Dealing with Windows 8

[webfork]

I may soon be getting a Win8 machine somewhat against my will (a supercheap and loaded machine) and I'm interested in doing everything I can to avoid the goofy seizure plates of color I've had so far. I did some digging on how to make it effectively back up a version:

Make Win 8 look like 7

... but was curious if anyone had any other suggestions or experience.

Bonus points for:

• Uninstalling garbage programs, including metro interface
• Reducing processor cycles with useless animations
• Getting me to a boring, gray, Windows 2000-looking interface

I take advice so if enough people say "get Windows 7" I will go that route.

[SYSTEM]

I may soon be getting a Win8 machine somewhat against my will (a supercheap and loaded machine) and I'm interested in doing everything I can to avoid the goofy seizure plates of color I've had so far. I did some digging on how to make it effectively back up a version:

Make Win 8 look like 7

... but was curious if anyone had any other suggestions or experience.

Some notes about the article:

• Bypass the Start screen and disable hotspots: Classic Shell can do that as well.
• Dump the File Explorer ribbon: I personally have nothing against the ribbon, especially because it's minimized by default.
• Access POP email in Mail: I'd rather use a third-party email client such as Mozilla Thunderbird.
• And another thing...: If there is only one account and it doesn't have a password, Windows logs you in automatically on startup.

Uninstalling garbage programs, including metro interface

Bundled Modern UI apps are stored in %PROGRAMFILES%\WindowsApps. I have deleted everything there (except the Microsoft.Reader..., Microsoft.VCLibs... and Microsoft.WinJS... directories).

Reducing processor cycles with useless animations

The box where animations can be disabled is still here:

Control Panel -> System and Security -> System -> Advanced System Settings -> Advanced -> Performance -> Settings...

(I have Finnish Windows, so these steps may be a bit off.)

Getting me to a boring, gray, Windows 2000-looking interface

It is called Windows Classic. Unfortunately it's no longer available in Windows 8. (IMHO Windows Classic is not boring at all.)

I take advice so if enough people say "get Windows 7" I will go that route.

I recommend against getting Windows 7. You'll have to upgrade or switch eventually, and it's better to do that sooner than later.

[douglas88]

You can Have your Windows 8 and customize it to look and feel like Windows 7. Here are a few things you can do.
1. Swap the Start screen for a Start menu
2. Install the Windows 7 Aero theme
3. Add an Aero glass effect to window title bars
4. Skip the lock screen
5. Run Windows 8 style apps in Desktop mode
Details of how to do all these are found here http://blog.laptopmag.com/make-windows-8-like-windows-7
Here is more information about upgrading to windows 8 http://www.techyv.com/questions/can-i-u ... -windows-8.

[Firewrath]

Personally. I say go with Win7.
If i remember correctly, Microsoft is going to start trying out some 'feature' upgrade system with the next Win8 update (Blue or something?) which, from what I've heard, is going to be the precursor/test to Windows going over to a 'OTA' subscription model of some sort in either Win9 or Win10.
No, I don't know exactly what that means, or how it will work, but the words 'Windows subscription model' are enough to make me cringe/shudder as is. =/

Theres also this that makes me want to stay away from anything over Win7:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/201 ... estructure

"A new unified operating systems engineering group will be headed up by Terry Myerson, who currently runs Windows Phone engineering. He'll now have responsibility for all OS engineering, including Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox and related products such as Xbox Live."

Basically, the guy that used to run Windows Phones is now going to be in charge of the Desktop OS....
That SO does Not make me feel better about the future of Windows.
(or the XBox, but I think XBox-One is well on it's way to killing that anyways )


I also just want to say one thing about this:

I recommend against getting Windows 7. You'll have to upgrade or switch eventually, and it's better to do that sooner than later.

Yeah. Sooner or later ReactOS will be done and you can always upgrade to it or switch to Linux.
But seriously, imo, you don't "have" to switch/upgrade. I'm still using XP, I'd probably upgrade to Win7 if I had a new comp to put it on, but thats as far as I see myself going with windows, and I've been using it since 3.1...

[SYSTEM]

Details of how to do all these are found here http://blog.laptopmag.com/make-windows-8-like-windows-7

Thanks for the link. I installed WinaeroGlass.

Personally. I say go with Win7.
If i remember correctly, Microsoft is going to start trying out some 'feature' upgrade system with the next Win8 update (Blue or something?) which, from what I've heard, is going to be the precursor/test to Windows going over to a 'OTA' subscription model of some sort in either Win9 or Win10.
No, I don't know exactly what that means, or how it will work, but the words 'Windows subscription model' are enough to make me cringe/shudder as is. =/

I actually think subscription model is a good idea. The Windows model of an expensive lifetime license with security updates for over ten years has lead to the sorry situation where ancient versions of Windows are still used. In the GNU/Linux world, nobody uses a distribution from 2001 today.

Theres also this that makes me want to stay away from anything over Win7:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/201 ... estructure

"A new unified operating systems engineering group will be headed up by Terry Myerson, who currently runs Windows Phone engineering. He'll now have responsibility for all OS engineering, including Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox and related products such as Xbox Live."

Basically, the guy that used to run Windows Phones is now going to be in charge of the Desktop OS....
That SO does Not make me feel better about the future of Windows.
(or the XBox, but I think XBox-One is well on it's way to killing that anyways )

Ouch.

I also just want to say one thing about this:

I recommend against getting Windows 7. You'll have to upgrade or switch eventually, and it's better to do that sooner than later.

Yeah. Sooner or later ReactOS will be done and you can always upgrade to it or switch to Linux.
But seriously, imo, you don't "have" to switch/upgrade. I'm still using XP, I'd probably upgrade to Win7 if I had a new comp to put it on, but thats as far as I see myself going with windows, and I've been using it since 3.1...

I said "eventually". For example, Windows 98 users have had to upgrade or switch by now.

[JohnTHaller]

Keep in mind that Classic Start Menu, Pokki, and likely all alternative start menus can interfere with app's ability to send Windows messages to each other. It can also interfere with system-wide environment variables. I'm not exactly sure how, but I think it's due to things not all being launched from the same root explorer.exe process. So apps that set a mutex on launch to prevent secondary launches can be launched a second time. And apps trying to message other bits using the Windows' SendMessage API to let them know something finished sometimes can't.

[SYSTEM]

Keep in mind that Classic Start Menu, Pokki, and likely all alternative start menus can interfere with app's ability to send Windows messages to each other. It can also interfere with system-wide environment variables. I'm not exactly sure how, but I think it's due to things not all being launched from the same root explorer.exe process. So apps that set a mutex on launch to prevent secondary launches can be launched a second time. And apps trying to message other bits using the Windows' SendMessage API to let them know something finished sometimes can't.

Interesting. I haven't noticed any problems, though.

[Firewrath]

I actually think subscription model is a good idea. The Windows model of an expensive lifetime license with security updates for over ten years has lead to the sorry situation where ancient versions of Windows are still used.

You mean like a lot of us who still run XP?
By that do you mean we should be forced to upgrade to the newest version of windows that MS pushes out just because ours is 'out of date'?
(Edit: Not to sound rude, but thinking about it, this kind of reminds me of the NSA bit going on. "It's for your own good, so just accept it and stop complaining." I'm sorry, but theres limits to what I'll have forced onto me 'for my own good'.)

In the GNU/Linux world, nobody uses a distribution from 2001 today.

If Linux pushed out something that a lot of people hated for whatever reason I bet they would.
Except that Linux is open source and if people don't like it they can get together and change it. We don't have that option for Windows. We have to use whatever crap they give us or use our 'ancient versions of Windows' that operate how we like.

I personally havn't liked a version of Windows since XP:
Vista added hardware disabling DRM which is present in every version after, including Win7. Win8 added the Metro UI which they try to force you to use, going so far as to disable some scheduler trick that allowed you to bypass it on startup. Theres also the issue of Win8 reporting what you install and a number of other issues that I've mentioned in the other thread.
(Hell, I was even upset with Ubuntu sending out your harddrive searches with Dash or whatever and I don't even use it, so don't think I just hate Window. I just have Massive issues with the direction its taking.)

I also just want to say one thing about this:

I recommend against getting Windows 7. You'll have to upgrade or switch eventually, and it's better to do that sooner than later.

Yeah. Sooner or later ReactOS will be done and you can always upgrade to it or switch to Linux.
But seriously, imo, you don't "have" to switch/upgrade. I'm still using XP, I'd probably upgrade to Win7 if I had a new comp to put it on, but thats as far as I see myself going with windows, and I've been using it since 3.1...

I said "eventually". For example, Windows 98 users have had to upgrade or switch by now.

I know what you're saying, and I agree to a point.
Just imo, you Shouldn't Have to upgrade till 10-15years down the road unless theres some massive change in the way computers operate by then, or you absolutely need to run some newer piece of hardware/software that cant be supported by your current system, but those issues would apply to Win8 just as much as Win7. So meh.
(Also to get really picky, I'm sure theres computers out there that run a certain peice of older hardware/software that works fine for what it needs to do and doesnt need to be upgraded. )

[SYSTEM]

I actually think subscription model is a good idea. The Windows model of an expensive lifetime license with security updates for over ten years has lead to the sorry situation where ancient versions of Windows are still used.

You mean like a lot of us who still run XP?

Exactly. I mentioned 2001 on purpose.

By that do you mean we should be forced to upgrade to the newest version of windows that MS pushes out just because ours is 'out of date'?

No. Users shouldn't be forced to upgrade. What I meant is that users shouldn't have to pay for upgrades.

(Edit: Not to sound rude, but thinking about it, this kind of reminds me of the NSA bit going on. "It's for your own good, so just accept it and stop complaining." I'm sorry, but theres limits to what I'll have forced onto me 'for my own good'.)

Hey, I didn't say that you should stop complaining. I only said that I like the idea of a subscription model.

----

The only reason why usage of ancient Windows versions doesn't cause major problems for software vendors is the excellent backward compatibility of Windows. Programs developed at the end of 1990s not only can be recompiled with the latest tools: even unmodified binaries will still run fine on Windows 8.

Except that Linux is open source and if people don't like it they can get together and change it. We don't have that option for Windows. We have to use whatever crap they give us or use our 'ancient versions of Windows' that operate how we like.

Yes, I'm aware of that.

(Hell, I was even upset with Ubuntu sending out your harddrive searches with Dash or whatever and I don't even use it, so don't think I just hate Window. I just have Massive issues with the direction its taking.)

As you likely know, Ubuntu is not the only GNU/Linux distribution out there. There are countless power user friendly distributions such as siduction.

[Midas]

As you likely know, Ubuntu is not the only GNU/Linux distribution out there. There are countless power user friendly distributions such as siduction.

Best suggestion for a XP user crossover to hit the (new) ground running: PeppermintOS (http://peppermintos.com/) -- excellent hardware recognition, lightweight, stable, familiar looks, and Ubuntu based (in fact, a mix of Lubuntu and Mint, providing a terrific bonus from the wider scope of relevant documentation); what's not to like?

[Midas]

For those not wanting to fiddle with the ribbon interface of newer MS Office versions, a free option that might be of interest:

• • UBitMenu for Office 2007, 2010 and 2013 (http://www.ubit.ch/software/ubitmenu-languages/)

  After downloading and installing your language classic [Ubit]menu, you will see the old menu as the second tab of the ribbon in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.