Database Users

[Q] There's a problem with PC settings. Should I refresh my PC?

I upgraded my Windows 7 PC to Windows 8 (read: not a clean install) a few nights ago. Everything worked great, until recently. I changed the setting in PC settings to make everything appear larger. Now when I choose "Change PC settings" from the settings charm, I get the message: "This app can't open. There's a problem with PC settings. Refreshing your PC might help fix it."
Everything else seems to be working fine, but I am now stuck with a huge interface and no way to get into the PC settings. I have tried all of the obvious things (searching google/xda, restarting the PC, power off and on, etc.) As I understand it, performing a refresh will keep my Windows 8 apps, but will wipe out all my desktop programs. Am I correct in this? I really would like to avoid this, as I have a lot of programs installed, some of which I have lost the discs/installers for. What do you guys think?
EDIT: Now that I think about it, this also means I don't have access to many other important items such as Windows Update and user accounts.

mcimo88 said:
I upgraded my Windows 7 PC to Windows 8 (read: not a clean install) a few nights ago. Everything worked great, until recently. I changed the setting in PC settings to make everything appear larger. Now when I choose "Change PC settings" from the settings charm, I get the message: "This app can't open. There's a problem with PC settings. Refreshing your PC might help fix it."
Everything else seems to be working fine, but I am now stuck with a huge interface and no way to get into the PC settings. I have tried all of the obvious things (searching google/xda, restarting the PC, power off and on, etc.) As I understand it, performing a refresh will keep my Windows 8 apps, but will wipe out all my desktop programs. Am I correct in this? I really would like to avoid this, as I have a lot of programs installed, some of which I have lost the discs/installers for. What do you guys think?
EDIT: Now that I think about it, this also means I don't have access to many other important items such as Windows Update and user accounts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct me if I am wrong but if you can get to the modurn settings to do a refresh then you should be able to do an advanced boot. I thnk there is a repaire install there that will not wipe out your programs. That said if you find something as wimple as setting to make things bigger has done this there could be a host of bugs but it may be worth trying to find the registry entry for this and changing it back to see if it fixes the problem. Not sure where it is but google is good here - always backup the registry before making changes.

lumpaywk said:
Correct me if I am wrong but if you can get to the modurn settings to do a refresh then you should be able to do an advanced boot. I thnk there is a repaire install there that will not wipe out your programs. That said if you find something as wimple as setting to make things bigger has done this there could be a host of bugs but it may be worth trying to find the registry entry for this and changing it back to see if it fixes the problem. Not sure where it is but google is good here - always backup the registry before making changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot friend! I'll take a look when I get home.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
EDIT: Well, I just checked my PC and apparently the problem resolved itself. Hopefully it will stay that way!

Windows 8 FAQ:-Want to ask a question?Check here first!

The Windows 8 FAQ
In order to declutter the windows 8 general thread with unnecessary questions,I decided to create this FAQ.I have answered most of the common questions here and will be adding more and more answers as time goes by.If you want me to cover a question,just post it in this thread and ill answer them as soon as possible....
Q1.What Is A Clean Install? What's the difference between a clean install and an upgrade?
A1.A clean install means deleting the previous operating system completely,then replacing it with windows 8.You do this by booting from the cd and then installing windows 8.This is almost always the best way to install windows 8.
Q2.I copied the Iso file to my cd and burnt it,but its not booting from the cd.Why?
A2.This is because burning an ISO is not as simple as just copying the iso to the cd.You need software like IMGBurn or Free ISO Burner.After you download that,when you right click the ISO,you should get and option to burn to disk.Insert a BLANK dvd AND Burn away!
Q3.My Windows 8 Installation failed/froze/crashed!What do I do?
A3.The First thing to do if windows 8 doesn't install is to try again.Yes,try again.If it still doesn't work then try the following troubleshooting:
1)If you are trying an upgrade,forget it,take a backup of your data and do a clean install.
2)Unplug all unnecessary hardware like microphones,speakers,headphones etc
3)Check if all the setup files are proper and not corrupted
4)Check the serial key.
Q4.What is a Microsoft account?Is it necessary to create one?
A4.You do not need to create a Microsoft account to use your computer,as Microsoft allows you to use your computer with a local account.However you will not be able to sync your settings across devices,use the windows store and use Microsoft services like xbox live.
Q5.What Is Windows activation? Is it necessary?
A5.Windows activation is a way by which Microsoft prevent windows piracy.It checks whether your copy of windows is genuine or not.Windows activation is necessary within 30 days.
Q6.The Personalize option is greyed out.Why?
A6.The Personalization option is greyed out when your copy of windows 8 is activated illegally or not activated at all.
Q7.There are only 100 apps in the windows store.Why?
A7.There are only 100 apps available to the users of the preview versions of windows.
Q8.Metro apps are force closing or not opening at all.Why?
A8.This is most likely due to a low screen resolution.Metro apps need a minimum screen res of 1024 to work.
Q9.My C Drive is filling up.How do I free up the c drive to install more metro apps?
A9.You can use software like easeus partition master to remove space from your d and e drive and add it to your c drive.Post below for a complete guide.
Q10.Where are Metro apps installed?
A10.Metro apps are installed in a folder called windowsapps in the c program fies folder.It is a hidden folder.
Q11.How do I access the windowsapps folder?
A11.You will need to enable show hidden folders in folder options.Then navigate to the folder and change permissions from trustedinstaller to urself.Now u will be able to access windowsapps folder
Q12.How do I Rename Non metro tiles?
A12.Right click on the tile and click on open file location.Rename the original file and the tile should follow suit.
Q13.How Do I Delete Preinstalled Metro Apps?
A13.You will need to gain access to the windowsapps folder and then delete the app folder from there.
Q14.Im getting an error continuously when I try to get a developer license.Why?
A14.This is due to your copy of windows being activated illegally.
Q15.How do I sideload Metro apps?
A15.For this you need a developer license.To get one,Open the windows powershell as administrator and type:-Show-WindowsDeveloperLicenseRegistration.Then follow the wizard to get a license.
Q16.How Do I Get Back The Start Menu?
A16.This can be done in several ways.There are lots of software available solely for this purpose like stardock start8,Vistart,Startisback and pokki.Ill list the pokki method here since its free..Download the software Pokki.It is free and it gives back the start menu in all its goodness.Once you download click the acorn icon in the desktop and enable the show start menu option.
Q17.Is there a way to boot directly to desktop?
A17.This too can be done with pokki.Enable the boot to desktop option and youre done!
Q18.What are the minimum hardware requirements to run windows 8?
A18.Microsoft has confirmed that windows 8 will run on the same hardware that runs windows 7.In other words,if windows 7 works,windows 8 will too!
To be more specific,here are the minimum hardware requirements:
•1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
•1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
•16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
•DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Q19.How do I close a metro app?
A19.You do this by either pressing alt+f4 or dragging the app from the top to the bottom of the screen.You can also close an app by going to another app,hovering your mouse on the left side of the screen and then selecting the application and clicking close.
Q20.Do I need To close a metro app?
A20.Microsoft employs a system which automatically suspends applications when you click on the windows key and resumes them when you restart the app.In theory,this should allow you to open a lot of modern apps without closing any of them.
Q21.What is the Charms bar? How do I access it?
A21.The Charms bar is an attempt by Microsoft to put the most frequently used functions of the pc in one place.You can access the charms bar by hovering your mouse at the top right or bottom right corner of the screen.
Q22.How do I turn off my pc?
A22.You do this by going to the charms bar,clicking on power>shut down.
Q23.How do I switch between apps?
A23.Hover your mouse on the top left or bottom left of the screen to bring up the quick switch panel.Click on the app you want to switch to and youre done! You can also switch between an app and the start screen by clicking the windows key.
Q24.What is snap/crop view?
Windows 8 allows you to enjoy your applications in three ways.Snap,cropped and fullscreen.Fullscreen is when an app occupies the entire screen.Snap is when an app occupies about 1/4th of the screen and cropped is when an app occupies 3/4th of the screen.
Q25.How do I access snap/cropped view?
Pull down your mouse from the top of the screen.You will see a small bar dividing the screen.Put the app in the small space for snap and in the large space for crop.
Q26.How do I change pc settings?
A26.There are three ways to change settings.One,by using the control panel,two,by using pc settings in the charms bar,three,by using search.
Q27.Im not able to find the option I need in the control panel? What do I do?
A27.You will need to enable small icons view in the control panel to view all the options.
Q28.How do I Take A Screenshot?
A28.You do not need any external software to take a screenshot. Just press the win key +printscreen key to take a screenshot of your screen.
Q29.How do I Change My Homepage in the metro internet explorer?
A29.Change the homepage in the desktop internet explorer and the changes apply to the metro version too
Q30.The Modern version of IE10 suddenly disappeared from my start screen! How to get it back?
A30.The Modern version of IE10 will only appear if IE is set as your default browser. Set it as default and it should appear on your start screen!
Q31.What is Windows 8.1?
A31.Windows 8.1 is a major update to windows 8, part of the Windows Blue program of rapid updates.
Q32.Is Windows 8.1 A Free Update?
A32.Yes, Windows 8.1 will be available as a free update to all windows 8 users, through the Windows Store.
Q33.What's new in Windows 8.1?
A33.Windows 8.1 adds a start button, lock screen slideshows, 2 new tile sizes, lots of new apps, updates to existing system apps, live start screen backgrounds, ability to set desktop wallpaper as start screen wallpaper, boot to desktop, New universal search and much more!
........More To Be Added Soon!
If there is any other question you would like me to cover,Just post in this thread!

Nice thread. Maybe you can ad stardock start8 in the answer how to bring back the start button cause i think it's better then pokki.
Verstuurd van mijn GT-S5660

FlemishDroid said:
Nice thread. Maybe you can ad stardock start8 in the answer how to bring back the start button cause i think it's better then pokki.
Verstuurd van mijn GT-S5660
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thread Updated.Thanks for the suggestion.If you like the thread then please rate it

@Archangel. Thanks for sticky
Sent From My Muffin

mrappbrain said:
Thread Updated.Thanks for the suggestion.If you like the thread then please rate it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit: add a link to this thread on the question and answer thread
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Samsung galaxy s2
Rom: Jedi knight 6
kernel: Jedi kernel 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And you thought celebrities weren't smart! =P

mrappbrain said:
Thread Updated.Thanks for the suggestion.If you like the thread then please rate it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would highly recommend startisback.
Absolute a beauty and the best and even better then start8
Verstuurd van mijn PC906 met Tapatalk

cozy59 said:
I would highly recommend startisback.
Absolute a beauty and the best and even better then start8
Verstuurd van mijn PC906 met Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.Added!

Hi guys! I have an issue. I accidently uninstalled the store app and the settings app too so when I click on change PC settings it doesn't show anything.. I will upload a screenshot showing whats wrong. Any ideas for how to fix this?

manny18pr said:
Hi guys! I have an issue. I accidently uninstalled the store app and the settings app too so when I click on change PC settings it doesn't show anything.. I will upload a screenshot showing whats wrong. Any ideas for how to fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please post in the correct threads.Anyway,I answered your question in the question and answer thread

First of all, nice thread . One small request. For Q9, could you add this thread to the answer: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2249283
That would be great thanks :thumbup:
Sent from my YP-G1 using Tapatalk 2

after putting my recovery partition onto a usb drive can i just copy the files off elsewhere (server) and put back onto a usb drive if i need to recover it?

Thanks, great thread and learn some good tips for Windows 8 PC. How do these tips works on tablet where mouse pointer is not available?

pwanghk said:
Thanks, great thread and learn some good tips for Windows 8 PC. How do these tips works on tablet where mouse pointer is not available?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
on tablet tapping the screen in a location is simply a mouse left click (unless the software specifically supports touch) and then pressing and holding for a brief period of time is a right click. This is actually a step backwards as on windows 7 you could do a much faster right click by pressing 1 finger down and then immediately tapping next to it with another finger.
With a wacom stylus, they are actually detected slightly above the screen. This I think allows you to move the cursor around without having to click in that location as you would on a regular touchscreen. Tapping with the stylus is then left click. Some styluses have either a button you hold as you tap or the ability to tap with the back of the pen as a right click. Hovering the stylus over the screen to move the cursor around also allows you to trigger rollover textboxes on websites or tooltips I think. Not 100% sure having had only limited time with a stylus equipped tablet.
Alternately. There isnt a single windows tablet out there that doesn't have USB and bluetooth capabilities. So you could use a USB mouse or a bluetooth mouse.

Should I install Windows 8.1 RTM as daily driver? I found ISO and don't know what happen if I upgrade. Does it it;s just update like Win7 to Win8 like or I will use all my apps?

Kir3 said:
Should I install Windows 8.1 RTM as daily driver? I found ISO and don't know what happen if I upgrade. Does it it;s just update like Win7 to Win8 like or I will use all my apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for daily usage wait for 8.1 to be available via windows update. The public versions right now are slightly buggy betas for developer usage, not public usage, its a fresh install not an upgrade. It will be available for free as a system update later this year

SixSixSevenSeven said:
for daily usage wait for 8.1 to be available via windows update. The public versions right now are slightly buggy betas for developer usage, not public usage, its a fresh install not an upgrade. It will be available for free as a system update later this year
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks. The 8.1 update will be availabe on 18 Oct, but I can't wait until taht because soon, I will start college. I have Windows 8 since RTM. I will have a bit more research and will see.

offspin2040 said:
The Windows 8 FAQ
....If you want me to cover a question,just post it in this thread and ill answer them as soon as possible....
...
Q5.What Is Windows activation? Is it necessary?
A5.Windows activation is a way by which Microsoft prevent windows piracy.It checks whether your copy of windows is genuine or not.Windows activation is necessary within 30 days.
Q6.The Personalize option is greyed out.Why?
A6.The Personalization option is greyed out when your copy of windows 8 is activated illegally or not activated at all.
...
If there is any other question you would like me to cover,Just post in this thread!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK I am taking up the offer:
Qn. Is Windows activation done automatically or do I have to go to control panel or somewhere to do the activation?
Qn+1. My Personalize option is not greyed out, does that mean my Windows activation has been done automatically? I don't remember doing any kind of activation since I got the new PC.
Thank you for the great list of Q&A.

Running Win 8, will you be able to do an in-place upgrade to Win 8.1. keeping apps and personal files?

SharpnShiny said:
Running Win 8, will you be able to do an in-place upgrade to Win 8.1. keeping apps and personal files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, after release on 18, you can upgrade without losing files and apps. If you have the Preview you can upgrade to 8.1 but only keep personal files.

Kir3 said:
Yes, after release on 18, you can upgrade without losing files and apps. If you have the Preview you can upgrade to 8.1 but only keep personal files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about if you're running the preview?
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[Q] Turn Off Cloud Storage for Games

Hi I seen a hack for this in the registry before, but I cannot find it now!
Every game that I open up spends about 20 seconds at the loading screens, I guess that's retrieving save data in the cloud. It's a waste of time and I don't need solitare saves stored in the cloud for other PCs. Starting these games in W7 is rocket fast instead.
I did Google this and checked the FAQs here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2048548

Probably this,
http://www.howtogeek.com/167058/how-to-disable-skydrive-integration-in-windows-8.1
Of course if you are not using Metro apps, using a local account disables Skydrive and all Metro stuff. For those interested in only "legacy" Windows--raises hands--it's a simpler world than having to deal with new MS-created complications.
Heh, I learned something new about 8.1 while at above page, that disk encryption is enabled by default for new PCs that have Connected Standby. Since only Atom devices thus far have CS, I never ran into this issue. Good to know if I ever pick up a Bay Trail toy.
http://www.howtogeek.com/173592/win...drives-by-default-everything-you-need-to-know

Huh. I wonder if you can still use manage-bde.exe to tweak (or suspend) the encryption. The default configuration (TPM protector and recovery key protector only) isn't really all that strong. TPM+Pin is much stronger, for example, or you can go full multi-factor and require a flashdrive with a key on it, too.
Anybody with RT 8.1 want to test this? Try just suspending it first:
Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator.
Run the command (without quotes) "manage-bde -protectors -disable C:"
On RT 8.0 (or on any other BitLocker-capable version of Windows going back to Vista), that puts BitLocker in "suspended" state (writes a plain-text key to the disk, which can be used to decrypt the actual encryption key). Incidentally, this is handy if you need to tweak something in the boot process (which will normally upset the TPM) without needing to either enter your recovery key or decrypt-and-re-encrypt the drive.
To the OP: do you have any actual reason whatsoever to believe that this is the cause of the problem? For example, have you observed any network traffic during this time? If you start the game without being connected to the Internet, does it start faster?
From Microsoft, on the subject of roaming storage:
Windows roams app data opportunistically and doesn't guarantee an instant sync. In scenarios where a user is offline or on a high latency network, roaming could be delayed significantly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which strongly implies that roaming data will not delay app startup.
In any case, I believe you can turn it off (system-wide) if you want to. Settings charm -> Change PC settings -> Sync your settings -> App settings. (Note: this is from 8.0, 8.1 may be different.)

Thanks for the feedback.
I'm currently using a local account yep.
As for delays, yes, when I used a MS account in the past, login would take about 10 seconds - after clicking enter when the password was filled in. I definitely did edit something once before that eliminated having to wander around several loading screens. It was either in the registry or group policy, it was something that I disabled...I went on a disable-spree (after creating restore point) for cloud sync and everything was faster. That was on 8.0 with a MS account. I'm using 8.1 with a local account and the only annoyance with this is games. It's not a major issue of course, but 20+ seconds for solitare/mahjong is awful.
I just tried opening games with flight mode on and it took less than 10 seconds. If you have 50MB broadband or better, that's great, I bet it doesn't lag but I don't.

The problem likely lies with the games you installed. The downside to net-access ubiquity is that it's now the norm for apps to "phone home." But it wasn't too long ago that "phone-home" software was considered spyware. Then, it behooves you to seek out games a few years older, which should obviate the phone-home tendency. For the common casual games for Windows, it shouldn't be hard to find.
An alternative to switching off wifi is to exclude said games from net access from the Windows firewall.

[APP][NO ROOT] Tethering Manager is back!!!!

This app disappeared from Playstore a while back.
Read the original thread here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=51998799#post51998799
Get it by visiting the link below:
www.1mobile.com/tethering-manager-652054.html
Old devices make really good mobile wifi hotspots and portable media servers(for devices that support this functionality). I wouldn't splash $300 on a new device just to do this and chances are I'd have more face time with my new device than I'd do with the old one. That said, I'd like to have the ability to turn the hotspot on and off without having to fiddle through the settings each time and to that effect, this app also comes with a widget.
HOWEVER: The developers of this app have discontinued it's support. This is the response when I mailed the support team:
Hi,
Thank you for your email, unfortunately,
supporting this app is discontinued and we
pulled it from Google play due to changes in
Android OS...
Best regards
The main issue is that the wifi network security options JUST DON'T WORK!!! You'll set up the hotspot fine; Enter the SSID, choose the security option etc. But when you activate the hotspot, it security is set to OPEN. You have to manually change the security each time which is a nuisance.
Possible reasons for this could be because I'm running a nightly build of CyanogenMod 7.2. The wifi tethering has only two options for security; Open and WPA2/PSK while the app has 3; Open, WPA/PSK and WPA2/PSK. If the developer is comparing a selected index rather than a selected item to the phone's options, choosing option 3 in the app(index 2) would pass and invalid state when compared to the phone's options because they only go as far as option 2(index 1). This is why the setting is set to open, as a fall back because trying to set to index 2 failed. I found this to be true when I selected the second option(index 1) in the app which is WPA/PSK. After the hotspot is active, the security is set to WPA2/PSK which is the second option(index 1) in the tethering options.
If any of you have used this app, then you'll know that there is no better app available. Let's just hope that the support for the app will start again soon to fix this issue for CyanogenMod users.

Manage Device Administrators (Enable Android Device Manager)

Manage Device Administrators​On most Android devices, you assume Android Device manager will work without having to set it up. With the Honor 8's device administration security features, one more step is required.
Device Administrators
An app with Device Administrator activated with be able to perform actions like:
Erase all data
Change the screen-unlock password
Set password rules
Monitor screen-unlock attempts
Lock the screen
If you've ever tried an app that needs to perform one of these actions, and it's not working properly, it's probably because you do not have that app activated in your device administration settings.
Activate Device Administration Permissions for Apps
To access the device administrator menu, go to Settings > Advanced Settings > Security > Device Administrators
One app that you'll find is not activated is Android Device Manager. If you want to use all of the features like remote locking your device or wiping your data, you'll need to activate this app. This is an important security app and is a life saver if your phone ever gets stolen. So make sure you activate it.

I can't activate any device adminstrator in Settings > Security > Device Administrators. When I hit “activate”，It just move back to the list screen and nothing happens, every checkbox remain unchecked.
I think this is due to the rom customization，which rooted the device initially.
Is there any way to activate an app as device administrator other than click "activate" within settings, e.g. by editing some files?
thanks!

smthvitas said:
I can't activate any device adminstrator in Settings > Security > Device Administrators. When I hit “activate”，It just move back to the list screen and nothing happens, every checkbox remain unchecked.
I think this is due to the rom customization，which rooted the device initially.
Is there any way to activate an app as device administrator other than click "activate" within settings, e.g. by editing some files?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you have to go to battery settings and choose the app you want to not close after the screen goes off, then you can activate it and will stay active

leo06 said:
you have to go to battery settings and choose the app you want to not close after the screen goes off, then you can activate it and will stay active
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for your help!
actually I'm using a android TV OS, and there's nothing except a battery saver option in battery settings, which is off now.
I've been googling for 2 hours but nothing actually works on me.

hello, im fairly new to this, im using an alcatel fierce4 with marshmallow 6.0.1.....its brand new to me, just got it a week ago, I downloaded a app called secret video recorder, it didn't work and said I needed to add it to device administrator, so I did, now I'm noticing severe device lag and constant full page ads on any random screen, I tried to remove the app from device admin and when I do it crashes my settings app, ive tried to hard reset my device and the app is still there...pls help

I have installed outlook on realme xt which is managed by my company.
This app gets deactivated regularly in realme xt.
What is rootcause and solution for this