Database Users

[Q] Installing Windows 8 non-partitioned on primary machine

How stupid is it to upgrade to Windows 8 on your main laptop? I use it for photoshop and microsoft office.
I don't have enough space to partition the drive, but I really want windows 8. I just am worried about regretting it.

I have installed it on my main machine, no problems, runs everything I install, I have Photoshop Element 9 and it runs well. Download the Consumer Preview Setup Program, run it first to see if you'll run into problems, you can either continue to install from Setup Program, this will download and install in a accordance with how you wish to install, or you can download .iso, burn to DVD, just cancer Setup Program and install from DVD, I did it that way. Jim

its always best to install a beta OS on either a different partition or second drive. to make it so you can get another partition you have to shrink the space of the current one.

I can say that Photoshop works fine, i don't use MS Office so can't help you there. A second partition or a virtual machine would be your best bet if your unsure though.

I agree. I set up a partition to test all the programs I currently run. They all passed with flying colors (sorry, no PS or MSOffice ).
Once I was satisfied, I deleted the partition, installed 8 on my primary, and now I'm 100% windows 8 on my PC. Loving it!

guys, c'mon, its a beta! Betas expire!
There may be a way to upgrade to purchased W8 without losing everything, then again there may not, we'll have to wait and see. There's definitely not going to be a way to easily "step back down" to windows 7 or older.
Obviously you can backup files and reinstall some programs, but you have to think about this realistically

Im not sure but is the consumer preview out yet?
Bcoz ive been using the developer's pre on my laptop dual booting alongside win 7 ofc...Since its really buggy.....(I.E: While gaming or using a program accidentally clicking on the bottom left side of your screen(clicking the startup button)will bring u back to desktop.
Might aswell wait for the betas coz it feels like it more in an alpha mode right now!

Developer preview was alpha, consumer preview is the beta & much less buggy & out now.
As for upgrading later to full release, it doesn't take much to back up your documents if you have too.
The consumer preview comes in a couple of different flavours, iso & installer. The installer allows you to upgrade windows seven keeping your documents and programs that are known to be compatible. However, that option didn't work for me when I tried it. It would point to Microsoft making an effort to make migration to windows 8 in the future a lot less painful.

deamoniac7 said:
Im not sure but is the consumer preview out yet?
Bcoz ive been using the developer's pre on my laptop dual booting alongside win 7 ofc...Since its really buggy.....(I.E: While gaming or using a program accidentally clicking on the bottom left side of your screen(clicking the startup button)will bring u back to desktop.
Might aswell wait for the betas coz it feels like it more in an alpha mode right now!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's not a bug, that's by design.
and that holds true for the consumer preview as well, which is out now, has been for a while.

How many of you installed it like This:
http://www.hyper-v.nu/archives/hvre...oot-from-vhd-with-windows-8-consumer-preview/
or http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Guide...s8DeveloperPreviewOffAVHDVirtualHardDisk.aspx
When you are done, Just delete the VHD drive I have it running on 2 machines and everything is working fine.

Pumpiron579 said:
How many of you installed it like This:
http://www.hyper-v.nu/archives/hvre...oot-from-vhd-with-windows-8-consumer-preview/
or http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Guide...s8DeveloperPreviewOffAVHDVirtualHardDisk.aspx
When you are done, Just delete the VHD drive I have it running on 2 machines and everything is working fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would have suggested this too. Safest way to test w8. Gives you access to your main harddrive too. Just make sure ur main partition is ntfs. To make following the tutorial easy.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using Tapatalk 2 Beta-4

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

Question before installing Windows 8?

1. If Im running windows 7 64bit, can I upgrade to a windows 8 64bit right from windows 7 without having to format hard drive?
2. If so, can I create a restore point in windows 7 in case I want to go back once windows 8 is installed?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

For question 1, yes, this is what I did.
For question 2 I don't know.

SysAdmNj said:
1. If Im running windows 7 64bit, can I upgrade to a windows 8 64bit right from windows 7 without having to format hard drive?
2. If so, can I create a restore point in windows 7 in case I want to go back once windows 8 is installed?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes you can. the installer will give you options on what you want to keep
no. you must create a restore image on an external hard drive if you want to return back to windows 7

In-place upgrades are possible and are technically a supported scenario, but they are a *terrible* idea. They are, at best, going to save you a bit of time reinstalling apps (even though the install process itself takes vastly longer when doing an in-place upgrade, so I'm not sure it's a net positive even there). At worst, you'll end up with an unbootable system due to an unexpected driver incompatibility or something silly like that, lose all your data, and need to reformat and do a clean install anyhow. The usual result is somewhere in between; your system will be less stable than it should be, will take longer to boot up, some programs won't work after the upgrade and will need to be reinstalled anyhow, and at some point in the near-ish future (six months to two years) your systme will develop odd misbehaviors that will require you to effectively reinstall WIndows anyhow (that's what the refresh and reset operations in Win8 basically do, with or without preserving your files, respectively).
Also, if you opt for a clean install, you'll know you have a backup of all your data. That's pretty valuable. You can (and should; the bit about the upgrade failing and you losing access to your data was not a joke) make such a backup anyhow, of course.
As for being able to revert to Win7, the only way that'll happen is if you back up the whole system drive. Restore points don't work between major versions; if you do an in-place upgrade, you won't be able to downgrade it again short of restoring a backup or wiping the system and instally Win7 cleanly.

I did it
SysAdmNj said:
1. If Im running windows 7 64bit, can I upgrade to a windows 8 64bit right from windows 7 without having to format hard drive?
2. If so, can I create a restore point in windows 7 in case I want to go back once windows 8 is installed?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After doing an in place Upgrade on my box i hope my story will help you.
I simply couldn't resist the offer MS made 'til 28 Feb 2013 so i downloaded Windows 8 64 Bit to my Laptop and after the Upgrade Assistant gave me a green light and promised except for the ATI drivers everything should work out i started the upgrade. After roughly 4 h the Upgrade process was done and windows 8 ready. Even the mentioned ATI driver was not a big problem because after the initial upgrade windows 8 asked if i would care to update it and did so.
Windows 8 is creating a Backup of your current installation so there is a restore point you can use. I did not try it out and after 2 weeks i deleted the restore Point.
So far so good. The installation wasn't that complicated. Unfortunately after that i could no longer install any Program or update. The reason behind it was that the upgrade process is exchanging something in the users Registry and after that the security checks simply denied me access to the file System. Even booting in recovery mode did not help (just like my Android GBook tablet at the moment ) . Only way to cope this was to create a new User with Admin Rights as a replacement. Doing so one of my document Folders got lost in transition. I still have no Idea what happened but after moving a Folder from MyDocuments user old to MyDocouments user new the Move process suddenly died and the files where gone. I did have a Backup so luckily it was just annoying but still gave me a rough time figuring out what happened.
You will probably be bothered to reinstall some applications (MS Apps will work) and the new interface is something to get used to for a Lot of Developers.
My System turned quiet a bit slower because of the ever running index service etc. Indexing is even denying write access to newly created files quite regularly and you will have to wait for it to finish before file operations are possible. You definitively have to tune system services if you want a system that is not slowing you down.
My final advice after 2 Month using Win8?
Don't do an in place upgrade it if you don't have to. Windows 7 was working perfectly for me. After 15 years of IT Support under my belly (even thou most of it doing Back-office Servers) Win7 felt like an OS that wasn't in the way and did a great Job. Windows 8 will get in your way via slowing down your Box and making steps that were natural in win7 more cumbersome.
Especially System settings are more or less hidden (because the average "dummy" user needs to be protected from it :silly: ) and are hard to find. Turning every entry in your Start menu into an Metro Icon does not Help either. It's just messing up your start screen. Be Prepared to switch between metro and "normal Desktop" quite often if you are still using "older" programs. Even if you don't want to your Program will decide for you .
I think a fresh install helps in that category because it might make it easier to "switch your mind" to the new environment. It will also be a chance to clean your System of old and rarely used programs.
If you still want your Upgrade make sure your Backups are up to date and Working!
Hope this is helping you out.
Cheers
Lanman99

Thanks for enlightening us on the new screw-ups and mishaps of Win8 upgrades. The availability of the downgrade restore point is a new and welcome change, but the rest sounds about right for an upgrade.
Four hours to upgrade (when a clean install takes 15 minutes): check
Permissions messed up afterward: check
Performace actually decreased (even though a clean install of Win8 performs better than a clean install of Win7 on the same hardware): check
Data loss (your Documents folder): check
As for your points re: Win8 itself: first of all, if your only experience with it is based on that abomination of an in-place upgraded system, assume everything you "know" about the OS from that experience is wrong. I've been running Win8 for ~1.5 years now (counting betas) and have never had the problem with indexing service (which runs low-priority and doesn't take system resources that you're trying to use for anything else), data loss from library or folder movement, or any of the other problems you mention. I did try an upgrade install during the betas, but the result was trash - a bunch of features didn't work afterward, and the performance was worse than it should be - and the response when I reported the issues was "do a clean install". Upgrade installs are only *technically* supported; even MS thinks they're a bad idea.
Judging on OS based on an upgrade install is like judging a car model based on taking that car's interior and body, but replacing the engine, transmission, suspension, electronics, wheels, brakes, lights, and wipers with random junk you pulled out of a wrecking yard (without checking the original model) and beat into shape with a hammer and a hacksaw. Sure, it *looks* like it's easier (cheaper than making the needed money to buy the actual model) than buying a new car, and if you're really careful and moderately lucky, it will actually run pretty well and not strand you in the middle of nowhere or burst into flame or something awkward like that. It's going to be a complete pain in the ass to maintain though, you'll end up having spent a ton of time hacking it together in the first place and then keeping it running until you quickly pass the point where it would have been easier to just get the new car, and in the meantime it will never perform as well as it "should" have. Putting a bunch of junk car parts in a BMW body does not mean you're driving a BMW.
By the way, those problems that I didn't have? That even includes the "switching back and forth" thing, because I found it was a lot better to just not use Metro at all. I treat the Start screen the same way I treat the Start menu on older NT6.x versions: an irrelevant graphical thing that pops up for the half second where I type the name of a program I want, in between when I hit the Windows key and when I hit Enter. I pinned my most-used apps to the taskbar. My typical admin stuff is on the Win+X (or right-click the Start button - yes, there is one, it's just hidden until you hover over it) menu. Outlook is a better mail client than Mail, and better scheduling tool than Calendar. Pidgin is better than Messenger. If for some reason I want to log into Facebook, I have this thing called a "web browser" (which runs in a window, with all its features instead of a crippled subset of them, thank you very much).
Metro Skype is good enough I do use it sometimes, although I snap it to one edge of my (very wide) screen so it doesn't get in the way; I've considered going back to desktop Skype anyhow. Desktop SkyDrive is much better than the Metro one. Same for desktop OneNote vs. the Metro version. The only Metro apps I actually use much are games, and frankly I don't use Metro games that often on my main (desktop) Win8 box; why would I, when I could play Eve Online or Civilization / Alpha Centauri instead?

I only had the problem of a few games and visual studio needing a reinstall on my upgraded system. Not one of the other issues mentioned.
Oh, also had an issue where before the update it said my GPU drivers wouldn't work post upgrade, they did and as soon as I upgraded I was able to obtain native windows 8 drivers anyway. My integrated GPU was fine.

GoodDayToDie said:
Thanks for enlightening us on the new screw-ups and mishaps of Win8 upgrades. The availability of the downgrade restore point is a new and welcome change, but the rest sounds about right for an upgrade....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Abomination is probably a bit harsh (i'm still working on that monster )
Don't get me wrong. I don't wan't to bash windows 8 for the sake of it. I just don't see a urgent reason to advise SysAdmNj to upgrade. Especially not an in-place upgrade. And i definitely agree that a clean install is the first choice to move to any new OS.
BUT surprisingly i pulled the same stunt growing from Vista to win7 on my Dell Studio 17 which went great. I had 1 issue with the on-board camera but other than that my notebook was running better, faster and more stable afterward and that was the primary reason why i tried it again with win7 to win8 on my lenovo. Still i got it working and at least it gave me valuable support experience and it's a dirty job but somebody...
Reason to try Metro is also based on my Idea to stay ahead of my Users. I think Metrostyle systems will be heading in our direction if we want it or not. It is to tempting for the marketing branches of our major OS vendors so i keep tinkering with it.
That "Back and Forth" simply lies in the program designs. It will just take me some time to get used to it, sorry but i'm old ).
Some of my apps (namely Hotmail which became Outlook) are seamlessly integrated and as you already mentioned much better than before most others are still written for WinXP/Vista/7 and will bring you back to familiar havens. Internet is done by a heavily customized FF portable, so carefree covered.
My main critique boils down to System settings Metro style. A lot of settings, tools and tweaks which grew into supporters hands look castrated to fit the average users need. That really is annoying. It looks i have to brush up on system scripting skills to support my colleagues. Thought i could get away with less typing these days :crying:.
...and yes switching a self patched '74 Beetle engine in a 2013 Beamer won't make a Racing machine but it looks funny trying to get away with it .

Right click the start icon on the desktop and there is a control panel link. Just the same as win7

SixSixSevenSeven said:
Right click the start icon on the desktop and there is a control panel link. Just the same as win7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes if you are on your desktop. Starting up Metro won't give you that. You have to switch to your Desktop first. Or activate "All Apps" and sidescroll to Systemsettings. Besides it is not integrated which leads you again to your Desktop.
So System Settings = getting around Metro. The Settings Metro offers are still limited. Which IMHO is not a good way to do it. Yes it sounds nitpicking but if MS decides to get completely rid of our beloved Desktop, Metro is all you get.
But as i said, maybe just getting old...

On the metro start screen if you start typing it automatically fires up search. Type control and usually control panel is right there in front of you. Very quick and metro based.
But I agree, we could do with a native metro control panel.

SixSixSevenSeven said:
On the metro start screen if you start typing it automatically fires up search. Type control and usually control panel is right there in front of you. Very quick and metro based.
But I agree, we could do with a native metro control panel.
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In windows 8.2, there is supposed to be the Pc settings with more options like power options in it. This will not get rid of the desktop control panel though
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

Maybe I should have created a poll. Should I stay on windows 7 or upgrade?
I dont know now. I'm not crazy about windows 8. I'm fine on windows 7. Thing is most laptops come with windows 8 so I thought I might as well start familiarizing myself more. Although to be honest I think even if I was to buy a new laptop with windows 8, I would just clone that image and just restore a windows 7 image with all my apps etc. That or just change the hdd with mines
But thanks for all the insights.

Win8 does perform better, and has some cool new features (built-in ISO mounting, for example, is long overdue). If you do what I do, and mostly treat it as Win7 that has one more slot on the Taskbar than normal, it's a great OS. There are some things that mildly bug me, like the removal of window border transparency, but that's hardly a big deal.
The Win+X menu (or right-click on Start) can be done from anywhere; you don't have to be on the Desktop already. Selecting the Control Panel from that menu will open up the Desktop-mode Control Panel whether you're in the Desktop, the Start screen, or some Metro app.

I actually prefer the lack of border transparency and the flat colours etc, guess that's just personal preference though.

If you have a spare box--techies should always have a spare box--pop Win8 onto it to play around. If you're happy with Win7, I'd stick with that for your production box(es).
It's OK to skip Win8 (and 8.1). It's a transition rev, and biz won't migrate to it. There'll be more changes when Win9 rolls out next year, so even if you're set on sticking with Win, you can save half the work by jumping on Win9 then, because sure as heck you won't stay with 8.x when 9 is out.
Basically, if it's fun, then do it. If it's work, then don't.

There hasn't even been so much as a hint from Microsoft that there will be a windows 9 any time soon. I think we're in for a few more years of updates yet, windows 8 can still be "fixed".

Microsft stated - over a year ago, I think - that Windows was moving to an annual, smaller-releases cycle. Win8 and WP8 were the first OSed released after that announcement, with "Blue" for Windows and Windows Phone expected later this year (about one year after the W*8 releases). WP9-related job postings, referencing that OS by name/number, have already been posted on LinkedIn as well.

Is the new Windows 8 finally worth the transition from 7?

My biggest fear is that troubleshooting, and the hell hole of creating network drives, sharing permissions and all kinds of other thigns I had to do to stream my Media to my android and PS3 will just repeat itself or get worst if I upgrade.
What are the general experiences with media and directory sharing on Windows 8 vs Windows 7? Can you drop all of Microsoft's security mechanisms as a whole?

hm
write a simple script for your network file sharing, are you doing an upgrade or going from scratch?

buffalosolja42 said:
write a simple script for your network file sharing, are you doing an upgrade or going from scratch?
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Unsure about that. I would like to from scratch since if I do make the move to Windows 8 I will probably load it onto an SSD and have two HDDs for storage

Wrong forum, mate. This is Windows Phone 8. The Windows 8 forum is over there. Please ask a moderator to move this thread.

I was shocked with how stable Windows 7 is, it very rarely freezes or reboots etc.
I can't believe how often Windows 8 freezes, reboots, fails to start, can't diagnose startup problems or if it does, I do it 3 times and somehow it finds a problem on the third time, why is that?
I use exactly the same programs on each OS. I have used 8 preview, 8 and now 8.1 each one is unstable and creates problems. For a desktop user, it's a nightmare.

SharpnShiny said:
I was shocked with how stable Windows 7 is, it very rarely freezes or reboots etc.
I can't believe how often Windows 8 freezes, reboots, fails to start, can't diagnose startup problems or if it does, I do it 3 times and somehow it finds a problem on the third time, why is that?
I use exactly the same programs on each OS. I have used 8 preview, 8 and now 8.1 each one is unstable and creates problems. For a desktop user, it's a nightmare.
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I have been running windows 8 on my daily use machine since the week it launched, not once has it frozen, rebooted or failed to boot. Nor have I heard of such prolific issues from anyone else

Honestly I threw 8.1 preview on one of two new boxes at home, 7 Ultimate on the other.
Both with SSD caching and boot times are similar. Performance also seems similar.
I got one copy of 8 for one system and one for the other.
Metro was made for touch screens (and is great with one) - but the box with 8 will never have it.
So I have it boot straight to desktop and I'll live on the desktop except for occasionally finding an app.
(Think I might look at that Pokki or other start menu alternatives..)

If you have a touch screen go 8. If you don't stick with 7...

According to me it is not up to the mark...... 7 is better may be future updates may change my attitude...
Sent from my Xperia U using xda app-developers app

I cannot find *one* thing superior in windows 7 to windows 8 bar the fact that driver signature enforcement is enabled (but can be disabled for a single boot if you need to install some drivers anyway, once installed an unsigned driver will work fine after a reboot).
Start button being absent like everyone complains about. Who seriously uses the start button? All it does is let you launch programs or shut the PC down. Well I can launch programs just fine from desktop (albeit I like a clean desktop so don't), task bar, start screen or via search. Search is easy to get to, hit the windows key to go to the start screen, start typing and it immediately searches for that program. Shutdown, I never shut down from the start bar anyway and haven't in years, Control-Alt-Delete, or charms bar > settings > Power > Shutdown. Or windows key + D to go to desktop (or the button on the task bar, or some other way that I don't care to mention) and hit alt-F4 and windows will prompt for shutdown. Admin functions like control panel etc, hold the windows key and press X, a menu appears where the start button used to reside and lists most useful functions immediately, or you can move the mouse into the bottom left so the button to go to the start screen appears and then right click it.
Metro/Start as they prefer to call it that (seriously, they dropped the metro name way before full release) you look at for all of 2 seconds. I have a tile on it to go to desktop, but prefer to use windows key + D. Other than that, I actually use it with tiles for my favourite programs neatly pinned to it.
The start button is archaic. I saw someone saying that its impossible to throw away years of using a start button, I honestly wondered who was still using it, it was hideous. I got my first PC when I was 8, 2002 if you must know. At the age of 8 you learn to do things 1 way and usually stick to that. Yet I got windows 8 shortly after release (it was still during the discounted price period) and adapted to the lack of start bar within an hour, prior to that I was a heavy computer user. There we go, 11/12 years of heavy computer usage with the start bar being present and I throw it out within an hour. That was so hard.
Things change. Deal with it. The start button has been with us for how long and it is finally old enough that it needs putting to rest. Once upon a time we only used "primitive" command line entry systems (many still do), many of those users were angry when the modern desktop appeared, now its commonplace.

SixSixSevenSeven;45816830 ...
Start button being absent like everyone complains about. Who seriously uses the start button?[/QUOTE said:
Are you serious?
Given that Windows 8 has been dubbed the new Vista by many major publications, computer experts and power PC users, and that one of the biggest complaints among these users and businesses in surveys and that feedback from multiple major global PC manufacturers from consumers that the Start Menu was one of their key issues, given that the largest computer manufactuer by sales - Lenovo has intervened and preinstalled the free Start Menu replacement Pokki on all new Windows 8 machines, given the sheer amount of questions on this site about the Start Menu, give the huge number of sales of 3rd party software that replace the missing Start Menu (such as Start8) I would say many, many, many of us use the Start Button and the Start Menu.
Logical error #1 'If I have no use for this, then no one else does' ...
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Vista came out six years ago. Huge numbers of people *still* actually go into a menu structure to find their programs instead of just typing a few letters of the program name or description or executable file name, then hitting Enter.
The only conclusion I've been able to draw from this is that the majority of computer users are, in effect, idiots. This seems somewhat unlikely, but I'm pretty sure that recognizing the advantages in speed and convenience do not require above-average intelligence, yet people still fail to take advantage of it.
The Start screen is irrelevant to me, aside from its segregation of search results (fixed in 8.1 anyhow). The demand for Start Menu replacements says an awful lot about the intelligence of the Windows userbase, more than about the quality of the OS in general. With that said, I will grant that the Windows devs may have screwed up by failing to take into consideration just how dumb their target market is (at least with regard to computers).
Educating them - on a grand scale, the way MS did for the Start button in Win95 - might work. It would be interesting to see. The MS of today seems completely incapable of effective marketing and communication compared to the Microsoft of yesteryear, though.

In my opinion, Windows 8 is a great system for what is under the hood. The system and startup is dramatically feature and has much more safety features built in. The fact that Microsoft built in Microsoft Security Essentials means that you no longer have to deal with anti-virus and firewall stuff and since it is built in, it doesnt slow down your system anymore is a bonus. Also, the new backup features, performance tools and task manager are greatly improves and much better then recent versions.
As for the metro (or "modern") garbage, If you are using your PC as umm.. a PC it is really un-needed and unnecesary but is easy to get rid of using third party apps to get you back to the Windows 7 style desktop. I currently use Startisback which also makes other desktop changes to get rid of metro completely. If you want apps, installed Google Chrome and use Google's new desktop apps. This would also make it much easier for Android users as everything pretty much syncs with the phone.
One small other "rant" make sure you use a uxtheme patcher and a visual style... whose idea at Microsoft was it to use black text in the window border but white text on the taskbar?
In my opinion that gives me the best of all worlds.

SharpnShiny said:
Are you serious?
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Click to collapse
Actually I am. I find the idea of the start button to just be obsolete and the new system to be FASTER for power users who can be bothered to get their heads out of their asses and adapt to change.

SixSixSevenSeven said:
Actually I am. I find the idea of the start button to just be obsolete and the new system to be FASTER for power users who can be bothered to get their heads out of their asses and adapt to change.
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Yes because clicking then moving your hands to the keyboard then typing is so much better than click click and click.
Saves movement, saves time but I guess it's just obsolete

hakcenter said:
Yes because clicking then moving your hands to the keyboard then typing is so much better than click click and click.
Saves movement, saves time but I guess it's just obsolete
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
don't need the mouse to navigate windows 8 itself. See that lovely windows logo key, press it, takes you straight to the start screen where you can start typing. Want to get to the settings charm to shut down the pc, windows key + I, if you want you can even navigate that menu with the arrow keys but alternatively the icons are large so easy to hit with a nice imprecise high speed mouse movement. Windows key + X, opens a menu with things like control panel and device manager etc, in this list each item has a single character somewhere within the item name underscored, press thus character and it selects that menu option, Win + X and then C opens the command prompt for example. Very little mouse use is required, can do most things for windows 8 itself (except apps and desktop programs) with just a keyboard.

tp2215 said:
...
One small other "rant" make sure you use a uxtheme patcher and a visual style... whose idea at Microsoft was it to use black text in the window border but white text on the taskbar?
In my opinion that gives me the best of all worlds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you recommend a uxtheme? You use it to restore some Windows 7 font/UI right? Do you restore glass/Aero? I've been using Start8 which I like a lot, but for the other features they really want you to pay at several gates...in the end, making Win8 look a bit more like Win 7 costs a small fortune with them.
edit - I just spotted the popular early mod of aero in 8 has come out of beta and is still free: http://glass8.berlios.de/
This update is really interesting...it's Aero Glass within a Win 8 framework...it's a curious UI mix.

SharpnShiny said:
Could you recommend a uxtheme? You use it to restore some Windows 7 font/UI right? Do you restore glass/Aero? I've been using Start8 which I like a lot, but for the other features they really want you to pay at several gates...in the end, making Win8 look a bit more like Win 7 costs a small fortune with them.
edit - I just spotted the popular early mod of aero in 8 has come out of beta and is still free: http://glass8.berlios.de/
This update is really interesting...it's Aero Glass within a Win 8 framework...it's a curious UI mix. *pets cat and ponders*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For some great uxtheme just search around deviantart here is a good place to start http://www.deviantart.com/customization/skins/. There are lots of them scattered around that, if anything, will restore the look back to Windows 7. Most of them have versions that will also tie right into the aero mod that you mentioned. One word of advice though from expereince, if the pc wants to update, switch back to default style before restarting. Microsoft released several updates that seem to "softbrick' your pc if the patch is installed. It will just boot with a black screen and the only way to repair would be to refresh or system restore.

hakcenter said:
Yes because clicking then moving your hands to the keyboard then typing is so much better than click click and click.
Saves movement, saves time but I guess it's just obsolete
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Just for the record, the keyboard is always faster than the mouse.

mcosmin222 said:
Just for the record, the keyboard is always faster than the mouse.
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Click to collapse
Not when you count time from shifting your hands from the mouse to the keyboard.
Like browsing the web, then you wanted to open up Photoshop well now your up crap Creek cause you can't just have a simple shortcut on the ready.
Anyone defending the missing power user feature of having a central location for common tasks is just sailing their boat to no where. Especially when you look at the fact the guy that pressed for 8 was fired... Yawn.
Watch the next windows brings it back then all you crazy dudes won't find a single utility to remove the menu cause it's just stupidity at it's finest.

Windows 10 Experience

So now that people are upgrading to the release of Win 10, I'm curious about your experience.
For me, it's a smooth OS with a lot of things I need to get used to but I have made some discoveries.
The task bar - on my main monitor won't auto hide. A search tells me this has been a bug for the last few technical releases. Oddly enough, all of a sudden, a few minutes ago, it started to work but I assume this will stop in the next reboot.
The Mail App totally sucks. No number of new emails in each account when you click on accounts. No view for all accounts. No using mouse/shift to select multiple messages. No Check boxes to select all messages in any folder. New incoming messages show up in the action center, only, but you have to open it to see them. Not getting desktop notifications.
Cortana looks like it could be good but setup has been a pain since for some reason my Microsoft LifeCam Cinema HD cam can barely hear my voice, even with level up all the way.
Camera App - totally doesn't open at all. I had to d/l a third party app which I don't like.
Settings page is tough to find things like Advanced Settings. That's WAS, oddly, in System/About but now it;s gone and replaced by other shortcuts. so setting the paging file size manually, etc is just gone for now.
Edge is the best browser yet by MS, but it's not going to get me to stop using Chrome
What are everyone else's thoughts so far?

It's nearly perfect. Drivers catched up, not a single incompatible program, major performance boost in games after installing the latest Nvidia driver. The only bug I've seen so far - Action Center's tray icon is lit on on system startup even though it's empty.
I'm recommending it to everyone I know, I've already installed it on 3 PCs I have access to. It's just 10/10.

Upgrade??
First, so far I like Windows 10 a whole lot better than Windows 8.1, but the upgrade has been a nightmare.
The upgrade on my AlienWare (Dell) laptop went smooth. No problems at all. The upgrade for my Surface Pro 3 (Microsoft) has been anything but smooth. Microsoft's own computer did not upgrade right. First, it installed Windows 10 Home even though the Windows 8.1 that was on it was the Pro version. It also wiped out all of my installed programs and apps. I didn't lose any data but the applications will all have to be reinstalled.

Mine won't even install on my Asus Transformer. Says Key cannot be verified....

If you are still having problems and difficulties upgrading your PC to windows 10, kindly follow this post on my website. A few clean up steps got my Dell system to upgrade to Windows 10 http://www.selftechgenius.com/how-to-geek-2/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-10-for-free/

OK, so here's a big one. I use my 500GB D:\ drive to store documents, downloads, pictures and videos by default. I tried to save a picture off the web to the pictures folder and got access denied error.
So I looked properties, security and noticed 2 things. 1, the folder was marked as read only and 2, there was and Unknown User account. I deleted that account, and changed the properties on both C: and D: drives and that fixed it but you should all go check to see if you have the same thing.
I'm thinking I'm going to get a 1 TB HDD backup to put all my personal things on, format both drives, then do a clean install. I've always hated doing OS upgrades on top of older releases and the few bugs I have, like the camera app not working or the VIA HD Deck app not opening are the reason why. I just have to wait for all my hardware devices to release Win 10 drivers

I wasn't a fan of Windows 10. Immediately after "upgrading" the track pad on my laptop didn't work properly anymore. Based on my research it's a driver issue with no solution until the driver is updated. Who knows when that will be.... I use my laptop a lot for school and can't afford to wait.
Microsoft also removed basic tools like paint with no good replacements in the app store. I also didn't like how it pretty much turned my laptop into a phone by calling the Control Panel "settings" and having an app store and stupid stuff like that. I went back to Windows 7 after less than an hour on Windows 10 and couldn't be happier.
I did like the UI, though. It kinda reminded me of the material design of Android 5.x with the flat colors and stuff.

I am very happy with win 10, got it on my Desktop and my Tablet and even though i had some touchscreen issues in the beginning it works well now on both devices

I did a clean install on my laptop, as opposed to the update on my desktop, and it's better. Cortana works right, etc.
My ONLY beef is the mail app sucks

I upgraded my Lenovo to Windows 10 with the media creation tool but after a week or so decided to do a clean install to get rid of the terrible bloat(though most of it I removed when I got the laptop).
I downloaded the ISO and CLEARLY remember choosing 64bit Home Single Language. But after I diakpart the drive and reinstall the OS I realize that I have a 32 bit version installed.
And my 15GB limit of "high" speed broadband is exhausted and I CANNOT download a 4 gig file on a 512 Kbps connection.
I'm stuck till next month or till my friend gives me the 64 bit ISO.
But its completely my fault, so guys BEWARE, don't make stupid mistakes!!!!
But I like the OS(mostly). After disabling Microsoft's sneaky data collection and automatic updates its all good. Don't forget to disable live tiles cause they hog bandwidth too.
But boot speed is faster, performance is better and multiple desktops and snapping is great!
[Moto E 2nd Gen 3G running CyanogenMod 12.1]

I don't like Windows 10 at all. It sucks on Tablet(Touch) and PC/Laptop. With StartIsBack++ you can fix Win10 a bit for mouse/keyboard, but the UI is still cluttered and ugly as hell.

Really?? I don;t have that problem at all, especially when doing a clean install

My upgrade went well.. But afterwards it was a nightmare. It took my DAYS and about 14 reboots just to get it unfrozen long enough to open task manager with ctrl+alt+delete. Then, suddenly, after a reboot, it worked. It is now even faster than 8.1 (although I sometimes need to use task manager to speed it up). All of my programs and files work.. Except for cam studio which didn't work on 8.1 either. [emoji13]
Sent from my *unrooted* ZTE Zinger using the Tapatalk app.

I totally agree with Mail app sucks. I sent some emails but sent items folder is still empty, not syncing.. And honestly, I don't like the settings app because eventually it forwards you to the control panel for lots of settings. So what's the meaning of this setting app, right?

kerimka said:
I totally agree with Mail app sucks. I sent some emails but sent items folder is still empty, not syncing.. And honestly, I don't like the settings app because eventually it forwards you to the control panel for lots of settings. So what's the meaning of this setting app, right?
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Click to collapse
Right. I just pinned Control Panel to Start so i can get right to it

I have Windows 10 pro. Whenever I try to connect to my pc using various remote desktop apps on my android, it gets connected for a moment and then it shows error message that someone else is connected to your pc please try later.
Any suggestions?
Sent from my GT-I9103 using Tapatalk

I did a fresh install, I like it, just that there's no direct access to the computer from the start bar, I managed to pin 'this pc' to it, but It wasn't good enough.
I added the start menu back from Stardock Start10.

fresh w10pro install here on an hp elitebook. no issues at all.

On Acer fresh update, no problems

I updated my Toshiba Satellite to Windows 10 and it runs smooth. There's only an annoying thing. Sometimes when I turn on the PC and log in it says that Cortana and Start Menu aren't working, so I must have to turn off and to solve this problem temporarily I have to press Shift while it turns on. But some days after it happens again.