Windows 10: Finally installed Windows 10...

So I FINALLY got around to installing the Windows 10 build 9926 onto my main system, as the VM of it would not allow me to sign into my Microsoft Account whatsoever.

Wow. It's not the "whoa" I once had about three years ago with the Windows 8 Developer Preview, but wow.

First and immediate concern, holy crap on a thermometer, Microsoft Account syncing from 8.1 to 10 is basically nonexistent. Almost all your synced info is basically null for me. All my Start Screen IE pins from 8.1 got thrown into All Apps and they're all just null shortcuts that don't do anything. That's kind of a big problem.

The new Start Screen....sigh...



As my main tiles group title says, this is not going to work. Pinning is sometimes hit and miss and makes duplicate shortcuts within the Start menu directory but only one pin shows up on Start, or even not at all. I've had explorer.exe crash quite a few times just moving tiles around. Some tiles overlapped and had to be moved around to fix it. The two column set up is iffy to me, and honestly I miss the old 8.x side to side scrolling motion of Start. You were able to view more content and tiles longer than up and down scrolling. And the side MFU list and the Places list, what? Why is that there and why can't it be removed? You can't even really use Places and oddly enough, the file location is in the ProgramData directory I think and there are several shortcuts there, but only three or so actually show up on Start. It would be nice to actually pin File Explorer locations to Places and remove those tiles from Start for other things. The MFU list is just nonessential to me as well. I'm waiting for vertical tiles to show up in the upcoming build, that will be nice! Start Screen transparency is a must. It might be a shame to some people I know that they can't really deck out their Start Screen with all the different patterns 8.1 had in 10.

All Apps, also not going to work. It's a claustrophobic mess and a massive step backwards. Windows 8's All Apps view worked because EVERYTHING you have installed on your PC was exposed and you had a whole screen to view all of that. Yes, some people wanted folder hierarchies, yes that could have been added but not like the Windows vista/7 style. That is just no good. Even more tedious is the lack of jumplist capabilities where you can click on the letter and jump all the way down to entries that start with "W" even though the list seems like it was designed for that.

Some behaviors bother me, for example I have Cortana's icon on the Taskbar to be just the icon and not the search bar as it eats up a lot of Taskbar for me. In Start, I'd like to keep it that. Ideally, on Start there would be no visible Taskbar and Cortana can really take over all she wants. The other odd behavior is when I right click on Desktop based tiles and hit Open file location, it doesn't go to that window, you have to leave Start. Bit tedious.
Speaking of Cortana, voice input is a bit iffy for me. Granted I am using a cheapy mic but still. It's also hit and miss to use the Hey Cortana feature as well. I only got that to work a few times and not since then. I'd love to see a keyboard combo that will open up Cortana and allow speech input, much like how on Windows Phone you can press and hold the Search button, Cortana starts listening. Bing SmartSearch needs to come back with Cortana. That was a pretty cool feature from 8.1. I don't really like how web searches go to IE automatically, I'd prefer to a SmartSearch experience for that within maybe the Cortana pane or a separate app window.

The obligatory "Xbox Music still sucks" comment.

I've noticed on 10, some of the WinRT apps behavior weirdly too. If you keep a few apps open and either minimize them or just keep them in the background, sometimes they just get tombstoned by the system or something. I've had Xbox Music do that to me a few times where it would be playing music, and then stop because the app got suspended. Settings does that too. That needs to be figured out, as well as the playback control UI with Xbox Music with that annoying banner in the top left corner that just lingers there... Or apps that crash and are still on the Taskbar, that's a bit awkward.

It might be just me but everything seems smaller with the apps, text, UI, everything seems tinier than before. On Start it's apparent. In the apps, you can notice this as well. If you compare the apps on 8.1 to 10, it's just scrunched down. Not that it's a bad thing, but for some people I can imagine that small text is difficult to read. Shoot, even for me sometimes it's a bit of strain to read.

I do have to say, quite surprised at the fact that even though the kernel got bumped from 6.4 to 10, not really any issues with programs have come up. Kaspersky Interwebs Security 2015 will not work at all in compatibility mode or anything, but that's the first hiccup and that's understandable. Zune works fine, H&R Block works just fine as well. It makes me wonder if in reality, the kernel is actually just at 6.4 with 10 being masqueraded as the new kernel, but nothing is actually different.

Haven't really used Task View that much nor virtual desktops. I don't think I'll be using that feature ever as it just seems like it's getting from point A to point B in a different fashion that isn't better nor worse than what I'm already doing.

Overall, Windows 10 is bridging the gap between Windows 7, a files and programs based UI and OS; and Windows 8, an internet based touch first UI and OS with some files and programs. It's not a buggy release performance wise, it's just really buggy interacting with the UI. Windows 8 DP and subsequent previews didn't have a slightest issue being ran as my main OS. Windows 10...I may or may not have made a mistake doing this as my main OS. Some things I want back, like IE live tiles but that probably will be a Spartan fix soon. I'd really like to have more UI options for people that have such muscle memory from Windows 8.1 (and used 8 for several years) as it is a very spatial UI design to be able to adapt the UI of 10 closer to what they're used to, as 10 is basically being built around that concept.

:)

 

pre installed music studio software finally ???

No, it does not, but you can download ProTools and Fruity Loops as alternatives.

 

pre installed music studio software finally ???

is windows ready after years to take a note out of thr rotten apples note book or what.. seriously its about time they did with the lacking of one windows has always semed to not care about. does windows ten have a garage band-like app or similar
free studio software like apple has had for many many years while windows 7 nor 8 had anything!!??/

 

Good review and thanks for taking the time to share it with us. So far I've found the new start menu to be very useful for me and I have found it to be easy to use and adjust to meet my needs.

Image of my start menu:

 

MS just doesn't get it.
Those of us who have been running MS Windows since it's beginning, want a desktop that is there when we boot up the PC, and has icons for all our daily programs.
And we want to be able to run all our old software that we're used to and comfortable with.

Most people out here in the real world, only get a new OS because they are forced to, when their old PC dies and they have to buy a new one. You won't find those millions of PC users on any forum.

I do like to test all the new OS's on several different types and brands of PC's, so I can get more familiar with how to set them up for best performance, best look, and ease of operation. It's what my older customers want.

So I use the "Classic Shell" on all my installs, as well as 'Grant Admin Full Control' (Take Ownership).
And I tweak and tune the OS (Registry) for best performance.

So my Windows 10 Desktop, looks pretty much like my Windows XP Desktop.
The 32 bit version of Win-10 will also run the old 16 bit programs, like my favorite game, Mah Jongg.
Windows 10 will also run all my favorite Security Software, bar none, although for best operation, I run some older programs in Compatibility mode for Windows XP, SP3 and 'Run as Administrator'.





Cheers Mates, and Happy Computing
*Cool

 

You do know that there are some nice versions of Mahjong in the MS Store?? Also, not everyone really like the old look of Xp. And I never used Xp so I can't relate to that version of Windows. I went from 98, 98se, Me right to Vista and then to Win7 so the look of Xp is old and outdated to me.

And with Win8.1 on you can just boot to the desktop.. well I can at least. I'm not sure if you have it set up or you're using Win8.1.

Jeff

 

Hi Jeff....
Oh yes, I'm still running Windows 8.1 on one laptop, and it too looks Classic (the XP look) and yes, it boots right to the desktop, without stopping for a password ( I don't use passwords ). I even have Windows Mail re-activated and working great in 8.1.
Just like Solitaire, I like the look and feel of the older version, not the new and jazzed up version.
I don't mess with the Apps Store.

I've not missed one version of Windows since Windows 3.0. For years before that, I used MS Dos, starting with DOS 2.0, and ending with DOS 6.22 being the last ver. that I bought, before going to Windows.

I even ran Windows ME for a while, when it first came out, and with a few tweaks it wasn't all that bad of an OS.
I tested Vista, and still have it on one HD, but never really ran it as my main OS, as with every ver of Windows since then.
XP remains my OS of choice.

Cheers Mate!
*Cool

 

That's cool.. if you like Xp then I say stick with the look. I never had a chance to use it due to a number of reasons.

Overall, I just like new things and Win10 is new and different so that excites me. Add in the new start menu and I'm sold.. but that's for me and it doesn't apply to everyone else.

Have a good day
Jeff

 

It would appear that you are just living in the past without any notion of moving into the future. . .hence, enjoy your XP while the rest of move on. . .*Thumbs

 

A desktop menu is the new start screen? (expandable desktop menu)

Your concerns are justified but not experienced here.
Apologize, as not a user of live tiles, xbox, or windows phone.

... Tried resizable yet ?

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3...dows-10-a.html

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...text-menu.html

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...dows-10-a.html

Easy to read boot to the start screen.

CR must be referring to the expandable desktop start menu.
The apps view from the start screen apps view works fine with hot key file only search results.

Windows 10 all apps





... of course, ... an old topic, "there is no such thing as a proper ..."
The large tiles are a UI plus using mouse and keyboard, easy, easy ...
Not a fan of tiny.





This works ok, too.

 

I'm one that has been running Windows since its beginning and feel that MS has done an excellent job of doing what you claim it "just doesn't get". My desktop in Win 10 looks/works pretty much like it has since Win 2000. I don't use anything like Classic Shell since I don't see the need.

I don't use any Modern apps on my laptop or desktop (I use a few on my Surface Pro tablet), have no need for the Start Screen in Win 8.x and don't give a hoot about the Start Menu in Win 10. I have used a Desktop Toolbar since Win 2000 so as long as MS doesn't mess with that, I'm good.

 

CR must be referring to the expandable desktop start menu.
The apps view from the start screen apps view works fine with hot key file only search results.

Windows 10 all apps





... of course, ... an old topic, "there is no such thing as a proper ..."
The large tiles are a UI plus using mouse and keyboard, easy, easy ...
Not a fan of tiny.





This works ok, too.



I prefer the full Start experience versus a baby Start Screen, more content, quickly viewable and accessible. I'm just not very keen on the hodge podge mix of Windows 7 Start menu and Windows 8 Start Screen. In this build, things probably aren't working as they should, but still, not seeing the benefit of the MFU list. Places I can see being used, but again, I'd rather have a whole screen to do I as I please as I did with 8.1.



This is what I mean will the All Apps mess. It's exactly the dilemma that you encounter after mature usage of Windows 7, the All Programs list becomes this "scroll until infinity" monster. Scroll, and scroll....and scroll. It's not better and a step backwards from 8.1 whereas your screen snippet shows double the content than what shows on All Apps in 10. That's the whole point here. You were able to view more content in each screen than you are in 10.

 

I'll also add, the Hey Cortana feature does seem to work when it's totally silent and you have no music playing, even if the mic is a decent distance away. Rather annoying is that Cortana, when speaking to her, it'll completely cut off ANY audio player you have going even if it's paused and not playing. Tad annoying.

 

Agree, I think, the default expandable full screen desktop menu is a mess in build 9926.

Your needs differ and the support you offer to others differs from what I do,
setting up phones, office, mobile services / devices and synchronization etc...

My world is focused on a single user home desktop computer,
the microsoft management console and UI customization.

There is obviously a need for improvement with all the social media phone features.
There is obviously a major flaw with the default expandable desktop menu.

Since the option to go with a resizable desktop menu exists, (not the expandable full screen desktop version)
one can use an optionally tiled resizable desktop menu or switch to the Windows 10 start screen.
At the moment, I am liking a boot to the apps view.

I always only go with a "local account" as I do not sync,
do not use windows phones or mobile devices. I do not use cloud storage, no wireless devices,
no social media activity, no messaging services or any type of office locally or online subscription.

If I understand correctly, you are right. The default expandable desktop menu needs work.

This PC using 10 build 9926 boots to this start screen at the moment.

 

You know, the thing I thought back when it was revealed how Windows 10's updating method of updating the entire build would put and end to this scenario.

All I have to think about is literally this... *Smile

I'd love to see the newer 10xxx builds here soon, things are just buggy and already got my first BSOD today.