I wonder if I can tap your kbowledge. 

 

I have a laptop which originally ran Windows 7. Since upgraded to Windows 8 / 8.1/ and then via free upgrades to Windows 10pro.

 

I don't use it very often, as I tend to do day to day stuff either on my Android phone Oneplus3T or on my Asus Zen10 tablet. 

 

My problem is that only using the laptop once or twice a week, it seems that every time I turn it on, it needs updates.  EVERY SINGLE TIME.

 

Apart from the time these take (up to 45 minutes a time) and sometimes longer, I am getting very disillusioned with Windows in general. 

 

So have any of you had similar issues and moved to Mac? I am able to replace the system or the laptol , but want to get some feedback first.

 

Basically I want a system that just works when I switch it on. Is that too much to ask these days? 

 

Thanks. 

 

There have been a few large Windows updates recently and you can't opt out of them. If you are not using your PC regular then these will all be waiting once you do switch it on. Macs aren't immune to these updates either with plenty of updates for the operating system and the program bu you can ignore them for a while though.

 

It sounds like with the tablets etc it is very rare you use a PC so changing one to a much more expensive Mac doesn't really make sense. If you have spent most of your time life using a PC, a Mac will feel alien and without a doubt Windows 10 is way ahead of OSX Sierra. If you want a one system that you can use as tablet with the power of a PC have you thought about a Microsoft Surface pro?

 

If you want to go the Mac route I have a barely used Mac Book Pro, 15" inch retina, i7, 16Gb ram and 256gb SSD with additional storage that would save you a lot of money. 

Thanks for this fella.  I do understand the reasons behind the updates, and for safety reasons I won't leave any pc system switched on 24/7 just to be able to keep up with them. 

 

I have some experience  with Macs, as my brother in law has a large screen iMac on which I do some work for him at times, but as you say Windows 10 is better.

 

I used to build my own Desktop PC's and select components from various sources to suit the system that I wanted. So I'm pretty savvy with computers....... But these time consuming updates are becoming a real bind. It's amusing (NOT) to see the screen telling you not to turn off your computer while it configures..... Actually...... I want to switch on, and work free from constant reminders to update, and then be held up for the best part of an hour whilst I slowly go nuts waiting for it to let me do so. 

 

I'm at a halfway house...... Thanks for your offer, but I need to think this through thoroughly and before making a decision on where to  go next. 

 

Thanks. 

I'm with the Surface Pro camp now. Buy a dock and you can use it as a desktop with your existing kit. Apple really missed out here as they try to keep the tablet and laptop separate. 

Its an investment as they're not cheap but well worth it. 

Yeah, I've seen these and I'm tempted, but I have to convince myself that I can justify spending close on £1500 for another Windows device. 

Having been let down by Microsoft and the Lumia phone saga, from which they have now walked away, I can't say I'm confident about their ongoing customer commitment..... 

i still have a Lumia. Brilliant phone but severely lacking in apps which what killed it and why I use an iPhone now. 

The Surface doesn't have that same problem as it runs regular Windows programs. 

Yes, absolutely right. When the app developers started ignoring the Lumia, that killed it. Couldn't even get essential apps. I now have a Oneplus3T and it's an awesome phone. 

 

Half my problem is that I use a lot of Android apps that simply aren't available via the Windows platform, hence the phone and tablet, but some tasks, like printing certain documents from sent files, actually require me to have either Windows or Mac to do this. 

 

So I am going to spend some time over the next few days exploring how I can best do this. 

 

Appreciate your help. Thanks. 

19 hours ago, FurryFriend said:

My problem is that only using the laptop once or twice a week, it seems that every time I turn it on, it needs updates.  EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Not a solution to the installing of updates but how to prevent it rebooting when you don't want it to...

 

Upgrade to W10 Pro, then select a timeslot in which updates are allowed to reboot - I've set my W10 tablets to only reboot between midday and 2pm i.e. lunchtime.

Thanks. The 'problem' is that I don't use the laptop very often, but when I do need to, I need to work on it immediately, and the updates have now, on 2 occasions, broken into my work, slowing everything down to a snails pace. 

 

Doing timed updates is a good idea, but only insofar as if I know I'm going to be home.

I won't leave it on unattended. Quite paranoid about it, because last year I had a mobile wifi charger plug start smoking, and only by chance spotted it as I went to another room. 

 

Thanks. 

 

 

 

 

Sometime next week, I think I'm going to completely reformat my laptop back to factory default, and then return it to Win10 pro. I'll see how it runs then. 

But I think it's maybe time I looked at something more up to date. 

My concern though is still the interminable time that Windows 10 seems to take with constant updates. 

I thought it was supposed to be a bang up to date operating system. Can't say I'm impressed so far. 

Bring back XP!! 

The updates aren't constant but probably seem it to yourself due to your lack of use of a PC. I'm using PCs on a daily basis and the updates are probably no more than every other month. When you do get them it seems to be a large update followed by a smaller one.

With online security more serious than ever before it would be unwise to take a step back in Windows. 

 

Yes, I accept that. 

 

I'll reformat and then update here.

 

Thanks.

If you got the free windows 10 upgrade make sure it's registered on your Microsoft account before reinstating. Seem to remember I had problems with this before. 

Thanks.... Yes it is registered. I was upgraded from Windows 8 pro to Windows 10 pro during their free upgrade period last year. 

Before and during that period,  I had to do a massive amount of work on it (I was the Executor of a complex will for a family) and have a lot of that stuff stored both on the laptop, and remotely as back up. 

 

From time to time I need to return to this, and need to be able to access and print bits from it. I have to keep the files until 2024 for legal compliance.

 

Apart from that I do have one or three other matters that need Windows, otherwise I'd probably dump Microsoft altogether. I'm retired, so have no need of a dedicated workstation any more. 

 

 

 

Well  I started the full reinstall of Windows 10 pro at 1pm today after backing up everything. 

It's now 7.40pm. The o/s reinstall went through in about 1½ hours. No problem. 

BUT..... 

The security updates are still ongoing. All 4.3GB!!!  of them and I am currently at 62%. 

 

A crazy amount  of time and data. On updates! Not happy at all. I can see this thing in a skip soon! 

Ok. Final update. 

 

After waiting until 8.45pm and still only at 67% I got completely bloody minded and chucked in the towel. 

Dug out my Samsung laptop manual, reverted to the ISO copy of Windows 7 on a partition of the hard drive, and reinstalled W7. Then, used my official W8 pro disc and put back Windows 8. All running MUCH MUCH faster, and without all the hassle I had previously. 

I think that's it for me with Windows 10. I've tried it for well over 12 months. As far as I'm concerned it's an absolute horror of an o/s with its constant nag screens. 

 

Tomorrow, I'll get my printer software,  and Office back on, and be back up and running again. 

 

Thanks for all your suggestions and help/advice. Appreciated. 

On 17/07/2017 at 22:48, FurryFriend said:

Ok. Final update. 

 

 

 

Did you do your fresh installation from a fresh download of win 10 pro or from an old copy? 

It was a fresh installation direct from the Microsoft website, so presumably right up to date on the day I did it (17th July)  But to then find that I had to wait many hours for around 4. 3GB of updates........ Not a chance. 

 

Edited 24 July, 20178 yr by FurryFriend

FF- DO YOU really need w10 ? I have W10 on my PC, but use W7 in preference , as I can have W7 advise me of updates ,rather than download, and now I'm up to date, I only get the occasional update.

Depending on what you use the laptop for, might be a better solution. It's getting ridiculous these days- MacAfee + Windows always want to update without asking. At least with W7, I can check regularly for both on manual and install when it suits me, and W7 updates are not that large once up  to date.

Windows- new flagship software .Things have been the same since W95( EXCEPT for a short time on XP) --- IT'S OUT ON MARKET BEFORE IT'S BEEN PROPERLY TESTED and then it's constant updates.

Edited 4 August, 20178 yr by VWD

On 04/08/2017 at 21:34, VWD said:

FF- DO YOU really need w10 ? I have W10 on my PC, but use W7 in preference , as I can have W7 advise me of updates ,rather than download, and now I'm up to date, I only get the occasional update.

Depending on what you use the laptop for, might be a better solution. It's getting ridiculous these days- MacAfee + Windows always want to update without asking. At least with W7, I can check regularly for both on manual and install when it suits me, and W7 updates are not that large once up  to date.

Windows- new flagship software .Things have been the same since W95( EXCEPT for a short time on XP) --- IT'S OUT ON MARKET BEFORE IT'S BEEN PROPERLY TESTED and then it's constant updates.

 

Thanks.... You're absolutely right. The answer is NO, as I'm not reliant on a PC for work purposes any more. But I obviously still have to do a lot of day to day stuff that we all do these days, emails, banking etc, and as said previously,  I need to access past documents, so a reasonable level of  security has to be considered.

 

I've used Microsoft and Windows since V3. 1  DOS, 95, 98, 2000, Vista, XP, 7, 8  8.1 and 10.  The best was XP and I agree that they ALWAYS launch their software before it's ready. 

Now, having reverted to 8.1 pro, I'm not having any of the problems that Windows 10 had. 

I know progress is inevitable, but when progress means getting a worse product, then NO...... I don't accept it. 

So my advice to anyone pondering an upgrade to W10....... Don't do it. Biggest heap of droppings  I've ever used. Glad.... Really glad to be shot of it. Overbloated and over the top for home use. 

I am seriously  considering an Apple atm but can't decide which. 

Edited 7 August, 20178 yr by FurryFriend

From another dinosaur, who started off with a 286 and has gone through most versions of Windows- I agree.  I've tried most of the latest versons as they've come out, but always held back one version till the last moment, and noticed that there's always a few SP before bloat is removed. W10 MIGHT turn out to be one of the best, but at the moment, I'll stick with a fully patched , protected to the hilt with anti malware & Virus software  on W7. I've never tried 8.1, though my phone runs it and it's the experience of W10 on my PC that makes me /stops me upgrading phone to W10 .

My advice to anyone looking at an upgrade to W10 . Make a new partition on HDD ,and install W10 on there., keeping default boot to W7/8.1. Severely curtail internet access to W10 and find out how to stop it doing auto upgrades.

If you got W10 as an upgrade to the copy of W7/8.1, THEN authenticate W7/8.1 first, before installing W10, and then only authenticate W10 .