1803 Update

[WildWestDesigns]

Just a heads up for those that may have gotten the updated yesterday when it was released. I had to remote in to my dad's computer as it had deactivated the OS and removed several drivers (it always seems to remove the video card driver and replace it with the wrong one).

I mention this, because the deactivating Windows is a new thing with this latest update. Mainly an annoyance. This may not apply to everyone, but thought I would mention it. I told him to really "use" his computer for the rest of the week to see if there is any other joys to be discovered. I figured something might be going on since this release was delayed due to all the BSOD that were happening on the guinea pigs that got the pre-release.

I really can't stress about having computers off a WAN, doesn't matter the OS, as they all of their issues.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Looking into it, apparently it was the beta version of 1803 that got out. As in the version that gets sent out to the testers before it goes live. Apparently, some of his paid programs went back to the trial version, so I'm going to have to go load up a backup of his setup this evening and then see if I can postpone that release for him. It reminds me of that update issue on Windows server had last year I think it was.

That's why getting on the latest and greatest is not always the best thing. Yet another reason why I hate forced updates.

 

[AF]

What a nightmare. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

1803 trashed Office 365 for a client yesterday. Had to run a full online repair, and it's still not performing right... grrr.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

It actually appears to be far worse then I originally thought.

Not only did it break installs of the OS and various programs (none of which are niche programs (like what you would see users on here having), some were even MSs own branded products), but it also seemed to have regressed his computer back to a previous restore point as files/folders in his library (my documents, my pictures, my music etc) did not have files passed a certain date.

While I used to have sympathy when MS had update issues compared to when issues happened with Mac updates, once MS started forcing updates, my sympathy went down to nill.

I'm sure that this isn't the case with everyone (a lot of different hardware/software configurations in there for Windows users and I would say that this risk is even greater with those that have custom rigs with strange hardware/software configs) and I have read good reviews of the update, but I can't stress enough to keep production rigs offline. Even if one does have a backup to safely go to, there is still inefficiency with having to deal with this.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Aforementioned client above is continuing to have issues with 1803 even after the Office rebuild. Computer running on par with a 386 at the moment. The thing is a month old at best.
I'm going to hug my Windows 7 PC today in appreciation of never having to deal with this garbage. We are a Win10 free environment.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Welcome to the wonderful world of rolling release. Ironically, the same thing that's a pro for a rolling release is also a con in a production setting.

I'm with you, going to hug all my Linux rigs. Only one Windows device installed on bare metal (Win 8.1 on a Wacom Cintiq Tablet), no Win 10 at all. Ironically, his is the only Win 10 rig I have to deal with and it's not even mine. I don't have one (and I'm not an IT tech person except to the immediate family) and yet it's still a pain.

Did you ever go to 18.04?

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Haven't had a chance to go 18.04 yet. I'll have a play on the weekend if I get a chance and see how it goes. All of our 16.04 servers are rock steady, so I won't rock the boat just yet.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Haven't had a chance to go 18.04 yet. I'll have a play on the weekend if I get a chance and see how it goes. All of our 16.04 servers are rock steady, so I won't rock the boat just yet.

I don't know what DE you go for or if you do headless, but I can tell you with regard to KDE (my DE of choice), KDE is also an LTS as well as the took kit QT. So it's not just the Ubuntu base that is LTS as well. I can't say that goes for every one of the flavors, but at least with the KDE one it does.

I can certainly understand not wanting to rock the boat though. Particularly since we are posting this in a discussion about updates that actually do more harm then good.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

They're all headless VMs as none of them do any GUI work whatsoever. (Things like mail server, firewall, NAS, web server etc.).
All design machines here are Win7Pro with Illustrator CS6, so no weird updates or subscription issues.

Back on topic, I'll be out looking at the 1803 machine again today to figure out what can be done to make it usable again. Not going to be fun.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Back on topic, I'll be out looking at the 1803 machine again today to figure out what can be done to make it usable again. Not going to be fun.

As a hail mary (and if since it is still within the 10 day grace period, may just have to roll back to the older state and go with that.

I'm actually looking at an RMM solution now. It is actually cross platform (although they even stipulate that they have better functionality with Windows, but it does support Debian based machines as well). If nothing else, the patch management may be worth it.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I'm stuck on Windows 7 with updates off... Tried Windows 10 for a while but TWICE came to find my machine screwed up a job because the computer restarted in the middle of it for an update!

 

[AF]

Win 10 seems best suited for Facebook tablets.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Win 10 seems best suited for Facebook tablets.

If you take away the forced updates. Take away all vestige of the telemetry, for me, it's not a bad OS outside of that. I can forgive UI concerns far more then I can forgive a rolling release nature on an OS that was designed/and is still used for enterprise "consumption" or if nothing else, how I would use it for.

With the forced updates especially, Win 10 is just far to unstable. Now, of course, I'm one of those that say no outside connection for production rigs and I'll still say that til I'm dead, but also considering that MS won't support a major update past 18 months (which probably means at least some software/hardware vendors won't support their software/hardware on older versions as well), that's just another way to force updates.

To me, it's a shame, I've been a Windows fan for a loooonnnngggg time. Had a couple of dances with Mac (hated it), but this is just no bueno. And with the restructuring that MS is going through, I don't think it'll change. I could be wrong, I hope that I am, but I don't think it will change for the better.

 

[AF]

Win 10 is just not very productive. Aside from the constant work-hour updating and secret telemetry / data scavenging, it is just slow at basics like rendering typed letters and numbers. The endless updates often remove critical DLLs which breaks all kinds of software.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Aside from the constant work-hour updating and secret telemetry / data scavenging,

Did they take out the ability to define "active hours"? I hadn't checked to see on dad's computer this past weekend. May be able to see about that.

it is just slow at basics like rendering typed letters and numbers.

Dad doesn't have any programs that would stress that need, so I haven't observed that. I do have to also wonder though on the specs of the computers in question and what type of rendering are you trying to do.

The endless updates often remove critical DLLs which breaks all kinds of software.

This is the price that one pays for bleeding edge. That's why it isn't good in a production environment. This could also affect your previous issue of rendering as well.

Your 1st and last concern though could be helped by having Win 10 off the WAN. Which I do firmly believe that if they are production machines they should be totally off (why one big reason that I'm not a fan of subscription and/or cloud based production software solutions).

 

[AF]

The Microsoft rabbit hole is getting deeper as they update their core products. MS is now patching all their OS and Office products to run as crippleware unless the user is logged in to MS. For example, you will need to log in to MS to have full function of Excel. Not logged in or off the grid will grey out menu options and possibly break formulas.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

The Microsoft rabbit hole is getting deeper as they update their core products. MS is now patching all their OS and Office products to run as crippleware unless the user is logged in to MS. For example, you will need to log in to MS to have full function of Excel. Not logged in or off the grid will grey out menu options and possibly break formulas.

Alternative program? I'm quite a fan of libreoffice myself. I haven't used MS Office since 2007 (and I did actually use that long after 2010 came out). Although I do still have a working copy of Office 4.2c (Win 3.1 era) that actually works on 64 bit Linux rigs that have WINE installed, otherwise it's in a VM). This also goes back into MS restructuring, they (MS) is doubling down on cloud, so it seems to make sense that their core products are that way as well. Hell, some Enterprise users have their OS on a subscription basis. The OS!

I've read that if "you" wanted to take a computer out of S mode (locked down version of Windows) and go into normal mode, "you" have to create an MS account and give them all unnecessary info to do so.

Bare in mind, when Adobe went full fledge subscription, I was moving into VMs for my legacy software to use as long as I was able to. When Win 10 first came out and I was needing to upgrade, I started moving everything to Linux and VMing legacy Windows for the legacy programs. The VMs are really just a crutch as I'm used to the Windows programs, so I'm quicker, but I do have variants that run directly on Linux (some are cross platform and even multi-arch) that are very much stable and production ready for all my needs. So if need be, I can cut that cord as well (I do also have nostalgia towards the earlier Win OS that I've used over the years, so that plays a part in it as well).

 

[AF]

For me, when I buy something called Windows 10 Professional, I want it to be a professional-level piece of software. Not a toy for millennials to waste time in. Linux will never catch on as a desktop OS for the masses until they clean up windowing environments and automate all the command line stuff like Apple has done.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

For me, when I buy something called Windows 10 Professional, I want it to be a professional-level piece of software. Not a toy for millennials to waste time in.

My dad as the Enterprise version and he has issues, considering Pro is less then Enterprise on the scale, what can you really expect?

The only thing that you can probably hope for is something like ReactOS finally gets out of Alpha, quickly through Beta and then Stable. I doubt it though.

MS, I think is taking out a page from Job's playbook. "A customer doesn't know what they want until you tell them."

Linux will never catch on as a desktop OS for the masses until they clean up windowing environments and automate all the command line stuff like Apple has done.

DEs, I'll give you. They need to pick a default and leave it up to the individual person to make a choice. Personally, I think KDE would be a great default as it doesn't take very long at all to make it look entirely different or like a DE from a different OS that you are used to.

As to the CLI stuff, you don't have to touch the CLI if you don't want to. Only necessary is if you want to do really nitty gritty customization. Even then you can automate it with scripts (something that isn't beyond the range of an Ai or DRAW (macro) user). Ironically, those same nitty gritty customizations that require CLI are pretty much the same ones that require CLI on Mac as well. And you know what, they actually use the same terminal (BASH).

Some ideas, perceptions are outdated when it comes to Linux, but because they still persist, it keeps people from trying it. I am not a computer geek at all and I was able to quickly assimilate into using Linux on all my rigs since 2015. Pre 2015 going back to 2008, it was mainly as a curiosity for me.