Sandy Berger: Make Your Computer Ready for Windows 8 Upgrade

As of Thursday, November 15, 2012

If you have just upgraded your computer to Windows 8 and are disappointed with the performance, don't blame Microsoft.

The problem may be with your computer manufacturer and/or with your upgrade preparation.

In the past two weeks, I have upgraded three computers from Windows 7 to Win-dows 8 with a wide variety of results. On the first computer, an older Gateway desktop, the up-grade was seamless, and Windows 8 works beautifully.

The second was a very recently purchased Lenovo that was advertised as "Windows 8 ready" and came with the $15 upgrade to Windows 8 offer. You might expect that this upgrade would be the smoothest, but it was the most problematic.

The Windows 8 installation went smoothly, and things seemed pretty good until I tried to start Internet Explorer, which refused to work at all. Then I found that the picture folder wouldn't update, and the Epson printer wouldn't work.

A little trouble-shooting was definitely in order. As I delved into the problem, what I found was amazing. The Gateway didn't have any Gateway programs running in the background. But the Lenovo had more than 12 programs that were starting along with the computer and running in the background.

These ranged from power management programs to programs that were supposed to speed up the computer to programs that seemed to have little use.

I set out to test each of these programs to see if they were interfering with Windows 8. After several hours of trouble-shooting, the answer was an emphatic "yes." There were two Lenovo programs that were interfering. When I disabled these programs, all the Windows 8 functionality returned. Internet Explorer worked, the pictures updated, and the printer worked.

The aggravating thing was that these programs didn't show up as incompatible when I ran the Windows 8 upgrade adviser in preparation for the upgrade. This computer was supposed to be "Windows 8 ready." So what happened?

Well, many manufacturers load their computer with "stuff" to make them seem better than the competition. The irony is that most consumers don't even know that those "special" programs are there. I never heard of anyone purchasing a Lenovo because it came with such great extra programs.

While Apple products are immune to this because Apple manufacturers both the hardware and the software, most computer manufacturers do this. Smartphone manufacturers do the same.

It is obvious that all of this "stuff" just complicates the computer and can obviously cause problems. Across the board, manufacturers should stop preinstalling all this junk. Since we now live in a world of apps, if a manufacturer wants to give me some free programs that are worthwhile, it should offer this to me in the form of an app that I can choose to install or ignore.

This is one case where I put the blame fully on the shoulders of the manufacturer. I must say that the Gateway really excelled in this endeavor because it was not infested with all of the proprietary programs the other computer had.

The bottom line is: Don't make the mistake of thinking because you have a new computer that was purchased under the $15 upgrade offer, that it is really "Windows 8 ready." Before you upgrade, check the manufacturer to see if it has special instructions for getting your computer ready for the update.

While Lenovo's website was pretty useless in this endeavor, I found several other manufacturers had some good instructions.

The next computer that I upgraded was a Toshiba laptop. Toshiba, like Lenovo, has a lot of proprietary programs running in the background. Toshiba, however, had excellent upgrade instructions on its website. I was told to upgrade the BIOS before installation and to remove several Toshiba programs. With that preparation, the upgrade went smoothly.

I still believe that computer companies should not put so many extra programs on their computers. I actually can feel Microsoft's pain in having to try to deal with a PC ecosystem, where this is allowed. In Windows 8, Microsoft produced a good operating system that works fine when other integrated programs don't interfere. Yet, most home users who have problems upgrading to Windows 8 will blame Microsoft and tell everyone that Windows 8 is a terrible program.

If you decide to upgrade to Windows 8, be sure to search the website of your computer manufacturer first. Get your computer ready. See if there is a BIOS update available. Update all the software on your computer and turn off unnecessary programs that may be running in the background. If there are problems after the upgrade, look at the manufacturer's proprietary software as your first line of trouble-shooting.

Another tip that I can give from my upgrade experiences is that if you are upgrading a laptop, plug it in so you won't run out of battery power during the upgrade. Also, allow yourself enough time. You can speed up the process by using a wired connection, rather than wireless, but you can still expect the upgrade process to take at least two hours.

Good luck to all of you upgraders out there! And be sure to let me know how it goes.

Contact Sandy Berger at sandy@compukiss.com.

More like this story

alladat1 6 months, 1 week ago

How about leaving the 80's behind and give us more Apple news. Something besides how easy it is to fill the screen on a Windows machine. Where are the tablet stories?

molonlabe 6 months, 1 week ago

1st thing I do with a new computer is format the drive and reload the OS without all the crap.

njc17 6 months, 1 week ago

To Sandy; is MS8 all that it is cracked up to be? I am hearing all sorts of horror stories from friends around the net regarding the problems they enconter. I have been comfortable with Vista on obe computer and 7 on another. Is there really any need to change?

RD28327 6 months, 1 week ago

Lots of your reload disks that come with brand name computers are not straight OS disks, but disks that reload the same ol' junk that was pre-installed at the factory. Backing up files and data then doing a clean install of a new operating system is much better than an over the top upgrade.

Still, Windows 8 was really more designed for phones and tablets as well as laptops and desktops that use a touch screen feature. Lots of folks in business, government and education have yet to move, or are in the process moving to Windows 7 from XP. Many folks at home and work are still hanging on to good ol' XP. So, as the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, then why fix it?"

JD 6 months, 1 week ago

How about leaving the 80's behind and give us more Apple news.

Apple is for hipsters that don't know how to use computers. Windows OS is good and Linux is for the truly experienced computer user.

Toda 6 months, 1 week ago

Microsoft left the field of play in the second half ... meaning like other problematic programs like ME and other MS failures like Windows 2000, BETA testing wasn't expansive as with XP and the Longhorn BETA version.

In addition, there are more and more manufactures producing so many new hardware platforms with the same basic "junk" OEM's. That is another hot topic for those in the know and unsuspecting Wall Mart Christmas shoppers.

I suggest to anyone buying a new computer to "wash" the drive with at least 4 passes and reload the OS. Use Microsoft's own copy function for files and settings and relaunch those formats after installing XP OS and then upgrading to 8. I'll stick with XP until no more updates or patches are available. RD is correct ...

I'm in the process of Cloning dives of my current system for a clean install into my to-be-assembled Gigabyte A75M-D2H MOBO. Fast is just a part of the fun...Blazing fast is much better!

Windows 8 will provide a bonanza of service work for Sandy, Reuben and folks like me who enjoy computing. Another MS flub....

Be sure to use a program to obtain your Key number or else. Usually the key is found on the computer case ... without it, more money for a new OS.

alladat1 6 months, 1 week ago

JD - Made my living using MS - would never return to that steaming pile again. Linux is for line command freaks.

RD28327 6 months, 1 week ago

Well, there is one thing to be said about Linux, it is free (depending on the flavor) ...

Courseaire 6 months, 1 week ago

I can't get Window 8 to even load on my Commodore 64.

Toda 6 months, 1 week ago

Courseaire => easy fix, try bootstrapping ... works every time LOL

JD 6 months, 1 week ago

JD - Made my living using MS

Well no one makes a living off of Apple but art snobs and wannabe graphic designers. MS is for people who work and Linux is for those that know better. I guess the smart kids in computer class were 'freaks' to you. Also most devices that run MS can be opened up and worked on, upgraded, parts improved. Try that with an Apple while a pimply faced 'genius' tells you that you should just upgrade to the latest piece of Apple junk.

On a side note I loved how MS invented the tablet in 2000, but everyone lost their minds when Apple made one like it was special and original. Nothing Apple does is original. It's just shiny toys that need a special allen wrench to open up.