Windows 10.

[froggerty]

If you have any Windows device but do not want to 'upgrade' to Windows 10 but can't get rid of the icon that has been placed on your taskbar I have found the solution to get rid of it permanently. This 'free download' offer comes in the form of a Windows update and will, even if you don't want it, automatically download on your device sometime up to June 2016, one day you'll turn on your computer and there it will be, Windows 10, Microsoft don't mention that! I downloaded it on one of my laptops, which took 3 hoiurs, it wiped 4 of my programmes that could not be reinstalled even with the disc, it also wiped my internet security programme. Cortana does not work in the UK and all that is is a variation of Google Speech. I navigated around the new system for a few hours but was so dissapointed with it that I reverted back to Windows 7, you have one month to do this if you don't like the new Windows 10, if you don't you're stuck with it.

Anyone wanting to get rid of the icon and the update that is hovering in the background of your device I will post up how to do it here.

[hrym]

I've hidden the icon in the taskbar (there are options in W7 on what to show permanently), but that's all.  I may go for W10, but not yet - all the advice seems to be to wait for SP1.

When you go back to the old version, do you also get your installed programs back?

[froggerty]

With the icon being part of an update the SP1 update is also within it. Just hiding the icon on your task bar will not remove the pending update, in fact, anyone with Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional or Windows 8.1 is elligable for the free upgrade to 10, you don't need to reserve or be 'offered' it, if you wish you can download it any time for free up until the  29th July 2016. If you download 10 and don't like it, you have, as I said, one month thereafter to go back to 7 or 8.1, you should not loose any programmes you've downloaded or installed from disc on your earlier Windows system, it's just that your older programmes that you have on disc that you want to keep, say if you're buying a new device with 10, it will not be compatable. Also in reverting back your internet security may not work, when I tried 10 it flagged up that my security needed to be updated but when I tried the security programme  'could not be found', so it wiped it so I had to reinstall it when back to 7.

To revert back to your previous system from 10 this is how to do it.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/going-back-to-windows-7-or-windows-81

To remove the icon on your taskbar, go to 'control panel' > 'system & security' > 'windows updates' > 'veiw installed updates'. When the list has loaded scroll down until you come to 'Windows Updates' and look for 'KB3035583', highlight it and click 'Uninstall', you'll be asked in a box that opens if your sure you want to, click 'yes' and wait for the uninstall to finish. you will be asked to restart your device to complete the process. When you start up again go back to 'Windows updates' in 'control panel' and open 'check for available updates' and in the list you will find 'Windows update KB3035583, the one you just uninstalled, which is ticked in the box, click the tick to 'uncheck' the box and this disables the update, now you can hide it, this 'update' is marked or listed as 'important' and if you don't uncheck it the next time you start or restart your device it will be back again. If you see a 'service pack (SP) for 10 update uncheck  that as well. Having done all this you should not be bothered again by this annoyance.

[hrym]

Thanks.  Doesn't look as though I have that update, either installed or pending.  Either it hasn't come yet or it's responding to my earlier "no thanks" to W10.

[thesoupdragon]

I didn't like Windows 8/8.1 but I'm getting used to Windows 10.
I'm not a big fan of the bright backgrounds to all the Windows though, I would prefer a dark theme.

Cortana is working for me along with voice commands. It is very quick and accurate with so each recognition and search results.
I only really use Windows for photo editing in Lightroom and Photoshop, both work perfectly. I did a clean wipe install of win10, I had no issues with any software loading but I did have to locate a win 8.1 Ethernet driver.

I spend most of my time in the world of GNU/Linux but I do like the way Windows is developing. I especially like Windows mobile.

[froggerty]

The majority of people that I have spoken to don't like Windows 10, they say, and I am of the same opinion, that Windows are trying to emulate or replicate an Android look system using App type 'tiles' and calling everything Apps when they are not. I'm staying with 7.

[thesoupdragon]

I've heard many people say the same sort of thing as yourself and I understand exactly where you are coming from.

An interesting fact for you...
The very first "App Store" was created by a company called Canonical, the makers of the Ubuntu (Linux) operating system for their desktop computer systems.
Apple adopted the idea a few years later for their mobile phone app store. The popularity of Apple products brought the term into mainstream language. Google also adopted the idea when they bought Android.

MS are building a "convergent" operating system where one app Will work across all devices. It makes sense to have an App store to tie it all together.

The "convergent operating system" was another open source idea by Canonical that has been adopted by the big boys! 😉

[Anonymous]

What you would refer to as Service Pack 1 is already out.

To give MS credit they do seem to smoothing out the bumps fairly quickly.

[froggerty]

I think that what they learnt by introducing Windows 8 so fast, buy a new PC and 'bang', it was there, the problems that they had with that taught them a valuable lesson and by introducing Windows 10 by giving everyone the oportunity to try it out first and for the user to offer feedback in order to sort out any issues sooner.

[Anonymous]

I do quite like it and have been running it since release.

There's been a few bumps but all in all seems good.