Gerrawaywithit!

They can't renege on previously announced updates policies without causing a shitstorm that would make the fuss about the Windows 8 tiles look like a pleasant summer's walk in the park. And if they ever move to an Adobe-style subscription model, that will be the day I will abandon Microsoft.

I later replied it was bullshit of course, like most of the posts recently giving opinions based on no evidence. It was a windup intended to make people think "out of the box", and question their assumptions e.g. if MS start charging a fee for Windows 10, what is to stop them doing the same for earlier versions - absurd ?

I heard that Ford are thinking of moving over to a subscription-based business model. Anyone who owns a Ford will probably have to pay a monthly fee if they want to drive their car or get it fixed. Just goes to show how desperate Ford are to take over the world!

Exactly - this analogy shows how daft people are being inventing a problem that does not exist.

Enterprise is different and was never part of the free upgrade as it is for buinesses.

I really feel so sorry () for those who are illegally using an enterprise key privately that they might have to pay now or buy a legit licence.

I guess there are loads using enterprise keys - many from friends of friends who had an MSDN account some years ago and got (nearly) unlimited product keys.

Overused keys get blocked. That's not how Enterprise and other volume OS's are pirated. The method is to use KMS server emulation software to validate against. The 7 bucks a month is maybe MS taking a leaf out of Adobe's book - making the alternative to piracy so cheap, you might as well go legit.

Same KMS system works for volume Office etc.

*** Info for educational purposes only ***

better delete it, not because it might get the site into trouble but suddenly we'll have all sorts of people asking questions well beyond their knowledge level and probably downloading all sorts of dodgy stuff...those of us who know our onions already can use those methods if needed but we also know what to do when it all goes wrong and last thing we want is loads of posts saying i did X now my machine says its unlicensed etc.

I am aware how keys are used illlegally, but we are not allowed to discuss illegal techniques here.

Technet. As was.

Hi, hope someone can help. I upgraded my Toshiba Satellite C-50 from Windows 8.1 to 10 a few months back and everything has been fine until the latest Windows update (KB3172985). this caused major problems for me, it kept failing to install over and over again and it then crashed my laptop. pretty much everything stopped functioning properly and after a lot of anger & frustration I reset the laptop. (keeping my files)

after doing so the KB3172985 update then installed with no problems. However by resetting I lost all my Toshiba programs including Health Monitor and lost all my Apps.

I have managed to reinstall all my Apps bar two. Both the App for Windows Store and Windows Calculator do not work. They have remained blank and when I click on them I get a flash of a screen then it goes back to my desktop with nothing else happening.

I've been on the net to try various fixes but nothing has worked. I'm being told Store does not exist on my system. When I go directly to the website and try and click on a Free App nothing happens apart from a brief flash of a new window which quickly vanishes.

I have also tried to reinstall Toshiba PC Health Monitor but it won't allow me to. Again I have checked the net for fixes but nothing has worked.

My final question is if reset again but this time go back to factory settings I assume that means it will revert back to Windows 8.1 and all the Apps that I had on the laptop when I originally purchased it will be there including Store?

sorry for rambling on but I am now extremely frustrated by all this and all because of one poxy update.

Broken Store and Calculator affected a fair few people in W10 Preview and even after W10 Release.

There are a variety of hit and miss solutions.

Personally I found it easier to make a W10 Repair Install (In-Place Upgrade) from W10 Install DVD or USB.

You can make one with W10 Media Creation Tool.(scroll down to tool)

Run setup.exe on the DVD or USB when done.

=-=-=-=-=

Not sure if W8.1 Recovery would still be intact or overwritten now.

If you want to try it, make a full System Image Backup first to another hard drive..
Macrium Reflect Free can do that.

=-=-=-=-=

There is also a W8.1 Media Creation Tool to make DVD or USB Install Media.

In that case, Boot the USB or DVD to make a Clean install.

As long as you don't format the hard drive, all your data should be moved to windows.old.
All Apps and Progs will need re-installing.

Check Toshiba website for your model to see what is available.

Two quick (hopefully ) unrelated questions

1. Can I do a clean install of Windows 10 using Win 8.1 key ( from unused product disc) without having to install and activate 8.1 first?

2) Re: upgrade from Windows 7, I read this somewhere
'Do not forget to ensure that your Win 7 is completely up to date before attempting upgrade.' ,
is that strictly necessary? Maybe useful for a driver reasons?

1) Yes, you can do a clean install with a Windows 8.1 key

2) If you force the upgrade using the Media Creation Tool (recommended) I don't think you need at have W7 up to date.

Thanks

1) the answer I expected and hoped for.

2) I would need to retain the rollback to Windows 7 option but didn't want to waste time getting it up to date, hence the reason for the question. Why you ask? multiple laptops, not mine, no means to backup and limited time.

You need to prevent Rollback being lost within 30 days. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wi...utf-8&oe=utf-8

Blimey - people had a year to upgrade, then complain at "last minute" they do not have time to do backups (worse here having no means to backup).

It is a fact of life that with any upgrade of any OS that crap can happen. Additionally not having proper backups is dumb anyway in case hard drive fails anyway!

I too have been waiting until this month to do anything but now, at my leisure, I've nearly finished as all I had to do initially is download the W10 ISOs for each of my two desktop PCs (background jobby), burn to DVD (10 minutes) and do a C/D drive backup (15 minutes). Did have to a fair bit of SSD maintenance as well though, to make room for the new W 10 partition, but that won't apply to most people.

My first of the two W10 clean installs into a new partition was impressively fast, probably about 20 minutes to my SSD, the other will be to an HDD and will take longer. I will upgrade my two W 8.1 installations to W10 as and when I feel like it, probably in the next year or so, as and when Microsoft's longer terms plans for it are crystal clear and if I actually like W 10 by then.

All in all, it's been a much quicker and simpler job than I expected.

You know that you would have to buy the upgrade if not done by 29th?

You could upgrade 2 x W8.1 then rollback straight away and the Free token is lodged permanently.

That is a fair last comment although Linux distributions associated with commercial Linux providers such as Canonical, Red Hat and Suse are highly likely to stay around. Elementary is profitable and a few others almost certainly pay their own way too. As for technical assistance, these days commercial enterprises shouldn't have any problem in finding competent IT staff well versed in Linux.

The same people that put in their tax forms hours before the deadline that crashes the site?

It is well known MS have raised spec for new devices to have a minimum of 2GB RAM for Redstone, but stated that older tablets would still work but may be slower.

So today, I installed Insider 14388 which is close to final release on my 1GB !inx tablet to see how it would perform . I am happy to say that it is MORE responsive!

So based on my tests, there is no concern about using it old 1 GB devices.

BTW - 14393 is now released - downloading right now!

Microsoft confirms Windows 10 New Monthly Fee.

As Windows 10 is Microsoft's last OS, the updates will not be free forever and it looks like we'll all have to start paying a monthly subscription eventually.

Windows 10 Home and Pro users are currently exempted from the monthly subscription charge. This means that end users and small businesses can still freely use Windows 10 for now. However, there is a possibility that all Windows 10 users will soon have to pay Microsoft, according to a Forbes report.

Forbes Report

Windows 10 Monthly Subscription

Never happen, would be commercial suicide for any one and even the most rabid apple fan would probably run if they had to start paying an extra 7 bucks a month when they'd just ponied out 2 grand.

MS is in mid transition of its business licensing systems into 3 arms iirc

1. less than 250 licenses
2. 250-4000(ish)
3. 4000(ish) upwards

also they're changing a lot of the rules in theory to make licensing simpler (more likely so when they do an audit you fail and thus pay a fine - thinking of you oracle).

Also remember currently your supplier (if you by a dell for example) is responsible for software support and handling all the problems and i don't think MS really wants to gear up for handling the worlds problems as they'd be the supplier of the software.

For large enterprises it is not an unexpected business model but if they try to hit consumers and small businesses with monthly fees, it will be the quickest turn-off ever away from an operating systems provider.

All you naysayers regarding the Microsoft monthly subscription. You're all too quick to dismiss the official links I and others have provided.

Windows 10 is MS last OS,..they'll have to continue to make money somehow. I had a feeling that something like this would happen. Don't be too quick to dismiss what they are up to.