Windows 10 Strikes Again

Windows 10 Strikes Again: a reader asks…

Hi Chris, this morning I went to my Dell laptop PC and instead of Windows 7 I was presented with Windows 10. Apparently the upgrade happened overnight, even though I didn’t ask for it. It seems like everything is working, I read here about laptop upgrades going horribly wrong, but my internet works, my screen works, my touchpad & keyboard works, nothing seems to be not working. At this point what do you think I should do?

It sounds like you were lucky and got a trouble-free, albeit unasked-for upgrade. You have 30 days to try out Windows 10 and see if it works for you, anytime within the first 30 days you can revert your system back to Windows 7. I would suggest that since you’ve tested out the basic functions and everything is working, that you give Windows 10 a try and see how it works. If you notice your computer running a lot slower than it used to, or if you come across any show-stopper type of problem, then you can follow my instructions (check them out in my article, Windows 10 Snafu).

But if everything is working ok, then I’d suggest you keep Windows 10. It’s ultimately going to be the version of Windows you’ll go to anyway, and it will continue to get better over time. It’s already more stable and safe than previous versions of Windows. You’ll just have to get used to a few new ways of doing things. Here’s a list of a few articles I’ve written about these new features (and old features moved around to a new place):

1. Windows 10 Start Secrets
2. Windows 10 Privacy
3. Quick Find for Windows 10

If you’re a bit annoyed at Microsoft for upgrading your laptop without your express permission, you’re commiserating with the millions of other Windows users who’ve been hit with this horrible mess of a marketing scheme dreamed up by folks who shouldn’t be working for Microsoft. It’s my personal opinion that, while it is important to get everyone off older versions of Windows as quickly as possible (for security’s sake as much as any other reason), forcing Windows 10 down people’s throats is likely to see a bumper crop of PC-to-Mac conversions, and will certainly cast Microsoft as a company that doesn’t care about it’s users. All that said, you’re probably better off with Windows 10 now, and when it comes time to get a new laptop, you’ll be moving into a simply faster working situation that you’ll already be used to.