I hate 10. And MS Edge is worthless. I couldn't get email with it so I went to Chrome...no problem.

I'm shopping for a new laptop and am seriously considering a Mac.

I am not happy with it.

I have a lot of computers (over 20, most used for my class). Some are Mac, some are Chromebook, some are Windows. Some of my Windows laptops are seven years old, but they run 10 very well. I have more problems with Mac than Windows 10, which I consider the most stable Windows yet. That said, Windows 10 update does have problems. Maybe the reason I don't notice the problem is that I've tweaked the Update function enough so I don't get bricked.

and I always hate the updated crap and wish I had a choice in the matter.

It's different for Home versions as opposed to Pro, Enterprise, and Educational versions.

https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/how-stop-windows-10-downloading-updates-3626701/

I have my updates delayed enough so that I can Google the update numbers to check for issues before I install. Although you'll find somebody with issues at every update, some issues are obviously widespread. I also prevent driver updates, which is easy enough to do, but means checking manually every so often. It seems to me that expert opinion is gradually moving toward "you don't need to update drivers if everything is working."

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/disable-automatic-driver-downloads-on-windows-10

I am pretty much a Windows expert. I've got ISO files for every version, volume licenses, and the know-how to use them.

I hate Win 10, which is an operating system designed to spy on you, advertise to you, and trick you into using additional MS products.

They forced Win 10 on unsuspecting people, tricked people into upgrading, and rendered many computers unusable.

People called me for help. Many hours of my life disappeared.

Why did Microsoft do this? Because it's better for them, at your expense. When you use Windows and sign in with a Microsoft account (something no one should do, local accounts only!) you are the product, not Windows.

My wife's desktop computer would start in 30 seconds under Windows 8. It's more than a minute under Windows 10.

Just wanted to vent.

I have customers who have been working just fine. Then, the Fall Creators Update downloads and updates their machine. No way to stop it. It has taken hours and hours on some machines. Printers and scanners that were working fine stop working. All sorts of drivers quit working and some are not available for Win 10. The amount of lost productivity is ridiculous.

I've never been a fan of Microsoft. What you said about Win 10 being a spying/marketing platform is dead on correct. If there was ever a reason to begin looking at Linux for the business desktop I'd say Win 10 is it.

I have volume licenses for Office 2010 and 2013. Were all on it.

2013 sucks compared to the somewhat elegant 2010. They made the interface worse. Try to trick you into using One-drive.

I'd never use the online versions of Office. Isn't it the case that they "own" your documents if you use Office online?

The primary purpose of these Windows updates is to put more code on your system for tracking and advertising.

There's barely anything more for user creativity/productivity in the Creator's update!

on whichever OS?

Installing a new OS requires some technical skill tho. If you're up to trying it I'd recommend a Linux Mint or Ubuntu MATE.

Ubuntu MATE is my favorite but some say linux Mint is good for new linux users.

If a person is going to just be surfing the Web, checking e-mail and streaming then it is a great choice. Unfortunately, so many businesses are stuck with Microsoft Windows because that's what everything runs on. This is changing though. Very, very slowly. But, there used to be a time when the saying was "Nobody got fired for picking IBM." That sure isn't the case anymore. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Microsoft is about due for it's turn.

For students and home use Linux is an excellent choice. You can find programs as good or better than Word, Excel and Powerpoint. For FREE!

I have an Ubuntu machine with LibreOffice on it. I can do anything with that, that anyone in school or in general home use needs to do and might do on the Office Suite. Reports, presentations, videos - anything.

I would have left that Best Buy immediately. That sounds like total BS. My experience with Best Buy and the level of skill of their employees has not been good.

This makes no sense to me:

"It seems this is common in windows 10. I was given a choice of paying $160 to back up his old files and buy an external hard drive or pay $399 for a one year protection, virus removal etc."

I am a tier 2 computer tech for a managed service provider (MSP). What that means is small businesses like doctors offices, construction companies and the like, contract us out as their IT department instead of hiring dedicated IT people internally. So I have more than a passing familiarity with Windows 10. Yes, it makes my life miserable on a daily basis. I do not know of any common Win 10 problem that has the resolution your were given. If the geek had the ability to back up the files then they more than likely had the ability to just repair the Win 10 install on the existing hard drive without selling you stuff you don't need. I sure as hell would not have paid them $399 for a year of protection.

It infuriates me when I hear these stories. It sounds like someone was trying to take advantage of you in your moment of desperation and sell you a protection plan that I bet he/she would have gotten a commission or bonus for selling. That really makes me angry with the Geek Squad. Unfortunately, it doesn't surprise me in the least.

You should back up the files yourself and believe me when I tell you Google is your friend. If you are getting specific error messages and error codes I'm willing to bet if you search google for those you will find steps to correct the issue. As the old saying goes "There is nothing new under the sun." Someone else has likely already been there and fixed that.

Good luck!

I tried system restore, system reset and I got the blue screen. I have 2 computers with old xp that still run fine. It was purely out of desperation I went to Best Buy. I went for the cheaper solution. It was even hard finding the cmd prompt.

Sounds like it is too late though.

Win 10 is actually the easiest win version to fix yet. Sometimes the install files get hosed on the drive but you can make a USB or dvd for free and restore it using that if the files on the drive fail you can even save your files in the process of restoring it.

Those geek squad prices are pretty damn high.

Got stuck in the blue screen of death. I would have taken those files off myself and reinstalled but I was stuck in that cycle. I took my sons old files off his old computer using a interface cord I got at my favorite computer site. But this stumped me. I hated having to pay the money and I had a mini anxiety attack in the store because I was so frustrated. $60 for a 1 tb external hard drive was a painful purchase. If it was for myself I would have continued trying but my son gets stressed over not having his computer so I was backed into a corner. I sure as hell was going to pay $399 though.

I am sorry you were put through this.

Using a USB with win 10 install files on it would have allowed you to access your files. Too late now sadly.

I would highly encourage you to find a local geek. Not a chain store pretend geek.

I am a geek I have been working on these things since win 95. Win 10 requires less maintenance than any window yet and is dead simple to repair a complete sea change from earlier versions of windows actually. My infection calls have been cut drastically by win 10.

I understand without the knowledge you are left with little choice. That said I have countless horror stories from customers that submitted themselves to the geek squad. I am really just mad that you are yet another victim of their ineptitude.

Find a local mom and pop or someone that does service calls in your area do a google search for computer repair and find someone with good ratings. The chain stores just don't typically have good tech departments.

I might check this site again before I take it to the Best Buy!

Thanks.

The geek squad is often far from geeks.

They only know how to reinstall windows in my experience and sometimes they can't even get that right.

on and off over the years , but i perfer mac.just got fed up with them constantly patching the gui and not the file system. m$ said they were going to fix the thing in n.t.(never there ) really.

I know some people who have "downgraded" to Win 7. Where I am, you can still find copies of Win 7 with a little looking. Check with some of the smaller computer outlets who build their own computers. You may be able to find one that will install a copy for you. The downside is that they will probably want to do the backup, install and restore for you. Not all of the new machines can use older versions of Windows. If you do stay with Window$, check out something called "Classic Shell". It changes the user interface to look more like XP. I have used it on 7 and I'still use it on 8.1. It is no longer under development as of last month. There is also software available that will prevent Micro$oft from installing 10 on your computer without your consent.

If you have no particular reason you must use windows, try Linux. I suggest trying a live version first rather than installing it just to make sure your son is OK with it. The new versions of Linux are so much easier to use than they used to be that anyone can learn to use it quite easily. They also run fast enough to give old boxes a new lease on life.

There are lots of things about the mac that I don't really like, but it's been up and running with no problems for over a year now.

Today, there are far better options than Win 10 IMO. Here's a link. https://linuxmint.com/