windows 10

Infopackets Reader 'Kathy aka VJ' writes: " Dear Dennis, In regard to John Lister's article ' Windows 10 install surprising users ' - how about an article about switching to Linux instead of Windows 10, including a how to, cost, warnings, software ... compatibility, etc. I've just about had it with Microsoft and it's aggressive tactics, trying to get me to install Windows 10 with its 'gotcha' updates . As such, I am thinking it's time to get myself out from under the Microsoft umbrella. I am expert with MS Office and would hate to switch, but if it won't run under Linux, I may have to stick with ... (view more)

Microsoft's push to get Windows 10 onto computers seems to be going a step further than anticipated. Even tech-savvy users are complaining their machines updated to the new system without their express consent. The last big change to the Windows 10 ... upgrade process took place last month, but seems to be working more aggressively than expected. The change involved Windows 10 being reclassified as a "Recommended" update in the automatic update program. That was hugely significant as the default setting for most Windows PCs is to install all recommended updates automatically. It ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bill V. writes: " Dear Dennis, We have two computers running Windows 7; one of them has the white Microsoft logo on it which says it's ready for the Windows 10 upgrade, while the other one does not. I'd like to upgrade both ... computers to Windows 10, however, we have a very important Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet set up and I would hate to find out that I can't use the spreadsheet after upgrading to Windows 10. Is there a way to know if a program is compatible with Windows 10? " My response: I've been asked this question quite a bit lately and the easiest way to find out if your ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Perry F. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have two laptops with Windows 7 that I would like to upgrade to Windows 10. From what I understand, I can use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to download Windows 10 in an .ISO file format. When ... that is done downloading, I would then burn the .ISO disc image file onto a DVD, then use the DVD to install Windows 10 onto my machines. The problem however is that I don't have a DVD drive on either laptop - so how can I use the .ISO format to install Windows 10? " My response: In a nutshell, an ISO file is an exact copy of an entire CD or DVD, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sammy T. writes: " Dear Dennis, I own two systems running Windows 10; my laptop just updated yesterday and I confirmed that it's running the latest version of Windows 10 (10586.104). However, my desktop PC is still running an ... earlier version (10586.63) and hasn't been updated in over a month. When do a manual check for Windows Updates on the PC, it says 'checking for updates ...' and continues to do so for a very long time, until I receive the windows update error 0x800705b4. Any idea how I can get my desktop PC updated to Windows 10 version 10586.104? " My response: I also ... (view more)

The Department of Defense plans to upgrade four million staff members to Windows 10. It's a major boost for Microsoft given the security needs of the DoD. Historically, government organizations have been slow to update operating systems. That's ... often because of the complexity of doing so across an entire network; for example, having to weigh up the problems of different computers on different systems, plus the hassle of having too many computers out of action even temporarily during an upgrade. Major upgrades such as this have caused concern in the security community - especially when ... (view more)

Windows 10 "phones home" thousands of times each day even with the most restrictive privacy settings, according to a newly published article. While the precise figures are in question, it highlights ongoing concerns about Microsoft monitoring. The ... experiment was carried out by a message board poster using the somewhat unlikely name of CheesesCrust. He decided to find out exactly what happens if Windows 10 is run with all tracking supposedly disabled. (Source: voat.co ) To do this, he used a virtual machine tool on a laptop to simulate installing Windows on a completely new machine. ... (view more)

Microsoft has reclassified Windows 10 as a "recommended update" for Windows 7 and 8.1. That means it will automatically download and attempt to install for many, and likely even most, users. It will be possible to stop the installation or to undo it ... without any major hassles (with some restrictions). That said, the download could be a problem for people on restrictive broadband plans. Late last year Microsoft classified Windows 10 as an optional update . That meant users could manually choose to download and install it through the Windows Update system that's normally used for ... (view more)

In a move surely to upset many users, Microsoft has said it will be ditching support for Windows 7 and 8.1 on most new PCs. Some other PCs will lose support next July, earlier than many expected. The change is to do with the Skylake micro ... architecture for processors released by Intel in August 2015. Many PCs purchased recently will be running Skylake, as will most in the future. Until now, Microsoft had promised to offer extended support for Windows 7 until January 2020 and for Windows 8.1 until January 2023. Extended support means Microsoft continues to fix bugs and issue security updates, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Brad' writes: " Dear Dennis, I just upgraded to Windows 10 and the File Explorer (previously Windows Explorer) looks much different than it did previously. I would like to know how to change the default settings in File Explorer ... so that my icon view is set for Large Icons. Before I upgraded to Windows 10, my folder settings all looked the same (using Large Icons). I want this setting so that when I view a folder full of images, I can see their thumbnails. Can you help? " My response: Generally speaking you can set 1 folder to view with the 'Large Icons' setting, and then ... (view more)