Listening to the Voices in My Head

I both love/hate how I have 7 days to pause updates. But sometimes I don't want the flipping updates. For good reason.

The most current update screwed up all my setting on MailWasher. I started it up, and it was back to the first time run default settings. Font size, display, items shown all screwed up.

Razer Synapse suddenly forgot I have three devices (left handed mouse, right handed mouse for gaming, and Tartarus gamepad). Even 'lost' my login information. Good thing, this was all local, and I was able to resync all settings from (you're gonna like this one) three different versions of Synapse. Razer's bright idea is to NOT have one version of Synapse to work with all their devices. Lot's of fun making sure the gamepads' buttons were properly assigned. Then I had to start the games I use the gamepad, and lo and behold, the keybindings were all screwed up. So, had to get those fixed... again.

And then there is Windows Media Center. Don't give me the line about it no longer being supported by Micro$oft, and being 'old' tech, but it was when I got my tuner card, and it's still needed now. Again, I know about Plex, NextPRV, Media Portal, but with they come with their own issues.

And there are just a few of the examples of issues I have when updating Windows 10 on my PC. (Any snark comments about I should be using a Mac or running Linux will be deleted, capice?)

And then there is how the updates on the Surface mucks up things. I had it set up so the menu weren't microscopic. And the slide show images were scaled to fit. I got one of those problems fixed, but I had to do a lot of forum surfing to find the right way to rectify the micro-menus, as the previous method no longer worked! ARRRGH!

I know that with each new OS, there is teething pain, and a learning curve, but Windows 10 is a right pain in the ass.

After an MS Assure tech totally bollixed up my PC (she tried to kill a mosquito using a nuke. Task manager didn't work.), I ended up taking that HDD with Windows 10 installed on it out, and putting the original 500gb drive with pre-Assure fuck up Windows 10 back in it. I had to reinstall a few programs, all the updates installed without a problem, but everything was working.... well, almost everything.

Windows 10 automatically presumes you're on a laptop, and hamstrings your system. You have to go through certain settings in the Device Manager, and in Power Management, to keep external drives from shutting down.

Certain programs on Windows 10 Pro will not run unless you run them as administrator. Of course, if those files are in the Windows directory, you can't go in and adjust it to always run as administrator. There's a work around, make a short cut, then adjust the properties of that short cut to run as administrator. (Notepad is notorious for this) One would think if you were logged in as the administrator, this wouldn't be a problem, right? Wrong.

Also, since the update, screen saver just will not work. Doesn't matter if I use the native Windows 10 screen saver, or a 3rd party screen saver. It *used* to work prior to the updates, so something in the updates screwed something up. Yes, I know that with and LCD, you really don't need a screen saver, but I want one.

Just when I was getting close to.. appreciating Windows 10.

Shut everything down as normal, and when I booted back into Windows 10, it all seemed to go ok. Tried to start my browser. It wouldn't start. I tried to start compatibility mode to see if that was the issue, and that wouldn't start for it. Next step, reinstall and reinstall. Nope, didn't work. Searched the web. Why isn't it the only solution Windows Tech comes up with is either : a clean boot, or reinstall of the OS. Well, the clean boot didn't do diddly squat, and a reinstall is like killing a mosquito with a sledgehammer.

And for some bizarre reason, both Windows 7 and 10 want to run chkdsk on all the drives. Why? I have no idea. I can see running it if the system drive shut down unexpectedly, but this wanting to scan external data drives?

So, booted into Windows, and everything is running just fine. Browser started without any problems.

I think the next time I boot into Windows 10, I will make a back up of my browser profiles, deactivate programs, and just f**king reinstall windows 10. There's something wrong with it. Maybe start fresh. I cringe at all the time I'm going to have to waste reinstalling program, and begging one software maker (Panolapse) to please give me a new key for my program, and just reinstall.

Where do I start... We all know that Windows 10 disables some software Microsoft deems unworthy, and ignores hardware it considers too 'old'.

But when updates not only remove programs, but then suddenly decide to red flag software you've been using for months, it screwed up hardware configuration that's been used since day one.

I've had my DeathAdder 3.5 has been working just fine, plugged into the USB port on the keyboard, for years with Win 7, and for months with Win 10. An update, and suddenly, nope. Not only won't it recognize the Adder, if I roll back and install the OLDER version of Synapse, it'll work fine, but the the other two Razer devices won't. ARGH!

Then, the Windows 10 update disabled Windows Media Center. Didn't uninstall it, just disabled it. There's nothing inherently dangerous regarding WMC, so this really pissed me off. I use a TV capture card in my computer to watch TV. Sure, I could use that poorly designed software that came WITH the card, but Windows Media Center works better. Plex is useless for what I want, so no suggestions of it please.

After a few hours of websearching, trail and error, I got WMC reinstall and working. This will probably last until then next unnecessary Windows 10 update.

And then there is the sudden "An administrator as prevented this App to run!"... Dafuq? Not only have been running the program for months, I am THE ONLY AND ONLY ADMINISTRATOR!!! No amount of 'un-nannywaring' would help. So, found an alternate program, that is ugly AF, but does the same thing.

Redmond, you suck. I want to control my PC. NOT have my PC control me!