cannie

It seems that the end of Windows 10 is near: "Microsoft to stop updating the original Windows 10 release after March 26". You may read the complete text here: http://betanews.com/2017/01/20/microsoft-to-end-updates-for-windows-10-1507/ Cheers

Latest improvements: Paragraphs 7.1 and 7.3 have been modified in order to make it easier the setup process for Windows 7 PE and to improve Windows 10 security. Paragraph 5 has also been improved to include some omitted languages to be deleted if never used. After all this, paragraph 7.3 has been modified to improve its contents with new experiences. HTH

Hi, Of course. I've spent many hours trying to obtain a manageable and smaller Windows 10 to run just that which I really need, and every effort was a complete failure. This OS is made to manage you, and not to be managed by users. So I went back to my dear Windows 7 and will keep using this until Microsoft rectifies this lack of consideration towards us all, I'm afraid.

Latest improvement: - Paragraph 5 has been modified in order to allow you keep into your OS only the language files and folders that you really need. HTH

New improvements: - Windows 10 has been added to the multiboot options, replacing Windows XP and Windows 8. - Text has been modified in several points to improve results. HTH

If you have any doubt about who is behind this downgraded and easy to obtain ex-Windows version from Microsoft, so painful to use for you and so difficult for you to control.... Business is business, and power is money.

Have you seriously thought who is most probably behind this apparently incongruent change of model in the MS behaviour to control all your moves while allowing you free upgrades and updates? Business is business.

The governement of the autonomic region of Andalusia in Spain has developed an own freeware Linux based OS which is already taught and used for educational purposes all over its territory, and eventually could also be used as soon as they wish for administrative purposes. Children learn to use this at school. You may freely download this public program (spanish only) from this adress: http://www.guadalinex.org/descargador/index.php?nombre=guadalinex-v8-desktop-i386-final.iso This is an example of what may also happen in a near future. Big corporations and enterprises using thousands of computers having their own IT staff could do the same to preserve their security, also saving large amounts of money by not having to pay any license at all.

So I dunno - put everyone back on Windows 7 I think is the way I am going to go now. Jonah I came to the same conclusion long ago. Windows 10 for PC is not better than any other previous Windows OS for Pc owners but rather a serious jump back towards insecurity and disorder. Microsoft should reflect seriously about their role on Pc OS. If they don't do this as soon as possible they could arrive too late. Many people I know have already left aside Windows for ever.

...like it or not? If you buy an OS or anything else it becomes your private property and nobody has the right to modify it against your will. This is an individual constitutional right protected by the US Constitution and also by every democratic Constitution all over the world. Microsoft should consider this seriously. They could be sued in court for violating the private property.

You may be sure that millions of Windows users share totally your feeling. It's amazing how little respect the opinion and wishes of their users deserve. A massive exodus could be the answer to this.

Totally right. It is incredible, but Microsoft has achieved a whole success in the amazing feat of improving their products...backwards!

Microsoft should be really honest and not do to their customers what they would not wish for themselves. A new OS should always mean a better service, instead of the source of new unwanted surprises needing a lot of updates the day after. Users fear this, and even when the "upgrade" is free and almost forced for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8 computers the rate of adoption for Windows 10 until now is considerably low, as seen here: http://gs.statcounter.com/#desktop-os-ww-monthly-201505-201510-bar If they don't change their mind, most probably somebody will offer new and cheaper preinstalled Linux OS Pcs for corporate and home users to replace the existing Microsoft structures.

Nowadays we are in their hands: we old professionals have only used Windows since long ago and that's our world. But new generations mean new ways of thinking: nowadays they learn Linux instead as main OS at schools and mostly use Android cheaper mobiles as main tool all along the day. As a result, ie, all Windows forums today have far fewer visits than in the previous decade had. I will continue using Microsoft products if they react in an intelligent and honest way to keep their current and not silly corporate and home customers. If not, IMHO It is only a matter of time before Asian hardware manufacturers begin to deploy new and cheaper computers for Android-based networks or any new enhanced Linux for corporate users, and this would mean "the final countdown" for Microsoft.

If you listen their reasons they are always "improving your security". Fear is used as an instrument to manage us. I've never downloaded a single update since I went back to Windows 7 without SP1 and will never do it after my previous experiences. No problem at all: there are a lot of third party utilities to replace Internet Explorer and many other elements of the OS, including the security features. In the good old times they worked for us users. But Microsoft now is no more the old Gates company, I'm afraid. Hope they change their minds and offer us something really good instead of using updates to make older systems work worse to improve sales.

I did that long ago, reinstalling Windows 7 without SP1 and no updates option. I've had no problems at all until today. Hope this will work as is for as long as possible. Maybe Microsoft reconsiders his position and turns towards helping Windows 7 users instead of using their SP1 and its updates as a trick to forcing upgrades when they feel that many individual and corporate users turn towards free improved versions of Linux to avoid the danger of being slaves of Windows 10, also saving a lot of money.

See the statistics of developments in the use of operating systems in the world during the last six months: http://gs.statcounter.com/#desktop-os-ww-monthly-201505-201510-bar

They were great and their new offers were always well received for as long as they worked for millions of Pc enterprise and home users. They had a sure market, which due to its own nature, will keep being there for as long as mankind lives. They could have preserved the Windows 7 style and provide new drivers and real improvements for anyone who needed them. But instead of this they chose to move to the new mobile market forgeting the real needs of their Windows 7 users. Enterprises and home users will no doubt do the same and embrace the free Linux instead. Linux and Android are now increasingly taught at schools as essential OS to the new computing generations. IMHO Microsoft has dug its own grave.

Latest changes: Download links at paragraphs 2.1 and 9 have been verified and updated when needed. HTH

Hello You may run "Winbuilder", to obtain a Windows_7_PE.iso image file, which will demand you to insert the Windows 7 install DVD to obtain the needed data from it. This image file will allow you to build easily the Windows 7 PE boot pendrive by using "Universal USB installer". HTH

I use since long ago the freeware "Wise Registry Cleaner" for the same purpose. You may try it. Maybe it would be enough for your needs. HTH

Hi jaclaz, Your analysis is totally correct. I used the word "drive" as a generic term including everything you call "the whole thing". As you very properly say, the bug most probably is not at the registry but into the computer BIOS. It is anyway difficult to find a solution when you are not able to see the computer with your own eyes. Thinking about other solutions I wonder maybe withdrawing the mainboard battery for a little while, forcing this way the OS to rebuild the BIOS, could eventually work if there's no other hardware problem. Greetings cannie

Sometimes this problem is due to a bug at the MountedDevices registry key which is not by default fixed by the OS . You may check this very easily: run Regedit.exe, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices, delete the MountedDevices subkey only and reboot. No danger at all: the MountedDevices subkey will be automatically rebuilt at reboot according to current drives. HTH

New improvement: Added Linux Lite Update. Greetings

New improvement: Added Linux Lite to the multiboot options. HTH