Tough to Learn How to Use an All in One Windows 10 PC

Mitch86

Mitch86

Member
Location
Connecticut, USA
I'm 86 and purchased a new Dell Inspiron All in One Windows 10 PC and am having all kinds of problems trying to learn how to use it. I used to use a Windows 8 DELL XPS PC.
 

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When Windows 10 first came out I was offered a free download but I did not bother since I am happy with Widows 8.1 which I am using now. To me, 8.1 is along the lines of previous versions of Windows so it was no problem to learn. You are not the first I heard complaing about 10.
 
Mitch, apologies if this sounds patronising, but if you have a young relative or neighbour, they might just be the one to help. Here in the UK, computer science is part of the schools national curriculum. Let me tell you an amusing story and you might get the gist of my advice.

There's a thirteen-year-old who lives next door, one evening, he and his mother ring my doorbell. The young fellow looks a tad sheepish, he is having trouble with his mathematics homework, did I know anything about quadratic equations? Yes I did, I invited them in, to the mother's surprise I dug out my school text book, I throw nothing out, refreshed my memory and then went through his homework, job done.

A year or so later the same scenario, only this time he's really struggling with the binary system. Out comes my text book, I explained to him that he has to forget adding to the power of ten. Binary works on two digits, zero and one. We go through his homework and he starts to grasp the concept. He then asks, what's the point of counting to one and then going back to zero.

I asked if he had heard of Morse code, of course he had. I told him that Morse is a form of binary, not exactly, but it does use dots and dashes instead of zero and one. Then I asked if he had ever seen the tape the came out of a printer with holes in it. Yes he had, that's binary, but instead of zero and one, it's hole, no hole. He thought about it. Then I said that binary forms the basis of a computer system by replacing zero and one with pulse, no pulse. The light came on, his face lit up. He romped through his homework.

"How come," he asked, "if you know all that, why did I have to program your phone for you?" "That's a very good question," I replied as I bid him and his mother, "goodnight."
 

horseless carriage said:
if you have a young relative or neighbour, they might just be the one to help.
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LOL, that is my secret and I am a bit younger. Amazing what kids can do with computers, we will never catch up...

Best of luck Mitch, if you figured Windows 8 out I am sure you will figure 10 out. Just takes time and frustration, and a kid if you can find one!
 
I am sorry it seems so difficult, Mitch. :confused:

I would try to focus on figuring out a just a few things, with it.

Experiment to find out how to do the same things you did. I don't find them that different, but you just need to find out what those small differences are.

I think you can do it, since you do have the experience with doing the windows 8.
Hang in there, and keep trying it, with some mental rests in between!
 
Chet said:
When Windows 10 first came out I was offered a free download but I did not bother since I am happy with Widows 8.1 which I am using now. To me, 8.1 is along the lines of previous versions of Windows so it was no problem to learn. You are not the first I heard complaing about 10.
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I used to have Windows 8 on my old Dell XPS PC. The new one came with Windows 10 installed. I had no choice.
 
Mitch86 said:
The new one came with Windows 10 installed. I had no choice.
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LOL, that sums up the Microsoft experience pretty well. At work a few years ago they forced us all to switch to new laptops with Windows 10 (we had Windows 7 before that). If we'd had a choice a lot of us would have stayed with our old machines. One person on our team still hasn't finished setting up her Windows 10 yet, and has hung on (against the rules!) to her Windows 7. If I'd realized we could get away with it, I would have done the same thing.
 
John cycling said:
I stopped using Windows long ago due it's constant issues, and it's gotten much worse through the years.
My current distribution of choice is Linux Mint, which is free to download online, or $10 from Ebay on a USB drive.
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The best computer I ever bought is my Chromebook Lap Top!! No Windows!!
Mitch86 said:
I used to have Windows 8 on my old Dell XPS PC. The new one came with Windows 10 installed. I had no choice.
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It is mainly used for the Internet..
 
Mitch86 said:
I'm 86 and purchased a new Dell Inspiron All in One Windows 10 PC and am having all kinds of problems trying to learn how to use it. I used to use a Windows 8 DELL XPS PC.
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Since it is a new one look for a section that you can install Windows 7 or in your case 8. I have a method installed in my Dell that allows me to go back to 7. Also you can call Dell directly with any info you might need.
 
I didn't have a choice either, when I got my most recent laptop, some years ago now.

It seemed quite daunting, but then, it didn't take me too much time to get over my unease, and tackle one small thing at a time.
I didn't mind the 10 at all, once I made a little progress.

I can't remember the steps I went through, so I am not able to advise or help more specifically, other than to encourage, that some of us didn't find it as difficult, as I'd heard it would be.

I tried to get Windows 8 again, but could not.

In the end, it was best for me, to move on, like we are forced to do with our phones and banks and so many other things, and not when we choose to!:confused:
 
It's important to stay updated with the latest computer OS, etc., if for no other reason to limit the chances of your PC being hacked or compromised by all the crooks on the Internet. MS ended support for W7, well over a year ago, W8 was so laced with problems that MS quickly released W10. Now, there are rumors that W11(or whatever they decide to call it) is coming. It's a bit of a PITA to have to go through some of these upgrades, but then, technology is always changing.

There are other options....such as Linux...which has a fairly decent reputation, but since 95% of the world uses MS, I suppose there are shortcomings to these other OS's, too.
 

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