Windows 10 ... ?

[ChaMerZ]

Hello, for my pc gaming brothers, how has the switch to Windows 10 affected your gaming (if you have even switched at all)?

[Hush]

Haven't switched yet. Probably going to do a clean install once I can get my hands on an .iso. I haven't looked into how to get that vs just doing the in place upgrade from 7 or 8.

[ChaMerZ]

ya, when i do decide to do it, it will be a clean install. i upgraded to windows 8.1 from windows 8 and i wasn't a fan of how all of that was handled.

[Neuro]

the upgrade to windows 10 from 8.1 was ALOT better than the windows 8/8.1 updates

you actually can update through the windows update instead of the windows store which makes a huge difference in quality, so much smoother

i did not do a clean install because i didnt want to go through the hassle of backing up everything and puttin it all back on

the upgrade was fast and easy and i just went to my system clean up and got rid of 8.1


all in all if you dont want to waste time doing a clean install, the upgrade works great

[ChaMerZ]

the upgrade to windows 10 from 8.1 was ALOT better than the windows 8/8.1 updates

you actually can update through the windows update instead of the windows store which makes a huge difference in quality, so much smoother

i did not do a clean install because i didnt want to go through the hassle of backing up everything and puttin it all back on

the upgrade was fast and easy and i just went to my system clean up and got rid of 8.1


all in all if you dont want to waste time doing a clean install, the upgrade works great

so all your installed programs worked fine? no issues at all? cuz a clean install would be a MASSIVE inconveniece for me now that i think about it.

also setting upgrade issues aside from everything ... what are your initial thoughts on W10? Worth the hype? Also what is this I hear about privacy issues? Gives me the heeby jeebies.

[Hush]

Upgraded a couple of days ago. The Xbox One streaming works GREAT!

[Sigma]

Haven't switched yet. Probably going to do a clean install once I can get my hands on an .iso. I haven't looked into how to get that vs just doing the in place upgrade from 7 or 8.

Here's how to do a clean install. This assumes that your Windows 7/8.1 install is legit and activated and that you've backed all your shit up. Note that you must do an upgrade first - you can't go straight for a clean install.

1. Download the tool from THIS page. Run it and choose your language and Windows 10 version. You must select the correct version, e.g. if you've got the 64 bit version of Windows 7 Pro installed, you'll be downloading the ISO for the 64 bit version of Windows 10 Pro. Choose to download an ISO and let it do its thing.

2. Burn the ISO to DVD or create a bootable USB stick with RUFUS.

3. If you're running Windows 8.1, mount the ISO in Windows by right-clicking it and choosing "Mount". If you're running Windows 7, insert the DVD or attach the USB stick. Browse to setup.exe and run it. That will upgrade you to Windows 10.

4. Check that Windows 10 is activated. If it is, you can proceed to the next step.

5. Do a clean install by booting from your DVD or USB stick. When it asks you to enter a key, which it will do twice, skip those screens. When the Windows 10 installation is done and it boots into the desktop, it will activate automatically.

It works like this because Windows 10 doesn't use unique license keys. Instead, when you successfully upgrade, it ties Windows 10 to your hardware so you can do clean installs in the future without entering a key.

[Hush]

But what if my original Win7 install isn't legit? After the upgrade it does show 10 as being activated.

[Sigma]

Copy and paste this into Powershell and hit Enter: -

slmgr /xpr

A little box should pop up telling you some licensing info. What does it say?

[Hush]

Windows(R), Professional edition: The machine is permanently activated.

So I guess I'm good?

[Sigma]

I can't say for sure, but it looks like it.

[Hush]

I've been using the upgrade the past few days and haven't really had any issues, so I'm just going to roll with it for now. Nice to know I can do a clean install in the future though.

[Balzac]

^^^
Thats good to know. i've been holding off on the upgrade because my win7 isn't legit.

I think i'll roll the dice now.

[Hush]

I'm wondering if they're just willing to overlook all the pirated copies of Windows out there and go ahead and give people the free upgrade with the hope that they will generate extra revenue from the Windows app store, Office 365, OneDrive, the Xbox brand, etc.

I'm also guessing there are a bunch of people out there with pirated copies of Windows who don't even realize it (bought a computer from someone on eBay/Craigslist, a friend/family member set it up, etc.) and they don't want to cause those potential customers any grief.

[ChaMerZ]

had a few issues with the taskbar not working properly. looks like it is fixed but can't say for sure. aside from that my experience has been stellar.

[Sigma]

I like it a lot so far, although there are some minor bugs.

I think the "Windows as a service" approach is great, so it won't be like Windows 7/8 where you get monthly security patches and the odd new feature over the OS's lifetime via 1 or 2 service packs. They will be continually improving the product based heavily on user feedback. In fact, there's a feedback app built in that allows you to request features/changes, vote up other requests, or report bugs.

For me it's the best version of Windows so far. I liked 8.1 more than 7, but 8.1 still felt like 2 operating systems bolted together unless you stayed solely in the desktop environment. They've completely fixed that in 10 by allowing you to still use live tiles in the start menu if you want to and by giving modern apps the same window/UI controls as standard desktop software.

I think they've got the tablet mode right too. It makes the OS simple and intuitive to use on a tablet, which Windows 8.1 didn't get quite right. I think it makes a product like the Surface (or any transforming tablet/laptop device) a much more interesting prospect, cos you're now getting a really good desktop OS and a really good tablet one, rather than a mix of the 2 that was a little strange to use at times.

As far as gaming goes, so far all of the Steam games I've tried work fine. With some games, I get a short burst of static/white noise when I launch them, but then the game works fine. I'm not sure why that's happening, but I've found a bunch of people with the same issue. It's a little annoying, especially if you have your speakers/headphones cranked right up, but it's not a major problem.

The Xbox app is great too. You can stream your Xbox One to your PC or tablet. You can join parties with your Xbox and PC friends all at once, so you can voice chat even if you're just sitting at your computer. The Game DVR allows you to record PC game footage and share it to your activity feed for your friends to see, plus you can also easily download your Xbox One video clips and screenshots.