Windows 10: Windows 10 Preview stats: Two-thirds of testers live dange

Windows 10 Preview stats: Two-thirds of testers live dangerously

Source

 

Yeah, that'd be a real bummer if you didn't make any backups! *Confused

:)

 

Rewards For Preview Testers?

Will I be able to upgrade from the Windows 10 Insider Preview to the final release?


Yes, you will be able to upgrade from the Windows Insider Preview to the RTM build for free.

Company officials have noted though if you join the
Windows Insider Program and upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 to Windows 10, you will qualify for the free upgrade to the final release.

Latest confirmation:

When asked if there would be a cut off date for Insiders before Windows 10 reached RTM, Microsoft's Gabriel Aul stated that preview builds would continue being delivered up until the final release.

"We expect to keep flighting builds to Insiders all the way up to RTM. More details to come, but no cutoff planned."

Gabriel Aul on Twitter

After upgrading, you can switch the Stable Channel.

 

Migrate a 64-bit Surface Pro4 Windows 10 32 bit?

This forum is for testers of preview builds not yet released to the public. Your question seems to fit more in the Windows 10 support forum.

 

Darn why didn't I think of that instead of using a VM. You know what is funny is a good deal of those who have installed it as their main OS are not doing to bad . . .any way from what I have read so far. . .*Wink

 

I created dual boots, one on my Windows 7 desktop and another on my Windows 8.1 laptop, makes it easy to wipe or re-install. I wanted to see the differences between the two. All I could tell is that the laptop allowed me to swipe in the Charms bar (but it's start just took me to desktop view).

I just don't see where Windows 10 offers anything over Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 as a real incentive to make people switch, maybe if I were running XP, and wanted an upgrade. Even if it were free, I doubt I would change my current systems.

Which makes me wonder, if Windows 10 were free, would that mean Microsoft would have to cover all the troubleshooting questions, or would OEM's still be the liable parties?

 

It is hard to make a conclusion about how good/bad a new version of Windows is going to be based solely on where the new version is in the stage of development.

This is a very early beta, with much of what has been talked about missing.

 

Hi there

That's the WHOLE POINT of testing !!! (but of course as you take backup). You WANT to find all possible defects and stress the system to maximum before letting it out of the door and into production.

Who'se ever heard of a TEST PILOT for example who didn't "Live Dangerously". If possible these people also have a "backup" -- a means of ejection if the plane goes catastrophically wrong -- probably more and more impossible these days though. !!

What's the point of some of this "Non Journalism". There must be better snippets of technical news surely. !!!!!

Now if people are using W10 as their RUNNING machines then that can't be construed (at least in the English I learned) as TESTING.

Using a system say in parallel running or comparisons with the original previous OS (whether W8.1 or earlier) is a perfectly valid means of testing too - but running it as a normal "everyday machine" IMO does not constitute "Testing" as such.

I believe in the I.T world that's called "Testing in Production" which I'm sure is heavily frowned on and only done as an ultimate last resort.

Cheers
jimbo

 

How do they know people aren't using spare HDDs?

 

I'll be one to admit that I am now using Windows 10 TP as my main OS. I originally did it as a dual boot, but 1) I was having issues on my Windows 7 install and was thinking of doing a clean install again anyways, and 2) I have yet to find any major bugs in Windows 10 TP. All my important programs work flawlessly, all my hardware works, and everything about 10 just looks nicer in my opinion. So, my Windows 7 partition is now a data partition. I have other computers I can use if/when needed, and I have all my files backed up in 3 different places, so I am not really worried. If things go wrong, I can have Windows 7 running again in an hour tops.

As for the claim that this doesn't constitute "testing," a major part of experimentation is seeing how things work in the long term. Its one thing to say "It works fine when using auto-cad or MatLab for 30 minutes", but it is something else entirely to say "It works fine when its been left running for a week straight and using a wide variety of programs at various times."

 

I agree completely with every word, especially the part about "Non-Journalism", some of these bloggers are not even credible. They remind me of someone who writes not because of a valid point, but to fill space on an empty page.

 

I agree with Jimbo here.

What are we testing, an OS or some GUI features? What is exactly the point of using a virtual machine? Well, if you're trying some shady piece of software downloaded from a dodgy site, then surely you should use a VM. But this is Microsoft OS we're taking about. Of course I installed it on a hard drive. And, no, it does not replace my main system, nor is there anything dangerous unless you're paranoid and think that the test version of the OS contains some sort of a worm that's crawling the rest of my hard drives and searches for I don't know what.

 

If you actually read the source article, the author is speaking of those folks who installed it over the primary operating system of their PCs.

"There are a couple precautionary steps you’ll want to take if you install the Windows 10 Technical Preview over your Windows 8.1 installation or on its own hard drive partition, however."

 

It's ok to use it everyday OS but you should know your limits on when not to use it. VM or Real Machine, it's still "testing". Why? Because what we have right now is just a test version of the OS (aka tech preview). It doesn't matter how you use it or how you installed it.
I have on separate drive.


I run it as an everyday OS except when I am doing banking. I just simply reboot and switch drives to boot up either on 7 or linux.

 

Hi there

I suppose it all depends on your definition of "testing". Running everyday stuff on it for a long period - and being able to revert to an earlier OS in case of unsolvable problems or other incompatibilities such as not being able to use some Banking or Corporate software - is fine -- that constitutes "Testing".

I'm referring to people who wipe their old OS and use the new one as a Primary OS without any sensible means of "going back" without doing a complete re-install of the old OS - and there are even on these boards people who still after being warned "Ad Nauseam" STILL DON'T TAKE PROPER BACKUPS. !!!!!

Cheers
jimbo