Thumb drive issues, beta testing, data caps, browser compatibility, and more.
July 31, 2015, 7:14 PM
Windows 10 is now available as a free upgrade to millions of people, and dozens of you have sent us questions about it. We tackled a few last week
and have six more answers this week to your recent questions about
installation, browser compatibility, Control Panel, and more.
If you have Windows 10 on a USB thumb drive and are using that to install, sometimes there will be problems getting the installer to properly recognize the drives in your PC. Our CNET colleagues wrote a guide on how to get that working more reliably. The least error-prone method is to burn the Windows 10 ISO onto a DVD and use that, but the process takes much longer, and an increasing number of PCs do not have optical drives. If you're in that scenario, you can get a slim external DVD burner for less than $30, which can then be shared with all your desktops and laptops.
The Insider Preview version of Windows is basically a beta-testing program, so we don't recommend using it on PCs whose availability is critical to whatever you're doing. I've been using this version daily for over a month, and it's been rock-solid, but there are trade-offs. For one, the legalese in the privacy policy for this program is fairly open-ended as to what usage info Microsoft is allowed to collect. You have to log in with a Microsoft account instead of being able to use a "local" account, so there's a server somewhere in Microsoft's domain that's logging every time you access your PC, and system settings and other personal info is getting uploaded to the cloud to be sent back down when you log in to your Microsoft account on a different Windows 10. This data is encrypted, but the principle of the thing may leave you understandably uncomfortable.
If you're talking about the Get Windows 10 free upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.1 that expires on July 29, 2016, that's not a beta program. That will provide the same version of Windows 10 that you buy in a store.
The beauty of storing stuff in Google Drive is that it's all in the cloud and can be accessed from any PC with an Internet connection. So even if the sync folder on your PC gets wiped out, you can just re-sync later or access your Google Drive on a mobile phone or tablet.
Mozilla has an official Windows 10 version of Firefox coming in August, but we've used the current one without noticeable issues. And Chrome has been our main browser on a PC that's been running Windows 10 for over a month. In the areas that affect Web browsing, Windows 10 doesn't appear to be that much different from Windows 8.1 under the hood.
In Windows 10, the Control Panel is now called Settings, which you access from the Start menu. It's the one with the gear icon next to it. This will open up a window like the old Control Panel, but it's organized differently. If you have trouble finding something in there, use the search function in the upper right-hand corner.
Resizing windows functions a little differently now. You used to be able to click and drag a window to unsnap it when in full-screen mode. Now you have to double-click the title bar. That will make the window borders viewable, and then you can resize by clicking and dragging from the lower right-hand corner.
Not for the free upgrade to Windows 10. That will download in the background over a period of several days, but there's no way to modify exactly when that happens. For updates, you can tell this version of Windows 10 to check for system updates only at a specific time -- but that doesn't help when the central issue is getting Windows 10 itself.
In your case, the best solution may be to wait. Word around the Internet is that the upgrade process has been a little rough, so it may be wise to stay in your lane until Microsoft has smoothed the upgrade path. The free offer doesn't expire for another year, and Windows 7 will be supported until 2020, and Windows 8.1, until 2023, so you have plenty of time to let things get sorted out.
Still have questions? Send them to download-mail@cbsinteractive.com or inquire in the comments section below. You can also find more answers in these stories:
Installation woes
"I tried to install Window 10 Technical Preview. I tried a solid state drive and two different hard drives. The program could not find a partition to install to. I'm set to get the Win 10 upgrade but am afraid I will not be able to install it." Fred K.If you have Windows 10 on a USB thumb drive and are using that to install, sometimes there will be problems getting the installer to properly recognize the drives in your PC. Our CNET colleagues wrote a guide on how to get that working more reliably. The least error-prone method is to burn the Windows 10 ISO onto a DVD and use that, but the process takes much longer, and an increasing number of PCs do not have optical drives. If you're in that scenario, you can get a slim external DVD burner for less than $30, which can then be shared with all your desktops and laptops.
Windows 10 beta testing
"Doesn't downloading the free version of Windows 10 amount to beta testing for Microsoft? Should we do this?" --Tony M.The Insider Preview version of Windows is basically a beta-testing program, so we don't recommend using it on PCs whose availability is critical to whatever you're doing. I've been using this version daily for over a month, and it's been rock-solid, but there are trade-offs. For one, the legalese in the privacy policy for this program is fairly open-ended as to what usage info Microsoft is allowed to collect. You have to log in with a Microsoft account instead of being able to use a "local" account, so there's a server somewhere in Microsoft's domain that's logging every time you access your PC, and system settings and other personal info is getting uploaded to the cloud to be sent back down when you log in to your Microsoft account on a different Windows 10. This data is encrypted, but the principle of the thing may leave you understandably uncomfortable.
If you're talking about the Get Windows 10 free upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.1 that expires on July 29, 2016, that's not a beta program. That will provide the same version of Windows 10 that you buy in a store.
Preserving Google Drive data
"Will I have a problem with my files that are synced with Google Drive? Should I take some action to avoid losing my files?" Tabio S.The beauty of storing stuff in Google Drive is that it's all in the cloud and can be accessed from any PC with an Internet connection. So even if the sync folder on your PC gets wiped out, you can just re-sync later or access your Google Drive on a mobile phone or tablet.
Browser compatibility
"Will there be any problems running non-Microsoft (Chrome, Foxtrot, Opera) browsers in Windows 10?" --Arnold K.Mozilla has an official Windows 10 version of Firefox coming in August, but we've used the current one without noticeable issues. And Chrome has been our main browser on a PC that's been running Windows 10 for over a month. In the areas that affect Web browsing, Windows 10 doesn't appear to be that much different from Windows 8.1 under the hood.
The Control Panel and window resizing
"In Windows 10, I can't find the Control Panel (which was centrally located, so to speak), and how do I resize Windows and file displays like I did in Windows 7? Maybe just me, but all seem to be "pinned" and locked, and opening multiple files/windows just layers them on each other. Can you help me out of this "frozen" file display (I can maximize or minimize but I cannot move or resize them as I did in Win 7)." --Steve D.In Windows 10, the Control Panel is now called Settings, which you access from the Start menu. It's the one with the gear icon next to it. This will open up a window like the old Control Panel, but it's organized differently. If you have trouble finding something in there, use the search function in the upper right-hand corner.
Resizing windows functions a little differently now. You used to be able to click and drag a window to unsnap it when in full-screen mode. Now you have to double-click the title bar. That will make the window borders viewable, and then you can resize by clicking and dragging from the lower right-hand corner.
Upgrading with a low data cap
"I am on HughesNet Satellite with no other option in a remote rural area. Bandwidth is limited, and I am already on a 10GB monthly plan that costs $70+ a month. They do give a 'bonus' 10GB from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. that I do not always use. Is there any way to schedule the download time for Windows 10 (or the auto updates I understand that they have)?" --Joey J.Not for the free upgrade to Windows 10. That will download in the background over a period of several days, but there's no way to modify exactly when that happens. For updates, you can tell this version of Windows 10 to check for system updates only at a specific time -- but that doesn't help when the central issue is getting Windows 10 itself.
In your case, the best solution may be to wait. Word around the Internet is that the upgrade process has been a little rough, so it may be wise to stay in your lane until Microsoft has smoothed the upgrade path. The free offer doesn't expire for another year, and Windows 7 will be supported until 2020, and Windows 8.1, until 2023, so you have plenty of time to let things get sorted out.
Still have questions? Send them to download-mail@cbsinteractive.com or inquire in the comments section below. You can also find more answers in these stories:
About Tom McNamara
Tom is the senior editor covering Windows at Download.com.
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