Windows 10: What You Need to Know

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

because I should always have the latest and best anti virus and malware.

And Windows 10 gives that, or any earrlier Windows' onboard security solutions...? Serious...???







The overwhelming majority of attacks and malware events take place - under the generous and understanding umbrella of Microsoft software, with Google and Adobe in close second and third places.

Do not run your finance and business stuff via computer, if you can. If you cannot avoid it, minimise it as much as you can.

It.
Is.
Not.
Safe.

[Eichhörnchen]

No... I use 'AVG' (but may change to 'Kasparsky') plus 'Malwarebytes'; I only meant that over time these will surely usually be configured for the most up-to-date version of 'Windows'?

I don't have any of my finances anywhere near the internet, but I am going to have to have a website in order to sell my work.

[STEED]

The way Microsoft is going you will only be able to run what they tell you.

Once my Win8 sails into the night I will be switching away from Microsoft.

[Eichhörnchen]

It crossed my mind too, after all I've read here over time.

Already I'm experiencing fresh problems on this PC: very slow startups and, most aggravating of all, a Start Menu button that stops working and won't function again without a restart. Looking online, loads of other people are experiencing this and they're all given elaborate instructions to 'correct' it, which I would contend even a lawyer would struggle to understand. But we shouldn't HAVE to put it right ourselves... there was no problem in Windows 8.

[Rockin Robbins]

Yes, Windows 10 has been far from a finished OS.

Yesterday I was minding my own business when one of my tenants, an accountant, stepped in my office. "My secretary is at lunch and I see her machine doing something very strange. Could you check it out?"

When I got to it, the computer had this really lousy looking monochrome crippled Windows symbol on it and said it was downloading Windows 10. I said "Her computer is upgrading to Windows 10."

Now you have to keep in mind that upgrading to Windows 10 for an accountant, lawyer or medical office most often is the same as closing the business. Single business software is generally very intolerant to "upgrades." Software for my storage business failed on a routine update of Windows XP and I had to run on a January 2012 version of XP in a Virtualbox until I spent $3000 on new software.

So, since the screen said "downloading" and not installing I used the Mac Truck of PC maintenance by holding the power button down for 5 seconds. The machine shut off. What happens when it comes back on?

I switched it back on, and after an unusually long boot a text box came up saying the machine was reverting to Windows 7. When it was fully restored (and the restoration process didn't destroy the system either! No losses as far as we could determine), Windows update came up with a dialog box.

"Due to unknown circumstances Windows 10 was unable to install." Just like the new update screen it had an update now button. There was no alternative but the "x" in the upper right corner. As of Tuesday before last, that "x" doesn't mean close the dialog box any more.

With no announcement or notification given that x now means "Sock it to me! I NEED Windows 10 NOW!" So don't even think about using it. I was able to use the task manager to shut down the dialog box, but first I just left it there while I installed GWX Control Panel on that and his other computers in the office. THEN I shut down the Windows Update process with the task manager.

Microsoft no longer considers your well being worthy of their concern. They have sharply rounded the bend from serving customers to preying upon them. Microsoft richly deserves to die. Customers deserved to be served, and not as dinner to sharks.

At least I found that the computer can be shut down during the upgrade process, so long as it is still in the download phase, and the computer will revert to Windows 7. The reassignment of the upper-right X shows that your well being is of no concern to Microsoft. They are quite happy to put you out of business at their whim while violating your rights as a computer owner.

[STEED]

Microsoft should face court action but we all know they will be found not guilty. So lets get them up against the wall, form up behind Skybird who clearly has a few scores to settle with them.

[Rockin Robbins]

The true currency of business isn't money. It's trust. Microsoft is going to learn that lesson the hard way.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

The true currency of business isn't money. It's trust. Microsoft is going to learn that lesson the hard way.

The sooner the better I say.

Problem is too many people have Win10 fever.

[aanker]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

No... I use 'AVG' (but may change to 'Kasparsky') plus 'Malwarebytes'; I only meant that over time these will surely usually be configured for the most up-to-date version of 'Windows'?

I don't have any of my finances anywhere near the internet, but I am going to have to have a website in order to sell my work.

Anti Virus and Malware software like, AVG, Avast, Avira, Zone Alarm etc are concerned with notification of viruses in a scan, and protecting against viruses and malware independent of the version of Windows that is being used is my understanding, unless stated otherwise on the reading material about their product.

My anti virus doesn't care if the virus comes from Win 7, Win 10, or a Mac, it just protects my computer. I do scan from time to time with another product just to make sure I'm clean.

I've been clean since the 'Monkey virus' got me in the late 80's or early 90's. That was my introduction to computer viruses. - ha! That thing was terrible.

[Eichhörnchen]

Thanks for that; I don't remember who it was told me I needed Win 10 to keep antivirus up to date, but we're all going to get stuffed with it in the end, just like turkeys at Christmas. At least I managed to get stuffed free of charge and at a time of my choosing

[Skybird]

MBAM specialises in finding types of malware that usual virus scanners easily miss. It is designed to run parallel to an virus scanner (usually the advise is to not have two virus scannewr running, they could interfere with each oither), but with MBAM you shozuld not have problems, its made with that iouble use of two scanners on mind.

The difference between payware and freeware versions of security suites is that payware not only offers more features, some of which may just about comfortablity, but others can also add vital security-relevant features, but that the payware versions often alowo constant system surveillance in the background, while the free versions only allow active HD scanning that you do in frequent intervals - your online activity in a givenmoment must not necessarily be secured by them, and that is a big risk. You want that always-on guard feature in the background, you want it, really.

I strictly recommend the payware version of MBAM, it has rang more alarms ovewr the years trhan my antivir and firewall, and you get for a decent fee a lifetime license, so you pay only once, not yearly. Also, get a payware security suite. MBAM payware version since years I consider to be a must-have. Its my most proven security guard in active service, since years.

AV institute is an organization that exmines the effectvieness of the solutions on the market ong roudns of longterm observations, they ratre not only tests results that are a snapshot in time, but also examine how a given suite has been performing over the past 2-4 months in the wild. They sit in Germany and are not associated with and not paid by any software producing company - as to my best knowledge they are indeed independent. Check wioth their latest lists if still needing to buy a suite.

They are the ones who one year ago rang an alarm bell over the detoriating status of security on LKinux systems and that the security suites for Linux available so far are giving lisy performance only.

I randomly found today that this month the apparently first tablet with a factory-installed Linux Ubuntu distribution is hitting the market, at least her ein Germany, it is a middle-class tablet, a BQ Aquaris M10 . Alsom there is said Ubunto distriubvituon available for being used on tablets, so a dedicated tablet Linux. I did not know that. I wonder how the driver situation is. If Linux has one weakness that occassionally can show up, its the drivers for hardware, it seems. Maybe not a big issue with a tablet, since the hardware connected to a tablet is limited.

W7: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus...ows/windows-7/
W8: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus...ows/windows-8/
WX: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus...ws/windows-10/

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

Thanks for that; I don't remember who it was told me I needed Win 10 to keep antivirus up to date, but we're all going to get stuffed with it in the end, just like turkeys at Christmas.

When that day comes that I cannot avoid W10 anymore, I will have two separate machines and W10 only with some offline games anymore, nothing else.

[Eichhörnchen]

Thanks, Skybird... your warning is very timely, for I only recently discovered that payware can stand 'permanent guard' over your system. I was planning to get this extra peace of mind for my business PC but stick with free for the other (unless it offers multi-device cover). The tables you linked to are very useful indeed, so thank you once again.

And by MBAM I presume you mean Malwarebytes?

[Skybird]

Yes. Malwarebyte'S Anti-Malware.

But always be aware that you only influence the chances in your favour, you do not gain absolute, total protection. There is malware out there since some years that can easily defeat any scanner and firewall on the market and actively avoid getting detected by them. Some gurus go as far as saying that the security business only still runs its income show by raising false assumptions about scanner software to milk people a bit more - their recommendations go as far as saying you should not care for spending on scanners at all.

I think they are still useful, at least for filtering out a good amount of new malware that is not as cleverly coded, and the whole lot of old malware that these scanners, the better ones at least, can reliably filter out.

Its war, and security is loosing it.

[Eichhörnchen]

I read somewhere that Malwarebytes "Anti Exploit" has been specially developed for spotting some of these newer threats. I'd already decided that this was probably the best option...