An introduction to Linux for Windows users

Searching for less-is-more software

Lounge member gsmith-plm is a semi-retired computer guy and wants a less baroque set of tools than Office to suit his streamlined intentions.

“Any hope,” he asks his fellow Loungers in the General Productivity forum, that we’ll “ever see a simple word processor and spread sheet that will work with Office documents?”

Robust discussion and numerous suggestions ensue, which you might find worth following.

The following links are this week’s most interesting Lounge threads, including several new questions for which you might have answers:

Office Applications
General Productivity	Office too much for me!
Word Processing	Printing labels in Office 365 Home
Spreadsheets	Scanning into Excel
Databases	Joining two unrelated tables
Presentation Apps	PowerPoint 2013: Record inking during slide show
Visual Basic for Apps	Document tagging
Microsoft Outlook	Transferring Outlook to another PC
Non-Outlook E-mail	How to back up Thunderbird email?
Other MS Apps	MS OneNote 2010: Previously OK; now hogs CPU 20 to 25 percent
Windows
General Windows	Beware of KB 3001652 in February updates
Windows 10	Needing help with “Rollback”
Windows 8	Tablet name problem
Windows 7	Win7 update KB 3021917 crashed 64-bit system
Windows XP	Running old games
Windows Servers	Questions about exploited SMTP relay
Internet/Connectivity
Internet Explorer	Need to roll back to IE 10
Third-Party Browsers	Trying to set homepage on Firefox 35.0.1
Networking	Need help removing network
Software Development
Windows Programming	VB.NET problem with data reader
Web Design & Development	Which language will dominate future of Web development?
Other Technologies
Security & Scams	Recommend antivirus?
Maintenance	PC fan repeatedly on for one second, then off for six seconds
Hardware	Dell Support Assist

starred posts: particularly useful

If you’re not already a Lounge member, use the quick registration form to sign up for free. The ability to post comments and take advantage of other Lounge features is available only to registered members.

If you’re already registered, you can jump right into today’s discussions in the Lounge.

Cloud workplace: Commuting 1,768 feet up

Some people bring an edgy sense of adventure with them everywhere they go. For some of them, it’s a job requirement — such as when working in space or on tall, skinny radio towers. This video records free climbing to the top of a transmission tower — one of the tallest in the world. If you don’t know whether you can tolerate heights, noting your own reactions as you watch this video will give you an inkling. Click below or go to the original YouTube video.

An introduction to Linux for Windows users

Linux might not have found a comfortable home on the desktop, but for backend services, it’s everywhere.

Here’s a guide to Linux, showing why intermediate and advanced Windows users might want to take a look at this open-source operating system.

Innovative technology versus marketing brawn

First released in 1991, the Linux operating system now powers much of the Internet, runs on the world’s fastest supercomputers, and — in its guise as Android OS — is the foundation for the majority of mobile devices. But after nearly two and a half decades, its use as a desktop OS remains limited mostly to highly technical users — even though the user experience on a modern Linux desktop differs little from that of Windows or OS X. Far from being a Windows or OS X knockoff, Linux possesses strengths that could make it useful to many users who would scarcely consider themselves “technical.”

Before listing a few of those strengths, I’ll offer the two reasons Linux has been shunned by most consumers: Apple and Microsoft.

In the early years, Linux was hampered by a substandard graphical user interface and poor usability. It wasn’t until 2004 that Linux vendor Ubuntu (site) released a version that was acceptable to an average personal-computer user. But even then, its enhancements were well behind Apple’s rapidly developing OS X.

While Microsoft struggled with antitrust issues, security concerns, engineering delays, and product flops through the 2000s, Apple positioned itself as the safe and stylish anti-Microsoft. With innovations such as the iPod and iPhone, Apple’s market capitalization surpassed Microsoft’s in 2010. Brilliant advertising campaigns defined consumer choices as being exclusively Windows versus Mac. And though Microsoft continued to dominate business computing, Apple clearly won the pop-culture battle. Google eventually made Linux — aka Android — the leader in the mobile market, but there was no deep-pocket champion for Linux on the desktop.

Equally decisive was Microsoft’s aggressive marketing strategy against free and open-source software — especially Linux. During Microsoft’s bad old days, when many in the computing industry viewed it as an abusive monopoly, the folks in Redmond had good reason to fear Linux’s zero-cost licensing and early dominance on Web servers. Linux threatened Microsoft’s enterprise-software strategy, which envisioned tightly integrated Microsoft products on every computer, from servers to the desktop.

Microsoft responded with a so-called “fear, uncertainty, and doubt” campaign (see Wikipedia page) targeting businesses that might be tempted by lower-cost Linux options. Microsoft was accused of buying off a major UNIX vendor, as recounted by Eric Raymond on his site.

As reported in another Wikipedia article, Microsoft quietly backed UNIX vendor SCO in its intellectual-property battles against several Linux distributors and customers. Although SCO eventually went into bankruptcy, the disputes cast a very public shadow over the legal status of free and open-source software for much of the 2000s.

Meanwhile, the fight for the enterprise market was accompanied by a lot of intemperate language. As reported in a July 31, 2000, The Register article, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer equated Linux with “communism” and was quoted in a June 1, 2001, article, declaring that “Linux is a cancer.”

Ostensibly, those terms might translate into:

• Communism: Linux and other free software are developed outside normal business models by volunteer developer communities.
• Cancer: Open-source code, if incorporated into any Microsoft product, would transform it into an open-source product as well — a possibility counter to Microsoft’s business model.

These characterizations simply aren’t true. Much of the development work on the Linux kernel was — and still is — carried out by for-profit businesses such as Microsoft’s old nemesis, IBM. The view of Linux as a “cancer” is based on disputed interpretations of the operating system’s license. But that concern is mostly unfounded, according to a SitePoint article. (Under less restrictive licenses, Microsoft could incorporate open-source code into its products and still maintain its closed-source intellectual-property rights.)

Ultimately, much of the invective against Linux disappeared with advances in server virtualization, which brought much-needed flexibility to IT operations. To be taken seriously in the enterprise, Microsoft’s own Hyper-V virtualization technology (more info) had to support alternative operating systems and open technical standards.

The concept of locking in businesses to one technology vendor, famously espoused by IBM, is now a pipe dream — especially with the recent rise of cloud computing. Microsoft must now compete in a platform-independent market. Today, you can deploy a Linux system on Microsoft’s Azure cloud in minutes and never give a thought to Microsoft’s own server products.

Why you might use Linux on the desktop

Before we delve into Linux, here are some basic facts:

• Linux is a “UNIX-like” operating system, modeled after the influential UNIX OS developed by Bell Labs in the early 1970s.
• The OS is named for Linus Torvalds (Linus + UNIX), a Finnish college student who in 1991 wrote the first Linux kernel. Assisted by a wide range of corporate and community contributors, Torvalds still leads Linux development.
• Linux is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL; more info). The GPL requires the source code to be available to all users; allows modification, redistribution, and sale of the code or compiled versions; allows private use of modified code and compiled versions without restriction; and requires public release of modified code (also under the GPL) if modified and compiled versions are sold or given to the public.
• Linux itself is only a kernel — the core OS component that controls memory and other computer hardware functions. To be usable, it’s generally packaged together with the GNU (site) system libraries and utilities. It’s also combined with the X Window System (site), which provides a graphical environment similar to that of Windows or Mac OS X.
• Ready-to-use Linux packages are called distributions or “distros.” These are developed, maintained, and marketed by for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Some of the best-known distributions are Red Hat, Debian, and Ubuntu. Though Linux carries no licensing fees, for-profit Linux companies make money by selling support services, primarily to business customers.

While Windows reigns as the business PC of choice and Apple still claims the hearts of many writers, artists, and musicians, Linux is now the favored desktop system for programmers, IT professionals, and others who have very specialized requirements for their computers. Some of their priorities might overlap with yours. Here are some examples:

Price: Yes, Linux can be acquired for free. A popular Linux-community saying is “Free as in freedom” or “Free as in beer.” Linux is both. That means you can download a Linux distribution and modify it as you like. Also, Linux distribution sites let you download it free of charge, burn it to a CD-ROM, install it on as many computers as you like, and make copies for friends. (The situation is somewhat different for enterprise users, who will in many cases also purchase a support contract.)

Look and feel: Just as Windows and OS X appear and operate somewhat differently (they’re more alike than not), so do Linux distributions. Although each flavor of Linux has its own default user interface, most distributions also let you choose freely among alternative desktop designs. Depending on your personal-computing skills and tastes, this is either confusing or liberating.

To greatly oversimplify, there are three broad approaches to look and feel in the Linux world.

• Microsoft/Apple clones: Macintosh begat Windows (arguably), and Windows begat desktop frameworks GNOME (site) and KDE (site) — plus dozens of other interfaces riding on them. Essentially, they all resemble what we thought of as Windows before Windows 8 came along.
• The native UNIX design tradition: Before Linux, this group of interfaces was used by UNIX-server admins and rarely seen in public. Stuffed with widgets, they offered useful ideas (such as virtual desktops, my favorite) that Microsoft and Apple have mostly deemed too confusing for their users.
• Mobile-inspired, touch-ready, cross-platform desktops: That was the mantra of Windows 8, but Linux got there first. (Apple is probably headed there, too.)

You can see an example of each in the following screenshots.

Figure 1. Linux Mint: For those who dislike Windows 8, the Cinnamon desktop updates the classic Windows look.

Figure 2. Bodhi Linux: The Enlightenment menu option offers Unix specialties such as application docks and virtual desktops.

Figure 3. Ubuntu Linux: Like Windows 8, the clean, blocky, touch-ready Unity desktop reflects the impact of mobile devices on interface design.

Versatility: Linux is much more modular than Windows; you can install only those components of interest to you. You don’t have to accept a mass of unneeded software that takes up disk space, slows the system down, and opens security vulnerabilities. You also won’t have to contend with much-hated, preloaded, commercial “crapware” (all those trial versions of programs that pop up and nag you but which won’t truly work until you pay a license fee).

Linux also runs happily on older hardware. If you have a working Windows XP computer that you want to update to something modern, chances are that a newer Windows version will run poorly — if at all. Linux will run just fine. Using older hardware also avoids one of the Linux limitations: possible lack of support for the latest cutting-edge hardware.

Applications: The sketchy selection of popular consumer applications is still an issue for Linux. Web browsing isn’t a problem because Firefox and Chrome are fully supported. Email support has improved, in part due to the wide adoption of Web-based mail managers such as Gmail. But in most other application categories — graphics programs, word processors, spreadsheets, audio/video applications, and many others — familiar programs are missing.

Fortunately, most of those apps can be replaced by satisfactory — often excellent — free/open software. Many have all the functions you’re expecting, but the severity of the learning curve will depend on your specific software needs and skills. (If you’re interested in programming, Linux’s tools are second to none.)

Open-source code can be more secure

Security is a complicated issue for any operating system. However, the consensus among security researchers and consultants is that the best software security tools are open-source. That’s not a slam on developers of closed-source apps; rather, the most certain way to judge the effectiveness of security features in software is to let a bunch of software engineers poke through the code.

In judging closed-source products, the best you can do is to take the word of the company selling it (inevitably, a conflict of interest). Open code can be examined by any competent person, and you can decide whom to trust, according to your own common sense.

The proof is in the implementation. People who depend on secure communications for their safety or the safety of others — human rights workers, political dissidents, journalists — have in recent years flocked to Linux and open-source security tools.

For example, the journalists working on the Edward Snowden materials use a variety of tactics to protect themselves — for example, air-gapped computers isolated from the Internet, encrypted chat, and encrypted email. But they rely heavily on Linux systems to provide a secure and auditable foundation for everything else. Often lacking computer expertise, they depend on the recommendations of security researchers, cryptologists, and other security experts.

That said, Linux’s long-standing reputation for being more secure from viruses, malware, and criminal intrusions than Windows is only partly deserved. Microsoft has brought Windows largely up to par with competing operating systems. Competently managed, a Windows system that’s kept behind a firewall, has fully up-to-date virus protection, is run with non-administrative user accounts, and is operated by someone who doesn’t click on weird e-mail attachments or install obviously disreputable software, is probably about as secure as an equivalently managed Linux system.

In truth, Windows continues to be compromised more frequently than other platforms primarily because most of the world’s computers run Windows. Criminals figured out long ago that the biggest targets offer the best returns (which explains why corporate hacks have become extremely popular of late).

Broadening your personal-computer horizons

I regularly use all three major platforms: Windows, OS X, and Linux. In my experience, the differences between any one of these operating systems and the two others are rapidly diminishing. The Linux desktop arguably took the innovation lead a few years ago, presaging most of the “new” features in Windows 8 (for better or for worse).

If this story has piqued your interest in Linux, it’s easy to get started. Simply download and install the distro of your choice to a spare system or a virtual PC.

A future story will go into more depth on Linux installation and use. But if you can’t wait, here are links to the three distributions illustrated above. Each of them takes about 15 minutes to install from a CD. I chose them partly for their ease of installation and use — especially for Linux non-experts. I also threw in Red Hat’s Fedora Linux — because you never forget your first distribution.

• Linux Mint
• Bodhi Linux
• Ubuntu
• Fedora Project

If you’d like to comment on your Linux experiences and applications, click the Windows Secrets Lounge link below and join the discussion.

An OS refresh: When it's best to start over

Sometimes, trying to avoid a full Windows reinstall is more of a hassle than just biting the bullet and starting fresh. Here’s an example.

Plus: Win10 Preview fails to install on a virtual machine, a printing problem with no easy solution, and troubleshooting a stuck Win8.0-to-8.1 upgrade.

A Win7 ‘nondestructive reinstall’ goes awry

Reader Jon Steedley needs to rebuild his Win7 setup and wants to avoid the tedious work of reformatting and reinstalling the OS from scratch.

• “My current Win7 setup is getting badly out of shape.

  “I decided on an older method — using the steps in the July 14, 2011, article, ‘Win7’s no-reformat, nondestructive reinstall.’

  “Alas, to no avail.

  “I have an original copy of Win7 that I upgraded to SP1. I have only the pre-SP1, OEM Win7-install disk, so the ‘no-reformat reinstall’ fails — I can’t replace the current SP1 files with the older, pre-SP1 versions on the install disc.

  “I also can’t uninstall SP1. I used Microsoft’s ‘Disk Cleanup’ at some point, which removed the SP1 roll-back files.

  “So with that info in hand, I’m wondering: If I buy a retail version, will it be able to perform the ‘upgrade’ reinstall?”

You are correct: Win7 SP1 is effectively a different Windows version from the original Win7 — the core OS files are not the same. As you discovered, you can’t nondestructively rebuild an SP1 setup from a pre-SP1 installation disc. And you also can’t roll back a Service Pack (or any update) if you’ve removed its uninstall files.

Would a fresh retail copy of Win7 SP1 let you perform a no-reformat reinstall? Maybe, but I don’t recommend trying it in this instance.

First, we don’t know what caused your current setup to get so “badly out of shape” that you’re looking to rebuild. Deep-seated system errors, OEM customizations, hardware trouble, or other variables could potentially foil your efforts. Unless you’re somehow certain that a nondestructive OS rebuild will solve your problems, buying a new retail disc is a gamble — you could spend the money and end up no better off than you are now.

Second, it’s not ideal to spend new money on an old operating system. Remember: It’s getting very late in the game for Win7. Although it will continue to receive security fixes until 2020, enhancements (what Microsoft calls “mainstream support”) have already ended for Win7 (info). When Windows 10 comes out later this year, Windows 7 will be two full generations behind the curve.

So, rather than buying a new setup disc, I recommend that you bite the bullet and do a one-time, full-on, reformat and reinstall of Win7 from the original, pre-SP1 setup disc. Then fully update and preserve that refreshed setup.

Here’s how:

• Make a full backup of your current (flawed) setup, ensuring that you’ve copied all your user files and user data. Then reformat the hard drive and use your pre-SP1 setup disc to reinstall Win7.
• When that’s done, open Windows Update and install all relevant updates — including SP1. This will take a while; Win7 has been out for almost six years and Microsoft has released hundreds of updates to correct flaws and to help keep Win7 current with today’s digital world. You won’t get all updates at one time. Expect numerous reboots and update downloads.
• When your Win7 SP1 setup is finally and fully up to date, make a complete backup or system image and save it in a safe place. With a master archive of a fresh, clean, Win7 SP1 baseline system, you’ll never need to start totally from scratch again. (For help with backing up the new Win7 setup, see the May 12, 2011, Top Story, “Build a complete Windows 7 safety net.”)
• Next, install and update your other software. Then restore your personal data files from your regular backups. Finally, make another complete backup of your fully rebuilt system — it’s your working backup.

Sure, a full-on rebuild is a major hassle, but it’s virtually certain to work and won’t cost you anything but time.

When you’re done, you’ll have a fresh, clean, up-to-date, fully working and backed-up Win7 SP1 setup that should serve you in good stead — a least until you either get a new PC or move on to a new Windows version.

Virtualization failure when trying to test-drive Win10

Richard Scarritt tried to install Windows 10 Technical Preview on a virtual machine but ran into a problem.

• “I believe I followed Mr. Langa’s instructions [Oct. 16, 2014, Top Story] to the letter. I used the ‘AMD Virtualization Technology and Microsoft Hyper-V System Compatibility Check Utility,’ and the machine passed. I installed VirtualBox and downloaded the Win10 .iso file.

  “However, while I was installing Win10 in a virtual PC, this error message popped up:

  ‘Your PC/Device needs to be repaired. This operating system uses the Physical Address Extension feature to support systems with more than 4GB of RAM. You’ll need to use a PC with a compatible processor to run the operating system.’

  “Am I just out of luck? Any ideas?”

It’s probably just a configuration error. Almost all PCs made in the past decade support Physical Address Extension (PAE). So unless you’re using a very old or nonstandard PC, it’s probably not a true hardware issue.

Oracle’s VirtualBox has user-selectable settings for managing Physical Address Extension and similar features. These settings are usually enabled by default — but sometimes not. I’m guessing that’s where your problem lies.

It’s easy to check. Open the VirtualBox manager, select your Win10 VPC (don’t launch it), and click the VirtualBox Settings icon. In the Settings dialog box, click the System category and then select the Processor tab. Next to Extended Features, make sure the Enable PAE/NX option is checked (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Enabling Physical Address Extension on a virtual machine

Next, click the System/Acceleration dialog box and make sure the Enable VT-x/AMD-V box is checked (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Enabling CPU-based virtualization support

With those settings enabled, your Win10 Technical Preview should install and run properly.

A Windows 7 printing problem with no solution

Mike Gambill is trying to get an old, XP-era printer to work with Win7; he wonders whether a virtual PC might help.

• “I have a laser printer that won’t run under Windows 7. The manufacturer never made Win7 drivers for it. If I install XP in a virtual machine, will the printer work?”

Alas, if a printer won’t work for your primary (host) operating system, it likely won’t work via a VPC. Guest operating systems on virtual machines don’t bypass the host OS — they work through it.

In the case of printing, an operating system running in a VPC (e.g., your copy of XP) will “talk” to the VPC’s printer drivers. The VPC software then hands off the print job to the real printer drivers installed on the host OS (i.e., your Win7 setup), which then sends your job to the physical printer.

But because your Win7 system lacks the proper printer driver, it can’t send any job to your printer, regardless of where the print job originated.

In short: A VPC can’t overcome problems in the host PC. A host system has to be working correctly and fully for a VPC system to also work correctly and fully.

For more information on the interactions of host and guest operating systems, see the Oct. 23, 2014, LangaList Plus, “Solving problems with VirtualBox virtual PCs.”

Win8.0 system balks at upgrading to Version 8.1

Douglas Cochrane is frustrated: he can’t complete the free upgrade to Win8.1.

• “It’s hard to believe, but I’m unable to update from the original Windows 8 to Win8.1. When the installation process is at 95 percent completion, error 0X8007002C-0X2000D flashes and a message states: ‘We couldn’t complete the update to Windows 8.1. We’ve restored your previous version of Windows to this PC.’

  “Can you help with this problem?”

There are two common reasons for this — one trivial, one not. The trivial cause is interference from an installed anti-malware application. The serious cause is a Windows problem such as a corrupted system file or configuration error.

Anti-malware issues are easy to work around. Temporarily disable (or uninstall) your anti-malware tool and then try the upgrade to Win8.1 again. (Important: You’ll be running without malware protection, so don’t check email, surf the Web, or do anything else while the upgrade is in progress.) And if the upgrade succeeds, consider using a different anti-malware tool that doesn’t cause trouble for Windows Updates and upgrades.

Errors with system files and configurations are a bit harder to remedy. The method I prefer is to perform a Win8 nondestructive reinstall, or Refresh, which returns your system files to their original condition while leaving your user accounts, data, passwords, and personal files largely untouched. For full information, including the limitations of a Refresh, see the Aug. 15, 2013, Top Story, “A ‘no-reformat reinstall’ for Windows 8.”

Alternately, you can do a full-on reinstall by any other means, including third-party backup/restore tools — but I tend to think that’s overkill, when a simpler Refresh will usually work fine.

In any case, once the Refresh (or other restore) completes, click directly to Windows Update (don’t do anything else in between). Let the refreshed Win8.0 bring itself fully up to date. When that’s done, you get an offer to upgrade to Win8.1. Accept the offer and let the update process run to completion.

If you don’t receive the upgrade offer automatically, you can download and install the Windows 8.1 Update (KB 2919355) from its MS Download Center page.

For more info, see:

• “Install the latest Windows 8.1 Update” – Microsoft Windows how-to page
• “Update to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8” – MS Windows page
• “Update to Windows 8.1: FAQ” – MS index page

After the 8.1 upgrade is finished — there’ll be more updates to install before you’re done — you can then go back and tidy up. That includes reinstalling any third-party software that was removed by the Refresh operation.

To save yourself time and hassle in the future, you should next preserve your fresh, new setup. Make a complete system backup or image by whatever means you prefer. For more info, see the Jan. 15 Top Story, “Mastering Windows 8’s backup/restore system.”

You should now be good to go!

(By the way, you’re going to be happy you migrated to Win8.1. It’s much easier to use than Win8.0.)

Build 9926 and the importance of Win10 feedback

Over the years, Microsoft has taken very different approaches to beta testing of software.

Gone for the most part are closed and cumbersome debugging processes; we can now vote for what we want in the next OS.

How the beta-software process used to work

When discussing software, “beta” can mean many things. We speak of early betas, preview betas, pre-production betas, and so on. There are in-house betas, typically tested by a publisher’s staff or hired beta testers. There are semi-public betas, given only to a publisher’s largest clients. And then there are the public betas that anyone can download and examine.

However it’s defined or propagated, software beta testing has a long tradition. Obviously, its primary purpose is to point out bugs and deficiencies in the code. Sometimes those deficiencies can be show-stoppers — as when, for example, Bill Gates told all Microsoft engineers to stop product development and learn how to code securely.

Microsoft’s policy on beta releases was relatively consistent up to Windows 8. Windows 7, for example, had numerous unofficial and official beta releases, starting in late 2008 and continuing until the OS was formally released in October 2009. All these releases were called “Beta.”

Before the official public betas, Microsoft typically handed out private releases to its major customers: hardware vendors and other software developers who needed to make their products compatible with the new OS. But in most cases, the bits for these betas were soon leaked to all comers via BitTorrent and other download sites.

Those betas gave Windows users a preview of changes, letting Microsoft test the new OS on a wide range of PC configurations. There was also a bit of time for customer feedback. (It’s rumored that Microsoft did its official, in-house usability testing late in the development process — when the code was already locked down.)

During the Steven Sinofsky era, beta releases became a limited number of previews, the first of which was the September 2011 Windows Developer Preview. The Consumer Preview release came out in February 2012, and we received the finished Windows 8 the following August. The “previews” I could install and test were nearly polished builds, and there was no real means for giving feedback. (That Microsoft might want to limit the number of early comments shouldn’t be surprising. Given Win8’s radical changes, Microsoft must have expected more than the usual amount of public feedback. Ultimately, the comments on Win8 were more blowback than feedback.)

Obviously stung (and under new management), Microsoft’s Windows Group switched to “watch the sausage-making process” with Windows 10. It didn’t just release betas; it created a formal public-review system: the Windows Insider Program (site). This is new territory for Microsoft — a sort of crowd-sourcing for Windows development.

Pulling back the curtains on Windows development

The key component of the Windows Insider Program is the downloadable Windows 10 Technical Preview release, currently on build 9926. Unlike previous Windows betas, Technical Preview includes mechanisms for both installing new builds and sending comments about the new OS directly back to Microsoft.

There are also ways to view Win10’s development without actually installing it. You can, for example, follow the ongoing tweets filed by Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul. One noteworthy topic came in the aftermath of the various updates needed to fix a start-menu problem in build 9926. (See MS Support article 3036140 for more info.) You should also check out the Windows Insider Program forum for interesting comments and problems encountered by Win10 users.

But nothing takes the place of hands-on use of the product. Microsoft has made following Win10’s development significantly easier than with Win8 by supporting build-to-build upgrades — all the way to the final release. And, unlike past Windows versions, you’ll get the final Win10 release for free. All users of consumer versions of Win7, Win8, and Win8.1 will receive an offer to install Windows 10 at no charge.

Keep firmly in mind, however, that Windows 10 Technical Preview (Win10 Preview, for short) is a work in progress. You really don’t want to install it on your primary, daily-use machine. Things will break, and there will be application-compatibility issues. For example, as noted in a Windows Insider Program post, third-party anti-malware products are not supported. Products such as Webroot (site) are blocked when you do a Win7-to-Win10 Preview upgrade.

Test Win10 Preview on either a spare system or in a virtual PC, as described in the Oct. 16, 2014, Top Story, “How to safely test-drive Win10 — step by step.”

Each new build will bring its own set of changes and problems. Here’s what you should know if you’re installing Win10 Preview build 9926.

Considerations when installing build 9926

If you’re starting fresh with build 9926, sign up at the Windows Insider Program website and click the Get started – PC link at the bottom of the page. After jumping through a few hoops, you’ll be allowed to either acquire Win10 Preview via Windows Update (Figure 1 and Figure 2) or download and install a large (around 4GB) ISO file. Note: If you’re upgrading to Win10 Preview from a working Win7 system, be sure to fully back it up first. There’s no easy way to undo a Win10 Preview installation. (Be sure your backup/restore works before installing Win10 Preview.)

Figure 1. The Windows Insider Program site lets you download Win10 Preview via Windows Update or via an ISO file.

Figure 2. Use Windows Update to upgrade a spare Win7 or Win8 system to Win10 Preview.

On virtual machines, Win10 Preview runs on Microsoft’s Hyper-V (more info), VMware (site), and VirtualBox (site; again, see the aforementioned Top Story for installing Win10 on a VirtualBox machine).

As an alternative, you can set up a dual-boot configuration (more info) made up of Windows 7 on one drive and Win10 Preview on another.

Again, be sure to fully back up your Win7 system first. If you have an OEM machine, you can’t get media from Microsoft; you’ll need to either restore a full backup or use recovery media from the PC’s manufacturer. For more information on system requirements and cautions, see the “Before you install” page.

For more on setting up a dual-boot system and on its pros and cons, see the April 11, 2013, Best Practices article, “Setting up a Win7/Win8 dual-boot system,” and the Feb. 12 LangaList Plus column, “How to avoid Win7/Win8 dual-boot hassles.”

A note on hardware configurations: Many Win10 Preview/virtual-machine how-tos (for example, a Windows Insider post) suggest creating a 20GB virtual hard drive for the OS. But I recommend 30GB or more. There are reports that 20GB might be insufficient space for downloading and upgrading to future builds.

For a virtual-machine setup, you should also have more than 4GB of physical system RAM. A virtual machine is essentially a very large application. You’ll need room for the host system, the VM software, and the virtual machine.

Before installing a new build: If you haven’t installed all Windows updates for the currently installed build, you might not be offered a new build. Click Settings/Update & recovery/Windows Update. (Even if the window states that your system is fully updated, press the Check for updates link.)

Because Win10 Preview is beta software, you might run into problems with its built-in tools for downloading new builds. If that happens, you can download the latest ISO file from the Windows Insider site and do a fresh install. (Using a virtual machine makes doing a fresh install easier than any other method.)

Some things to watch for after installation

Build 9926 has some limitations and bugs you should be aware of. For example, if you installed the English version of the OS, you’ll get a chance to interact with Microsoft’s digital assistant, Cortana. But to do so on a Hyper-V-based installation, you’ll need to access the Win10 system’s microphone and speaker through Remote Desktop Protocol and not via the Hyper-V Manager Console.

Once installed, Win10 Preview will request that you sign in with your Microsoft account. I recommend that you do so. But if you’d rather not, indicate that you want to sign up for a new account, scroll to the bottom of the window, and click Sign in without a Microsoft account (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Like Windows 8, Win10 doesn't make it easy to sign in without a Microsoft account.

Build 9926’s known issues are documented in the included Insider Hub app or on the related Windows Insider post, “Compiled list of known issues in Windows 10 build 9926.”

One of the more confusing issues with this build is the two “Stores.” One is the familiar (to Win8 users) shopping-bag-on-a-green-background icon; the other is gray and is labeled Store (Beta).

The green-icon Store is the real deal. For Windows 8 users, it knows about your past purchases and updates them. The beta Store, on the other hand, provides a preview of some new MS apps such as the Universal versions of Word and Excel. (Note: the beta Store icon on the taskbar might not work. See the related Windows Insider post for a bit more info.)

Another important change: You won’t find Windows Update in the Control Panel. As noted above, you must click the Start button, select Settings/Update & recovery, and then select the Windows Update section. Under Advanced options, you’ll notice that you can no longer set manual updates (see Figure 4). As with the previous builds, version 9926 allows only automatic updates. (This window also includes the View your update history link.)

Figure 4. Windows 10 Technical Preview allows only automatic updating.

Another setting in Advanced options lets you choose whether you get fast or slow build releases. “Fast” delivers builds as soon as they’re posted; “slow” gives you builds only when you want them or when the build is validated for widespread release.

A build 9926 rollup update — KB 3035129 — hit some early testers with the annoying but benign error code 0x80246017, according to an InfoWorld article. I ran into the error once, but I’ve not seen it since.

Build 9926’s Start menu is a mix of the classic Win7 version and Win8. It has an expandable Start menu; right-clicking the Start button opens a power menu similar to Win8’s Windows + x. Earlier builds gave you the option of using the Start menu or the Start screen. (Surprisingly, some early Windows 8 adopters now prefer the Metro-style Start screen and search. If you’re one of those, you can re-enable the prior build’s resizable Start menu by using instructions in a Windows TenForums post.

It’s all about giving constructive feedback

If Microsoft is to be believed, the Windows Insider Program’s primary goal is to give Windows users a voice in Windows 10’s development (something that was obviously lacking in Win8’s development). Part of this is a crowd-sourcing method of finding bugs. PCs come in an infinite array of configurations, and no one company can test them all. Even without a Windows account, you can give feedback via the Uservoice forum. You can also urge others to “vote up” your favorite feature.

Keep in mind that to post comments via Win10 Preview’s Windows Feedback app (see Figure 5), you’ll need to be signed in with a Microsoft account. (If you flip a local account to a Microsoft account, you will need to know the second email account you entered when you set up the account — the process uses two-factor security.)

Figure 5. Win10 is the first Windows release with a formal public-feedback program.

I suggest that you regularly review the postings in the Windows Feedback app. If you like someone’s suggested new feature, be sure to add your vote — that will give Microsoft a strong clue that the feature is important to you and possibly to many others.

With previous Windows versions, beta testing was cumbersome — it focused more on bugs than on features most Windows users really wanted to see. Microsoft would then miss the mark when designing its newest software. (Like many others, I would ask: “Who did they get this from?”) The Windows Feedback process gives us a better picture of the level of interest in a particular feature — and puts more pressure on Microsoft to implement popular changes.

With that in mind, I’m challenging all Windows XP and Windows 7 fans to check out Win10 Preview and make yourselves heard. Join the Insider Program: download the software to a virtual machine, spare PC, or dual-boot system and join in the process of giving Microsoft the feedback it needs to create the next successful version of Windows.

PC gadgets go high-performance — and high-fashion

Seeking to differentiate their products in a crowded market, some peripheral manufacturers are turning to eye-catching designs.

We checked out a pair of external hard drives, a multi-platform keyboard, and a noise-cancelation headset to see whether their new-found beauty is more than skin-deep.

A drive that reflects your tastes and your data

Whether you need an external hard drive to back up your PC or to simply provide additional storage for a growing collection of music, photos, and videos, there’s a truly vast array of options. And virtually every one of them has a bland, utilitarian case.

LaCie, on the other hand, has always strived to package data storage in eye-pleasing, high-tech, designer-labeled cases. Take, for example, the just-released LaCie Mirror (site; Figure 1). Encased in Corning Gorilla Glass and held upright on a solid-wood stand, the handsome 1TB, eight-ounce drive is the result of collaboration with Paris-based industrial designer Pauline Deltour. The ebony stand has smoothly carved indentations for the drive and a pen. Think highly functional desk art.

Figure 1. The pricey LaCie Mirror is a portable hard drive encased in Gorilla Glass. Source: LaCie

In my informal read/write tests, the USB 3.0–equipped Mirror was no speed demon, churning out average data reads/writes of 100 to 115 megabytes per second (MB/s). That’s on par with most other USB 3.0 portable drives I’ve reviewed. Like other USB 3.0 drives, it’s backward-compatible with USB 2.0 — though, of course, at dramatically lower read/write speeds.

On initial setup, the onboard software prompts you to install the LaCie Setup Assistant, which helps you partition the drive for Windows, Mac, or both platforms. It then has you register the drive to activate a two-year warranty. The setup process also lets you install the Intego Backup Assistant (an optional, 256-bit AES encryption app) and Desktop Manager — used for quick drive access and managing stored files.

The Gorilla Glass surface is beautiful, but it can also be a bit annoying. No matter how you position the Mirror on its hardwood platform, the glass acts as any mirror would — reflecting you, sunlight, other bright lights, and/or your surroundings. I had to reposition it on my desk to cut out unintended glare and distracting images of my countenance. I soon discovered that the glass also shows off every fingerprint. (LaCie wisely includes a static-free carrying sleeve and a microfiber cloth to clean the surface.)

Of course, fashion design rarely comes cheap. The Mirror costs an extraordinarily high U.S. $280 — way more than the average price for a portable, 1TB drive. LaCie obviously markets the Mirror as an objet d’art for consumers who place image far above cost. Fortunately, it works well for its primary function — storing data.

Developing a pancake-flat, portable hard drive

Seagate Technology, one of the largest builders of internal and external hard drives, seemingly puts its energies into functional innovation. Its latest design challenge was to create the world’s slimmest, portable, USB 3.0 drive. The result is a 7mm-thick package that would make even Jenny Craig jealous. (That’s about the same thickness as a typical internal laptop drive.)

Priced at around $100, the steel-clad Seven (more info; Figure 2) has a capacity of just 500GB. Though 2.6mm thinner than Seagate’s Slim Portable, the Seven is about an ounce heavier (6.28 oz.). It also costs about $25 more.

Figure 2. The Seven, Seagate's ultra-thin, portable hard drive Source: Seagate

If the Seven exudes cool, its performance is about average for its class. In my informal tests, it wrote a 1GB file at 114MB per second and read data back at 100MB/s — about the same speed as the larger LaCie Mirror.

The drive comes preloaded with the Seagate Dashboard software for backing up PCs and mobile devices. The intuitive app is easy to configure, letting you manually or automatically back up selected folders from a PC.

The included Social app lets you upload media to social-media sites such as Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube. Again, it’s surprisingly easy to use from the get-go — files sent to the social sites are transferred through Seagate servers; you create an account at the drive’s initial setup.

If I have a gripe about the Seven, it’s the lack of an included case or sleeve. For a product designed for mobility — and with a premium price to boot — this is like a kid’s toy with no batteries included. Like the LaCie Mirror, the Seagate Seven is for those who put a premium on cool.

A keyboard for both PCs and mobile devices

Kensington’s new KP400 Switchable Keyboard (more info; Figure 3) looks basically like any other full-size, desktop keyboard — complete with a right-hand number keypad. But as Gilbert and Sullivan noted in song, “Things are seldom what they seem.”

When attached to a PC with its included, detachable USB cable, the KP400 gets its power from the USB bus. Add two AAA batteries (not included in the box), and the keyboard can connect to any Bluetooth 3.0–enabled device running iOS, Android, or Windows.

Figure 3. The Kensington KP400 keyboard lets you quickly switch between USB and Bluetooth connections. Source: Kensington

Pairing via Bluetooth is simple: turn on the Bluetooth-device search function on a PC, tablet, or phone and then press Ctrl + 1 on the keyboard. Once the keyboard is found, enter a six-digit locking code displayed on the PC’s or mobile device’s screen. I found it brain-dead-simple to quickly switch from the conventional USB-wired connection on my laptop to a wireless Bluetooth connection on the laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Because Bluetooth is innately designed to draw extremely low power, the AAA batteries should last for at least a year. The keyboard also has automatic power-off.

Typing on the keyboard was comfortable with or without its pop-open legs. It has comfortable feedback; a fast touch-typist, I had no problems with typos.

At $60, the KP400 is somewhat more expensive than traditional cabled keyboards. But that’s a relatively modest price for the convenience of using it on multiple devices with the press of two keys.

Premium headset brings silence to a noisy world

Once upon a time, I worked in an office with no walls or partitions. The acoustics were like those at a hip restaurant on a Friday night. Trying to talk on the telephone, while surrounded by the cacophony of other colleagues also talking on their phones, was difficult — to say the least. What I would have given for a good, noise-canceling headset!

I now work in a relatively quiet home office. But donning the Plantronics Blackwire 725 headset (site), equipped with Active Noise Canceling technology — wrapped me in a silent cocoon, blocking out radio and TV noise coming from the next room, along with the ever-present background street noise.

Figure 4. The stylish Plantronics Blackwire 725 includes noise cancelation. Source: Plantronics

The over-the-ears headphones include a noise-canceling boom microphone and connect to any standard USB port. Though designed primarily for use with Skype or other voice-over-IP services, the Blackwire 725 also serves quite well for listening to music or other PC audio tracks. And just in case that sound spikes too loudly, Plantronics has equipped the headphones with its SoundGuard, a technology that protects your ears against sounds above 118 decibels.

I especially liked the smart-sensor technology that lets me answer a call by simply putting on the headset. I found the earpads comfortable for short stretches, but a bit hard on the ears when worn all day long. That’s probably because the headset is designed to fit snugly, the better to block out external sounds (perhaps a tad too snugly).

Outfitted with a cloth storage case, the Blackwire 725 will set you back $180 — not cheap, but actually below the average price for premium, noise-canceling headphones. However, there are times when no price is too high for peace and quiet.