The Official Windows 8 User Thread

[cboath]

Most big companies wouldn't have switched anyhow if you believe what MS was saying and that they're intending to go back to the new OS every 2-3 years model.

I've seen many a large corp IT guy say they don't really like doing full OS updates companywide because it's a gargantuan undertaking. They usually do it every other release.

 

[lkailburn]

I started by upgrading my laptop to 8 to test how it is (I don't use it that much anyway). I believe I can get used to the tile screen in itself, that seems like a nice and powerful tool. I also like increased performance (start time especially), the new tools are great (task manager) and Skydrive's integration is working quite well (though slightly slow to upload/download documents, but that might be my laptop's fault). Overall, I'd say the underlying O/S is a nice increment to W7.

What bothers me the most about 8 so far is the doubling of applications and/or configuration. It just does not seem to serve any purpose on a desktop. Granted, I can pretty much remove all of the applications I do not want, or simply assign file types and actions to whichever application I prefer, but the configuration by default should still be better than it is at the moment.

I'm a bit scared to install W8 on my main computer; I have a dual monitor setup and I've heard some people complaining about their setup not working very well in 8.

What scares me the for Windows 8 though is that people, especially enterprises, will not switch to it. There's just no way. I work daily with all sorts of people, most of whom are very well educated, and they will have issues working with Window XP/7's UI. That's an interface which has been mostly the same since 1995. I just don't see how a company would scrap all that and switch to something that is less intuitive.

I'm right there with you on both topics. I can completely see the metro area on a tablet and phone(and am actually looking to buy both this winter) but on a desktop/laptop it feels a little odd. Like why would I get the youtube app or Skype app when I already have Skype installed and just visit youtube.com. On a whole, i'm really starting to like having metro. It's slick. Just need to learn how to fully use it on a laptop.

And I definitely wont' be upgrading the vast majority of my clients to win8 for a long time. Most just wont understand it or see any benefit from it at their offices.

I had the same experience, finally remembered that I hadn't actually exited the apps I had been screwing around with, just closed them. They remain running in background. I had probably 18 apps running at one time. Haven't had a problem since I figured out ALT-F4 exits apps.

nah I thought that two. I never have more than 2 or 3 apps open in the metro area. Thanks though!
EDIT: well this morning I'm only idling at about 49* on the cores. I'll keep an eye on it over a longer period of time.

-Luke

 

[dougp]

Has anyone had issues on the lock screen with random pixels flashing?

My video card is a 660 Ti, and I'm using DisplayPort to my monitor. Wasn't sure if it might be a driver issue.

 

[Red Hawk]

Got Win8 for free through Dreamspark Premium (not at all willing to commit my own $ to it yet); giving it a try on my laptop. So far the whole Start "screen" and switching back and forth between it and the desktop is a rather jarring change, and it's rather annoyinging complex to get to a full program list and to browse through it. I can see how all this works with a touch screen, it's just not well suited for a track pad (haven't tried it with a mouse yet)


Random note: I was able to install it just fine under Ubuntu 12.04. A couple months ago I set up my laptop to dual-boot into either Ubuntu or Win7, and it does so by using a basic boot screen that's part of Ubuntu to either boot into full Ubuntu or Win7. I was worried that might interfere with the Win8 installation process or installing Win8 would require uninstalling Ubuntu. Fortunately, I was able to do a simple upgrade from Win7 to Win8 without uninstalling either Ubuntu or Win7. The Ubuntu boot screen still thinks I have Windows 7 though.

 

[blurredvision]

and it's rather annoyinging complex to get to a full program list and to browse through it.

I'm not sure how you're doing it now, so forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know. But, if you right-click anywhere in the start screen, even on an app, you get an "All Apps" option in the lower right. Click that and it pulls everything that's installed. It's a bit unwieldly to look at if you have a lot of stuff installed, but it's really not much worse than "All Programs" on the start button and it being recommended to pin what you use often.

You can also bring up the start menu and just start typing to search, if you're looking for something more specific.

I just didn't think either of those ways were annoying or complex, so thought I might point them out.

 

[Majic 7]

Downloaded yesterday, tried in place upgrade. Not so good results. Some of my Steam games wouldn't even start. Some would. After much screwing around I uninstalled Steam and all my games so I could move the steam folder back to my OS drive. Reinstalled Steam and Borderlands2 and Deus Ex, B2 didn't work before, Deus Ex did. Still the same. So I did a clean install and am now re-downloading my stuff. No steam yet, trying to get everything else in place first. 8 is kind of a pain to find stuff in but I'm getting there. One thing I haven't figured out yet is if you click on settings or even the built in PDF reader, I do like the built in, just hope it's not a security problem, the apps you used just keep running. Haven't figured out how to exit except to kill them in task manager. Ran into a problem enabling SLI in the control panel, I couldn't until I disabled a few running apps. ?

 

[olds]

Well then you're not running Windows 8, you're running the Windows 8 Release Preview.

Upgrading from the Release Preview is not supported. Officially you have to do a reinstall (I'm not sure if there are any INI hacks to bypass that this time).

I was able to upgrade from the Release Preview. Kept my desktop short cuts and my start menu short cuts to Music, Documents, etc. These are on my D drive.
Lost Start8 and can't find my password. I'll just pay the $5 again.

 

[cboath]

Downloaded yesterday, tried in place upgrade. Not so good results. Some of my Steam games wouldn't even start. Some would. After much screwing around I uninstalled Steam and all my games so I could move the steam folder back to my OS drive. Reinstalled Steam and Borderlands2 and Deus Ex, B2 didn't work before, Deus Ex did. Still the same. So I did a clean install and am now re-downloading my stuff. No steam yet, trying to get everything else in place first. 8 is kind of a pain to find stuff in but I'm getting there. One thing I haven't figured out yet is if you click on settings or even the built in PDF reader, I do like the built in, just hope it's not a security problem, the apps you used just keep running. Haven't figured out how to exit except to kill them in task manager. Ran into a problem enabling SLI in the control panel, I couldn't until I disabled a few running apps. ?

I'll agree, figuring out how to close apps was far from intuitive, but it's 2nd nature to me now.


When in an app, move your cursor to the top center of the app - the cursor will change to a hand, drag it to the bottom of the screen and let go and the app closes. Another method is after going back to your start screen, hover over the top left corner of the screen which will show you your open apps, right click on one in there and you can close it as well.

 

[Majic 7]

Have another oddity. When I return from sleep I am at the desktop. Is that normal? And thanks cboath, yes, very far from intuitive.

 

[olds]

Have another oddity. When I return from sleep I am at the desktop. Is that normal? And thanks cboath, yes, very far from intuitive.

I had that with the Preview version. Sometimes I was at the desktop. Sometimes I had to log in. Twice it was locked up and I had to restart.

Left the full version running overnight last night and I had to log in.

 

[Majic 7]

I did disable the setting that makes you log in every time you wake the pc.

 

[brotj7]

Ok, maybe I'm a bit dense. I have a 10% coupon for newegg for a Win 8 licence, I'd like to get Win 8 Pro to do a fresh install with no upgrade.

It seems the Amazon "Windows 8 Professional System Builder DVD 64-Bit" for $133.99 is the only version I can do a fresh install on. But newegg has "Microsoft Windows 8 Professional 64-bit (Full Version) - OEM" for $139.99 with the same model number "FQC-05956", but states this is a upgrade only install.

So is model number FQC-05956 the system builder version or an upgrade install???

 

[jacktesterson]

I can almost guarantee every version of windows will have metro or an updated version of it for touch screens. So is windows 7 the last os you use? Eventually you will almost be required to upgrade at some point. Maybe a new dx that will not work on win7 for example. Who knows


I wasnt gonna get win8 but for $40 I gave it a try and it is not all doom and gloom.

Oh I'll probably switch over eventually but am in no rush to do it until I have reason to. I don't see reason too for at least the next year.

My Biggest Issue with Windows 8 is no Start Menu on the desktop.

I like a clean desktop, and short cutting every little app so you don't have to go digging in Metro for it is really what annoyed me.

I had no stability issues at all.

 

[Mem]

Oh I'll probably switch over eventually but am in no rush to do it until I have reason to. I don't see reason too for at least the next year.

My Biggest Issue with Windows 8 is no Start Menu on the desktop.

I like a clean desktop, and short cutting every little app so you don't have to go digging in Metro for it is really what annoyed me.

I had no stability issues at all.

You know there are Start Menu add-ons available and plenty to choose from,I like a clean desktop too only have one icon on my Win8 desktop ie recycle bin.


I did not bother adding a Start Menu because got use to Win8 and have Win8 layout to my liking now.

 

[jacktesterson]

You know there are Start Menu add-ons available and plenty to choose from,I like a clean desktop too only have one icon on my Win8 desktop ie recycle bin.


I did not bother adding a Start Menu because got use to Win8 and have Win8 layout to my liking now.

Really. Missed this, may have to try again than

 

[Mem]

Really. Missed this, may have to try again than

See this thread http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2279753

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

So I bought my Dell laptop on June 22nd. I know Microsoft was running an offer where if you bought a PC from June 2nd you could get the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $15, but now I can't find the page. All the Windows 8 page on Microsoft lists is the $40 upgrade, but $15 seems a hell of a lot better price.

Anyone got a link or instructions?

 

[lkailburn]

So I bought my Dell laptop on June 22nd. I know Microsoft was running an offer where if you bought a PC from June 2nd you could get the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $15, but now I can't find the page. All the Windows 8 page on Microsoft lists is the $40 upgrade, but $15 seems a hell of a lot better price.

Anyone got a link or instructions?

http://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com/

I already registered a few pc's on it. Upgraded just fine.

 

[postmortemIA]

I'll agree, figuring out how to close apps was far from intuitive, but it's 2nd nature to me now.


When in an app, move your cursor to the top center of the app - the cursor will change to a hand, drag it to the bottom of the screen and let go and the app closes. Another method is after going back to your start screen, hover over the top left corner of the screen which will show you your open apps, right click on one in there and you can close it as well.

I don't know about you, I'd rather click on "x" and close it.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

http://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com/

I already registered a few pc's on it. Upgraded just fine.

Thanks. Worked perfectly.

 

[tvdang7]

Why can't i pin some programs to the start menu ,Or even find the programs......... like i have ventrilo ,The startmenu doesn't see where ventrilo is but its still on my desktop. Also i have steam on a seperate drive any way for the start menu to see that as well?

 

[olds]

Why can't i pin some programs to the start menu ,Or even find the programs......... like i have ventrilo ,The startmenu doesn't see where ventrilo is but its still on my desktop. Also i have steam on a seperate drive any way for the start menu to see that as well?

You can't right click ventrilo and select Pin to Start Menu?

 

[cboath]

I don't know about you, I'd rather click on "x" and close it.

It doesn't have to even be an 'x', just some clear sign that clicking here will close the app.

However, if you look at it from the tablet/phone space - no phone/tablet app I know of has an actual close button for apps. And before anyone chimes in with this is a desktop not a tablet, any game you take full screen has no close button either. You've got to got through the games settings to exit it.

I'd actually credit MS that there's an easy way to close apps on the phone/tablet or desktop as opposed to all other solutions where there isn't one at all. Easy and obvious though are two separate things.

They'd avoid a lot of bad PR if they'd just made a freaking 5-10 minute video showing you how to get around the new system instead of taking the 'figure it out' approach. Even a simple little link to a youtube channel would have been a brilliant move on their part.

 

[GnatGoSplat]

Anyone know if there's a Windows 7 Aero theme to make the window borders look just like Windows 7 Aero?
I was able to find a uxtheme patcher and ran it with no trouble, only to find there is no theme to make Win8 look like Win7, only the opposite.
I liked the transparent glass window borders, rounded corners, and how the top 3 buttons look on a hover. I don't care for the looks of the "Aero lite" hack that I've seen posted.

I even went so far as to replace the Win8 aero.theme and folder with that of Win7 to see what would happen. Wasn't good, nothing but black screen!

 

[tvdang7]

You can't right click ventrilo and select Pin to Start Menu?

I can find it in file explorer and pin it to desktop task bar. But i dont see it under programs to pin it to the metro start menu.