7 Features Users Will Lose With Windows 10 Update

Will you miss solitaire on Windows 10?
Will you miss solitaire on Windows 10? Reuters

There are already mixed feelings about the upcoming Windows 10 operating system. While Microsoft is trying to play up the perks of the new software, many current Windows users aren’t quite excited about the random prompt they’ve received with options to reserve a Windows 10 upgrade.

While Windows 10 will feature enhancements such as the return of the Start Menu, the Cortana personal digital assistant on smartphones, tablets and desktops and the new Microsoft Edge browser, the new system will also be getting rid of several features, which have been staples of Windows for years. Microsoft has compiled a list of depreciated features on its Windows 10 specifications page.

Could these changes be a deal breaker on users opting for Windows 10? We won’t know until at least July 29, when the system is set to release. But users should be prepared to move forward without the features below. Luckily, users can also find alternatives for many of the features being stripped from Windows 10.

Windows Media Center

Update to Windows 10 and there will be no more Windows Media Center. Its likely few Windows users are even using Windows Media Center seeing as Microsoft hasn’t shipped the software on computers since 2012. Windows Media Center was intended as a hub for users’ entertainment needs, allowing them record live television, display photo slide shows and access streaming content.

Some alternatives to Windows Media Center include Kodi, Plex, MediaPortal. Other possible replacements for WMC are streaming apps such as Netflix and Hulu and countless others popping up as content providers continue adding media to the Web.

Windows Games: Solitaire, Minesweeper, Hearts

Say goodbye to those games that you played when you seriously had nothing better to do. Any Windows version updating to Windows 10 will have these features removed. Nor will Windows 10 ship with these games standard.

But users can still access Solitaire and Minesweeper through the Microsoft App Store. Additionally, there are countless third party software makers that offer their own versions of these games.

Desktop Gadgets

The desktop gadgets (widgets on most other platforms) that were a staple of Windows 7 will be removed from Windows 10. Having already been discontinued from Windows 7, developers have created software which allows users to install gadgets on later Windows version, including Windows 8, 8.1 and users will be able to install gadgets on to Windows 10.

Floppy Disk Drivers

Surely most computer users don’t use floppy disk drives anymore. If you do, you’re out of luck because Microsoft if pulling support for the ancient feature with the Windows 10 update. Those who want access to USB floppy drives will have to download the latest driver from Windows Update or from the website of their computer manufacturer.

DVD Playback Software

Microsoft is getting rid of another seemingly extinct method of consuming media on a computer: DVD playback. The software maker says users will have to add “separate playback softwareto play DVDs on a Windows 10 computer.

The best option for playing DVDs, or any video media on your computer, is VLC player. Users can also consider WinDVD or PowerDVD, which act more like DVD players rather than general video players.

OneDrive Application

The OneDrive application is essentially getting an update in Windows 10. Older Windows versions include OneDrive among its Windows Live Essentials bundle, but in Windows 10, the standard OneDrive app will be replaced by the inbox version of OneDrive, which has more of a mobile layout.

Update Defers

Upon upgrading, users with the Windows 10 Home version will receive updates automatically. They don’t be able to defer updates to a later time. Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise users; however, will have the ability to defer updates.

Questions, comments or issues? Email me at f.agomuoh@idigitaltimes.com.

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