Windows 10 Again : the w7 moment article by: GF Willmetts

With the Windows 10 freebie gone by the end of July (2016 if you’re reading this later), the time for decision as to whether I should install it on my back-up computer. As much as I like Windows 7, the back-up computer is primarily for that and other than Hewlett-Packard not supplying updates for any of their flatbed scanners to run on W10, I knew it could pretty much else other than early computer games.

There’s also the little matter of should I give up on a freebie and would it still be one if although I downloaded before the end of July but not installed until after.

Even so, there was a possibility of running both W7 and W10 as a dual system did seem like an interesting possibility and a couple sources pointed the way but both depended on there being a set-up command with the Install.esd file loaded into the hidden directory C:\$Windows~BT/Sources. [Don’t expect this directory to stay there forever as it’s no longer on my laptop.] If you can’t find it on your computer, then you need go into the File Explorer Options and under View, select ‘Show hidden files, folders and drives’ to find it. As you would think both files would have been downloaded together – date match would find them – there was only one file, install.esd (2,513,365kb) which kind of knackered that idea. More so, as the choice of putting W10 into a different directory didn’t work but started to automatically install W10 over W7 when I tried the normal way. You might find a way to do get a dual system but either Microsoft stopped producing the extra file, which might have been done for Beta testers so they wouldn’t lose their original system but it doesn’t appear to be there anymore.

Anyway, as I covered the upgrade from W8 to W10 last year, this time it now turns into a look at W7 to W10 which was all very straightforward, even though I left the Internet connection off at the time. I don’t think it would make any difference though as when it rebooted, I found myself unable to get on the Net. Initially, I thought it was more a matter of just giving the router password into the Internet links and off it would go. After all, the software recognised the router was there and active and even showed the signal but the two wouldn’t marry together.

Having two computers meant I could use my main one to see what the problem was and even checking up on an singular message for error 651 on the Net. The solutions varied and some were a bit more troubling. Be wary of those who want to install software to tell you you’re missing a driver and have to pay a fee. Bit odd that. I mean, how can you go on-line to get the right driver when your computer can’t go on-line? If you don’t have a second computer, you wouldn’t be able to discover it anyway. So apply some logic than go through such routes.

Apart from anything else, it turns out there’s a simple way to do it but you need to make a copy of these notes first because you might not be able to see them when you can’t get on-line. You should also look at this Utube clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZyJDgpkix4 as this is how I found out how to do it. Of course, you won’t be able to watch it neither as well if you’re off line, hence a text version below.

The solution is always in your computer. The problem is that the Internet router driver isn’t routinely switched to the updated one and it’s more a matter of finding the right one. So, here’s what you have to do. I should say this is likely to happen with desktop computers than laptops.

REMEMBER: ONLY USE IF YOU CAN’T GET AN INTERNET CONNECTION.

1. Go into the Control Panel and select ‘Device Manager’ and open up ‘Network Adaptors’.
2. Depending on your computer, you’ll have a selection of drivers there. A little clue, it isn’t Bluetooth so pay attention to anything related to ‘wireless’ for laptops and desktop computers, assuming you use a wireless router.
3. Ensure the Internet window is open, even if it isn’t functioning, and your router is on.
4. Choose the driver, select ‘Update Driver Software’ where you will be presented with a window with two options. The first is for the Internet, which of course, you can’t access. The second is ‘Browse my computer for driver software’.
5. This will take you to a second window. Forget the location, just pick ‘Let me pick from a list of devices on my computer’ and you will be shown a selection of choices. You already know which driver is already installed, so try the next one in the queue.
6. Give a few minutes for each and if it works, pressing an F5 to update the Internet Explorer page and if it works, it’ll come on-line. If it doesn’t, repeat from 4 to this one with the next one. I had four to choose from on my desktop computer and none worked so I went to the next driver and did it again and suddenly found it. If that happens with you, ensure the first one is back to what it started from in case it upsets anything else. On my laptop, there is only one wireless choice to choose from and didn’t appear to need changing last year.
7. Once you’re on-line, update your anti-virus software and do a scan.

 

If you do revert back to Windows 7 then you’ll have to use the same process to find the right Net driver as it doesn’t go back automatically. You have to wonder at something so crucial why Microsoft hasn’t got an automatic check in there if both drivers are there to sort it out.

Oh, if you’re not in the USA, check the language settings as I found mine was in American and needed a switch to UK and a language pack downloaded. Looks like there are some advantages to being on-line when installing.

An odd thing about installing W10 off-line or finding it cut off when the Internet driver isn’t functioning is on the password page, which you can access pressing Esc or moving the opening picture page up with a mouse, is that there is a blank where a picture is (usually one of yourself taken off-line) and your email address is missing. If you’ve seen these on other people’s computers and wondering how to find them, go into the ‘Control Panel’, select ‘User Accounts’ and on that screen, select ‘Make changes to my account in PC settings’. You have a lot of selections there that you can alter. Unless you have a fingertouch screen, don’t mess with the Picture Passport because you’ll probably lock yourself out of your computer. Focus on ‘Your email and other accounts’ and specifically ‘Your Picture’ and under the ‘Email, calendar and contacts’, add an account to add your email address. I have to confession a little confusion with the latter. I mean, if someone stole your computer, they would be able to see your email address and if you’ve been foolish with securing its password, they might easily get into it. If you do have a photo of yourself there already and want to change it, this is relatively easy, changing it back less so as I’ve still to find the directory that holds it. On the other hand, if you already have a copy of it somewhere else, you can always set it up in another directory to access it. In fact, if I was going to rotate photos, that is certainly what I would do.

Finally, the other problems I’ve had with W10 over the past year have been mostly when on the Internet when a page conflict in recent months will results in a black screen. If it’s happened to me, then there’s a good chance that others have been affected as well. Just in case, it hasn’t, the only way out is to turn off the laptop with the off/on switch, give a few seconds and boot up again. Go the easy way and select ‘load Windows as normal’ first and it works out what is wrong and boots up correctly after a few minutes. It appears to handle everything. I wish it had something on the screen saying what it was doing other than the pretty moving dial but be patient and the standard opening picture will come on. The longest that too was nearly 10 minutes but it depends largely on what problem W10 is sorting out for itself. If you don’t want to use the mouse to move it out of the way to get at the password page, ‘Esc’ button will do the same function.

One of my neighbours had an usual problem recently. Not entirely sure how it was caused on doing an update but his laptop was refusing to boot and appeared to be in a logic loop and not doing anything. Just in case it is happens to you somewhere down the line, these things don’t happen in isolation or as a one-off, remember: the Ctl, Alt, Del buttons are your best friend. It breaks the logic loop and will allow W10 to look at the problem and resolve. In this case, it returned to a different restore point which took about 10 minutes or so and announced what it was doing and got everything working again. Useful to remember and a lot cheaper than running off to an expensive computer shop for a simple remedy. Ctl, Alt, Del tends to resolve most problems, if only to activate the ‘Task Manager’ and deactivate the offending program or Internet page that isn’t working.

Windows 10 has tended to be reasonably stable and when there has been problems has tended to sort itself out. Of course, having Classic Shell at least ensures I have a familiar menu system to work from.

GF Willmetts

23 July 2016

One last after thought. If your laptop (I don’t know if it happens with desktop computers yet) gets into a restart loop and doesn’t break out of it, the simplest solution is to turn the computer off with the on/off button, close the lid, turn upside down and deplug the battery and pull out the mains plug and wait, half a minute. Put the battery in, replug the mains and turn back on again. I know it works with the Dell, logistically a similar solution works with other laptops.

Quite why it works I’m not sure but I suspect W10 will realise something went wrong and try an alternative means to turn on.