16 replies to this topic

[Brito]

Hello my friends,

 

I've noted the (in)famous button on my system tray requesting the upgrade to Windows 10. As typical for human nature, one has to press that button to see what will happen.

 

On this particular case, the machine is a Toshiba R630 laptop from 2009, running the original Windows 7 home x64 edition. I've used this laptop for 6 years with the same operating system. I note that recent updates rendered the system too sluggish for some odd reason. Maybe that is a motivator for people to upgrade.

 

Here is a screenshot of the thing:

 2015-06-25-Before_any_changes.png   389.49KB   1 downloads

 

Before pressing the button I've created a virtual image of the soul for this laptop using the vmware converter. It was a straightforward process and now I have the old Windows installation running directly from VirtualBox whenever I need something from the old machine. This is a freeware tool, if you want to try it out then google for "VMware vCenter Converter Standalone".

 

If someone has requests or questions before we move forward to the next step, just let me know. Might help other folks on this community to know what is waiting for them while transitioning to the newer version.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I don' t know.

 

There are IMHO more suited words (synonyms) to describe that, like transformation:

http://dictionary.re.../transformation

 or, even better, metastasis :

http://dictionary.re...owse/metastasis

 

"Transition" to me sounds like something that is progressive or painless or however leading, even if through a troublesome process, to a better condition/status, which of course is not the case at hand.

 

Wonko

[dencorso]

Have you ever heard "The patient's condition has since progressed...

 

... to obit."?

[Tripredacus]

A tale of transition to madness...

 

Although it is cool to find out about this "VMware vCenter Converter Standalone." It looks to be something I could use as I'd like to transition a computer to 64bit in the easiest way possible.

[ambralivio]

@ Nuno,

 

I think that adviceing about the "VMware vCenter Converter Standalone" was a good suggestion, but before going that way we have to take into account all the PROS/CONS of a virtual image vs. a backup image which, afterall and IMHO, is a MUST before making the switch.

Anyway, if we are so confident with MS good guys, I wonder why you chose a virtual image instead of a direct dual-boot (which does not have the speed  limitations of a VM) ?

 

@ Wonko,

 

to be picky, effectively a "transition is simply the act of passing from one state or place to the next", not necessarily involving a better next condition

At the same time, I'd call "something leading to a better condition/status" as really a "progress", as Dencorso said   

Nevertheless, at the end I agree with your sarcasm about Windows 10 

 

ambralivio

[Brito]

Anyway, if we are so confident with MS good guys, I wonder why you chose a virtual image instead of a direct dual-boot (which does not have the speed  limitations of a VM) ?

 

You're right, one could opt by dual-boot. But on the other hand would defeat the purpose of clicking that shiny new button on the system tray and test the transition. Plus, more work to get the new Windows install licensed, while with the automatic upgrade this is assured.

 

The other reason is more personal than professional. The virtual image is something that I can carry around to other computers with me. I could argue that the old machine has the stuff that is needed for work (Office, Adobe with digital signatures configured, Delphi compilers) but truth is that I have a legendary great score on the hearts game at this old laptop and didn't wanted to lose that.

 

If you decide to give a try to the converter, my advice is to copy the resulting image to your local disk instead of running it from an external storage (e.g. USB 3.0 HDD). From what I notice it runs too slow from there. Luckily, my old computer has only a disk image of 250Gb which nowadays can fit more or less OK on new laptops.

 

[ambralivio]

Thanks Nuno, even though there are (maybe more reliable and smarter) alternates to the VMware's tool.

 

For examplle (and remaining on the image backup side), with Macrium Reflact 6.0 FREE you can image your system, and then recovering that image (by booting the VM with the included WinPE rescue media) on the VM, by running whatever free virtual machine software out there.

 

In general, the main problem you can have with a virtual image is the re-deployment of the image, along the virtual hardware but this is true for all the virtual image managers.

 

In all the cases, and as per the Windows 10 upgrade, until many things will be more clear and transparent with Microsoft (such as rollback, license, EULA thingies and so on),  personally I do not think to have any intention to click that shiny "trap" button, so that avoiding to feel any cool thrills along my back. 

 

ambralivio

[Wonko the Sane]

@ Wonko,

 

to be picky, effectively a "transition is simply the act of passing from one state or place to the next", not necessarily involving a better next condition

At the same time, I'd call "something leading to a better condition/status" as really a "progress", as Dencorso said   

To be picky, I did wrote "I don't know" and "sounds to me", and still to me it sounds like something "soft" and not a "dramatic change", a "rethinking of the workflow" or "a revolution in computing" which is what both fans and detractors of Windows 10 tend to highlight.

 

As well progress (that in itself simply means "moving in a given direction") is usually intended in a positive way, dencorso cleverly   used it with a subject (the condition) which is inherently negative, thus conveying the "right" feeling, the illness increasingly affecting the patient's health , as said, metastasis.

 

Wonko

[Brito]

Macrium Reflect 6.0 FREE

 

That's an interesting option. I haven't yet tried Macrium. Was looking around and found this video explaining how to run Macrium. My questions was how to apply this process to a laptop (no change of having the two drives connected for the swap) but he explains that with an external USB3 drive you get the same outcome:

 

With this said, this could be a good opportunity to swap the operating system from the old HDD running on 4800 RPM with an SSD storage of equivalent size (250Gb).

 

[ambralivio]

 "I don't know" and "sounds to me", and still to me it sounds like something...

sounds, sounds, sounds and again

 

As well progress (that in itself simply means "moving in a given direction")

ABSOLUTELY NO, since I used that word as a noun and not a verb (see link below).

Please, read attentively my post.

 

Wonko,

 

You might give to the words whatever meaning you like but, opposely, I'm moving by using some sort of definitions. Please see these :

 

http://www.oxfordlea..._1?q=transition   for the word transition

 

http://www.oxfordlea...ss_1?q=progress  for the noun progress

 

I recognize it's really difficult to find a person who is pickier than you, but difficult does not mean "impossible...

 

 

With this said, this could be a good opportunity to swap the operating system from the old HDD running on 4800 RPM with an SSD storage of equivalent size (250Gb).

 

 

Sure, but for only swapping the hard-disk you could limit to simply use some proprietary tool from the SSD manufacturer, if any, otherwise I think it might be done with Macrium Reflect FREE.

Instead, if re-deploying on a (very) different hardware, then you need an appropriate license.

 

Please, be adviced that system imaging and re-deply is not a so simple thing and you need to well know where your towel is and, mainly, have clear what is your final target.

 

ambralivio

[Wonko the Sane]

sounds, sounds, sounds and again

 

ABSOLUTELY NO, since I used that word as a noun and not a verb (see link below).

Please, read attentively my post.

 

I have read it, rest assured .

You misunderstood  or mis-cited (or both ) dencorso that used the verb "to progress", as in:

 

 

Have you ever heard "The patient's condition has since progressed...

Condition is the subject (noun), "has progressed" is the verb.

THAT use as verb has the intended meaning because the "condition" is usually intended as an illness, YOUR use as noun has a different, more "neutral" or downright "positive" meaning.

 

It's easy to be picky and wrong (as you are), the difficult part is being picky and right (as I am by definition).

 

Wonko

[ambralivio]

It's easy to be picky and wrong (as you are), the difficult part is being picky and right (as I am by definition).

 

Besides your "picky" feature, I appreciated your good ability to play the word's meaning (and mixixing) game. BRAVO !

 

Actually you are now playing this game, by mainly taking into account my reference to Dencorso, instead of referring to my statement, where the use of the word "progress" was as a noun, as also you made in your early post.

 

And again, I was moving by using word definitions instead of meaningless "it sounds, it souns..." 

 

Please,  once in a while you might admit you're wrong, just only as a humility demonstration ( even if I think the word "humility" does not find a place in your dictionary).

 

Anyway, it seems like we are going OT, with respect to Nuno's post/subject and so I'll be happy to abandon this (at this point) no-sense discussion.

I'll let you win this battle.

 

Do we agree to disagree ?

 

 

ambralivio

[Wonko the Sane]

Humility is not among the usual characteristics of people from Tuscany (more widely) let alone myself personally, JFYI:

Hanno un modo d'inginocchiarsi che é piuttosto uno stare in piedi con le gambe piegate. Al contrario di tutti gli altri italiani che quando son ritti sembra siano in ginocchio.

... as also you made in your early post.

BTW, in my early post I used progressive, which last time I checked was an adjective...

Do we agree to disagree ?

Sure , though you should be aware that the possible consequences of agreeing could be ... hmmm  let's say despicable:
http://reboot.pro/to...ndows/?p=119524


Wonko

[ambralivio]

Humility is not among the usual characteristics of people from Tuscany (more widely) let alone myself personally, JFYI:

 

I'm from Sicily, instead, and I love this Marco Tullio Cicerone's quote :

 

Numquam est tam male Siculis, qui aliquis facete et commode dican ( a quote from Marco Tullio Cicerone)

 

or, trying to translate :

 

Whatever thing could happen to Sicilian people, he will comment it by using a quip

 

@ Wonko

 

In order to terminate our battle, please take into account the following two additional quotes :

 

• Often silence is more eloquent than words
• I don't know whether to keep silent and let people think I am ignorant or open my mouth and release all doubts.

​Ciao,

ambralivio

[Wonko the Sane]

I'm from Sicily, instead, 

Which is a very good thing , I consider myself a honorary citizen of Sicily , having lived there for some 15 years, finding it one of the places with the most friendly and hospitable people in the world, I still have more than a few friends there though it's a lot of time I have not an occasion to visit them .

There are many things to love generally about the people, besides the wittiness, I find most Sicilians to be real masters of understatement.

[Italian]

Comunque, per rimanere in tema, una citazione di Leonardo Sciascia:

La Sicilia, forse l'Italia intera [...] è fatta di tanti personaggi simpatici cui bisognerebbe tagliare la testa.

 

che penso possa chiudere l'intera discussione.

[/italian]

 

That in English would be something *like*:

Sicily, possibly the whole Italy [...] is made of many likeable characters that should be all beheaded.

 

 

 

Wonko

[sbaeder]

To get back to the original topic....Yes, it's good to have a backup plan - just in case.  I have been running Win10 (preview) for a month or so, and it is fairly "snappy" - much more than the Win 7 it replaced.  Yes, from Win 7 to Win 10, there is a fair amount of "where is it now", since the whole control panel / settings are totally different, but it is much less of a change if you made the leap into WIn 8, where they now have swung back the pendulum more to the middle.

 

You can still pretty much avoid the "Metro" stuff, and there are plent of good 3rd party start menu replacements if you still don't like the "search" oriented way fo launching things you don't use that often, but my recomendation is that if you give it a chance, you'll like it.  As I said, "kernel" level changes and using less memory and CPU power to do things is a welcome improvement!