so i'm not sure what is going on. everything else seems to work great.

I haven't checked to see if I can get her to swap to google.

Cortona gets jealous easily.

Still the only issues I've run into so far are that some video formats don't play, most noticable MP4. However I have some of my clips I can view in the Xbox app, but some of them I can't.

This may be related to your youtube problems, since most of the videos are encoded in MP4. I've been able to not only watch MP4, H.264 MP4, DivX AVI, and whatever they use in MKV files, but I've encoded a few using Windows Movie Maker.

Your issues give me pause about suggesting an upgrade to a novice user of PCs. I bet your issues could be fixed with a backup, reformat, reinstall, but that shouldn't be required.

I also don't like that it will always auto install updates without even notification. I'd like to know what they are fixing before it is installed so that I can see if it specific to my issues.

You can press defer upgrades and set it to ask you before installing updates. That should mostly fix your problems.

The OS is faster than 8. It's better than 8. It makes more sense than 8. I think it's a huge upgrade over Windows 7 as well.

Just curious about this. I like Win7 a lot and have 8.1 on my laptop that I'm pretty happy with. What about it makes more sense? And you think it really is faster?

I don't know if the normal operations, such as opening programs and apps, are any faster. I do feel like starting and shutdown are quicker. I also like the new pin login. It's really no different than a password, but when you type it in correctly is just automatically logs in. No need to hit the enter button. That is a really trivial thing though.

The new cortana and search feature is nice to use. You can either just ask her to find something, or type it in. It searches your laptop and the web using bing. I haven't checked to see if I can get her to swap to google.

One thing I'd like to see in Windows would be to replace the folder picker common control with a 'file open' window that doesn't display files (just folders).

A few iterations back they replaced the custom file open dialog with what is essentially the Windows Explorer window with a file name editbox at the bottom and an OK and Cancel button.

I had wanted that for years. maybe one day the folder picker will get the same treatment.

Built in features are simple to use on Windows 10, and they appear to have full power, as opposed to Windows 8, where it was absolutely torture trying to do anything but the most rudimentary of settings changes. Window screen splitting works flawlessly.

The search function is great. For example, if I want to change my power settings, I hit Win, then type "power settings" and that submenu of the control panel pops up, and it's easy to navigate. Not fiddly like Windows 7. It's also easier to navigate with a keyboard.

Using a tablet, as I often do, I am using the Windows 8 Metro applications. Using the desktop software is very difficult on a Windows tablet, and because the Metro applications are inherently crippled, sometimes you're forced into the desktop applications. In Windows 10, everything works with both normal mouse interface and touch interface.

Speaking of tablets, I noticed something. I changed my desktop background on my desktop and it changed it on my tablet. When I went on DBO on my PC for the first time ever, it already had my username and password loaded. My history appears to be shared between Windows 8 Internet Explorer and Edge in Windows 10. This kind of stuff was my primary motivation to use Chrome on my computers. That and the Chromebooks. Now, I don't need to.

If Windows 10 isn't faster, and it's possible it's not, it creates the impression it is. I remember someone who does UI for Bungie saying in a Halo 2 weekly update that getting the UI animations correct was a huge deal. It has to have a nice flourish, but not stutter, and it has to complete very quickly. If Windows 10 is slower, it covers it by extremely satisfying split second animations upon hover and selection. Any lag I am getting I perceive to be built in timing in the OS.

Furthermore, when I load web applications like the online version of Word or Google Docs, it loads quicker in Edge. This makes sense, because the engine that thing uses is stupid fast. When I load actual software suites, I don't notice much of a difference.

Still the only issues I've run into so far are that some video formats don't play, most noticable MP4. However I have some of my clips I can view in the Xbox app, but some of them I can't.

I also don't like that it will always auto install updates without even notification. I'd like to know what they are fixing before it is installed so that I can see if it specific to my issues.

Mine has been very reliable other than than. The only other issue I'm having is that it still won't load my touchpad settings after restart. I've worked around this by 1. just letting it sleep rather than full off and 2. creating a profile with all the settings I need that I can simply load with one click.

The OS is faster than 8. It's better than 8. It makes more sense than 8. I think it's a huge upgrade over Windows 7 as well.

Just curious about this. I like Win7 a lot and have 8.1 on my laptop that I'm pretty happy with. What about it makes more sense? And you think it really is faster?

I have been seeing a few reports like yours with issues though that clear after some restarts. Sometimes, Windows is a mystery to me. The more I get into complex tech stuff, the more I realize turning it off then on again is the single best thing you can do. I love turning it off then on again.

Today I lost the use of my start menu and there were no context menus when right clicking on any part of the shell.

I tried restarting several times. I tried creating a new account but login failed with a message about a broken start menu button and no Cortana.

The shell then died when I plugged in a USB stick and clicked on it in Windows Explorer. The desktop went black and there was no way out except a hard power down.

On restart the desktop was black and there was noting on the taskbar except a non-functional start menu button, the arrow that should reveal hidden notifications (but didn't) and the new notification msg icon. Nothing worked, there was just a wait cursor over the taskbar.

I gave up in disgust.

I went out and when I came back I restarted Windows (I'm the eternal optimist). I had a desktop background and in the course of ten minutes the lost features came back to life. Nothing I did fixed it and I don't know how long things will remain fixed.

So I'd hold off unless you don't need to use your computer and quite like angst.

I have a feeling this may end up just being a early release bug that will need to be patched or a driver issue that may have to come from one of my component manufacturers.

This is odd. Youtube doesn't work at all on Microsoft Edge browser. So far you are the only user I can't see videos from on Chrome. Dunno.

Edit: Ok now some work, some don't. Also found another rando user that doesn't. WTF?

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that MS Edges doesn't support the Flash plug-in, right? Which means it'll have to be running in a HTML5 video player - which uses a different format to flash. YouTube doesn't always have a copy of every video, in every format, in every point of presence. Particularly, smaller creators will have poorer presence.

Edit: Ok now some work, some don't. Also found another rando user that doesn't. WTF?

This is odd. I can't play any of your youtube videos on your account. I can go to any other video for other users and it works fine?

I search every video on his account and couldn't find any of him eating a sock. Clearly something is wrong.