Windows 10

[Sputnik]

you won't be able to find or install MSE on Win 10 - Windows Defender replaced it as of 8.1 i believe and is built into Win 10. basically the same thing though.

You are correct, I got that message when I tried to install Microsoft Security Essentials on my Netbook this morning. I didn't have long to look, but I didn't see Windows Defender running in the task tray and couldn't find it easily to run a scan and see how it is set up. But I did uninstall Avast, which was running OK with Windows 10, but was really making things slow. I'm hoping that improves it.

I installed Microsoft Security Essentials on my desktop after uninstalling Avast, and so far I'm quite happy with it. The desktop is more powerful and was zippier even with Avast, but MSE seems just as good and is less obtrusive. I'll uninstall it if/when I get around to upgrading this box to Windows 10.

One question I had related to Avast. I only had the free version, but Avast advertised some cleanup and system optimization tools that looked useful. Does anyone know of some similar free tools that would cleanup after uninstalling programs and optimizing your system?

Bill

[Zeuhlmate]

Ccleaner is always easy and usefull
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
O&O is the best defrag tool I know
http://www.oo-software.com/en/free
and
Malwarebytes have saved my but a couple of times, and it so cheap that I have bought the full version. It does what your antivirus cant.
https://www.malwarebytes.org/

[Firth]

Windows is going down as far as I'm concerned. I'm not f**king with this BS any more. My next computer will be a Mac or Apple.

[moecurlythanu]

Any consensus so far? I like my Windows 7, and I'm inclined to stand pat. Anyone think Windows 10 is a clear winner?

[WytchCrypt]

Windows is going down as far as I'm concerned. I'm not f**king with this BS any more. My next computer will be a Mac or Apple.

Been going through this craziness since the 1st windows release - and I also worked at Apple from '82 to '85 so lived that side of the fence in the early days. It always seemed to me going with the Apple platform meant you had fewer (and more expensive) options for hardware/software in exchange for an OS that reliably worked wth peripherals and software. On the windows side...cheaper, easier to get at the actual OS and customize things, more software options in exchange for a system that can be very finicky in getting all your programs/drivers to balance and talk to each other correctly. The one thing I learned from all these years of windows "plug and pray" releases is...

Never buy/install a windows release until it's been out there at least 1 year getting the bugs worked out

[Jerjo]

Been going through this craziness since the 1st windows release - and I also worked at Apple from '82 to '85 so lived that side of the fence in the early days. It always seemed to me going with the Apple platform meant you had fewer (and more expensive) options for hardware/software in exchange for an OS that reliably worked wth peripherals and software. On the windows side...cheaper, easier to get at the actual OS and customize things, more software options in exchange for a system that can be very finicky in getting all your programs/drivers to balance and talk to each other correctly. The one thing I learned from all these years of windows "plug and pray" releases is...

Never buy/install a windows release until it's been out there at least 1 year getting the bugs worked out

I would essentially agree with this. I went to 10 early just to sate my curiosity. Been living with it for a couple weeks now and the desktop. Once we got past the issues with the audio driver and iTunes everything is peachy.

[Plasmatopia]

I've read in several different places that things like Avast and Norton are resource hogs, anyway. I've been using Malwarebytes and Microsoft Security Essentials for years and have had no problems. Both are free, though Malwarebytes has premium features at an additional cost.

I guess things have changed with Avast - it used to be relatively unobtrusive.

[Rarebird]

Been going through this craziness since the 1st windows release - and I also worked at Apple from '82 to '85 so lived that side of the fence in the early days. It always seemed to me going with the Apple platform meant you had fewer (and more expensive) options for hardware/software in exchange for an OS that reliably worked wth peripherals and software. On the windows side...cheaper, easier to get at the actual OS and customize things, more software options in exchange for a system that can be very finicky in getting all your programs/drivers to balance and talk to each other correctly. The one thing I learned from all these years of windows "plug and pray" releases is...

Never buy/install a windows release until it's been out there at least 1 year getting the bugs worked out

I mostly only switch when I buy a new computer. At this moment I hate the pop-up window I get to urge me to download Windows 10. All I want to say is: "Please, don't bother me, my computer functions and I have drivers for most of my stuff and I don't want anymore hastle with new drivers, if they are available. There is no new driver for my sampler and I don't know if there is a new driver needed for other equipment, like my midi-interface and the Nord G2 Engine. I don't want to experiment and discover those things don't work with Windows 10.

[Plasmatopia]

I mostly only switch when I buy a new computer. At this moment I hate the pop-up window I get to urge me to download Windows 10. All I want to say is: "Please, don't bother me, my computer functions and I have drivers for most of my stuff and I don't want anymore hastle with new drivers, if they are available. There is no new driver for my sampler and I don't know if there is a new driver needed for other equipment, like my midi-interface and the Nord G2 Engine. I don't want to experiment and discover those things don't work with Windows 10.

Exactly how I feel. I have an XP box with Sonar X1 loaded on it which I have disconnected from the Internet. As long as I don't have any hardware die...

[Sputnik]

Ccleaner is always easy and usefull
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
O&O is the best defrag tool I know
http://www.oo-software.com/en/free
and
Malwarebytes have saved my but a couple of times, and it so cheap that I have bought the full version. It does what your antivirus cant.
https://www.malwarebytes.org/

Awesome, thanks. I do run Malwarebytes, I had forgotten to mention that. It really is good, and I only have the free version.

Any consensus so far? I like my Windows 7, and I'm inclined to stand pat. Anyone think Windows 10 is a clear winner?

I have to assume there's something "under the hood" that makes a switch worth it. So far, I've seen nothing in 10 that presents any advantage over 7 in terms of basic UI and usability. In fact I think 7 is better, but admittedly I'm more used to it. But I will say 10 is better than 8 in this regard, so I'm happy about that. The next boxes I buy will have 10 on them, so it's inevitable I'll have to switch at some point. So I figured, "why prolong the pain?"

For me, it really hasn't been a bad change, but I want to get the Netbook running 100% and get comfortable with 10 before i upgrade my desktop.

And like others, I also have a music PC that runs XP that I'll hang onto until its dying day (or mine). Woe be the day I have to upgrade that box, I feel ill just thinking about it.

Bill

[trurl]

I guess things have changed with Avast - it used to be relatively unobtrusive.

Every damn piece of software goes this way it seems... the makers have to keep f**king with it until it's bloated trash. Partially to keep up with OS updates maybe but I suspect just to keep their jobs.

[WytchCrypt]

I mostly only switch when I buy a new computer. At this moment I hate the pop-up window I get to urge me to download Windows 10. All I want to say is: "Please, don't bother me, my computer functions and I have drivers for most of my stuff and I don't want anymore hastle with new drivers, if they are available. There is no new driver for my sampler and I don't know if there is a new driver needed for other equipment, like my midi-interface and the Nord G2 Engine. I don't want to experiment and discover those things don't work with Windows 10.

Same here...and there seems to be no way to get rid of that "Get Windows 10" icon on the toolbar. Microsoft is probably flashing us subliminal messages with a 1 microsecond "You Want Windows 10" splash screen every time we open a program

[Firth]

Been going through this craziness since the 1st windows release - and I also worked at Apple from '82 to '85 so lived that side of the fence in the early days. It always seemed to me going with the Apple platform meant you had fewer (and more expensive) options for hardware/software in exchange for an OS that reliably worked wth peripherals and software. On the windows side...cheaper, easier to get at the actual OS and customize things, more software options in exchange for a system that can be very finicky in getting all your programs/drivers to balance and talk to each other correctly. The one thing I learned from all these years of windows "plug and pray" releases is...

Never buy/install a windows release until it's been out there at least 1 year getting the bugs worked out

Apple is clearly a different company now than when I had a 2e in 83. The merger of mobile and desktop has created a huge number of software options. The company which produces the computer system should provide the OS and the security software. The hardware architecture itself is one of software design because of system in a chip technology. Apple gets this and exploits it, providing a hardware/software interface that's secure. As for expense, I've paid for crap on Windows too long. Microsoft is not a leadership company, what have they done which has ever set the pace in technology. They refuse to pay for the R and D to develop a product to a quality level and finally they got punished for punishing the consumer for pushing bull shit. Corporations and the government love to shove conformance bull shit down their employees throats. They all lost the ball, it's not about the computer, it's about what we can do to do less menial bull shit and more creative stuff. Office 2010 is dog shit, what is good about that interface change, arbitrary organization of functionality. That's all MS does is change. I don't want change for the sake of change to just keep people marching and drinking the corporate koolaid.

[nycsteve]

Apple is clearly a different company now than when I had a 2e in 83. The merger of mobile and desktop has created a huge number of software options. The company which produces the computer system should provide the OS and the security software. The hardware architecture itself is one of software design because of system in a chip technology. Apple gets this and exploits it, providing a hardware/software interface that's secure. As for expense, I've paid for crap on Windows too long. Microsoft is not a leadership company, what have they done which has ever set the pace in technology. They refuse to pay for the R and D to develop a product to a quality level and finally they got punished for punishing the consumer for pushing bull shit. Corporations and the government love to shove conformance bull shit down their employees throats. They all lost the ball, it's not about the computer, it's about what we can do to do less menial bull shit and more creative stuff. Office 2010 is dog shit, what is good about that interface change, arbitrary organization of functionality. That's all MS does is change. I don't want change for the sake of change to just keep people marching and drinking the corporate koolaid.

Wow! Im pretty sure I agree, with the sentiment anyway. Totally onboard by "Office 2010 is dog shit". Screw Microsoft, the money grubbing philistines..........

[rottersclub]

My big problem with Windows has and always will be "The Registry". This thing has and always will be the bane of my professional life. I so much prefer working in a Linux/UNIX environment where there are no secret hiding places, no inaccessible folders/directories even when I'm the owner/administrator, etc. I don't pretend to be a Windows internals guru, but I've been working with these damn things long enough to be able stick-handle my around them.

And I'm in total agreement about MS Office 2010. What utter dog shit!

How's this for irony: at one point, I was considering a new desktop for the house and I was looking at an off-the-shelf unit made by Asus running Windows 8. I checked out some stuff and the deal breaker was that my legit copy of Office 2003 was the only software I run that was incompatible! No sale.

[Zeuhlmate]

If you are tired of Windows, tired of paying, and consider shifting operating system, and wants to give these companies the finger, then I would recommend Ubuntu. Its really free, easy, lots of free programs. Firefox, Google chrome, thunderbird (mozilla email), Open Office, runs on Ubuntu and looks the same as on windows.
If you have an old computer that runs slower and slower, Ubuntu will make a big difference too.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu...ting_system%29

http://ubuntuforums.org/

[Firth]

If you are tired of Windows, tired of paying, and consider shifting operating system, and wants to give these companies the finger, then I would recommend Ubuntu. Its really free, easy, lots of free programs. Firefox, Google chrome, thunderbird (mozilla email), Open Office, runs on Ubuntu and looks the same as on windows.
If you have an old computer that runs slower and slower, Ubuntu will make a big difference too.

http://www.ubuntu.com/



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu...ting_system%29

http://ubuntuforums.org/

Sorry, but the operating system and security is not something you down load from the internet. It should be part of one integrated product that includes all responsibilities for hardware and software stability, and security. The ultimate in security has at a minimum an element which is unchangeable hardware.

Also it's pay me now or f**k me in the ass later.

[Zeuhlmate]

Sorry, but the operating system and security is not something you down load from the internet. It should be part of one integrated product that includes all responsibilities for hardware and software stability, and security. The ultimate in security has at a minimum an element which is unchangeable hardware.

Also it's pay me now or f**k me in the ass later.

Well, I have used Ubuntu for quite some years (as a dual-boot with windows XP), and had NO problems at all. No virus, no malware (without having any antivius program, just a free firewall), no expenses, reads all windows files !, takes less than half the space of Windows, is faster than XP, etc. No extra cost, no hidden agendas.

You can even try it without installing, just burn it to a CDR/DVD and run it from this, perhaps also from a USB stick.

If you are considering shifting to Apple, you might as well try it first and see if you could save the money (and not be a part of their Itunes crap).

There are also people who installs Ubuntu on their Mac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pdW4DAvJDM
And there is a Macbuntu ready now
http://www.noobslab.com/2014/04/macb...-released.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcE_bzx21wg

Open source

I use Windows mostly for two reasons, those I teach use Windows, and some of the programs I have used regularily for 20 years, doesnt exist in a linuxversion (Photoshop, Dreamweaver).
There are free alternatives that works fine with Ubuntu, but I'm lazy and likes these two programmes.

[WytchCrypt]

That's all MS does is change. I don't want change for the sake of change to just keep people marching and drinking the corporate koolaid.

Yup, planned obsolescence. I deal with it for bookkeeping on QuickBooks. Every year Intuit creates a new release that often introduces just the silliest window dressing and they drop another release year off the support list. I could probably still be running QuickBooks 2000 and taking care of business just fine

[rottersclub]

They do the same thing with Quicken. The product was mature in the 90s, but they continue to release a new version every year and withdraw online support for versions that are three years old.

BTW, Quicken is the main reason why I still run Windows. I've played with different Linux distributions over the years, but my business requires me to keep detailed financial records and Quicken is most cost-effective method I have found. Grrrrr.

[Dave (in MA)]

So far I think I like the W10 upgrade. Some things like my Dell laptop's function keys to turn on/off WiFi don't work anymore, but Dell will probably put out an update at some point; I recall the same kinds of issues when I went from XP to 7.

[WytchCrypt]

BTW, Quicken is the main reason why I still run Windows. I've played with different Linux distributions over the years, but my business requires me to keep detailed financial records and Quicken is most cost-effective method I have found. Grrrrr.

Ya, back around 2005 I had a bookkeeping/tax client who installed the Mac version of Quickbooks...what a mess compared to the PC version. I could barely get anything done for her and it appeared to me that Quickbooks was just not ported to the Mac platform properly. She ended up getting a PC laptop just to run Quickbooks and we were both much happier

[Firth]

10 years later,
http://www.quicken.com/personal-fina...icken-2015-mac

[Plasmatopia]

I may have to see if I can load Linux on my iMac - it's starting to do some weird things. It's slow and glitchy. Chrome is a mess on it, had to switch to Safari. I guess I should back up soon, the music collection is on here.

[WytchCrypt]

10 years later,
http://www.quicken.com/personal-fina...icken-2015-mac

Quicken is different than Quickbooks...though they do still offer a Mac desktop version of Quickbooks. Maybe they've gotten their act together in the past 10 years