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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2016 14:59:03 GMT
In order to be able to work, you need to install something (a driver) which enables any software that you have to communicate with the printer, through the operating system, every time you select 'print'. Hardware manufacturers will produce software that does this; they will do it for all operating systems for which they feel there will be sufficient demand, and for which support is continuing. If your printer is more than 5 years old, it will have come with print drivers for, probably up to Windows 7. They will probably have updated the drivers for when Windows 8 came out, but no further, because they will probably have designed a new printer which has new features, or better performance (as they see it). This means that there will be no software dedicated to helping the printer interact with Windows 10.
So, eventually you get it to work using some kind of patch, normally, a work-around. The only problem is that, if Windows 10 changes something during an upgrade, then that something, the patch or work-around or the driver for a previous version of Windows that had been developed may not work any more and you have to choose between continuously finding ways to get the printer to work -- as you are finding -- or you have to give up, and find a new printer, one that is sufficient to your needs, and that works.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2016 21:31:10 GMT
Thanks for your reply and explanation Lone Wanderer. I can see what you mean by older models of printers not geared up to later versions of Windows. My printer is quite old and very good. I dread having to choose another but I am looking. The choice is quite overwhelming. I understand what you say about updates causing a breakdown again. I am prepared now, thanks!
A couple of years ago my printer decided to stop working. A message appeared in the window telling me to contact the dealer. Well, definitely not possible! My eldest, determined to sort it googled for help. A site gave advice which was duly followed. Various technical things were done we were warned that a terrible screeching noise would happen. It was quite a frighteningly loud metal-grating noise. The the printer was back and working fine!
Apparently there was a "life expectancy" built into it, with so many print runs. Whatever was done over-rode this and presumably we have a "new" printer again. Any use of our printer now is just a bonus!
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Post by Geoffers on Jul 28, 2016 16:05:36 GMT
Free upgrade offer expires tomorrow, so if you are going to do it ,do it now.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2016 16:23:20 GMT
Free upgrade offer expires tomorrow, so if you are going to do it ,do it now. Any idea of what it will cost? |
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Post by Geoffers on Jul 28, 2016 16:59:04 GMT
Free upgrade offer expires tomorrow, so if you are going to do it ,do it now. Any idea of what it will cost? Figures of £ 100 has been mentioned,will be interesting to see what Saturday brings. I wonder if the offer will be magically extended. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2016 17:17:05 GMT
This is roughly what they are saying, without hinting at the new cost.
1. The free upgrade offer ends on July 29 and will not be extended.
2. Any upgrades completed before that date will be valid for as long as the device lasts.
3. There is a possibility that Microsoft will introduce some new upgrade offers after July 29, but don't count on it.
The reason for this seems to be a reluctance to give people more than a year to change over., but, interestingly, as of May this year, Windows 7 was still being used on 60% of US machines, only down 11% on when the offer to upgrade started. There seems to be a reluctance to move, even if Windows 10 is free.
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Post by goodhelenstar on Jul 29, 2016 10:58:18 GMT
I have not upgraded. The advice seems to be that if you're on Windows 8 then upgrading is a good idea, but if you're on Windows 7 there isn't much to be gained and presumably hassle and risk of things getting lost. I've read good and bad reports but am happy with Windows 7 so haven't bothered. My laptop is 5 years old – at some point I will need to replace it and the new one will have Windows 10. Unless I wait a year or so and then it will be Windows 11 or something else!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 13:23:31 GMT
same here goodhelenstar, i'm still with windows 7. and not in any hurry to upgrade. if it aint broke.. don't fix it.. is my motto.  |
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Post by marion on Jul 29, 2016 14:38:09 GMT
Was there a Windows 9? I never heard anything about it if there was.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 14:47:56 GMT
Not that was ever publicly announced. What they have said publicly is that they are wanting to change the way in which people use Windows; they want to make it a service. To my mind this conjures up images of Office 365 which you subscribe to.
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Post by Geoffers on Jul 29, 2016 15:26:16 GMT
Was there a Windows 9? I never heard anything about it if there was. There was going to be,but l think there was an 8.1,which sort of replaced it. Windows 10 will be it ,it will just get new things added ,the next big add is in August,there will not be a windows 11. The thing to bear in mind is that support for the older versions will end eventually. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 15:52:51 GMT
What is little understood is that the number that really matters is not the number on the box, or name that they give it for the public. What matters for Microsoft is the Windows version number (as they had done with windows 3.0 and 3.1; Windows NT 4.0 was the last to use that for a while. You see version Numbers all over the place. They are important because they give a very precise and unambiguous identity for a particular program being used. For example, I am using Firefox 48.0b10. However, many developers, rather than just give you a number, give names, like xp, ME, Vista, and so on. For some reason, even though the version number was still only 6.1, they called it Windows 7, and so on. Windows NT 4.0
| Windows Version 4.0
| Windows ME
| Windows Version 4.9
| Windows 2000
| Windows Version 5.0
| Windows XP
| Windows Version 5.1
| Windows Vista
| Windows Version 6.0
| Windows 7
| Windows Version 6.1
| Windows 8
| Windows Version 6.2
| Windows 8.1
| Windows Version 6.3
| Windows 10
| Windows Version 6.4
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As you can see, there is no space for Windows 9 in all of this. A number of reasons have been put forward for this, including:  and the fact that major software companies with a strong presence in Japan, have avoided using the number 9, which in Japanese is a homophone of the Japanese word for agony or torture, even though the Kanji are different. |
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Post by marion on Jul 29, 2016 22:05:35 GMT
Very interesting, thank you both.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 7:39:22 GMT
Not that was ever publicly announced. What they have said publicly is that they are wanting to change the way in which people use Windows; they want to make it a service. To my mind this conjures up images of Office 365 which you subscribe to. Yes I read somewhere that there will be payment for updates, so I dithered for ages about before going with W10. I had W8 which I hated. The new (old style) desktop is just wonderful so I am happy with it. Plus the support will last longer. However I'm not keen on Windows Edge. It is clunky and the home page is very skimpy, so will stick with my old fave browser. Goodness knows how it got such rave reviews. I guess some people like the voice control/Cortana. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 18:25:17 GMT
Not that was ever publicly announced. What they have said publicly is that they are wanting to change the way in which people use Windows; they want to make it a service. To my mind this conjures up images of Office 365 which you subscribe to. Yes I read somewhere that there will be payment for updates, so I dithered for ages about before going with W10. I had W8 which I hated. The new (old style) desktop is just wonderful so I am happy with it. Plus the support will last longer. However I'm not keen on Windows Edge. It is clunky and the home page is very skimpy, so will stick with my old fave browser. Goodness knows how it got such rave reviews. I guess some people like the voice control/Cortana. I still use internet explorer with windows10 but I downloaded a new edition of Real Player which had a facility to download Video clips from sites like Youtube , it worked on the night of installation but has not worked since £ 30 down the drain , real player is still on my computer , but the download facility is in hibernation
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Anymore to come?
