Windows 10: What You Need to Know

[Onkel Neal]

Yeah, I can see there's no escaping this bland UI. Maybe after some more searching I will find some themes that make the UI look better, or get used to mediocrity.

[Skybird]

Decisions have been made, first steps have been taken.

I opted for Linux Mint, which has a reputation to be nice and accessible for newcomers.

Having printed several guides and papers from the web, I was not satisfied with the lacking structure of this approach. I am not 24 anymore, I am 48 - and I have started to feel learning very new things becoming a bit more - hm, stressful to my brain. So I got myself a Linux Mint introductory book and CD.

I got out the old laptop I once administrated for my mother before I got her a new one, it has still Vista installed and is not needed. I can kill the HD's content, and then use this as a sandbox and playground for my first test installation of Mint. That way - if I can get Mint working on it, it is several years old and I may find it troublesome regarding drivers - I can familiarize myself with Mint without being under any sort of pressure.

If in some months I am satisfied with how things turned out to be, I will get a new computer, and two HDs. I then will have W7 and gaming on one, and Linux and "working", all non-gaming, surfing on the other. The W7 will maybe even change for W10 some not too close day, but since nothing else but games will run under it, if possible offline, this then can do little or no harm.

Things previously just intended and announced, now start to become material reality. The laptop, book and printouts lay on my table for real.

Now off to - hopefully - learn about driver preservation for that old notebook, I never did this kind of stunt before.

[STEED]

Win10 is a anagram for Genisys and Genisys is Skynet.

[vienna]

<O>

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by STEED

Win10 is a anagram for Genisys and Genisys is Skynet.

Doomed I tells'ya. Doomed....

[Skybird]

Tough start, sweet landing.

Yesterday I headjumped into it. Wanted to install Mint 17.1 from Book CD and later 17.2 via burnt ISO on my old laptop. The two things started to bite each other, leading to endless rebootings. Not good a beginning, and all I thought was just ####.

Thinking it was the old hardware (2009 notebook), I installed it for my PC instead, only two years younger - on a USB 3.0 stick. This worked, and what I saw once Linux Mint was running, was a revelation and tells me just with booting times already (4 seconds for booting, 3 for going off), what garbage Microsoft is selling the world with its Windows. Looks are superb, handling needs to get used to due to some knowledge needed where things are being done simply differently, but it is excellent. All I want an OS to be: pretty, sorted, and quick, and not constantly telephoning home, or anywhere else. I am currently sealing it off even further. And things are so fast, both in processing and in procedures like installing something. No comparison to the immense data volumes Windows needs to keep itself updated - its lightyears apart.

However, this morning I learned that I must have mistakenly written the boot manager GRUB not to the stick, but the HD, I currently cannot boot the PC to Windows without having that stick plugged in, and even that stick allowing windows to boot, took me an effort in researching. I now need to learn how to repair the windows bootmanager on the HD, and probably will opt to simply reinstall Windows completely.

Meanwhile, after many starting attempts, for a reason I still do not know, the laptop suddenly accepted installation, and I now have a fully encrypted 6 years old notebook with a fresh Linux installation that runs several factors as fast than Vista on it ever did. It's hilarious! It runs as if factory-installed, and being brandnew. A Samsung R509. BTW, Vista had a happy funeral, lots of laughter and mockery. Even the system restore files got plowed under, never no more Vista again nowhere.

The voyage has begun, and I am in mid-transfer. There is no return anymore. I will maintain the PC for gaming under Windows 7, and maybe later fit a second HD or an exchange frame for swapping drives or an external USB 3.0 SSD with Linux for everything else, but for the time being I use that old XXL-Speed-Superlaptop for all non-gaming purposes.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Decisions have been made, first steps have been taken.

I opted for Linux Mint, which has a reputation to be nice and accessible for newcomers.

A fine choice. I also have a fondness for Ubuntu derivatives: Lubuntu, Xubuntu, PC Linux, Elementary OS, Linux Mint. I love to see what single or small team programmers can do to refine or reform Ubuntu and they're all very, very good.

Originally Posted by Skybird

I got out the old laptop I once administrated for my mother before I got her a new one, it has still Vista installed and is not needed. I can kill the HD's content, and then use this as a sandbox and playground for my first test installation of Mint. That way - if I can get Mint working on it, it is several years old and I may find it troublesome regarding drivers - I can familiarize myself with Mint without being under any sort of pressure.

And that's the other advantage of Linux--the ability to get great execution speeds out of older equipment. Love your strategy. Enjoy!

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Skybird

However, this morning I learned that I must have mistakenly written the boot manager GRUB not to the stick, but the HD, I currently cannot boot the PC to Windows without having that stick plugged in, and even that stick allowing windows to boot, took me an effort in researching. I now need to learn how to repair the windows bootmanager on the HD, and probably will opt to simply reinstall Windows completely.

There is software to allow you to update GRUB to dual boot windows. It works much better that way than using the Windows bootmanager. I'm away from my Linux computer right now so I can't give specific directions. Edit: actually, if you install Mint after you install Windows, Mint (and any other Ubuntu derivative) will automatically (or with your guidance) reduce the size of the Windows partition, install and format the Linux partitions (data and swap), install Linux, install GRUB and auto configure it to dual boot with menu options for Linux, Linux repair and Windows.

And remember, Linux reads and writes to Windows partitions like a native. Windows ignores Linux entirely, neither reading or writing Linux data. In fact if you have a separate drive instead of just another partition for Linux, Windows will pretend the drive doesn't even exist. If they are in separate partitions on the same disk Windows will pretend the Linux partition doesn't exist. Can you see problems with the Windows bootloader working under those constraints? That's why GRUB is a better alternative. Check out GRUB Customizer at the Launchpad PPA.

Originally Posted by Skybird

Meanwhile, after many starting attempts, for a reason I still do not know, the laptop suddenly accepted installation, and I now have a fully encrypted 6 years old notebook with a fresh Linux installation that runs several factors as fast than Vista on it ever did. It's hilarious! It runs as if factory-installed, and being brandnew. A Samsung R509. BTW, Vista had a happy funeral

That was my most refreshing takeaway from a Linux switch. Running the same Firefox I'm used to with all settings from my Windows installation, the browser just screams with VERY noticeable speed improvements from Windows 7. And it's the same software! No training necessary.

But if you want to experience something really interesting, load up Konqueror, a fascinating combination web browser/file manager/open anything on Earth swiss army knife for your computer. You can download it from their website at https://konqueror.org/ or if you use Synaptic Package Manager, as I do, just download it from the Mint or Ubuntu repository.

Just explaining what a repository is would blow the minds of all the Windows drones who don't have a clue about the best way to distribute software. Clue: Microsoft is only about 20 years late to the party and of course they had to copy enough to make it work then ruin it with their greed. Think of the possibilities of actually working for the benefit of users. When I boot up Linux, it automatically (or any way I choose) updates not only the operating system, but EVERY PIECE OF SOFTWARE ON THE SYSTEM. It does it in the background and you don't notice any slowdown of the system.

Especially switching between Ubuntu or derivatives to Windows 10 it feels like you've journeyed back to 1990. Windows 10 just looks crude in comparison.

[Skybird]

Bear with me, my first ever Linux installation is not even 24 hours old, and I am still a newbie to Linux like I was to PCs in the mid-90s when I migrated from Amiga to Windows 95. I cannot sort into the right place most of what you say here. Its a new environment, a brandnew world, so to speak. I need much more time to get orientation. But I already like very much what I see.

What I would like to know right now, is just this: If I wipe my PC's HD, and make it a Win7 (gaming) platform, probably with three partitions again: Windows system files, swap file (easier to delete that one and format the partition than trying to occasionally defragmentize a swap file with a separate tool), and a third partition for games, simulations, Steam, and the needed AntiVir, Firewall, anti-Malware, maybe Sandbox - if I set up my PC for that, is there anything I should make different or should prepare in advance for later attachment of a second HD from which I run Linux? I read that one should install Windows BEFORE Linux, that the other way around could cause troubles. Is there anything I should know about partitioning, max number of partitions, partition types, even when for the moment I only install W7 and game-related stuff - so that later I will not get caught by the revenge of something minor when I want to install Linux on a second HD?

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Skybird

What I would like to know right now, is just this: If I wipe my PC's HD, and make it a Win7 (gaming) platform, probably with three partitions again: Windows system files, swap file (easier to delete that one and format the partition than trying to occasionally defragmentize a swap file with a separate tool), and a third partition for games, simulations, Steam, and the needed AntiVir, Firewall, anti-Malware, maybe Sandbox - if I set up my PC for that, is there anything I should make different or should prepare in advance for later attachment of a second HD from which I run Linux? I read that one should install Windows BEFORE Linux, that the other way around could cause troubles. Is there anything I should know about partitioning, max number of partitions, partition types, even when for the moment I only install W7 and game-related stuff - so that later I will not get caught by the revenge of something minor when I want to install Linux on a second HD?

Okay, if you have the two operating systems on two separate drives, you're doing something I heartily recommend. Setting up your Windows disk in three partitions will work great. Windows 7 64-bit doesn't care too much whether a partition is defragmented or not. Being old school I defrag anyway. Then after you're happy with your Windows 7 operation it's time to install Linux on the other hard drive.

Go ahead and let it decide swap partition size. During installation it will automatically find your Windows disk and set up GRUB to dual boot. If you boot the Linux disk you'll get a menu to pick Windows or Linux.

But the beauty of the separate hard drives for different operating systems is that if you boot the Windows disk you have the Windows bootloader intact. That makes all Windows repair, reinstallation, etc work entirely normally and they don't have to ignore the GRUB partition and complain that you are missing the Windows bootloader so can't proceed with the repair. Yes, it is a major headache to deal with Microsoft's willing blindness.

Now you can manually boot each disk separately. With the Linux disk as your default boot disk you get the GRUB menu asking whether you want to run Linux or Windows. So yes, you are installing just as I would and have done.

Steam is adding more and more Linux versions of top games. There's a guy running around Subsim who can set you up to run Silent Hunter 4 flawlessly under Linux. Microsoft is in danger of losing it all with their boneheaded moves. The truth is that we don't need them any more.

They're just like Commodore was with the Amiga. No idea what they have or how to sell it. Clumsy moves getting customers mad could make Microsoft the NEXT Commodore and Windows the next Amiga.

If that happens it will happen fast and take them totally by surprise. One day they'll wake up and find all they are is an article in Wikipedia.

[HW3]

Comments?

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microso...on-off-switch/

[Rockin Robbins]

Decent article, although it pretends that Microsoft is collecting information to improve the mechanics of Windows, when Microsoft is really collecting information to serve you advertisements. The ads you see in the "start menu" which is not a start menu, its a billboard where the squares are for sale and whose squares are meant to induce you to spend money on people's products who buy that space on your computer without any of the purchase price coming to you.

It is possible to simply sniff the packets being sent, find out which servers Microsoft is using and blacklist 'em. You can do that with your router, so Windows wouldn't even be able to prohibit your blacklisting. I would suspect that will be the direction that anti-malware programs will use to defang Microsoft's spyware/adware loop.

But frankly, once shattering the trust of your customers, how do you unbreak that glass. No matter how much glue you use the cracks will always be there, a relationship, millions of relationships really, that can never be the same as they were with Windows 7. Every single person is now open to alternatives they never would have considered two years ago.

We are all rape victims of a trusted member of the family we thought was above reproach. And we're never going to trust Microsoft again. There is no going back.

I suppose if they cleaned house of all responsible for those decisions, eliminated all Facebookization of Windows, acknowledged all the wrong decisions they have made and swore never to do it again, then gave everyone who wanted one a copy of a new operating system that demonstrated that they believe legitimate profit comes as a result of good faith service to customers, pledging that all future actions of Microsoft would be for their customers' benefit, I would reconsider. But they will never do that. The ascendancy of the bean counter is cresting. The fall is near. Treachery has consequences and they cannot be avoided. Sometimes through manipulation, coercion and threats the consequences can be delayed. But that only makes them more severe when they arrive.

Microsoft, change your heart, take out the rubbish, or you are doomed.

[Skybird]

That data policy of W10 is what made me launching for Linux. That they reverse-installed sniffing software from W10 on W7, pissed me even more. That they were sneaking in through the backdoor while I slept, and did so not only without my consent, but against my deliberate and active resistance and measures I have taken to actively keep them away - this was unforgivable.

I had a good day yesterday testing Mint on that laptop, but today, the thing does not boot anymore, is caught in endless rebooting loops, even trying to boot from Mint Live Stick or DVD does not work, but leads to a loading that sooner or later gets interrupted again. I have no clue what is going on, I googled and see that the problem seems to be not rare, quite some people report it.

Whether Linux will make significant progress with the gamers, remains to be seen, I am sceptical. That it progresses and wins gamers I hear and read since over ten years, since 15 years or longer, but essentially they still are where they were 15 years ago, more or less. That a small number of mostly insignificant games are available for it via Steam, doe snot fundamentally change it. There is not even a decent chess GUI comparing to what is available for Windows both commercially or for free. Heck, with Android I get better chess software than for Linux. - Linux and games: I remain very sceptical, and will believe it not before the day I see it happening. None of the games I am interested in, runs under it, btw. The usability of Wine seems to be limited, it lacks in performance power, it seems, and demanding titles thus are a problem for it.

So for the most I go linux to piss MS, to protect my privacy a bit more, and hopefully to get a safer online experience.

But first I must get a stable and trustworthy Linux installation.

[Rockin Robbins]

I have not had the boot loop experience with Mint. I wonder if it is hardware related and if there is a workaround.

I would download the base distro, Ubuntu, and give that a try to see if Mint is the problem. If you are running Ubuntu, you can download the Mint desktop if you like that better. If you find the boot loop problem recurrs with Ubuntu, then I'd suspect you have a rare hardware/software interaction causing the problem. That can be difficult to diagnose for any operating system.

[Skybird]

I created new ISO DVD and stick with new downloads of both, and currently reinstall Mint 17.2. The booting failed maybe 5 out of 6 times, and so did the recognition of the Mint Live stick and DVD yesterday as well as today. It was the same on PC yesterday (tried Live on PC and installed it on USB stick). I also tried a book DVD with 17.1

However, googling it shows that I amj not alone, and that it is not just Mint. These booting loops and impossibilities to have installation media recognised, seems to be present under other Linux distributions, too, also that after installation the system just goes black screen.

For testing running the Windows installation in the laptop as if I wanted to install, went smooth. Drive condition was yesterday found by a checking software to be "good", the laptop just sat on the shelf for the last two years, and my mother did not use it that much at all in the time before. Its in good shape, I am quite sure.

Edit. Meanwhile the installation finished. It reboots - every second time.

Well, tomorrow afternoon I will have access to another system, a foreign one. I can test a Mint Live installation there via stick and DVD, and see how it goes.