Windows 10 turns 10: Dying OS just worked, lacked compatibility chaos
- Reference: 1753808467
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/07/29/10_years_of_windows_10/
- Source link:
Windows 10 arrived at a difficult time for Redmond. After riding high on the back of Windows 7, the company tripped up with Windows 8 and its tiled touch-first approach. Windows 10 was Microsoft's attempt to redeem itself.
And… it mostly did. Compared to the 8.x versions of Windows, Windows 10 was boringly competent. Sure, the initial version paled in comparison to Windows 7, and a large chunk of the affection for Windows 7 was driven by the horror that was Windows 8.x (horror for the vast majority of PC owners that lacked a touch-first device, the only place where Windows 8.x made sense.)
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On an SSD-equipped PC, Windows 10 also did that most unusual of things – it could feel snappier than Windows 7 (a trick not repeated by Windows 11, which will instead more than likely bleat about incompatible hardware.)
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Windows 10 was also developed in a far more open way than its predecessor. It heralded the arrival of the Windows Insider program, and an opportunity for users to see what Microsoft was working on, even if the company didn't always act on user feedback.
It also marked an attempt by the tech giant to update the operating system on a semiannual basis, which, in hindsight, was not the smartest of moves by Microsoft. In 2018, it released the [4]document-destroying Windows 10 October 2018 Update , which could wipe a user's files.
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Windows 10 was also the last hurrah for Windows Phone, which was still a thing when the operating system made its debut. Windows 10 Mobile launched a few months after the desktop operating system, but due to user disinterest and Redmond's lack of commitment, it would [6]wither and die within a few short years.
Microsoft paired Windows 10 Mobile with other efforts to spread the Windows joy across devices, including HoloLens and its lineup of tablets. In the end, the desktop was the place where the operating system thrived, assisted by a [7]controversial free upgrade from previous versions and broad hardware compatibility that would make a Windows 11 administrator weep.
Windows 10 also exposed some of Microsoft's [8]creepier tendencies . Telemetry and data collection became more difficult to avoid (although the company would insist that it cares passionately about privacy), and that upgrade offer? It turned out that Redmond was [9]pushing it on users , with unwanted downloads and suspicious optional updates.
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Microsoft also had another go at sticking a knife in the dark heart of Internet Explorer with its [11]Edge browser . Windows 10 dispensed with the familiar IE icon in favor of the E of Edge. And goodness, Edge was certainly an improvement over Internet Explorer and arrived in a wave of Redmondian optimism. However, a few years later, Microsoft threw in the towel. Edge was [12]relaunched with a Chromium rendering engine.
[13]We're number 1! Windows 11 finally overtakes Windows 10
[14]Critics blast Microsoft's limited reprieve for those stuck on Windows 10
[15]Microsoft fixes the ESU blues for Windows 10 users
[16]How to stay on Windows 10 instead of installing Linux
It's interesting to look at where Windows 10 began and where it is going to end. In 2015, there were still glimmers of hope that Windows Mobile might yet take off, and that Windows could become a credible multi-platform proposition.
It didn't happen. Microsoft's dithering left Windows 10 aimless – was there any point in being a Windows developer if the parent company might rewrite the rules at any moment? For example, Redmond pushed the Universal Windows Platform, which would later be dubbed the [17]Unwanted Windows Platform , as priorities changed within Redmond.
Until recently, Windows 10 still dominated the Windows desktop market, although that was perhaps due to a general apathy regarding Windows 11, alongside its infamous hardware compatibility requirements and Microsoft's current AI obsession, rather than rabid loyalty to Windows 10.
Then again, if the best a user can say about an operating system is that "it lets me get my work done without getting in the way," that, along with righting the Windows ship 10 years ago following the disaster of Windows 8.x, is no bad thing. ®
Get our [18]Tech Resources
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[4] https://www.theregister.com/2018/10/08/microsoft_windows_10_pulled/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aIlEdRQsUo37S8glt1sAxgAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2019/12/17/windows_10_mobile_still_here/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2015/10/31/windows_10_recommended_upgrade/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2017/01/11/microsofts_new_windows_telemetry_manager/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2015/10/15/pushy_windows_10/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aIlEdRQsUo37S8glt1sAxgAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2015/07/30/microsoft_edge_review/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2018/12/06/microsoft_edge_chromium/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/04/windows_11_market_share/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/01/windows_10_updates_criticism/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/11/microsoft_esu_fix/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2021/10/26/microsofts_uwp_unwanted_windows_platform/
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Last sane version?????
So let's ignore shit like Candy crush; adverts in the start menu; the search bar that instead of searching for a file on the pc, went off to the web; the split personality control panel, that randomly moved stuff every update; the "sign into your windows account" that got harder to avoid each update; the hijacking of default browser option by Edge; the stupid adverts on the login page which would open up in edge once logged in for no apparent reason....and on and on.
Win 7 was the last sane version, not 10
Re: Last sane version?????
Yup.
The article pins a bit of the affection for Windows 7 on the utter mess that was Windows 8.
To me, it's more that Windows 10 only looks sane in comparison to it's immediate predecessor.
Similar to how people thought the MK5 Golf GTi was great car because it followed the MK4 ;)
Even Windows 7 kinda sucked in some ways
Windows didn’t get full hardware acceleration back for older apps again until Windows 8.x. Microsoft has been playing catch-up ever since they shifted from NT 5.x to 6.x and with agile development “as a service” development, things seem to be getting broken more frequently with less attention to detail. Even things like resizing many common application windows still won’t work as fluidly as before, with no intention to fix it by the looks of things.
Re: Last sane version?????
That's... interesting. As a Local Account user and a Firefox user I never experience 85% of your complaints on Windows 10. No ads at all, I turned off web search (you know you can do that, right??) along with the entire Search box (icon only, please), etc.
My greatest gripe on current Win10 is MS's insistence on overriding my preferences on the News and Interests taskbar widget at every update; after numerous times of them doing this I simply ended my trial of the widget and removed it from the taskbar completely.
I'll never understand why [Linux] people complain so much about the Windows interface when, for many instances, the experience can be modified. "I hate the Start menu!" Why are you using the Start menu so much in this day and age? Shortcuts in the taskbar and customized app tiles should remove 90% of your Start menu deep-dives. If it's a "common", often-used setting it's in the new Win10 Control panel; more intrinsic settings remain in the old panel (it's that simple, really). If you don't want MS in your browsing experience...don't use an MS browser. Don't like Candy Crush? Uninstall it.
Etc etc etc. Are things really this hard for you guys?
Re: Last sane version?????
windows peaked with XP SP2
literally nothing that's come after has added anything TRULY revolutionary.
the same with Office , which peaked with office XP if not office 97
Define "sane" :-/
For some the last "sane" version was Win2k Pro and who am I to disagree? And yet, I kept the faith until 7... but after that the pain to move my workflows, automation, macros, offixce documents etc etc to Linux was lower than moving to 8 (not to mention the abominations that followed). Never looked back.
AFAIK Wn10 just enabled the TRIM command on SSDs by default
That's what makes it a little more performant. - IIRC it could be enabled on Windows 7 too, but was not on by default.
Re: AFAIK Wn10 just enabled the TRIM command on SSDs by default
> TRIM command on SSDs .... more performant. - IIRC it could be enabled on Windows 7 too, but was not on by default.
??? I simply cloned HDD to SSD and swapped cables on my Win7 machine. Much faster boot, MUCH faster FireFox loading (FF does some kinda busy-work at start and mine was clogged on HDD, snappy on SSD).
And my DisableDeleteNotify is 0 which seems to be the good setting.
> Dying OS just worked, lacked compatibility chaos
No. It was a terrible cesspit of spyware. Slower than Windows 7 which was still absolute bloated shite compared to Windows 2000 (or XP which was probably more memorable due to its long product lifespan).
Just because Windows 11 is even worse, doesn't mean you should look at this piece of crap with fondness XD
AC: Because I really don't want to sit here discussing Microsoft's products.
Win10 vs Win7
If Win7 was Win 3.11/Win95, then Win 10 was like a combo of WinME and Win2.0 on Hercules. So inflexible, messed up and flat. Too many versions of Win7 & 10 (Home to Ultimate/Enterprise etc).
So Jan 2017 I wiped the Windows partition on my November 2016 laptop.
I have XP, Win7 & Win 10 on VMs, on Linux (1 laptop and 1 WS, the other laptops and Pi4B don't have VMs due to less RAM), just in case. A win10 laptop is occasionally spun up. It was replaced by Linux laptop. Windows 10 updates are totally broken compared to NT4.0 Hot Fixes or Linux Mint updates and upgrades (17.3 to 22.1) here.
XP (or maybe Server 2003) was last sane Windows NT, but at least Win7, (really service pack for Vista) worked with some flexibility and settings not too hidden. Win10 is a flat mess.
Using NT since 1994 NT.3.5, Linux since Redhat in 1998, CP/M (on card on AppleII, RM380Z and S100 homebrew), DOS since 1981, Windows since 3.0, and UNIX from 1986, so not a typical user.
Home Editions progressively more crippled.
Cleanup
Windows 10's goal was to clean-up the mess Windows 8 made by attempting to marry a mobile OS to a desktop operating system. It did away with most of the junk and reverted back to what Windows 7 already had, disguised that as a new release.
I find it particularly vexing that after 25 years Windows still doesn't have disk encryption in all its versions, including the basic Home version. Yes, Windows 11 now finally adds it to Home but I've been using Truecrypt and Veracrypt for almost a quarter of a century now. I'd say that's a little late.
And Windows 11 is such a steaming pile of excrement that I predict large numbers of Windows users defecting towards Linux Mint coming fall.
Win 7 got it right..
Win 8 was a disaster, and Win 10 & 11 are bloatware.
Advertising platforms masquerading as operating systems.
I just want an OS that runs my chosen apps without interference.
Been using Windows since Win 286/386 days but a Linux distro with a Win7-alike interface is looking increasingly tempting.
Ugly
But it was (and is) just so ugly - that horrible, flat, dead-looking interface with incredibly wasteful space usage. At least Win11 is slightly nicer to look at. But yes, what the world actually wants is Win7 with updated drivers and tools, all the data-harvesting telemetry ripped out, and nothing more. But the world, of course, won't ever get that.
Always said
give me the boring stability of the windows 7 interface coupled with the fixes under the hood of windows 10, make it a bit snappier* and every windows user would be happy.
Sadly those in charge at m$ didn't (and still dont) see it that way. (we'll skip windows 8**). after all.. who can forget the 'free update' panel that no matter which button you clicked on, it would install windows 10, but grabbing every penny it can from windows seems to be the rule now at m$, the price we all pay for windows being a 'mature'*** product.
Oh look a 30 second unskippable ad when I just want to relax for a second with a couple of rounds of 'freecell' grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
*Is this a real word?
**everyone wanted to skip that abomination
*** IE windows 11 stinks before we've used it