Today, I'm going to discuss two technology issues that been
on my mind laterly. I'm mostly going to discuss Windows 10, as well as current
scams. As usual, I'm breaking it down in very basic terms.
-Windows 10
As some may have experience and/or
read, Microsoft has made it where a PC running 7 / 8 will install Windows 10 if
they are set up to receive updates automatically. In laymen terms, unless you
configured Windows Updates out of the default settings, there's a good chance
10 will be downloaded onto the PC, and ready to install during a reboot. Now,
before everyone gets up in arms, let me explain why this is happening.
The main reason Microsoft is trying
to get everyone on Windows 10 is they don't want to deal with another Windows
XP scenario. Windows XP has been the longest supported Windows in history, and
no one should expect software to be supported for 10+ years all the time. I'm saying this because despite support being
dropped over 3 years ago, it's still being used despite how open it is to
security threats. To be blunt, I know what I'm doing, and I won't even run XP.
Now, with Google dropping XP support in April, I'm hoping Windows XP will
finally go away.
Microsoft's biggest fear is over
time, Windows 7 will turn into the new XP, as in no one will upgrade or get rid
of it. To make things worse, Microsoft has extended support for 7 till 2020.
Don't get me wrong. I still love Windows 7, but there will be a time it will be
outdated, and harder to find support for it. Unless you need an older OS for a
very specific reason, then I suggest upgrading your system every 3 years where
they become cheaper to replace than repair so you're not facing this issue.
In case you're wondering why I
barely mention Vista and 8 is because they were commercial flops. Like Star
Trek movies, Windows releases follow a good-bad cycle. They release a good one,
and the next one is bad. Vista was a failure at launch, and the new interface
for 8 killed it. In order, here's the cycle for the last fifteen years or so:
Good: 98, XP,7, and 10
Bad: ME, Vista, and 8
Also, like XP, any Vista system should be tossed at this
point. The level of support for Vista is getting to XP levels.
Far as removing 10 once it
installs, I honestly feel unless you have a very specific program or reason,
learn how to use it. It's the new direction of Windows, and honestly, it's not
that bad. The interface is way easier than 8's, and it runs better than Windows
7. Far as Office (since most people
reading this are writers), I can verify every version from 2000 up does work on
10 with no issues.
-Scam Sites / Calls
Computers cams will always be a
topic when it comes to technology. However, instead of going through their
entire history, I'm focusing on the two major ones out there.
The first one is the scam site. When you click on the wrong
link, you may see this screen:
This is purely a scam. If this was
a true Windows error, it wouldn't be loading in your web browser. Second, it's
such a scam, I can get them to load on my Android phone. In other words, never
call the number, and don't freak out. It's all a scare tactic website, so
whatever it's claiming is 100% nonsense. To remove it, either close down your
browser, or worst case, reboot the PC.
That's how you fix them.
The second one is the scam call. A
person who claims to be calling from a major computer company, mostly
Microsoft, will say you got a virus. This is a scam as well since computers
rarely, ever call you directly unless you called them first and make
arrangements for them to call you back. Also, if Microsoft really did call
everyone that has and/or had a virus on your system, they would do nothing
besides phone calls. Again, hang up, and ignore whatever you say.
