I'm paranoid, but I wouldn't unless you need to. Why are they giving it away for free? Microsoft never gives away anything for free. My paranoid understanding is the whole point of it is to put in so much tracking software that it's impossible to remove it all. One guy's post on what the software tells you it's recording is as follows:

Eh, I don't know anything about software, so I'm not the one to say if it's good or bad, but I have found that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is, and then how do you know you've gotten rid of everything if you decide you don't like it later?

 

I guess what really bothers me is the whole syncing your accounts bit. I mean, I really don't want the IT people at work being able to root around in what I'm doing at home because I have to log in to the network now and then. I'd really like to have some assurance from Microsoft that isn't possible before agreeing to have everything I do linked up by someone I don't know.

I've also found that some apps have a bad habit of returning to the "default" settings every time something updates, so I'd assume this will as well, and if auto update is turned on, will everything turn it self back on without telling you with each update? Who knows? I'm going to wait a bit and see. One probably won't have a choice when one buys their next computer anyhow, but might as well wait until someone else does the work figuring out what's going on.

 

I upgraded. But I was running under windows 8. Which, for me, was the worse. 10 is a mixture of 7 and 8.
Just keep in mind, some things won't run on 7 anymore.

 

I'm an IT guy and I have upgraded all my pc's to 10. Might as well cause it's free for the first year and then will cost. So better take advantage of it now. [MENTION=3655]Morgotha[/MENTION] IT guys can find out what your doing at home no matter what Windows your are on

 

From my understanding. It was free because of all the complaints about 8. I could be wrong though.

I never worry about being tracked by government. As long as you have a pay check, cell phone, or even get mail. The government can track you.

my only concern about the internet, is virus's. Which is why I have high security and change my passwords often.

 

I'm not worried about the government either, as I figure they already know everything they want to, and if nothing else, save everything and look at it later if they have a reason to. I *am* worried about individual criminals though, and if that data exists, sooner or later it will be used for criminal purposes.

 

Windows 10 is free is because Microsoft needs to ensure a healthy user base to entice develops to create Windows Store apps -- which are universal and compatible with their Windows Phone platform. One of biggest complaints about Windows Phone is lack of apps and they are playing catchup with iOS and Anrdroid on the mobile front. They also want people using Cortana which is powered with Bing and means ad $$$ for them.

I also believe free OS upgrades, are becoming the consumer norm expectation. OS X and iOS upgrades are now free. As is Android and Chrome OS.

Anyway, I think it's a good idea to eventually upgrade to Windows 10. It runs as smoothly as Windows 8/8.1 which ran better than 7. I believe the only thing you really lose with the upgrade is Media Center, which not too many people actually use. Microsoft is claiming Windows 10 is the LAST version of Windows. So you'll receive all future updates for free. Support for 7/8 will eventually get phased out.

 

I'm sure you've already made your decision, but for anyone asking themselves this question now, I'd say don't.

Ride windows 7 as long as you can. Windows 10 is great for tablets or tablet/laptop hybrids and netbooks.. but for real computer laptops it was horrible. I tried to downgrade using the utility windows 10 provided and it also caused a lot of errors on my machine, so I ended up having to do a clean reinstall to get windows 7 back.

there were many issues I had with 10, some more serious than others, but one issue (although not as serious) which really rubbed me the wrong way was the desktop advertising (albeit disguised) and the constant mining of info the OS commits (which is a bit more serious if you are private) unlike windows 7 its harder to customize the OS to avoid the things you dont like about it

 

there is always a choice, linux, apple, or unix are three alternatives (and No Im not an anti microsoft anti establishment type, I loved windows up until about windows 8, when I saw the direction microsoft was taking. I realized I needed something more desktop/production oriented, something more powerful) I have always used linux and unix over the years, but Microsoft has always been my main OS for most things.. if they wont commit to a desktop/workstation optimized OS Ill probably move on from microsoft

 

I'd been putting off the upgrade because Windows 7 is fine for me on my old laptop. Then, my iTunes started claiming it was updated when clearly it isn't because I can no longer sync my iPhone to it (it claims my iPhone can't use iTunes because it isn't the latest version, but when I go to "check for updates" in iTunes, it claims I'm updated).

So, I figured I'd bite the bullet and upgrade to 10, thinking that might be behind my iTunes problem... and I'm trapped on an infinite "starting download" screen.

I had to laugh. I had put off the upgrade for so long and now that I actually want to try it, it's giving me a giant middle finger.

So, whatever. Guess I'll ride this already old laptop until it's dead and then the next thing I get will already have 10 on it, so problem solved.

 

I thought this thread was about whether to walk around without pants. Disappoint.

 

Here's what we've done at the shop, at home and around our neighbor friends: get a hard-drive to clone C: Drive onto. Install the Clone (unplugging the old C: Drive and using its cables) and make sure it boots, runs, etc. Now, do the upgrade from Win7, 8, into 10.

Use it for a few days, a week, whatever. Make sure to get the current updates. The activation process and 'free update' will be done during this time.

We then disconnect the new Win10 C: and re-connect the old Win7/8 C: Drive and use that.

We find that Win10 is still flakey - the File Manager, a base system support tool - performs inconsistently from one update to the next. The Edge Browser is still in diapers. Shutting down telemetry and tracking has become predictable but we never count out Microsoft's ingenuity to take whatever they want from the unwilling and unwitting.

This "Clone C: Drive" idea is also an opportunity to move all of the User Data files to a secondary hard-drive so it's always preserved, independent of the OS version. As well as a good backup. We also do the Clean Install on Win10 systems for those that remain functioning, too. It's a pain to reload all software but, oh well, the system runs so much better without update patches for so many installed products.

Hard drives can be had for under $50. Looking for a great one? We use GoHardDrive, a seller of refurbs, and we get the most excellent results from the enterprise calibre Hitachi UltraStars. $50.

 

By the way, on the Clean Install of Win10 - Microsoft has made this pretty easy to do. You have to download the ISO (disk image) version of the Win10 Install DVD. Then burn that onto a DVD-R. It will be bootable IF the burn is successful - we use the excellent and free ImgBurn for that because it's verification-after-burn process is thorough and time-tested.

When Win10 is installed as an upgrade, you must create a Microsoft email account. Must. And should, at this point. Once you've upgraded to Win10, that email address stores key info about this rig, it's parts-ID, your Windows10 preferences, SERIAL NUMBER, Favorites. Nothing else. If you've got letters to Mom stored on C: Drive, well, you better have a backup elsewhere.

At this point, I've got a bootable Win10 DVD. I've got all the critical info stored out in Microsoft Outlook's "cloud" (cough cough).

I then disconnect the C: Drive (which is the Clone version of the Original C, setting both aside or left, disconnected in the case).

I insert some cheapo 120gb SSD ($30-40 - quality is UNIMPORTANT - just so long as it runs NOW). I insert the Bootable Win10 DVD and start up the PC. I boot to the DVD drive and select INSTALL (whatever the phrase is - NOT the "upgrade"). This will start the Win10 install on that teeny, clean SSD.

That will complete shortly. During this process, you'll be requested to type in the Windows Serial Number. SKIP THAT (I think the checkbox phrase may be something like, "Not right now").

Once Win10 reboots the PC, load in the Motherboard's Win10 drivers. (This is critical. The motherboard's original CD will have SATA, Video, Audio, HD, LAN drivers all specific to the parts built into the PC, but that CD will contain older versions, most likely - depending on the age of the PC itself. You should go out and retrieve the latest Win10 versions, and use those at this point. HOW WILL YOU KNOW? See if you can connect to the internet. If you can't, then your LAN drivers aren't updated to Win10 versions. Use another PC and snag the updates, therefore.)

Once Win10 log-in is successful and the internet connection is made, that Win10 Microsoft Outlook account will re-establish the machine's identity (based on hardware ID) and pass along that 'skipped' Win10 serial number and activate Win10, too.

When this process is completed, do all the WinUpdates. This can take a long LONG time. This is why God invented TV sets next to the computer workbench.

After all Win10 updates are done, then I pull that teeny SSD, label it carefully, pack it inside that case somewhere and re-install my Original Win7 C: Drive.

Now, I've got a Clone Hard Drive that's got the Win10 Upgrade done.

I've got an SSD that's got the Win10 Clean Install done.

Since I've used both of them, I know they both work. Now, I can re-use the Clone Hard Drive on another PC for this process. Over and over. Every 6 months, I open the case back up, reconnect the teeny SSD, get more Win10 updates and see how the progress of the operating-system's fixes are.