Which Windows to upgrade to: 7, 8.1, 10

I have enjoyed my Win Vista and have been able to use all of my Magix and Xara products. Sadly I'm seeing all of my product upgrades passing me by bc they no longer run on Vista.
As long as no matter which version I end up with it will have to be a complete new install, I'm trying to make the best selection for my programs.
Does anyone have any insight into which version best with Xara?
I'm using Xara Designer Pro X (365). I also would like to consider Photostory, but newest version requires my Windows upgrade to 7, 8.1, or 10. I hav a quad core desktop with 6GB RAM.
Also want to return to my missing Magic Video Pro X (sorry, another forum).
So which version of windows might b my best option? Any insight would b deeply appreciated.
David

10

10

7 if you want to be able to control you computer 10 if you want to allow Microsoft to do so and install rubbish that you never will use and cannot delete.
I have gone back from 10 to 7 on all of our computers.

10

10 What I like about 10 vs 8 is that Windows configures your screen to as close as possible to how it was before you upgraded. Not sure how close this will be going from Vista, but 10 has been very good and stable for me.

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.
Peter's comments about losing control is the biggest reason I haven't left my Vista. I come from an IT background and I always hated the idea of Big Brother Microsoft trying to manipulate how my pc functions. Now that I'm feeling pushed into an upgrade I've dreaded that loss of control. Windows 10 seems popular for Xara, but as I mentioned above I'm also trying to look at my Magix video programs. Sounds like they don't play as well with Win10 as Xara seems to.
I guess I'll wait and see if I receive anymore opinions before jumping in.
Again, thanks everyone for the insight. For most it isn't a big decision. If they could get my XDPX back working on my Vista i wouldn't feel so left out. They say they are working on a fix. I guess we'll see.

Microsoft are a reasonable organisation. They do not set out to annoy or abuse their customers - but like anyone they might sometimes make mistakes.

if you install Windows 10 you will still be in control of your computer and you can configure it however you like. MS will deliver updates and security fixes automatically by default, which is a good thing IMHO, but that too can be configured.

Phil

Well they annoyed the heck out of me, aside from constantly nagging with the taskbar notificaton for months with no way dismiss it without delving into registry they got so desperate to force people to adopt they even got sneaky with the close X button. I'm using Win10 now after a laptop upgrade and it's fine (data mining aside) but I don't like their recent methods used to push win10.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/2...pgrade-process

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It has adopted malware-like obfuscation tactics designed to trick people into choosing an upgrade they didn’t want

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10, but the summer Update (1607) can cause some things to falter, all repairable.

Yes my Windows 10 (1607) update screwed up my logitech webcaom 310 launcher program..and I can't find a fix LOl
Jim

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Originally Posted by Scotty

Yes my Windows 10 (1607) update screwed up my logitech webcaom 310 launcher program..and I can't find a fix LOl
Jim

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I have the same issue and read that Microsoft is aware of the problem and will fix it with a future update. It's not clear when though.

10. Windows 7 will be unsupported soon & you'll be in the same boat as you are with Vista. 8 is horrible. I eventually bit the bullet & went from 7 to 10. It was almost painless and I've had very little software compatibility problems.

I have been using 10 on my home PCs for a year now. With the addition of Start10 from Stardock, I've been able to get it to work as much like 7 as I need to in order to get around and get my work done.

-- Ben

The falter (stuck in update process) was a result of the LogiTech USB transmitter for my wireless mouse and keyboard. The solution was to scrub them from the system (uninstall), complete all updates, then reinstall. Everything has worked fine since. (knock on wood.) On a side note, the VAST majority of hardware problems I have encountered since late '80s has included LogiTech equipment. I use it but I am not surprised that I still encounter problems.

Hi,
Windows 10 just downloaded another update and my Logicam 310 is working now!! Just for information..
Jim

You seriously need to consider the age of your PC. I have a DELL 3550 laptop that came with Win 7 Pro. I allowed the Win 10 upgrade to proceed, but it failed to find a full set of drivers for it, so I had to return to 7 Pro. Support for 7 finished in 2015, so that's not a good start for an 'upgrade' even if you can get legitimate installation media.

My best advice would be to get a new, faster PC with plenty of memory and with Windows 10 pre-installed. As a benefit, you will be safer on the www because you'll have all the latest updates available. Oh, and backup, backup, backup!

I bought a cheap AMD quad with 8 GB RAM and 1 TB hard drive for about $225. Win10 came pre-installed and I know that cost the OEM about $89. I keep alive a Linux box, which originally cost me $1,800 in 2002, that has had everything replaced except the motherboard and the cabinet. I prefer Linux for programming. For Xara I had to have Win10.

As far as your Magix Video Pro X... IMHO the Intel processor with a graphics card could be a big conflict running a video editing software and I say that from experience with 3D software that REQUIRED Intel motherboards with XYZ GPU card. Instead, I like how AMD is onboard graphics and steals RAM from the hardware SIMMs to keep many active windows going.

Win10 has very good memory management, in 64-bit anyway. That fact made me overlook that Windows discovered my home network, my cell phone, my automobile, my security system and my entertainment system and recommends I install MS apps on each device. I don't think so.

Hi victor_charlie. Thank u for my brief stroll down memory lane. I'm not sure where to look for that bare-bones box for $250 with a quad processor. I used to have the nose and skill to do that. It does make me think. My current box has definitely seen better days, but I've augmented the 1 TB with a second hd @ 7200 rpm and 5 external usb drives for storage and backup. By looking at it from that angle getting new bones might be possible. Thank u for something to make me think about.

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Originally Posted by dstrege08

I'm not sure where to look for that bare-bones box for $250 with a quad processor...

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In Dallas, you might start at Frys or Microcenter. The current Microcenter deal is more expensive, but I have liked dealing with them more. If you look around, you can also find small mom and pop stores (or used to be able to).

Hi David O.
I've actually started buzzing both of those places. Not a real big fan of Frys, but do hit them up, close to where I live. My current desktop is from Micro Center and yes I've already been searching them. I'm finding, as always waiting so long that my wish list begins to grow. I wld really like an SSD drive. One for my OS and one for video apps.
I will definitely b getting something. The seed has been planted. It is usually a cross between what I started really needing and what I wld like to enhance the speed.
I appreciate u updating me.
David