Windows 8

Just bough myself a new laptop to replace the very old and broken one I've kept going for a while. Came default with Windows 8. After some initial frustration I've found not impossible to use. Got most of the things I like to use working on it.

Apart from a very touchy touch pad, where things happen if you use the edges, I'm starting to find it somewhat usable.

Anyone got some tips for getting to work better?

 

If you miss the old-style start menu you can install software like http://www.classicshell.net/ which uses the hooks they left in to provide a start menu more suitable for a desktop machine. Having said that I just deal with the new one. Press the windows key type what I want to use and press enter. It's only crap when you can't think of the name of what you want.

About the only "metro" style app I have found useful is minesweeper. They are all so cut down as to be practically useless.

Edit: Oh, forgot to mention, I heard they are including the option to switch back to the classic style menu in the next service pack.

 

Classic shell got installed last night. After pressing windows and not getting my menu I fixed that. Also Alt+F4 doesn't close programs. The little X still works. The apps only get closed by dragging them down.

Been deleting a lot of those apps. The mail client doesn't work, tried for a bit to make i work and couldn't. Mozilla Firebird and 20 seconds to access my account, done. Pinned that to the Start Screen.

 

Honestly haven't tried alt+f4. I use ctrl+w most of the time these days, as it's easier to use one handed.

 

I'll definitely be downloading the sp as soon as it's released. Been using Win8 for about 3 months and it's still annoying. It's a poor design for a laptop/desktop. They obviously just wanted to get it out quickly for tablets and phones. The apps are horrible in a pc environment.

Overall it's pretty quick and stable. Just a bit painful spending a heap of time setting it up to work like you'd expect a desktop to operate.

 

OK new thing I want to make it work better. I want to be able to change the speaker that each noise comes from. Say system sounds staying on the computer, media playing from the HDMI if available, etc. Playing with the mixer and default devices, seems to be tricking the computer into doing it, not selecting the option.

 

Also how do you make games play?

Got a copy of The Witcher 2 and am trying to play it. First it's locking me out if I'm not opening it under admin rights, then it's crashing if I don't want to do a 10GB download of a patch (which won't be done until I can at least see the title screen). Games is the only reason I'm choosing to continue with this operating system, if I can't get them to work I'm going back to linux.

 

W8 is not games friendly.Some games work some don't. If it's like W7 turn UAC off. Don't install games to program files folder, make Games folder on C drive and install games there .
Check to see if you can go back to W7 .

 

To be honest, I haven't used Windows 7 in about 3 years. This is the first time back to Windows for me, apart from sending emails and such at work. To get some things to work (email) required Mozilla to work, as the inbuilt mail system doesn't. Easiest thing I've found to do is uninstall programs and apps. I look at an app, if it's crap I delete it. My start screen now no longer scrolls.

Never bothered to get games working on Linux, always used the PS3 for that (and a XBOX360 until it red ringed).

 

Try running games in compatibility mode.

 

I think the problem with that game is it doesn't want to update without Admin rights and it doesn't runt to run without an update. But a 10GB file can stay on the server until I get back from Sydney. Checked on the Microsoft website, looks to be fully compatible. Might give it another try when I get back.

Everything I've read about it is that it's designed to merge all the systems together, so you XBOX 360, Windows Phone and Windows table all work like each other and you can swap between them easily. Pity I have no intention of getting any of those devices.

Really trying to get used to this system. But after each little thing I work out out, I'm less convinced of it's usefulness. Everything I've gotten to work well are the programs I use in Linux.

 

This thread is going to turn into my whinging thread pretty soon. Such as between now and the inevitable formatting of my hard drive and Linux getting put on it.

Now the computer is starting to lock the mouse. It is almost like the system thinks a multifinger swipe to make something happen, not getting it, then guessing what I tried to do, such as open charms or nothing.

 

I've had zero trouble running games on Win 8. Most of them have been pretty recent releases, though. That probably make a difference. I use something similar to classic shell, but I like it better. Allows you to completely disable the Metro UI as well as the associated "apps" like the default mp3 player, pdf reader, etc, etc.

Overall I've found it to be very similar to Windows 7 but with a few extra things that have come in handy.

 

My games are a little old, but looks like it should work with the new operating system. Will try again tomorrow night, when I have a proper internet connection so I can download patch files and such.

Getting more and more used to this. Ended up deleting Classic Shell. After using the new menus for a while, I'm finding it OK.

 

Ok, KOTOR isn't working on it. Can get about 5 minutes into it and then it crashes. Tried a few times, but somethings playing up in it.

 

I foresee windows 8 in my future shortly.
And a dell laptop.

I feel kinda dirty. lol.

I was going to try to get a new laptop before people stopped selling windows 7, but I took too long.

 

We are in the process of an infrastructure refresh at work, and have a couple of i5 Dell E Series laptops going for sale.

PM me if you want any details (and comes with Windows 7)

 

Are you sure that it's Windows 8 that is the problem? I had troubles with GW2 crashing about 5 - 10 minutes into play time, and found out later that it was my updated video drivers (running a GeForce GTX570) that was causing the issues. Roll back to an older driver, stable as since.

 

its cool dude, I know what I'm gonna get, just holding off to get the cash. Cheers.

 

Given up on that game. After it crashed at the same point, again, I've just uninstalled it.

Giving Witcher 2 another go. 10.55GB download. Hope it's a good game and works on my computer.