.. and maybe many others..

RE. OS upgrades..

Microsoft, please stop producing ‘Upgrade only’ disks for operating systems. Far too many have problems because what they are upgrading can be so flawed. Also, the practice of allowing users to download upgrades without forcing the user to create a disk is not good ether, because when it comes to re-install time, there is no disk. Some are upgrading upgrades with no original OS disks in their possession.

I understand that you can’t be blamed for the general state of computer, but you are not helping the cause. Upgrade disks already look for an activated, active installation of a qualifying operating system, but they should also check for the existence of an original disk and/or a workable recovery partition. If neither are evident, the upgrade should not continue.

Manufacturers owe it to their customer base to work with Microsoft re these issues.

RE. service packs and updates..

In the old days of Windows XP update, some updates could not be preformed along with others. This should be mandatory for major updates for Vista and Windows 7. It would help too if maybe ‘sfc’ was automatically run to check for errors before major updates ploughed ahead, sometimes screwing up stuff in the process.

RE. Backup applications..

I watched somebody try to initiate a backup utility supplied on a SanDisk flash drive. Needless to say, the process was not completed. One of the many stumbling blocks was a question regarding the installation of a ‘UI’.

Yes, most who read this blog know what a ‘UI’ is, but there are plenty of home users who do not have the first clue. The backup utilities should be set up for simple operation by default, but have an advanced feature for those who are not so computer illiterate.