Topic by Figment 2015-07-02 10:43:31

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When I heard that the start menu was returning in Windows 10, I started wondering if I should hold off on installing Windows 7 to my new SSD and wait for Windows 10. The question was and is; are there any features in Windows 10 that aren't in Windows 7 that would make it worth buying?

To that end I googled "Windows 10 vs Windows 7" and found this page:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/ … -windows-7

On this page I found:

Even at this early stage we’ve established that Windows 10 is a good deal better than Windows 8 for most desktop PC users. But what if you’re still using Windows 7? Microsoft may be offering a free upgrade to Windows 10, but should you take it or should you stick with what you know?

right now we don’t know how much a standalone copy of Windows 10 will cost, but the big news is that it will be free to upgrade from either Windows 7 or 8 for the first year of Windows 10’s life.

Is this real?

In the past you could install an upgrade edition of Windows to a clean  system, if you had the CD or DBD from prior version of Windows that qualifies as upgradeable. I wonder if the installers still do that. If so, this might be worth looking in to. Otherwise, I'll just buy a full version that can be installed to a clean drive.

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Reply by brad 2015-07-02 13:30:15

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Hi.

As far as i know it is real. I got a icon appear on my taskbar saying get windows ten. You can get it for free for now. I'm not sure how long it will last though so bets to hurry if you want to get it.

I'm gone for real :)

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Reply by aaron 2015-07-02 14:31:14

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Hello,
I can confirm that it's definitely real, Microsoft are finally seeing some sense.

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Reply by Figment 2015-07-02 16:14:56

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I've never seen, or heard, that button. Is your copy of Windows an OEM edition, that came pre-installed on your computer, or did you buy it separately?

I have a feeling that the free upgrade may only apply to retail editions of Windows.

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Reply by brad 2015-07-02 17:36:21

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hi.

I bought it a while back.

I'm gone for real :)

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Reply by patjk 2015-07-02 20:34:42

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Check your notification area. How it works is I believe you sign into your Microsoft account when installing, and once it's activated, you have a free copy you can clean install after burning it to dvd or a usb stick.

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Reply by turtlepower17 2015-07-03 07:16:00

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I don't usually like to hijack threads, but I have a question about that notification in the system tray. Is there some way I can get rid of it? I have no plans to upgrade, at least not until it has been out for a good while, and I can get a good balance of positive and negative reviews, from both a sighted and blindness perspective.
But I am really sick of seeing that icon. Luckily, it barely takes up any system resources. But I've tried to get rid of it with no success. When I hide the notification, it comes back upon reboot. When I end the process in task manager, the icon remains in the system tray. I've ended both gwx.exe and TrustedInstaller.exe.
My boyfriend said that he heard there was a Windows update you can uninstall to make it go away, but he wasn't sure of the exact name of it. Is this true, and if so, what is it called?

The glass is neither half empty nor half full. It's just holding half the amount it can potentially hold.

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Reply by Figment 2015-07-03 10:10:50 (edited by Figment 2015-07-03 10:26:29)

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@patjk;

The only Microsoft account I know of that I have was from their old passport system. I bought this laptop used/refurbished, the seller provided the Windows 7 that was installed on it, Dell originally shipped it with XP. The seller must have activated Windows because as far as Microsoft is concerned, its an activated, legal copy. Windows XP had a feature where Windows could sign on to your Microsoft Passport account when it started up. Does Windows 7 have a similar feature?

@turtlepower17 ;

Since it's free, I'd get it anyway. Nobody says that just because you have it, that you have to use it. Then later, if you decide to upgrade to it, you'll already have it.

Microsoft wrote:

tab panel start Can I turn off the notifications?
Yes. Click “Customize” in the System Tray and turn off the Get Windows 10 app notifications in the menu that comes up.

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Reply by Figment 2015-07-03 12:17:03

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According to Microsoft, anyone that uses Windows Update and has a genuine (legal) and activated copy of Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, on a machine capable of running Windows 10, will automatically get the "Get Windows 10" app that they can use to reserve their copy of Windows 10. After Windows 10 is released on July 29th, everyone that has a genuine and activated copy of Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 will get the app to get their free upgrade. Apparently, just in case the automatic compatibility check fails, you won't have to pass that test to get a free upgrade. You only have to pass the compatibility test to reserve your upgrade prior to the Windows 10 release.

Also, it sounds like when you reserve your upgrade to Windows 10, the hardware information of the machine you use to reserve the upgrade is sent to Microsoft's activation servers, so the Windows 10 key you get will already be assigned to that machine. It also sounds like upgrade requested after the Windows 10 release, won't be pre-assigned, so you can order a free upgrade from a machine other than the one it is going to be used on.

The version of Windows 10 will be the same as the Windows you ordered the upgrade from. So if you order the upgrade from a Windows Home Premium system, you'll get Windows 10 Home.

A couple of months ago, I heard on the news that Microsoft was abandoning Internet Explorer so Windows 10 would not ship with one. All that would be provided was a minimal browser called Startan who's only purpose in life would be to download your choice of Chrome or Firefox or some other browser you like. Microsoft must have changed their minds, because now they say that Windows 10 will come with a browser, something new they call Edge.

Sounds to me like they're a bit confuse over there in Belview. :\

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Reply by cw 2015-07-03 21:58:54 (edited by cw 2015-07-03 22:00:52)

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It sounds like listening to windows weekly may be of help here. From what I understand, windows 10 will have IE for backwards compatibility, but edge is going to be the future built in browser for windows. Of course MS needs to get there PR act together. I am personally not too sure when or if I will upgrade. I am assuming that I will based on some need, but we shall see what that need is. From the bits I heard on main menu, accessibility has improved. One limiting factor at this time is the band with that I currently have. Trying downloading windows on a 3 MBPS connection and you will know what I mean. Add to that, the connection is sometimes as slow as dial up, but thankfully that isn't always the case. Anyway, hope that helps.

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
DropBox Referral

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Reply by turtlepower17 2015-07-06 03:16:11

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I think I heard that Edge is not currently accessible with JAWS, but I haven't heard whether it will be with NVDA or not. Either way, Jaws 17 will be out soon, and I imagine FS will at least attempt to address that.

The glass is neither half empty nor half full. It's just holding half the amount it can potentially hold.

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Reply by Figment 2015-07-06 05:51:56

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@Turtle;

I agree, in fact I believe that the who point behind JAWS 17 is to address any Windows 10 accessibility issues they identify.

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Reply by Figment 2015-07-06 20:49:13

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If you, like me, aren't getting the notification to reserve you free upgrade to Windows 10, according to Microsoft, the app determines your eligebility for the free upgrade and if you don't pass the test you won't be offered the chance to reserve your upgrade prior to the release of Windows 10. However; once Windows 10 is released on July 29th, everyone that has a legitimate copy of Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, will be offered a free upgrade to Windows 10.

So, I guess I'll just wait until after the 29th.

I will say this, if I'm not offered a free upgrade, I'm not upgrading to Windows 10, I'll just keep using Windows 7.

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