Survey: what OS are you using?

[wmc_chick]

I'm a long time reader, first time poster. I currently use Windows 8, have a Ceton InfiniTV6 PCIe, and 4 Xbox 360s for my setup. I have no problems with my configuration.

I'm having a last minute panic attack about passing up on the free upgrade to Windows 10.

I would like to know what OS others are using? How many of you upgraded to Windows 10? How many are sticking with Windows 7 or 8? And why?

[adam1991]

Windows 7.

I installed it in March 2011. It's not broken, so there's nothing to fix and hence no need not to be on the same Windows 7 it's always been.

Started with the first of the InfiniTV 4 PCIe, and last year dumped cable and moved to OTA via HD Homerun.

Two XBox Slim and one Ceton Echo for remote TVs.

[mdavej]

The main things you have to worry about with Win 8/8.1

- You're locked into Xbox as your only extender option
- Difficulty of reinstalling WMC

With Win 10, you still have the same or more extender issues plus the risk that a future Microsoft update could break WMC entirely.

Safest bet would be to drop back to Win 7 and stick with it.

I'll never understand why people are compelled to constantly "upgrade" something that works perfectly well as it is when the risks are so great and the rewards so few. Honestly, what do you really gain with Win 10 other than spyware and adware built in to the OS. No thanks.

[Bryan]

Windows 7 for now. I'm considering swapping systems soon and would likely run 8.1. I'll get them licensed for 10 but am not planning to use that for WMC, doesn't seem worth the trouble.

[Cup]

Still on Win7 here.
Thought about going 8.1 when I built a new machine last month (9(!) year old mobo crapped itself); but, then I wouldn't be able to use my Echos. So, stayed on 7.

[choliscott]

I was in the same boat for trying to decide if I wanted to upgrade the HTPC before the deadline. This is what I ended up doing

1) Used Windows 7 Backup/Restore to create an image of the C drive (I have the recordings on D drive)
2) Ran the W10 update to get the license. Once that was done & I saw it was activated
3) Restored Windows 7 from the image file.
4) Windows 7 restored fine, except WMC gave me a slight issue. I fixed this by clearing the C:\programData\ehome folder & resetting up the tuner, running EPG123 & recreating the series recordings. I used this as a good chance to test the image restore.

A couple weeks later I wanted to try the instructions that were created for being able to use Xbox 260 as extenders on W10, which worked great & haven't had a problem. I believe I currently have updates shut off, but not sure if I will need to install the anniversary update after a certain date. I've been reading people running the anniversary update have issues with WMC being able to see SiliconDust tuners, but haven't really read anything about Ceton tuners.

I'm a long time reader, first time poster. I currently use Windows 8, have a Ceton InfiniTV6 PCIe, and 4 Xbox 360s for my setup. I have no problems with my configuration.

I'm having a last minute panic attack about passing up on the free upgrade to Windows 10.

I would like to know what OS others are using? How many of you upgraded to Windows 10? How many are sticking with Windows 7 or 8? And why?

[Scallica]

I'll never understand why people are compelled to constantly "upgrade" something that works perfectly well as it is when the risks are so great and the rewards so few. Honestly, what do you really gain with Win 10 other than spyware and adware built in to the OS. No thanks.

I agree in most cases. My HTPC will remain on Windows 7. My laptop (Core i5/8GB RAM/Samsung 850 Pro HD) was running Windows 7 but it was so slow it was unusable (too much stuff installed/running). I did a clean install of Windows 10 Pro and now it's lightning fast.

You can disable the Windows 10 spying easily.

https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/

[adam1991]

I'll never understand why people are compelled to constantly "upgrade" something that works perfectly well as it is when the risks are so great and the rewards so few. Honestly, what do you really gain with Win 10 other than spyware and adware built in to the OS. No thanks.

It's easy: they see a computer that can do "anything", and they think therefore that it MUST do EVERYTHING. For all that potential to remain unused Shall Not Happen. They refuse to see a single instance of that Windows computer as being a single-tasking tool.

Further, because they like to constantly fiddle with computers, they can't leave ANY computer alone. Not a one of them.

The concept of a well-running single task computer that never needs or deserves fiddling with is...anathema to them.

Imagine someone driving his kids to school, but suddenly pulling over and opening the hood and bringing out the tools and switching out the alternator for a bigger one "just because".

[Crash2009]

You can disable the Windows 10 spying easily.

Here's how to get rid of some of the other crap.

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/thread ... post845516

[Crash2009]

I'm a long time reader, first time poster. I currently use Windows 8, have a Ceton InfiniTV6 PCIe, and 4 Xbox 360s for my setup. I have no problems with my configuration.

I'm having a last minute panic attack about passing up on the free upgrade to Windows 10.

I would like to know what OS others are using? How many of you upgraded to Windows 10? How many are sticking with Windows 7 or 8? And why?

I am keeping my Win7 with a Ceton Infini4 and Ceton Echo extenders until the wheels fall off.

I am presently testing Win10 (Build 10586.0) with an HDHR-3CC and Xbox360 extenders.

Next project will be Win10 LTSB, Adam will like this one...No Updates EVER!

I am also watching the HDHR DVR project, and ready to "jump in" at the first report of DRM working.

[Space]

I'm using Win7 on my HTPC.

I did upgrade this PC (using a secondary, cloned hard drive) so that I would get the free digital entitlement just in case I want to move to Win10 at some point in the future. I have no plans to move to Win10, but you never know what the future holds.

Note that even though the deadline to get free Win10 has passed, you can still get it for free if you use "assistive technologies":
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessi ... s10upgrade

I use the OSK and shortcuts, so I see no reason why I would not qualify (if I didn't already upgrade my PC). There is no check to see if you use any of these features, so everybody can qualify.

Once you upgrade to Win10, it gives you a permanent "Digital entitlement" to install Win10 on that PC at any time in the future (it is associated with the motherboard of the PC) so after you get that entitlement, you can wipe out the hard drive and install any other OS you want (or just revert back to your prior OS if you have it on another hard drive or saved system image). If you decide you want Win10 on that PC 3 years from now, you can install it (upgrade or fresh install) and it will automatically retrieve the "digital entitlement" over the Internet from Microsoft and you will be good to go with your free copy of Win10.