Dude, I’ve been using Windows 10 on multiple computers for a year now. What happens is the update gets downloaded in the background. You won’t ever even know it happened. Then, if you go a couple days without rebooting your machine, there will be a little message on the lock screen saying “Windows needs to reboot,” with an option for doing so. If you wait a few more days, yes, it will install itself when it gets some down time.
So the solution here is, once you’re notified, just reboot your machine and go get some coffee. It will all be over by the time you get back.
Or turn on auto saving and auto updates and just let Windows handle it. For crying out loud. It’s 2016. It’s time to figure out how to keep your machine updated.
I hit the start menu and type services. Cortana could probably find it for you, too, but I’m used to typing stuff.
You choose a search engine for your browser, just like in Windows 7. (and I would recommend using Chrome or Firefox, even after the update. I think Edge is too simplistic).
The search for your computer works like it does in Win7. There are several options:
Just open the Start Menu and start typing. This is what I do, when I’m looking for an app or a Windows feature.
You can also ask Cortana to find something - more about her in a minute.
Or in File Explorer (the new name for Windows Explorer) you type your search in the address bar, just like in Win7. This is what I do when I’m looking for a specific file.
Oh, there’s 4. Open the program I’m using and pick something from the recent files list. That’s good too.
Also, 5. There’s a handy recent files list in the main windows for File Explorer now, and a Recent apps list on the start menu. Those are good, too.
Cortana is an interface for your computer. It uses voice commands. She can learn what your preferences are, over time, the same way that Google remembers previous search terms. But, despite my calling her “She”, she is not really an AI. “She” doesn’t really talk to you. “She” is just like Siri or saying, “OK, Google”.
The main thing to know about Cortana is that she’s entirely optional. You can ignore her all you want and use typing on the start menu or file explorer. In fact, I uninstalled my microphone recently and I forgot that Cortana even exists.
Linux is not trying to work with twenty years of legacy apps and hardware. Regardless, it’s not Microsoft’s fault that your display manufacturer can’t be bothered to update their six year old driver. Go yell at them about it.
Aside from that, the update process works fine, provided you’re willing to work with it. I’ve not had any serious problems since last August. More to the point - My Mom has not had any serious problems with Windows 10.
If my Mom can manage this transition, so can the lot of you dopers.
[QUOTE=Merneith;19509124Regardless, it’s not Microsoft’s fault that your display manufacturer can’t be bothered to update their six year old driver. Go yell at them about it.[/QUOTE]
Yes it is: they could have designed Windows 10 to use Windows 7 drivers.
I thought I could download it but not do the install unless I wanted to. I started the download at 8:00 last night and it just finished. Now it’s giving my an option of delaying the install for a week, which it says is not changeable after I pick a date and time.
The whole object of the exercise is to get everyone working on the same page. And note - Microsoft does supply a driver, it’s just that BigT wants to use a different one. Well, then he needs to go bother whoever makes the different non-standard driver about it.
I don’t know. It’s probably related to approaching deadline. Are you all backed up? If yes, I’d say just get it over with. The actual install process is surprisingly quick but there will be more windows updates to download on the other side.
In fact, I’d recommend running Windows update repeatedly to make sure it’s all finished before trying to install new software.
Keep in mind that the deadline is only for the no-cost upgrade. I expect it will still be possible to upgrade after Friday but it might cost you money.
They are talking about search from the start bar or whatever it’s called. There was (early on) the ability to send those searches to Google instead of Bing, but they took that away. And now, with the Anniversary Update, they’ll make it even more difficult and obscure to neuter Cortana. (It’ll be down to registry hacks, which will hopefully work. And stay working. Judging from their persistence in the “Get Windows 10” campaign, I wouldn’t put it past MS to install another “service” whose sole function is to make sure their “telemetry” and “customer experience” crap stays running. Because screw the customer’s wishes. They signed up for whatever MS gives 'em by sticking with Windows. That’s how you reward loyalty, after all.)
I hope I’m wrong. If the enterprise edition can avoid something like Cortana, I’m counting on the plebian editions having access to the same mechanisms.
I turned Cortana off. I didn’t really like it as it wasn’t returning the results I wanted. I also turned off the option to search the web.
I also got rid of this because I found it annoying.
I really like Windows 10. As a matter of fact, I asked for it to be installed at work and I’m the only one in our department to use it. Like any Windows OS, once you get it whipped into shape it’s really works pretty well.
I have also had it on my home machine since the beginning.
Whatever Microsoft builds into Explorer, there’s nothing stopping you from simply bookmarking the Google website, and doing your searches from there.
Better yet, don’t use Explorer at all. Firefox and Chrome are both better browsers IMO, and can easily be set as your default browser. They also have portable versions, so you don’t even have to install them.
Dude. You’re over thinking it. You don’t have to “neuter” Cortana. Just ignore her. Turn off the taskbar search box and do your web searches in the browser of your choice, using the search engine of your choice.
I don’t know why anyone would go through extra steps to get Google searches when all you have to do is click the chrome icon, but if you all really want -
is it Friday ? i heard they just might not charge for it at all … I have to get my laptop out and do 5 or 6 months of upgrades just to be able to download it …
To the best of my knowledge - no. This is it. The free upgrade offer ends on July 29.
To the best of my knowledge, starting on July 30, Windows 10 upgrade will be $120 for Home or $199 for Pro. (I use Home. There’s no pressing need for the Pro model, if you’re not actually a Windows Professional).
Then, on August 2, the next big patch, Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, rolls out. It’s getting decent notices.
There are rumors that Microsoft will extend the deadline, but those rumors aren’t coming from Microsoft.
I felt the same way. I did the free upgrade to 10 from 8.1 last year, gave it a few hours, but finally rolled it back, I hated it so much. It’s not just that it’s different, it’s designed for a touchscreen. Or rather, it is specifically NOT designed to be used with a mouse & keyboard.
I have used a Hotmail email account for over 15 years. Microsoft (which owns Hotmail) finally ‘decided’ that the http protocol that Hotmail uses will no longer be compatible with Windows Live Mail. WLM is the direct descendant of Outlook Express, the simple & robust email client that first came with Windows 95. So I had to start using the Mail ‘app’ that comes with Windows 8.1. And it sucks. It has no ‘desktop mode’ so its always full-screen, right-clicking the mouse does absolutely nothing, you can’t change the default font to write replies with, even if you change the font manually it changes back the moment you hit the RETURN key to start a new paragraph, its impossible to view any email header code if you need to, you can’t change the format view from anything but three vertical columns of folders, messages, and message body etc. It looks & feels like a dumbed-down, idiot-proof, Fisher Price toy. And this is the only Windows 10-style ‘tiled’ app that I’ve had to use*!*
The way I look at it is this: It’s not really Windows 10 that is inevitable, it’s the death of the home desktop computer that’s inevitable. It’s already well underway. I went to Best Buy recently and they only had one row of ‘desktops’ and those were all all-in-one touchscreen PCs. And these are just a stop-gap to tablets. And useless ones.
Try this: If you’re sitting in front of a desk with a desktop PC (without a touchscreen) reach out with your hand and point & move your finger around the screen like you’re using a touchscreen. You’ll quickly discover that you can only do this for about ten seconds before it becomes intolerably uncomfortable. Touchscreen tablets have to be right in your lap or flat right in front of you like a book. Traditional monitor/keyboard/mouse desktops will be relegated back to offices, ironically where they started.
My point is that unless you’re ready to not only get a new computer, but to switch from a desktop to a tablet, Windows 10 is simply not necessary. If you’re using Windows 7 I doubly don’t recommend upgrading to 10, as just going from 7 to 8.1 was tedious and frustrating. Don’t move to 10 until you also move to a tablet because that’s 100% what Microsoft designed Windows 10 for. They know the desktop is dead and they are desperately trying to keep Windows from going down with the ship.
I know I sound like a curmudgeon, but actually I’m well aware that I use my smartphone 10 times more than I use my desktop anymore. And as much as it scares me I don’t doubt that my next PC may very well be a tablet. 90% of all I use my desktop for anymore is writing posts here! (and porn)…
I didn’t like 10 for about two weeks. Then I just hid or deleted all the stuff I didn’t like and now I don’t even think about it. Cortana or whatever it is? I have never seen it. And I do not use the touchscreen at all; I don’t even use a mouse. I use the touchpad on my laptop, just like I did with Windows 7.
You will when this automatic download uses up all your bandwidth and your internet gets so throttled it may as well be shut down.
I bought a new laptop with win10 and updated my desktop to win10. All in all just fine. The update to win10 over Hughes satellite took 20 hours. That’s just for the download.
There is a real problem with the win10 updates that run in the background. If you are severely limited to the amount you can download (say all Hughes satellite customers) and it starts downloading in the background, your 250 megs of daily allowance is eaten up real fast. And then your internet goes down.
I have added another internet provider. Verizon. It’s the ‘X Large’ plan and is limited to 12 Gigs a month. I could get a business plan on Hughes, or more data on Verizon, but I’m already paying a ridiculous amount a month. ($120 between Hughes and Verizon for that paltry data.
I’ll look deeper to scheduling these background downloads.
Thanks for that. Didn’t know you could just start typing.
Yes, you don’t know. So why do you lecture people on what they should do or care about?
I mean, you seriously can’t figure out why having (web) search immediately available would be more convenient than having to open a web browser? You can’t understand why a people like a popular app?
I do know you are missing one thing: Cortana is not just web search. Shutting off that search bar doesn’t let you ignore Cortana, since Cortana will be doing your program search and file search–things people other than you use all the time on their computer. Cortana integrates this with Bing, meaning it mixes in web searches with the other searches.
That’s right–if you can’t neuter Cortana, regular use of your computer will automatically use Bing and return search results you don’t want, as well as sending your search info to Microsoft and helping them make money off of Bing, despite not being as good.
And, no, having a separate Web Search doesn’t actually fix the problem, because that web search can’t do file search. So you still wind up having to use Cortana.
Unless you replace file search entirely. But even that will require neutering Cortana so it doesn’t pop up when it’s not wanted or needed.
And even if it’s hidden, it’ll still be running in the background. What’s wrong with controlling what software runs on your computer? It’s one of the main reasons people say they don’t like Apple products–the amount of control they have over what the user can do. And now their only real competitor in the PC space is doing the same thing?
The behavior suggests a pattern. It’s a way to make money off of Windows 10. So it suggests that they will do more things like this all the time: Disable options people used (like turning off Cortana), removing their ability to customize their computer to their liking.
Maybe you don’t care about any of this. But a lot of people do. If you “don’t know” why people would do something, doesn’t it make more sense to try and find out?
