Microsoft has now decided to push Windows 10 as a recommended upgrade. Offering Windows 10 as a Recommended Update is expected to push Windows 10 adoption faster, since most users already have this option checked in Windows Update settings.
While for most, including myself, the Windows 10 Upgrade has been a smooth affair, for many it has bricked their laptops or caused problems & issues. What will happen now, after it is pushed as a Recommended Update to Windows 8.1/7 users? You find issues all over the Internet forums saying that the Windows 10 upgrade created problems for them. Seriously, here is a guy whose upgrade is stuck, and he is asked to clean install Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool. Isn’t it a little too much to expect from a regular John or Jane computer user? I mean, isn’t it unfair to expect a regular home user who cannot open some file types, to open CMD or PowerShell and Run SFC, DISM and finally if all fails to install Windows 10 using the Media Creation tool? Sure a geek may be able to do it, but a regular home user!? Many a times, the question is not either presented properly or if it is, then it is not understood properly – and then then the users is directed to some KB article which an average computer user finds too technical to understand. A user Slain said: At times threads are abandoned by the Microsoft Support Staff, after an initial attempt to help. Take a look at this thread on Microsoft Answers to see how the conversation goes. Another example. See the incorrect information given here and how the Microsoft Support Engineer abandoned it subsequently. So what does the common user who expects the upgrade to go smoothly do when he faces issues? If the user were to take their laptop to their local computer technician to fix it – if the tech support is not aware of the issue or solution, the suggestion is to reformat the computer in most cases. And that’s an option most do not want! Useful link: How to Get Help in Windows 10.
Windows 10 update bricked my Computer
The most tragic part is if the upgrade bricks their laptop. By bricking, I mean that the computers, laptops, etc. running Windows 10 stop responding – either during the upgrade or after an upgrade. The reasons could be several. Even in cases where people opt to go back to their previous versions from Windows 10, the laptops become unusable in certain cases. People are not able to log in, can’t connect to the Internet, etc. And in worst cases, it is a bricked laptop – that does nothing, no matter what you try! Clean installing the operating system seems to be the only option for a Windows 10 bricked laptop. And since Windows 10 now accepts Windows 7 and Windows 8 licenses, it should not be a problem to choose the OS you want and clean install it. The most common cause is said to be incompatible hardware drivers. For example, if a display driver is not supported, you can’t do anything except reinstall the operating system you were using prior to upgrades. Though it is almost a year, quite a number of hardware drivers are yet to be incorporated into the setup for Windows 10 by Microsoft. This lack of compatible drivers often leads to a bricked laptop. Windows 10 does include a range of drivers in installation software, but the number is quite low compared to the range of hardware available in the market. Besides just the drivers, some of the laptops are quite old and can’t run Windows 10. And with Microsoft making Windows 10 a recommended upgrade, things are going to get worse. If the laptop is not supported by Windows 10, basically the Windows 10 upgrade was not meant to be offered to you. Problems arise when you use the Media Creation Tool to install it. It is better to buy a new laptop, transfer your existing installation to the new one if it is not already Windows 10 and then upgrading to Windows 10 – before July 2016 if you want a free upgrade. Does that mean Windows 10 is only for laptops that are 2-3 old? What about custom computers? Did Microsoft think about them while devising the upgrade plans for Windows 10? If not, why does it say that – if you can run Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, you can run Windows 10 without problems? It does not seem true exactly, given the grievances of users. Reading all the distress comments could make one weep! And it’s not just my site – you should see the comments on Microsoft Answers and other forums too, asking for help. These are just a few of the thousands of complaints all over the Internet. Many have claimed that even after using a stable build, Windows 10 bricked their laptop. And since Microsoft has now made Windows 10, a recommended upgrade, the problems and help requests could well increase. Read: How to avoid upgrading to Windows 10. While the Microsoft MVPs, Community Stars and the army of volunteers do a great job at addressing issues, Microsoft needs to beef up and appoint a sold Support staff, who will be able to take the problem head-on, by the collar and help hapless users solve their issues. Allocate threads to Support Staff and ensure that they are taken to their logical conclusion. If they feel unable to solve it, escalate it to higher engineers and most important of all, don’t remain silent but tell the user that his or her problem is specifically being looked at. He or she should not feel abandoned. Microsoft owes this to its loyal Windows customers! How has your experience been?
