This. I've been using 10 for over 2 years now and don't even notice a difference to 7. Game Mode off, since it does nothing but otherwise it works just like 7

I don't know how well it's doing protecting my privacy, but ShutUp10 made Windows 10 a lot more tolerable for me on a usability basis; no more Cortana, no more recommended apps, search bar no longer searches the internet when I'm just trying to search my files...

should have switched years ago , win10 is way better than win7 or linux
just uninstall some features if you dont want them like others mentioned, btw win10 doesnt really need more res than win7

I think windows 7 is way better than windows 10 due to better compatibility with older games and a consistent UI.

^ +1

Some Windows 10 users may want to uninstall apps like "Your Phone" and Cortana using an elevated (Run As Administrator) PowerShell prompt. It should be easy to find instructions online.

All games work better, emulators run better (way better or don't even run on 7 anymore)
The hate to 10 reminds me of people clinging onto 98 and refusing XP because "it's new and ew" or XP users thinking the same about 7 (you can find that on reddit)
I really don't understand that. 10 is basically the same layout, the asme everything. I had a ton of problems on 95, 98 (fucking ati drivers!), xp and 7. 10 runs stable no matter what i do, i screw up retroarch and windows doesn't go haywire like the older versions would do.

I haven't used the start menu in over a decade.

I liked 98 and xp. Windows 7 has far better backward compatibility with older games than 10. I spent enough time to realize this fact. I just explained why I think it's better including a better more consistent UI. Just because something is the latest doesn't mean its the greatest.

Something that no one mentioned is the excellent Winaero Tweaker - plenty of options to customize Windows 7, 8 & 10 to your liking. Along this one, like the others already mentioned, are O&O ShutUp10 and OpenShell. If you intend to do updates manually only, it's probably a good idea to use Windows Update Blocker.

Forced to move to windows 10 after my windows 7 install went to heaven (and old hard drive).
Seems to work OK ..checking updates regularly aside. Anyone had the most recent update problems installing?.

Which gog games refuse to work on windows 10 at all?

I suggest wiping the installation and putting 7 on...

Interesting.

However, I am sure 99.9999999% of other Windows 7/10 users use it quite regularly, as it is the main access to different applications and settings in a Windows computer.

If we are talking about older games (like XP era or older), that is not my experience at all. In Windows 10 I have to resort to using e.g. dgVoodoo2 or similar to overcome graphical problems that don't manifest themselves in Windows 7, even in GOG games (Might & Magic 9, Infinity-engine RPGs etc.).

Then there are special cases like Two Worlds (also the GOG version) where Microsoft removed the video decoder that the game needs from Windows 10. And let's not forget how many older CD-based copy protections don't work at all anymore on Windows 10.

The only advantage for Windows 10 I can think of is that it doesn't have the "rainbow color" graphical glitch that Vista and 7 Aero introduced to many older games, but that is rather easy to overcome anyway, even without extra tools.

No it isn't. The way e.g. the Start menu works was overhauled, like removing the subfolders within the menu. Now everything is flat and this originally caused issues for GOG game installers, and even today GOG games install themselves neatly under the "GOG.com" subfolder under the Start menu of Windows 7, while in Windows 10 the GOG games are dispersed everywhere in the flat directory structure, not neatly grouped together like in Windows 7.

Also, different settings and shit are now dispersed between the older user-interface (like Control Panel etc.) and the newer UI, making Windows 10 feel like an interim OS that can't decide which kind of user interface it wants the user to use.

Let's take an example, as I am now writing this on Windows 10 Pro: I want to check and change the firewall settings.

I click on the Start menu button and type "firewall" which brings various links to firewall settings. For instance, there is a "Firewall & network protection / System settings" page which uses the newer user-interface, but then there is also e.g. a "Windows Defender Firewall" and some other links which use the older user interface. For the most part they have similar firewall options in them. Then there is also the "Advanced firewall settings" page which also uses the old user interface?

Why the redundancy? Why are many of the same settings at two or three different places with wildly different user interfaces? At least in Windows 7 (and earlier) there was no such split-brain syndrome but the user interface was more uniform and consistent.

Having said that, Windows 10 is fully usable, after you get over the overlapping user interfaces.

i think you two guys have simply forgotten how the Windows 7 user interface worked since you haven't used it for quite some time. "Don't notice the difference", really?

^ That's not always true. I've had a number of issues with games in W10 from stutter in NOLF that required many more steps to fix vs W7, to issues with older Adventure Game Studios builds. As a visual example, 5 Days A Stranger ALT-TABs perfectly in W7 but not W10. See attached screenshot for how the game gets squashed onto the left-side of the screen with corrupted colours, forcing a quit & restart. Doesn't happen in W7 which ALT-TABs out & back perfectly. Several games here on GOG like The Swapper have also had to receive updates because W10 broke something whilst the games continue to run fine in W7. Great for games whose devs still update them years after launch. Not so great for older ones long out of support.

Believe me, if every game really was "better" I'd be singing its praises, but some game compatibility criticism is absolutely inferior and entirely valid to point out without being hand-waved away on the excuse of "nostalgia". You simply seem to be lucky in not experiencing / noticing it with your particular choice of games.

Well, with running windows 10 home edition for about 2 years now i can't say that i found i needed to use some tips or hacks that would support my livability with windows 10

I do have some quirks such as buying a desktop background from a well established internet dude

https://digitalblasphemy.com/

Game mode is by default enabled, i will only turn this of when i want to play homeworld remastered

furthermore i insist on having every piece of operating/controlling software, logitech software for mouse keyboard and headset, soundcard, gpu, motherboard, even xbox companion for the controller on my device

I enjoy the nightlamp setting that adjusts the screen intensity to the time, before i used lux to create a similar effect

Most of the time i jump in with every so called setting that improves on gaming such as the new integrated graphics optimizer that is supposed to reduce latency with some games

I do use a subscription virus scanner, also it does seem that not every virus removal program out there works perfectly fine with windows though i won't go as far as naming what i feel are companies not really recommended to use

The use of a system cleaner i also find necesary, its like having a maid in house

Staying offline for long periods of time does seem to affect system stability but, that might also have something to do with me using a 10 series cpu and 1200 socket board, not sure ' bout that one so, stay online ;)

maybe not windows 10 related but if i know the supported memory frequency of a board is for example 2666 mhz i'l be sure to set my ram speed manual on the motherboard

I regularly check for bios updates for motherboard and gpu

The system would probably work exactly the same without all of these handlings but yea... there it is, behavior accumulated from the experience with working/gaming on pc's since 1999 ( well actually more like the 90's but you know )