Windows 10 Gets Its First Big Update

By Tracey Capen

The much-anticipated fall update for Windows l0 has arrived. If youre looking for significant changes, youre going to be disappointed.

Version 1511 is an important update, but many of the enhancements are either buried in the Settings menus or under the hood.

The latest Win10, aka Fall Update, is far from a routine patch. According to Microsoft, its about a 3GB download, and on my test system it took around three hours for the full installation. And though it was officially released on Nov. 12, it could take days before it shows up on individual machines. On my test system, the update arrived sometime over the weekend; on my personal system, I received a notification but no actual update — yet.

Aside from Microsoft throttling the release of the update, there are other reasons you might not see Version 1511, according to a MS FAQ.

• The delivery of Version 1511 will be delayed if you migrated to Win10 less than 31 days ago. The original Win10 lets you roll back to Win7 or 8.1 within a month of upgrading to the new OS. Apparently, once you install Version 1511, the roll-back option is disabled. When your Win10 setup reaches its one-month anniversary, Fall Update should show up in Windows Update and be automatically installed.
• If you selected Defer upgrades in the Windows Update advanced options, there could be a delay receiving Version 1511.
  Note that the option to defer updates applies only to optional patches; security updates are always installed as soon as offered. According to a Win10 help page, new features "wont be downloaded or installed for several months." Windows 10 Home doesnt have the defer-updates option; Win10 Pro does.
• Updates installed before Version 1511 will no longer show up in your update history (Start/Settings/Update & security/Windows Update/Advanced Options/View your update history).
• If you uninstall Fall Update, it wont show up again in Windows Update — youll have to download it directly from Microsoft.
  How do you uninstall Version 1511? Although the update comes through Windows Update, you wont find it in your update history. Presumably, you use the Go back to an earlier build option (Settings/Update & security/Recovery). There, youll have to step through a series of questions before the process begins.

As generally seems to be the case with Windows 10, there can be many other reasons that an upgrade doesnt appear or install properly. You might, for example, have insufficient room on your hard drive — more of a potential problem on older systems with relatively small drives. Also, you might have to go through several rounds of "Check for updates" to ensure the system is fully up to date. (Win10 seems to be a bit erratic about when patches appear in Windows Update.)

You can check whether you have Version 1511 installed by checking About page (Settings/System/About). Look for the Version number, as shown in Figure 1. If you have problems receiving or installing Fall Update, you can, as a last resort, use the most current Media Creation Tool (site), which includes Version 1511. The tool should let you install Win10 while keeping your personal files. You might have to reinstall your apps.

Figure 1. The About window in Win10s Settings/System section should show Version 1511.

Whats new in Windows 10 Version 1511

As mentioned, the obvious changes included in Fall Update are fairly few. In fact, Microsofts Whats new page highlights just three — and one of those isnt for Windows but the Edge Browser. (As usual, Microsoft has done a poor job of documenting Windows changes.) Here are some changes I found when comparing an upgraded Win10 system with one that is still waiting for the upgrade.

Edge browser: The enhancements to Edge are relatively minor: Power Web users will like the webpage preview. Now, when you have multiple tabs active in the browser, rolling over a tab name pops up a handy thumbnail of its webpage (see Figure 2).............................................

SEE IT HERE..... CLICK CLICK CLICK

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Windows 10 Bumps Up Support call Traffic

By Lincoln Spector

A major operating system upgrade always brings new problems — and a slew of frantic calls to tech-support services.

Queries about a new OS often go well beyond learning a user interface; drivers and applications have to be updated, and no amount of beta testing ensures that everything works.

All this is especially true of the Windows 10 upgrade. Users flocked to the new OS in record numbers. Many waited eagerly for months to try the Win8 replacement; others leaped at the apparent bargain of a free upgrade. And others, who didnt even want Win10, got it anyway, thanks to Microsofts aggressive upgrade policies.

Recently, the large support company RESCUECOM (website) reported that 56 percent of the calls it received in the third quarter were Windows 10 related — and Win10 didnt officially ship until the quarter was nearly a third over.

Curious about the most common Win10 issues, I interviewed RESCUECOM CEO David Milman, via email. Knowing more about possible upgrading traps makes it easier to avoid or fix them.

RESCUECOM is a subscription-based tech-support and repair company for Windows, Macs, tablets, and phones. Subscriptions start at U.S. $30 a month and include both tech calls and house calls (at no extra cost).

Milman wouldnt tell me how many subscribers the company has, but he stated that RESCUECOM has over 6,500 employees and contracted freelancers, which gives you an idea of its size.

Note: Aside from researching and writing this article, I have no connection with RESCUECOM. Ive never used, tested, or reviewed the service. So I cant say whether its better or worse than its competitors.

With the Win10 release, the phones start ringing

Milman noted that RESCUECOM always sees a surge in calls when an operating system gets a major upgrade. But Win10 was unusual; the volume of calls has been about double that of previous Windows releases. Most of the support questions "focused on problems with usability and a desire to revert [to Windows 7 or 8], instead of how to use the new OS," according to Milman.

The upgrade caught many users by surprise; they didnt understanding why their desktop suddenly looked different. According to Milman, "Microsoft was either brilliant or sneaky (the jury is still out) in how it delivered Windows 10, [which] appeared on just about every Windows 7 and Windows 8 (8.1) computer on the planet." (That doesnt include the many corporate systems.)

However, the majority of RESCUECOM callers were better informed. They had actively — perhaps even enthusiastically — updated their systems. But then they discovered that Windows 10 didnt always behave as advertised.

Milman noted that he ran into problems on his own machines and reverted one system back to Win8.1. "One of my two NVIDIA graphics cards was incompatible, and I didnt feel like spending the time to chase down the correct drivers."

(As described in the Aug. 27 Windows Secrets Top Story, "Thirty-day Win10 experiment lasts only a week," I had my own share of Win10 upgrade disasters — most of which have been resolved.)

Drivers drive Win10 upgraders to drink

Hardware failures — mostly due to incompatible drivers — are a common problem with new operating systems. "Some hardware will not [immediately] work with Windows 10," Milman told me. "Some older products may never get windows 10 drivers."

Milman suggests opening Windows Device Manager to find misbehaving drivers. (Right-click the Start icon and select Device Manager from the pop-up list.) Typically, a small yellow warning flag will be attached to the icon for a problematic device.

That is, of course, if you can use your computer at all. Bad video drivers can result in a black screen. For driver issues this severe, try booting into Safe Mode and downloading the correct drivers from the hardware manufacturers site. (Win10 doesnt make it easy to run Safe Mode. For more info, see the Sept. 17 Field Notes, "Lost and found: Windows 10s safe mode.") Open Device Managers again, right-click the failing hardware, and select Update Driver Software.

When a favorite app doesnt survive the upgrade

Most applications that work in Windows 7 and 8 should work in Win10 — but sometimes they dont. And XP-era applications are especially problematic. For in-place upgrades, Microsoft suggests running the system-compatibility checker thats in the Get Windows 10 option menu (see Figure 1)...

Continue reading; CLICK  HERE

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Calibration update for Windows 7 Viliv S5 HID Driver

Last week I posted about the release of Vilivs Human Interface Device (HID) Driver for their S5 Mobile Internet Device (MID). Many of you reported mixed results (most came via Engadgets story) but sadly a common theme amongst the feedback was a change in sensitivity of touch, while others reported total loss of calibration and even dead spots. Ultimately I want to thank you for participating in the process and commend all of you for being part of the solution! Part the reason I write this blog is to act as a bridge between manufacturers and end-users and with your contributions mere conversations become so much more!

I spent the week working with Viliv Senior Technicians to resolve the HID Driver issues and reporting back each and everyone of your comments. Something that has become clear is that HID users need to realise that the presence of a HID Driver will in fact alter the touch experience; there are many technical reasons for this but in plain English the difference is based on the new layer of "thinking" being conducted by the driver to help Windows understanding exactly why you are touching and what your intended action is. You must expect a change in sensitivity but by no means should you expect dead spots!

With that in mind...here is the solution from the factory:

Please use the instructions below to enhance the sensitivity and accuracy for S5 

1. Check the attached “S5 reset.jpg” file
2. Reset the Calibration from Tablet PC setting
3. Execute S5cal.bat and calibrate 25point

As always I will make myself available in the coming days to answer your queries and pass on your comments once again.

Cheers! Enjoy!

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