Windows 10 is fast approaching and while there’s no immediately need to upgrade from 8.1, or even 7, odds are you’ll want to make the jump eventually. Before you do, you’d best check out the Windows 10 “feature deprecation section”, to make sure your favourite features aren’t being cut from the latest release.
This post was originally published on Gizmodo Australia.
It’s to be expected you’ll run into a few driver incompatibilities and unsupported hardware and software, but what can sometimes catch you off guard is when entire features are dropped from the core operating system.
Probably the biggest cut is Windows Media Center, but it’s not the only thing getting the boot. From Microsoft’s Windows 10 specification page:
Feature deprecation section
- If you have Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8 Pro with Media Center, or Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center and you install Windows 10, Windows Media Center will be removed.
- Watching DVDs requires separate playback software
- Windows 7 desktop gadgets will be removed as part of installing Windows 10.
- Windows 10 Home users will have updates from Windows Update automatically available. Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise users will have the ability to defer updates.
- Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Hearts Games that come pre-installed on Windows 7 will be removed as part of installing the Windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft has released our version of Solitaire and Minesweeper called the “Microsoft Solitaire Collection” and “Microsoft Minesweeper.”
- If you have a USB floppy drive, you will need to download the latest driver from Windows Update or from the manufacturer’s website.
- If you have Windows Live Essentials installed on your system, the OneDrive application is removed and replaced with the inbox version of OneDrive.
Nothing particularly drastic, though if you love desktop gadgets in Windows 7, you might want to think twice about upgrading to Windows 10 — at least until you find some replacements. I doubt the floppy drive thing will bother anyone… I expect more people will be put out by the loss of Solitaire.
Windows 10 Specifications [Microsoft, via Neowin]
Comments
20 responses to “Microsoft Releases List Of Features Dropped From Windows 10”
The real issue will be drivers for anything non-standard. I podcast and setting up audio with win 7 is complex enough without a new OS confusing things.
You’ve got up to a year to reserve a free copy of Windows 10. Even then, I don’t think you have to immediately install it. Someone correct me if I’m wrong though.
From what I’ve read you don’t have to reserve in order to receive it at all, you just have to perform the update within the year. You wont just wake up one morning and find Windows 10 installed, they will notify you and make you agree to terms etc and probably tick several boxes indicating you want to upgrade now before the upgrade will happen.
I’m assuming the ‘reserve’ update function will stay on until you either perform the upgrade or the year passes, in which case it will direct you to the store and say pony up $150 or something. Which is great as it means my clients can wait a few months before jumping onboard. It is bad for me though as normally I’d get a cut of the upgrade cost but if it means my clients are all running the same OS and I don’t have to support a 6 year old OS I will be happy!
If that’s the case, it sounds like they’re aware of the business sector not wanting to jump onboard every update. The XP rolloff (I just made that up) has taught them much.
You’re not wrong. But if people wait too long, they will have to purchase Windows 10 and forfeit the free version Windows is offering now.
From my testing just use Windows 7 drivers for non-standard hardware I use. This includes things from Chinese 3d printer/dev boards, usb network adapters, usb DACs. So far everything I use that either doesn’t work normally or have updated drivers from manufacturer has worked with Windows 7/8 drivers, which makes sense. I am anticipating some hardware to be dropped by manufacturer as always happens when a new OS is released though.
They removed the DVD player software to save money on a function an extremely small number of people use, and they will email out codes for a DVD player application if you request it and have media center installed. – From GabeAul – @GabeAul If you have WMC now, we’ll have a DVD option for you in an update later this year.
As for the games, same as with Windows 8 – just download from the store or transfer them over from Windows 7 by copying the files over.
NOOOOOOO!!! NOT MINESWEEPER!!!
To be fair Minesweeper was removed from Win 8, but can be acquired from the app store for free.
Pretty much looks like a list of reasons NOT to upgrade to me… especially the ‘watching DVD’s” bit… (yeah I’m old and old fashioned and still like to watch and own things actually on something physical like a DVD…)
Its not stopping you from watching DVD’s they just won’t be providing the software, and there’s much better software then whats included in windows anyway (VLC is the main choice)
“Its not stopping you from watching DVD’s they just won’t be providing the software, and there’s much better software then whats included in windows anyway (VLC is the main choice)”
That’s a rather dumb thing to say. Yes, it does stop one from watching DVD’s if they’re no longer going to provide the software. Not everyone’s a mindless consumer drone keen on continually purchasing useless new technology just for the sake of keeping fat cats, fat (aka Microsoft).
Which is why I flushed Microsoft and went with Linux. Everything is free and no codecs are needed.
However, VLC media player has now become largely useless if you’re in the unfortunate position of having to use a Windows OS, as a friend of mine has discovered (it seems to work fine in a Linux distro, though).
There is absolutely no support with VLC other than the same tired old two words, “reset preferences”, which is utterly useless for anyone who didn’t change their preferences in the first place. Even if they had, it fixes nothing, but it’s VideoLan’s way of saying, “we really don’t give a toss”.
Just use VLC media player?
More like computer illiterate, just download a separate player like they said. They’re not saying you can NOT watch DVDs. Just not with their software. I recommend Media Player Classic.
Just removed optical drives from all my machines.
Why do I even bother to upgrade my old laptop running Windows 7 like a charm!
I am sure half of its drivers will be missing on windows 10. When my old laptop breaks, then I might go for a new touch / convertible with windows 10. But not for now. And now a days I am using my android smartphone more than the laptop… It does everything I need!
Or a codec pack. Some people just like to find reasons to complain.
You can still watch them, so what’s the problem?
With Windows Media Centre getting the axe, anyone have a recommendation to replace it for watching/recording TV?
I know some:
– Kodi (formerly XBMC)
– MediaPortal
– Moovida (never tried it)
Source:
http://www.howtogeek.com/132462/5-alternatives-to-windows-media-center-on-windows-8/
I hope this will help you in this aspect.
Thanks @Craig Robach, it seems there’s a bit involved in setting these up… WMC was so easy – going to miss it. I’ll give Kodi and MediaPortal a crack, cheers for the link.
Kodi is ‘da bomb’. Is that the correct vernacular?
I guess what I am wondering is what they mean by pro and enterprise being able to defer updates. On Windows 7 Home you can shut off updates or delay updates till a time of your choice which the definition of defer is (put off). if this is not going to be a feature of Windows 10 home version it’s going to suck, because a lot of people like to download updates to install at a later time to make sure they have time to do so. I have this feature turned download updates but let me choose to install them because we get storms here and if I want to shut down quick cause a thunderstorm hits with a lot of lightning I don’t have to worry about it installing updates as i am trying to shut down. I luckily keep back ups and know how to reinstall if it did happen but its easier to avoid things like that with this feature its also easier to wait a couple days to make sure that the update doesn’t have a bug.