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Friday, August 7, 2015

My opinions about Windows 10

Positive

  • Slightly enhanced command prompt.
  • Windows 7 backup solution is back, but perhaps something new and better would be good.
  • Multiple real desktops and switching.
  • Snapping windows to corners.
  • Snapping windows to the left or right side makes the window fill the remaining space; this is nice but now it's harder to fill only half of the screen. Edit: After the last cumulative update, the control key actually does modify the behavior. I was sure it did not – at least before the update.
  • Easier to adjust audio volume precicely; not because the resolution is higher, but because the control is larger.

Negative

  • "MBR error 1" on first and consequtive startups after upgrade; solved using commands:
    bootrec /FixMbr
    bootrec /FixBoot
  • Make sure to uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials unless you want to waste time upgrading again.
  • New Photo viewer:
    • Zooming and panning is blurry and blocky, especially while panning.
    • Browsing pictures shows rectangles with a solid color instead of the pictures themselves.
  • Cannot remove pictures (from the UI list) that were previously set on the lock screen.
  • Cannot remove custom high contrast themes. Speaking of that, the amount of options is poor.
  • The font in certain textboxes (particularly search box in Explorer) makes it harder to read.
  • Fine-tuning color of taskbar without changing the color of other things as well seems to be impossible.
  • I have turned off animations globally in Windows, but all modern UIs still animate stuff, including the start menu.
  • Start menu:
    • Documents folder on the start menu is now by default an extra click away.
    • No way to easily remove multiple (live and app) tiles I don't want on the start menu.
    • Noticeable delay before the start menu shows up.
    • Context menu for search results (files, desktop apps) in the start menu is crippled (no shell menu entries).
    • Cannot drag and drop any search results (files, desktop apps) from the start menu to any control/toolbar that accepts dropped files.
  • No distance between border/edge and text in command prompt.
  • [Right click taskbar > Properties] opens "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties", but there is nothing for the start menu there.
  • Command prompt still does not display unicode characters.
  • Harder to see what part of a window is draggable (e.g. caption) because everything is a single color.
  • Disabling Windows Defender is harder (use gpedit.msc).
  • Mixed quality icons (amount of color, proportions, design). 3D or 2D, few colors or many, few details or many... Particularly not a fan of the new shield icon.
  • No shortcut keys for switching to specific desktops (e.g. desktop #1-4)?
  • Default privacy settings are intrusive.
  • I somehow managed to record a "game", but actually I was just my web browser. When I try to view my recordings, the app just closes after a few seconds (maybe crashes).
  • After hibernation or locking the screen, the logon/lock screen does not get ready for input when pressing down the shift-key.
  • The File Explorer window sometimes flashes as if it closes and re-opens, and the current selection clears. Workaround: Do not open new windows in separate processes.
  • After closing the File Explorer, it sometimes re-opens immediately afterwards. Workaround: Do not open new windows in separate processes.
  • While doing something with the start menu and/or the File Explorer, I got an error message from RuntimeBroker.exe: Not implemented
  • The UI language in the OS is English, and my region settings are set to Norwegian/Norway; yet, the modern apps are actually in a completely different language (Japanese). Maybe because I once upon a time set the region of my Xbox 360 to Japan.