Coevolving Innovations

… in Business Organizations and Information Technologies

My failed relationship with Windows (10)

Dear Microsoft: After a 4-year separation with Windows 7, the constructive divorce that you’ve set for Windows 10 on July 29, 2016 will come into force.  I’ve just spent 30 hours trying to make things work.  I know that Lenovo says that the Windows 10 upgrade should work, but we’re spending so little time together that I don’t have energy to keep fighting.

We never really got married.  There was a time that I was spending up to 12 hours per day with you.  Our relationship has a long history:

  • 1. Courtship (1992-1996)
  • 2. Shotgun wedding (1996-2008)
  • 3. Open relationship (2008-2012)
  • 4. Separation (2012-2016)
  • 5. Divorce (2016)

Over the past few days, the messages you’ve been giving me have been more than frustrating.

On the Thinkpad X200, you told me “We couldn’t install Windows 10”,  and “0xC1900101 – 0x20017 The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during BOOT operation” five times over 24 hours.

We couldn’t install Windows 10. 0xC1900101 – 0x20017 The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during BOOT operation.

The BIOS is up to date and antivirus was removed.  I tried with both the automated installation and Media Creation Tool on USB, both with and without the online updates.  There were also long “Checking for update” delays, where I had to intervene.

Maybe upgrading on older Core 2 Duo Penryn computer isn’t worthwhile.  I then turned my newer computer, a Core i7 Ivy Bridge.

Trying on the Thinkpad X230 Tablet, you told me “Something happened”.  “Sorry, we have having trouble determining if your PC can run Windows 10”.  This computer is on the “Lenovo supported systems list for Windows 10 Upgrade“, so is the trouble my fault or your fault?

Something happened determining if your PC can run Windows 10

You led me to the Windows Update Troubleshooter, which found that the “Service Registration is missing or corrupt”.  The automated install didn’t fix everything, so I spent 15 minutes copying-and-pasting commands manually into a terminal window.  Thanks, that fixed the Service Registration problem. However the “Something happened” message is unchanged.

I’m not new to intense relationships.  I have to admit to not being fully committed to Microsoft for some decades.

1. Courtship (1992-1996)

 From 1985, I was a mainframe computer guy (VM/CMS).  By 1986, the PC revolution led to connecting to IBM VNET through PC-DOS 3.3. In 1988, I got a taste of the future as one of the first working with Metaphor Computer Systems, predating the PowerPC Macintosh computers from Apple.  I bought into the Taligent vision from 1992 (around the same time that NeXTSTEP was being developed).

By 1992, the OS/2 32-bit version had debuted, in addition to Workplace Shell, I could work with Windows 3.1.  I preferred “Windows 3.1 on OS/2” over “Windows 3.1 on DOS”, and both could get along.

2. Shotgun wedding (1996-2008)

The demise of OS/2 by 1996 led IBM to internally adopt Windows 95.  From there, the rise of Windows XP in 2001 led to automated installations through the ISSI (IBM Standard Software Installer).  Like most people in the world, I became a user of Microsoft Office 97, XP and 2000.  I didn’t have to worry about the operating system, because there was a central help desk supporting 30,000 employees on the same platform.

3. Open relationship (2008-2012)

With Windows XP ending sales in 2008, I hedged my bets by easing over to open software platforms.  With IBM offering an Open Client for Linux, I could configure an option to switch back and forth between Windows XP and Red Hat Enterprise Linux on a dual-booting computer.  By 2010, the introduction of the Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx release to the Open Client for Debian Community opened up some more choices for user interfaces, so I continued to run on a dual-boot Thinkpad.  When many in the company moved over to Windows 7 in late 2011 and early 2012, I was slow to change my ways.

In our house, our family had OS/2 desktop computers, and evolved to living with Windows XP.  We even had a series of Apple PowerPC towers running OS/X for a while.  My sons had Thinkpads for their study years in China, running Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.  When Windows XP stopped updating on our old computers, switching the family over to Ubuntu Linux gave the old hardware new life.

4. Separation (2012-2016)

It wasn’t until 2012 that I decided that I should own my own laptop.  I bought a refurbished Thinkpad X200 for its portability, and followed the unofficial upgrade guides to maximize its power.  It was licensed for Windows 7, and I added Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin on dual boot.  I discovered that I would work in Ubuntu Linux for weeks without restarting in Windows 7.  The upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr was rather uneventful.  Along the way, the Nexus 10 tablet and Nexus 5 smartphone running on the Android operating systembased on Linux kernel — would become more important to me than Windows.

At the end of 2013, I also bought a Thinkpad X230 Tablet, with a faster processor and pen-based interface, upgraded with more RAM and a mSATA SSD.  This became a dual-booting Windows 7 and Ubuntu system that I mirrored with the X200, so that if the hardware or software ever fails on one, I should be able to continue work on the other.  It’s only in early 2016 that I made the X230 Tablet my primary computer, and the X200 the secondary.

In 2015, I helped my friend DLH in Iowa with failing Windows 8 restarts on a Thinkpad T430, repurposing his T420 with Ubuntu Linux.  In diagnosing issues on the T430, I noticed the UEFI Secure Boot protection coupled with the Windows Certification Program.  Microsoft, you’ve found a way to increase your control over the computer, but Lenovo has done us a favour by allowing me to turn it off.  My friend DLH is happy with Ubuntu Linux, and recommends it to others as an alternative who don’t want the Windows 10 upgrade.

Earlier this year, I helped another friend, SN in Finland, with Ubuntu Linux as an alternative to Windows 10 on her Thinkpad X230 Tablet.  While in China, she had a similar lockup issue with Windows 10, and has vowed to not risk that again.

5. Divorce (2016)

Microsoft, do I really need Windows 10?  The upgrade is free until July 29.  If I could have installed it in an hour or two, I would have upgraded.  After 30 hours, however, the continuing our relationship would require me to back up all of my data, reformat the drive, reinstall Windows 7, upgrade to Windows 10, reinstall Ubuntu Linux and then restore all of the data.  That’s a lot of work.  I’ve been doing fine with our separation since 2012.  The open relationship since 2008 gave me the confidence that I (and others) don’t have to follow the path you’ve determined for us.  In late summer, after Ubuntu 16.04.1 Xenial Xerus is released, I can use the one-button install to upgrade there.

What’s the risk of breaking up?  Sure, it’s probable that some malware will creep onto Windows 7 that you’ll fix on Windows 10 but won’t backport.  Since I’m not seeing Windows 7 much these days, anyway, I can just read the newspaper headlines and not worry about that.

Maybe others will go for the divorce, too.  If they’ve gotten used to the Windows 7 interface, maybe they would like the Cinnamon interface on Linux Mint, instead.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • RSS qoto.org/@daviding (Mastodon)

    • daviding: “Hosting multiple Dialogic Drinks on "From Unfreezing-Refreez…” March 8, 2024
      Hosting multiple Dialogic Drinks on "From Unfreezing-Refreezing, to Systems Changes Learning" online, March 12 (Europe), March 14 (Americas), March 15 (Australia). #Leadership meets #SystemsThinking . Short presentations, longer discussions https://www.eqlab.co/from-unfreezing-refreezing-to-systems-changes-learning-david-ing
    • daviding: “"Climate change has no map that we know of. Each time a new…” February 15, 2024
      "Climate change has no map that we know of. Each time a new scientific study returns something we studied before, it's always going to arrive faster and be worse than we thought before". Episode 5, #DavidLHawk "What to do When It's too Late" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPruvIsDRDk #SystemsThinking "Instead of cause-effect thinking, effects coming from prior effects, not […]
    • daviding: “In the third episode of "What to Do When It's Too Late", #Da…” February 2, 2024
      In the third episode of "What to Do When It's Too Late", #DavidLHawk explains his #systemsthinking with humans in #climatechange, dealing with hopelessness. Live weekly broadcast on #BoldBraveTv with video recordings and podcasts. Text digest at https://daviding.wordpress.com/2024/02/02/what-to-do-when-its-too-late-david-l-hawk-2024/
    • daviding: “Published "Reframing #SystemsThinking for Systems Changes: S…” February 2, 2024
      Published "Reframing #SystemsThinking for Systems Changes: Sciencing and Philosophizing from Pragmatism towards Processes as Rhythms" with #GarySMetcalf in Journal of the #InternationalSocietyForTheSystemsSciences following 2023 Kruger Park, revised after peer review. https://coevolving.com/blogs/index.php/archive/sciencing-philosophizing-jisss/
    • daviding: “Web video of @scottdejong@hci.social + @gceh@mstdn.social ho…” January 23, 2024
      Web video of @scottdejong + @gceh hosted by #zaidkhan in relaxed conversation on "What Can Systems Thinkers Learn from Educational Game Studies" at #SystemsThinking Ontario https://coevolving.com/blogs/index.php/archive/educational-game-studies-scott-dejong-geoff-evamy-hil/
  • RSS on IngBrief

    • Introduction, “Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, volume 2”, edited by F. E. Emery (1981)
      The selection of readings in the “Introduction” to Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, volume 2, Penguin (1981), edited by Fred E. Emery, reflects a turn from 1969 when a general systems theory was more fully entertained, towards an urgency towards changes in the world that were present in 1981. Systems thinking was again emphasized in contrast […]
    • Introduction, “Systems Thinking: Selected Readings”, edited by F. E. Emery (1969)
      In reviewing the original introduction for Systems Thinking: Selected Readings in the 1969 Penguin paperback, there’s a few threads that I only recognize, many years later. The tables of contents (disambiguating various editions) were previously listed as 1969, 1981 Emery, System Thinking: Selected Readings. — begin paste — Introduction In the selection of papers for this […]
    • Concerns with the way systems thinking is used in evaluation | Michael C. Jackson, OBE | 2023-02-27
      In a recording of the debate between Michael Quinn Patton and Michael C. Jackson on “Systems Concepts in Evaluation”, Patton referenced four concepts published in the “Principles for effective use of systems thinking in evaluation” (2018) by the Systems in Evaluation Topical Interest Group (SETIG) of the American Evaluation Society. The four concepts are: (i) […]
    • Quality Criteria for Action Research | Herr, Anderson (2015)
      How might the quality of an action research initiative be evaluated? — begin paste — We have linked our five validity criteria (outcome, process, democratic, catalytic, and dialogic) to the goals of action research. Most traditions of action research agree on the following goals: (a) the generation of new knowledge, (b) the achievement of action-oriented […]
    • Western Union and the canton of Ticino, Switzerland
      After 90 minutes on phone and online chat with WesternUnion, the existence of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland is denied, so I can’t send money from Canada. TicinoTurismo should be unhappy. The IT developers at Western Union should be dissatisfied that customer support agents aren’t sending them legitimate bug reports I initially tried the […]
    • Aesthetics | Encyclopaedia Britannica | 15 edition
      Stephen C. Pepper was a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, on the entry for Aesthetics.
  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • RSS on daviding.com

    • 2024/02 Moments February 2024
      Chinese New Year celebrations, both public and family, extended over two weekends, due to busy social schedules.
    • 2024/01 Moments January 2024
      Hibernated with work for most of January, with more activity towards the end of month with warmer termperatures.
    • 2023/12 Moments December 2023
      A month of birthdays and family holiday events, with seasonal events at attractuions around town.
    • 2023/11 Moments November 2023
      Dayliight hours getting shorter encouraged more indoor events, unanticipated cracked furnace block led to replacement of air conditioner with heat pump, too.
    • 2023/10 Moments October 2023
      Left Seoul for 8 days in Ho Chi Minh City, and then 7 days in Taipei. Extended family time with sightseeing, almost completely offline from work.
    • 2023/09 Moments September 2023
      Toronto International Film Festival, and the first stop of a 3-week trip to Asia starting with Seoul, Korea
  • RSS on Media Queue

    • What to Do When It’s Too Late | David L. Hawk | 2024
      David L. Hawk (American management theorist, architect, and systems scientist) has been hosting a weekly television show broadcast on Bold Brave Tv from the New York area on Wednesdays 6pm ET, remotely from his home in Iowa. Live, callers can join…Read more ›
    • 2021/06/17 Keekok Lee | Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 2
      Following the first day lecture on Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 1 for the Global University for Sustainability, Keekok Lee continued on a second day on some topics: * Anatomy as structure; physiology as function (and process); * Process ontology, and thing ontology; * Qi ju as qi-in-concentrating mode, and qi san as qi-in-dissipsating mode; and […]
    • 2021/06/16 Keekok Lee | Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 1
      The philosophy of science underlying Classical Chinese Medicine, in this lecture by Keekok Lee, provides insights into ways in which systems change may be approached, in a process ontology in contrast to the thing ontology underlying Western BioMedicine. Read more ›
    • 2021/02/02 To Understand This Era, You Need to Think in Systems | Zeynep Tufekci with Ezra Klein | New York Times
      In conversation, @zeynep with @ezraklein reveal authentic #SystemsThinking in (i) appreciating that “science” is constructed by human collectives, (ii) the west orients towards individual outcomes rather than population levels; and (iii) there’s an over-emphasis on problems of the moment, and…Read more ›
    • 2019/04/09 Art as a discipline of inquiry | Tim Ingold (web video)
      In the question-answer period after the lecture, #TimIngold proposes art as a discipline of inquiry, rather than ethnography. This refers to his thinking On Human Correspondence. — begin paste — [75m26s question] I am curious to know what art, or…Read more ›
    • 2019/10/16 | “Bubbles, Golden Ages, and Tech Revolutions” | Carlota Perez
      How might our society show value for the long term, over the short term? Could we think about taxation over time, asks @carlotaprzperez in an interview: 92% for 1 day; 80% within 1 month; 50%-60% tax for 1 year; zero tax for 10 years.Read more ›
  • Meta

  • Creative Commons License
    This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
    Theme modified from DevDmBootstrap4 by Danny Machal