Please Ms stop these zillions of questions at install time

Kari · 05 Oct 2018

alphanumeric said:

IMHO they ask the wrong questions. One option missing that I do want is to set the computer name. Instead of the auto junk name and then having to go change it manually to what I want.
And don't get me started on the three security questions if you decide to use a local account during setup.

I use the method shown in this quote from Tips and tricks - You saw it first on TenForums! - Windows 10 Forums to use correct / preferred computer name from the moment it boots to desktop first time:

Kari said:

This should qualify, have not seen it on any other site:

Windows 10 Creators Update - Name PC at Setup

In my opinion, one of the worst decisions Windows 10 developer teams made was to remove possibility to name your PC already when setting it up. Especially when this feature was removed at the same time when Windows introduced digital licensing. For instance, transferring a digital license to another computer is based not only on your Microsoft account but also on old computer's name.

In Windows 7 setup, PC was named after your chosen username but you could change it to whatever you wanted to. Windows 8 took this a step further. No name was suggested, you simply had to name the PC otherwise you could not finish the setup.

This video shows how to fix this, name your Windows 10 PC already when setting up a pre-installed or a clean installed Windows 10 Creators Update.

Kari

jimbo45 · 07 Oct 2018

Hi there
while the old control panel works it's simple to change the name of the computer - if system has a digital license doesn't matter what you rename the machine to -- doesn't have to have any previous name at all. All you need is to re-boot. I can't say that's an irritation.

I do find though having the wretched cortana at new install start off in voice mode a big irritant -- why can't normal default be silent and if you want the wretched voice stuff you can turn it on.

I doubt whether people who design these things have ever worked in places where you don't suddenly want a load of noises coming from the computer -- might be OK at home for people -- probably the same people who scream at the TV set to change channels !!!!

There definitely should be a simple way for the average home user to do a decent type of sysprep so windows can be installed "ready to run" -- i.e only ask for activation for other products that need activation such as Office if installed.

Sysprep is fine but IMO too complex for the average bog standard user out there.

Another solution would be to have all the questions asked when you boot the the windows setup or start an upgrade process rather than as the final steps after windows installed.

For example why can't it start me off straight away with extra languages and keyboards at the start of the install process - most Linux distros do that type of thing so it can't be horrendously difficult.

If you had those things at the start you could just insert the disk etc and after a few questions go away and come back say 30 - 40 mins later --job done. !!

I like the idea of silent mode -- the user could choose "Silent" or "Guided" at the start as well -- I wonder why people still think the same method should still be used years later - hasn't changed much from Win 95 days !!!.

Cheers
jimbo

badcrc · 07 Oct 2018

Does 1809 install still have that amazing question, something like 'do you want to send details of every website you visit to Microsoft' ?.

An operating system used to be some simple code that operated the hardware, now it's turned into Orwell's telescreen.