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Windows 10

The picture was used as a background yesterday for the Bing search engine.

Welcome to the town of Churchill in Manitoba, Canada, the self-proclaimed ‘polar bear capital of the world’. Each year, about a thousand polar bears pass through the small town, outnumbering human residents. In October, the bears gather here to wait for the Hudson Bay to freeze over so they can venture out onto the ice to hunt for seals.
 
Maurice, re post #1071, I'm all for Windows simplifying computing for a lot of users are not very PC wise (including me)especially in my age group. Believe it or not I was a skilled Telephone Engineer maintaining customers large automatic systems for many years and yet I still struggle with computers, probably an age thing. Eric
 
Pedrocut said:
The picture was used as a background yesterday for the Bing search engine.
Welcome to the town of Churchill in Manitoba, Canada, the self-proclaimed ‘polar bear capital of the world’. Each year, about a thousand polar bears pass through the small town, outnumbering human residents. In October, the bears gather here to wait for the Hudson Bay to freeze over so they can venture out onto the ice to hunt for seals.
Click to expand...
Yes the background has now changed to what looks like a shed bridge over a river.
A temporary problem yesterday with my network drive completely stopped Edge appearing on screen so I uninstalled it. Microsoft asked if I would tell them why and my answer was 'It stopped working'. Did a Win 10 restart then reinstalled Edge and it now works fine apart from the background pics seem to be running 12 hrs late.
 
I had problems with updates in September (mentioned in #1054) and gave feedback to MS. Today I let their latest batch of updates in and also a feature update to Version 1909. All previous problems have been corrected and my Win 10 now running very smoothly. Their Edge browser (Chromium version) also performing well and is as good as Chrome in my laptop and desktop.
 
Microsoft are removing "Help" on Widows 7 in January. I am considering going on to Windows 10, the problem is I am approaching the age of 94. My memory is playing me up and I wonder if I would be able to master a new format. "Better the Devil you Know" or try something new. Advice would be most welcome please. Geff.
 
Geff. I do not use Windows so am not up to date with the 10 version. I did use it briefly but have to be honest I kept Windows 7 on my laptop for some while as I preferred it. I am now all Linux Mint. However, If you have not had any real problems with your Windows 7, also given your age and the issues you mention, I would just stick with Windows 7 and hope everything goes OK.. If it doesn't then maybe you might have to update. Anyway, Windows users here will also give you some advice I am sure.
 
GEFF said:
Microsoft are removing "Help" on Widows 7 in January. I am considering going on to Windows 10, the problem is I am approaching the age of 94. My memory is playing me up and I wonder if I would be able to master a new format. "Better the Devil you Know" or try something new. Advice would be most welcome please. Geff.
Click to expand...
i use win 10,at first i was a bit wary of it , but now it is in my mind the best win yet. i used 7 before upgrading, it seems to sort itself out, if there is a prob.
 
Geff, If you have Windows 7 in your computer and it is running well I would stay with it. If you need help with any Windows problems you only have to ask on the forum. We can probably give you advice which would be as good as any which Microsoft would give you. Just ensure that you have an anti-virus program running and members of the BHF can give advice about that. Windows 10 does now run very well and apart from occasional blips I find it very reliable.

There is a very large Windows 10 thread and you can see it by clicking the link below. The link takes you one of my posts showing what Windows 10 recently looks like on my laptop with Microsoft's Edge browser ...
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/windows-10.45268/post-660564
 
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oldMohawk said:
Geff, If you have Windows 7 in your computer and it is running well I would stay with it. If you need help with any Windows problems you only have to ask on the forum. We can probably give you advice which would be as good as any which Microsoft would give you. Just ensure that you have an anti-virus program running and members of the BHF can give advice about that.
Windows 10 does now run very well and apart from occasional blips I find it very reliable.

There is a very large Windows 10 thread and you can see it by clicking the link below. The link take you one of my posts showing what Windows 10 recently looks like on my laptop with Microsoft's Edge browser ...
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/windows-10.45268/post-660564
Click to expand...
i use win 10,...norton anti...and firefox quantum.....,on 2 laptops and a desk top never had any probs. touch wood.
as oldmohawk said if your 7 is running ok.stick with it
 
GEFF said:
Microsoft are removing "Help" on Widows 7 in January. I am considering going on to Windows 10, the problem is I am approaching the age of 94. My memory is playing me up and I wonder if I would be able to master a new format. "Better the Devil you Know" or try something new. Advice would be most welcome please. Geff.
Click to expand...
We went through the same process a few months ago with my sister's laptop. We had ignored the earlier offers by Microsoft to push Windows 10 at us as the compatibility check at the time indicated a minor problem, however the recent threats of loss of support made us think again. I discovered that other people had recently updated the same model of laptop without problem and, most important this, the free upgrade was still available (as of September) if you knew where to look. We also played safe by downloading a free copy of Macrium Reflect which claims to be able to save a complete image of the Windows 7 system allowing us recover if something went wrong.

The good news is that everything works. My sister claims that it is slower, (she would!), and complains about the login screen which is 'different'. However once you are signed in the desktop looks the same. Finding a program that doesn't have a desktop icon is different but not that different.
Personally I would never undertake this sort of task unless I had another working PC immediately to hand as that can provide the guidance and recovery tools that might be needed.

On the other hand my workhorse PC runs XP and I have slowly migrated to a Windows 10 laptop, slowly because I really don't like using a laptop for 'serious stuff' I have decided, (it does get a bit better with additional keyboard and mouse). Browsing etc. is however strictly Windows 10 not XP.

On balance, in the circumstances of the original post I would be inclined towards sticking with Windows 7. For most of us nowadays the browser is the most important tool and as long as the non-Microsoft browser people keep supporting Windows 7 you should be OK for a good few years yet.
It is certainly worthwhile searching YouTube to see if anyone else upgraded your model of laptop.
 
Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7 in 2020. So best to upgrade to Windows 10 for the latest security updates. I've gone from 7 to 8 to 8.1 then to the various versions of Windows 10 over the last 7 years. Feature update 1909 is now available but I've not yet downloaded and installed.

Even my work has just upgraded to 10, due to the 7 situation from Microsoft.
 
Microsoft say they will stop supporting Windows 7 in January 2020, but it is important to understand what this means.

Updates from Microsoft for any version of Windows come in two "flavours"

1) New function
2) Security fixes

Microsoft stopped putting new function in to Windows 7 a long time ago. This means that while it will continue to work fine Windows 7 may not support new technologies that come out in the computer industry.

Security fixes are just that, fixes to Windows (and Office) to fix security problems. Security "holes" in Windows and Office allow scammers and hackers access to your computer.

Note that while Microsoft say they will not ship security fixes for Windows 7 they may do if a SERIOUS security hole is found (as they did for Windows XP long after that went out of support).

Now it is important to note that Windows 7 will not collapse around your ears after the January 2020 date has been reached. It will continue to work as "normal" and you will not notice any difference.

However the hackers and scammers will KNOW that Windows 7 is not getting security updates so are more likely to target people running Windows 7 than people running up to date versions of Windows 10.

And of course IF Microsoft DO find a security hole in Windows (any version) they publish details of that security hole when they provide a fix.

And of course the hackers and scammers read details of those security holes and try to use those security holes to get inside Windows and take over your PC, and if they know Windows 7 is not being fixed they will try to target that version of Windows.

So I would suggest the following:

Continue to use Windows 7 for as long as you like, but make sure you have good security software and keep it up to date.

DONT keep lots of personal files on your computer, try to keep them on an external hard drive or small USB "stick" or in the cloud. Then if you do get hacked or scammed you wont lose all your personal files.

BACKUP all your personal files on a regular basis (daily, weekly etc). This can be as simple as copying your personal files to an External Hard Drive or USB memory "stick" or up to the "cloud" (One Drive, GoogleDrive, DropBox etc).

One of the VERY nasty scams that are around nowadays is Ransomware. This is where scammers download a program to your PC (this can easily be done when you visit a perfectly safe website that has been hacked). This Ransomware can LOCK your PC and not allow you in until you pay the hackers some money. If you DONT pay the money they can delete all your files, or encrypt them so they are unreadable. This is what happened to the NHS a couple of years ago and has also happened to a number of other organizations around the world. THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR PERSONAL FILES.

Staying on Windows 7 makes you more likely to get Ramsomware so take heed of my suggestions.

In the long term I would consider getting a Windows 10 computer. Computers are cheaper than ever and you can get a decent laptop or desktop for £300 or so (I realise this is a lot of money for some people but considering how much we all use our computers it does not work out much per day / week / month.

If have 6 PCs in my house (one for my wife, one for my son, 2 in my office and 2 "spare") and they all came with Windows 7 but I upgraded to Windows 10 a few years ago when Microsoft made it free. However I kept TWO hard disks for each PC, one with Windows 7 on it the other with Windows 10, and switched the disks around when I wanted to use W7 or W10 (this is easy to do on a desktop PC, not so easy on a laptop).

However I stayed on W7 on all of them for as long as possible as I was wary of going to Windows 10. However all my family have just started to use Windows 10 as their main Windows and we are all very impressed with it. It is not so different from Windows 7 though they have moved many of the options around (and will continue to do so till the long term project to redesign Windows is finished).

Sadly the internet is like the "wild west", and while there are groups of people who manage the technology and control it it is still very easy for anybody who wants to cause havoc on the internet and hack in to computers to do so.

So we ALL need to be prepared for the worst, and look after our computers and personal data accordingly.
 
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GEFF said:
Microsoft are removing "Help" on Widows 7 in January. I am considering going on to Windows 10, the problem is I am approaching the age of 94. My memory is playing me up and I wonder if I would be able to master a new format. "Better the Devil you Know" or try something new. Advice would be most welcome please. Geff.
Click to expand...
Geff, just make sure you have anti virus (I like Norton ) & if you can afford it, buy Malwarebytes. They should keep you safe & if you`re into downloading stuff you need a vpn. All sounds complicated but it`s not.
 
I use CCleaner which has been nagging to update over the past few weeks so yesterday I allowed it to update.
It ran and presented the following screen showing I had 11Gb of junk in the computer.
ccnew.jpg
It was in the Recycle Bin which I had not emptied for months ... :)
 
Phil,

I have very little in the Recycle Bin, but I'm pretty lazy when it comes to email and email trash - that's one of the chores I hate, wading through old emails and getting rif of them. In these days of having terabytes of storage, it does tend to make a naturally lazy person even more lazy. :-) :-) :-) :)

Maurice :cool:
 
Maurice,

I usually keep things tidy in my computers but had deleted loads of house cctv and dashcam videos into the recycle bin. With regard to email I recently installed a gmail app in my iPad and it has a layout much easier to use than in my Windows devices. I can delete loads of emails with a swipe of my finger.

Win 10 seems to have settled down lately and is now very reliable for me.

Phil ... :)
 
I've had Microsoft's chromium based Edge Dev browser in my computers since April 2019 with the 'old Edge' sitting there unused. Last night the old Edge changed to the new Edge with a different icon on the task bar and start menu.
Image1.jpg
I've now got three browsers to choose from and the Edge app icon in my iPad has also changed.
 
my pc just started loading updates for win 10. asking a load of questions,, about what i want and dont want etc. i thought it would never update it been at if for ages.
 
Phil,

I don't use Edge, except involuntarily if I double click on a PDF file. Then rather than use the Firefox default, it throws it into Edge. Likewise with graphics files, it keeps ignoring my default of Irfanview. That is one of my Windows 10 annoyances. No matter how many times I reset the defaults, it keeps changing them back again despite the fact that both filetypes run perfectly well if opened by my chosen programs.

Re: your post #1083, I don't run a mobile phone, much to the annoyance of my banks, both here and in the UK. When I did have a mobile phone, it was only a cheap basic model with pay-as-you-go and because I make very few phone calls, the money was snaffled before it had run out. Mobile signals in the village are very poor anyway - the phone masts are standing on Mt Stavros, but we have Mt Driros standing between us and the masts! So landline is really the only viable option.

One good thing is that our provider phoned the other day to tell us the speed would go up to 48 Mbps in about 8 days. Of course, I will believe that when I see it & will keep you posted on this alleged progress! :)

Maurice :cool:
 
Pete,

I still get a lot of Win10 updates, both partial and whole, though if does query me before installing the latter. Other than that, they've all proceeded without any real dialogues at all. I have no complaints in that area.

Maurice :cool:
 
Smudger,

When I bought this monitor about two years ago, it was full on and like looking at a nuclear explosion! So much easier on your eyes when you have the settings to your liking. :)

Maurice :cool:
 
sospiri said:
Pete,

I still get a lot of Win10 updates, both partial and whole, though if does query me before installing the latter. Other than that, they've all proceeded without any real dialogues at all. I have no complaints in that area.

Maurice :cool:
Click to expand...
thanks. mine usually loads without seeing them. my pdf is changed to adobe. i can download forms,now and fill them in online,it is better for me as i can't spell. and write by hand, my handwriting looks like a chicken as done it with its foot
:)
 
mw0njm. said:
thanks. mine usually loads without seeing them. my pdf is changed to adobe. i can download forms,now and fill them in online,it is better for me as i can't spell. and write by hand, my handwriting looks like a chicken as done it with its foot
:)
Click to expand...
Pete, i`m with you when it comes to handwriting. When i was a nipper i won 2/6p in a handwriting composition, & now my handwriting is so bad it would make a Doctors writing look good. Very limited need for handwriting these days & if i make any mistakes on forum postings then i have Grammarly to put them right, ( You must activate it )
 
sospiri said:
Phil,

I don't use Edge, except involuntarily if I double click on a PDF file. Then rather than use the Firefox default, it throws it into Edge. Likewise with graphics files, it keeps ignoring my default of Irfanview. That is one of my Windows 10 annoyances. No matter how many times I reset the defaults, it keeps changing them back again despite the fact that both filetypes run perfectly well if opened by my chosen programs.

Re: your post #1083, I don't run a mobile phone, much to the annoyance of my banks, both here and in the UK. When I did have a mobile phone, it was only a cheap basic model with pay-as-you-go and because I make very few phone calls, the money was snaffled before it had run out. Mobile signals in the village are very poor anyway - the phone masts are standing on Mt Stavros, but we have Mt Driros standing between us and the masts! So landline is really the only viable option.

One good thing is that our provider phoned the other day to tell us the speed would go up to 48 Mbps in about 8 days. Of course, I will believe that when I see it & will keep you posted on this alleged progress! :)

Maurice :cool:
Click to expand...
Hi Maurice,
I won't do Internet Banking on my phone ... fat finger trouble and don't like digital keys. I do it on a computer in the house using a physical secure key device.

Regarding the default for opening pdf files. Mine is set on Edge Dev at the moment and a left click opens the pdf.
but ...
1) I right click on the pdf and the W10 dialogue small windows appear as shown.
2) A click on this line will open the pdf in Chrome on a temporary basis
3) A click on this line brings up another small window and the choice here becomes the default.
Screenshot (525).png
Phil... :)
 
Phil,

I have Firefox set to 120% for most of my commonly used sites. BHF is OK at 100% unless someone inadvertently posts in microscopic type! I just wish that some webpage designers paid as much attention to colour combinations. I also hate the way that scroll bars almost disappear until you hover over them, otherwise I am still coping quite well.

Maurice :-)
 
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