A good night ruined by Microsoft

If you are running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on your imaging computer–BEWARE!!!

Last night I setup a sequence to do some imaging of M82 while some friends and I did some visual observing using the other pier in our observatory. I started the sequence and made sure that the object was properly centered. I then watch the first autofocus run which gave the best V curve I have seen so far with my AT6RC. I shut of the monitor and spent about 2-1/2 hours doing visual observing with friends. Around midnight I fired up my laptop and used Teamviewer to examine my progress. I was stunned to see a message on the screen telling me that my observatory computer had bee upgraded to Windows 10. There was only one button on the dialog and that was a “Next” button. This happened even though I had disabled all “automatic” updates on this computer!

Trying not to blow a head gasket, I pressed the next button and I was presented with a dialog asking that I accept the Windows 10 user agreement. I then got a message saying Windows would try to restore my previous version of Windows (Windows 7 Pro 64). After about 10 minutes my computer restarted in Windows 7 but of course SGP and PHD were not running. I then restarted SGP and PHD2 but both were having trouble connecting to my cameras, mount and focuser. I had to power everything down and restart before I could get everything re-connected. SGP knew where it had stopped so it was able to continue the sequence where it had left off. THANK YOU SGP!

Have others had this problem? Also, if others are running Windows 10 do you know if the follow hardware will operate under Windows 10:

Moonlight Focuser
Orion Star Shoot Autoguider
SBIG STF 8300C
iOptron CEM60

I may allow one of my other computers to upgrade to Windows 10 so that I can verify all my hardware before I encounter this rude Microsoft behavior again.

All I can say is I hope there are no commercial airplanes running under Windows 7 that get updated while I’m on board!! Maybe this explains why two planes have mysteriously have dropped out or the air in the past few years! (just kidding).

I am really upset that Microsoft would push a new OS unto a computer while is actively involved in significant activity. I’m sure they probably popped up some sort of dialog but the default action should have been not to update the computer if no one responded to the dialog. This is VERY irritating.

Same thing happened to my brother when his home computer was automatically upgraded to Windows 10. It worked fine except that it refuses to go to certain web sites using Internet Explorer (or Edge) and Google Chrome. So he reverted back to Windows 7 and all is well.

I personally upgraded from Windows 7 (desktop) and Windows 8.1 (laptop) to Windows 10 and I do not have any issues. Windows 10 works with the following astro devices:

A-P1100GTO mount using A-P V2 ASCOM driver
QSI660wsg camera including filter wheel
Optec/Starlight Instruments Focus Boss II auto focuser
QHY PoleMaster polar alignment camera

I actually like Windows 10 a lot.

Peter

Peter,

Thanks for your input. I will probably move to Windows 10, but I would
just like to do it on my own terms. It is irritating that Microsoft is
being so pushy with the upgrade. I’m glade that your AP1100GTO is working
with Windows 10. The second mount in our observatory is an AP1100GTO (CP3
version). I have received the CP4 upgrade, but have not installed it yet.

I’ll probably search the forums for all of my devices to if others are
having success before I allow the upgrade.

Thanks again,

Fred

I haven’t really found anything that hasn’t worked in Windows 10…at least I haven’t had an issue with any of my gear. SGP is also developed on Windows 10.

I agree it’s a little annoying…but at the same time (as a developer) I can completely see how they just want to support a single operating system. Having 3 operating systems to support must be very costly. Probably cheaper to anger a few people and potentially even lose some customers rather than support all 3 options.

At least on one of my machines I was prompted quite often to upgrade until I finally did. But I also knew it was eventually going to be forced and I wanted to be able to control that.

Jared

Just make sure the automatic updates are not done during the night. That will get you all the time.

To specifically answer your equipment question, I run a Moonlight Hi-Res stepper focuser and an ST-8300M using Windows 10 and have not had any O/S related problems.

BobT
Driftwood, TX

i just set up SGP on an intel compute stick (atom, 2nd gen) and it comes with 32-bit windows 10. AP mach1, SBIG STT-8300M, moonlite focuser and blue astro stick station - no problems (yet).

i agree that these forced upgrades are way beyond the pale. they may want to cut support but i’m sure they have millions upon millions of corporate customers who will not upgrade to W10 if they have stable W7 systems. MS is stuck with W7 even if every retail customer is forced to upgrade… as recently as 3 years ago my wife’s employer was still requiring employees to run windows 2000!

rob

This exact thing happened to me just a couple of days ago - completely ruined an evening of imaging, and I had also turned off every update setting I could. I was pretty upset at MS. This was an older Lenovo T400 running Win 7 just fine. My first inclination was to roll back to Win 7, but I went ahead and tested it out and in fact I got somewhat faster program load times and no obvious downside. Since I have Windows10 on all my other desktops and laptops (though not without some issues), I decided to leave it alone.

The ONLY issue i have ever found with Windows 10 is the automatic driver update facility.
If any of your hardware has a PROLIFIC chip inside (Ascom Cable, USB - Serial Adapter etc…) then there is a VERY high chance that the drivers will no longer work. Only installing one of the original drivers will still allow the driver to run. You will then need to disable automatic updating of this driver in the control panel.
I only found out this fix AFTER i had purchased an FTDI cable for my mount, although i am glad i did since the FTDI cable seems to have a far higher stablility connection…

My experience with a Prolific USB to serial adaptor has been uniformly bad, regardless of the operating system. What I find is that it partly works but many combinations of application, USB cable length, using a hub and the RS232 cable length will cause it to fail, often with data corruption. FTDI ones have been far more reliable. They also retain the COM port number even if moved to a different USB port while the Prolific one doesn’t.

Chris

1 Like

Thanks for the information on the Prolific driver issues. I have a
Tripplite Keyspan RS-232/ USB Serial adapter which connects my mount to my
computer. I am pretty sure it uses the Prolific chip. It has been a solid
performer for a couple of years. I guess I should make sure that I have a
FTDI adapter on hand before the Windows 10 upgrade. Also, my CEM60 mount
has an un-powered hub on the DEC axis, but I do not know what chipset
iOptron uses in the hub.

It is always a challenge doing OS upgrades.

Fred

I believe Keyspan uses its own proprietary chip, not FTDI or Prolific.

Peter

Thanks Peter,

I just downloaded the Windows 10 drivers for the Keyspan so I should be covered if the upgrade breaks the current driver.

On to the Windows 10 world!

Fred

Just want to chime in here on Windows 10 update. I was using Windows 7 and running a imaging sequence. About 2 weeks ago and right in the middle of imaging I get this pop up that Windows 10 is ready to be installed on my system. I had automatic updates turned off. In additional to the pop up it did not give me a choice to quit. the only button was OK. there was no way to close the window without letting it do the update. I’d like to know how Microsoft got away with forcing the update but they did. So I was forced to do the update and I lost an entire night of imaging. Being n Ohio, those kinds of nights are few and far between.

Just thought I would share my experience.
mahaffm

The Orion Starshoot autoguider don’t work with the OS after Win 7 64bit, sorry…

Hello,

The startshoot Autoguider Orion have the driver for Windows 10.

See this link.

Regards,

Leandro

Thanks a lot Leandro. I have the same camera (QHY5m), but I haven’t found the drivers for Win 10. Thanks for the info.

Updated Starshoot autoguider Win 10 drivers are located here - They are the V5.1 drivers:

Good Luck
Paul

Paul,

Thank you for posting the link to the Windows 10 drivers for the SSAG.

Fred

fjkeller,
Any time mate.

Last time I tried migrating to Win 10 (got a new 17in MSI laptop with Win 10 installed to replace extremely slow 15 in laptop with Win 7 64bit) the Win 10 drivers didn’t exist only Win 8.1 at the time which didn’t work so I installed Win 7 64bit on the gaming beast. ‘This’ spurred me to look at the same site again and obviously they got it done…Finally !

I’d like to migrate permanently to Win 10 64bit but I really cant stand the interface they are forcing us to endure. It’s mostly clinical white and I love the old ‘Classic’ windows look instead of the newer sh1t look. Don’t preach, give me the Classic interface option in Win 10 you Bast’a’rds.

LOLOLOL

Good Luck fjkeller, hope it all works fine for you.

Paul