Why LM still recommends Windows 7 for P3D V3?

[Cargostorm 151]

I am thinking of upgrading my Win8 installation to Win10 within the free MS update period, just to be up-to-date. However, I just realize that LM still recommends Windows 7 as recommended system for Prepar3d V3. Are there still issues why Win10 is still not recommended?

 

I have no problems with Windows 8 and my sim installation, and other people appear to have no problem with Win10 either. But I do not intend to run into issues with my installation just because of an OS upgrade (i.e. not clean install) that is going to break something.

 

 

[carlito777 712]

I guess they still run their development boxes on Win 7. That's why they recommend it. But a lot of people around here run P3D on Win 10 without problems as far as I understand. However, I'm still on Win 7 and have no plans to change that.

[WarpD 824]

I personally can't recommend either 8 nor 10. As bad as 8 is with regards to locking your computer down... 10 takes it to unparalleled extremes.

 

In short... I've seen some serious nightmare tech support issues with Win 8 and even scarier ones with Win 10.

 

I recommend Win 7... much to Microsoft's dismay.

 

Oh... and I haven't even touched on the privacy issues Win 10 presents. LOL

[Bobsk8 12,673]

I work with XP-Windows 7- Windows 8 and Windows 10 at work. I am sticking with Windows 7 at home for P3D . No surprises, and it works well. I see no advantage to changing. 

[DylanM 1,069]

Works just fine in Win 10. OS is much snappier than 7.

[Cargostorm 151]

I have just upgraded a friend's computer from Windows 7 (clean install) to Windows 10. The performance gain (e.g. boot time) was noticeable. But I do not think that the performance of Apps such as P3D will be any different using Win7, 8 or 10 (leaving benchmark tests aside). I am just curious whether an upgrade from Win8 to Win10 will break something like P3D or PMDG activation, sim connections, NET framework installations etc.

Cheers,
Chris

[exodus1977 37]

I've been on Win10 since it came out. Works great with P3D and all the various add-ons I've thrown at it.

[Guest]

The three problems I encountered with Win10:

 

1.  No Win10 Saitek drivers for their USB throttle quadrants (they were promised several weeks ago) ... as a result the Saitek quadrants get defined differently (name changes) on reboot and hence P3D gets confused.

 

2.  The much more annoying problem, is NVSCAPS64.EXE (part of ShadowPlay) will randomly decide to utilize a CPU at 100% and migrate across CPUs (work around here is to pause P3D, terminate NVSCAPS64.EXE, restart nVidia streaming service, open GF experience, turn ShadowPlay back on, resume P3D flight.

 

3.  I have to set all my P3D add-ons to "Run as Administrator" and some Add-ons (ones that shell) don't install correctly because the shell isn't operating under Admin context ... 3PDs affected like SODE 1.3 (LOWL install from JustSim), SODE 1.2x, my GoFlight .exe, and anything else in my EXE.XML.

 

4.  P3D performance is the same ... well not exactly, I do tend to get higher frequency of long frames than I did in Win7

 

I would love to say Win10 is problem free, but it's not ... like I said in another thread, maybe this summer when we get the SP2 of Win10 we'll see fixes.  Fortunately Microsoft have acknowledge their issues with Win10 and have focused on providing core updates/fixes rather than "new features".  Windows 10 market share did pick up a little this month just over 11% ... so good news there.

 

Cheers, Rob.

[Bobsk8 12,673]

I frequent two P3D groups on Facebook that are very active, and have heard more than a few problems posted with W10, especially after they it is  updated. Usually involves controllers. It still has, as was mentioned a relatively small number of Windows users, compared to the other versions of Windows.  

[Cargostorm 151]

Thanks Bob and Rob for your inputs.

 

It sounds that for the time-being it is better to stick with Win8.0 then, which works flawesly with all my hardware (total of six controlers, Track IR etc.) and P3D. I have not even upgraded to Win 8.1 yet, as so far there was no reason. If P3D should eventually be DX12-ready, it might be time to re-think over it.

[tinker27 0]

windows 10 just perfect sim runs a treat on it , everything works so easy , p3d v3.1 loves it as i do .

ive been on windows 10 since developer .

its just works would never go back to windows 7 or 8.1 ;-)

[AviatorMoser 353]

Well a big reason would be their target market (enterprises) still use Windows 7.

[Guest]

 

 

Well a big reason would be their target market (enterprises) still use Windows 7.

 

So the same target market as DTG then since Windows 7 is 55% OS market share?  No need to do this Daniel, let DTG stand on their own two feet.

 

The target market is the same "anyone who is willing to pay".

 

Here is FAQ on P3D and what OS it works with including Win8.x and Win10.

 

http://www.prepar3d.com/frequently-asked-questions/

 

Cheers, Rob.

[AviatorMoser 353]

So the same target market as DTG then since Windows 7 is 55% OS market share?  No need to do this Daniel, let DTG stand on their own two feet.

 

Why are you bring up DTG exactly, Rob? DTG is irrelevant here.

 

I'm just considering who would be using their commercial and academic licenses ideally, and anyone in involved one of these fields will tell you Windows 7 is their preferred platform (well outside of enterprise Linux) as of now. Partially because it's well established and well supported, particularly when comes to enterprise support from software vendors. Of course, that is bound to change once Windows 10 has some time to age.

 

 

The target market is the same "anyone who is willing to pay".

 

Well, no actually. Officially it's not. Sure, unofficially they enjoy taking money from anyone willing to give it to them, but they've made it clear that the P3D is for a specific audience. That constraint is of no consequence to us, but for them, they are officially bound by it.

 

 

Here is FAQ on P3D and what OS it works with including Win8.x and Win10.

 

http://www.prepar3d.com/frequently-asked-questions/

 

Cheers, Rob.

 

 

I don't have any questions on what OS they support.

[Guest]

AviatorMoser, on 12 Feb 2016 - 3:00 PM, said:

Why are you bring up DTG exactly, Rob? DTG is irrelevant here.

Agree and so are comments about Target Market and some tenuous relationship to Windows 7 "Enterprise" which is (to quote wiki):

Quote

 

Windows 7 Enterprise This edition targeted the enterprise segment of the market and was sold through volume licensing to companies which have a Software Assurance contract with Microsoft.^[1] Additional features include support forMultilingual User Interface (MUI) packages, BitLocker Drive Encryption, and UNIX application support.^[1] Not available through retail or OEM channels, this edition is distributed through Microsoft Software Assurance (SA).^[1]As a result it includes several SA-only benefits, including a license allowing the operating of diskless nodes (diskless PCs) and activation via VLK.^[14]

Since LM have multiple versions being sold to the public via their web site, there is no relationship to Windows 7 enterprise volume licensing as a target market ... I know where is going, please no EULA discussions.

 

Cheers, Rob.