windows 10

Infopackets Reader Gilles S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just installed Windows 10 and got it configured and working 100% the way I like it. I took your advice and purchased Acronis True Image and made a backup of my Windows 7 system before upgrading ... to Windows 10. While browsing my C drive I noticed I have a Windows.old and a $WINDOWS.~BT folder. I read online that when I install Windows 10, it also keeps my previous operating system (Windows 7) on my hard drive in case I need to roll back. Since I already have the Windows 7 backup made, I don't need two copies and would like to remove the ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Paula H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently installed Windows 10 and looked in my tray bar and found that my antivirus has gone missing. Previous to the Windows 10 upgrade, I was using Windows 7 with Avast! antivirus (free). When I ... go to the Start Menu and type in 'avast', it doesn't come up with anything. I also don't see it in my Start menu when I click through my programs, either. Is my system unprotected? How can I get my antivirus working with Windows 10? " My response: You are not the only person to ask this question, and the problem is not limited to Avast! antivirus ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Tim G. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article yesterday on ' How to Fix: Windows 10 Display Shifted; Screen Fuzzy '. I have somewhat of a related problem; after I upgraded to Windows 10, my screen has shrunk with a black ... border all around the edges of the display. I use 1280x720 resolution, though my monitor can handle 1920x1080 (I prefer 1280x720 because it's bigger and easier on my eyes). It's the 1280x720 resolution that shrank, and there aren't any video card updates. I am using the ATI Radeon 4250 which is integrated with my motherboard ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Mike T. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just installed Windows 10 over this past weekend, but my LCD monitor's display seems to be shifted to the right, and the fonts are fuzzy. The left side of the screen has a small black border around ... it. In fact, the clock appears to be missing the 'AM' or 'PM', and the date shows only the month and day, but not the year. Any ideas what is going on? Should I upgrade my video driver or do I need to whack my monitor? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me, and many, many thanks for all you have taught me over ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Alice K. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just installed Windows 10 on my PC, and I was disappointed that I now have to sign on with a Microsoft account email address. I would much rather not have to login to Windows 10 with a Microsoft ... account. Is there any way I can login to Windows 10 normally without an email address? " My response: Windows 10 and its services are largely based on the user having an Internet connection and a Microsoft account. For example, OneDrive, which allows users to store files seamlessly on the Internet, requires a Microsoft account in order to ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sam T. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your ongoing and excellent articles on Windows 10. I have a question; right now I'm running Windows 7 32-bit, but I want to upgrade to Windows 10 64-bit and still maintain my free license ... for Windows 10. How can I upgrade from Windows 7 32-bit to Windows 10 64-bit? " My response: You can only upgrade to Windows 10 using the same architecture -- for example, from Windows 7 32-bit to Windows 10 32-bit. In other words, you cannot do an in-place upgrade from 32-bit Windows to 64-bit Windows and maintain all your installed ... (view more)

While most of the response to Windows 10 has been positive, it might not be for everyone. The good news is that downgrading from Windows 10 to your previous operating system is a relatively simple task. Exactly how you can go about it depends on ... which of three categories you fall into: whether you upgraded using the "Get Windows 10" app (via Windows Update); whether you used a DVD or USB drive with Windows 10 media; or, whether you bought a computer with Windows 10 pre-installed. "Easy Downgrade" Method: Within 30 Days If you used Windows Update to upgrade to Windows 10 ( ... (view more)

With the launch of Windows 10 comes a brand new Start Menu, which now more closely resembles its predecessors - something that's good news for many users on desktop and notebooks PCs. However, the new Windows 10 Start Menu brings plenty of options ... for tweaking, along with the odd glitch. Windows 10 Start Menu Customizable When Windows 8 was released, the lack of a Start Menu angered and confused many PC enthusiasts. As such, many third-party Start Menu programs were developed to replace the 'metro' style interface with a more traditional look. The good news is that the majority these ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed it is using customers' Internet connections to distribute Windows 10 to other users. While it doesn't appear to pose a serious security risk, switching off the feature is a bit tricky. The feature is officially known as ... Windows Update Delivery Optimization , or "WUDO". It involves putting some downloaded Windows 10 files into a temporary directory area on a users computer; the files are then made available to other computers over the Internet. Microsoft insists no personal files or folders are shared in this way. The same system will also apply to ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Paul S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I tried to install Windows 10, but it failed with error code C1900208 (I did it through the 'get windows 10' app). I tried again a few times, and it still gives me error C1900208, 'Installation ... Status: failed'. I checked my Windows Update history for error C1900208, and see that it failed 3 times in a row. I have no idea why this is happening but I'd really like to upgrade to Windows 10. I have Norton 360 and I read that antivirus may be conflicting with the Windows 10 install. Any ideas? " My response: From what I've read online, the Windows ... (view more)