For those of you that wanted Windows 10 Upgrades

[Middle Child]

So does anyone know yet what the picture program is like in 10.  I get repeated daily reminders to "reserve my windows 10 now".  The 8.1 picture program is the worst thing ever. You can't even resize a picture there are no tags to save certain of pictures in one place, its a freaking NIGHTMARE.

 The Windows 8 picture gallery program I downloaded onto the windows 8.1 machine continually crashes so it is useless.

I am so frustrated about picture programs I don't know what to do with myself I get angry and depressed every time I boot up my computer because playing with my pictures is one of my greatest joys, and I have had that taken away from me because of windows 8.1.

I am NOT tech savvy and cannot do fancy quirking to make things work the way I want.  I just want things to work the way they are supposed to.

[AK49BWL]

Does your machine have Microsoft Office on it? If so, you may have Office Picture Manager on it, that program's pretty easy and very useful and can do all those things... I won't touch Win10 with a ten foot pole so can't tell you how the apps on it are.

[Middle Child]

I just checked. It has something called "Microsoft office365 personal".  I can get a one month "free trial". Is that the same as you are talking about.

[AK49BWL]

Just looked that up - Picture manager isn't in it so there's no sense in signing up. OMG Microsoft has just turned to utter crap... hang on, I'll find something out here.

[AK49BWL]

Also if you want to get rid of that annoying "reserve windows 10 now" thing, that's relatively simple to get rid of. ugh, love how M$ is constantly trying to force utter crap on people.

I think Windows 8.1 comes with something called Windows Live Essentials... In that group is a photo gallery program, that may or may not already be installed... And to be honest, I really don't know how you'd even find it without having a start menu to work with. Someone help me :/

[Middle Child]

I have a Poki start menu.  Searching Windows Live Essentials did not bring up anything. 

This 8.1 machine came with the Cloud (which I absolutely positively refuse to use, EVER) and "Picture Program" or something called "One". as a picture program.  I LOATHE it. it is designed for people who take pictures and share pictures with their touch screen phones, nothing more. The "editing" program is a joke, and there is no way to tag, sort, organize or resize.

As you know, I loved the Vista photo gallery.  When I had to buy the windows 8 machine I hated the picture gallery program compared to Vista but got used to it.  Then I had to buy the 8.1 and got stuck with this friggin cloud and "one" crap. 

With someone's help (you or Dee) I downloaded the Windows 8 picture gallery which, while not as good as vista, at least had the features I most use.  But it hardly ever works.  It crashes all the time.

Photobucket is impossible.  Slow, not user friendly, a real mess.  I just don't know what to do.

It's like everything is now designed for phones.  Surely I am not the only person in the world who still uses a computer.

[AK49BWL]

Well considering I'm writing on my computer now, you're not ... but I agree, everything is getting way too mobile-centric and it's not cool.

Windows live essentials is downloadable, and is free... Now, I will say, I don't use it - I just know it exists.. Maybe it'll work for you.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/essentials

I do believe this is the link to the Essentials loader, which allows you to select what programs you want to install, then it will download and install those programs and features. Only select what you know you'll use - you can always run the installer later to add more if you want.

But watch out for side-loading programs... Too many programs out nowadays that like to add other stupid stuff to your system. Adobe side-loads McAfee (CRAP), heck even Avast Antivirus wants you to install Chrome now But it's generally not mandatory, just unselect the boxes next to "optionals".

[DeeDee]

Well this link says you can download Photo Gallery:

Pictures in Windows 8.1

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/pictures-windows-8

[Middle Child]

Thanks you guys.  That's what I have downloaded.  But it doesn't work very often.. It crashes all the time.  bottom line MS doesn't WANT us to use older programs.  They want us to use the new crap and when we hate it BUY some other crap.

There seems to be no hope for me! wah wah wah

[DeeDee]

Try uninstalling it. Then downloading it again. And when you go to install it again:

Right-click on the installation file and click:
Properties

At the top of the properties box:
Click on Compatibility

Then:
Check Run This program in compatibility mode for:
Windows Vista Service Pack 2

Down in the bottom of the box:
Click on: Apply
Then click on OK

Close that box, and now install it again. It will install and run as if it's in Vista. That should make it work better.

[Middle Child]

Won't I lose all my pictures if I do that?

Oh by the way it isn't the Vista program.  that one didn't work at all when I tried to install it.  It just kept making my entire computer crash.  This is the windows picture gallery from windows 8 I am trying to use.

[DeeDee]

I thought you said that it was Vista that you liked the way it worked. But you can go ahead and pick any older version of Windows to make it compatible with in that drop-down in the compatibility tab.

And usually it gives you the option of keeping the files when you uninstall something like a photo editor, but if you want to be really safe, then find where they're at, and cut & paste them to somewhere else.

[Middle Child]

Vista is what I like, but it did not work when downloaded to a different version of windows.  At least, not for me.  I am not smart when it comes to this kind of thing.  It either works or it doesn't.

 I am almost sure to make some fatal error trying all that, but perhaps when I am in a better frame of mind I will try it.

Thank you for taking the trouble to help me, again. I just get too impatient with this kind of thing.  I just want things to work like they are supposed to.

 I don't understand in this day and age, why they cannot make user friendly computers.  It makes no sense.

[Shadow]

Hi MC  I  hear ya I hate the windows 8 or 8.1 options too, so I just use this http://www192.lunapic.com/editor/

 or you can use this for your PC https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6128850?hl=en&rd=1

[DeeDee]

Google keeps them for you though. MC hates the cloud.