For Windows 8 Users

[Knotical]

Just a quick disclaimer about this. I am not affiliated with the company that has developed this software, I only want to share it because I recently downloaded and installed it on my laptop which runs Windows 8 and found it works really well.

Without further ado, I stumbled across a third party version of the Windows 7 style start menu. As mentioned, it works, and I recommend it.

http://www.classicshell.net/

You just download and install it, and it actually adjusts the settings on your computer so when you login it goes directly to your desktop, instead of the start screen.

I like it a lot.

 

[TOG]

The most complained about "feature" of Windows 8 was that it didn't have a Start button, so when they released Windows 8.1, Microsoft added a button in the same place as the Start button, but which has nearly none of the most used features of the Start button, such as "All Programs" or having commonly used programs pinned to it. A similar thing happened with MS Office. When people complained about the new tab-based system in Office 2007, Microsoft responded by renaming the tabs to be similar to the old menu system, but didn't bring the menus back, and the tabs don't contain the same things as the menus with the same names. It seems that Microsoft has a really hard time understanding what it is that users want.

The TOG​

 

[Knotical]

This third party solution looks and feels just like the start menu from Windows 7.

I briefly upgraded my laptop to 8.1 and quickly found how useless that little start button was. My other problem with 8.1 was after a couple minutes of logging into the computer it would start flashing back and forth between the desktop and the start screen. I finally had to do a restore on it back to the factory settings. I will never upgrade to 8.1, even though I get a friendly reminder every week or so to do so.

 

[jasonc]

This third party solution looks and feels just like the start menu from Windows 7.

I briefly upgraded my laptop to 8.1 and quickly found how useless that little start button was. My other problem with 8.1 was after a couple minutes of logging into the computer it would start flashing back and forth between the desktop and the start screen. I finally had to do a restore on it back to the factory settings. I will never upgrade to 8.1, even though I get a friendly reminder every week or so to do so.

yeah I have that problem too,

 

[Obadiah]

...I will never upgrade to 8.1, even though I get a friendly reminder every week or so to do so.

Thanks for the info. Another one that works is Start Menu 8. Ive been using that one on the recording computer at church for a while now.

As for that stupid reminder that pops up, anyone know any way to disable it. The only computer I use with Windows 8 is the one at the church where I work as a sound engineer. It's used primarily for recording live sound off of the sound board through firewire and has to record 26 simultaneous wav files with no blips, delays, or whatever while it's also monitoring and displaying several other sound related parameters. So it's dedicated to only that task and I don't want anything else interfering with it. It scares me every time that stupid notice pops up in the middle of recording because it's impossible to be sure it doesn't interfere, even for a split second. Is there any way to kill it?

 

[reba]

 

[jasonc]

why not, that device is used to test knock sensors and to see if the ecm on a car is seeing the cylinders.

 

[TOG]

That's one solution that will fix all your Windows problems. Linux and Mac are both good options as well.

The TOG​

 

[TOG]

Thanks for the info. Another one that works is Start Menu 8. Ive been using that one on the recording computer at church for a while now.

As for that stupid reminder that pops up, anyone know any way to disable it. The only computer I use with Windows 8 is the one at the church where I work as a sound engineer. It's used primarily for recording live sound off of the sound board through firewire and has to record 26 simultaneous wav files with no blips, delays, or whatever while it's also monitoring and displaying several other sound related parameters. So it's dedicated to only that task and I don't want anything else interfering with it. It scares me every time that stupid notice pops up in the middle of recording because it's impossible to be sure it doesn't interfere, even for a split second. Is there any way to kill it?

You have to remove an update you already have. Apparently, the update enables you to update your computer to Win 8.1. Here are the instructions.

The TOG​

 

[eddif]

Thanks

eddif

 

[Obadiah]

You have to remove an update you already have. Apparently, the update enables you to update your computer to Win 8.1. Here are the instructions.

The TOG​

Thanks, I'm going to do this when I go in on Sunday morning.

 

[eddif]

I mean super thanks. My wife is a happy camper after loading program.

eddif

 

[jasonc]

That's one solution that will fix all your Windows problems. Linux and Mac are both good options as well.

The TOG​

I wish I could switch to mac but I know from a fellow soldier that the army's websites don't work to well with that at times.