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How To Clean the Cruft Left By a Windows 10 Upgrade
MojoKid writes: Microsoft may have given you a free Windows 10 upgrade but it's not without some left over file clutter that some folks don't realize is left on a system after migration. It's not rocket science but there are a few key strategies to tidy up the file bloat an OS migration can sometimes leave behind and to further optimize an upgraded Windows 10 installation. The ability to roll back to your Windows 7 or 8.1 installation within 30 days is a very easily overlooked feature of the Windows 10 upgrade process. The feature is a lifesaver if you encounter issues, such as missing or incompatible drivers, and need to quickly recover without starting from scratch. This ability doesn't come without consequences, though. In order to offer this feature, Windows 10 is essentially keeping another completely separate Windows installation on your PC. This will need to go, once you've determined that you are sticking with Windows 10 and everything seems happy enough. These files are scattered throughout your system and include a number of hidden directories, with the bulk of them located in Windows.old and the hidden $Windows.~BT and $Windows.~WS directories.
I've found that going from version to version in Windows means reliability issues, because stuff remains from previous versions. In fact, pretty much any OS is like this.
If you want a reliable machine, back the thing up (image backup, so it is easily restored), save all documents, format all drives, install the OS, image the OS (so you have a blank, activated copy to roll back to), reinstall applications, and toss the data back on.
Major version upgrades always have issues. Only real exception used to be RHEL where an OS "upgrade" was just a point in time of patches, but even this died with the 7.x release.
This isn't meant to be a troll. Last year I bought a laptop with Windows 8 from Staples as a [cheap-ish] backup computer for my Mac. The *very first* update after turning it on rendered it a brick. Of course it didn't come with a recovery disk, so I decided that I would try Linux Mint on it before taking it back to the store. That was one of the wisest things I've done recently. It works perfectly, and since I don't play games on it (just regular development) it does everything I want/need it to. There are no stability issues at all (though I do shutdown/startup when I close the lid, but I think every Linux has that problem).
And I don't have to deal with the abomination that is Windows
Am I the only one who finds it funny as hell that the only ones praising Windows 10 are Apple guys while all the Windows and Linux guys think its trash? Why do you think that is?
I have my own personal theory, its that Apple guys are so used to being wallet raped by Apple that ONLY having to give up their privacy? Sheeeit, that is better than paying out the ass for Apple RAM, Apple NAND, paying current gen prices for last gen's Intel chips, etc. Compared to that level of wallet drain just letting corporate spy on them like an old pervert must feel like a breath of fresh air!
Of course it may be that they simply haven't tried the niceness that is Windows 7, the last truly good and decent OS it appears that MSFT will ever make. No spying, no crappstore, no worthless Metro crapps that spend more time crashing or phoning home than they actual do their intended function, nope just a nice simple clean OS that does what you tell it to and nothing else...aaaahhhh, like a little slice of heaven it is.
Oh and just an FYI, if you think those privacy settings will stop MSFT from spying on you and selling your data to anybody with a dollar? Well guess again, in fact somebody did a traffic analysis of Windows 10 and you want to guess who one of the very first recipients of your data is? Well we do a WHOIS of nsatc.net and wadda ya know, its markmonitor the copyright trolls! So yes Virginia the old saying is true, if you aren't paying for the product? Then you ARE the product.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
One cost of Windows 10 is that it will become whatever Microsoft wants it to be in the future; most users will have no ownership. Windows 10 is designed to allow Microsoft complete control over a user's computer whenever it is turned on and connected to the internet.
Maybe Microsoft wants to imitate Google. Microsoft can use the information collected by Windows 10, apparently, to sell to advertisers. Perhaps Microsoft is also paid by secret U.S. government agencies.
Google's tracking is extremely widespread because people use numerous Google services rather than software that they own. Google tracks Slashdot users. The Slashdot home page allows Google to track users 3 ways:
1) google-analytics.com
2) googleadservices.com
3) googletagservices.com
Maybe Microsoft wants to be even more complete about tracking users, to try to take business from Google.
Windows 10 is not "free" to owners of Windows 7 and 8. Installing Windows 10 means that, after 1 month, owners lose what they bought. If someone offers you a "free" car, but then takes away the car you have now, that is not free. Those who switch to Windows 10 pay a high price for something they cannot evaluate fully in 1 month.
Microsoft management thinks it is okay to remove features from Windows. For example, those who switch to Windows 10 from Windows 7 and 8 will lose Windows Media Center. Removing features allows Microsoft to ask users to pay for them again in the future.
Maybe, in the future, Microsoft intends to imitate Adobe Systems. Maybe Windows will eventually become "cloud" software, and users will be expected to pay monthly. Others on Slashdot have suggested that.
Also, it seems to me that Microsoft is extremely badly managed. I'm not the only one who thinks that. Others called former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Monkey Boy and said "Without a doubt, Mr. Ballmer is the worst CEO of a large publicly traded American company today."
It seems to me that Satya Nadella, Microsoft's new CEO, is incapable of managing a large corporation. He apparently was picked because of his ability to avoid being involved in conflicts, rather than because he has an ability to resolve conflicts. It seems to me that Nadella does not have the social sophistication necessary to coordinating the company.
Open Administrator Command Prompt
> cleanmgr /sageset
Tick every option, then OK
> cleanmgr /sagerun
Go away and have a cup of tea.
(this is not a