After a l-o-o-o-n-g hiatus the Consumer Guy is back.
A variety of other projects drew me away from this avocation but it’s now my intention to add new material whenever the inspiration hits.
This post is a personal one. In December I had decided to upgrade my software from Windows 10 to Microsoft 365.
I was motivated by the fact that Microsoft was terminating support for Windows 10 and that MS 365 includes a tremendous amount of cloud backup in its OneDrive service and access to the tech support that was no longer available with Windows 10.
I can say without reservation that this was the worst computer-related decision I have ever made. I have had nothing but trouble.
I have suffered through six phone calls with Microsoft tech support totaling approximately seven hours. In addition, I have struggled for seemingly endless hours trying to work through cures on my own.
Included in these issues are the following:
- Temporarily lost programs;
- Lost drivers that had enabled my computer to wirelessly send content to my TV set and that had enabled my HDMI connector to function. Tech support has been unable to restore them;
- Removal of all files from my computer, moving them to the cloud. This compelled me to copy thousands of files back to my computer – a process that took over 12 hours;
- The complete loss of a file that contained an ongoing log of personal medical information;
- Loss of sleep.
The upshot: Think twice before opting for Microsoft 365 at a rate of $99 per year. If you buy a new computer you will have little choice other than to go with an Apple machine.