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Other Taking the plunge: installing Windows 10

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Pete J, 12 Jul 2016.

  1. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    Okay chaps, I've finally decided I'm going to take the plunge and move on from Windows 7, though I'm buying a completely new licence in case it turns out to be awful (like Windows 8 is). The version I'll be installing is Pro, by the way.

    All I'm after is any recommendations for installation. The reason I bring this up is that I'm very aware that the privacy options are not so private by default and want to have my PC as secure as possible. I also like having things snappy and light weight, so turning off any non essential features is good. Basically, the PC needs to be able to play games and films - that's it.

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Go to Settings (WIN+A, or click the Action Centre icon in the task tray, then the All Settings cog icon), then Privacy. All the options are in there, dead easy to turn them off.
    Task Manager now hosts a 'Startup' tab where you can turn off autostarting programs (replacing the old MSCONFIG).

    Top tips:
    - Right click the Start button, or use the WIN+X shortcut for quick access to a bunch of useful stuff.
    - Press the start key, then start typing to search directly for programs. You will probably only need to type the first letter or two before pressing enter to launch the highlighted program. This was introduced in Vista, but widely ignored in favour of still manually hunting through the Start Menu.
     
  3. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    ^Thanks for that.

    I've been downloading new Win 10 drivers this morning. Fun.
     
  4. Stanley Tweedle

    Stanley Tweedle NO VR NO PLAY

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    Ummm... Windows 7 is a pile of crap. I once took an old laptop and installed 7 on it. It was ok initially but got slower over the months even without much software installed. Next came linux. It was faster than 7 but still not fast. Next came windows 8. That old laptop came to life.. it was like a new machine. Faster booting but more importantly it was able to do basic stuff like play videos without stuttering.

    Windows 8 was much better optimised than 7. If you wanted to deliberately slow your system down you certainly chose the best OS for it.

    I've had no issues with win 8.1 and now am using 10.
     
  5. Deders

    Deders Modder

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    Did you upgrade from 7 or do a fresh install?

    Edit: just realised that it would have to be a fresh install to keep both licenses.
     
  6. mrbungle

    mrbungle Undercooked chicken giver

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    Windows 10 is quality tbh if you just put the tin foil hat to one side.

    Have a google for the few privacy options and then off you go.

    Must have used it on about 30 different combos of old/new hardware and it never skips a beat, even old core duo systems take to it.
     
  7. Shirty

    Shirty W*nker! Super Moderator

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    Yeah I've installed 10 on over 100 different PCs and had issues with maybe 5 of them. Its not as bad as some folks like to make out!
     
  8. thewelshbrummie

    thewelshbrummie Minimodder

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    The new settings app has 9 options, the one with the padlock being the privacy settings. Pretty much everything is in there. I've turned Cortana off since I don't use it, under Feedback & diagnostics I've set Windows to not ask for feedback and to only send basic diagnostic and usage data to Microsoft. It's the last one that tends to be the issue as there's no complete opt-out of telemetry data.

    The only one that is outside of privacy settings to check is windows update settings. In the main Windows update tab, go to Advanced options > Choose how updates are delivered. One option allows you to download updates from "PCs on the Internet" which is pushing it for my liking (which also allows other Win10 uses to download updates from your PC), however I can see that "PCs on my network" may be useful if you have a limited data cap.
     
  9. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    Thanks for the feedback so far. I was thinking of installing it this evening but:

    1) If something goes wrong I know I'll be up all night trying to fix it, leaving me in bad shape for the following day at work.

    2) DPD are delivering it after I leave work anyway.

    Plan is to spend Friday afternoon installing it now. Actually looking quite forward to it in a weird way - first chance to play around with DX12. Rise of the Tomb Raider and Ashes of the Singularity, here I come.
     
  10. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    Yeah I had to pull a "three dayer" just to get my lady's PC onto 10 before the offer expires.

    I bought a 8.1 serial for a tenner and then set about installing that. But it wouldn't go straight to 10 so I had to install about a thousand updates over three evenings before it finally allowed me to install 10. I had issues with getting the updates to install, because it kept trying to use a network card that takes a wire only the PC is wireless. Very strange but finally got there in the end :D
     
  11. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    Hmm. Scan have sent me a Windows 7 Pro disc. Are they expecting me to then upgrade? Not what I wanted. Will have to give them a call.
     
  12. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    You can get an 8.1 key for about £20 on key sites.
     
  13. bawjaws

    bawjaws Multimodder

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    Say what? You've ordered Win 10 Pro and they've sent you... Win 7 Pro? That's not on.
     
  14. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    Phoned them up. They need to do an internal investigation (had to send a picture). No Windows 10 for me this weekend :miffed: .
     
  15. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    A correct copy of Windows is heading my way tomorrow - good work Scan! I bet it'll arrive after I leave work, but hey ho. Now just to package up the Win 7 package so the courier they arranged to pick it up can come get it.
     
  16. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    Yeah going from one to another takes serious time. I *think* you can just use a 7 or 8 serial on a clean 10 install though, so that may be why they just sent you a 7 code?

    I went the long way on a not very updated 8.1 dvd so it took forever. Pretty daft in hindsight.
     
  17. bawjaws

    bawjaws Multimodder

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    Sure, you could get a valid Win 10 Pro license from a copy of Win 7 Pro, but this smacks of Scan offloading old stock of Win 7 rather than a nice shiny new copy of 10. Also, 10 comes on a USB iirc so it's far less painful to install than 7 from a DVD :D
     
  18. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    I'll be installing this weekend - the disk arrived after I left work on Friday.
     
  19. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    Well, installed - and although it's not too painful, I'd rather still be using Windows 7. There's an overriding sense of the OS not truly being under your control anymore and IMHO is something that E Corp out of the Mr Robot series would invent.

    DirectX12 isn't the all amazing performance improver it's made out to be either, though I suppose it's early days. No noticeable improvement in gaming performance.

    One thing that really pissed me off was the fact that Windows is set to install promotional apps. I DON'T WANT CANDY CRUSH OR TWITTER INSTALLED. The thing is, aside of the fact that it's completely unwanted, is the fact that you have to create or edit a registry value to disable it. Disgusting. Here's a guide on how to disable this atrocious behaviour.
     
  20. CrapBag

    CrapBag Multimodder

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    Did you do the above Pete.

    I'm a little confused about doing it as I don't have the registry entry and I seem to be on a different build of 10 to that suggested.

    IE I'm on Windows 10 build 10586.494 when it suggests I should have Windows 10 build 10586.71 for TH2 to be included.

    I do have candy crush installed which I do not want though.
     

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