I’m getting a lot of questions on Windows 10 and whether to update or not, so here’s my stance on the issue in just a few words
No matter what version of Windows you’re on, please stay there until after the spring busy season. Only change if someone tells you it’s absolutely required and will for sure solve whatever problem you currently have.
- If you’re on Windows 7…. Please consider staying there.. 7 is generally pretty good about being backwards compatible with a lot of really old stuff. Don’t expect the same out of 8 or 10. 7 should get security and bug fix updates until 2020, maybe longer.
- If you’re on Windows 8…. I’d generally recommend doing to upgrade to 10. To be frank, 10 sucks less than 8. But again, still wait until spring is over if this is a computer you have Ag software on Always check with the company’s support team. Apex has worked fine in Windows 10 so far for me, but doesn’t seem to be officially listed.
- If you’re buying a new computer… I generally would not be afraid of Windows 10. A new PC with 7 is almost impossible to find, and almost everything from 8 should work in 10.
- You have until July 29, 2016 to decide if (on currently on 7 or 8 and) you want to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. Don’t be surprised if this deadline gets extended.
How to stop Windows 7 or 8 from automatically all by itself
Microsoft seems to really want people to upgrade, probably a little too much. From what I’ve read they may push the 10 upgrade to some computers (depending on how their auto updates are configured) without the owner even agreeing to the upgrade. Please don’t stop doing security and bug fix patches, I think I’ve found a better way.
If you want to put a pause on the pestering about upgrading to Windows 10, and prevent automatic updates, check out a free program called GWX Control Panel. This program seems safe to use and I have it running on a few computers without any issues. The settings I used were: turn off the Get Windows 10 upgrade app, disallow Windows 10 upgrades, and enable monitoring to prevent future upgrades.
(edit 3-27-16.. Another option may be this smaller program , but I have not tired this. Thanks Twitter user @grandrivers for the tip)
A quick note about Windows XP and Vista
Many of you are starting to get notices about programs, such as Google’s Chrome internet browser, will no longer be supported. This doesn’t mean you can’t keep using Chrome in XP or Vista, it just means Google isn’t going to update their browser with security or bug fixes any longer. Expect Windows XP to be a high priority target for hackers since many large businesses still use it. It’s not an emergency, but I’d recommend looking for a newer computer sometime in the next couple years