More on Windows 10

A few weeks ago I wrote about Windows 10 and suggested that you may wish to upgrade to this newest operating system from Microsoft.  Over the past few weeks I have received more than a few questions about Windows 10.  Most of the questions are about compatibility.  Will your printer, scanner and other peripherals work with Windows 10?   How about the programs that you regularly use?

If you have a computer that is now running Windows 7 or 8 there should be no problem with compatibility.  In fact, after you do the install for Windows 10, all of your programs should still be on your desktop.  In most cases you will need to do nothing.

There are some printers and scanners that might require a new driver.  A driver is a small mini program that allows your device to send and receive information to and from the computer.   The driver works in the background.  If you have a very old printer, scanner or other peripheral device it may require a new driver written for Windows 10.   The good news is that in most cases this new driver will be retrieved automatically as you install Windows 10.

There may be some readers who have peripheral devices that are very specific to their work.  If you are unsure you can always google the device name and see if there are any Windows 10 issues.  Again, for most home and small office users this should be a non-issue.

I was able to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 with no problem whatsoever and I do have some specialized video and audio editing programs.  They all work fine.

As I said in my previous column, Microsoft seems to have gotten this one right.  After about a year in general use, the Windows 10 operating system seems to be very stable and bug free.  For most users there will be no need to buy new software or devices.  For once having the newest doesn’t require you to spend more money.