Windows 10 Update series 1

Windows is the biggest and most popular OS (operating system) used around the world to date. An incredible 42% of computers still run Windows 7 and 34% are using Windows 10. At the time of writing, Microsoft has no plans on bringing out a replacement for Windows 10. Even though Windows 7 is the largest operating system Microsoft is planning to end support for this by January 2020.

I have noticed a lot of anti-Windows 10 sentiments since it was offered as a free upgrade. When I drill down into it asking lots of questions I, more often than not, find out the real reason for the negativity towards Windows 10 stems from the early days and the problems from the upgrades. When Windows 10 first came out it was new and not the most stable operating system but over the last 3 years, Microsoft has fixed most of the bugs that people associate with Windows 10. Now it is a stable and pleasurable OS to use. It is also filled with some amazing features.

Over the next 5 months, I will be writing a series of short articles explaining my favorite features from Windows 10. My main aim with this series of articles is to spread understanding with the hope that more of you take the leap from Windows 7 or older OS’s to Windows 10.

 Windows 10 works very similar to Windows 7, the biggest differences are the Start Menu and the Settings. The Start Menu incorporates (from right to left):

  1. A panel mode smaller to what you would normally find on a “tablet”
  2. A list of all the programs installed on the computer and
  3. A quick access bar to areas on the computer such as power button and settings.

This is fundamentally different and the new layout is not for everybody. I must admit I rarely use the Start Menu now. There are two main reasons I use the Start Menu now. One is to turn off my computer and the other one is to find a program “app” that is installed on the computer when I cannot remember the name of the program. For me, the rest of the Start Menu is confusing and far too scattered for my logical brain. Next month I will be writing about my favorite feature that I use for almost everything.

The second main fundamental difference is how the Settings work. For years we have used the Control Panel to add printers, look at advanced settings and so much more. Now there is a totally separate setting menu that is laid out in a very different way. With each big Windows update, more settings and functions have been added onto the Menu. You access it in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen by clicking on the square speech bubble then locate and click on “All Settings” on the bottom part of the slide that pops up. If it helps it is a symbol of a cog. I will expand on this Settings Menu in a later article as it has a variety of easy to use options.