Windows 10: Have the requirements changed for Windows 10 without warning?

Couldn`t agree more *Smile

 

Use the Vendor site or MS, preferably in that order. 3rd party Driver Update Tools/Suites/Magicians/Etc. are snake oil.

 

I'm going to try that anyaway, As I said it worked before, just taking out Avast free anti virus screwed up 10 and I had to revert to Windows 7 OEM... I already had a back-up of the drivers, but DriverPack Solutions has always worked in the past when ever I built a system up. This was one I put together to use up perfectly acceptable discarded bits from other rebuilds. It has stood me a good ten or more years of faithful service, But the current installers/Upgrade Assistants for Win 10 just go bonkers. I tried installing without the WLAN, and got the NIC error. It is definitely looking like Microsoft have changed the requirements along the line and haven't told anyone (Standard practice these days). I'm happy using Win 7 Ultimate. I will be building a new system once all the repairs to the house are done and I see what cash I have available for decent new parts. Microsoft have gone silent on me, They probably want me top take out a Partnership Licence to use an OEM Build of Windows 10. I'll keep plugging at it though. As regards Microsoft Support staff... My comments are unprintable or safe for public viewing. I just finished building a small home Media Server for a friend using Linux and teh OpenElec Kodi platform. Only has about 1Gb Ram, a basic graphics card and the Motherboard has a WLAN socket on so a spare WLAN from a faulty Laptop is the wireless connect for it. Works like a dream. All the software the customer wanted was free and opensource. Next project along those lines is to take one of the PC144 Industrial standard to build a compact server for another friend. It may seem a format that is long in the tooth, but main boards now come with the latest CPU's and System on Chip options. Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

 

I would be concerned as well about that driver installer as well. I have been leery of such and all I have ever used was spending time searching from manufacturers and saving those Devils on a partition and USB drive. Also I use My Drivers, a utility that ferrets out all drivers and only backs up what you have that works and reinstalls or I use Device Manager and manually direct it to the backups. Also another possibility is how much is being saved when reinstallation occurred? When using the advanced installation where it warns all data will be lost, behold a directory lurks labeled "old windows"! I would get my hands on the early ISO you started with, do a FULL format and if need be disconnect from the web, try it out and if it works like it used to grab ALL of these drivers even if you have to use a driver backup utility totally independent of the Internet to prevent a working system from being defiled by those that refuse to let you think and choose for yourself. This is why I'm disappointed with 10

 

For what its worth, I have two really old desktops and a now getting on in years laptop. All ASUS. ASUS has not posted any Windows 10 drivers for any of them. Some Windows 8 drivers for my laptop, but that's what it shipped with. I don't expect to ever see any Windows 10 drivers listed for them on their respective product support pages. They all work just fine with the Windows Update / Windows Setup supplied drivers though. I have one special function key on my laptop that doesn't work, but that about it. I can't turn off my touchpad. with the Fn key. Some of the drivers, like video, come via Windows update shortly after I log in for the first time. Usually within 5 minutes of being online. It all happens in the background without me having to do anything. Windows supplied drivers have come a long way IMHO. It's by no means perfect, but its a lot better than it used to be.

And these driver update utilities are just snake oil, IMHO. If you can find one that actually goes good on its promises my hats off to you. I see way to many that deliver the wrong drivers, tell you yours are out of date when they aren't, or want money to do something you can do your self. I'm not sold on their value.

 

DriverPack Solutions and Driver Booster Pro have been a godsend for finding solutions to "Old Drivers" for some of the "Charity" systems I've built. The programs may have cost me a little for licences etc. But the results, and especially if you use expert mode in DriverPack and uncheck the unwanted programs and stuff, then you'd be surprised at how it manages to find stuff even the manufacturers didn't realise was still out there in Cyber heaven/hell. It's all about the challenge to make something outlast it's use by date. Why dispose of technology that can still be of use. We generate, still, far too much Electronic Waste as it is for the recycling and disposal industry to cope with. The WEEE Legislation need to be toughened up and the old reuse and repair, Make do and Mend mentality brought back. Too many manufacturers, especially in new economies like China, forego any sense of moral duty when it comes to product afterlife. LG is a prime example of a Company that abuses a little know piece of international Trading Regulation that stipulated any product manufactured for general release to be used by the Public MUST be supported for a MINIMUM of eight years. And that means FULLY supported. Microsoft please note this applies to Softwares and Firmwares also courtesy of recent amendments. So the sudden loss of support for Windows 7 could be a case to take to court should anyone feel they need to. As regards other previous incarnations of their OS... They should make the support freely licence able to third parties to support a large following and community. It would make sense, but then again... When has Microsoft been sensible?. I'm now Installing and updating Windows 7 on a Dell GX260 SFF machine, and am sourcing cheap/free Graphic and Wireless LAN cards. That machine is destined to go to a School in Indonesia at some point as a general Business use, since Office 2010 is installed on it.

 

*Smile

All computer components can be recycled if disposed through the correct channels. We're generating more waste by running old hardware that consume a lot of unnecessary power.

There is a reason why support for old apps and operating systems have an expiry date. One being security, another being compatibility with new technology. Final reason is money. It's ridiculous to support something that is old, outdated and insecure when there exist something newer.

Life moves forward and so does technology.

Don't get me wrong though. I DO use 20 year old hardware because I can and it's fun to Retro a bit. *Smile

 

The loss of support for Windows 7 is not sudden, see this article here from 2015.

Another vote for not using driver software utilities, they can and have installed wrong drivers. Its always best to install drivers direct from the manufacturer's website.

If you're not familiar with what's on your machine, you can use a program such as Speccy which will inform you of what components you have.

And please format your paragraphs, it's hard to read.

 

@f14tomcat

Even worse they are SNEAKERWARE or SUCKERWARE. They will say we've found the driver (nothing that you can't do yourself) but then say "In order to access that part of the site you have to Go Pro --i.e PAY !!!.

Avoid these sites like the plague.

Cheers
jimbo

 

*Ditto

 

I have had good results with snappy driver installer. It's free.