Windows 10 is exactly one year old

Today the opportunity of free upgrade to this OS for users of Windows 7 and Windows 8 expires.

A year ago, Microsoft released its new operating system - Windows 10 . This platform was conceived as a single system for a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, game consoles, and others. The company managed to realize its plans, and users received a unified platform with a single catalog of universal applications.

Immediately after the release of the operating system, it was stated that the upgrade from Windows 7, Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8.1 from Windows 9 to the “dozens” is free, if previous versions of the OS are legal copies. An interesting way to distribute this operating system and its updates. Microsoft has stated that the distribution and updates are distributed not only from the company's servers, but also from users' PCs - that is, peer-to-peer technology is used.

Declared system requirements

CPU
1 GHz or higher processor
RAM
1 GB of RAM for the 32-bit version; 2 GB for 64-bit version
Hard disk space
Up to 20 GB of free disk space
Video adapter
Screen resolution 800 x 600 or higher DirectX 9 compatible GPU with WDDM driver
')
The system is not too demanding. Many users claim that it works without any problems on weak laptops and computers, and more quickly than previous versions of the OS worked with the same hardware.

Windows version and revision before upgrade	Revision after upgrade to Windows 10
Windows 7 Starter	Windows 10 Home
Windows 7 Home Base
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 8.1 Core
Windows 8.1 with Bing	Windows 10 Home with Bing
Windows 8.1 for one language	Windows 10 Home for one language
Windows 7 Professional	Windows 10 Professional
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 8.1 Professional
Windows 7 Corporate	Windows 10 Corporate (update produced out of stock)
Windows 8.1 Corporate

Most users of the new operating system are satisfied with it. True, not without problems. In particular, this OS is often criticized for the large amount of information collected about the user. The corporation, according to her, collects data in order to improve and improve its products and services. But information gathering is really extensive. This e-mail, and browser log, search history, call log and SMS messages, information on setting up devices and applications. Also collected (not always) data that is entered through the keyboard. Hard disk encryption keys are also transferred to the company, and this option can only be disabled in the Pro version.



The users were displeased with the Wi-Fi Sense technology, which by default considers contacts from social networks, Skype and Outlook safe. The system “shares” with these people access to Wi-Fi, so that all these people, theoretically, can access your wireless network. Plus, if your guest with a device on Windows 10 or Windows Phone connects to your wireless network, his contacts will be able to connect to the same network without a password. To avoid this, you need to add _optout to the name of your Wi-Fi.

Disable shadowing too. This will help the application Open Source DisableWinTracking . There is an application in Russian.

Many times, Microsoft was criticized for putting too much pressure on users of previous OSs to upgrade to Windows 10. Users were almost forced to update the system, turned off the ability to remove the update reminder, installed service packs that change user settings , etc. The company even had to pay $ 10,000 for problems encountered when upgrading the PC of one of the users of Windows 7 to Windows 10.

Today it became known that the company received two more claims. The problem is still the same - aggressive tactics of promoting the update of the previous OS on Windows 10. The first lawsuit was filed in Florida. The plaintiff alleges that Microsoft is violating state laws to restrict electronic advertising. In addition, the lawsuit alleges a violation of the rules of the Federal Trade Commission of the United States.

The second lawsuit was filed in Haifa, Israel. The plaintiff claims that the company has updated the OS on his computer without his knowledge. According to a similar lawsuit, as mentioned above, the company paid $ 10,000, plead guilty.

At the same time, the history of the unclosed update window has not yet ended. A number of users claim that clicking on the cross does not close the window while canceling the update, but is perceived by the system as confirmation by the user of the intention to install Windows 10.

All this should stop tomorrow, July 30th. After July 29th, the Get Windows 10 application will be removed from users PCs worldwide. Accordingly, the notification will disappear. True, it may take some time until the application is removed from the computers of all Windows users: from July 30, Microsoft will gradually remove its application from the PC to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

The ability to upgrade to Windows 10 for users of Microsoft OS previous versions is not indefinite. The corporation immediately stated that a free upgrade to Windows 10 is available for exactly one year - from July 29, 2015 to July 29, 2016. Today is the last day when Windows 10 is available for free. Tomorrow, users who want to get Windows 10 will have to pay $ 119. Russian users update will cost 7900 rubles.

What's next?

August 2 is coming the most important for Windows 10 update, which received the name Windows 10 Anniversary Update. It will bring a lot of new things to the operating system. This integration with Linux, and not boring wallpapers, and Windows 10 on Xbox One. Read more about this update here . By the way, the company plans to distribute Windows on the model of the application as a service in the future. That is, it will be possible not to pay the cost of the license one time, and pay monthly. Now the company’s office package is distributed under this model.