Lynne wants to know how big the Windows 10 ISO file is
Thanks for all the information about Windows 10. How big is the ISO file?

Our answer
Hi Lynne. Windows 10 is available as a "Download tool". With it you have 3 choices:

1. You can upgrade your PC directly with it
2. You can create prepare and installation USB (good for computers which don't have optical drives, e.g. CD/DVD
3. You can create an ISO file which you can use to burn a Windows 10 installation USB. You don't need any special burning software to burn a DVD with it. Just double-click the ISO file and make sure you have blank, writable DVD in your DVD/CD dive.

You don't download the file directly - the download tool downloads the files silently in the background. The apparent file size of the download (ISO) is approximately 3.4 GB. With a fast connection you should be ready to create the ISO file and hence the installation DVD.

However, we think the easiest way is to simply use the download tool to upgrade your PC without messing around with USBs or DVDs.

We've got a tip on how to create a recovery USB so that you can reinstall Windows with all updates included.



Bernie asks about upgrading to Windows 10 and his Documents folder
I have a question regarding the upgrade to Windows 10. I recently took advantage of your offer to check my PC to see that is ready for the upgrade. All was well. Now my question is regarding something I did some time ago. I read somewhere about moving my Documents folder to my external hard drive as a safe way not to lose everything if my hard drive crashed, I made a short cut to the documents folder in the external drive so that all documents saved automatically to the external drive. What is going to happen when Windows 10 is installed? Also is it sensible to set up my Documents folder that way. Thanks for all your assistants over the years. Bernie

Our answer
Hi Bernie. It depends entirely on how you moved your documents - if you moved your documents to your external drive - then there is nothing to worry about as Windows 10 preserves your file structure- just remember to leave your external drive plugged in during the upgrade.

If you moved your files by simply copy/move to your external drive and you manually move them - they you might have a problem. But If windows is already moving documents to the documents folder on your external drive and it requires no action on your part - then you have move the documents folder correctly and you Windows 10 upgrade should preserve your file structure including your documents remaining on your external and working just like they do now.

There is one good reason to relocate your documents folder. If your main hard drive fails, you can still access your important personal files - or most of them anyway.

Bob wants to know if he has Windows 8.1 Home or Pro version
Before downloading the ISO file, I thought I'd see if this new Windows 8.1 PC was Home or Pro. Nothing I could find would indicate which I have... Windows key + Pause only indicated that I had Windows 8.1 and nothing specific about which version of Windows 8.1 I have. So, any idea how to figure out which version of Windows 8.1 I have? Home or Pro?

Our answer
Hi Bob. If your computer properties says Windows 8.1 you are using Windows 8.1 Home. If you’re using any other version it will specify the version – for instance Windows 8.1 Pro. Windows 7 specifies Home Premium, Pro, etc. See below:

Hope this helps you, Bob.

Larry wants to know how to tell if he should download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 10 upgrade
How do I know whether to download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of W10? I seem to have both on my computer, as I see some things marked 32 bit and others 64 bit. How does one tell which version is the one to download? This is an important question, because I don’t want to spend hours downloading the wrong version. All answers are much appreciated!

Our answer
Hi Larry. If you're currently using a 32-bit version of Windows, you should download the 32-bit version; if you're using 64-bit Windows, download the 64-bit.

Here's an easy way to tell what version of Windows 10 you're using:

Press & hold down the Windows Key + the Pause/Break key to open System Properties. This works on all versions of Windows

NOTE: There are some suggesting that everyone should download the 64-bit version, and it probably will work with most newer computers. However - if your computer does not have 64-bit architecture you cannot install 64-bit Windows on it. Additionally, Microsoft sates you must upgrade to the same Windows version as you're using now. I take that to mean if you're using Windows 7 SP1 32-bit Home Premium you will need to upgrade to Windows 10 Home 32-bit. Some don't seem to think the 32-bit / 64-bit makes a difference as far as "same version" goes. You can do otherwise at your own risk.

Lillian read where Windows 10 is going to share her home network with all her contacts
I just read a news article about windows 10 having something called WIFI sense which allows any of your Outlook, Skype or Facebook contacts to use your home network. Could you look into this. I don't have windows 10 yet but I think my home network should only be used by those I choose. Believe half of what you hear and one-quarter of what you read - especially during times of flux and change, like right now. I just read a news article about windows 10 having something called WIFI sense which allows any of your Outlook, Skype or Facebook contacts to use your home network. Could you look into this. I don't have windows 10 yet but I think my home network should only be used by those I choose  

Our answer
Hi Lillian. There is a lot of misinformation on the Web, and lot of information written with a spin - usually for sensationalistic purposes to attract traffic. If you're in business on the Web, traffic is money.

Here's a brief description of WiFi Sense:

Windows 10’s new Wi-Fi Sense feature takes the headache out of managing Wi-Fi connections on the run. With Wi-Fi Sense enabled, Windows 10 will automatically sign you into open Wi-Fi networks, as well as private networks that your Outlook.com, Skype, and Facebook contacts have logged into—so you won’t have to manually sign into the network when you visit your buddy’s house.

WiFi Sense allows your contacts to use your Home Network if they are in range. - which means in or near your house - which translated means guests. The way some articles are written you would think WiFi Sense allows one of your contacts from Australia to use and access home network in Ohio, USA. This is simply not true.

Yet there are folks out there literally outraged that Microsoft would do such a thing - allow all your contacts to access your home network. And they know better, but by creating panic and propagating misinformation in their eternal efforts to acquire readers and garner web traffic - they do increase readership and traffic as one outraged reader tells a friend and they tell a friend and so on.

WiFi Sense just makes it easier for your "contacts" who are within range of your Home Network (WiFi) to use your connection by allowing them to login with a encrypted version of your network password - so they never see your real password. But the key here, that many articles leave our or slough off is "within range". We even saw one article referring to "cantennas" which are homemade WiFi antenna's that allow access to WiFi networks over a half mile away.

How many of your contacts are friends? Probably most. And how many are you worried about building "cantennas" so they can sit a mile away from your house in their car using your WiFi network. And how many of us allow our friends to access our WiFi networks when they visit our homes? And if we do, most of us give our friends our WiFi network password so that they can access the Internet while visiting our homes. Hopefully, if we have someone in our homes, we trust them. We certainly don't expect them to snoop around with "cantennas" using our WiFi.

And there's a big difference between sharing a WiFi connection and sharing data.

If WiFi Sense is something that worries you, you can easily turn it off. Here's how:

In Windows 10, click Start then click on Settings. Choose Network and Internet, Wi-Fi, Manage Wi-Fi settings. If you are concerned about privacy you'll disable every option there. You can also tell Windows 10 to forget any Wi-Fi networks you’ve signed into in the past (see below): 

Over the next 8 to 12 months, they'll be a lot of misinformation and/or negative spin about Windows 10, just as there was right after the launch of Microsoft's most beloved operating system, Windows XP. We can remember writing about how much we loved Windows XP, but there were a lot of others pointing out its flaws. And there was an army of Windows 98 users who wrote us to say they'd never upgrade to Windows XP. So we've been through this before. Spinning things to be better or worse than they really are is typical whenever something new and different comes along.

Windows 10 does have flaws, but so does every other operating system including Apple, Linux, Android and Chrome. We think the features, user friendliness and familiar feel of Windows 10 make it the best Windows since Windows XP. But we hardly expect everyone is going to agree with us.

Irene wants to get her computer ready for Windows 10
Would like to know, before downloading Windows 10, if it is still possible that TC or EB check my computer to get rid of anything that should be removed before downloading Windows 10. I have a Direct Computer Care with special number that I have not used yet. Thanks.

Our answer
Hi Irene. We offer a Windows 10 Pre and post check. We’ll check your computer to make sure your upgrade goes smoothly – and then we’ll come back and double check things after the upgrade. You can read more about this at:  http://thundercloud.net/direct/10/

We'll go over your computer and make sure it's ready for Windows 10 and help ensure that your upgrade goes smoothly. And best of all, we'll come back after Windows 10 is up and running and check over your computer again.

If you have clicked your tray icon to reserve a copy of Windows 10 for auto download, that is fine, but don't schedule the installation until after your session with us. We are scheduling into the 2nd and 3rd week of August. Microsoft gives you until July of next year so waiting two or three weeks is not an issue.

OFFER EXTENDED AGAIN!

It may be several weeks before everyone will have a chance to get the Windows 10 upgrade - even those who've reserved it may have to wait a week or two or even a month or more. So we have extended this offer once again. If you're considering upgrading to Windows 10, you will definitely want to take advantage of this offer. Our Get Ready For Windows 10 offer includes a pre-check to make sure your computer will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 without any problems. Plus, we'll come back and check your computer after you've upgraded. Don't forget: Once the Windows 10 upgrade installer has downloaded, you get to choose the date and time you want to do the actual upgrade - and you do have until July 29, 2016 to do it and still get it free. Great deal!. So order your pre-checkup & post checkup now and make sure your computer is ready for Windows 10.

Where to download Windows 10 Free Upgrade
Windows 7 and Windows 8.1





***Above: The official Microsoft Windows 10 Upgrade Page ***

Several ways to upgrade to Windows 10

If you’re using Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 you’re eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10. There are several ways you can upgrade. Many of you reserved your copy of Windows 10 and should be getting it soon If you did reserve a copy of Windows 10 you will receive the update via Windows update (see images below):

Or you might see this:

What if you did not reserve a copy — or don’t want to wait?

For those of you who didn’t reserve a copy or for those of you who did reserve a copy but don’t want to wait – you can download the Windows 10 download tool which lets you upgrade your PC directly or create in installation USB or an ISO file from which you can create an installation DVD. If you choose create a USB or DVD – you will need a blank 4GB (or larger) USB flash drive or blank writable DVD.

If you choose “Upgrade This PC now” the Windows 10 upgrade will start downloading in the background – you can keep using your computer normally while the Windows 10 upgrade downloads. It’s a big download (over 3GB) so, depending on your connection, it may take a while.

The two images above... Upgrade your PC to Windows 10.

Below: Create installation media – choose your language, the edition of Windows (Home, Pro, etc.) and 32-bit, 64-bit or both. Keep in mind if you’re using Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 8.1 Home you must choose Windows 10 Home. If you’re using the Pro version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, choose the Pro version of Windows 10 – and so forth. If you’re not sure what version your using, press and hold down the Windows Key and tap the “Pause/Break” key.

Above: Choose your the edition of Windows 10 (if you're using Windows 7 or 8.1 Home, you must upgrade to Windows 10 Home; if you're using Windows 7 or 8.1 Pro, choose the Windows 10 Pro version. If you're currently using 32-bit Windows choose 32-bit. If you're using 64-bit Windows choose 64-bit. If you don't have a clue what version of Windows 7 or 8.1 you're using, or don't know if you have 64-bit or 32-bit Windows, look at your system properties. Simply press and hold down your Windows Key while pressing Pause/Break key.

Above: Choose whether you want to create an installation USB or DVD. If you’re using a computer older than 4 years, to be on the safe side, choose the ISO option to create a DVD. Many computers made 4 years or more ago don’t have the option to boot from a USB unless you change your BIOS settings, which most of you are not going to want to do. If your computer is 3 years-old or newer you should have no problem booting from the installation USB. Obviously, if your computer doesn't have an CD/DVD drive, you will choose the USB option.

Microsoft has made upgrading to Windows 10 easier than any previous upgrade and from what we’ve seen in our own testing and the reports coming in from others today – it appears the upgrade is very easy and flawless for most people. However, there’s never a guarantee when it comes to computers – your experience may be different. Is it perfect? No. Will it get better over time, probably. Is it the easiest upgrade Microsoft has ever introduced? By far. But there is no guarantee what works well on most computer will work well on your computer. So keep that in mind. Also keep in mind that those who have problems with upgrade will be a vocal minority; most people who upgrade without problems are not going to comment on forums and social media.

The official Microsoft page for the free Windows 10 Upgrade is here

A note from Darcy regarding Windows 8.1 users upgrading to Windows 10:

On my all-in-one 8.1 I Kept telling you I had all updates, but no icon. even running the win10 thing, nothing would show. well, lo and behold, several days after the update, it all of a sudden appeared in my system tray. so for those that have all updates and don’t see it, my guess is it will eventually show up



A Cloudeight InfoAve Premium subscriber upgrades to Windows 10
Everyone considering upgrading to Windows 10

The following was submitted to us on 7/29/2015 by Charles H.

Thank you for this info on a do-it-yourself installation. But you may not want to go to that trouble after you read below about my experience.

I thought I’d post my experience of upgrading to Windows 10 today for those who fear the worst. I was able to upgrade to Windows 10 last night (early today, 7/29/2015) to replace Windows 7 Home Premium. I was in the Tech Preview program so probably the upgrade earlier than many will.

It went very smoothly. Everything I had in Windows 7 seems to be in place and working. I was delighted. I’ve heard horror stories about in-place upgrades in the past and was tentative about trying it but figured I had a backup if needed, so decided to go for it.

I’d prepared an image backup in case things didn’t go well and I needed to restore Windows 7 and start over, doing a totally new install using an .iso image instead. The process took 1.5 hours for my machine and my collection of programs.

Windows 10 seems really quick and responsive and all my programs are available and usable. I’m enjoying using it and tweaking it. I hope your experience is as good as mine.

Just a week or so before leaving Windows 7 I learned a tip that makes it easy to dock two windows side by side. Press Windows Key+Left Arrow to dock one window to the left and Windows Key+Right Arrow to dock a window to the right. That works in Windows 10 too. But you can also drag a window to the side to do that in Windows 10. Enjoy Windows 10.

Later this morning (7/29/2015) I got a query on my machine asking me for feedback on how the upgrade went. I gave it a 5 out of 5. I was delighted that it went so well and so easily. Good job, Microsoft.

Our reply:

Thanks Charles. We recommend that everyone use the regular update if they have reserved a copy – if they haven’t then we recommend using the download tool and ticking “Upgrade this PC” – this results in the exact same installation choices as the users who reserved a copy. If users have more than one computer making an installation USB or DVD may be faster and more convenient. Another reason we can see for creating an installation DVD or USB is that it’s nice to have it – somewhere down the road it may be useful.

Thanks for writing such a detail review of your Windows 10 upgrade experience. And the Windows Key+ Arrow Key tip is one we haven’t published for a long time.

So here's the tip again for all Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows 10 users:

Windows Key+Up arrow maximizes the window in focus (on top) and Windows Key and the down arrow key minimizes or re-sizes the window in focus. Windows Key + M minimizes all windows just in case EB is snooping around behind you and you don’t want her to see you playing games :)

Thanks again...TC & EB

Some Sony and Dell (laptop) computer may not be ready for Windows 10
Windows 7, Windows 8.1

We became aware of problems upgrading Sony computers and some Dell laptop computers. The Dell laptop computer using Broadcom Virtual Wireless Adapters may not be able to connect to the Internet if they are upgraded to Windows 10. If Internet connection was a problem after upgrading these users would be well advised to spend $20 - $30 on a cheap USB wireless adapter rather than waiting for Dell for upgrade drivers or removing Windows 10.

The following is from Addictive Tips and seems to indicate a problem with some Dell laptops:

"I’m one of the unlucky ones that has a laptop so ancient that there’s an issue with a driver and the app duly pointed it out. It seems quite a few Dell laptops have some sort of issue and users are already flooding both Dell’s and Microsoft’s forums, as well as other help communities with questions about the upgrade. If you’re in the same boat and wondering if you should risk the upgrade and deal with the consequences later, here is one legitimate source that you can check as far as a Dell laptop is concerned...." (Addictive Tips)

Dell users may want to check the Dell forums before upgrading.

Sony VAIO users beware

The following information is from the official Sony support page for VAIO computers. Read all the info on Sony's site here.

Support from Sony for Windows 10 will vary by model

Sony is preparing to provide information about our Windows 10 Upgrade program for supported VAIO models. Please see the release schedule below for upgrade information, drivers / applications, and upgrade instructions.

Schedule for Windows 10 Drivers

We are testing supported models and will be providing the results as quickly as possible. We plan to release Windows 10 upgrade information and, for Windows 8 and 8.1 models, drivers, applications and detailed information on the schedule below based on the operating system originally installed on the PC.

Bookmark Sony's VAIO support page to keep up with the latest from Sony.

Windows 10 not only has a start menu, it's got a great right-click start menu too
Windows 10

Windows 10 has a lot of great features, and we're discovering more every day. One of the features we like about Windows 10, obviously, is the return of the familiar start menu which is actually more configurable than any previous Windows start menu. One of the only things I personally liked about Windows 8.1 was its right-click start menu. Wisely, Microsoft decided to keep the right-click menu in Windows 10 - we think that's was a great move.

The right-click start menu gives user quick access to many Windows features like Programs and Features, Control Panel, Power Options, Computer Management, Command Prompt (Admin), Task Manager and many more. And every single one of these is easily accessible by with a single right-click on the Start button.


Above: Windows 10 right-click Start menu.

Windows 10 makes reinstalling Windows easier
Window 10

In previous versions of Windows reinstalling Windows was a wild, time consuming fiasco. Not only did you have to reinstall Windows but you had to spend hours re-downloading dozens and dozens of Windows updates just to bring your computer up to dat.

According to Microsoft—those days are over.

Microsoft announced this past Monday that Windows 10 will offer installation process with many improvements over Windows 8. Microsoft cited two ways that Windows 10's installation process differs from Windows 8.  If the PC is compatible, Windows 10 installs in a compressed state, which saves disk space. But more importantly, for most users, if the time comes and you need to reinstall Windows 10, Windows 10 recovers using system files that builds the new Windows system from files that are already in place.

Best of all... you can create your own recovery disk

“Without a separate recovery image, the Refresh and Reset functionalities will instead rebuild the operating system in place using runtime system files,” Microsoft said in a blog post. “Not only does this take up less disk space, it also means you will not have a lengthy list of operating system updates to reinstall after recovering your device.”

If you run into problems with your PC, a USB recovery drive can help you troubleshoot and fix those problems, even if your PC won't start.

We show you how to create a bootable USB recovery drive that only boots to advanced startup options used to help you troubleshoot and recover your Windows 10 installation.

First note that a 32-bit USB recovery drive can only be created in a 32-bit Windows 10 and used only to repair a 32-bit Windows 10. A 64-bit USB recovery drive can only be created on 64-bit Windows 10 and can only be used to repair a 64-bit Windows 10 installation.

OK here we go:

Open the Control Panel and click on the Recovery icon (icon view). Click on Create a recovery drive.



If you get a UAC prompt, click Yes

Check or Uncheck the Back up system files to the recovery drive box and click Next. We suggest you leave the box checked. If it's not checked, we suggest you checked it.

(see screenshot below)


Select the USB flash drive (ex: "K:\ (USB)" ) that you want to make a recovery drive, and click on Next.

If the USB flash drive you want to use is not inserted in the USB slot, insert it now.

Select the USB Flash Drive and click Create.

Important! Before you click "Create".

Creating a recovery drive will erase everything on your USB flash drive. If you value the files and folders on the USB flash drive, use a different, preferably, empty flash drive. Once your start to create a recovery drive, sayonara any files and folders you left on the flash drive. If you need to change USB drives, then click Cancel, insert the new USB flash drive and click "Create".

Wait until Windows finishes the task, remove the flash drive, label it, and keep it in a safe place.

You may never need it however, as we've learned in our two decades of Windows computering: It is far better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Take our word for it. 

After you upgrade to Windows 10 your might want to uninstall Classic Shell
Windows 8.1 users planning to upgrade to Windows 10

If you are one of the millions of Windows 8.1 users who opted to install Classic Shell (or another start menu ) for Windows 8.1, after you upgrade to Windows 10, you may want to uninstall any 3rd-part start menus as Windows 10 has a full-featured start menu of its own, arguably better than any Windows version before it. Uninstalling Classic Shell (or other 3d-part start menu) will then activate the Windows 10 start menu. You may need to reboot first after uninstalling some of the 3rd-party start menus that were available for Windows 8x.

Just a helpful hit from your old Uncle TC and Auntie EB

Test the strength of your passwords with “How Big is Your Haystack?”
All computer, tablet and smartphone users

There are password strength checkers all over the Web, but there is only one that tests your passwords as brutally as this one. How Big is Your Haystack will test your passwords against three different kinds of attack scenarios and give you an estimate of the time it would take to crack your passwords. We tested ours and most were in the billions of years for two attack scenarios – and around 2 years when pitted against a massive cracking array using one hundred trillion guesses per second.

Here’s what the site’s developers have to say:

“Every password you use can be thought of as a needle hiding in a haystack. After all searches of common passwords and dictionaries have failed, an attacker must resort to a “brute force” search – ultimately trying every possible combination of letters, numbers and then symbols until the combination you chose, is discovered.

If every possible password is tried, sooner or later yours will be found. The question is: Will that be too soon . . . or enough later?

This interactive brute force search space calculator allows you to experiment with password length and composition to develop an accurate and quantified sense for the safety of using passwords that can only be found through exhaustive search…”.

How strong are your passwords? Do you dare to find out? Visit How Big is Your Haystack… if you dare!