I guess I am going to switch to Win10... I guess worse-case scenario I could always factory-reset back to Win 7.

Anyhow, where or how should I acquire Win10? I have MS 365 acct so it is legit.

I have noticed this regarding perhaps Win10 versions/updates(ie. "Lot", or "22XH")? Not sure what to chose there and how it relates to the unique needs of "us."

Imma try and take care of that first, and then deal with telemetry, tweaks, etc.

I had jDownloaded back in the day! I totally remember that now that you mention. Yes thanks Ryan

 

Last edited: Sep 2, 2024

Security & system patches are usually every Tuesday if any, while Defender patches are done almost every day. I would not advise someone just getting to nkow Windows 10/11 to start going to deep with third party tools. Windows Defender does a very good job compared to third party anti-virus which are also not perfect. So, why pay for that imperfection?

The optimization guides from Ableton, Avid & Studio are good starting points for someone not comfortable tweaking their system & diving into the registry.

 

Microsoft's Patch Tuesday are once a month (second Tuesday), other than that, only optional updates or emergency updates for high risk issues. Defender patches usually also don't require any interaction or reboot and should be invisible to most people. And yes, Defender should be ok for most people, it works great once you know how to handle it if doing warez. My ISP gives me paid Kaspersky for life, but I'm still using the free version, since I don't need anything more than basic real time AV. I would only recommend replacing Defender if it gets too much in the way you use your computer. I haven't had Kaspersky flag a keygen in years.

 

THANKS already er'body!!

I dont know what any of that means tbh... tho when looking a bit into it, you are referring to harddrives?

I'm sorta confused on what my options are for this xps 8700 as far as hard drive. I know the specs say "one SSD supported," which makes me sad if that is indeed true. But yeah, it sounds like there is some kind of work-around on gettin an ssd in there.
XPS 8700 spec info below. If you could analyze and kinda break down what exactly it's sayin and how I can overcome obstacles.

Tryin to nail down what the hell hd I even have installed is not as easy as right-clicking Computer and choosing Properties. I know its a command-prompt thing where you type something similar to: wmsic model, size, type

YES!! Wow, I will try spybot AND I can even use on Win7... I think Im gonna put Win 10 on the XPS 8700, and keep Win7 on my 8500... then I can compare and get realworld experience in computer performance. I really am pumped up, I am glad I decided to f-back around wit PC.

I normally use Brave... should I still go with Firefox you think?

I still have 2 macbooks and an unopened iMac... so def not quittin. (cue meme with clip of Broke-Back-Mountain-cowboy saying to apple logo "I just can't quit you...")

Dell XPS 8700:
https://dl.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_xps_desktop/xps-8700_reference guide_en-us.pdf

 

Last edited: Sep 2, 2024

I recommend this as a supplement to macOS's Quicklook. Also I recommend installing Microsoft PowerToys, it has a lot of useful features. It has PowerToys Run which can do things similar to Spotlight. Overall, very useful.

For file transfer between an iPhone, Android, Mac - Windows, there are different options, but LocalSend is perhaps the best one with the widest range of apps for various systems.

 

Last edited: Sep 2, 2024

One thing to keep in mind:
When it comes to computers there is a lot of religion involved. I myself was a debloat evangelist in my earlier years.. Tiny XP and crap like that. The facts are: It's barely even benchmarkable. Independent test have shown that even switching off services down to a level where Windows is stripped down to it's bones doesn't make much of a difference. There are certain services I still switch off, like the search service, but I know it's just for making me feel better.

 

Keep with the browser you are familiar with. I only threw Firefox (telemetry blocking) in there because it is probably the most commonly used among those who don't trust Microsoft or Google.

There is one other piece of software I would recommend. but it is an acquired taste, and not for everyone. That is Shadow Defender. It has a learning curve to it and I have found out that it reacts differently to different operating systems..

On Win 7 is probably where it works best. You select the hard drive(s) you want to protect and ANYTHING you alter, or install/uninstall is brought back to its exact position once you reboot/switch off and on again. Even the registry is fully protected.

With 10 it doesn't work by turning it off, then back on again, ONLY a reboot will restore the settings in full.

To make changes you have to come out of the programme, then make your changes and reboot. Then you go back into Shadow Mode. It is great if you want to try out demo software or you want to practice installing something but are worried in case you mess up. In the several years I have used it, It's never once been at fault for screwing up.. Human error however it cannot legislate for!

If you are interested, let me know and I will message you with a key and a link to the software.
#


Actually:- a link to the software is here

http://www.shadowdefender.com/download.html

 

Last edited: Sep 2, 2024

actually turning off search service prolongs your SSd life, it limits o/s writes to the drive.There are lots of other benefits to debloating such as lessening wear on memory etc, as well as reducing vector points for malware. Debloating is a good idea, would you fill your grocery cart with things you don't want or need? How about your house? so why have you computer filled with shit you don't even know when its running or what it doing?

 

True. But have you ever listed the hours one puts into those efforts over the years?
I mean even if my SSD dies after 12 years instead of 15 - If I worked at McDonalds all those hours I put into TinyXP I could have bought several new ones.
And malware.. In a private setting like mine (or maybe yours) I've never seen malware other than simple fishing.
Now you might say "sure, but the malware I clicked, when I had a bad day was able to gain admin rights by exploiting a vulnerability in microsofts whatever-service". Then I would say: "Why would it need to do that? It already can encrypt your files. you clicked it, it got your privileges, and it can autostart with your logon.. the malware is fine, no need to get fancy for the malware".
But don't get me wrong: Its fine, tinker with your system, I did it for decades, its fun.

 

a lot of the software of my hardware synths, midi controllers, etc are not compatible with win 7.
Some plugins are the same.
So I switched from 7 to 10, than to 11 and man... w11 is infested of things you just cant tweak. Thats the way mac always be em micrsoft wants to
I got back to W10, everything, everything works 100%, even the software of my old korg microx from 2008

 

For working with ISO (Files) get the Good Old "UltraISO" https://www.ezbsystems.com/ultraiso/history.htm

 

one must fill the empty moments with taks both fulfilling and less so, or one finds one's mind creeping back to the guilt and desire to begin once again making music, playing, writing and expectations develop, so you know tweak the 0/s til it fails then back off a bit..

but seriously that freaking search indexing is running like 24/7 - especially if you leave your computer on, and its churning that ssd, which has a failure rating in Terrabytes written, so it not if it will fail, its when it will fail. so turn indexing off on all drives external and internal. I use agent ransack when I want to find something ina pipperdoodle, and he always finds it right quick.

https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/download/

I used to get paid to tinker with computers, so its kinda a habit at this point..

 

gonna def have to bookmark this thread, tons of info! Thank you.

Shadow defender sounds pretty cool and something I would try once I get everything sorted prior.

Where should I get Win 10 from?
and it seems there is the caveat of what specific version to get?

(disregard the pic below)

 

If you type windows 10 iso direct download into a search engine, the following link should come up:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

Scroll down & choose Windows 10 (multi-edition ISO) under "Select edition" & click "Confirm"
Select your language under "Choose one" & click "Confirm"
Click "64-bit Download"

You will need to mount the ISO with a Virtual CD program or image a 8GB or larger thumb drive with Rufus or Balena Etcher.

Once the ISO image is on a thumb drive, eject it & re-insert it which should start the Windows 10 setup to upgrade your existing Windows 7 install using the current product key for that machine. I would also advise disconnecting from the internet during the upgrade process to avoid Microsoft forcing an online account to continue & install any preview features that are bound to break things (forced Beta tester).

 

Like... keys for Win?.. if so do they get blacklisted (if that's still a thing)?

Thank you quad!! I did watch a video prior to thread creation which led to this media-creator/Win10 site.
I will install whatever it is you suggested (after this reply), however, what is the "22H2" above, and how do I get that?

I want to thank you all again.
Imma need to fro some money audiosex's way. :pray-hands: :pray-hands:

 

The direct link to Microsoft:
Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File)

 

Fully agree, because I used Kaspersky specifically back in like 2014... and it must've been for a reason .

Question though, what if a person allegedly (to look cool for the people on the internet), wanted to "try" an up-to-date Kaspersky program?
It has been so long since Ive "tried" programs other than those for audio production. For example, is the "bay" of "swashbucklers" still a place to find software, etc?
Is a vee pea enn highly advised?

Thank you my friend : )

 

A substantial proportion of PC users could rebuild their computer from scratch. While it is certainly feasible to do this with a MAC, it is often dissuaded. My only contribution is that you should learn how to disassemble and reassemble your PC. This is a better thing than it sounds because it means you do not have too many proprietary components and can select whatever you want. That way, you do not need to pay anyone to upgrade it, replace parts, and in many cases, you do not need anyone to fix it either if something dies.

 

It is crazy to think that you (or a curious MAC user) can buy a used 4th Gen i7 w/ 16GB ram DELL, HP, blah, blah - which is still quite capable - for <= $120 (USD) used on eBay!