The late Steve Jobs had a reputation for telling people exactly what was on his mind when working with an Apple product in development. I think the phrase was “This is crap!” or words to that effect.
I just went through the upgrade process on my Windows 7 installation to Windows 10. I’ll agree with Steve on this one.
Let’s start with the “nag” factor – the notification icon sitting on the bottom of the system tray that taunts you that the moment that everyone running Windows 7 or 8 is getting near. The deal as I hear it is that everyone running a legitimate copy of Windows 7 or 8, will get a free upgrade to Windows 10. I don’t know about you but I’m always suspicious of a “free lunch.”
I found the secret to removing the Windows 10 icon. I really didn’t discover this from painstaking personal research. No, I asked Mr. Google and he pointed me to several web sites, so I thought I would pass the secret on. That is it lies hidden in a Windows Update, “KB3035583”. It is marked important, so you probably installed it without paying attention to what those “important” updates were. You always apply the “critical” ones. Don’t you? I did back in July. To get rid of it, go to Programs and Features, click Windows Updates and search for it. When you find it, uninstall it. You will need to reboot. When your computer comes back, immediately go to Windows Updates. Like Dracula, it comes back or was that Glen Close in “Fatal Attraction?” Right-click and Hide Update. If you don’t it will come back…to your utter astonishment.
At this point, I would suggest leaving this post to find something better to do; but if you must, read on…
When you visit the Windows 10 update web site, you are offered an option for you to download the ISO file instead of going through Windows Update. I would not recommend using Windows Update. The ISO is 4GB. It takes a while to download but there is an automatic utility that will burn the ISO to a bootable DVD.
Being the one who burned countless hours updating from Windows 7 to Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, and then reverting back to Windows 7, I made a backup of the disk using Acronis. Microsoft says you can revert back at any time withing 30 days but you never know do you. Well, I’m going to try that later as a last resort.
By the way, you can read through my other unflattering comments regarding upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8 and later to Windows 8.1 by clicking on the links below:
Windows 8.1 Upgrade – again
My Windows 8.1 Upgrade
A little about whats installed on this computer. First it’s a development machine which I used to use when I was creating web content. It has installed on it:
- Acronis Tru Image
- ASUS diagnostics and drivers
- Audacity
- Avast
- Camtasia 7
- Filezilla
- Chrome
- Intel drivers
- Java 8
- Microsoft ASP.NET
- Microsoft Expression Blend
- Microsoft Office 10
- NVDIA graphics driver & control panel
- PDF Creator
- SharePoint Designer
- SQL Server 2008R2
- Skype
- Snagit
- Visual C
- Visual Studio
- VMware Converter
- VMWare Player
So, here goes. I pop in the DVD and boot up. Here are the steps – no screen shots or pictures.
- First thing the installer needs is to check for updates.
- Getting a few things ready…
- Accept the license file T&C…
- Choose what to keep…
- Getting updates.
- Making sure you’re ready to install.
- Install Windows 10 Pro?
- Keep personal files and apps?
- <<<Warning it will restart several times >>>
- Loading files – updating Windows
- Copying files – reboot
- Installing features and drivers – reboot
- Configuring settings – reboot
- Personalize Settings. There is the Quick Express to an invasion of privacy or just say Buzz Off! If you drill down, you see Microsoft would like your location, contacts, browsing history, etc to make help make the customer experience better. You objected to the NSA surveillance?
- Setting up Apps – don’t turn off your PC.
- Taking a bit longer than usual, but it should be ready soon.
I came back the next day and it was waiting for me to login. I did and Cortana asked me if she could help me; but only after I let her examine my contacts, get my location, etc., all just trying to be helpful, mind you. Really? I think not!
First thing I found was an error that AsusSetup could not find a file: Appdata\Local\Temp\934671Log.inis. When I closed the window it did the Glenn Close maneuver. I rebooted.
Of course on reboot, it had to repair my C: drive, so that took a long time and it rebooted.
I found out how to get rid of the message courtesy of www.tomshardware.com/answers – search for Asus. Here’s the trick:
- Go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache.
- Search for i-setup until you find a key for Asus.
- Delete it.
- Then under Tree you will find Asus.
- Leave the Asus folder but delete the key.
- Reboot. That should fix the problem.
OK, so now it comes up and there is no processor use and nothing that I click on works. Another reboot. Now, we’re re-configuring Windows – again.
Now it comes up and I am able to click things. I don’t find a shortcut for Microsoft Edge, the new rai·son d’ê·tre. There is no shortcut. Windows 10 is somehow supposed to sense that it’s needed when you search and just runs. Internet Explorer is still there but you need to make a shortcut to “iexplore.exe” because the old icon was removed.
Fortunately, Chrome works and offers to be your default browser. I suggest you say yes.
Ok. My test drive is at an end. I have other things to do. I make an Acronis image thinking I may want to revisit this in a moment of weakness.
The tipping point for me was that this was turning out to be a real “time suck.” Also I was not able to find a way to revert back to Windows 7. Mr Google gave me lots of tips but I found that I was not able to access the Updates section. I was locked out of my own computer and could NOT revert back! Nice move! Remember the Acronis image I took BEFORE I started?
For now, I’m sticking with Windows 7. Microsoft has done it again. I’m predicting that Windows 7 will be the new XP!
This posting is provided “as is” with no warranties, guarantees or rights whatsoever.
