Does anyone use Windows 10?

[debby]

I had to buy a new computer as my old one is giving out on me.  I bought a Dell Inspirion, i-5 processor, 8 gb, 1T.  I am taking it to a computer person Monday to get the stuff off my old one and put it on new one. Yesterday, someone on Facebook stated they had been through h#!! with it and all it's apps.  He didn't state whether or not he went back to Windows 8 or is still using 10.  Did I make a mistake? I'm not super computer savvy, but I figured if you buy a new one, it's either going to be Windows 10 or 8.  Now I'm afraid when I get it home, I will be so confused with it I won't be able to use it.  Is it that bad?  Any thoughts or ideas you have, I'd appreciate it.  Scared to pick up my computer next week!  Thanks in advance.

Debby

[soybean]

Yesterday, someone on Facebook stated they had been through h#!! with it and all it's apps.

Hmm ... well, in my view, that type of reaction to Windows 10 usually indicates a user with vrey little competence.  Granted, I am an experienced user and  usually adapt rather quickly to new versions of Windows.  Anyway, I don't see Windows 8 being available in any brick-and-mortar retail stores now; Windows 10 is on all new systems. 

Microoft Edge, Microsoft's replacement for the older Internet Explorer browser, is significanlty different from Internet Explorer.  I suggest installing Firefox on a new system so that you immediately have an alternative to using Microsoft Edge.   Google Chrome is another option for a browser.

And, search for some Windows 10 tutorials on youtube.  Here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZqKyhfD7-E.  I only watched the beginning of it, which was enough to give me a favorable impression.  For more tutorials, just go to youtube.com and enter windows 10 tutorial in the search box.

[strollin]

I believe I have the same laptop you bought, Dell Inspiron 15 5000 (i5 cpu, 8GB RAM, 1TB hdd) with Win 10, typing this post from it.  I've had it about 6 weeks and have not had any issues with it.  I've been using Win 10 for quite a long time though since I started using it when the very first preview was released in Oct 2014.

I doubt you will have problems since your machine came with Windows 10 installed from the factory.  In my experience, those that have issues are those that upgraded to Windows 10 on machines running either Win 7 or Win 8 which is what's referred to as an "in-place" upgrade.  "In-place" Windows upgrades have always been problematic.  Sometimes issues come up because there was an existing unknown  problem with the previous OS installation that got carried forward and magnified during the upgrade.  It could also be due to Win 10 drivers not being compatible with Win 7/8 hardware. Lots of times (but not always) these issues can be fixed by doing a "clean install".  A "clean install" means to format the drive and install the OS on a clean disk.  This method deletes all previouly installed programs and data but is the surest way to get a successful install.

Windows 10 was installed using the "clean install" method at the factory on your laptop so you shouldn't need to worry about it.  In addition, the hardware in your new laptop was designed to run with Windows 10.

In addition to what Soybean recommended, I would like to point out that Win 10 may have other default apps that you may not care for but there is no reason why you can't install different apps and use them instead.  For instance, I don't care for the default mail app in Win 10 so I installed and use Windows Live Mail as my email client.  I use FireFox as my browser instead of the Edge browser and use VLC as my video player instead of the default video player.  I really don't use any of the apps that come with Windows 10 but there might be ones you like.  My point is that you aren't locked into the default apps, you're free to use or not use them as you like.

[debby]

I didn't buy a laptop, I got a desktop which has the same as yours has, Strollin.  You guys have made me feel a little better about it, but I do have a question as to which browser to use. Aren't there a lot of websites that don't support them, only will support IE? And Windows Live Mail sounds more what I would like to use as I am kind of used to that as it is on my husband's laptop.  He has Windows 7, but he's more computer stupid than me. Soybean, I'm not incompetent, just apprehensive. You know, lots of people, me, don't like change, but I'm sure I'll adjust. Thanks for your input!

Debby

[Allan]

I'm a bit confused. Doesn't W10 have BOTH Edge and IE? I have W10 on a couple of systems and they both have Edge and IE.

As for your last question debby, most websites support all major browsers (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Opera). You won't have any problems if you choose one of those.

[soybean]

I'm a bit confused. Doesn't W10 have BOTH Edge and IE? I have W10 on a couple of systems and they both have Edge and IE.

Yes, W10 has IE, although it's not on the taskbar by default, while Edge is on the taskbar by default.  At least, that is what I've seen with W10. 

IE can be found by opening All Apps, navigating down the list to the category of apps starting with W, clicking on Windows Accessories to open it, and then selecting IE from the list.   Alternatively, typing internet explorer, or at least part of the phrase, in the Search box to the right of the Start button will bring up Internet Explorer in the results list; from there, IE can be opened.  And, of course, it can be pinned to the taskbar for quick access. 

[Allan]

Thanks soybean, that's what I thought. Actually I was responding to your post above where you suggested installing Firefox so debby would have an alternative to Edge - but she already has one in IE. Anyway, thanks again for confirming.

[soybean]

Soybean, I'm not incompetent, just apprehensive. You know, lots of people, me, don't like change, but I'm sure I'll adjust. Thanks for your input!

Well, I was referring to the comments you saw on Facebook, not you.  You might encounter some frustration or minor roadblocks in the beginning of your use of W10 but some persistence will get you going fairly quick, I'd bet.  Some persistence with anything new is often the tactic that gets us over the hurdle; and, as I stated in my first reply, helpful info on W10 is readily available on the web.  I have always used a basic cell phone until about 2 months ago when I bought a smart phone with the Android operating system.  I'm new to Android and using a smart phone so I needed to spend some extra time getting familiar with it.  Expecting something new to immediately be comfortable and easy is generally not realistic, which is probably why many people react like those on your Facebook page.   

[debby]

Thanks you guys for the help.  Why can't I just use IE since I'm used to that?  Might help me over the hurdle of Win10.  I'm both excited and a little bit scared of my new venture, but I'm sure I will get it sooner or later.  You may hear a few cuss words in the air where you guys live, don't worry, it's just me!

[Allan]

You CAN use IE and there's no reason not to if you're used to it. And relax, it's just an operating system not a manual on nuclear physics. You'll get used to it very quickly.

[strollin]

Thanks you guys for the help.  Why can't I just use IE since I'm used to that?  Might help me over the hurdle of Win10.  I'm both excited and a little bit scared of my new venture, but I'm sure I will get it sooner or later.  You may hear a few cuss words in the air where you guys live, don't worry, it's just me!

As stated earlier, you can use whichever browser you wish to, you're not locked into the default apps.  You can easily set IE as your default browser by going to Settings->System->Default apps->Web browser and selecting Internet Explorer from the list.

[debby]

Okay - here I am with my new computer and Windows 10 with Edge. Definitely going to take Edge off and put IE on.  I'll do it tomorrow, very tired now, don't feel like doing much with it tonight.  I gotta figure out what is on here.  I took it to a computer shop today and they transferred all my stuff, now I just have to figure out how to use it.  All my pictures were on Windows Photo Gallery and this doesn't support it.  I went to the photos app on this and it doesn't seem like it wants to load my pictures onto it.  But then, that's the thing about being so computer incompetent - I probably can't do that, right?  I'll find out what I can and cannot do as the days progress.  Yeah, I know it's not nuclear physics, but to me all is clear as mud!  Thank you guys!

[Allan]

Utilizing classic shell (http://www.classicshell.net/), the W10 desktop and start menu will be almost identical to W7. If you're more comfortable with the way things used to work, you might want to give classic shell a try.

[debby]

Uh-oh, I think I have a problem.  Somewhere on this computer when I was looking around, I figured out how to get rid of Edge and then I go to IE and download the 11.  But I lost where I was and can't get back there.  How do I get rid of Edge and get IE?
I tried help, that didn't help!!

Debby

[patio]

You dont wanna get rid of edge...go online...then in browser preferences in the tool bar upper right corner set IE as the default browser...then reboot.

[soybean]

All my pictures were on Windows Photo Gallery and this doesn't support it.  I went to the photos app on this and it doesn't seem like it wants to load my pictures onto it. 

Windows 10 will support Photo Gallery.  I have it in my Windows 10 system.  I am not absolutely sure it came with Windows 10; I might got it by downloading.   Open All Apps and go down to the group of apps starting with P and see whether Photo Gallery is there.  If you don't have it, you can download Windows Essentials 2012, which includes Photo Gallery; this will work with Windows 10 even though the download page does not mention Windows 10 as one of the operating system it supports.

[strollin]

...  All my pictures were on Windows Photo Gallery and this doesn't support it.  ...

Shhh!  Don't tell my computers that are running Win 10 that they don't support Windows Photo Gallery as they are all happily using it instead of the default app.

See this article on how to change the default apps in Windows 10: http://www.howtogeek.com/223144/how-to-set-your-default-apps-in-windows-10/

[debby]

HELP! I've got IE11 but I can't change my homepage or start page to xfinity where I want it.  I changed the defaults, settings, anything I can find to change, but it just keeps opening MSN.  There is a setting that says MSN and I tried to get rid of it, but it won't go anywhere.  It's under settings on the little tool thing at the top right, and it will not change.  I can't delete it, I can't type over it, it just stays there.  What do I do?  Thanks guys!

[Allan]

Control Panel - Internet Options - General Tab

Enter the home page(s) you want, delete what you don't want and save

[debby]

I did that Allan - it is still not going to xfinity.  Now I'm trying to figure out how to set up email and I can't get rid of MSN.

[soybean]

I did that Allan - it is still not going to xfinity.  Now I'm trying to figure out how to set up email and I can't get rid of MSN.

Try this.  Go to the xfinity web page you want to make your home page. Close any other tabs so that the only website open in IE is xfinity.  Open the Internet Options panel, as Allan advised.  Click the Use current button below the box for Home page.  The xfinity web address should appear in the box. Also, make sure the box - actually, a circle - for Start with home page is checked.   Click Apply and click OK at bottom of the panel. The panel will close.  Close IE and restart it.  xfinity should appear. 

[debby]

I'm here with my new computer again and I love how fast it is. I do have a question about how you were telling me to go to make xfinity my home page.  I got it to do it, then somehow, when I downloaded AVG, AVG became my start page. I finally got xfinity back as my start page, but before it loads to xfinity, it comes up with a page that says blank in the address bar, then xfinity takes over with a new page.  I don't know how to get rid of that "blank" page.  Also, you know how you can pick the colors for your computer, on the task bar and up at the top around the address bar? I cannot for the life of me get the color on the top to show up.  I've done everything I can figure to do, but it is still white. The reason I don't like it white is it just kind of blends in with everything and I am not crazy about it.  Maybe having color up there since I've owned a computer makes me psychologically feel I need something to define the space around the address bar.  I know I'm picky, but you guys might know how to do this. I've been to help and searched my computer, and I did find where the colors are you pick, and the task bar at the bottom is blue, like I wanted, but not the top.  Am I missing something?  Thanks in advance.  I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!  (You can see I'm not busy today)

[patio]

Control Panel/Personalisation...

[debby]

Yeah, I know to go there, and I changed the color to blue, but like I said, it only changed the taskbar at the bottom but not at the top of the page.  Cannot figure out why.

[BC_Programmer]

It was only with a relatively recent update earlier this month that changing Window Titlebars was made available. It's possible that you don't have that latest update (Threshold 2). I seem to recall some kerfuffle with Microsoft taking it down from their update servers, but that may have been resolved.

[debby]

All right!  I did it!  I did updates and now I have color where I want it.  Now the address doesn't just fade in with everything else.  Thank you, BC_O\Programmer!

[debby]

Uh-oh, got another question. When I open my email and see the email, the pictures that should be there are little squares with an x in them.  How do you get the pictures to show up - I have Windows Live 2012.  Thank you!

[soybean]

Uh-oh, got another question. When I open my email and see the email, the pictures that should be there are little squares with an x in them.  How do you get the pictures to show up - I have Windows Live 2012.  Thank you!

See http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/view-images-that-windows-mail-blocked   I think you'll find the solution there.  Simply stated, you should see an option somewhere in Windows Mail to tell it to display the images in an email.

[debby]

Thanks, Soybean, but when I did what it said, I didn't have Tools, Options, Security, etc., on my Windows Live Mail. I'll research it some more.

[debby]

I got it - I found it.  It was in a different category on the list.  Now my pictures show up.  I love this new computer but Windows 10 does take some time to figure out.

[Geek-9pm]

...Windows 10 does take some time to figure out.

Is this a credible assertion?
Windows 10 is Great, Except for the Parts That Are Terrible
Sep 7, 2015 How To Geek 

[strollin]

... Windows 10 does take some time to figure out.

To be honest, the majority of stuff you have been asking about is general Windows stuff, not specific to Windows 10 at all.  You would have encountered these same issues if your new computer had come with XP, Win 7 or Win 8 rather than Win 10.

[debby]

And you're probably right, Strollin, but it has been so long (I have had my other computer for 10 years I think) that I forgot a lot of what I'm asking and the fact it is shown in a different way that I am unfamiliar with and afraid to hit the wrong key or click on something I shouldn't.  I guess I'm not giving myself enough time to "learn" it and less time making it like the old one was.  Some of the things I have tried to change are not on here or else not as easy to find. But thanks to all of you, you all have been very patient with me and helped me a lot.  There was definitely new stuff I learned, I even saved some of the websites on Favorites in case I need to look at them again.  Hopefully, at this point, I got it going relatively smoothly.  Well, except I was playing Mahjong and a pop-up came on and said there was a problem with the driver, then almost as soon as it closed my game, it came on saying it was fixed.  Now, that I DO NOT understand.  But I'll get it!

Debby

[Coco147]

The more you use, the familiar you will be with it. I was also afraid of being not able to use my first iPhone. After some time, I can use it very well. I had used Windows 10 for a while on my another computer. I found this operating system is pretty good and very easy to perform. Don't hesitate. Windows 10 is the trend.