Windows 10 - What works and what doesn't

[Gasman]

Not too sure about the 32bit/64bit versions. I know the upgrade is on a like for like basis. I had Windows 8.1 home 64bit on my little Acer notebook and Windows 7 Pro 64bit on my desktop and could only have Windows 10 home on my notebook and Windows 10 Pro on my desktop (both 64bit). I think the important bit is that when you upgrade to Win 10 that it is shown as  `activated` in the Update & security section. If you have a genuine version of Windows (7 or 8.1) be it 32 bit or 64 bit I can`t seen any problem updating to its Windows 10 equivalent via the route I suggest but I would think you would need to install the 64bit version first before updating to the 64bit Win 10 version.

Updating through the normal Windows update route was an absolute pain (at least for me) and all my pc`s hung on `checking for updates`

If you use the media creation tool and need to reinstall Windows 10 just make sure you choose the correct version of Windows (Pro or Home) as I selected Win 10 pro instead of Win 10 home for one of mine and of course the pc was registered at Microsoft with Win 10 home so it wouldn`t activate so I had to go through the whole process again.

Its quite a clever process with Microsoft as once your pc is registered with a particular registered version of Windows even if you change the hard drive you can reinstall Windows 10 and activate it via the Microsoft web site as they know the pc that is registered to use it.

HTH

Steve

[CSM]

Hi Steve,  thanks for that.  I have since found this 'There is another workaround for this problem. You can legally download Windows 8.1 64-bit ISO from Microsoft by entering the product key, perform clean install of Windows 8.1 64-bit, activate the same, and then upgrade to Windows 10 64-bit without any issues. Similarly, there is way to legally download Windows 7 ISOs from Microsoft. You can prepare the bootable USB from the ISO, wipe the existing Windows 7 32-bit installation, and then perform clean install of Windows 7 64-bit. Once Windows 10 is available, you’ll be upgraded to Windows 10 64-bit..'  so am mulling it all over.  Basically thinking of sticking the 64 bit DVD in and installing it 'over' the 32 bit, then seeing if I can get 10 64.
 

[Gasman]

The media creation tool actually can do most of that stuff for you. It has two options -

1. Update the pc its installed on to Windows 10 and

2. Create a bootable dvd for whichever version you want (Pro or Home) If you create say a Windows 10 home bootable dvd then any pc which has previously been activated for Windows 10 home can have 10 reinstalled as many times as you want using this dvd, same with Windows 10 Pro. I have used this option a couple of times to reinstall Win 10 on one of my pc`s. I now have 2 bootable dvd`s one for Windows 10 home and one for Windows 10 Pro. Obviously you can`t do this on a pc which hasn`t previously been activated with a registered version.

Hope that makes sense  

Steve

[CSM]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for this.  Over the weekend I went over to Windows 7 64 bit using the tips given re not needing to reactive - and done 100's of updates.  That didn't solve the USB 3 problem but I have just found the solution using the program USBtree.  This shows whether the ports are high speed or super-speed.  Some USB 3 ports aren't the latter and of the 2 blue ports I have only one is super-speed. Had the external drive connected to that one - have now changed!

Will try Windows 10 as suggested - once I've sorted this computer out a bit more.

[Erquy]

Upgraded from win 8 to 10

All below ok (all last versions as i am aware of)

- phd2, nebulosity 4

- eos movrec

- stellarium

- Sx 694 driver (neb4), lodestar driver (phd2),

- ascom filter wheel (for sx minifw) when using in neb4 (i use neb4 to capture)

(lodestar and minifw connected to the sx964 mini usb port)

- pixinsight

[Physopto]

Updated the main computer a couple of weeks ago. Over the last few days win 10 has stopped installing updates. No amount of fiddling can get it to do so. Looking on the web it seems that there are a good few people with this problem. Microsoft tech are useless. Tried all the so called remedies with no effect. Keeps telling me that I have repaired the registration but still will not work. So no updates to the system protection can be made.

I'm seriously thinking of reverting to Win 7. Can always reinstall 10 again later.

Derek

[Dave In Vermont]

Aside from it loading you with spyware so Big Daddy can sell you down the river, it's the bugs in it that's keeping me from "upgrading" to Windows 10. As I've said before: It's no nice of MicroShaft to use all of it's customers to beta-test this OS. Considering how '10' is supposed to update - and you can't stop it from doing so - many people would consider your bug to be a blessing.

But, as I reported in another thread, now MicroSense is loading their spyware into all computers running 7, 8, and 8.1 through it's updates. Fortunately, if you know which updates contain the spyware, it's a simple matter to remove them or deselect them from the updates to begin with. But if you don't turn off the notifications of an update, MSN will keep bugging you to install them. Some people have reported it will automatically install them even if you've selected "Let me decide" option. They're utterly zealous about getting this into everyone's Windows-,machine. Seems the only way around this is to turn off all notifications and manually check for them.

So many would be jealous of your misfortune. What a bizarre situation!

Dave

[buttles]

My SX Filter wheel is being misidentified by win10. (Fine in win7) win 10 thinks it's a HID Input device rather than a dumb compliant device. Keeps trying to load drivers for it when connected. Sometimes it keeps looping, othertimes it gives up and the wheel will initialize. Having the wheel 'updated by' Starlight Xpress so will report back.

[ianaiken]

I'm finding no real issues with Windows 10 on any of my PC's especially the OBS (apart from the initial port conflict).  Performance seems to be better on my personal desktop and laptop, for the OBS machine it's hard to say as I don't use it as much.  I hope to get some lunar imaging done if a clear spot presents itself and will run the ZWO USB3 and see how that fairs.

[Physopto]

I've just cloned my backup version of win7 and got rid of win 10 too many bugs. Another six months maybe. I'll let others be the guinea pigs for now.

I've got more important things to do with my time.

Derek

[Gasman]

Only problem I have had was the PL2303 driver for the Eqmod usb to serial cable. Win10 kept wanting to use the latest driver which didn`t work but an earlier one was needed..

Apart from that glad I upgraded.

Steve

[buttles]

Update on SX Filter wheel. It was my wheel's inner programming which had got corrupted. Now fine on 10

[Tim99]

Hey Astroturf ... I just saw a YouTube video with a guy who uses Castrator along with Registrax and Photoshop.  Looks like a handy tool for cropping and making file sizes smaller.

[Steve Ward]

Hey Astroturf ... I just saw a YouTube video with a guy who uses Castrator along with Registrax and Photoshop.  Looks like a handy tool for cropping and making file sizes smaller.

Castrator is very basic and old school , by far the best "Pre-processing" software available now is "PIPP" ... 

https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/

[jarbi]

Hi,

I have succesfully upgraded my Win 7 64-bit Asus laptop to windows 10, and almost all my astro-related software is working.

One exception: my Basler 1300 ACA 30GM Gigabit camera, this one doesn't work anymore in Win 10. I have contacted Basler, they are about to release new drivers in october...

Cheers,

Janos 

[Zakalwe]

Castrator is very basic and old school , by far the best "Pre-processing" software available now is "PIPP" ...

https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/

AS2! automatically crops planetary images during stacking. No need for PIPP (though it's great for building animations).

[Bubbles82]

Just thought I'd add what I've tested today, these all work fine with Windows 10 pro PhD 2, eqmod, Atiks cameras filter wheel and imaging control software, qhy5, team viewer,imagining source software and camera hitec auto focus control software, CDC sky software. The only thing I couldn't get to work was firecapture as it wasn't happy with something to do with Java which I would love some help with if anyone knows a fix.

Just a note with the qhy5 camera I had to use the disable driver enforcement setting in Windows settings and then all was fine.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Davey-T]

Updated the main computer a couple of weeks ago. Over the last few days win 10 has stopped installing updates. No amount of fiddling can get it to do so. Looking on the web it seems that there are a good few people with this problem. Microsoft tech are useless. Tried all the so called remedies with no effect. Keeps telling me that I have repaired the registration but still will not work. So no updates to the system protection can be made.

I'm seriously thinking of reverting to Win 7. Can always reinstall 10 again later.

Derek

Was this ever sorted ?

Just tried to update to Win10 and it went through the motions then seized up trying to do updates, stuck on 0% for half an hour then said setup was tidying up for ten minutes then nothing and I'm still on Win 8.1

Dave

[Gasman]

Dave

It doesn`t quite end there when you manage to install it. I`ve no idea why Microsoft come out with such an excellent piece of software like Win 10 only to spoil it with these weird updates which you can`t turn off. I have Win 10 installed on 4 pc`s (after much trying because of its insistance that I needed updates which it wouldn`t give me).

I have Windows 10 pro 64bit on my desktop and everything just works on it but it will occasionally not allow an app to launch while it sorts itself out with an update.

The updates are my only complaint with Win 10 other than that its well worth the upgrade (if it lets you !!)

Steve

[Physopto]

Was this ever sorted ?

Just tried to update to Win10 and it went through the motions then seized up trying to do updates, stuck on 0% for half an hour then said setup was tidying up for ten minutes then nothing and I'm still on Win 8.1

Dave

Hi Dave,

No I dumped win 10. I spent a couple of weeks going through all sorts of remedies suggested on the Web with no luck. In the end reverted to Win 7 which works very well and has done so for several years. All my software works fine so why change and become a BETA tester for Microsoft for free. I don't have the time to sort out their problems even if I was a computer nut, which I am not. I have been building my own computers for many years including overclocked water cooled versions. I started with computers around 1982 and progressed through all the good and bad versions of DOS and early windows incarnations. So you might say I do know a bit.

I expect a product to work if they put out a new version. It is not for me to struggle with because they try to be too clever and screw up!.

So sorry cannot advise you on a fix. I may try Win 10 in another year or two !!!!

Derek

[Davey-T]

Well after a couple of abortive attempts I've managed to install Win 10, only took about 5 hours in the end, so much for the "quick and easy" touted by M'Soft

Quite amusing that after spending forever downloading stuff it comes up with a message " checking to see if there is enough space on your computer " wouldn't it be better to do this first ?

Just need to get rid of unwanted stuff and make it into a lean mean imaging machine, starting with Cortana as the very name annoys me

Think I'll ask her how to terminate her

Dave

[Skipper Billy]

This worked for me ... runs like a champ now.....

From the WinX Menu, open Command Prompt (Admin). Type the following one after the other and hit Enter:

net stop 

wuauserv

net stop bits

This will stop the Windows Update related Services.

Next browse to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and delete all the files and folders inside. Press Ctrl+A to Select All and then Delete.

 

If the files are in use, and you are unable to delete some files, restart your device. After rebooting, run the above commands again. Now you will be able to delete the files from the mentioned Software Distribution folder.

After you have emptied this folder, you may restart your computer or you may type the following commands one at a time in the CMD, and hit Enter to restart the Windows Update related Services.

net start 

wuauserv

net start bits

Run Windows Update again and see.

You will be able to download and install the updates successfully. Once done, you will see that a restart has also been scheduled.

I suggest you restart immediately to complete the process.

[Physopto]

Hi Billy,

 Did all that and it still refused to update and could not get any thing to work properly. Obviously there is something else but what ?????

As I said above if it does not work correctly revert to 7.

 Just hope yours keeps working, mine was OK at first then it all went wrong. Time will tell.

Derek

[Davey-T]

Just spent a few more hours installing software and drivers and couldn't get my Star Shoot Autoguider to work, browsing around the Orion site at the bottom of the page still selling it for $292.99

it says "Not compatible with WIN.10" shouldn't they have sorted this by now ?

Dave

[Skipper Billy]

Physopto - have you had the really big (3 gig +    ) update pushed to you ??

It makes it look like the update has stalled but in reality its working hard in the background but the timeline doesn't show actual progress!  Try leaving it running overnight.

The 3 machines I have it on all worked better after the monster update.

Other option is to do a clean install of W10 - you will have to have it one day !!