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Windows 10
- Thread starter terryb18
- Start date
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
"I'm sticking with what I've got" is a mantra I have heard on a regular basis since the days of 'DOS', if you don't know what DOS is then you probably came into computers in the last twenty years or so.
An old friend of mine swore by DOS and would use nothing else until he realised that 'Windows' was so much easier to use.
I upgrade at the first opportunity. I like 'Windows 10' but then I've liked all the 'Windows' operating systems.
I tend to go with the flow and enjoy technical advancements. I run an all electric car, perhaps I am slightly 'nerdy'
An old friend of mine swore by DOS and would use nothing else until he realised that 'Windows' was so much easier to use.
I upgrade at the first opportunity. I like 'Windows 10' but then I've liked all the 'Windows' operating systems.
I tend to go with the flow and enjoy technical advancements. I run an all electric car, perhaps I am slightly 'nerdy'
I've still got an ancient employer-provided laptop that's Windows 95, but I can't remember what it was like to use. Tortoise-like, probably, and it's in the bottom drawer of my filing-cabinet and will stay there. The thing with me is that my computer is not the be-all and end-all of my life. I don't do Facebook, internet banking, Twitter or whatever it's called; nothing at all like that, thank you. I use my computer purely for the reasons I mentioned in a previous post; they won't change, so I don't see much point in upgrading from Windows 7.
G
G
hi G you are so like me...i have a windows 7 desk top upstairs which i still prefer to my windows 10 lappy...like you i dont feel the need the communicate with others on facebook..twitter ect and never will...the only reason i have a lappy is because my son very kindly bought it for me so that i could use it downstairs and it came with windows 10..thing is i do not use any differently from from my desktop so it is not used to its full potential i guess and the only reason i am on bhf a lot is because the history of birmingham is my passion
...all the best G
lyn
...all the best Glyn
Thanks Lyn, and I couldn't agree more. Computers are now essential to modern life, but I think they ought to be viewed as 'servants' and not 'masters'. When I was at work I spent a total of probably two days a week on my employer-provided computer, writing reports, instructions, request, etc., etc. Much better than years before when I had to type all my paperwork and fax it (fax - remember those?) down to the office. What a chore! I suppose as far as I'm concerned my computer is really a sophisticated toy!
G
G
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I don't do facebook or twitter but do internet banking and find Google search useful. Playing with computers keeps my old brain active. I do have a break from Win 10 by using an iPad for browsing, emailing, and family contact.
Having watched computing go from ZX81s up to what we have today, I get the sense that maybe a plateau has been reached. Smart phones are about as big and shiny as they can be, laptops may be faster with more memory but are basically the same as they were ten years ago. Manufacturers seem to be having problems thinking up new 'must-have' gadgets.
Having watched computing go from ZX81s up to what we have today, I get the sense that maybe a plateau has been reached. Smart phones are about as big and shiny as they can be, laptops may be faster with more memory but are basically the same as they were ten years ago. Manufacturers seem to be having problems thinking up new 'must-have' gadgets.
Eric Gibson
master brummie
I was talking to my old friend, she tells me that she worked in a local engineering factory office when she left school the job was writing 'circulars' for the company, she had to type the same letter a hundred times word for word in a day and get shouted at by the boss if the was a tiny error.
She lasted a week before begging her dad to let her leave and look for another job.
She could do a thousand of those letters in just a few minutes now, even so she still prefers a Brother electric typewriter to a computer.
She lasted a week before begging her dad to let her leave and look for another job.
She could do a thousand of those letters in just a few minutes now, even so she still prefers a Brother electric typewriter to a computer.
guilbert53
master brummie
A lot of people complain when Microsoft bring out a new version of Windows and eventually stop supporting the older versions. But there are two main reasons for this.
1) Why a new version of Windows?
When any operating system comes out it tends to be written to support the hardware that is available at the time.
Windows 7 was mostly written as a 32 bit operating system (don't worry if you don't know what that means) and most users had the 32 bit version of Windows on their computer.
But being 32 bit meant that Windows could only support up to 4GB of memory (RAM). When it came out few personal computers had 4GB or more of RAM so that was not a problem (this is a limitation of 32 bit addressing not Windows itself).
But also a 32 bit operating system can also only support hard disks / partitions up to 2TB in size (again a limitation of 32 bit addressing not Windows itself). When Windows came out I am not even sure 2TB hard drives even existed so nobody had them.
But now of course 2TB hard drives are very common, and we also have 4TB, 6TB even 10TB hard drives.
But also much other new hardware and technology has been invented / created and most of it was not available when Windows 7 came out - things like USB 3.0 and USB 3.1, new CPUs, larger hard disks, SSDs (in place of hard disks), new web browsers, HTML5 (the language of the web), Smartphones and tablets, video streaming, and much much more.
Support for all these things (and more) has been added bit by bit to Windows 7, but sometimes you need to redesign an operating system from scratch so that support for all these things is "built in" to the operating system and not "bolted on".
So that is what Windows 10 is. It has been "redesigned" under the covers to enable it to support all this new hardware and function.
It has also been rewritten to support 64 bit addressing so it can now support HUGE amounts of RAM memory (the home version can support 128GB of RAM, the Pro version can support 512GB of RAM) and MASSIVE hard disks (9 BILLION Terrabytes). Most people now run the 64 bit version of Windows 10 not the 32 bit version.
Note while most of us see Windows as one huge program it is in fact thousands of small programs all working together and "talking" to each other. All of these small programs had to be rewritten and tested to work in 64 bit mode which as you can imagine is a lot of work.
Note also Microsoft are gradually rewriting the whole user interface of Windows 10 so it can run on a tablet with no mouse or keyboard (but also still run on a PC WITH a mouse and keyboard). This is obviously a HUGE job (think of all the screens and buttons used in Windows) and it needs to be done bit by bit over a few years. This is why Windows 10 is refreshed every 6 months or so, to add new function, but to also add these new user interface designs to support tablets.
2) Why not support old versions of Windows?
Most of us run the "home" version of Windows and think that is it. But in fact there are many other versions of Windows - the Pro version, the Enterprise version (for large companies), the OEM version (for new computers), the Education version, the Server version (in many formats) and so on.
Each of these is also available in DOZENS of languages (English, French, German etc etc etc).
And each version of Windows needs to be written so it can run on the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of different types of computers and different type of hardware.
So if Microsoft decided to supply ONE fix, can you imagine the HUGE amount of testing that needs to take place to ensure that one fix works on EVERY version on Windows, in EVERY language, on EVERY type of hardware.
Multiply that up by the dozens and dozens of fixes that come out every month or so and you realize what a huge job it is supporting any version of Windows (while some of you may moan about how many fixes come out for Windows note it is estimated there are 50 MILLION lines of code in Windows so not surprising there are errors).
Note that some of these fixes are not errors in Windows but changes to enable it to work with new hardware or new software, so this is adding new function not fixing problems.
Windows 7 came out in 2009 and considering most of us got it for "free" when we bought our PC that is 10 years of support if we got it when it first came out.
Note that Microsoft are still supporting Windows 7 AND Windows 8.1 AND Windows 10 so can you imagine the huge amount of testing that needs to take place to ensure a fix works on all these different version of Windows on all the different hardware.
So I don't blame them for dropping support for Windows 7, it leaves them support two main versions - Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.
Sorry this is such a long update but a lot of people complain about Microsoft bringing out a new versions of Windows or stopping support for older version when they don't realise all the issues involved.
Note also I am not pro-Microsoft (in fact I worked for IBM one of their competitors) but as I worked in the industry I do have some sympathy for their massive job of supporting Windows.
1) Why a new version of Windows?
When any operating system comes out it tends to be written to support the hardware that is available at the time.
Windows 7 was mostly written as a 32 bit operating system (don't worry if you don't know what that means) and most users had the 32 bit version of Windows on their computer.
But being 32 bit meant that Windows could only support up to 4GB of memory (RAM). When it came out few personal computers had 4GB or more of RAM so that was not a problem (this is a limitation of 32 bit addressing not Windows itself).
But also a 32 bit operating system can also only support hard disks / partitions up to 2TB in size (again a limitation of 32 bit addressing not Windows itself). When Windows came out I am not even sure 2TB hard drives even existed so nobody had them.
But now of course 2TB hard drives are very common, and we also have 4TB, 6TB even 10TB hard drives.
But also much other new hardware and technology has been invented / created and most of it was not available when Windows 7 came out - things like USB 3.0 and USB 3.1, new CPUs, larger hard disks, SSDs (in place of hard disks), new web browsers, HTML5 (the language of the web), Smartphones and tablets, video streaming, and much much more.
Support for all these things (and more) has been added bit by bit to Windows 7, but sometimes you need to redesign an operating system from scratch so that support for all these things is "built in" to the operating system and not "bolted on".
So that is what Windows 10 is. It has been "redesigned" under the covers to enable it to support all this new hardware and function.
It has also been rewritten to support 64 bit addressing so it can now support HUGE amounts of RAM memory (the home version can support 128GB of RAM, the Pro version can support 512GB of RAM) and MASSIVE hard disks (9 BILLION Terrabytes). Most people now run the 64 bit version of Windows 10 not the 32 bit version.
Note while most of us see Windows as one huge program it is in fact thousands of small programs all working together and "talking" to each other. All of these small programs had to be rewritten and tested to work in 64 bit mode which as you can imagine is a lot of work.
Note also Microsoft are gradually rewriting the whole user interface of Windows 10 so it can run on a tablet with no mouse or keyboard (but also still run on a PC WITH a mouse and keyboard). This is obviously a HUGE job (think of all the screens and buttons used in Windows) and it needs to be done bit by bit over a few years. This is why Windows 10 is refreshed every 6 months or so, to add new function, but to also add these new user interface designs to support tablets.
2) Why not support old versions of Windows?
Most of us run the "home" version of Windows and think that is it. But in fact there are many other versions of Windows - the Pro version, the Enterprise version (for large companies), the OEM version (for new computers), the Education version, the Server version (in many formats) and so on.
Each of these is also available in DOZENS of languages (English, French, German etc etc etc).
And each version of Windows needs to be written so it can run on the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of different types of computers and different type of hardware.
So if Microsoft decided to supply ONE fix, can you imagine the HUGE amount of testing that needs to take place to ensure that one fix works on EVERY version on Windows, in EVERY language, on EVERY type of hardware.
Multiply that up by the dozens and dozens of fixes that come out every month or so and you realize what a huge job it is supporting any version of Windows (while some of you may moan about how many fixes come out for Windows note it is estimated there are 50 MILLION lines of code in Windows so not surprising there are errors).
Note that some of these fixes are not errors in Windows but changes to enable it to work with new hardware or new software, so this is adding new function not fixing problems.
Windows 7 came out in 2009 and considering most of us got it for "free" when we bought our PC that is 10 years of support if we got it when it first came out.
Note that Microsoft are still supporting Windows 7 AND Windows 8.1 AND Windows 10 so can you imagine the huge amount of testing that needs to take place to ensure a fix works on all these different version of Windows on all the different hardware.
So I don't blame them for dropping support for Windows 7, it leaves them support two main versions - Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.
Sorry this is such a long update but a lot of people complain about Microsoft bringing out a new versions of Windows or stopping support for older version when they don't realise all the issues involved.
Note also I am not pro-Microsoft (in fact I worked for IBM one of their competitors) but as I worked in the industry I do have some sympathy for their massive job of supporting Windows.
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Well I seem to have kicked over the proverbial can of worms here!
I appreciate that there are new developments but why does Microsoft in particular delight in making changes for no good reason? Early versions of Windows gave us programs with a menu bar along the top, the File, Edit line etc. Some users learned shortcut keystrokes, but for the rest of us 'seek and ye shall find' worked too. Then MS 'improved' the menu by dropping items that you hadn't used for a while and re-ordering the list. Very clever coding but a lousy user interface. Later versions of Windows messed up the menus again. I look at something simple like 'Paint', functionally it is little changed but boy the controls certainly have. I can't believe they are more intuitive to a new user and by now many of us have gone through several generations of PC. When I pick up a new hammer it has a handle, just like my grandfather's, it might be made of alloy rather than ash but it does the same job and it works the same way.
Another silly MS trick, familiar to anyone that has tried to set up a home network; why does the default 'workgroup' name change between versions of Windows, same job, same function, but they won't leave things alone!
I understand that there is a lot of work involved in keeping an operating system secure but why make it harder for themselves by making changes that aren't needed and I'm pretty certain most users** don't want?
[**Some users are novelty freaks. I have a friend who was always buying new PCs and installing new software - "look what this does!" - but I don't think he ever produced anything. I have another friend who used to have an Amstrad word processor that she kept well into the internet age. She was a published author. The Amstrad was a tool and it did its job!]
I appreciate that there are new developments but why does Microsoft in particular delight in making changes for no good reason? Early versions of Windows gave us programs with a menu bar along the top, the File, Edit line etc. Some users learned shortcut keystrokes, but for the rest of us 'seek and ye shall find' worked too. Then MS 'improved' the menu by dropping items that you hadn't used for a while and re-ordering the list. Very clever coding but a lousy user interface. Later versions of Windows messed up the menus again. I look at something simple like 'Paint', functionally it is little changed but boy the controls certainly have. I can't believe they are more intuitive to a new user and by now many of us have gone through several generations of PC. When I pick up a new hammer it has a handle, just like my grandfather's, it might be made of alloy rather than ash but it does the same job and it works the same way.
Another silly MS trick, familiar to anyone that has tried to set up a home network; why does the default 'workgroup' name change between versions of Windows, same job, same function, but they won't leave things alone!
I understand that there is a lot of work involved in keeping an operating system secure but why make it harder for themselves by making changes that aren't needed and I'm pretty certain most users** don't want?
[**Some users are novelty freaks. I have a friend who was always buying new PCs and installing new software - "look what this does!" - but I don't think he ever produced anything. I have another friend who used to have an Amstrad word processor that she kept well into the internet age. She was a published author. The Amstrad was a tool and it did its job!]
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
After a rocky two years following it's launch in 2015 (read about it in this thread) I find Windows 10 is now the best version I have ever used and with a Microsoft account it works even better.
All operating systems update.
Linux usually twice a year ... I have it in an old computer ... it's free !
Apple iOS twice a year ... I have it and use it every day.
Android at least once a year ... I've never used Android.
MS Paint ... I occasionally use it to resize images and it's interface looks the same to me.
Workgroup ... I packed up trying to use it years ago. I have a Network drive connected to the router and any device which logs into my router (with password) can immediately see anything on the network. As 'admin' I can block certain folders if I want to.
Connectivity ... I use an iPad and iPhone and with some Microsoft apps in them I can see the network, move images either way. Any logged in W10 device sees it immediately. WiFi printers immediately connect.
Having a MS account I use OneDrive as a quick 'Network' drive. If I edit a pic in a Windows device and want to see how it looks on an iPad ... within a few seconds I can see it. I do have reasonably fast Broadband.
Thinking hard for something I don't like about W10 ...
If you buy a new computer the 'Hi' welcome message can be annoying and then the Edge browser appears on screen. Many people just use Edge to download Chrome and forget Edge. However Microsoft's latest chromium based Edge Dev is as good as Chrome.
But we all see things differently ... use the operating system you like ... use the browser you like.
All operating systems update.
Linux usually twice a year ... I have it in an old computer ... it's free !
Apple iOS twice a year ... I have it and use it every day.
Android at least once a year ... I've never used Android.
MS Paint ... I occasionally use it to resize images and it's interface looks the same to me.
Workgroup ... I packed up trying to use it years ago. I have a Network drive connected to the router and any device which logs into my router (with password) can immediately see anything on the network. As 'admin' I can block certain folders if I want to.
Connectivity ... I use an iPad and iPhone and with some Microsoft apps in them I can see the network, move images either way. Any logged in W10 device sees it immediately. WiFi printers immediately connect.
Having a MS account I use OneDrive as a quick 'Network' drive. If I edit a pic in a Windows device and want to see how it looks on an iPad ... within a few seconds I can see it. I do have reasonably fast Broadband.
Thinking hard for something I don't like about W10 ...
If you buy a new computer the 'Hi' welcome message can be annoying and then the Edge browser appears on screen. Many people just use Edge to download Chrome and forget Edge. However Microsoft's latest chromium based Edge Dev is as good as Chrome.
But we all see things differently ... use the operating system you like ... use the browser you like.
Depends how far back you go! I think I am talking about 'the ribbon' - I might be wrong, I can't keep up with all these new names for old things that Microsoft keeps inventing. Bear in mind that no-one actually sells a PC with an instruction book anymore so how would one know?
Once upon a time all the tools were visible on the side and bottom edge, now they are hidden behind three menu tabs.
I'm pretty certain most people only use a tiny fraction of what is within their computer and there is a good reason for that, a sort of Pareto Principle, 90% of the utility of a wordprocessor is the delete key, the rest is hardly used and to the extent that it is Microsoft delight in hiding it on each new version! I for one don't want to spend time 'learning' a 'skill' that is obsolete within a year, I want a tool that is easy to use that leaves me the time to be creative. Cars are a good analogy, the difference between a 1919 vehicle and a 2019 one is amazing but a time-shifted 1919 driver would be up a running in minutes. If Bill Gates had his way the engine would be on the roof, the brake in the boot, the steering wheel in the glove compartment and the driving position would face backwards!
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I've had another close look at Paint and can't see any sigificant changes but I've never used it much so perhaps I am missing something. I have played with the 3D version of it and that is interesting.
I've never used MSoft Office and use the freebies OpenOffice or LibreOffice. I use GIMP to edit many of the images I upload to the BHF. Non of these are MS and all of them run in Linux so I could actually dump Windows if I wanted to.
I keep my computers updated for security reasons and most of the time just use them without thinking about their operating systems.
I've never used MSoft Office and use the freebies OpenOffice or LibreOffice. I use GIMP to edit many of the images I upload to the BHF. Non of these are MS and all of them run in Linux so I could actually dump Windows if I wanted to.
I keep my computers updated for security reasons and most of the time just use them without thinking about their operating systems.
Eric Gibson
master brummie
I originally got into computers for the business, an Amstrad with a 5" floppy disk and a Sage financial program, Sage updated their software and the floppy disk computer wasn't man enough to run it. 
Moved on to a 'Tiny' which did a good job for a while then they went broke, so I've been at it for a long time as a user, not really interested in the 'Geek' side of things, it's just a tool.
I've been with Microsoft since Windows 95 through all of them 98, Millenium, 7 Ultimate and now 10, they've all worked for me with only the odd occasional grumble.
So yesterday I sold a few shares, bought a few Premium Bonds, paid my Barclaycard bill, discussed buying a car with an Ebay seller, helped a fellow motorist to diagnose a fault on his car through a car forum, printed off my bank statement, bought a repair tool from an Ebay seller and had a wander through the BH forum and a share dealing forum posts, all without leaving my seat.
I forgot, I also persuaded Talk Talk to reduce my monthly broadband bill by £2.50 a month because my energy supplier is offering a better broadband deal.
Moved on to a 'Tiny' which did a good job for a while then they went broke, so I've been at it for a long time as a user, not really interested in the 'Geek' side of things, it's just a tool.
I've been with Microsoft since Windows 95 through all of them 98, Millenium, 7 Ultimate and now 10, they've all worked for me with only the odd occasional grumble.
So yesterday I sold a few shares, bought a few Premium Bonds, paid my Barclaycard bill, discussed buying a car with an Ebay seller, helped a fellow motorist to diagnose a fault on his car through a car forum, printed off my bank statement, bought a repair tool from an Ebay seller and had a wander through the BH forum and a share dealing forum posts, all without leaving my seat.
I forgot, I also persuaded Talk Talk to reduce my monthly broadband bill by £2.50 a month because my energy supplier is offering a better broadband deal.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I just tried this ....
1) Chose the photo I wanted to use ... I chose a tram pic.
2) Loaded it into a photo editor such as Paint etc.
3) Reduced it size to 100 x 100 ... this step might not be necessary but I did it.
4) Saved it as a bmp file.
5) Renamed it by changing the extension to a ico file.
6) Created a 'shortcut' on my desktop pointing to a folder etc.
7) Selected properties for the shortcut.
8) Changed icon by selecting the ico file I created in 5) above.
9) Applied it.
I now have an shortcut icon on my desktop which is a tram pic ...see below
Ideally the ico file should go in the system directory where Win 10 stores the system ico files but I usually avoid putting files in system directories. If you move or delete the created ico file from where the shortcut is pointing to, the desktop shortcut will go blank.
I generally don't use pics on shortcuts I create, I just rename them with capital letters. I generally do the same with extra Start tiles I create.
There are 'online' websites which do all this but I personally don't trust them ...
Lumpammer
master brummie
Thanks for that. I’ll have a go.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Probably best to make a folder named Icon Files in 'Pictures' and put the Photos renamed as ico files there. I had put my test ico file on the Desktop and as soon as I moved it the pic disappeared off the shortcut.
I've since sorted it and my 'Tram' icon points to a folder where all the tram pics are on my network drive.
I can't increase the pic size on the Windows tile they appear to be system fixed.
I've since sorted it and my 'Tram' icon points to a folder where all the tram pics are on my network drive.
I can't increase the pic size on the Windows tile they appear to be system fixed.
Lumpammer
master brummie
Thanks again for that. I thought at first that I had gone wrong, so I re read your instructions. Then I looked at my desktop and there was my music folder with new icon. Cheers.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Most of my Start Tile icons vanished this morning so I tried something from Microsoft's website and they all came back, even ones I had created. It clears the Start Tile Cache.
edited because the batch file I posted was interacting with forum software.
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oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Microsoft dropped update KB4512941 into my laptop yesterday 1st Sept and later in the day I noticed the fan was continually running. I checked the CPU temperature and was alarmed to see it cooking at over 75/80 degrees instead of the normal 35/40 degrees. Checks showed Cortana (which I don't use) continually using 80% of the CPU and Windows search had disappeared. On the tech forums the experts were discussing it and I eventually decided to uninstall the update (first time I have done that) and my laptop is now running cool and Windows search is back.
devonjim
master brummie
Problem with an update. OXC1900209.Windows10 1903(12). Seems it's an old unused version of Avast Antivirus that's causing the problem. It doesn't appear in my list of Apps and features in Settings, from where I would expect to delete it, but it does appear in the list of "all apps" from the "start" screen. Any ideas please.
jukebox
Engineer Brummie
Avast has an uninstall utility https://www.avast.com/en-gb/uninstall-utility which should get rid of the remains of Avast. Or maybe Cleaner.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Regarding KB4512941, Msoft had received feedback from Insiders that there were problems but did not act on it. I received the update early because Msoft know me as a 'Seeker' having used the 'Edge Dev Channel' since April. Updates usually appear on the second Tuesday in the month and maybe they will correct it by then. I only use Win 10 'home edition' and was surprised that I could uninstall updates.
Regarding security I don't use 'paid-for' anti virus, I use Windows Defender and a weekly free Malwarebytes scan plus my natural 'old-fogey-suspicious' attitude. I think the biggest dangers are rouge links in emails, phishing, etc.
I wonder how many members start their laptops without using a password or PIN number ... basic security because if the laptop was unattended casual users could start it and alter things ...
Regarding security I don't use 'paid-for' anti virus, I use Windows Defender and a weekly free Malwarebytes scan plus my natural 'old-fogey-suspicious' attitude. I think the biggest dangers are rouge links in emails, phishing, etc.
I wonder how many members start their laptops without using a password or PIN number ... basic security because if the laptop was unattended casual users could start it and alter things ...
guilbert53
master brummie
Do you mean CCleaner as opposed to Cleaner?
CCleaner is a product (used to be called Crap Cleaner) that clears out unwanted files on your computer.
You can download CCleaner here:
Speed up, optimize and clean your PC for free | CCleaner for PC
Try CCleaner Professional for free. Clean up your PC automatically and increase your performances and online privacy.
www.ccleaner.com
Windows also has clean up utilities. One called "Disk Clean-Up" in Windows 7 and Windows 10