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Features That Windows 10 Will Deprecate
jones_supa writes: Microsoft announced that a Windows 10 upgrade will be free for users running Windows 7 and 8.1, but there will be a number of features that will no longer work after that upgrade. The features that will no longer work are listed on the official specifications page on Microsoft's website. Some of the deprecated features include: Media Center, out-of-the-box DVD playback and USB floppy support, desktop gadgets, deferring updates (Home edition), old versions of Windows games, and Windows Live Essentials version of OneDrive.
You mean someone uses Windows built-in DVD playback? The first thing I've done on a new computer for the last five or six years is install VLC.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Nope, not going to migrate up to 10 from 7 anytime soon if it means media center goes away...
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
It's rare that I need to read an old floppy, but if I do it's surely going to be on a USB device - I haven't had a 'real' floppy drive in a decade.
I guess that driver was a such a bear to maintain. Oh, right, nevermind - I've got a linux box where the driver support is better. Oh, hai, 2015.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
You mean someone uses Windows built-in DVD playback? The first thing I've done on a new computer for the last five or six years is install VLC.
First thing is install a new browser, second thing is install adblock plus, the third is to install VLC.
I have a win7 home machine. Suddenly this icon "free upgrade to Win 10" has popped up next to the clock in the notification area. It pops open a window that says, " it is not a trial version. It is the real deal. Click now and we will download and upgrade you to win 10 when it is released". There is no way to dismiss the icon and stop it. I am not going to upgrade, not with the subscription model they seem to be moving to. How do you get rid of this icon? Worried my better half might click ok by mistake thinking it is a good deal.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Serious question. Have you looked at KODI? I stopped using MCE, must be 5+ years ago, because I hit serious limitations in its capabilities. Such as support for both analogue and digital tuners (less an issue now, and it could be forced with a reg hack), the inability to specify how long it should record before and after a show (the options are too short especially for sports), the fact the system croaked under load if you had lots of videos.
I went from MCE to a Mythtv setup but have now moved to xbmc / kodi. Now that kodi supports tuners and recording schedules it is perfect. And it is simple to setup and manage.
Visit kodi.tv you will never ever ever look back. Simply put it is the pinnacle of home media centre systems. Simple to setup, runs on windows, linux, mac and has a million plugins and companion apps on android & iOS
Upgrade? Sounds like a downgrade to me.
Seriously, what's the benefit to upgrade to a downgraded OS? Sounds like XP to Vista all over again.
pi=sigma{n:0-infinity}[(1/16)^n][(4/(8n+1))-(2/(8n +4))-(1/ (8n+5))-(1/(8n+6))]
Direct from MS:
"Windows Media Center is not part of Windows 10 and won’t be available after upgrading to Windows 10. If you use Windows Media Center, we will alert you during upgrade that Windows Media Center is not available on Windows 10. We know that some users use Windows Media Center to play DVDs, and we are providing a free DVD playback app in Windows 10 for Windows Media Center users."
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq
That one kinda sucks. As it is it's a bit of a pisser when I'm in the middle of something, have deferred an update, and the next deferral times out causing it to reboot my PC on me....
Does it record from my Ceton HD quad tuner with cable card? [and yes all of our channels are drm/encrypted]
Does its TV Guide no longer suck?
When it can do those 2 simple things 1/2 as well as MediaCenter then maybe I'd consider using XMBC again, but until then MediaCenter is my go to software running on my media center machine.
I have not looked that close as I only got my cable card tuner last month so I'm new to this. I found out that my Windows 7 home premium box already had software for this so that's what I'm using, along with a couple of XBoxes for extenders.
Does KODI handle the DRM and let you record/playback protected content off of cable?
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Kodi doesn't work with cablecard (yet, the guys at SiliconDust just had a kickstarter campaign for support, though unfortunately the first gen Prime isn't supported so it won't be a solution for early adopters)
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
What! No USB Floppy Drive? What is Microsoft thinking!!!
I really don't get their stance on WMC. I have two media PCs running Win7 essentially only for WMC (more specifically the Live TV + free scheduling it has, vs Kodi/XBMC). Lacking WMC there is really no reason I wouldn't run Linux and kick them out. If they are trying to increase their presence on HTPCs in the living room it makes no sense. I would consider Roku and such but I need web browser capability.
There was some bizarre comment about people only using it for DVD playback. I don't know where they got that feedback from. I know several people who have WMC setups only for it's added Live TV PVR capability.
Some of the deprecated features include: Media Center, out-of-the-box DVD playback and USB floppy support, desktop gadgets, deferring updates (Home edition), old versions of Windows games, and Windows Live Essentials version of OneDrive.
If you have a USB floppy drive, you will need to download the latest driver from Windows Update or from the manufacturer's website.
If you have Windows Live Essentials installed on your system, the OneDrive application is removed and replaced with the inbox version of OneDrive.
Windows 10 Specifications: Feature deprecation section
In a separate FAQ, Microsoft says it is ''providing a free DVD playback app in Windows 10 for Windows Media Center users.''
Here Are the Features Windows 10 Will Remove When You Upgrade, Windows 10 Q&A: Will Windows Media Center be available in Windows 10?
Huh? Microsoft has announced no such thing. Media Center is a part of Win7/8 and will be supported as part of the OSes for their respective lifecycles.
VLC has a real audio compressor plugin. No longer am I subjected to whisper quiet dialog and action scenes that cause hearing damage. No compression is not the same as normalizing either. Loud passages are toned down and quiet ones are amplified, like how movies used to be.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
I know a whole bunch of people who are going to be upset about Solitaire going away. I work for a retirement community, and the second-most-used application on the computers in the activity center (after "The Internet") is Solitaire. We're going to have to install a substitute on these machines (or their replacements) when we switch to WinX, or we'll never hear the end of the complaints.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
Came to work on Tuesday to find out some bs nag screen asking me to reserve windows 10 for myself. Ok click on the menu and see no don't bother me again option. Right click on the icon, hmm nothing, Its fucking not removable WTF?
So instead of upgrading my only windows box (My pos is windows only) I'm on a hunt for a POS system that runs on Linux. In my shop it 2015 will be the YEAR OF LINUX.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Microsoft needs to pay royalties on the codecs included in WMC for every copy they ship. Very few users actually use it, so Microsoft was spending a ton of cash on codecs they don't need. That's why WMC was removed from Windows 8 by default, requiring an upgrade code (for tracking the codec royalties). Perhaps the demand for the Windows 8 upgrade code was too low to make it worth their effort, so they dropped it completely.
CCCP Media plays you!
What does someone upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 get out of the deal? A different UX and minor performance improvements only noticeable on low memory systems? Is there a list of substantive reasons for users to care other than 7 10?
I go through Microsoft's website and google.. all I see is BS about a new browser, Cortana and Xbox. Is there a list of useful changes somewhere?
Well they may have the pipe dream that people would use Xbox as an HTPC, but I think it a far better option to run the reverse configuration (a true HTPC as a game machine via Steam).
I've been trying to determine alternate configurations to a PC with WMC, so as a basis:
PC running Win7/WMC: - can utilize OTA and cable tuners, PVR capability, free scheduling, expandable storage without limit - can access stored media of any type using any appropriate player (WMC, VLC, etc) - can access full web, any foreign sites, any streaming source (does not suffer "mobile web" that Android or such see, or how Hulu restricts Roku and similar) - can utilize VPN without additional hardware - can double as game machine via Steam, MAME, etc.
Now some alternatives (relative to above):
PC running Linux/Kodi - needs paid scheduling service, Steam somewhat limited
Android box (eg. FireTV) + network server (Plex) - no tuners, not sure on VPN, possibly restricted services (Hulu), simple gaming
Roku + Tablo + network server (Plex) - has tuners (need paid subscription), but no web browser, not sure on VPN, possibly restricted services (Hulu), simple gaming
Xbox or PS4 + network server (Plex?) - not sure on these (web, VPN), but almost certainly limited and annoying options, good gaming
Others?
Windows 1.0 was released in October of 1985. Twelve years before the launch of Slashdot. In 2015, the geek may fret and fume, but Windows remains a force to be reckoned with.
If the geek wants to "talk tech" on Slashdot, that is a fine with me. But the stained glass icon isn't an invitation to talk sensibly about Windows --- it is an invitation to rant and rave, and that wastes time.
So many people say this and seem to be utterly oblivious to the fact: the only reason most of us stick with WMC is cable companies DRM their product and the only non-convoluted way to record them is through WMC. You can use Kodi on a system with WMC and use serverwmc for the recording/schedules, but you're still relying on WMC.
It's not just a pipe dream, the Xbox One already works with most cable boxes and just recently got support for an OTA tuner. DVR capability is said to be coming this year. Plex works reasonably well with the Xbone and the PS4 (I haven't tried either one, but some friends have), but it wants a subscription (natch). The consoles also have video apps, web browsers, and the whole ball of wax. Microsoft is really pushing hard to make the Xbone the center of your entertainment 'experience'.
http://crummysocks.com
What about people who can't/don't want to update at the time Microsoft tells them? I can understand why they want to ensure updates get applied, but there are situations when I would want to hold off until a better time. For example, I could be running my laptop through through my cell phone on vacation, or live in an area with only dial-up or expensive wireless internet (I could take the laptop to a library or café and download the updates through their faster internet). I've been in the situation where I had to help someone set up their computer for a presentation and their computer had to be restarted. Of course the Windows updates kicked in during the shutdown, making them late because we had to wait for the updates to be applied before the computer would finally reboot.
TFS:
Some of the deprecated features include: ... out-of-the-box ... USB floppy support, ... old versions of Windows games, and Windows Live Essentials version of OneDrive
USB floppy support is still available, you just have to pull the drivers off Windows update, the old versions of Windows games have been replaced by the new versions (shock, horror) and WL Essentials OneDrive has been superseded by integrated OneDrive. So really we're only left with Media Center, DVD playback and gadgets being removed, and a stupid change being made to the way "Home" editions of the OS handle updates.
If 10 is anything like 8.1, the upgrade will silently stop your backups and remove your ability to access any backups made in the Windows 7 backup utility. I discovered that one the fun way.
What's the argument against having support for floppy discs? What can that possibly be, like a 55K library or something? It's the kind of thing I'd expect to be included for 50 years.
Money saving. DVD playback software has to be licensed, and that's an extra cost.
Since not many people used the built in software for it, MS stopped including it in 8. Most PCs that ship with DVD players come with PowerDVD or some other third party DVD player tool anyway.
Solitaire is now part of a free download from the Windows store, and has been since Windows 8. Putting it there gets people to create a Windows account and check out the store.
I'll be updating to 10 just to get DirectX 12. Games aren't using it yet, but they will be.
(Same in Windows 7, 8, and 8.1) Go to Task Scheduler.
In the scheduler library: \Microsoft\Windows\Setup\gwx
Disable task: launchtrayprocess
Disable task: refreshgwxconfig
Then open Task Manager, select gwx.exe, select End Task.
I also disable these tasks in scheduler library:
\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program:
Disable task: Consolidator
Disable task: KernelCeipTask
Disable task: UsbCeip
\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience:
Disable task: AitAgent
Disable task: Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser
Disable task: ProgramDataUpdater
^ that's complete bullshit.
Surround is tuned for theatres, and you don't care that it's loud when the music/explosions are going off and quiet for dialogue because you don't have a child sleeping in the next room in the theatre. It's not that the music/explosions are painfully loud at home, it's that they're still too damn loud for night viewing with children/neighbours/etc.
My only PC that always boots Windows 7 is my home theater PC since I use the Windows Media Center to record broadcasts and use it as a DVR. As far as I know, Linux is not a solution because some of the channels I record are set not to copy and MythTV will not support that. I also have a Ceton Echo which lets me view the content in my bedroom. This also only works with Windows 7. None of the other packages I see out there can handle the protected content.
This post is encrypted twice with ROT-13. Documenting or attempting to crack this encryption is illegal.
Sounds a lot more like "remove" to me. Deprecate is when you warn that something is going away in some future release, including possibly the next release. Remove is when you take it out of the current release.
See that "Preview" button?
You're right. They're not sleeping in the next room. They're wide awake and screaming in the theater.
That GWX is so shady, I will now never upgrade to windows 10, whereas i had no opinion on it before. Can you imagine that they thought they could get away with abusing the trust of windows update like this? Well it just got windows update turned off on all my machines.microsoft. theres no way in hell im trusting that anymore. Fucking advertising bullshit. we aren't god damn mac users who are used to having things thrust down our throats like this. I wait at least a year before upgrading to ANY os... when SP2 is released is a good rule of thumb with MS.
If they are such dicks to use windows update this way, can you imagine what kind of shit they would pull with 10? not to mention how much of a bait and switch offering a free update like this is. The wording is so fucking scammy i felt like i had been violated. They snuck in the back door!!!
Fuck you and your unremovable tray icons!!! deny security on GWX folder, suck it SYSTEM, suck it trustedinstaller!!!! they even hid a bunch of scheduled tasks just like a god damn spyware would do!!!
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Turn it up! Tuuuurn it uppppp! - Grandpa Simpson
I'll bet you 100 bucks that the old minesweeper will _run_ on windows 10.
so why are they replacing it? they are replacing it to "guide" you to using the new Microsoft Minesweeper available from their app store. nothing more to it. they just want to "guide" people to making ms accounts and downloading stuff off their appstore. you know the same appstore that was the entire reason for windows 8. still pulling the same fucking trick ms.. same trick..
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
One of the first things i do with a fresh Windows install is head to Services and disable a lot of things i don't need that tend to soak up cycles or dilute security on a game box, like print spooler, remote login, remote registry, superfetch, homegroup, shadow copy etc.
among the services i disable is Windows Update. i manually enable it a couple times a year and choose which updates to allow. i've had no trouble from this policy except that i get a resentful and incorrect desktop reminder that this is not a genooooine copy of Windows whenever the box wakes from sleep and can't call home. a quick trip to Windows Activation and that's sorted.
do i understand correctly that Win 10 has removed the ability to disable Win Update? if so, is this by tweaking the related dependencies, or have they f*d up the Services capability itself?