Help with Windows 8?

I recently had a bit of bad news on my old 7 laptop and found that the motherboard is going bad and it didn't have much time left so I had to get a new computer. I got a new laptop on Friday with Windows 8 and well... It's a mess. Windows 8 is a mess. I hate it to the very core. What I want help with are tips to make it more like Windows 7. I miss my start button and nice organized list of programs and such for one thing. I don't have time to be navigating through tile after tile just to find something and then have to keep scrolling between it and my desktop. That and if I move my cursor in one opened area such as the desktop, the other apps open randomly start popping up and it won't stop and it's very disruptive and annoying.

What can I do so that it'll be like having a... Usable computer again...?

Uninstall it and reinstall 7.

Absolutley no point making it 'look' like windows 7.

Personally, I couldn't go back to 7.

reply to post by Myomistress


Classic Shell - (Free)

Classic Shell's most newsworthy component is Classic Start Menu, and it's stellar. Hit the Windows key on your keyboard, and up pops a Start menu, just like you remember it from Windows 7 (or Windows Vista, or Windows XP–you can choose your own skin). Start typing to search for programs, hit Enter to launch.

Went through the same thing.
On your start page,right click in a blank spot and all your apps will show.
Add desktop app,that is a beginning.

A few other tips here,like having the start button and such......

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Good luck on learning the ropes!

Peace,
K

Originally posted by jhill76
reply to post by Myomistress

 

Classic Shell

Classic Shell's most newsworthy component is Classic Start Menu, and it's stellar. Hit the Windows key on your keyboard, and up pops a Start menu, just like you remember it from Windows 7 (or Windows Vista, or Windows XP–you can choose your own skin). Start typing to search for programs, hit Enter to launch.

You are a saint. I will probably do this first thing tomorrow whenever i have time to boot up the new laptop again. I'm on the dying Windows 7 one right now. Trying to get plenty of use out of it and am still using it while I bring things over to the new one such as document files, etc.

8 is different in many ways, and I also had a hard time with it when I first fired it up. But after I learned a few key things about how 8 is intended to be used, how it works, some shortcuts, etc... Its actually a very smart OS. It's clearly designed for the new touch screens... but it still works quite nice with mouse and keyboard once you get used to it.

I remember when everyone was moaning and complaining about Windows 95 when it first came out. Totally different interface from the one before it. Everyone hated the Start button and how "different" it all was and called Win95 crap. I think most of those people have forgotten about that now... Sometimes you just gotta give it a chance and take a ride on the Learning Curve.

reply to post by jhill76


I installed Windows 8 on Friday, and on Saturday I tried two Start button lookalikes, but on Sunday I decided to learn how to use Windows 8. After all, I learned how to use 3.1, 95, 2000, XP, Vista and 7 (although some had small differences from the previous version).

One of the problems is that Windows 8 was designed to work with touch-screens, but it also works with a laptop's touch-pad, as I discovered two weeks ago.

It's not difficult to use, just different. And slightly faster (after I stopped the indexing of my files, something that I have to do every time I install a new version of Windows).

OP, there are still plenty of Windows 7 machines out there to be had. Take it back, and get one of those. But in all honesty, as much as I despise Microsoft's "guinea pig" versions of Windows. You may as well learn how to use it. Then you will be prepared for the next incarnation when it comes along. 9 will be refined, and offer some things 8 doesn't, that will make it more conducive to the cross platform market.

This concept is nothing new, it's been around for decades. However, consumer available hardware hasn't been marketed until now to fully implement what's coming down the road a little ways yet.

reply to post by Klassified

OP, there are still plenty of Windows 7 machines out there to be had. Take it back, and get one of those.

You can not buy a Windows 7 machine in a big box store as of today. (Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, etc.) You will have to go to a computer store, online, or craigslist, to get a Windows 7 machine.

reply to post by ArMaP

One of the problems is that Windows 8 was designed to work with touch-screens, but it also works with a laptop's touch-pad, as I discovered two weeks ago.

One of the major annoyances is when you move the mouse and it goes to the metro UI. Here is a fix, if anyone is in need.

Disable Application Switching

reply to post by jhill76

Not true. I've bought 2 in the recent from Walmart for customers. However, they are getting harder to find. And soon online will be the only way to get one. No matter, just replace 8 with 7.

Learn Windows 8 in Four Minutes



Learn Windows 8 in Twenty-Five Minutes

reply to post by Myomistress

I miss my start button and nice organized list of programs and such for one thing.

This isn't a Win7-mirror solution, but it does help me navigate around pretty easily in Win8...

1. go to the desktop taskbar
   
2. right-click to bring up the little menu
   
3. click on Toolbars
   
4. Look for Desktop- click on that

This gives you a nice alphabetical list of all of the apps, shortcuts and folders on your desktop- available in a fast display, easy to use Toolbar menu.

Here this is the easiest way to fix Windows 8. Win8EasyFixer

Originally posted by MarkJS
This isn't a Win7-mirror solution, but it does help me navigate around pretty easily in Win8...

1. go to the desktop taskbar
   
2. right-click to bring up the little menu
   
3. click on Toolbars
   
4. Look for Desktop- click on that

This gives you a nice alphabetical list of all of the apps, shortcuts and folders on your desktop- available in a fast display, easy to use Toolbar menu.

That's a good idea, and it made me think of a slightly different version.

Instead of looking for the Desktop, look for the folder located at "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu".
I tried it on my computer (I did an upgrade from Windows 7, so I already had dozens of programs installed) and it worked, it shows, as you can probably guess, a list with what the Start Menu used to show.

reply to post by CyberneticProphet


That doesn't fix anything, only gets different problems.

reply to post by ArMaP

Instead of looking for the Desktop, look for the folder located at "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu".
I tried it on my computer (I did an upgrade from Windows 7, so I already had dozens of programs installed) and it worked, it shows, as you can probably guess, a list with what the Start Menu used to show.

Tried it, but the C:\ProgramData folder does not show up in Windows Explorer for me. I think it has something to do with me shutting off indexing for the C: drive (to conserve my harddrive). The C:\ProgramData folder does exist, as I can see it via a dir command in command.com.

reply to post by MarkJS


I disabled the indexing service, so I don't think that's the problem, and today I tried it on a computer in which Windows 8 was installed (not an upgrade), and the folder is also there. Did you try to write (or copy) the whole path, "C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart Menu"?

Edit: the "ProgramData" folder is a system/hidden folder, maybe that's why you don't see it. The first thing I do when I install Windows (for myself) is to make all files and folders visible.

reply to post by ArMaP

Thanks for the tip!

Great... Found it... Used Control Panel | Folder Options | View Tab to display hidden and system files. Couldn't find this before, as I was looking in Windows Explorer for this option. Silly me.

Now the folder C:_ProgramData_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu is made visible. It's a simple task now to create a shortcut to this folder for the desktop. Once this shortcut is created and sent to the desktop, all the programs therein are available by navigating to the taskbar desktop toolbar.

It's not a Win 7 mirror solution, but it sure helps. Great stuff.

Originally posted by MarkJS
Couldn't find this before, as I was looking in Windows Explorer for this option. Silly me.

It's there also. Click "View" and then, on the rightmost button, "Options".

It's not a Win 7 mirror solution, but it sure helps. Great stuff.

One of my co-workers started using this method today. I am trying to use Windows 8 as Microsoft expects me to use it, so I removed the toolbar.