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• Update We're Unable To Offer Upgrade Pricing For Mac Pro

Advertisement Windows 10 is now a Microsoft ramps up its efforts to make users upgrade to Windows 10. Come 2016, many people will wake up to a new operating system, despite never having consented to the upgrade. Don't be one of. Those who haven’t upgraded yet, will once more be prompted to install Microsoft’s latest operating system.

If updates are set to download automatically, Windows 10 will be hogging around 5 GB of space while you decide whether or not to install it. If you’re not keen on running Windows 10 or if your Internet bandwidth is limited, it’s high time to take action.

Windows 10 could already be downloading in the background. What Happened Previously In late October, announced that the upgrade to Windows 10 will become easier. Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a “Recommended Update”. Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device. Before the upgrade changes the OS of your device, you will be clearly prompted to choose whether or not to continue.

He also reassured users that they will be able to decline the upgrade offer or roll back to their previous Windows version within 31 days. Why This Upgrade Remains Problematic Undermining User Choice Windows 10 now comes disguised as an everyday Windows update. Even though the Get Windows 10 notification has been pestering users for months, this new approach will certainly fool users into upgrading. One might suspect that this is the whole point because anyone who wanted to upgrade could have done so since July last year. While users have to Accept the Windows 10 License Terms before the upgrade starts, it’s not immediately clear what is being accepted or declined.

Note how the window is called Windows Update and the first mention of Windows 10 is in the small print. Neither the Taskbar, nor the Task Manager will let you abort the upgrade. Your only option is to schedule the upgrade for later. Restarting will immediately initiate the upgrade. Even if you manage to escape the Windows 10 vortex, by the time you’re asked whether you want to upgrade, much of the damage has been done.

The Windows 10 installation files take up almost 5 GB of disk space. Freeing up that space is easy — we show you how below –, but try to get back your 3 GB of Internet bandwidth it took to download Windows 10. If you weren’t wise enough to set Windows Update to let you choose whether to download or schedule downloads for free bandwidth times, you’re screwed.

Touting Security Microsoft’s Marketings Chief that Windows 10 is a much better place than its predecessors. In part due to novel features, such as support for modern hardware and games, but also because of improved security. We do worry when people are running an operating system that’s 10 years old that the next printer they buy isn’t going to work well, or they buy a new game, they buy Fallout 4, a very popular game, and it doesn’t work on a bunch of older machines. And so, as we are pushing our ISV Independent Software Vendor and hardware partners to build great new stuff that takes advantage of Windows 10, that obviously makes the old stuff really bad, and not to mention viruses and security problems. Security is a moot point. Windows 7 and 8.1 are on Eventually, support for every Windows version expires, leaving PCs full of holes, entry points for malware, and opportunities for hackers.

Windows 8 recently reached end of support status - we show you why and how. Until 2020 and 2023, respectively. In fact, Windows 8.1 is on mainstream support until 2018. While Windows 7 won’t receive new features, such as support for Direct X 12, it will receive security patches and hotfixes for several more years. With these support lifecycles, Microsoft guarantees the basic security and functionality of their operating systems. Meanwhile, Windows 10 isn’t flawless. It may offer novel features and improved security, but it’s also While Windows 10 has some issues that users need to be aware of, many claims have been blown out of proportion.

Here's our guide to everything you need to know about Windows 10's privacy issues., will strain your bandwidth with large updates, can Windows 10 is uninstalling software it doesn't consider compatible. Have you been affected? We show you which applications you could lose and why., is said to be Since its release, Windows 10 has been dogged by rumors concerning user privacy. Some of these are accurate, whereas others are myths. But where does Windows 10 stand on privacy, really?, and finds ever new ways of Windows 10 may be crossing a line with desktop ads and NSFW content.

Microsoft and third-party developers can push promotional material directly onto your desktop. We show you how you can defend yourself.

And most importantly, you’ll still have to use Want to tighten security on your PC? It's a good idea, so take a look at these fantastic antivirus choices for Windows 10. How to NOT Upgrade If you’re on the fence about Windows 10 or violently opposing the upgrade, here’s what you need to do to stay with your preferred Windows version. Disable Recommended Updates Head to Is Windows Update enabled on your PC? Windows Update protects you from security vulnerabilities by keeping Windows, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Office up-to-date with the latest security patches and bug fixes. And check your settings.

Press the Windows key, type Windows Update, and select the respective search result. If you catch Windows 10 downloading, cancel it by hitting Stop download.

From the sidebar, select Change settings and under the Recommended updates header, remove the checkmark to “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates.” Click OK to confirm your changes. Back on the general Windows Update window, select Check for updates and wait until the checking has completed. If Windows 10 has not been downloaded to your system, yet, what you see should resemble the screenshot below. Click Show all available updates, switch to the Optional tab, and find the Upgrade to Windows 10 update.

Remove the checkmark, right-click the update, and select Hide update. Now you won’t accidentally download Windows 10 the next time you’re installing optional updates. Reclaim Disk Space Should Windows 10 have partially downloaded, you can reclaim the space.

Head to Windows / File Explorer, right click your system drive, select Properties Disk Cleanup, and wait for the scan to finish. From the results window, select Clean up system files, wait for a second scan, make sure Temporary Windows installation files is checked, click OK, and finally Delete Files to Don't download a fishy third party tool to reclaim valuable disk space! Windows has its own tools for the job and they're easy to use. Block Windows 10 Upgrade Even if you have disabled Recommended updates, chances are Microsoft will keep pushing you to upgrade. Eventually, you’ll get tired of closing the upgrade notifications or disabling updates.

Shut them down right now. GWX Control Panel will remove the notification from your system tray, disable the respective update, and also deal with the Upgrade to Windows 10 option in Windows Update. This powerful script does a little more than blocking the Windows 10 upgrade. It also disables the GWX system tray notification, OneDrive, Telemetry, and a host of other “features”, hides the Windows 10 download directory, uninstalls and hides updates, disables scheduled tasks phoning home to Microsoft, blocks Microsoft-related hosts, and adjusts your Windows Update settings to notify you before downloading or installing available updates. It’s pretty radical, but thoroughly tested. To run the script, download the master.zip, unzip, right-click aegis.cmd, select Run as administrator, and follow the on-screen instructions. The tool will create a system restore point before it runs.

You can see a full desription and a list of updates that will be disabled on their Voat page. The script was updated in February to deal with the recent Windows 10 update developments. Downgrade from Windows 10 You Windows 10 was accidentally auto-installed on Windows 7 and 8.1 machines without user consent.

Microsoft apologized for the mistake. We analyze the events and show you once more how to NOT get Windows 10.

Or regret your choice? You’re not the first person. Fortunately, Windows 10 has a built-in safety net called Recovery.

Within 31 days of the upgrade, you can roll back to your old Windows setup. Joe Keeley has previously outlined Windows 10 is here and maybe it's not what you expected. If you already upgraded, you can perform a rollback. And if you haven't yet, create a system backup first.

Update We're Unable To Offer Upgrade Pricing For Mac Pro

We show you how. Briefly, press the keyboard shortcut Windows key + I to launch the Settings app, head to Update & Security Recovery, find the option to Go back to Windows, and click Get started. From there on out, follow the on-screen instructions.

Note that once you Windows prepares an automatic backup before you re-install. The Windows.old folder includes user profiles and personal files. Here's how to restore the data and remove the folder to free up space., you won’t be able to downgrade anymore. In that case, your only hope is to install your old Windows version from scratch. Hopefully, you have your original With Windows 8, finding the 25-digit product key got harder.

But you still need it to download installation media or install on a machine that didn't come pre-installed with Windows 8. And Windows can get seriously broken. What you often need to do is to install it from scratch.

And we show you how to get legal installation files for Windows 7 through 10. Upgrade If You Can With all of this said, we think that the average user should Microsoft really wants to you upgrade to Windows 10. But should you? To help you make up your mind, we argue both the pro and the contra, and offer careful advice. How will you decide?

In addition to privacy concerns, the only reason to not upgrade is if you depend on software that is no longer supported in Windows 10, such as Windows Media Center. Although note that many Windows 10 is quite different and chances are you're missing a few familiar features. Did you lose Windows Media Center, DVD support, or classic games during the upgrade? We may have a solution for you! Windows 10 is delived through Windows Update and the process is smooth for most users, though we strongly recommend a You don't have to upgrade to Windows 10 to try it.

Whether you qualify for the free upgrade or want to try Windows 10 on Linux or OS X, you can evaluate it for free. To avoid nasty bugs. You can still Windows 10 is coming and you have a choice to make. Either you upgrade your existing Windows installation, or you can install Windows 10 from scratch. We show you how to migrate to Windows 10. Will Windows 10 Prevail?

In January, finally overtook Windows 8.1 (10.4%) and Windows XP (11.42%). It still has a long way to go until it will catch up with Windows 7 (52.47%). Serious efforts will be needed on Microsoft’s part before the free upgrade expires in July this year. And pushy updates are just the tool to introduce hesitant users to Windows 10, where For control freaks, Windows Update is a nightmare. It works in the background, and keeps your system safe and running smoothly. We show you how it works and what you can customize. Are the norm.

What do you think? Is Microsoft being of service or are they taking their upgrade mania too far? Share your thoughts in the comments and let’s discuss!

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Apple’s iOS 8, the latest version of the operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod, is now available. It’s pretty darn slick, and it’s what everyone who orders a new iPhone 6 will get when those devices start arriving on Friday. But the upgrade is also available for existing Apple devices. Should you upgrade right now? If your answer is an instinctive, “Heck, yeah; I’m in!” then read our guide and get going. If you’re the more cautious type, take heed of these warnings: Warning 1: It takes a lot of space (temporarily).

While the operating system itself is about a 1-gigabyte download (which is pretty big), your device needs even more breathing room to perform the update. Reports vary, but on an iPad 3, for example, you need at least 5.8 GB of free space.

The update will not happen if you have less than that. On an iPad mini with Retina Display, one warning said 6.9 GB.

That may mean you’ll have to delete a lot of music, videos, or apps before you can update. If you have a 16 GB device, the winnowing process might make you cry. Hint: Look at your video files first. You don’t have to sacrifice all that room for good; it’s just a playground for the installer during the surgery. Once the upgrade is complete, iOS 8 will let you use that space you freed up for your apps and files again. IOS 8 update estimate time of 5 hours More That’s not good.

Eventually I was forced to give up on this (see next screenshot) and got the file in about 40 minutes through my desktop computer. If you really can’t wait, you’ll have better luck if you can do the update via iTunes on your Mac or PC, with your device connected to the computer. As of Wednesday, it looks like a 30- to 50-minute download for the update file that way. Downloading the update file over WiFi to your iPhone or iPad generally takes longer. This morning, at the office where I work, the update app was projecting between five and seven hours to download.

And then, after two hours, it gave up. IOS 8 error screen More It didn’t even say why. Warning 3: Allow time for the installation. While you’re downloading the iOS 8 installer, you can keep using your phone or tablet.

But after the download, the actual installation can take 30 minutes or more (it took me an hour) — during which time you can’t use your device. Don’t start the upgrade if you’ll need your gadget during that time. Warning 4: It might slow down your older device. IOS 8 works best on the latest Apple devices, which have much faster components than older ones. Apple says iOS 8 officially works on phone models as old as the iPhone 4s, and iPads as old as the iPad 2.

But, in truth, you won’t get the same snappy responsiveness on those older devices, especially with processor-intensive services like Siri. Warning 5: Don’t accept the upgrade to iCloud Drive (yet).

Apple is changing its online storage product. The older iCloud is being phased out, and the newer iCloud Drive is where Apple will now store all your files. It’s a Dropbox-like “online disk,” and it looks like an improvement from iCloud.

You’ll be able to put files on it and access them from any Apple phone, tablet, or computer. ICloud Drive screenshot More Just one thing, though: It requires the latest operating system on every device: iOS 8 on mobiles and OS X Yosemite on computers. And Yosemite isn’t out yet. So if you allow your device to upgrade from iCloud to iCloud Drive, your Mac won’t be able to see files saved from iOS, and your iOS device won’t be able to see the older iCloud files from your computer. So when given the option to “Upgrade to iCloud Drive,” decline. Once your Mac has the new operating system, go into Settings on your phone or iPad and turn iCloud Drive on at that point.

ICloud Drive screenshot More Warning 6: Save your iPhoto projects first. Apple is also discontinuing the iPhoto app on iOS devices; its replacement is an expanded version of the Photos app that’s always come on iPhones and iPads. If you use only the built-in Photos app, no problem; everything keeps working. But the Photos app doesn’t recognize the photo books and other projects created by the iPhoto app for iOS; you’ll lose that once you upgrade to iOS 8, since iPhoto doesn’t work at all on the new OS., what you’ll be able to keep, and what you’ll lose. CNBC The outcome of this weekend's meeting between President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping is critical to markets and could determine whether stocks end higher or in the red for the year. Wall Street is convinced a 'deal' of sorts will be announced after President Donald Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping Saturday night to discuss the trade war that is creating issues for both nations' economies.

International stocks would get the biggest boost, especially those traded in China, the rest of Asia, Australia and Germany, where the DAX index is down almost 13 percent this year, said Peter Boockvar, the chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. Barrons.com Are these scenes of carefree times in retirement based on financial reality? According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, which is based on 2016 figures, “older households”—defined as those run by someone 65 and older—spend an average of $45,756 a year, or roughly $3,800 a month. Naturally, your spending in retirement will vary based on countless variables, including the price of your preferred champagne and the annual property taxes on that lake house (if those things happen to be on your retirement vision board). Benzinga Check out the article to find out how to understand the potential and the risks, as well as what Barron's thinks it could mean for the likes of Under Armour Inc. Tae Kim's 'How Microsoft Beat Out Apple and Became the World's Most Valuable Company' points out that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella has transformed a tech giant built around PCs and its Office software to one focused on cloud computing and subscriptions, a turnaround unusual in the tech world.

In 'How New CEO Larry Culp Can Turn GE Around' by Al Root, check out how, as the first outsider to run General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) in more than a century, its new chief executive is well-positioned to make radical changes. MarketWatch Suze Orman broke the internet earlier this month when she told the “Afford Anything” podcast that those buying into the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early) better save at least $5 million to achieve that goal. “Her views ruffled a lot of feathers, but after crunching the numbers, I have to agree — $5 million sounds about right if you want to retire before the age of 60,” the Financial Samurai blog’s Sam Dogen said. Dogen says 40 is the absolute earliest he’d recommend anybody retire, although even then, that’s asking a lot out of your investments. Motley Fool Dividend stocks are appealing in any environment, but with the recent gyrations in the stock market and concerns about rising interest rates, now is a particularly good time for investors to consider dividend stocks, especially as investors seem to be fleeing high-growth tech stocks that have outperformed in recent years. Historically, dividend stocks have beaten non-dividend payers, and dividend stocks also tend to have defensive attributes that make them smart investments in down markets. On that note, keep reading to see why our contributors recommend picking up shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD), Hanesbrands (NYSE: HBI), and Target (NYSE: TGT).

InvestorPlace Biotech stocks, like the rest of the broader market, have been under heavy pressure in late 2018. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (NASDAQ:IBB), which includes several of the largest biotechnology stocks, and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSEARCA:XBI), which also includes the sectors sector’s mid- and small-cap companies, have been in a free-fall since October, declining over 15% each. Although many of these biotech stocks, including AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV), Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG) and Mylan (NASDAQ:MYL), are much cheaper than they were at the start of September, investors should not expect the choppiness in individual share prices to be over yet.