Don't try to "revert" a new Windows 10 computer to an older Windows version

[docj]

On Friday (10/15) Microsoft announced that it will no longer provide support for older versions of Windows (namely 7 and 8.1) on computers running newer processors, starting specifically with the Intel Skylake 6th generation of processors. As was said in a Microsoft blog post:

 

"Going forward, as new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support,"

 

What this means in practice is that if you purchase a pc you cannot assume that the hardware will support proper execution of older versions of Windows. According to Microsoft this policy starts with the new 6th generation family of Intel processors know as Skylake. Software will be designed to run on hardware contemporaneous with its period of release. This policy doesn't change anything with respect to the issue of an older processor running a newer version of Windows.

 

This policy could be significant for large enterprises that are often intentionally slow to migrate to new versions of Windows and that often buy new hardware with the intent of installing the "corporate standard" older version of Windows. Microsoft is trying to soften the impact of the new policy on such users by specifying a list of major brand systems that will remain backwards compatible with Windows 7 and 8.1 for a "phase in" period of 18 months.

 

An article about the new policy can be found here: http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/16/10780876/microsoft-windows-support-policy-new-processors-skylake

 

And the Microsoft blog post itself is here: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/01/15/windows-10-embracing-silicon-innovation/

[RV_]

I'd read that too Joel. I am waiting for the inevitable complaints and responses to happen.

 

To be clear however this only affects folks buying new hardware in the future. Windows 7 is supported until 2020, and Windows 8.1 until 2023. Microsoft has repeatedly stated that Windows 10 is the last version of Windows and future upgrades will be a bit like Apple in that all the code named upgrades free or paid for are still considered OSX.

 

I have never loaded an older version of Windows on any new Windows computer I have bought. I always wait to buy new systems until the hardware and software are out just long enough to have most or all of the bugs fixed. I have loaded Linux on a couple of old systems and I switch to new hardware (Desktops/tablets/and in the old days laptops) every three years at most

 

Let's also not forget that old Windows boxes may get 10 free until the middle of this year. So once you are using 10 OK, any new hardware will have it too. I would not run any computer that is ten years old anyway.

 

I have to say that the one computer I expected not to run 10 finally upgraded and despite being old enough to use slow DDR2 RAM, and an old Intel (Penryn) Celeron 900 single core 2.2GHz processor, it runs fine with two non critical errors that pop up on the Windows 10 desktop after a full boot. This system goes to my son as it is actually as fast as a new Celeron dual core because of the 256GB SSD I installed in it.

 

My point? Even old hardware can run 10. It's free. If it won't run 10 then consider Linux if you cannot, or will not, buy new hardware.

 

The problem is that the free offer expires mid 2016.

[RV_]

Oh the non-critical errors are fixed. It seems I forgot to uninstall MSE when I upgraded from 7 to 10 and it conflicted with Defender. And there was another dll that was not found. Fortunately it was named LogiLDA.dll and it is a Logitech download assistant leftover in startup. I just deleted the MSE security reference in start up, taking note that there were two and the other was for defender by name. Both were just leftover start up references for removed software and one not totally removed MSE install.

 

The key to upgrading is to uninstall any security software then reinstalling it after the upgrade to Windows 10.

 

It now boots fine as before and does not show the errors from missing programs that did not uninstall cleanly. IN other words even a Vista era computer that came with Windows 7 from the factory, with old DDR2 RAM, and only a single core Celeron with an SSD works great with 10! I admit that a person with less experience troubleshooting startup and registry issues might have trouble with what to me and others is a relatively simple fix once verified .

[wmwhiten2009]

I suppose that I will be one of the ones that will transition to Linux or Macintosh unless Microsoft changes the mandatory automatic updates. I was told that this could be set to defer the updates on a metered connection. Well, I discovered that this was correct with one important exception. That exception being that a standard user does not have that capability. Only an administrative user can take advantage of that feature. So, that leaves me out of it as I do not connect to the internet as an administrative user unless it is absolutely necessary and I am on a metered connection. Furthermore, I have since discovered that even in the Pro version, one cannot defer the automatic updates much less as a standard user.

 

I initially discovered the difference after purchasing a new laptop with Windows 10 Home installed. I finished the setup adding a standard user. I logged on and tried to find the deferred network option. Could not find it and so I logged on as the administrative user and found the option. I selected the metered network and saved the changes.

 

Logged back in as the standard user and that option had disappeared. Logged back in as the administrative user and that option was still no evident any longer. So, I interpreted that as to say that the metered connection network option was disabled.

 

I restored the machine back to factory and returned it.

 

I have a PC (Personal Computer) for my personal use. I have been in the computer industry since 1979 and experienced many changes in the computing world.

 

In my humble opinion, the current computer industry is stepping back 35 years or so to the remote job entry model. There is new name for the process and a new faster medium but again IMHO, it amounts to the same thing. The program and storage live out in the cloud somewhere unbeknownst to the user without any personal control. To me, that makes the "personal computer" an expensive "dumb terminal".

[RV_]

Mike,

I just posted a new thread with two excellent article on how to do just that. I know the feeling. I felt that way about switching my DOS box with keyboard only command lines use in programs to Windows and a dang mouse. I skipped ME but stayed with Windows 98 SE because ME was a mess. I waited an extra two years for XP because everyone was complaining. Then I stayed with XP an extra two years because I hated Vista and it sure looked like it. 7 turned out to be great and had an A/V program and image creation system free! I switched early to 8 and bought 4 Pro licenses for $14.99 during the October 2012 -Jan 31 2013 debut offer. Then hated it on my desktops and laptops. I got a Surface RT in January 2013, and loved it and the touch interface taught me what I was missing in the non touch use. But then MS screwed up and did not have an IMAP email compatibility until September 2013. I didn't wait I sold it and bought the HP x2 hybrid touch tablet ultra book that was fast for the time. Have bought several since including a Surface Pro 2 that was too hot running and only ran a few hours between charges so I returned it and got a Venue 11 Pro and an ASUS T200 to replace my x2 in ;late 2013 and early 2014. Then bought a Dell All in one for my main desktop with a large touch screen,17, 8GB, quad HD vide, and just bought a new Surface 3 Pro that is my size and run time between charges. Why? Because this is my hobby and I loved Windows 8 and 8.1 even more. I will keep my systems, all running Windows 10, and I can always change to Linux or OSX later. I don't have issues with getting Windows updates as soon as available.

 

Man the changes keep coming and we can blame the competition for that. Now I was unsure of 10 because with touch tablets and desktops I was afraid they would hobble the touch features but they really managed to satisfy all the complaints I've heard with 10.

 

I'll wait a few years before I consider a switch. But some folks feel like you and that's why I posted the articles by ZDNET's SJV-Nichols here on another thread for those wanting to switch. Linux auto updates the kernel I hear but I never used it long enough to comment. You can turn it off there however I believe.

 

Their PCs in a tablet like I have running Win 10 are gaining ground fast on the others. Their phones not so much.

 

Enterprise is adopting 10 much faster than 8 too.

 

Hope that Linux thread I jusy posted helps.

 

Whatever you decide happy travels and computing.

[wmwhiten2009]

RV,

 

Thanks for the reply and the info.

 

I wish I could get onto a regular 300gb cap line and I would not worry about it any longer.

As it is, I have only 12Gb per month and have to watch my usage. Currently, I am seeing many, many re-transmits on the line and go through the 12Gb most every month since many of the messages have to be sent up to 10 times to get through. Not happy about the usage but the carrier claims that they are not at fault (surprise, surprise) and I have yet to get hold of anyone who seems to care much.

 

Where is that post by the way?

[RV_]

YW Mike,

Here is that article I posted today on this forum: http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=121798

 

Mike I am not traveling anymore after the first seven years of fulltiming 1997-2003. We came off the road in 2003 to care for aging parents of which one remains and we hope keeps us here a long time. Then we will decide our next move as the climate down here is terrible! In more ways than one. So I am on cable modem and don't have the limits you do. I can't say when this transition will be over but I would be frustrated with it too on the road. If you don't need the computer for business and just do email and non critical word processing and other stuff Libre Office and Linux may be just the ticket! Just don't erase the factory recovery partition or copy it to an external drive to copy back later when Windows stabilizes 10 and its updates are clearer.

[wmwhiten2009]

Thanks for the link RV.

 

We have been mostly full time since 2003 and I worked full time at the same time. I had a hot spot from the company so I did not have to worry about that activity and the home hot spot was good with only a 5Gb cap. Then I retired and our (my) usage went up from me surfing too much. I do try to limit my usage however. Still I am really not so sure that I am using that much data. Like I said earlier, watching the traffic with Wireshark, there are many, many re-transmits most days.

I currently have done the swap the hard drive thing. Our daily use computer came with Windows 8 Home and over the 2014 to 2015 transition week, both of my mapping programs stopped working telling me that they were trial versions. One is a 2010 version and the other is a 2011 version that had been working fine for years. Since I had a retail copy of Windows 7 Home, I backed up the Windows 8 drive and swapped it out and installed Windows 7. Once 8.1 came out, I swapped the drive back in and updated to 8.1. I tried m y programs again and they worked just fine. I swapped the Windows 7 drive back in and that is what we use daily. I put the 8.1 drive in once a month and update it.

 

I have access to a fast unlimited network for a few days here and I may just trot over there and download Linux Mint and give it a try off a USB drive.

[RV_]

Wow! I did that but added images from 2011-2012 during the Windows 8 developer's preview. I had one Windows 7 drive and image and another drive with the developer's preview on it and I would swap them out. For a few months I was making an image of 7 using the Windows 7 "Backup and restore" Create a system image for 7, then an image of the 8 preview using EaseUS just for fun keeping the original drive image on another external drive.

 

These days I set up new to me or new computers with an SSD, 256GB is fine, but now good brands are getting down to $120 for 500GB, and I'd go for that. I clone the original up to date hard drive to the SSD, then put the hard drive in the SSD box and mark it as the original, and install the SSD in the system and use external drives for real storage. I use drive docks and enclosure for the 2.5 drives that I can swap around. I like to have a clone, and an image, and now as well, a data backup for each of my two desktops. Images only for my Windows 10 Tablets. I could get mSATA drives but to be honest I don't want to take a tablet apart although I could. However my wife's Venue 11 Pro has a user replaceable battery and with the back off I can easily change out the drives and if needed.

 

On the Mint download don't forget the Cinnamon part. and the ISO programs. I haven't done Linux lately but will again soon for this XP boat anchor and return it to the family if they want after I am done with it. I have a tiny Voyo desktop ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/VOYO-Sleek-Mini-Windows-8-1-white/dp/B00TQV0JO6 ) for the spare bedroom computer and don't need another system, let alone a big tower desktop. I'm selling two laptops, a tablet hybrid, and a desktop as it stands, that we replaced with new tablets and desktops.

 

Anyway I think it is worth a try, you may love it.