7/20/2016
You Only Have a Week Left to Get Windows 10 Free. Here’s Why You Should Update
The free Windows 10 upgrade offer
ends on July 29, 2016. After that, you’ll have to pay at least $119 if
you ever want to upgrade to Windows 10 on your computer. You should
seriously consider upgrading to Windows 10 before July 29, if you
haven’t already done so.
Microsoft has done a great job of tarnishing Windows 10’s name by being unnecessarily pushy with the upgrade offer, and they shouldn’t have done so. But Microsoft’s tactics aside, Windows 10 is a worthy upgrade.
So here’s a big reason to upgrade: Once you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 on your current PC, your PC will receive a “digital entitlement” that allows you to install Windows 10 for free in the future–even after July 29. If you don’t want to use Windows 10 now, you can upgrade, then downgrade back to Windows 7 or 8.1 and keep using that. If you ever decide you want to use Windows 10 in the future, you can upgrade to it for free since your computer has that digital entitlement.
If you don’t reserve your free copy before the upgrade offer ends, you’ll have to spend $119 for Windows 10 Home or $199 for Windows 10 Pro to upgrade.
Here’s What’s Different About Windows 10 for Windows 7 Users
Unlike Windows 8, Windows 10 actually feels designed for a PC with a keyboard and mouse. Windows 7 users will... [Read Article]
Windows 10 made a lot of improvements over Windows 7. Upgrading to Windows 10 doesn’t just get you the improvements and new features in Windows 10. It also gets you the improvements and new features added to Windows 8 and 8.1; the ones that were overshadowed by Windows 8’s refusal to let users boot to the desktop.
Some of the flashiest features of 8 and 10 include:
Even if you just want old-fashioned desktop programs, there’s a lot to like:
Under the hood, there are a lot of improvements:
Here’s What’s Different About Windows 10 for Windows 8 Users
Windows 10 isn’t just a big change for Windows 7 users. There have been some major changes in philosophy since... [Read Article]
If you’re still using Windows 8 or 8.1, you should definitely upgrade to Windows 10. Windows 10 is a huge improvement over Windows 8.1, restoring a desktop Start menu and allowing those new applications from the Windows Store to run in windows on your desktop instead of in full-screen mode. Awkward features like the charms bar you head to open by moving your mouse to a corner of the screen are gone.
Windows 10 still offers a special “tablet mode” designed for touch devices, but it’s optional.
Really, we shouldn’t even need to try to convince Windows 8.1 users to upgrade. You should definitely get away from Windows 8.1 while you can.
But it’s a big jump to say that Microsoft is actually “spying” on what you do on your computer. Most of these features are largely a consequence of having more internet-connected features in Windows, like live tiles that need to download information regularly, and the Cortana voice assistant that provides online searches and other information.
Yes, it’s true that you can’t fully disable all telemetry features on Windows 10. However, telemetry is just anonymized usage information. Microsoft can use it to see how many people use features like the Start menu or system tray on a daily basis, for example, so they can make Windows better.
Microsoft has done a poor job of explaining this to average users, and their privacy settings are horribly laid out. That’s certainly one of our criticisms of Windows 10. But Windows isn’t doing anything that every other tech company isn’t already doing.
And no, despite some misleading rumors going around, you won’t have to pay to continue using Windows 10 after July 29, 2016. If you have it installed, it will continue being free to use. You’ll only have to pay for Windows 10 if you want to buy a fresh license to upgrade an old computer, or to install on a new computer you build yourself. New computers you purchase come with Windows 10 licenses the manufacturer paid for.
Source: http://www.howtogeek.com/263413/you-only-have-a-week-left-to-get-windows-10-free.-heres-why-you-should-update/
Microsoft has done a great job of tarnishing Windows 10’s name by being unnecessarily pushy with the upgrade offer, and they shouldn’t have done so. But Microsoft’s tactics aside, Windows 10 is a worthy upgrade.
Upgrading Now Reserves Your Free Copy, Even if You Don’t Want to Use It Yet
Even if you don’t want to use Windows 10 yet, you may want to upgrade in the future.
So here’s a big reason to upgrade: Once you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 on your current PC, your PC will receive a “digital entitlement” that allows you to install Windows 10 for free in the future–even after July 29. If you don’t want to use Windows 10 now, you can upgrade, then downgrade back to Windows 7 or 8.1 and keep using that. If you ever decide you want to use Windows 10 in the future, you can upgrade to it for free since your computer has that digital entitlement.
If you don’t reserve your free copy before the upgrade offer ends, you’ll have to spend $119 for Windows 10 Home or $199 for Windows 10 Pro to upgrade.
Windows 10 Includes Many, Many Improvements Over Windows 7
Unlike Windows 8, Windows 10 actually feels designed for a PC with a keyboard and mouse. Windows 7 users will... [Read Article]
Windows 10 made a lot of improvements over Windows 7. Upgrading to Windows 10 doesn’t just get you the improvements and new features in Windows 10. It also gets you the improvements and new features added to Windows 8 and 8.1; the ones that were overshadowed by Windows 8’s refusal to let users boot to the desktop.
Some of the flashiest features of 8 and 10 include:
- The Windows Store and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) applications are Microsoft’s new application platform. In particular, Microsoft is now porting many Xbox games to Windows, but they’re only accessible on Windows 10 and only through the Windows Store.
- The Cortana virtual assistant offers voice searches and automatically delivers you relevant information, and it’s getting even more powerful this summer.
- Live tiles in the Start menu provide quick access to information. They can display the news, weather, your emails, and other information.
- An Xbox application allows you to record PC games and stream Xbox One games from an Xbox One console. It’s useful even if you don’t own an Xbox.
Even if you just want old-fashioned desktop programs, there’s a lot to like:
- A Task View interface allows you to quickly view all your open windows and sort them into multiple “desktops”, a feature that Mac and Linux users have been taking advantage of for years.
- The “reset your PC” feature provides a way to quickly wipe your Windows system and start fresh without actually reinstalling Windows.
- An improved Task Manager has a streamlined interface and a built-in startup manager for managing the programs that automatically launch when you boot your computer.
- An improved File Explorer includes a new file operations dialog that allows you to pause file operations and more easily manage conflicts. File Explorer also gained other useful features, like the ability to mount ISO disc image files without third-party software.
- A new Settings application includes useful features like the ability to see which programs–including desktop programs–have used the most battery life on your laptop.
- Windows 10 includes improvements to using Windows with multiple monitors, and with modern high-DPI displays.
- Power user features like Hyper-V virtual machines and Storage Spaces for pooling storage are available in the Professional edition of Windows 10.
Under the hood, there are a lot of improvements:
- Windows 10 offers improved boot speed and battery life.
- You’ll find various security improvements, from the built-in Windows Defender antivirus and Smart Screen for scanning downloads to low-level improvements to ASLR (address space layout randomization) memory management improvements and driver signing now being required.
- DirectX 12 and the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.0 are included, and new games can take advantage of these for improved performance.
If You’re Using Windows 8 or 8.1, Upgrading is a No-Brainer
Windows 10 isn’t just a big change for Windows 7 users. There have been some major changes in philosophy since... [Read Article]
If you’re still using Windows 8 or 8.1, you should definitely upgrade to Windows 10. Windows 10 is a huge improvement over Windows 8.1, restoring a desktop Start menu and allowing those new applications from the Windows Store to run in windows on your desktop instead of in full-screen mode. Awkward features like the charms bar you head to open by moving your mouse to a corner of the screen are gone.
Windows 10 still offers a special “tablet mode” designed for touch devices, but it’s optional.
Really, we shouldn’t even need to try to convince Windows 8.1 users to upgrade. You should definitely get away from Windows 8.1 while you can.
Windows 10’s “Spying” Is Way Overblown
Windows 10 does include many features that “phone home” to Microsoft’s servers, doing everything from downloading new antivirus definitions to uploading anonymized “telemetry” data about the features you use on your computer.
But it’s a big jump to say that Microsoft is actually “spying” on what you do on your computer. Most of these features are largely a consequence of having more internet-connected features in Windows, like live tiles that need to download information regularly, and the Cortana voice assistant that provides online searches and other information.
Yes, it’s true that you can’t fully disable all telemetry features on Windows 10. However, telemetry is just anonymized usage information. Microsoft can use it to see how many people use features like the Start menu or system tray on a daily basis, for example, so they can make Windows better.
Microsoft has done a poor job of explaining this to average users, and their privacy settings are horribly laid out. That’s certainly one of our criticisms of Windows 10. But Windows isn’t doing anything that every other tech company isn’t already doing.
And no, despite some misleading rumors going around, you won’t have to pay to continue using Windows 10 after July 29, 2016. If you have it installed, it will continue being free to use. You’ll only have to pay for Windows 10 if you want to buy a fresh license to upgrade an old computer, or to install on a new computer you build yourself. New computers you purchase come with Windows 10 licenses the manufacturer paid for.
Source: http://www.howtogeek.com/263413/you-only-have-a-week-left-to-get-windows-10-free.-heres-why-you-should-update/
7/11/2016
How to block the Windows 10 upgrade
I have been hearing a lot about this recently. Another reader got to the point where he was scared to boot, assuming that the installation would happen right away.
Even I was a victim. Windows told me I needed to shut down the PC for an update. When I shut down and rebooted, no update happened, but Windows continued to tell me that I needed to shut down. Some detective work clued me in that the Windows 10 upgrade had failed. I had never given permission for the upgrade on this particular computer.
[Have a tech question? Ask PCWorld Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector. Send your query to answer@pcworld.com.]
If the Get Windows 10 icon has become either an annoyance or a serious problem, you can easily remove it with Ultimate Outsider’s free and portable GWX Control Panel. You download this program as a single EXE file.
Once it’s up, you might want to look at some of the information on the top part of the program. For instance, I discovered that I had apparently “enabled” both the Get Windows 10 app and the upgrades. I had not.
Click two of the buttons near the bottom, Disable ‘Get Windows 10’ App (permanently remove icon) and Disable Operating System Upgrades in Windows Update.
That’s it—unless the upgrade has already started and you’re stuck with the problem I had. If Windows Update is trying and failing to install Windows 10, run Microsoft’sWindows Update Troubleshooter after you haverun GWX.
Launch and run the wizard. The choices are pretty obvious. In my case, I got a disheartening error that one update problem could not be fixed.
But, when I next booted, the update Shut Down button was no longer there. Since then, Windows 7 updates have happened as they should.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2998967/windows/how-to-block-the-windows-10-upgrade.html
7/02/2016
Windows 10 is spying on almost everything you do – here’s how to opt out
Windows 10 is amazing. Windows 10 is fantastic. Windows 10 is glorious. Windows 10 is faster, smoother and more user-friendly than any Windows operating system that has come before it. Windows 10 is everything Windows 8 should have been, addressing nearly all of the major problems users had with Microsoft’s previous-generation platform in one fell swoop.
But there’s something you should know: As you read this article from your newly upgraded PC, Windows 10 is also spying on nearly everything you do.
It’s your own fault if you don’t know that Windows 10 is spying on you. That’s what people always say when users fail to read through a company’s terms of service document, right?
Well, here is Microsoft’s 12,000-word service agreement. Some of it is probably in English. We’re pretty sure it says you can’t steal Windows or use Windows to send spam, and also that Microsoft retains the right to take possession of your first-born child if it so chooses. And that’s only one of several documents you’ll have to read through.
Actually, here’s one excerpt from Microsoft’s privacy statement that everyone can understand:
Finally, we will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to: 1.comply with applicable law or respond to valid legal process, including from law enforcement or other government agencies; 2.protect our customers, for example to prevent spam or attempts to defraud users of the services, or to help prevent the loss of life or serious injury of anyone; 3.operate and maintain the security of our services, including to prevent or stop an attack on our computer systems or networks; or 4.protect the rights or property of Microsoft, including enforcing the terms governing the use of the services – however, if we receive information indicating that someone is using our services to traffic in stolen intellectual or physical property of Microsoft, we will not inspect a customer’s private content ourselves, but we may refer the matter to law enforcement.
If that sentence sent shivers down your spine, don’t worry. As invasive as it is, Microsoft does allow Windows 10 users to opt out of all of the features that might be considered invasions of privacy. Of course, users are opted in by default, which is more than a little disconcerting, but let’s focus on the solution.
Rock Paper Shotgun has broken things down into four main bullet points that will guide you through regaining control of your personal data.
First, you’ll want to open Settings and click on Privacy. There, you’ll find 13 different screens — yes, 13 — to go through, and you’ll want to disable anything that seems worrying. The blog notes that most of the important settings can be found on theGeneral tab, though other tabs are important as well. For example, you’ll definitely want to adjust what types of data each app on your system can access.
Next, users should consider dumping Cortana. Yes, the voice-driven assistant iseasily one of the best new features in Windows 10, but it also plays fast and loose with your data. As a result, many users will find that the benefits do not outweigh the risks.
For the third task, you’ll have to venture outside the confines of your PC and hit the web. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to check out Microsoft’s nifty new Edge browser. In it, click on this link and set both “Personalised ads in this browser” and “Personalised ads wherever I use my Microsoft account” to off. This will disable Microsoft’s Google-style ad tracking features.
The last tip is one that most users will likely forgo, as it is a bit excessive. Rock Paper Shotgun recommends removing your Microsoft account from Windows 10 completely and using a newly made local account instead. This way, Microsoft doesn’t grab hold of all your data to sync it across machines. To us that’s a great and useful feature, but if you want to kill it just follow the link below in our source section for complete instructions and plenty more details.
Article updated to quote a larger quote from Microsoft’s terms of service.
Source: https://bgr.com/2015/07/31/windows-10-upgrade-spying-how-to-opt-out/
Microsoft’s new Windows 10 platform has received quite a reception from bloggers and tech journalists. More importantly, it has been received with open arms by consumers eager to wipe Windows 8 from their desktops and laptops, and start fresh.
Source: https://bgr.com/2015/07/31/windows-10-upgrade-spying-how-to-opt-out/
6 free tools that stop Windows 10 from spying on everything you do
Microsoft’s new Windows 10 platform has received quite a reception from bloggers and tech journalists. More importantly, it has been received with open arms by consumers eager to wipe Windows 8 from their desktops and laptops, and start fresh.
A fresh start is exactly what Windows 10 has given Microsoft, but it’s not all good news. While the new software is certainly a huge step in the right direction, some serious privacy concerns have been raised following the revelation that Windows 10 may be spying on almost everything you do.
Microsoft has indeed played fast and loose with users’ privacy in Windows 10. By default, the new operating system is configured to track usage, and even to monitor your files and folders in some cases. Just look at how scary Microsoft’s privacy statement is.
Features like this aren’t always a bad thing, but opting people in by default is hardly a user-friendly policy.
In an earlier post, we told you about a few things you can do to opt out of many of Microsoft’s tracking features in Windows 10. Since this is such a widely publicized issue, however, there are already plenty of tools you can use to help simplify the process of taking your privacy back in Windows 10. And in a recent post, gHackssupplied a nice quick comparison of six different options.
Below you’ll find six different apps covered, along with brief descriptions. Click on the name of any app to download it.
Destroy Windows 10 Spying
This is a fairly basic program that allows users to enable a wide range of privacy settings in one simple interface, rather than having to dig around through Windows 10’s settings.
Disable Win Tracking
This app is similar in intent to Destroy Windows 10 Spying, but with only four options, its focus is far more narrow.
DoNotSpy 10
We have covered DoNotSpy10 before here on BGR, and it’s one of the most comprehensive options out there for taking control of your privacy in Windows 10. There’s a caveat, though: It’s freeware, but it installs Open Candy software on your PC, which will display ads automatically in other apps.
Windows 10 Privacy and S**t
This is just a simple batch file — check gHacks for details on how it works.
Windows 10 Privacy Fixer
This app offers one tidy screen that lets you import your current privacy settings and then disable whichever features you want.
W10 Privacy
Last, and unfortunately also least, is W10 Privacy. This app is one of the best options out there in terms of covering as many privacy settings as possible… but it’s only available in German for the time being.
Source: https://bgr.com/2015/08/14/windows-10-spying-prevention-privacy-tools/