New Computer for Windows 10

[cx]

Well, Shawn, I'll agree that's one of the things I don't like.

Please, someone tell me why, oh why, when they had a perfectly functional system with Windows 7 (won't even beg for XP) would they create something like Windows 10. What was the supposed improvement?

[ss3964spd]

Originally Posted by CX

What was the supposed improvement?

Microsoft's bottom line, I imagine.

There were likely those who though Windows 3.1 was an unnecessary "improvement" over DOS.

There are features and security challenges that just cannot be addressed with old OS's. But of course new OS's often introduce security problems not found during development and the baddies are adept at sniffing those out. We, the consuming public, are the beta testers for all OS's, even the mature ones.

As far as anti-virus goes, cx, for how you likely use your machine Windows Defender is built into the OS and is pretty good, automatically updates, and is quite free. I wouldn't rely on it if you leave your pc running and connected to the internet 24/7 but for typical use it will be fine.

Your router is the first line of defense, though. Be sure it isn't using the default password it came with.

[cx]

Well, as an early user of DOS, Dan, I think it would be difficult not to see most any upgrade as an improvement. I may be a Neanderthal, but.....

At home I do tend to leave my machine on and wirelessly connected to the intrawebs 24/7. Other than just a wider opportunity for the hackers, what's the danger there and what's the defense?

By router, you're talking about the one from which I get my wireless connection, or something in my own machine?

[markch]

Hi CX - perhaps chiming in late, but when I buy computers I target 16GB RAM and ideally a SSD HD, and then economize on CPU speed. I also never buy current year laptops.

I also use google docs for everything (my computer boots into linux 99% of the time, and windows 10 otherwise). Literally the only thing I've had trouble with is adding a caption to a floating figure, which cannot be done and then re-opened in google docs. This is being typed on a 3 year old chromebook, which handles most of my needs, and runs google docs offline in a pinch.

[markch]

As long as you're on a secure connection, no danger of being connected 24/7. These days most data breaches happen with information you give to websites outside your control anyway. You will sleep better when switching to two-factor identification for everything.

[cx]

Thanks for weighing in, Mark. Once upon a time, maybe 12 or so years back, a couple of the guys here at TYW convinced me to at least try Linux and gave me a program where I could run Linux and Microsoft side by side and see if I could learn to use it and wean myownself away from ol' Bill Gates. Soon thereafter I burned all three of my existing computers (loooong story) and never got back to trying it again. Today I'm in the age group where we try almost desperately to simply remember how to use such systems as we already know. And not always with 100 percent success, I might add.

I may well buy another 8 Gig of RAM for this machine, but I can't say I've suffered from having only 8 Gig to date.

I am connected wirelessly to a secure network here at home, but I do so much buying online that I wouldn't possibly know where any breach might have come from should it happen. Cost of doing business, I suppose.

I've gotten functional on Windows 10, but there are still things I just can't figger out how to do like I did on Windows 7. How the hell they call some of these changes improvements is beyond me. Really, what was wrong with XP?

[Lazarus]

Yeah, CX...I was an XP fan for low, those many years and hated to see it go...but I got used to "10" and it works pretty well for me......

[cx]

Anybody know of a Windows 10 propensity for just shutting itself off for no apparent reason? Complete loss of functionality. Only way to get it back up is to push and hold the on/off button to cause a hard shut-down. Then turn back on things seem to function per normal. This is the fourth time in maybe six months.

[davem]

Screen frozen where you can still see things but no mouse movement or black screen? Either way sounds like a fatal hang of the system. Do you know if the latest updated are installed?

[cx]

Black screen, Dave. Won't wake up.

I've got it set to update automatically and occasionally in the morning I hafta log in, so I presume it's doing so.

[davem]

I'm afraid I have nothing cx, sorry. Do you reboot often?

[cx]

Only when the thing quits, Dave, like it did just minutes ago. Don't know anybody local to axe about it.

[davem]

You may want to try regularly scheduled shutdowns. They work wonders with Winders to clear up memory leaks and things like that. Generally you'll feel the computer be faster after a purposeful reboot.

One thing that some backup programs can do is to power off the machine after running a backup. One that I have experience with is called Veeam (the free version), and there is a box that can be checked to power off the machine after a scheduled backup.

[cx]

Just did it again, Dave. Getting irritating.

My machine does do automatic backups (I think) at like 03:00 and sometimes I wake up to find a log-on screen when that has, I presume, happened. But this thing with shutting itself off is something different. And I get a black screen on my peripheral monitor. I look at the laptop to which it's connected and the only thing on is the little white line on the off-on button. Hafta press and hold 'till it shuts off, then press to turn back on. Comes up with a log-on screen.

Never seen anything like it and the intervals between occurrences is getting shorter. I think Bill Gates don't care.

Somebody out there musta seen this trick before, yes?

[ss3964spd]

CX, try disconnecting the 2nd monitor from the laptop, re-boot, and use just the laptop screen for a while.