I was told that I could have my W10 OS completely gutted out and a W7 OS installed, giving me the equivalent of my lovable old W7 computer in the W10 shell! I would of course have to first save my 300 pictures on a thumb drive before having the switchover done. I have the Total Tech Support servicing contract to allow this at no extra cost. Hal
Hal, I doubt that tech support will remove Win10 and install 7, because 7 is now obsolete and has no updates or support from Microsoft. They will more than likely install the Open Shell (which used to be called Classic Shell), which will allow you/them to customize 10 look like 7. https://www.thewindowsclub.com/make-windows-10-look-like-windows-7 Be aware that whatever customization you had on your old machine will still not be on your new one.
Hal, it looks like you’ve been doing just fine so far. Keep what you have, learn more about it and I think you will find you’ll be better off in the long run. Heck, if I could have Win 98 back and stay half way current I’d be ecstatic but that’s just not in the books. Read what @Beth Gallagher wrote and take heed. She hasn’t steered you wrong yet!
Newbie here. Like many people I have no desire to play any more of Microsoft's games, especially Windows 10 operating system. Anybody into Linux? If so, what is best way to learn it? I got Linux Mint loaded at PLUG (Phoenix Linux Users Group) but haven't had time to learn it, nor have I found a good tutorial source.
I realize that W7 will no longer be supported by Microsoft after Jan. 14, 2020. Maybe I can just buy a USED W7 computer...I still have the Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, and Speakers from my trusted old W7 machine..... Harold
Howdy and welcome. I am not familiar with Linux, but I'd suggest going to youtube and searching for Linux tutorials. Good luck.
Hello, and welcome to the forum, @Ron Simpson ! We just had another 75+ solo snowbird (@Bryan Leak ) join the forum recently, as well; wondering if you two might know each other ? Looking forward to hearing more about your snowbird lifestyle ! As far as your question about Linux, I don’t know anything specific either, but from what I have been told, and read about a Chromebook, they can also use a Linux system. They are supposed to be one of the simplest machines that a person can use for a computer, with no problems with either a virus or updates, and they don’t use Windows at all. A Chromebook is a Google device, and runs with Google’s operating system. It is not as complex as a regular laptop/desktop, but for a person who just wants to do basic online surfing and checking email, watching YouTube videos, participating in forums, etc; it is both cheap and easy to use. Several people here have a Chromebook (and that is what was recommended for @Hal Pollner instead of the Windows 10 that he has so much frustration with), and the people who use a Chromebook seem to really like them. I had one, and it was really easy to use, but I gave it to a relative who needed an easy laptop to use online, and he just loves it.
@Bobby Cole, I really appreciate your encouragement and support! When you say I've been doing fine so far, it gives me the incentive to keep on trying! Since I have supporters like you and @Beth Gallagher, I know I'll eventually get where I want to go, even though I may stumble along the way! Thanks to all who sincerely try to help me! Hal
One thing to always remember, Hal, there is software and sometimes monitors, keyboards, etc. that won't work with an older Windows. Generally, each thing comes with its own software and may or may not be used with an older Windows program.
I have an old laptop with Linux Mint that I played with every now and then, but the last time I tried it, the video display was all off. I have a desktop with Linux Ubuntu but I am not overly familiar with either of them because I usually use one of my Macs. I believe the Chromebooks use the Chrome OS, don't they? If so, the Chrome OS is a Linux-type operating system, and the macOS isn't so different, being based on Unix, as is Linux.
You can do it, Hal... you are no dummy!! You'll be a pro in no time. I remember after having Windows 10 for a couple of months (kicking and screaming and talking ugly), I powered up my old Windows 7 machine and found myself unfamiliar with it. So we slowly become acclimated and move forward! I'd suggest keeping a notepad next to your computer to write down simple instructions that you can refer back to when needed. I still can't remember all the keyboard shortcuts, especially when I swap between a Windows laptop and a Macbook... so I have a couple of sticky notes to remind myself.
When I switched from Windows to a Mac, I was lost. Stuff I could do in a browser was fine because there's nothing intimidating about Safari, but other things were confusing. My wife and I switched at the same time, and I know she called tech support to find out how to delete a program that she had installed by mistake, and was pleasantly surprised by the answer - drag it to the trashcan. I bought a book on Macs, and I did get some good ideas from it, but mostly I figured it out through trial and error. I don't use Windows 10 much so I am not an expert on it, but I didn't have much trouble finding what I needed during the times that I did use that computer. Everything seemed to be there, although some things were in different places and other things looked different from other versions of Windows.
I'm not an expert on any OS, but I'm not afraid to toy with 'em. I have been a Windows user since the 1980s, so I still get frustrated with a Mac. (My using a Mac makes Hal's struggles more relatable to me.) Even though everyone else in the world says a Mac is "so much easier," I disagree. I like the Macbook but 9 times out of 10 I'll pick up my Windows laptop because I prefer the familiarity of it. In another life I was a systems analyst and "grew up" in the brave new world of personal computing, from ye olde VM terminals and command language of yesteryear. I will pretty much do anything to a windows machine because I know I can whip out my system disk and reload the sucker if I get it all putzed up. This week I did a BIOS update and there was a whole lotta cussin' going' on.
As an addendum to my post above re: BIOS update. I took the time out of my busy schedule to blast a scathing email to Dell Computers, which I'm certain they will regard with disdain if they regard it at all. I cannot for the life of me figure out WHY they think the average computer user should be tasked with updating BIOS and other OS features. What the hell, Dell???? If anything should go wrong... and it will, the user is left with a mine field of reloading, tweaking, resetting, restoring from backup, etc, that they have limited (if any) knowledge of. Frustrating as hell, and I'm fairly proficient. I just don't want to spend my time on such B.S. The End.
Thus ends another Session of the United Nations, presided over by Secretary General Bobby Cole and Chairman Beth Gallagher. Harold I. Pollner