Updating a PC and software to Windows 8

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Michael

I spent £99 on the latest version.

Works fine now.

regards David

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Good to know

MichaelG.

[TakeawayParticipant @takeaway]

Hello David

I have recently purchased an HP Envy desktop with Windows 8 and like you and many others were disconcerted to say the least at being confronted by that weird desktop. I bought the machine because it has a built in telly and is HD, it also has a touch screen which I never use.

So to make it usable I have downloaded an app and installed it so that the machine works in a similar mode to Windows 7, here it is:

http://www.snipca.com/7907

Email wise I am still using my btinternet website for email but as an experiment I installed Mozilla Firebird and it seems to work very well.

Most of the info I used to make my new machine run as close to Windows 7 as poss came from an article in a very recent issue of COMPUTERACTIVE magazine issue 388, 9th – 22nd January 2013.

Please note that in my opinion, this OS is proving so unpopular that Windows 8 cannot be far away – yep, this is another looser – just like Vista.

Best of luck after you cut loose – enjoy yourself and thanks for the reading.

ATB

Stuart

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Stuart

I find Windows 8 better than windows 7.

Probably just me.

regards David

[TakeawayParticipant @takeaway]

Sorry – I meant Windows 9

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by Stuart Chesher on 31/01/2013 20:17:10:

Please note that in my opinion, this OS is proving so unpopular ….

 

I realise you said that it's your opinion but I'm curious, do you have any actual evidence for that view being more widespread?

I'm not known for liking new Windows versions (the all time best imo was win2K – I've just recently – and reluctantly moved to XP). However, I'm Like David, I'm finding Win8 quite a bit better that Win7 and miles better than Vista (of course). (I did install the Classic Shell as soon as I installed the OS).

I also think that HP machines are not the best way to judge a new OS if they are still (over)loading them with their usual junk.

Edited By Sid Herbage on 31/01/2013 21:37:49

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Sid

No evidence.

I just findd it easy to use but the main benefit is speed.

I don't have to wait for 3 minutes for it to load and 2 minutes for it to shut down.

regards David

Edited By David Clark 1 on 31/01/2013 21:55:21

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Hi David,

Hard for me to tell on the speed. It is much faster but then the machine that I built and installed it on is also much faster than the previous one

The load/shutdown speed improvement is because of the vaunted "Fast Boot". Just a form of hibernation actually where they save a mchine-state image on shutdown and reload it when you boot.

I've actually had to turn that off on mine since I use a boot-manager and it can lead to data corruption. I haven't actually noticed a great deal of difference in the boot time but then I don't have it very highly loaded yet.

[TakeawayParticipant @takeaway]

Hello Sid – I have based my gripes about win 8 on my own experiences and the opinions of my friends. We feel that our disappointment with this OS is shared by many folk judging from the many negative comments in the popular PC mags.

I am still mourning the inability to have two windows of the XP file manager open at the same time – it was so easy then to drag and drop files from one window to another, I thought XP was/is the business. OK, like a new Porsche, I have the latest, shiny core i5 that HP can provide but stick a dodgy OS in the tank and you might as well be driving a Morris Minor (sorry, I loved mine as well!!)

ATB

Stuart

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by Stuart Chesher on 31/01/2013 22:16:40:

I am still mourning the inability to have two windows of the XP file manager open at the same time – it was so easy then to drag and drop files from one window to another, I thought XP was/is the business

You've lost me on two counts, Stuart. We're talking about XP now, not Win-8?

Either way (XP or Win-8) I don't understand what you mean that you can't have two file manager (file explorer?) windows open at the same time to drag/drop files between them. Of course you can do that – in every version of windows. I don't see how you could function without it.

If you mean that, with one window open, you click on a folder and that folder opens in the same window (losing you the first). Their are two solutions:

– either, configure Windows to open new instances in a separate window (instead of the same window) …. can't recall offhand where the setting is but can dig it out if you want.

– or, hold down the control key when you click on the folder and it will open in a separate window and you can drag/drop between it and the first window.

(I prefer the second method, the first can rapidly get very messy).

Or am I totally misunderstanding?

[TakeawayParticipant @takeaway]

Hell Sid – I mislead you. I meant win8 NOT XP. Anyway, thanks for your tips. I experimented last night and found yet another method of opening two windows of file explorer at the same time.

I left click on the file explorer icon in that bar at the bottom and bought up the FE window and found that by RIGHT clicking the same bottom bar FE icon it bought up a menu containing a number of options including "File Explorer". Left click on this and bingo, I got my second window.

I suppose I should spend more time at this new PC familiarising myself with the operating system but I prefer banging metal than tapping keys. On my head be it? Ugh-ugh, I've not been to a hairdresser for years.

Thanks again for your help.

ATB

Stuart

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Apologies if this is slightly off-topic, but I think it worth mentioning.

Fake Java Updates

MichaelG.

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by Stuart Chesher on 01/02/2013 10:09:46:

I suppose I should spend more time at this new PC familiarising myself with the operating system but I prefer banging metal than tapping keys

Oh, I agree with you. One of the most frustrating things about Microsoft is that at each new Windows release they seem to delight in hiding away all the stuff you need to access in different places. Probably to make it look new rather than just old-stuff warmed-over.

I don't want to waste my time re-learnng everything every time Microsoft wants me to.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

In much-maligned vista right clicking a folder and selecting 'open in new window' and also right clicking a file and selecting 'open file location' both open new explorer windows without affetring existing ones. Don't these shortcuts work in W7/8?

Neil

[TakeawayParticipant @takeaway]

Not sure Neil, I jumped from XP over to win7 and never got my feet wet in Vista, – Stuart

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