windows 10

Infopackets Reader Sam T. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have clicked on the 'Get Windows 10' app in my tray bar and it still says it's reserved. I read that I can force the upgrade by using entering 'wuauclt.exe /updatenow' in the command prompt -- ... however, I keep getting a message that Windows 10 Upgrade Failed, with error code 80240020. I searched for 'windows 10 upgrade failed 80240020' on Google and have read a number of posts, but I can't seem to figure out how to make this work. I keep getting an access denied error. Can you help? " My response: Many ... (view more)

Windows 10 is now available. While there's no immediate rush to get it (the upgrade is free for another year), here are some of the basics to know if you're thinking of trying out the new system. Can I get Windows 10 right away, or do I have to ... wait? Many users are still waiting for Windows 10 to download to their computer, even though they have reserved their free upgrade using the 'Get Windows 10' app via the tray bar. It is possible, however, to forcefully download Windows 10 directly from Microsoft's website as an in-place upgrade or as an .ISO, which is used to create a bootable ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 users will be able to block or undo some updates to the system. It's a minor exception to the recently-instated policy that all updates are mandatory. In previous editions of Windows, users have always had the ... choice of whether or not to download a new feature or security update, including whether or not it was installed automatically, or manually. Last month Microsoft raised eyebrows when a page on its site revealed that users of the Home edition -- the one aimed at the general consumer market -- will have all updates downloaded automatically. The ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jessy R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I reserved my free copy of Windows 10 using the 'Get Windows 10' app in the tray bar, but now I'm not sure if I should go through with the upgrade. I think I might wait a bit to see what the ... response is from the general public before I upgrade to Windows 10. Question: if I cancel my reservation, can I reserve Windows 10 again later? I was about to cancel the reservation the other day but the message box said that I might miss out on the offer to get the free upgrade. What can I do? " My response: If you cancel the ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Meagan S. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your coverage on Windows 10. I plan to upgrade to Windows 10 but I prefer to do a clean install, rather than in-place upgrade. I say this because I would much rather start from a clean ... slate, rather than worry that bugs from my previous Windows install might port over onto my new Windows 10 upgrade. So my question is: can I do a clean install of Windows 10 using a Windows 7 or 8 license? If I download the Windows 10 ISO and format my hard drive, how will Microsoft know that I am in fact upgrading to Windows 10, and therefore ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed it will support Windows 10 for at least ten years. The statement answers some questions, but raises other queries. The confirmation comes via a change to Microsoft's Windows lifecycle fact sheet . That's the page that ... explains exactly when it plans to stop offer support for each of its operating systems. The listed dates for Windows 10 are October 13, 2020 for the end of mainstream support and October 14, 2025 for the end of extended support. (Source: microsoft.com ) Although XP's support was extended several times (owing largely to the reluctance of many ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Patricia C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have successfully reserved my copy of Windows 10 using the 'get windows 10' app on my desktop. I am having second thoughts about whether or not Windows 10 will install properly, so I'm not sure ... if I should cancel it . I might just wait for the Windows 10 ISO, so I can do a clean install . Question: if I go ahead and let Windows 10 install through Windows Update (which is due July 29), how will it be installed? Will Windows 10 be installed automatically? If the install fails will I be able to get my files back? " My ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Susan K. writes: " Dear Dennis, With regard to the free Windows 10 upgrade : will I receive Windows 10 32-bit, or Windows 10 64-bit, or will I have a choice? I ask because I am currently running Windows 8 32-bit and I'd like to ... upgrade to Windows 10 64-bit. A friend of mine told me that the 64-bit Windows is faster. Can you tell me what is the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 10? " My response: As with all previous versions of Windows, you can only change the operating system architecture (for example: from Windows 7 32-bit to Windows 10 64-bit) if ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Larry O. writes: " Dear Dennis, In regard to the free upgrade to Windows 10, I am confused as to which version of Windows 10 I will receive. I currently have Windows 8.1 Pro on my PC; will I get Windows 10 Pro? What is the ... difference between Windows 10 and Windows 10 Pro? " My response: This is a frequently asked question, so I will provide the answer for all PC users with Windows XP to 8. Windows 10 Home vs Pro First and foremost, there are two major consumer versions of Windows 10: Home and Pro. Windows 10 Home is targeted toward casual or "everyday" ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Rob B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a Dell D630 laptop and an Acer Aspire One D-150 that I managed to install Windows 7 on. The Dell laptop is Windows 7 64-bit, while the Acer is Windows 7 32-bit. So far neither of the computers ... have shown the 'Get Windows 10' app in the tray bar, while my main machine (an Asus with an Intel core i7) says it is ready for the Windows 10 upgrade. I was hoping to use one of the other laptops to put Windows 10 on, but I get the feeling that they are missing something necessary in their CPUs to allow installation. I should also ... (view more)