Windows 10 Free Upgrade On 9 Windows Desktops, Tablets, Laptops Results

[RV_]

I finally did my Desktop, a 27" touchscreen all in one Dell, with dual 32GB SSD in front of a 2TB HD, 8 GB RAM, i7 Quad Core, and quad HD resolution.

 

It took all night because I started it and went to bed only to find this morning it wanted to tell me that it was going to eliminate Windows Media Center which I didn't use anyway. I clicked OK and it went smoothly this morning. I switched to my Surface Pro 3 tablet and my Logitech wireless keyboard to use in the meantime.

 

So I have done 2 Windows 7 laptops, one very old Compaq 15" Celeron single core, 32 bit, One an AMD A6 quad core 17" Toshiba almost as old. Both laptops were directly updated from 7 to Windows 10 after I set them up with Libre Office etc. Flawless.

 

Three tablets, a Surface Pro 3 i5 that was 8.1, a Dell Venue 11 Pro Atom Z3770 2 GB RAM 32 bit that was Windows 8 and had been upgraded free to 8.1. and an ASUS T200 Tablet/keyboard hybrid that was 8.1.

 

Four desktops, one an HP mid size tower, quad core AMD 8 GB RAM and added 256GB SSD that was Windows 7, then directly to Windows 10. One a Voyo mini PC with a Z3535 Atom Quad core processor, 32 bit and 2 GB RAM. Lynn's new Lenovo All in one 20" touchscreen, quad core i5, 4 GB RAM that was Windows 8. And lastly my Main Dell 2720 all in one i7.

 

No problem with any of them, despite having upgraded nearly every type, form factor, and brand of processor/SoC. I also was upgrading from every Version of Windows except XP and Vista, having every type of graphics and screen types, 32 and 64 bit Windows systems.

 

For the folks that have had issues, all I can say is that if your system is not infected or has broken hardware, something had to be wrong with the installation like the user thinking it was stuck and shutting it down too soon and other known impatience scenarios that can cause corruption.

 

I did do a Boot drive and Windows 7 System image. Here's how:

 

"Get familiar with the Windows 10 Recovery Drive... before you need it

The worst time to learn your way around the Recovery Drive is when you're facing a disaster. This rundown of its tools and options will help you be prepared."

 

The article is here: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/get-familiar-with-the-windows-10-recovery-drive-before-you-need-it/?tag=nl.e101&s_cid=e101&ttag=e101&ftag=TRE684d531

 

and-

 

"How to revive your Windows 10 installation with System Image Recovery

Your hard disk just went belly up, but all is not lost. Armed with a recent system image and the System Image Recovery tool, you'll be back in business before you know it."

 

That article is here: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-revive-your-windows-10-installation-with-system-image-recovery/?tag=nl.e101&s_cid=e101&ttag=e101&ftag=TRE684d531

 

If I can help let me know.

[TheDuke]

I am kind of surprised that you only have a 32 GB SSD drive. I have a 108 GB and the OS and program files are at about 55 GB.

I am wondering where you keep your program files on your system, or haven't you loaded up the system yet?

By the way, buying a system with a SSD drive has been the smartest thing I have done in years. 10 second startup from a turned off system with Win 10.

[RV_]

Mine is screwy and I did not change the partitions. The techs there told me the SSD was used as a swap drive and it isn't. 32GB is more than enough to hold Windows 10. Since I decided to keep it last December and extended my hardware warranty until 2017. After "proving" Windows 10 on it, I'm going to see how hard it will be to move my OS to it. My settings from the factory were to not use it.

 

I am about to get back into it as I learn more about the controls under the hood in 10. Simple things like a file corruption error in Outlook 2007 and 2010 ( I use Outlook 2010 for my Email) that causes Auto Play to ask which browser I want to use every time I try to open a browser hot link in outlook. I found it today after wasting time in the autoplay defaults and settings by going here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3094186 Easy autofix but few understand it. I am posting about it in it's own thread. I'm sure many others are using Office 2007 or 2010 and Outlook and have been scratching their heads over it.

 

Same here on fast boots but only using the SSD as ready boost until I figure out how to move the system files and not have to start from scratch. My Windows folder on C drive has 25.6 GB in it but only 20.4GB on disk so it should all fit expanded there. I am not ready for that project yet. When I do I will short circuit it and see if I can get a tech at Dell I think can help after asking some basics. The nice thing is I get full hardware and Software support on site if needed but usually not.

 

My wife's all in one is much easier to work on, and she used only a 256GB Crucial BX100 SSD on her old system. She has a 1 TB drive and dual slot cloning dock attached at all times for heavy storage. On her new All in One she has a 2TB hard drive like mine. With the price of great drives dropping so fast, and her Lenovo an easy open and upgrade design for RAM and drives, I am seeing fast 500GB top shelf SSDs for sale at around $119.99. I expect to see that drop more on sale and be able to buy off sale for that soon.

 

On mine a 32GB SSD for the system and 2TB storage is fine. I have six each 1TB and 2 each 2TB backup drives, along with a bunch of 2.5" 1TB, 640GB, and 500GB drives. My problem isn't setting them up, it is backing up what I use. Then knowing and cataloguing what is on the 20 some odd big drives I have. I have a 3TB Personal cloud Lenovo EZ media I will be setting up too.

 

I will do it all as I learn Windows 10. I might even have to come out of retirement and start helping others again beyond the online posts. It is nice to get paid, in dollars or trade, and even a thanks once in awhile.

[DJW]

RV

 

Thanks for that post. That second link had the directions I had been looking for to make a USB recovery drive instead of using a DVD. I now have the DW's Win 10 laptop recovery drive on a 16GB USB thumb drive. I make a new system image on both of our laptops on 2 separate 3TB Seagate external HD's once a month. Is there a need to update the recovery drive? If so how often?

 

Dennis

[hiljoball]

My experience with WIn 10 upgrade on two laptops both running Win7.1.

 

The upgrades went fine, but for the next couple of weeks I had minor driver problems with the touch pad - both machines, and the sound card on one. Both eventually were fixed.

 

My issues with WIn 10 have been with Microsoft software - the biggest issue was when WIndows Essentials Live Mail stopped working - forcing me to use Win 10 Mail.

 

Win10 Mail is a lightweight app that is missing many features that I use frequently - drag and drop attachments, distribution lists, ability to create new folders from within the app. I found work arounds for everything except distribution lists - eventually was able to fix Live mail and am again happy with that bit.

 

The other annoyance with Win 10 trying to make me use their apps when I have preferred software - Firefox over Internet Explorer and Edge (another lightweight), Irfanview for photos, not Win 10 Photo. Solved these and happy until the next 'event'.

 

I think that MS is making a mistake by forcing us to use the lightweight apps on our desktops just for compatibility with smartphones. My desktop is my workspace - I use it for serious work and I need serious full featured software.

 

John

[RV_]

Hi John,

I had that issue too and learned to not accept defaults on initial setup. I chose custom and selected the programs I wanted to use. Go to control panel and click on Autoplay when displaying Control panel icon view instead of the default category view and change the default programs called up there. That should get you back on track.

 

Hope that helps

[hiljoball]

Hi RV, I know my way around Windows and had done that.

 

The last release of maintenance went in and changed the default program for various graphic file extensions to Windows Photo. I changed them back to Irfanview, and a day later, Windows detected my change and changed it back again - my solution was to uninstall Windows Photo. That fixed it for now.

 

My major complaint is the lightweight applets that MS is pushing us to use just to be compatible across platforms. They are downgrading the functionality of the laptop/desktop applications to match those on a smartphone.

 

John

[RV_]

John I didn't mean to denigrate your techie skills. Me, I'm bookmarking at least a couple of Windows 10 "How To" articles daily.

 

Did you specify your custom program settings on setup, or accept the express settings?

 

We now have all touch 1080-2160 (almost 4k) . I like some of the apps, but still prefer my programs. Some of their programs are in response to the uproar over initially not having DVD burner programs an music systems like iTunes, in Windows 8 unless your bought Pro with Media Center. Personally I never liked media center and preferred other programs.

 

Me, I like having both x86 programs, and Apps on the same computer.

[TheDuke]

I posted this a while back regarding default programs.

There are 2 settings for default programs. One using Notifications, settings. The second is the old Control Panel settings. After setting defaults in Notif../ settings. , I then did it CP. no problens since then.