[OFFICIAL] Windows 10 (Build 10.0.10240) discussion & upgrade experience

[Ian S.]

Got into a spat on Twitter with an actual Microsoft employee who actually thinks Windows 10 is a free product... I think they've let their marketing go to their head.

That's funny, are you sure he didn't say free upgrade? Also, technically it's free if you have Windows 7/8/8.1 so...

[adrynalyne]

That's funny, are you sure he didn't say free upgrade? Also, technically it's free if you have Windows 7/8/8.1 so...

How things have changed.  Dot used to be an MS evangelist.

[Darrian]

I just found this nifty utility.  I don't know where it's from or whose OneDrive page it is being shared from, so I can't give credit, but here is the link. It allows you to change the background on the login screen if you don't care for the "Hero" wallpaper. Needs to run as admin to work.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

It will stay activated, if you turn on legacy mode you will add support for booting from non uefi devices or (windows, linux etc) installs but it won't disable uefi itself for current and new windows 8&10 installs.

Besides that, your activation is based on your hardware id which is generated from your bios serial number, videocard serialnumber and harddrive serial number.

Just enabling EFI booting won't do anything if it wasn't originally installed as a EFI bootable OS, so it won't have any effects under Windows.

And installing it into EFI requires doing a new install, which won't hurt activation either

[Dot Matrix]

That's funny, are you sure he didn't say free upgrade? Also, technically it's free if you have Windows 7/8/8.1 so...

Nope. He was justifying the freemium aspect of the Solitaire app.

[wingliston]

I love Windows 10 on desktop but on tablet? The start screen in tablet mode is horrible. Whoever thought this was a good idea needs to be fired. I can't put two wide tiles next to each other. I have to scroll vertical to see the rest of my wide and big tiles. On Windows 8.1 all my big tiles fit on one screen without scrolling.There are two spaces on the left and right that's being wasted. I had to plug in my wireless mouse to organize my tiles because its very annoying to do with touch. I still can’t get it back the way I had it on Windows 8.1. http://i.imgur.com/bQHeMYa.png

More annoyances:

• Start screen in tablet mode is a huge step back, cannot scroll horizontal, wasted space. Can’t multi select tiles to move around, resize, unpin, uninstall.... Dragging app tiles in an outside area crashes the start screen. Some small tiles are cut in half. Full screen app list is gone.
• Apps that were already updated keep updating again and again.
• Windows Store app crashes when updating apps.
• Edge is missing full screen and tablet gestures (forward and back).
• Camera app is useless. It doesn’t say why it doesn’t work.
• Windows 10 didn’t remember my Windows 8.1 title positions and groups upgrading from 8.1.
• Movies & Videos app has a big white background on the player controls, that’s distracting.
• Groove Music has dark mode but Movies & TV doesn’t. It makes sense to have dark mode on Movies & TV rather than Groove Music.
• I can't control the failing Synaptic driver update for Dell Touchpad.
• Update apps automatically option is disabled even though I am Administrator.
• Cortana is useless if I turn off location.

 

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Nope. He was justifying the freemium aspect of the Solitaire app.

That's very unprofessional. Windows 10 isn't free just because it's a free upgrade from Windows 7/8/8.1.

[+Tyranade Subscriber²]

if I update a motherboard bios from legacy to uefi. will windows 10 lose it activation?

I had mine installed in Legacy Mode because of Windows 7 and I upgraded and clean installed in Legacy mode and it activated fine and yesterday I clean installed in UEFI mode and it still activated fine.

[WAQT]

W10 insists and forces me that I 'update' to the latest version of my video drivers, which for me means that every time I plug or unplug my laptop my screen turns off and then back on, which is annoying. With the older drivers I manually installed after uninstalling the drivers provided by W10, it was working fine. Within 5 minutes W10 downloaded the drivers it deemed I wanted, and installed them.

Synaptics touchpad drivers are frustrating me aswell. With the older drivers the settings for 'keep the touchpad locked' saved, but the newer one the settings are not getting saved after a reboot. Same situation here, I reverted to the older drivers and 5 minutes in the 'updated' drivers were download by Windows 10 and installed again.

[FunkyMike]

I just found this nifty utility.  I don't know where it's from or whose OneDrive page it is being shared from, so I can't give credit, but here is the link. It allows you to change the background on the login screen if you don't care for the "Hero" wallpaper. Needs to run as admin to work.

It was created by a dev called Krutonium from leshcatlabs.net .

He released a revamped new version of this tool as the previous one got taken and re bundled with a trojan by someone. 

Hello

I wrote the changer (I'm Krutonium on MyDigitalLife and PFCKrutonium on GitHub) and I have noticed that there is some versions floating around that have been modified with a virus (Really a trojan.). While yes my software does get detected sometimes due to some behavior (modifying system files does that), it doesn't actually have a virus. (Basically, False Positives.)

The only place to download the application that I can guarantee is clean is Here.

You can browse the source code Here.

Fixed Version is up, Works as Expected!

Just make sure you use this link, I don't like people who pack my application with malware.

For anyone who may have ran a malware version, scan your system with MalwareBytes Download Here to remove the infection if you were infected.

 

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/3f85aw/psa_dont_download_the_login_screen_background/

 

 

[BeerFan]

Has anyone confirmed how/if the upgrade works with a Windows 7/8.1 Technet key?

Mine worked just fine using the Upgrade method.  I installed 8.1, and successfully activated it using my TechNet key.  Next, I did an upgrad to windows 10 using USB, and chose the option to keep nothing.  When prompted for a key, I chose to skip the step.  Once I signed in with my Microsoft account, Windows 10 activated successfully.  And, just for the sake of knowing if it would work, I then took it a step farther and did a clean install from USB.  Again, I skipped the step where you are prompted to enter a key.  And again, after signing in with my Microsoft account, I had an activated clean install of Windows 10 Pro. 

[devHead]

I've noticed something odd between my wife's newly updated laptop with Windows 10 and mine - her icon for search on the taskbar is a magnifying glass, and on the context menu for the taskbar it refers to it as Search, whereas on my machine (I've been running 10240 for some time through the Insider Program) it's the Cortana icon, and in the context menu for the taskbar it refers to it as Cortana, not Search.  Is it because I'm in the Fast Ring, and have a build or update that my wife doesn't?  I confirmed that her PC has already been updated with the big Day 1 Windows Update.

Anyone else notice this?

[xankazo]

Any of you guys having the "runtime broker" process constantly taking 10% of CPU resources? It's been happening to me ever since I clean installed 10240. It's fully activated and running well otherwise. It's just that runtime broker thing that has me concerned. 

[PGHammer]

I used the tool from that link to make an iso, as for some reason all my USB drives are MIA, doesnt help.

I don't know how everyone else is doing a clean install and getting it to activate, I have upgraded my laptop to Windows 10, tried a refresh, which failed, and then did a fresh install, only to have it tell me that Windows inst activated, and no matter what I try, it wont activate, so would ppl be so kind as to share how their are getting they clean installs activated?

 

Question: Are those that are getting clean installs activated, signing in with an MSA or a local account?

The only install that was NOT clean was on Baby Pavilion (the newer of my two notebooks).  My desktop and older notebook were clean installs and activated just fine - Baby Pavilion was not clean-installed due to it being my development book and having installed VS 2015 Community.  All three are signed in using my MSA (the same MSA for all three), but all three have PINs (different PINs for all three).  (By the by, Baby Pavilion ALSO activated just fine.) I have one upgrade doing later today - Mom's AIO (8.1 to 10 Pro).

[Seahorsepip Veteran]

Very good question. I'm sure both the legacy bios and UEFI share the same motherboard ID.

 

I'm in the Insider program and I built a custom PC and I don't have a W7 or W8/8.1 license at the moment. Right now I'm on the latest build and everything is good, but If I download the ISO and perform a clean install, will my copy of Windows be activated? Does it requires my MS account to activate it?

She doesn't have cortana enabled and you do have it enabled. She can enable cortana in search settings if available in her language.

[Southern Patriot]

I've noticed something odd between my wife's newly updated laptop with Windows 10 and mine - her icon for search on the taskbar is a magnifying glass, and on the context menu for the taskbar it refers to it as Search, whereas on my machine (I've been running 10240 for some time through the Insider Program) it's the Cortana icon, and in the context menu for the taskbar it refers to it as Cortana, not Search.  Is it because I'm in the Fast Ring, and have a build or update that my wife doesn't?  I confirmed that her PC has already been updated with the big Day 1 Windows Update.

Anyone else notice this?

At some point, you did the setup for Cortana on your computer, but she hasn't yet on hers. Click on the magnifying glass on hers and go through the setup and it will change to Cortana.

[FunkyMike]

I've noticed something odd between my wife's newly updated laptop with Windows 10 and mine - her icon for search on the taskbar is a magnifying glass, and on the context menu for the taskbar it refers to it as Search, whereas on my machine (I've been running 10240 for some time through the Insider Program) it's the Cortana icon, and in the context menu for the taskbar it refers to it as Cortana, not Search.  Is it because I'm in the Fast Ring, and have a build or update that my wife doesn't?  I confirmed that her PC has already been updated with the big Day 1 Windows Update.

Anyone else notice this?

The answer might be simpler than you imagine.

Your OS language and location matter a lot. It can make or break Cortana and enable just Search.

So if you have a strange mix match of location and languages then it might tell you that not even Online Search is supported in your region.

[Seahorsepip Veteran]

W10 insists and forces me that I 'update' to the latest version of my video drivers, which for me means that every time I plug or unplug my laptop my screen turns off and then back on, which is annoying. With the older drivers I manually installed after uninstalling the drivers provided by W10, it was working fine. Within 5 minutes W10 downloaded the drivers it deemed I wanted, and installed them.

Synaptics touchpad drivers are frustrating me aswell. With the older drivers the settings for 'keep the touchpad locked' saved, but the newer one the settings are not getting saved after a reboot. Same situation here, I reverted to the older drivers and 5 minutes in the 'updated' drivers were download by Windows 10 and installed again.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-releases-tool-to-hide-or-block-unwanted-windows-10-updates/

Hail MS

 

Just used above to block the realtek audio driver update, the realtek driver combines my headphone and speaker volume...

[sajtion]

if this is the final version why isn't directx 12 included. typed in dxdiag in search box and it comes up with directx 10. can someone explain?

[GarakObama]

I'm getting horrible disk performance. My laptop is a hybrid 500GB and 32GB SSD for cache. It worked great on Windows 8.1 but on Windows 10 it seems like any bit of disk usage bottlenecks the system to death. 

 

I have a feeling that is causing slow boot time too. Windows 8.1 would in less then 30 seconds. Now it takes at least 1 to 2 minutes.

[adrynalyne]

if this is the final version why isn't directx 12 included. typed in dxdiag in search box and it comes up with directx 10. can someone explain?

 

[Chrysalis]

^ use the ISOs?

 

I love Neowin. It is currently the most sane place on the web to discuss the OS.

ISOs will leave it inactivated.

The free upgrade requires an upgrade install to activate.

[Prosidius]

if this is the final version why isn't directx 12 included. typed in dxdiag in search box and it comes up with directx 10. can someone explain?

I believe DirectX will fall back to the version your card supports.  I have a GTX 460 and Nvidia didn't add DirectX 12 support yet on it so I'm still using 11.2.  

[Noir Angel]

Not here it isnt, I updated laptop to Windows 10, that went fine and was automatically activated, tried to do a refresh so I could have a clean system to image, I got an INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error, so that didn't complete, and when I did a clean install, I couldn't activate it, going by PsYcHoKiLLa's post above a clean install is not possible, if what that MS tech person said is correct

That's because you have to complete the upgrade and let W10 go online and activate itself before you can do a clean install. It's upon first boot that it goes online and puts your hardware into it's entitlement database. Once you've completed an upgrade from a qualifying device then you can do a clean install.

if this is the final version why isn't directx 12 included. typed in dxdiag in search box and it comes up with directx 10. can someone explain?

Dxdiag will only display the feature levels that your card actually supports, so if you only have a DX10 GPU that's all it will display. Some of the functions of DX12 like the low level hardware access will work on older cards. The API is present on your system, your card just doesn't support it fully. What you want to look at is where it says "Driver Model". If it's WDDM 2.0, your drivers are ready for DX12.

[Studio384]

That's very unprofessional. Windows 10 isn't free just because it's a free upgrade from Windows 7/8/8.1.

Something tells me that that wasn't a real Microsoft employee.