Why Did I Upgrade To Windows 10????

And Fran, that Cobol, Fortran, BASIC, 6502, 8051 assembler etc. you learned - none of that is wasted.. Each language, architecture, programming technique you master better equips you to learn new disciplines - languages don't matter so much..

Gordo

Fran, there will never be a "universal printer driver" for Windows because it isn't in neither Microsoft nor the printer vendors interest to let this happen. Microsoft and hardware manufacturers have always worked together to keep revenue rolling in and this only happens when you and routinely dump often perfectly good hardware and replace it with new, often lesser quality kit. One reason Linux never really took off on the desktop is because Linux folks lack the focus on profit which pervades corporate culture. Application software too suffers planned obsolescence. Developers have to keep on adding new, often unnecessary, features so they can sell you the same thing over and over. There's an entire industry based on reinstalling, retraining, upgrading etc. Personally, I use a lot of old software. I have a Mac desktop for my work and Linux laptop. I use Windows XP (lite build) VM with no browser or internet-connected services and a W7 VM for the stuff that won't run in XP. I expect to be using these VMs for a very long time. To print from XP or W7, I write a PDFs to a network share and print from my host OS (MacOS/Linux) - it's an extra step but it'll go on working indefinitely. At the end of the day, you need to decide if you're going to be herded around with majority, or carve your own niche - it can be done.

Gordo

I suggest also you begin playing with Windows "look alike" linux stuff. I have not run either of these Distros, but they are both highly rated. Consider https://www.robolinux.org/ first because they claim they can run any Windows program. Also look at https://zorinos.com/ I am very comfortable in saying your Microsoft frustration is going to increase with time. Learning a bit of linux in your "free time" is like the best time to plant a tree. The best time is 20 years ago and the next best time is today.

Sorry for your angst. I don't know if you saw this, but HP shows your DesignJet 130 is compatible with Win10 on the basic driver. Check out this Compatibility page from HP : https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04658195

You're a COBOL programmer? If you fall on hard times go earn big bucks working for a bank that's still clinging to their old mainframe. No shortage of jobs.

Fran, I wrote a few comments on the YouTube video. I'd like to try to help you with some of these problems.

Adam Baxter

You can always load up VMWare and run old O/Ses in virtual machines. I know it is difficult. I took early retirement because I had to support Windoze 10, as well as SaaS crap. Depending on your perspective they both either suck or blow. I could go on and on about their deficiencies and how they are scamming users into their only goal. That would be profit. It seems that the big software companies don’t care about the users any more, because there is no longer real competition. I hear your rant Fran, and I feel it myself.

Rocco Rizzo

Oops, what scanner models...

James Boatright

Donald, you can run xp on your new printer. Just download virtualbox and create an xp virtual. You can clone your xp hard disk into a vhd and just run the machine your used to. Apparently you havent found "advanced search". It's there, type that into the search bar.

James Boatright

HP and Lexmark both offer universal printer drivers for win 10 that will print to your 1018 and to and pcl5 or later lexmark. HP also offers a designjet 130 driver for windows 10 in both 32 and 64 bit versions on their support sites. I have a lexmark laser from the mid 90s i still print to from w10 just fine. What drivers have you tried? What scanner might dels do you have?

James Boatright

I still haven't figured out how to use "Search" in Windows 10, like I do in XP. XP has a wonderful Search feature, with all kinds of options that are intuitive to set. Recent Files was simple in XP, in 10, it's there until I select another folder, then I can't get it back. Windows 10 totally blows. That said, your hardware seems very old. I have a Brother all in one printer that is 4 years old. I got Win 10 last year, and it works fine with Win 10. I am able to run Photoshop 5.5 (from 2001!), and Acrobat 8 (from a similar time) on Win 10 with no issues. All in all, I wish I could toss Win 10 and have XP on my new computer.

Windows 10, Fran, is an abomination!

Like others have probably mentioned, emulating windows 7 and / or XP is probably the best solution until someone comes up with such a system to create new drivers for older hardware. VMware does work well but there is a free alternative that I've used that worked just fine called VirtualBox. I've used it many times to play older 16 bit windows games on my 64bit system and it should be able to handle drivers for printers. Definitely worth a shot and can run on your new computer all in one :)

Sauren Silverfall

Every version of Windows has been a bigger pig than the previous one. Each one takes more memory than the previous version too - usually at least six times the declared minimum. Sloppy programming in applications is one thing - transport that to operating systems and its a disaster. Blame the fools behind non-procedural languages, and the uneducated programmers it promotes.

Howard Higgins

I'm a Linux guy (yadda yadda yadda) so I am not too sure about this, but most printers support PostScript, so it may be possible to configure them to use a generic PostScript driver. If this doesn't work, I'd look into using a raspberry pi as a print server since most of these printers are probably supported by CUPS - there will probably be tutorials for setting up a pi as a print server. No other ideas sorry, good luck, hope you managed to get things up and running again.

You can pay for that feature with the Enterprise edition of Windows 10. Too bad they don't sell it to individuals.

John Arild Lolland

VMWare will solve the problem with running Windows XP software. To use your printer you probably need to set up a print server (probably not worth it since laser printers are quite cheap). Upgrading is a pain, but it's usually worth it.

John Arild Lolland

I feel sympathy for you for sure. Windows just uggggs sometimes. Not that I have to contend with it much these days. Since I respun my business I have refused to give tacit windows support to any of my clients and at every opportunity try and find Linux solutions to their problems. It is easier for me, better for them, cheaper and more reliable in the long run, a win win for everyone. Sadly you have hit the propriety brick wall in a very physical way. It is not profitable for companies to keep paying developers to keep making windows drivers. This is where open source software has it's advantages. Source Code, when open, can be ported. I certainly think you should take a raspberry Pi and turn it into a print server for your printers. Physically attached them to the pi and then connect to the pi over the network. This is something I have done many times over the years and it is just so much more reliable than trying to print to Windows Spooler.. PM me if you want some help.

veritanuda

that's a known issue. I had that on my work PC. I did get it fixed but have forgotten how. I'll dig out my fix for it and loop you in

Oh, and that issue that changes the icons to folders, that

Fran, I don't know what brand of computer you got but Windows 10, while fatter than I'd like, shouldn't be running slow or dropping out on audio etc. It does have some compatibility issues with older software but I got most everything working within a couple of days of getting my new Windows 10 Dell. Also, there is a command line interface. Just hit the Windows+R to bring up the run box and type in CMD You'll get a warm fuzzy DOS prompt. :) It's not really the old fashion MS-DOS but a command line interface. Just stay away from that Edge browser until their new version comes out. The old Edge is nasty and probably has cooties.

I’m breaking in Windows 10 Pro on a new laptop. Yecccch. It’s all smartphon-y, tile icons, cloud this and timeline that. It’s made for the social media generations, not for us dinosaurs who learned computing in the 4-bit and 8-bit days and could only communicate over POTS and Post Office. I suppose they took away access under the hood to make it stupid-proof. No doubt there are hack-arounds but what a pain, really. So far I’ve had no compatibility issues but I’ve just started really. Windows 10 strikes me as downright authoritarian. Even tempts me to use the four-letter N-word in describing its attitude towards the user. The next natural thing to say is that we need a nerdy OS for us old nerds, and I guess that’s what Linux is supposed to be. But the fact is that for getting most work done and everyday computing without continually having to tweak things, you just gotta have Windows, and the new Windows sucks, and that’s life. I don’t plan to shelve or cannibalize my Windows 7 desktop until I get to the point that I did when moving from XP to Win 7 and one day realized I had gone months without a need to use the XP rig. Right now I’m thinking that this time, that day may never come.

For server based software this backwards compatibility is often solved by running a virtual machine which provides an earlier OS environment for the application to run in. Possibly that approach would work for you? An XP or Win7 VM that you install the application into (or do a physical to virtual conversion on your whole old machine)? Ewen

Ewen McNeill

PS ther is an article on getting non-compatible printers working on windows 10 here https://www.windowscentral.com/how-install-non-compatible-printer-drivers-windows-10

Dr Andy Hill

Hi Fran I'm afraid my windows expertise stopped at Windows 7 / Server 2008 9 years ago, when I had my Stroke. I have not worked full time sine then. But I carry on part time in a consultancy / research role, All Linux based. I hear what the other Linux guys are saying, but as a Linux System / Kernel hacker I think Linux is really for computer experts, or at least people with a serious amount of time to get things working. Anyway back to windows 10 (Really Windows 2 in binary) Others have said you can use drivers from windows 7 and I believe this could be true, if you install the drivers from your original disks, you may need to run the install in compatibility mode, I assume it still exists in 10. Then once the drivers are installed windows should recognise the devices when you turn them on. It is important to disconnect the devices until after the driver is installed. As for your applications, try installing and running them in compatibility mode. This is all just theory at the moment but if it doesn't work let me know and I'll fire up windows 10 in a virtual machine and see what I can work out.

Dr Andy Hill

Gimme the good old command line every time!

Fran Blanche

I totally agree. I'm frustrated with the "software as a service" model. Microsoft, Adobe, HP, Autodesk all hatched an evil scheme to rent us sub-par software under the guise of always being up-to-date and getting new features more often. I don't want new features. Everything I need can be done with Windows 2000, Photoshop 7, Office 2003 and Autocad 2000. My Samsung laser printer won't work under 10 because HP bought Samsung's printer division and now, like all HP products, aren't getting updates. I've been moving my day-job work to Linux, but it's not easy and I'm lucky that my tools for that are all open source and available. That's not true for the majority of people. Mac OS users are also being strong-armed. Apple recently dropped 32-bit support and a large cache of software users have accumulated is now broken. There's not a good solution right now, unfortunately.

I can accept the glitchy sound and wifi dropouts that Windows 10 gave me, but I'm having a very hard time coming to terms with how inflexible Windows 10 is in regards to scheduling updates. In the good old days (Windows 7), one could schedule Windows Update to run only once per week on a set day and at a set time. This is no longer possible in Windows 10, which makes it very difficult in usage cases where a PC needs to be running virtually 24/7. At least Windows 7 allows me to schedule Windows Update at time that is likely to have the lowest impact on users (i.e. Monday 03:00). If Microsoft could just hand back this one tiny bit of control to Windows 10 users, I promise never to diss Windows 10 again.

OzRetrocomp

I just set up my new primary computer. It always takes me at least a week to configure and install all my software. I use virtual machines to run Win 7 Pro and XP Pro. They work well, and you can run multiple VMs at the same time if you have sufficient RAM. And your old printer drivers will probably work in VMs.