Windows 8 Consumer Preview Feedback Thread

[Phillip Atkins]

sooooo.. anyone know how to create your own shortcut? Particularly one in the startup menu.

Sent from my cm_tenderloin using Tapatalk

Here is something that I learned, I will use WoW as an example:

- First you have to unhide hidden folders through your config
- Next, go to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. This is where all the shortcuts are placed into the Start Menu. Notice, pinning a program to the start menu DOES NOT place it in the Metro UI.
- Find your WoW directory and right click Launcher.exe. Send To Desktop (Create Shortcut) NOTE: You cannot create a shortcut directly to the folder. The system will not let you.
- Rename your shortcut to WoW or whatever you want.
- Copy the shortcut on your desktop
- Paste it into C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs (Since I have Starcraft and WoW, I just made a simple Blizzard Games folder and pasted them in there. This is not necessary though)
- Open the Metro UI Start and you should see the new shortcuts on the right side of the window.

This is a long way of going about to add programs or shortcuts to the Metro UI, but it works just fine.

 

[blurredvision]

Here is something that I learned, I will use WoW as an example:

- First you have to unhide hidden folders through your config
- Next, go to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. This is where all the shortcuts are placed into the Start Menu. Notice, pinning a program to the start menu DOES NOT place it in the Metro UI.
- Find your WoW directory and right click Launcher.exe. Send To Desktop (Create Shortcut) NOTE: You cannot create a shortcut directly to the folder. The system will not let you.
- Rename your shortcut to WoW or whatever you want.
- Copy the shortcut on your desktop
- Paste it into C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs (Since I have Starcraft and WoW, I just made a simple Blizzard Games folder and pasted them in there. This is not necessary though)
- Open the Metro UI Start and you should see the new shortcuts on the right side of the window.

This is a long way of going about to add programs or shortcuts to the Metro UI, but it works just fine.

That's worked for me. I've put many things on the Metro start screen by right-clicking and selecting "pin to start".

 

[tweakboy]

Ok heres my question. What happens if I install blows8 on top of my 7 ,

then on bottom right hand of screen it will say beta copy or something and I will have 90 days or OS will die,

I just want these stupid little bugs to go away which MS has had since win 2000 ... like you erase a file but it still shows,,, you have to hit refresh,, that happens sometimes,,

Or how Win7 doesnt remember folder views and area. it opens windows where it wants every time. stupid I want a simple strong OS, not a buggy POS,, and what the hell is this METRO,, I got a car dont need METRO <, will it need 16GB ram to function properly things like this. ???

 

[Shawn]

The beta should work for a year, not 90 days.

 

[gmaster456]

The beta should work for a year, not 90 days.

Your right. Last I heard it was good until Jan. 2013.

 

[rockyct]

Ok heres my question. What happens if I install blows8 on top of my 7 ,

then on bottom right hand of screen it will say beta copy or something and I will have 90 days or OS will die,

I just want these stupid little bugs to go away which MS has had since win 2000 ... like you erase a file but it still shows,,, you have to hit refresh,, that happens sometimes,,

Or how Win7 doesnt remember folder views and area. it opens windows where it wants every time. stupid I want a simple strong OS, not a buggy POS,, and what the hell is this METRO,, I got a car dont need METRO <, will it need 16GB ram to function properly things like this. ???

Just so you know, if you install it on top of Win7, you can't go back unless you reformat. You can upgrade to Win8 RC (if it comes out) or Win8 RTM, but you can't uninstall Win8 CP.

Anything that can run Win7, will run Win8 even better. The main exception are netbooks as they don't have the minimum screen requirements to run Metro apps. It will run the desktop just fine though.

 

[tweakboy]

Thanks rockyct for the good info. I mean is there a reason to install over it and take a chance like that ? Or its same OS except METRO ,,, thx,,

 

[BD2003]

Are you actually arguing that the iPad isn't the future if computing? That's like saying the command line will beat the upstart GUI 25 years ago. If you really believe that, I have a bridge to nowhere to sell you.

The next billion computer users will find an iPad easier to use than Windows 7. Arguing anything else is foolish and actually advocates that Microsoft thumb their noses, pretend the iPad doesn't exist, pull a RIM and begin the slow trek towards irrelevance.

Do explain why businesses would hate Windows 8 but clamor for iPads in the workplace.

Because an iPad is a very useful device that can supplement a PC. Businesses want iPads for a whole lot of reasons - replacing desktops is not one of them. Even if windows 8 tablets do catch on, running tablet apps on a desktop still has no place.

iPad/tablet is *part* of the future, not the entire future. You need the right tool for the job at hand.

Explained.

 

[Shawn]

I tried installing it over 7 on my laptop but it got 99% through got a BSOD then said there was a problem and it was rolling back to windows 7. I think you can uninstall but I don't know. I ended up just cutting the power and doing a clean format.

 

[Shawn]

Anyone try this? http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Just installed it...

hmm, it's kind of interesting but it seems to take longer to find and do things like turn off the pc, switch between programs, etc. etc. etc.
I probably could get used to it but it seems a little out there for the desktop. I'll see if i can customize the start page and see what's up. I do wish they would just give us the option built in to go straight to the windows desktop!!

 

[NetGuySC]

I'm looking for Microsoft to release the desktop version of it xbox 360 kinect, when windows 8 is released. I saw somewhere that they patented the desktop kinect.
Microsoft must have a vision for metro on the desktop that we are not aware of.

 

[gmaster456]

Just installed it...

hmm, it's kind of interesting but it seems to take longer to find and do things like turn off the pc, switch between programs, etc. etc. etc.
I probably could get used to it but it seems a little out there for the desktop. I'll see if i can customize the start page and see what's up. I do wish they would just give us the option built in to go straight to the windows desktop!!

I have gotten used to most of the changes. Most tasks have almost become second nature although I still am trying to figure things out.

 

[QueBert]

I'm looking for Microsoft to release the desktop version of it xbox 360 kinect, when windows 8 is released. I saw somewhere that they patented the desktop kinect.
Microsoft must have a vision for metro on the desktop that we are not aware of.

Vision? Their vision's to sit back and laugh while people have no choice but to adapt to Metro. Metro's Microsoft's vision of the future, and since they're the only player in the game they know no amount of consumer backlash would even matter. I mean it's not like people will say "fuck Metro!" and go buy a Mac. They'll go "fuck Metro!" but use it because MS dictates what the consumer uses, they're not about what the consumer wants. Which is a weird way to run a business, but when you have a total monopoly and no worries, I guess you can do shit like this without any fear.

 

[ultimatebob]

Vision? Their vision's to sit back and laugh while people have no choice but to adapt to Metro. Metro's Microsoft's vision of the future, and since they're the only player in the game they know no amount of consumer backlash would even matter. I mean it's not like people will say "fuck Metro!" and go buy a Mac. They'll go "fuck Metro!" but use it because MS dictates what the consumer uses, they're not about what the consumer wants. Which is a weird way to run a business, but when you have a total monopoly and no worries, I guess you can do shit like this without any fear.

That strong arm tactic is not going to work anymore, because Microsoft doesn't have that kind of clout right now. They should have learned that lesson with Windows Vista... people will hold back from upgrading to the latest version of Microsoft's OS if they think that it sucks.

 

[Zaap]

Are you actually arguing that the iPad isn't the future if computing? That's like saying the command line will beat the upstart GUI 25 years ago. If you really believe that, I have a bridge to nowhere to sell you.

The next billion computer users will find an iPad easier to use than Windows 7. Arguing anything else is foolish and actually advocates that Microsoft thumb their noses, pretend the iPad doesn't exist, pull a RIM and begin the slow trek towards irrelevance.

Do explain why businesses would hate Windows 8 but clamor for iPads in the workplace.

Wow.

Reading Comprehension. Is there an app for that?

 

[Zaap]

Vision? Their vision's to sit back and laugh while people have no choice but to adapt to Metro. Metro's Microsoft's vision of the future, and since they're the only player in the game they know no amount of consumer backlash would even matter. I mean it's not like people will say "fuck Metro!" and go buy a Mac. They'll go "fuck Metro!" but use it because MS dictates what the consumer uses, they're not about what the consumer wants. Which is a weird way to run a business, but when you have a total monopoly and no worries, I guess you can do shit like this without any fear.

This is pretty much dead-on.

 

[rockyct]

That strong arm tactic is not going to work anymore, because Microsoft doesn't have that kind of clout right now. They should have learned that lesson with Windows Vista... people will hold back from upgrading to the latest version of Microsoft's OS if they think that it sucks.

I'm not sure why you're crapping on Vista and yet implying Microsoft shouldn't move away from the Win7 design. Win7 is a refinement of Vista. No core part of Vista was undone or really changed in a significant way with Win7. If anything, the shunning of Vista and the complete embrace of Win7 shows Microsoft if they have a vision, people will eventually love it once it gets refined.

This is version 1 of WinMetro. It will get better, and by WinMetro 2, people will love it and forget that they had any reservations about it. It's a uniform UI between four different platforms (pc, tablet, phone, xbox) kept in sync via the cloud and it still allows the more powerful desktop UI if you've got a PC.

 

[QueBert]

That strong arm tactic is not going to work anymore, because Microsoft doesn't have that kind of clout right now. They should have learned that lesson with Windows Vista... people will hold back from upgrading to the latest version of Microsoft's OS if they think that it sucks.

Vista confuses me as it wasn't too much different from Windows 7, definitely not enough to where the average consumer knew enough to avoid it and wait for Windows 7. It's one of the great mysteries why it didn't catch on. It's nowhere near as bad as geeks make it out to be. It's not great, but if I was to install it on 95% of people who run 7's PC, they wouldn't even know the difference.

I don't know people who upgrade outside of a few techie geeks here and there. Everyone I know who has Win 7 except for a few people, it can pre installed on a computer they bought. MS doesn't need Windows 8 to be a success, they can have 3 failure versions if that's what it takes. But everyone will eventually run a version of Windows that has Metro. They have deep enough pockets they can sit back and wait for the people to give up and give in. I cannot win here, no matter how much I hate Metro I'll be using an OS with it one day. And I find that very depressing. I was always the late adapter, I mean I still have a DOS pc, and I ran DOS when a lot of people were running Windows 95. It doesn't matter Metro's the future. Windows 8 can be a bigger failure than the Xbox, MS won't give up here.

You know what they say, resistance is futile.

 

[BD2003]

I'm not sure why you're crapping on Vista and yet implying Microsoft shouldn't move away from the Win7 design. Win7 is a refinement of Vista. No core part of Vista was undone or really changed in a significant way with Win7. If anything, the shunning of Vista and the complete embrace of Win7 shows Microsoft if they have a vision, people will eventually love it once it gets refined.

This is version 1 of WinMetro. It will get better, and by WinMetro 2, people will love it and forget that they had any reservations about it. It's a uniform UI between four different platforms (pc, tablet, phone, xbox) kept in sync via the cloud and it still allows the more powerful desktop UI if you've got a PC.

Vista was slower than Win XP, had serious launch issues, and offered barely any new functionality. So people hated it. Win 7 was faster, the taskbar was a HUGE improvement, and it had a rock solid launch. So people loved it.

It had nothing to do with people finally accepting the vision of vista, everything to do with MS figuring out they couldn't shove a sub par product down people's throats and have us thank them for it. This is the mistake they're repeating yet again.

If metro 2 is going to be better, they need to hold it back until metro 2 is ready. This is bad enough to sour people on the idea entirely.

Windows has massive inertia, but not everyone accepts metro's inevitability. They're going to lose market share over this, and it remains to be seen if their new tablet sales can make up for it.

 

[Qbah]

I really really tried to like Metro in Windows 8. Really... But I absolutely hate it. And don't get me started on IE10 - I can't have ad blocks (and AdMuncher doesn't seem to work with the Metro-IE), I don't have an overview on my open tabs, everything is HUGE - the URL bar for example - seriously? Is it for blind people? Right click to show open tabs and you get 1/4 of the screen covered... it makes NO sense with a mouse.

The only thing I like is the corner trigger for "start menu" - but things have moved around so much, it's hard to find anything...

Desktop mode is a mixed feeling - not a fan of the crap they put on top of Explorer for example.

I love Windows 7, liked Windows Vista and was using XP for a very very long time. I can't see myself switching to this at all. Unless a revolutionary gesture UI is invented that will be fun to use and be practical. For a mouse input, this UI is a giant pain which is not what I expect from an OS I use daily...

EDIT: Also, using the email app, weather, messaging... How do you re-open parts you closed?? Or change settings at all? All I can do is click on something to move forward or move back by clicking an arrow.......

 

[Wyndru]

Microsoft must have a vision for metro on the desktop that we are not aware of.

I'm hoping all of the negative feedback causes them to rethink the design. They basically built a tablet focused interface and are layering it on top of a desktop OS. I don't think I'll ever like this thing. It reminds me of when I installed and ran Windows Media Center for the first time, and the menus felt "loose" somehow, like they don't flow well or integrate fully with the background OS.

It's still early, but I won't be upgrading if this is similar to the final product. I really don't see it becoming common in the workplace either, drastic change to UI's are always adopted slowly, if at all.

 

[cboath]

Because an iPad is a very useful device that can supplement a PC. Businesses want iPads for a whole lot of reasons - replacing desktops is not one of them. Even if windows 8 tablets do catch on, running tablet apps on a desktop still has no place.

iPad/tablet is *part* of the future, not the entire future. You need the right tool for the job at hand.

Explained.

I agree completely with this.

A tablet/phone and a full on PC are radically different machines and you can't limit the PC in this way. You don't drive a car the way you ride a bike. You wear different close for formal occasions than you do to mow the lawn. While the OS may be a similar product between the different hardware - it needs to function much differently on a PC.

And I think they can accomplish that with simple tweaks to what they already have. I just wish they'd give some feedback to the opinions of those using it.

 

[Dominato3r]

Nifty video on their YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Fczo6E5gE&feature=player_embedded

 

[Phoenix86]

"works the way you want it"