Windows 10 launch a mostly-successful mess
Windows 10 launched on 29 July, with Windows 7 and 8.1 users receiving the OS as a free update.
However, many tech-savvy users who joined the “upgrade queue” complained that the update had either not started downloading or would not install.
Those who tried to “force” the Windows 10 update to start – by running the setup.exe file in the C:\$Windows.~BT directory – only managed to delete the multi-gigabyte update download.
The fix?
Some reported success in using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool for Windows 10, or using the ISO disk images and installing from them.
However, many received a “Something happened” error. The installer’s failure to launch also appeared to delete the 3GB-4GB Windows update files.
Users tried to work around the issues, from setting their system clocks a few days ahead, to resetting the download of the update via the command line.
Finally, a solution to the “Something happened” problem emerged: change your region settings to the US before running the Media Creation Tool.
Mostly successful mess
Windows 10 upgrade ready notification
While the only Windows 10 installation path that Microsoft advocates is reserving your copy and waiting, upgraders were justified in trying to get the Windows 10 installer to start.
There was no communication on why the update would download on some machines and not others, nor why completed downloads would only start on some machines.
Microsoft also gave no definite indication of when users would receive the notification that the update was ready to install.
Version upgrades of OS X or Ubuntu don’t go off without technical issues, but when you download their updates you don’t have trouble running the installer.
Yet Microsoft doesn’t seem to have faced much backlash over its lack of communication about the update installer.
While the scale of a free upgrade to Windows is much greater than smaller OSs have to deal with, the lack of complaints is likely due to the goodwill Microsoft has fostered with early adopters, and the fact that the upgrade is free.
Despite all the issues, Microsoft reported that over 14 million devices were already running Windows 10 within the first two days after launch.
Privacy concerns, questions answered
An issue that has reared its head in Windows 10 is that of privacy concerns.
If you select “Express settings” upon first boot, you will be agreeing to send Microsoft a ton of data.
Windows 10 also assigns you an “advertising ID” by default, backs up your BitLocker recovery key to OneDrive, and shares your Wi-Fi password with other Windows 10 users in your Skype or Outlook contacts using a system called Wi-Fi Sense.
It also seeds updates to other Windows 10 users BitTorrent-style.
These features can all be disabled, but there is an argument to be made that these things should only happen if you opt into them.
Windows 10 — configure system after first boot
Windows 10 custom configuration page 1
Windows 10 custom configuration page 2
Windows 10 update sharing
Speaking about the privacy concerns, Windows Lead for Microsoft SA Anthony Doherty said that data collected by the OS is secured locally on the device and not shared with anyone else.
“Microsoft collects user data that shows us how you signed in, the number of times you signed in, and if each sign in was successful or not. This info helps us keep things working properly and make improvements. The data isn’t tied to your biometric data,” he said.
The advertising ID is nothing new, and has been around since Windows 8.1.
According to the MSDN, the Advertising ID provides the following functionality:
Retrieves a unique ID used to provide more relevant advertising by understanding which apps are used by the user and how they are used, and to improve quality of service by determining the frequency and effectiveness of ads and to detect fraud and security issues. This ID is per-user, per-device; all of the apps for a single user on a device have the same advertising ID. If the advertising ID feature is turned off, no ID is retrieved.
The privacy concerns around Wi-Fi Sense also appear to have been overstated, as it asks you whether you want to share the password of a Wi-Fi network with your contacts when you connect to that network.
Microsoft was not immediately able to provide comment about the privacy implications of BitLocker recovery keys being synchronised with OneDrive, and the bandwidth implications for South Africans with Windows 10 updates automatically uploading to other users.
More Windows 10 news
Still waiting for your Windows 10 upgrade? This is how long it may take
Windows 1.0 to Windows 10: from the first to the last Windows
Windows 10 launched in South Africa
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