Windows 10 has been available for just under a year and we’re already approaching the deadline to take advantage of the free upgrade. If you’ve been procrastinating the install or have simply been nervous to make the switch, I can vouch it’s not terrible. Even though I’ve voiced my opinions about it, it really is very good.
Most of the problems come from computer owners with first generation Windows 7 computers. In the early days of 7 manufacturers turned old Vista computers into their first 7 offerings often repurposing leftover Core2 and DDR2 based Vista components. If users were lucky enough to own a compatible system they may have found them to be slow.
Complaints I’ve made about Microsoft have primarily included their lack of support for all computers running 7, 8 and 8.1. Microsoft campaigned 10 would be an easy upgrade for computers running compatible operating systems. Some computers simply couldn’t be upgraded because they weren’t supported. Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed substantially increased support for many more computers.
Customers have been complaining to me for the past year about the Windows 10 interface which is basically an amalgamation of Windows 8 and 7. Windows 7 included a much more intuitive GUI because it was similar to all their previous versions, while 8 was extremely counterintuitive without a start menu. Microsoft revived the start menu and made navigating more intuitive.
There are some things Windows 10 doesn’t do as well as previous versions but they’re no reason not to upgrade. Playing certain media files requires third party components and software once included with Windows. As well, Microsoft stopped including hosts of useless software. Many free utilities from third party publishers allow Windows 10 to be brought back to full functionality if you must view obscure media or play games.
When the operating system was first introduced it was touted as the fastest Microsoft operating system to date. Being a skeptic I tested the speed against 7 and 8 on identical equipment. It’s faster, but not by much. You’d have to be able to think at light speed to notice any difference.
Not all software is compatible with Windows 10, especially niche titles. We’ve had many customers return after upgrading their computers only to tell us a specific title won’t install. Many business and scientific applications will refuse to install into the 10 environment, or the operating system will simply report the title as being unsafe.
Over the past several months I’ve noticed business increasing for Windows 10 related repairs. My company’s virus removal totals have steadily been increasing after sharp declines over the past 10 or so months. This tells me the groups that create viruses have figured out ways to circumvent safety features built into 10.
Repairing Windows 10 has been an utter joy if customers don’t want any data. For those who value data and programs stored on their hard drives, Microsoft doesn’t make the job so easy. Provided there aren’t other issues, a few clicks of the mouse and Windows 10 computers can be brought back to new.
If you’ve been procrastinating the upgrade or clicking off the upgrade nag screens, I suggest biting the bullet and giving your computer new life. Windows 10 will give most systems another few years of support past their original operating system’s expiration. The very best part of Windows 10 is their built in do-over which lets users reinstall their previous operating system. Where else in life can we get a do-over?
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can read past articles at www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)