Avid readers of my articles are aware I’ve written a couple of times about Windows 10, all before the official July 29 release of the latest Microsoft Operating System. This is my post-official-release article on Windows 10.

So, Windows 10. Upgrade to it? My advice is, if your computer is Windows 7 based, don’t do it. And if you do do it, at least don’t do it for now. It is always prudent to wait at least a few months while the initial kinks are being worked out, which as far as I can see, do exist in Windows 10. Ironically, Windows 7 was one of the few operating system that was very stable even from its beta testing stages.

Microsoft has been trying to gently or not so gently coax users to upgrade to Windows 10. The update I talked about in my last article, has been busy downloading Windows 10 in the background and swinging a dangling carrot at users so they will go through with the upgrade.

This additional activity, by the way, might account for some of the slowness your computer might have experienced recently. A hidden folder in your hard drive called “$Windows.~BT” contains the downloaded files that will be used for the upgrade, and by the way they are relatively big, and your Internet connection is what was used to download them.

If you’re not planning to upgrade to Windows 10 any time soon, contact me if you need help making sure the upgrade process is not using resources that slow your computer down. Or if you have any questions on the subject.

Taskbar: The bar, normally at the bottom of your screen, in Windows.

System tray: The notification area normally at the right side of the taskbar, near where the clock usually is. it has little icons that provide notifications and status of certain programs.

Some of you running computers with Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 may have recently noticed a new, previously unseen icon in the system tray, that looks like this:

This is the result of a recent Windows Update which is set to do several things as the release of Windows 10 nears (the release is currently set for the end of July). The idea being to get users to upgrade to Windows 10.

As explained in my last article, you’ll need to decide whether or not Windows 10 is an upgrade you want. If yes, don’t need to do anything at this point. If not, you can uninstall the Windows Update that installed this “Get Windows 10” app. If you are familiar with how to do that, you can find the update, KB3035583, and uninstall it. If you want to do it but need help, let me know.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

We are now roughly at the midway point between when Windows 10 Technical Preview was released (at which point I published my first impression about it), and when it’s supposed to be released in its final (RTM – Release to Manufacturer) version. There have been quite some changes about how it works, and there are more changes to come in the following months before its final version is released.

In my opinion, there is more than one type of public for this new Operating System and therefore Windows 10 will have different reception of it, depending on the type of public that looks at it:

First there’s the type of public that is not fond of changing operating system versions every few years. They liked XP and even Windows 7 was too much of a change (not to mention Windows Vista). For them, Windows 8 or Windows 10 will look similar enough (and too different from what they’re used to) to be liked. If they haven’t moved from Windows XP to Windows 7 yet, I suggest they do, as soon as possible. If they have moved on to Windows 7, I suggest they stay there for now as for as long as they can (maybe up to a few years).

Then there’s the type of public that can adapt to new versions of operating system being released every few years, but are not fond of lost features or buggy new features. They were able to move from Windows XP to 7 and even Vista in between, and can sort of make Windows 8 work. They will probably like Windows 10. If they are presently with Windows 7, they can consider moving on to Windows 10 within the next year or two. If they’re stuck with Windows 8 right now, they should upgrade as soon as Windows 10 is released.

Finally there’s the type of public that simply can make things work, no matter what. They will like Windows 10 as well and can move on from 7 or 8.

For those who are curious and haven’t had a chance to take a look at the current Windows 10 screens as they look at the time of this writing, here’s a sneak peak:

As you boot up, the initial screen looks the same as in Windows 8:

Unlike Windows 8, once you log in Windows 10 goes into the traditional desktop view:

Notice there is a fusion of the old style Start menu (on the left) and the Windows 8 style Start menu (the tiles on the right):

You can, however, click on the upper right of the start menu and expand it to become full screen, if you fancy the Windows 8 style better:

Notice that the background is still somewhat visible, in a hint of the Aero display theme that was used in Vista and Windows 7 and sort of died in Windows 8.

Careful readers will notice there is a tile in the above screenshot called Project Spartan. That is the code name of the new browser set to debut as the default web browser with Windows 10, and that will make Internet Explorer a secondary, backup browser. The name itself is not final and apparently is changing to Microsoft Edge.

The search function and other Windows apps are being enhanced by using Windows personal assistant, the chatty Cortana, the voice powered assistant whose name was taken from the AI – Artificial Intelligence – character in the famous video game Halo.

In short it seems Microsoft is seriously trying this time to come with an Operating System that will unify all computing devices, be it a traditional desktop, a laptop, a tablet or a phone. There are other features being developed as you read this, and some more are in the works for coming months. I’ll be following up closely on those and how Windows 10 develops, and will update again before the final release date, currently set for the end of the year.

Trojans: This has been a dominant type of malware over the last few years, and it only keeps increasing in terms of its share of the “malwareverse” (just coined that one for “the realm of malware” 🙂 ). It has gone from 56% in early 2011 to 78% in late 2014.

One interesting type of Trojan is labeled Ransomware: Aptly named because this type of infection usually locks your computer or your data (by encrypting it) and then asks for a ransom to unlock it. A “rising star”, this type of malware has been in the increase in recent times, and is one of the reasons I’ve been recently advocating having a data backup plan in place – because this type of infection usually encrypts your documents and files (rendering them useless to you) and some of them do not allow decryption by any  known methods, which means the only way to recover from such an attack (not in terms of eliminating the active threat but in terms of damage control) is to restore your data from your latest backup.

Also because some of these infections will encrypt any external hard drives attached to a computer, I have recommended in the past not to leave your external hard drive (containing your data backup) connected permanently to your computer. In other words, unless actively in the process of updating a backup, the external hard drive should not be connected to your computer.

So beware of these types of infections AND have a sound security plan in place which includes a periodically updated data backup.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, and with emphasis this time. I’m only being emphatic because I care. I hate to see people lose their data. If you have a computer, having a backup data plan is not an option, is not a nice thing to have, it’s a MUST.

There are data corruption issues, physical failures for the main storage device in your computer(s), and in more recent times, specialized types of malware that will encrypt your data – and if you don’t have a data backup plan in place, even if the infection is removed, you can kiss your data good-bye.

It only takes one encounter with one of those specialized type of malware to fall victim of its nasty business.

Don’t be a statistic. If you don’t have one in place, implement a data backup plan, ASAP. This is a very opportune time of the year, since you can add it to your recent new year’s resolutions and then get it done. 🙂

If you have any questions on the subject, don’t hesitate to ask.

As stated in my last article, on September 30th the next Windows Operating System was unveiled – Windows 10. Why was 9 skipped (Windows 8.1 is the latest released so far) has been speculated but bottom line, who cares. Windows 10 is the name of the next one. It is set to be officially released to the general public at some point next year – my educated guess would be fall next year.

So that everyone gets the idea of why the time lapse between the unveiling and the release to the general public, these are the stages the operating system evolution go through:

1. Technical preview – The early stage of beta testing. Unfinished and rough.

2. Beta testing – The stage where the operating system is tested and feedback provided to the developers in order to handle bugs and improve features.

3. Release candidate – A likely-to-be final-version result of the beta testing.

4. Release to manufacturing – when it’s ready for mass distribution to end users.

5. General availability – self-explanatory.

A technical preview of Windows 10 was released yesterday, the day after the unveiling, aimed at experts who want to get a flavor of what’s it going to be like and who want to provide feedback to Microsoft to help shape features the final version will have.

Like many other experts,  yesterday morning I was constantly refreshing the website page that was supposed to contain the Technical Preview download link, scheduled for a 9 AM PDT release. Once the link in the page went live, I downloaded it, installed it, and took a look.

I don’t intend to post a detailed review at this point, mostly because at this stage there might be a considerable difference between what has been released and the final version.  But I will say this as a first impression: Like it less than Windows 7, more than Windows 8. But it definitely has potential. More detailed reviews on Windows 10 as it develops will follow over the next few months.

It is no secret that Windows 8 and 8.1 have been less than a rave success in the computer world. Predicted here and confirmed here a couple of years ago, it was no surprise to me.

Now the newest operating system looms in the horizon, to be released at some point next year, apparently, and hoping that Microsoft’s so far predictable pattern of getting it right every other version, will make this next one a good one.

Some of my readers have already started to ask me my viewpoint on it. So far the data available on what this newest operating system is or isn’t is mostly rumors, so don’t want to get into specifics at this time. Even its name, Windows 9, is not confirmed, although a recent slip of the tongue courtesy of the president of Microsoft France seems to make it likely to be the actual name.

In any case, what Microsoft has confirmed is an event on September 30 where most likely the next operating system will be announced.  “On September 30, we will be providing an update on what’s next for Windows and the enterprise.” was the exact event announcement.

Stay tuned for more once the event is held. And of course I plan to test the beta (early) versions of the new operating system as soon as it becomes available and provide my feedback on it.

For those who are at the verge of getting a new computer, my advice has not changed. Try to go with Windows 7 and avoid Windows 8/8.1. Once Windows 9 is released next year, IF worth upgrading to, it will most likely be able to be upgraded from Windows 7, thus avoiding the Windows 8 flop experience.