Windows 10 Advice

First of all the previous posts here have been read and the latest updates on the subject I believe were posted in August. I was going to post on the previous threads, but did not want to pollute them.

I am a greenhorn when it comes to computers, much less ewaste. To give you an idea, when others talk about changing 10 - 12 security settings, I am not sure which ones need to be changed. My laptop is four years old and running slow. This machine is running Windows 7. I have Norton Utilities to keep it clean. IE, Firefox, and Google Chrome all cut out on my machine and I have to reboot. What is the latest thoughts on Windows 10 and should I consider upgrading? I am asking the experts here because when I do Google searches, I do not understand 1/4 of what is said on computer forums. There is only one entity that knows everything, the rest of us have to depend on each other.

I would appreciate any insights.

First of all I would get rid of norton. Its the main reason your machine is running slow. Its a system hog. I run Avast its free for home users and I have never got any virus and I have been using it for years. On the windows 10 update. Unless your laptop can run 8GB of ram I wouldnt upgrade it to 10. Windows 10 is also a system hog. Thats my 2 cents.

I have reservations on the upgrade from 7 to 10. I have upgraded two computers so far.

The first is my laptop, it is an ASUS with 6gb ram, 460gb SSD (hard drive) and was a Windows 8 machine from the factory. When I got it the hard drive was trashed and the former owner's dog had chewed on the battery. The upgrade was done in August of this year and is a daily use computer. So far I had one failure to install on an up date but was able to resolve it by watching a youtube video. I think Microsoft should be responsible for doing the fixes and distributing easy to understand how to videos. If some random folks on youtube can do it why not Microsoft??

The second computer I upgraded was a tower I got that has a Quad Core AMD cpu, 6 gb ram and had no hard drive. I did a new installation of Windows 7 and then install Ubuntu so I ended up with a dual operating system computer. At start up I choose which operating system to use, Windows or Ubuntu.

This is a daily use computer in my ebay business and I rely on Ubuntu almost entirely.

I did the upgrade on this computer because it had gone well with my laptop that had started life as a Windows 8 machine. On 2 different occasions Updates failed and the computer shut down with messages from Microsoft stating that information was being sent to them from my computer about the shut down.

Now it happened a third time and I am going to look into reverting back to Windows 7.

Because of my situation I don't rely on Windows for my business computers and only need Windows rarely. I will not be upgrading my third computer to Windows 10. (my third computer uses Ubuntu and Windows 7 and tests hard drives).

So my problems with Windows 10 may revolve around having two operating systems on my computer or the guy who installed them, me. So I suggest spending more time with this thread and watching youtube videos and reading reviews and comments on other sites.

The issues you are having with how slowly your computer operates. Personally I HATE Norton. Secondly I would go to "Control Panel" "Remove Programs" and read the list. DO NOT remove any program unless you are certain what it is and if you don't use it then get rid of it.

I am not an expert but I have cleaned up a lot of computers and I find there are a lot of unused programs, many of which start automatically which slows you computer at start up.

Seriously consider installing Ubuntu operating system. If you should want to discuss this via phone pm me. I'm retired and do have some free time. 73, Mike(sorry I went on so long)

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Originally Posted by PartTimeScrapper

First of all I would get rid of norton. Its the main reason your machine is running slow. Its a system hog. I run Avast its free for home users and I have never got any virus and I have been using it for years. On the windows 10 update. Unless your laptop can run 8GB of ram I wouldnt upgrade it to 10. Windows 10 is also a system hog. Thats my 2 cents.

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I have been selling Towers upgraded to 10 for about 2 months online.........Only one return (HD FAILURE).......No complaints but have not got much positive feedback either (I GUESS NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS).........When I upgrade them from 7 it does seem to make the units slower and the people buying them may just be downgrading back to 7 (DON"T KNOW).........Overall I'm not really impressed with 10 and it appears 7 will be around for a LONG time until Microsoft finally forces it out like xp.......GOOD news is we have until 2020 until 7 is not officially supported anymore

Ok I'm not tech expert but I think I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to sales and marketing. I'm going to try and explain why upgrading software an a computer system is not always a good thing. The example I will use is the iPhone series.

You have an iPhone 5 and it works fine. Fast and no glitches. Apple comes out with an upgraded program to download onto your iPhone 5. But at the same time Apple comes out with the iPhone 6. The upgrade program comes already loaded on the 6, but is compatible with 5. The iPhone 6 is more powerful and more room to store the larger data with this program. The upgrade is larger, data wise. When you download the upgrade to you iPhone 5, the larger data that comes with it slows your 5 down, way down. It will seem sluggish and out of date. So people go and buy the IPhone 6, because they think their iPhone 5 is old and out dated.

What Apple dosen't tell you is your iPhone 5 is fine, it's the upgrade that made your phone run poorly.

Same concept with computers.

If that made sense, there's todays lesson in advanced marketing. Of course there is a lot more to it but thats the general idea.

I service computers as part of my job. Honestly, there is no way that I'd go to Windows 10. Here's some reasons:

1. I have an Asus laptop in for repair. The owner upgraded from 7 to 10, and it screwed up her E-Mail. She tried to go back to Windows 7, and did so. There were still issues, so she did a system restore. Bad idea- she lost all of her data (Including 5 years of business records). She didn't have a backup, so she's in a very, very bad spot.

2. There is nothing that I can see that Windows 10 does better than Windows 7. It's not faster, it doesn't look better, and it doesn't have extra functionality that matters to most users.

3. The privacy settings are atrocious.

4. You can't disable automatic updates easily. It can be done through disabling services, but it's not a good method. We have a term for automatic updates in this job: We call them "job security"

5. Windows 7 is supported for over 4 more years. By that time, you'll probably be replacing the computer anyways.

Personally, I have two computers running Windows 8, with Classic Shell on both. I'm keeping them on 8, because it does what I need. When the support ends for 8, I'm switching to an all-Linux machine lineup. I don't really have much use for 10.

< /Rant>

I will back up the statements that one of the MAIN issues you have with slow response is NORTON...one of the single WORST memory hogs out there. Avast is great as is AVG (I run AVG on most machines I have or service), but I also run Spybot Search and Destroy. You should see a MARKED improvement by getting rid of Norton. I also would check to see what is running in your system tray (lower right hand corner)...there might be a bunch of crap running in the background when you boot that is taking up memory. You can also pull up the task manager and (assuming you kinda know what you are looking at) see the programs and processes that are running. This will also give you a clue. Other things would deinstall ALL bloatware (ie like Dells "tools" ect)...they are a POS, every one of them. When I get a new drive/computer, I ALWAYS do a fresh install, NEVER an upgrade....WAY WAY fewer issues, plus it cleans out all the residual SH$% that computers just get when you install deinstall or upgrade different programs.

You can also defrag your hard drive, get rid of stuff you don't need (windows>accessories>system tools>disk cleanup)....you would be surprised at the stuff on there that you can clean out....it can make the computer run 100-200% faster sometimes.

Hope that gives you a start ;)

Agreed- dump Norton. You'll get a wide variety of favorites on anti-virus software (I personally like BitDefender Free, for the record), but Norton is very commonly regarded as the worst. It's very intensive.

Also, see how much RAM you have. If your computer is low on memory, a cheap upgrade will have you flying!

While I don't run windows 10, I do run norton and while it is a memory hog It should not slow down the computer to the point it's useless especially if all your doing is web browsing and watching youtube videos, not enough to notice a large difference anyways, on startup yes it does effect the performance.
ccleaner and a defrag and reboot your modem may help you a bit, If it were me I would wipe the laptop and start fresh. I would recommend this if your upgrading your OS anyways. If it didn't clear up the issue then maybe norton is to blame, but I seriously doubt it.
I can run several websites at once with videos and music on a dell inspiron laptop with an i3 and 4gb ram.
not a computer tech, just a suggestion.
+1 on matador's suggestion your system specs would help :)

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Originally Posted by NHscrapman

While I don't run windows 10, I do run norton and while it is a memory hog It should not slow down the computer to the point it's useless especially if all your doing is web browsing and watching youtube videos, not enough to notice a large difference anyways, on startup yes it does effect the performance.
ccleaner and a defrag and reboot your modem may help you a bit, If it were me I would wipe the laptop and start fresh. I would recommend this if your upgrading your OS anyways. If it didn't clear up the issue then maybe norton is to blame, but I seriously doubt it.
I can run several websites at once with videos and music on a dell inspiron laptop with an i3 and 4gb ram.
not a computer tech, just a suggestion.
+1 on matador's suggestion your system specs would help :)

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You might be surprised on the amount of ram that Norton takes up. Once you are up and running with a few browser windows open, do as I suggested and look at the task manager. You should be able to find it pretty easily as it will be the largest number after your browser.

I AGREE wholeheartedly on checking the amount of ram you have. I have "fixed" machines by just changing out or adding a CHEAP stick of 8gb.

8GB!? I've seen plenty of machines with Windows 7 that have only 2GB of RAM. Boosting them to 4GB is like going from a 4 cylinder engine to a V10!

If you have a really low amount of RAM (Like 2GB), just running Windows, Anti-Virus, and Chrome will consume all that you have available. More RAM is like increasing payload capacity in a truck (If you legally could). If you have no capacity, you can't haul any weight (programs).

When doing as webuyselltradestuff suggested, I prefer looking at the resource monitor.
I'm using 50% each of ram and cpu available.
with less than 4gb of ram I could see how a computer may run slowly using Norton.
Norton is a hog I will not argue that point, The wife uses this laptop more than me and is not fond of manually cleaning the system on a regular basis.
hence auto protection lol
McAfee may be a better alternative as I hear it's requires less resources run and gives you worry free safety.
All points in this thread are very good that's for sure.

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Originally Posted by mikeinreco

GOOD news is we have until 2020 until 7 is not officially supported anymore

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Originally Posted by matador

5. Windows 7 is supported for over 4 more years.

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Actually, mainstream support for Windows 7 has ended. In other words, you won't be able to call Microsoft for free help if you run into an issue with Windows 7. It's now on extended support, which means it will continue getting security updates until 1/14/2020. I'm sure you guys know that, but a lot of folks might not know what you mean by support.

Microsoft's support is useless, anyways! :D

True point, though. For the average user, you'd never call in anyways. I'm a member on a few tech forums that will always know the answer, and if all else fails, I am the repair show ;)

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Originally Posted by NHscrapman

McAfee may be a better alternative as I hear it's requires less resources run and gives you worry free safety.
All points in this thread are very good that's for sure.

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For paid antivirus, I've personally seen a lot of people swear by Kaspersky. I'd give it a look.

You think you have problems... I'm still running Windows Vista.

I just replaced my last Vista machine two weeks ago. That operating system had really no redeeming qualities- Microsoft should have given a free upgrade to 7 for anyone who got stuck with Vista.

I'm not sad to not be using a Vista machine anymore!

There are also some free tools I have used over the years that seem to work very well. I will post the links because there are decoy programs that are malicious that try to trick you into downloading. Make sure all of your programs are closed prior to starting the program as open programs can hold malicious programs open in memory (I restart and open the programs before I open anything and then let it do its work).

One is Malwarebytes... https://downloads.malwarebytes.org/file/mbam_current/ Use the free program (although I have considered buying because I use it often). Install, update,run. Do as recommended by the program. Restart.

Download Spybot search and destroy. http://www.spybotupdates.biz/files/spybot-2.4.exe Update, run scan (delete the temp files it wants to delete prior to the start of scan). Allow scan to finish, remove found files. It may say that some files are still active and must be removed at restart. Restart. Remove any found files. I use the immunization. Make sure the immunization is current and click immunize. It will scan for immunization and find the open holes. Once done, click immunize and it will block know programs from exploiting known holes.

These programs take some time to clean, so don't do it right before you are expecting a happy birthday skype from your grandchildren.

I use these programs to keel all my computers clean and to clean computers I have bought used before I trust them. I have not had any problems other than TrendMicro paid wanting to uninstall prior to their installation. I then reinstall with no issues. These tools will clear all of your cookies so you will have to sign into all of the sites you visit that automatically log you in.

If you are concerned, wait and see if anyone has any issues with the programs I have referred and make your decision. These programs have made impossible machines into daily use machines for me.

Good luck.

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Originally Posted by pjost

You think you have problems... I'm still running Windows Vista.

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I recommend you try using Ubuntu with this computer. I have found the old Vista computers are very good using it. You will need to choose which version to use 32 or 64 bit which is dependent on the computer it self. Google the cpu and see if it supports 64 bit or only 32 bit operating systems.

Once you are using Ubuntu on a daily basis you may find, like me, to prefer it over Windows Vista-Windows 10.

There is lots of youtube videos about Ubuntu. 73, Mike

I have a dual boot computer myself, with Windows 7 and Linux Mint. I use Mint more than Windows, especially for getting on the internet. Even though Linux isn't as susceptible to viruses as Windows is, I do have a program called ClamTK to check for viruses every now and then just in case I need to share a file with someone who only uses Windows. While I also would encourage others to get on the Linux bandwagon, I also think it's important that you know that fixing issues with a Linux OS, on average, can be a bit more complicated than with Windows. You have to learn to do a little programming.

Good advise Miked. That is exactly what I am doing (thanks to Matador). Like you I have a dual boot setup. I still need a Widows computer to run 3 programs. Stamps.com, Yahoo Sitebuilder and a CD/DVD duplication program.

How Microsoft could ever release such a POS as Vista is just beyond me. The only reason I have it is because my wife's work threw the whole computer in the garbage so I took it, and use it almost daily now.

Just the other day I told the wife I wanted a copy of Windows 7 off eBay for Christmas. She was like "but that's 3 (versions) behind what I have on my laptop!"

I just said "I know honey, but that's what I want." Figure I'll get a few more years out of that machine.

In a perfect world I would run all Apple products, but who has the money for that?

Sorry for the hijack Patriot.

Back on topic: I'm not computer expert, but if I were you Patriot76 I would get all your pictures, documents, bookmarks, and anything else you can't live without backed up to an external hard drive...then double check that you have everything you want to keep, then triple check it.

Then partition the laptop hard drive in half, then do a fresh install of Win 7 on one half, then Do a Ubuntu install on the other partition. Just what I would do.

But like I said, I'm not a computer guru like some of the other guys here. Just an average computer user.
Good luck.

I can't afford Apple either ;)

I'll spark a fire saying this, but the older versions of Mac OS X are very much Unix-based. They have a lot more in common with Linux than you'd think.

For an older laptop, going dual boot can be a great option. Linux is available in many different flavors (Called distributions). I'd strongly recommend a Ubuntu-based one- they'll have a lot more programs available than other choices.

That said, I wouldn't use Ubuntu itself. It desktop is called "Unity". Unity is very, very RAM intensive compared to some other options. I personally recommend Xubuntu- it's the same architecture as Ubuntu, but it uses the XFCE window manager, which uses a lot less RAM.

Going Linux is a bit of a leap, but I personally think that it's worthwhile.

< /Geek>

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Originally Posted by pjost

Good advise Miked. That is exactly what I am doing (thanks to Matador). Like you I have a dual boot setup. I still need a Widows computer to run 3 programs. Stamps.com, Yahoo Sitebuilder and a CD/DVD duplication program.

How Microsoft could ever release such a POS as Vista is just beyond me. The only reason I have it is because my wife's work threw the whole computer in the garbage so I took it, and use it almost daily now.

Just the other day I told the wife I wanted a copy of Windows 7 off eBay for Christmas. She was like "but that's 3 (versions) behind what I have on my laptop!"

I just said "I know honey, but that's what I want." Figure I'll get a few more years out of that machine.

In a perfect world I would run all Apple products, but who has the money for that?

Sorry for the hijack Patriot.

Back on topic: I'm not computer expert, but if I were you Patriot76 I would get all your pictures, documents, bookmarks, and anything else you can't live without backed up to an external hard drive...then double check that you have everything you want to keep, then triple check it.

Then partition the laptop hard drive in half, then do a fresh install of Win 7 on one half, then Do a Ubuntu install on the other partition. Just what I would do.

But like I said, I'm not a computer guru like some of the other guys here. Just an average computer user.
Good luck.

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You did not hijack the thread, but instead added valuable information. Miked recommended that I check out Kim Komando and her recommendations. Thank you for that advice. I am very busy finishing Christmas presents and learning about this "digital world" I have not taken the time to respond to the great information members have provided.

As many know, my expertise involves things slightly larger than a computer. I have 25 desk tops sitting in the basement for an educational experience during the next blizzard. I will dive into these with the sledge hammer, torch, and anything else my destructive mind will conceive. With the help of previous posts and the knowledge of present members, the game plan is to learn about computers, ewaste, and maybe life in general. I do not believe I will focus on ewaste after the education, I have to much fun just breaking things, learning how they were built, and watching things fall apart. Thanks to all on the forum that have contributed.

It is time to get back to google to find our what programs are slowing this machine down. My machine problems are directly related to age, the computer problems are probably due to programs. As the wife says, "figure it out." Thanks.