Windows 10 free version

[The Hat]

Why is it that guys will upgrade their iPhone to the latest models, costing hundreds of $ and yet never think of doing the same thing to their clapped out aging desktop computer and O/S.

The surge in malicious Emails doing the rounds is astonishing and can come from the many unprotected old O/S computers still active on the internet today.

Now I can hear the naysayers quibble with, it’s my computer so I can do with it what I like because it doesn’t harm any one else, but that’s the point, it most certainly does.

When the hacker gains access to your computer, they can not only FUBAR your system, but they can use your computer to launch even more malicious Emails to many other poor souls.

All of your contacts in your address book are stolen and then used to bombard each and every one of those names on that list for months if not years, because the hackers know that all of these contacts are live good active addresses that can then be sold on to other malware hackers to do the very same.

So come guys if you need an old computer to run your photo editing or printers, then keep it from accessing the internet and this will help enormously to cut down on the junk that’s clogging up the Email system..

 

[mikling]

Don't get me started on phone mania. Everyone standing in line looking and messing with their phone. Totally ignoring what's happening around them or speaking with other others. A couple goes to dinner in a formal setting and then they both bring out their phones while seated at the table while facing each other!!!!!! An intimate and romantic dinner. Oooops off topic.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

A question, guys. What's wrong with Windows 10 (besides the involuntary update)? And what's right with it? Briefly, please. I don't want to put you all to a lot of trouble (or me either ).

The reason? I've got all these cameras and I can't run any of the software for them. So I'm basically forced to pay the MS tax again.

I have to add, though, I have to be able to disable any phoning home, spying, or extortion from MS. And if my printers don't work, well, the computer gets returned. One other thing: I won't use the cartoon OS. It has to look something like XP, or I'll make some other provision.

 

[pharmacist]

There is a possibility to disable the forced update of Windows 10. Just have a google search. This way you can take of the updates yourself without any compulsory updates.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

a free operating system - against your personal data - that's the business model - as with Android

 

[Emulator]

Regarding comments about Windows and scammers making use of data on computers, I recommend users looking through their files, as I have just done and deleting any unnecessary, informative documents, scans and photos that they find. I was quite surprised at the number of leftover files that were better deleted for security purposes.

 

[mikling]

Many years ago, I came across an article about how to minimize using drives used for backup when they are on the same computer. Essentially the idea was that it was pointless and not good to spin up and turn drives on everyday if they were to be used solely for backup purposes. The solution was simple.....Get a Double Pole Single throw switch and then wire it into the 5 and 12 volt lines to the drives. Then install the switch on the PC case chassis somewhere. This way you could actually disable the drives so that they would not be used until you needed them. The data cables can be left connected. Of course you do the same by physically removing the power cables from the drives but that would be incovenient. So before and after use of the backup drives, you turn the switch on and then off.

Well the same can be done for the bootup drive...and this how you could use it to advantage...or even keep Win 7 and 10 out of each other's way. Wire up both drives to a double pole double throw switch. DPDT. This allows you to select which OS you want to boot into....or for security reasons. You could do all security related stuff.....banking etc on one drive and the everyday use on another. Throw the switch one way to do banking. Shut down computer. Throw the switch the other way and it is for everyday use. Two computers without the expense and very convenient. This is very easy to carry out and the switch to use can require a hole as small as 1/4" to mount on the chassis.

I still wonder why people have not marketed this setup. Happy computing. You don't need to cut any wires as you could purchase power splitters and extenders and modify those and just plug them in.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

you may use an external 2.5" USB 3.0 drive just when you run a backup, or you can use a docking station which takes 2 2.5" drives with individual power switches,
http://www.pearl.de/a-PX8510-1162.shtml
there a lots of different models of this type available, as well 2x2.5" into a 3.5" slot or 4 drives into a bigger slot. Hot swapping of SATA drives is possible depending on the BIOS settings with Win7.
So you can run different operating systems just by switching on the resp. drive.

 

[mikling]

Another reason for Win 10 upgrade. Faster command line execution. Not only is the GUI faster and more refined, eg. scaling on the desktop but the running of older command line code e.g. Argyll is actually faster. In my situation, what took 8 minutes is down to 6 minutes. To accomplish that with the same clock on the processor is really good.

 

[Vorkolor]

A problem with installing switches on hard drive power lines is that the neither the OS nor the bios expect disks to suddenly power up or down, so if you flip the switch by accident when the computer is on you risk data loss.