Concerns Over Windows 10: User Experiences and Media Reactions

• July 7, 2016
• Reading time: approximately 3 minutes

Having come to terms with Windows 10, which Microsoft unexpectedly installed on my computer...

However...

I initially intended to write the promised second part titled "Future" regarding my experiences with the Munich Writing Workshop. Yet, due to the ongoing discussions in the media about Microsoft's audacity (as noted below) and my own frustrations, I feel compelled to express my discontent once more. I also pose a question to readers who have similarly found the new Windows version thrust upon them:

1. Are drives in your directory suddenly appearing twice?

2. Are you encountering issues with your password that were previously nonexistent?

Both of these issues significantly impact the security of my computer. Specifically:

Regarding the first point, I have an external hard drive connected for data backup, which is displayed correctly in the Windows Explorer directory, along with a USB stick for specific files. However, both external drives show up again as separate drives or folders just below their original listings. This situation is quite confusing, as I am now uncertain whether the same backup is being saved to both locations. This seems like a serious programming error that should not occur with a company of Microsoft's stature, as it compromises the clarity of the drives!

On the second issue, my password has also become problematic. My previous password was complex, containing letters, numbers, and special characters. After installing Windows 10, I was forced to create a new password linked to a “Microsoft account,” which is now accessible to Microsoft—something my old password, known only to me, never allowed.

“What to do?” as Zeus allegedly said when he carried Princess Europa on his back to Crete, leaving me quite perplexed.

Media Outcry

The media has been vocal about these concerns. For instance, a recent article from the Süddeutsche Zeitung (No. 149, June 30, 2016) in the business section (p. 25) states:

The software giant Microsoft plans to revise the procedure for transitioning to its new operating system, Windows 10, following numerous complaints from users. “We have worked hard to take your feedback into account,” said Windows chief Terry Myerson. […] Since February, many users have reported that clicking the “X” in the menu window automatically initiated the transition. Typically, in Windows, a menu closes when the mouse clicks the “X.”

My blog is titled Labyrinth of Writing. With Windows 10, I feel as though I have encountered the Minotaur. This represents “hard selling American style” in its purest form.

Thank you, Microsoft, for this experience. Unfortunately, suggestions to try Linux instead do not help. It is no coincidence that the Munich city administration, which bravely and prudently transitioned to Linux years ago, has now returned to Windows! A software labyrinth is enough for me, especially when I must navigate it while writing.

Post 301 / JvS #1062 / SciLogs #1528 / Updated: July 7, 2016/21:32 / v 1.1

"Two souls reside in my breast." Writing has captivated me since my youth and remains central to all my activities. My other “second soul” is practical psychological work combined with scientific processing. After studying psychology since 1971, I have run my own practice as a clinical psychologist. Initially, my focus was on substance abuse, culminating in my 1976 dissertation titled "The Wrong Path to Self: Studies on Drug Careers." Since the 1990s, I have concentrated on the topic of giftedness. My third research area involves labyrinths in all their forms. In the context of Theme-Centered Interaction (TCI) developed by Ruth C. Cohn, I found an effective tool for working with groups, integrating writing and (creativity) psychology in a manner I find acceptable. Since 1978, I have led seminars on self-experience, personal development, and creative writing, alongside my wife, Ruth Zenhäusern, at our established