| Mr. Fixit's PC Upgrade and Repair |
| Changes in Windows 10 |
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| Changes in Windows 10 |
Windows 10 has gone through many changes since Windows 8.1. Microsoft merged Windows 7's and Windows 8.1's interfaces
together. It looks like Windows 8.1 but functions like Windows 7. Many of the problems that plagued Windows 8 were fixed in
Windows 10. For example, the new User Interface has the ability to change its settings to accommodate the type of input device
being used. This is aimed at convertible laptops and tablets. When a user adds a keyboard and/or mouse, the OS will asked if they
want to switch to a UI optimized for keyboard/mouse or stay in the touch-optimized mode. The start menu has returned with all the
apps on the left side and the Live Tiles on the Right. The start menu can be resized to full screen, which is the default setting for
touch enviroments.
Task View was added that will display all open Windows that are currently running to allow the user to easily switch between apps.
Remember how the apps in Windows 8.1 were only full-screen? Now, the apps can be resized on the desktop. Program's window
can now be snapped to Quadrants of the screen by dragging the program to a corner. The new Snap Assist will ask to
choose other program to fill in the unused space. The System icons were changed to appear flatter except for the Recycle bin icon,
it will remain the same. The Charms Bar was removed and the Action Center has taken it's place. The Charms functions are only
available in the Apps Menu bar.
With the need of increased security features, Windows 10 has improved support for Bio-metric technology. With the Windows Hello
platform, Devices with a supported camera can use Facial or Iris recognition and the devices that support readers can use
Fingerprint recognition. The new Passport platform will allow networks, software, and websites to authenticate users using either a
PIN or biometric login to verify their identity, without sending a password.
The amount of space required to run Windows has been increasing with every new release. Windows 10 is able to decrease its
footprint, up to 2.6GB, by compressing the system files. The level of compression will depend on the impact on the PC's
performance which can be performed during installation or at the manufacture. Storage Sense was added to give the user a better
idea what files types use the most space on the Hard Drive and to determine if files are being saved to the internal HDD or an
external device by default.
The Refresh and Reset functions will now use Runtime System files to do away with the need of a separate recovery partition that
would save another 12GB of space.
Internet Explorer was replaced with Microsoft Edge, a new lightweight and faster browser, to compete with Google Chrome and
Firefox. IE will still be present in Windows 10 but in a diminished capacity for compatibility issues. Edge doesn't support ActiveX or
Browser Helper objects but will now use extensions. Edge integrates with the Cortana digital assistant to provide voice control,
search functionality, and personalized information related to searches within the address bar. Users can make annotations to web
pages that can be stored to and shared with OneDrive. It also integrates with the "Reading List" function to sync content between
devices, and provides a "Reading Mode" that strips unnecessary formatting from pages to improve their legibility.
Cortana is the new Intelligent Personal Assistant brought over from the Windows 8.1 phone that supported both text and voice
searches.
DirecX 12 and WDDM 2.0 will be released with Windows 10 to provide an improved access to Hardware resources and reduce the
load on the CPU and graphics drivers.
The Windows Runtime app was revised into the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). These universal apps are made to run across
multiple platforms and device classes, including smartphones, tablets, Xbox One consoles, and other compatible Windows 10
devices. Windows apps share code across platforms, have responsive designs that adapt to the needs of the device and available
inputs, can synchronize data between Windows 10 devices (including notifications, credentials, and allowing cross-platform
multiplayer for games), and are distributed through a unified Windows Store. Developers can allow "cross-buys", where purchased
licenses for an app apply to all of the user's compatible devices, rather than only the one they purchased on (i.e. a user purchasing
an app on PC is also entitled to use the smartphone version at no extra cost).
Windows Store is now a unified storefront for apps. Xbox Music was changed to Groove Music and Xbox Video was changed to
Movies & TV. Web apps and desktop software that use either Win32 or .NET framework can now be purchased through Windows
store.
Microsoft Family replaced Microsoft Family Safety, a parental controls system that applies across Windows platforms and Microsoft
online services. Users can create a designated family, and monitor and restrict the actions of users designated as children, such as
access to websites, enforcing age ratings on Windows Store purchases, and other restrictions. The service can also send weekly e-
mail reports to parents detailing a child's computer usage. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Child accounts in a family must be
associated with a Microsoft account—which allows these settings to apply across all Windows 10 devices that a particular child is
using.
WiFi Sense is a new feature that came from Windows Phone 8.1. The user can have there device connect to a suggested Hotspot
and share there home network with their contacts via Skype, Facebook, etc. Those contacts can then connect to the user's home
network without the need to send them the password. The guest user cannot access any other computer on the network nor see
the password. However, WiFi Sense is not compatible with 802.1x encryption or networks with "_optout" at the end of the SSID.
The OneDrive built-in sync client, which was introduced in Windows 8.1, no longer supports offline placeholders for online-only files
in Windows 10. Functionality to view offline files is expected to be added sometime in the future in a new Windows app.
Users are no longer able to synchronize Start menu layouts across all devices associated with a Microsoft account. Users
may have different applications they want to emphasize on each device that they use, rather than use the same configuration
across each device. The ability to automatically install a Windows Store app across all devices associated with an account was also
removed.
Web browsers can no longer set themselves as a user's default without further intervention; changing the default web browser must
be performed manually by the user from Settings' "Default apps" page. This change is to prevent browser hijacking.
The MSN Food & Drink, MSN Health & Fitness, and MSN Travel apps was discontinued.
Windows 10 licenses are no longer tied directly to a product key. Instead, the license status of the system's current installation of
Windows is migrated, and a "Digital entitlement" is generated during the activation process, which is bound to the hardware
information collected during the upgrade process. If Windows 10 is reinstalled cleanly and there have not been any significant
hardware changes since installation (such as a motherboard change), the online activation process will automatically recognize the
system's digital entitlement if no product key is entered during installations. However, unique product keys are still distributed within
retail copies of Windows 10. As with previous versions of Windows, significant hardware changes will invalidate the digital
entitlement, and require Windows to be re-activated.
together. It looks like Windows 8.1 but functions like Windows 7. Many of the problems that plagued Windows 8 were fixed in
Windows 10. For example, the new User Interface has the ability to change its settings to accommodate the type of input device
being used. This is aimed at convertible laptops and tablets. When a user adds a keyboard and/or mouse, the OS will asked if they
want to switch to a UI optimized for keyboard/mouse or stay in the touch-optimized mode. The start menu has returned with all the
apps on the left side and the Live Tiles on the Right. The start menu can be resized to full screen, which is the default setting for
touch enviroments.
Task View was added that will display all open Windows that are currently running to allow the user to easily switch between apps.
Remember how the apps in Windows 8.1 were only full-screen? Now, the apps can be resized on the desktop. Program's window
can now be snapped to Quadrants of the screen by dragging the program to a corner. The new Snap Assist will ask to
choose other program to fill in the unused space. The System icons were changed to appear flatter except for the Recycle bin icon,
it will remain the same. The Charms Bar was removed and the Action Center has taken it's place. The Charms functions are only
available in the Apps Menu bar.
With the need of increased security features, Windows 10 has improved support for Bio-metric technology. With the Windows Hello
platform, Devices with a supported camera can use Facial or Iris recognition and the devices that support readers can use
Fingerprint recognition. The new Passport platform will allow networks, software, and websites to authenticate users using either a
PIN or biometric login to verify their identity, without sending a password.
The amount of space required to run Windows has been increasing with every new release. Windows 10 is able to decrease its
footprint, up to 2.6GB, by compressing the system files. The level of compression will depend on the impact on the PC's
performance which can be performed during installation or at the manufacture. Storage Sense was added to give the user a better
idea what files types use the most space on the Hard Drive and to determine if files are being saved to the internal HDD or an
external device by default.
The Refresh and Reset functions will now use Runtime System files to do away with the need of a separate recovery partition that
would save another 12GB of space.
Internet Explorer was replaced with Microsoft Edge, a new lightweight and faster browser, to compete with Google Chrome and
Firefox. IE will still be present in Windows 10 but in a diminished capacity for compatibility issues. Edge doesn't support ActiveX or
Browser Helper objects but will now use extensions. Edge integrates with the Cortana digital assistant to provide voice control,
search functionality, and personalized information related to searches within the address bar. Users can make annotations to web
pages that can be stored to and shared with OneDrive. It also integrates with the "Reading List" function to sync content between
devices, and provides a "Reading Mode" that strips unnecessary formatting from pages to improve their legibility.
Cortana is the new Intelligent Personal Assistant brought over from the Windows 8.1 phone that supported both text and voice
searches.
DirecX 12 and WDDM 2.0 will be released with Windows 10 to provide an improved access to Hardware resources and reduce the
load on the CPU and graphics drivers.
The Windows Runtime app was revised into the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). These universal apps are made to run across
multiple platforms and device classes, including smartphones, tablets, Xbox One consoles, and other compatible Windows 10
devices. Windows apps share code across platforms, have responsive designs that adapt to the needs of the device and available
inputs, can synchronize data between Windows 10 devices (including notifications, credentials, and allowing cross-platform
multiplayer for games), and are distributed through a unified Windows Store. Developers can allow "cross-buys", where purchased
licenses for an app apply to all of the user's compatible devices, rather than only the one they purchased on (i.e. a user purchasing
an app on PC is also entitled to use the smartphone version at no extra cost).
Windows Store is now a unified storefront for apps. Xbox Music was changed to Groove Music and Xbox Video was changed to
Movies & TV. Web apps and desktop software that use either Win32 or .NET framework can now be purchased through Windows
store.
Microsoft Family replaced Microsoft Family Safety, a parental controls system that applies across Windows platforms and Microsoft
online services. Users can create a designated family, and monitor and restrict the actions of users designated as children, such as
access to websites, enforcing age ratings on Windows Store purchases, and other restrictions. The service can also send weekly e-
mail reports to parents detailing a child's computer usage. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Child accounts in a family must be
associated with a Microsoft account—which allows these settings to apply across all Windows 10 devices that a particular child is
using.
WiFi Sense is a new feature that came from Windows Phone 8.1. The user can have there device connect to a suggested Hotspot
and share there home network with their contacts via Skype, Facebook, etc. Those contacts can then connect to the user's home
network without the need to send them the password. The guest user cannot access any other computer on the network nor see
the password. However, WiFi Sense is not compatible with 802.1x encryption or networks with "_optout" at the end of the SSID.
The OneDrive built-in sync client, which was introduced in Windows 8.1, no longer supports offline placeholders for online-only files
in Windows 10. Functionality to view offline files is expected to be added sometime in the future in a new Windows app.
Users are no longer able to synchronize Start menu layouts across all devices associated with a Microsoft account. Users
may have different applications they want to emphasize on each device that they use, rather than use the same configuration
across each device. The ability to automatically install a Windows Store app across all devices associated with an account was also
removed.
Web browsers can no longer set themselves as a user's default without further intervention; changing the default web browser must
be performed manually by the user from Settings' "Default apps" page. This change is to prevent browser hijacking.
The MSN Food & Drink, MSN Health & Fitness, and MSN Travel apps was discontinued.
Windows 10 licenses are no longer tied directly to a product key. Instead, the license status of the system's current installation of
Windows is migrated, and a "Digital entitlement" is generated during the activation process, which is bound to the hardware
information collected during the upgrade process. If Windows 10 is reinstalled cleanly and there have not been any significant
hardware changes since installation (such as a motherboard change), the online activation process will automatically recognize the
system's digital entitlement if no product key is entered during installations. However, unique product keys are still distributed within
retail copies of Windows 10. As with previous versions of Windows, significant hardware changes will invalidate the digital
entitlement, and require Windows to be re-activated.