery and you will see the "Reset this PC" option. Click "get started" and you will see the choices (you can still cancel at that point).

I have not seen anyone report success doing a reset in Windows 10. I have seen several (more than 3) reports of reset not working.

Jthagee · 03 Aug 2015

The only reason i can figure anyone would post they like WIN10- the must have Microsoft in their portfolios. Windows is about to bomb- no matter who says it's the best thing since sliced bread. Viva will be selling rolls of MS stock for paper towels and then it still will be over valued! Northern could make better use..........

Ztruker · 03 Aug 2015

We've seen a couple hundred computer upgrade problems in these forums, out of how many millions of upgrades total? Last I heard it was nearing or over 75 Million, that 75.000,000 computers that have upgraded to Windows 10.

I believe you are wrong and Windows 10 will be a success, far beyond the market penetration Windows 8.1 has. Eventually it will surpass Windows 7. MS will have to make some changes I'm sure, one being all the data it's collecting. No way businesses will allow that. The first service pack or whatever they are going to call it will be out soon which I think will fix many of the problems people are seeing doing the upgrade.

That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it (and to Windows 10).

Edit: I don't even have a portfolio!

Althernai · 04 Aug 2015

Victek said:

If you do a "reset" using the built in recovery feature I believe the OS will retain the existing drivers (maybe double check that given your situation).

Right, but in that case, I don't see what good the "reset" will do. The problem is almost certainly something about the old drivers not working right -- I've disabled every startup program so there's nothing left but drivers and it still takes a long time to boot.

I think Windows 10 should probably be OK on machines that were explicitly designed for it and tested by manufacturers. Also, by the time I buy a new machine, most of these bugs should be fixed. However, I suspect that this laptop is just too old. I'll wait another week or two in case they issue a patch, but then I'm going back to Windows 7.

mrmatteastwood · 04 Aug 2015

OP, if I were you, I would clean-install in a heartbeat. Just back up your data on an external hard drive, wipe the whole PC and install Windows 10 fresh.

I'm pretty sure that cleaning out the trash from old installations will do wonders for your PC.

Windows 10 will probably work with all the features of your laptop out of the box, and you won't have to install any special drivers. It's an HP laptop, after all, so a major brand, plus it's a few years old, so it's not like it's brand-new hardware that operating systems don't support yet.

Worst case scenario: Windows 10, for some reason, really doesn't work with your old PC - so you just re-install 7!

EDIT: you seem to be familiar with Ubuntu, so I'm presuming you've already experienced for yourself that usually, new operating systems "just work" with older computers.

Althernai · 04 Aug 2015

But this is exactly why I created this thread. Yes, I can do a clean install of Windows 10 (note that it didn't help the other guy with the black screen problem) and troubleshoot some more and then wait for the update from Microsoft and, worst comes to worst, do a clean install of Windows 7. However, this is a whole lot of work so I would like to know why I should bother when the alternative is to just roll back to Windows 7 which has worked fine for years. It would be one thing if Windows 10 somehow doubled my CPU and GPU performance or something of the sort, but even if I could get it to work properly, it's a mixed bag of minor changes. I like some of them, dislike some and don't care about the rest, but none of them strikes me as worth the hassle of significant debugging.

mrmatteastwood · 04 Aug 2015

Yeah, you've got a good point there. FWIW, for me, Windows 10 boils down to having the latest and future-proof Windows, and being able to watch Netflix in 1080p and 5.1 Surround ;-)

I do like the way it works on my two PCs and my girlfriend's two PCs. It's smooth, responsive and remarkably stable for being less than a week old.

That said, you might be better off in the end sticking with Windows 7 on your old PC - you'll get 10 anyway once you buy a new one.

Let us know what you decide!