Win 8.1 for dummies?

[Theocnoob]

Can anybody point me to (ideally a video) or text walk-through explaining how to use Win 8? I'm getting a Win 8.1 laptop delivered in a couple of weeks and I know little about Win 8. I can get around but I don't know where anything is.

Thanks.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

If you are looking to make it a bit like 7, this is the site.

c627627, can give you some pointers too. He uses Win 8

 

[anthonyg45157]

I'm not sure of any text on how to use it I'm sure a quick search of Google will render a trillion results though.

If you dislike the metro ui. I would suggest you look into "bboot straight to desktop" which is a setting in windows and the program start 8. Makes the start button come back and act just like it did in 7. I love it. I've heard Microsoft is planning on bringing back a ui similar to windows 7, just not sure how soon. (Just looked, sometime this summer)
After those major things it's pretty easy to get used to after that.

 

[OptyTrooper]

Yes install 7 post haste.

 

[Supertrucker]

The biggest differences between 8.1 and 7 are that the 7 start menu is split up between the metro start screen and the active mouse lower right corner in 8.1. I.E. drag your mouse to the lower right to pull up the box with search and control panel and power, and hit the Windows key to bring up programs (and widgets and such if you use those).

It's really not that bad once you get used to it. But it isn't in any way better (imho) so it was a stupid forced change.

Most everything else works like 7 with regard to folder navigation and such.

 

[Mjolnir]

I'd argue win8 is just fine. There's nothing wrong with it once you set it up. Classic shell and latest updates make it very easy to use. It's quicker than win7 regardless. Uses less resources. And I almost never actually have to access the metro UI anymore anyway. The transition took me only a few hours to get used to.

 

[anthonyg45157]

I'd argue win8 is just fine. There's nothing wrong with it once you set it up. Classic shell and latest updates make it very easy to use. It's quicker than win7 regardless. Uses less resources. And I almost never actually have to access the metro UI anymore anyway. The transition took me only a few hours to get used to.

Yup I agree. I haven't used metro since I got it. As stated above i used start 8 and boot to desktop. Windows 8 is much better overall.

 

[Super Nade]

The first thing I'd suggest (as mentioned above) is installing Classic shell, a Win-7 like start menu. It works like a charm and won't take you off your comfort zone. Other than that, Win 8/8.1 is a solid OS. I've yet to have any technical issues with it.

http://www.classicshell.net/

 

[Ivy]

Win 8.1 is a spy OS... im not here to tell the OS my personal infos (even Archlinux is probably easyer to install), i just want a OS, not a NSA tool. Other than that, yes its a solid OS but with unnecessary and useless app addition.. most desktop users do not want apps, thats a Apple issue for Apple fans. Although the drag to edge of the desktop feature is good stuff, makes desktop cleaner but it should be optional, not forced.


Well, i only paid 83 dollars for my win 8.1 OS but my view is pretty splitted. Its a good OS but overloaded with unnecessary metro UI and apps. A option in order for enabling and disabling it is a critical task. A OS cant ride 2 waves at once. It cant be Apples mighty hype force and a serious desktop OS at same time, its in need of a separatism option, so the user can chose themself. And the forced input of personal data is absolutly unnecssary and adds further issues with fast and clean install. The implementation of Cloud is nice feature but it should never be forced.


I would probably not get another win OS unless im forced to use because of gaming for API support. I just dont enjoy the new interface and forced tasks not belonging to a free user defined OS.

 

[EarthDog]

Lol ivy... Almost missed you man.

At TOCnoob, there are tons of you tube videos out there man... Take a look.

 

[Ivy]

Yes me too, i guess in term your gone something is missing XD. Charisma and authenticity is hard to explain but the difference between name and noname. You and Bobnova are on the peak of my "hard to forget" list.

 

[Theocnoob]

At TOCnoob, there are tons of you tube videos out there man... Take a look.

I guess I could just go on youtube... I was hoping for some hand holding.

 

[Super Nade]

I guess I could just go on youtube... I was hoping for some hand holding.

What are your specific concerns? In my experience (early adopter), on the outside, there is no difference between W7 and W8 once you disable Metro. W8.1 has reasonable scaling fixes for high resolution monitors and refinements under the hood.

 

[c627627]

The important thing to remember is that Classic Shell doesn't take away Windows 8's drastically different user interface (however you feel about it).

A simple SHIFT+Click on the Start Button gets you right back into Windows 8 UI.

Simple ESCAPE gets you back to what you are already familiar with. Step by Step, Microsoft is releasing updates to offer us everything Classic Shell freeware gave us from the start. Advantage of Classic Shell is that it already gives you things people are holding out for because they will only be available in Windows 9.


Why hold out for Windows 9 when all those things are already available with a 30 second Classic Shell http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/ install. You can use any button you want, but here are a Windows 7 and Windows XP Start Menu buttons:




If I may say so, I strongly feel that not many people would even be talking about Windows 7 today and Windows 8 would have been a success in every way if only Microsoft gave this to us as an option, just as an option:

 

[c627627]

P.S.

You do not need to go anywhere else, you can ask us anything you want right here in your thread.

We frown on 'read the f manual' posts here at ocforums.

I guess I could just go on youtube... I was hoping for some hand holding.

 

[EarthDog]

Sure we do... we give the man the fish (was done before me)... then we teach the man to fish.

 

[Theocnoob]

P.S.

You do not need to go anywhere else, you can ask us anything you want right here in your thread.

We frown on 'read the f manual' posts here at ocforums.

Oooooh EarthDog, you got told man...


c627627 thanks for the sentiment behind your post. And thank you for the elaborate and detailed post on classic shell. I don't think I'll be using it though (see below). No need to put E.D. in his place though. He just has "differing digital religious beliefs".

________

Anyways the laptop with the dreaded win 8 installed arrived today. I'm still putting together a list of questions to ask so I don't make 30 random posts and make reading this thread a PITA. Thing had a low charge out of the box so I'm charging it back up and will be playing around in Win 8 later tonight. I'd prefer to get used to the system 'stock' without having to add any start menus or classic shells or anything like that. That way I'll be able to navigate default Win 8 installs at other people's houses, at school, at work, etc. No sense learning a self-modified version of an OS if that's not the universal version IMO.

Will post back late tonight..

 

[EarthDog]

Lol put in my place...I gave the link out FFS! I can't do it for anyone! I can however help with problems following those instructions.

Edit: I forgot to add a link in my first post.. for that, my bad.

 

[Theocnoob]

FFS!

FFS? Final Fantasy Six?

Btw the link you gave me was in the HP laptop thread. This is my "Help me I'm a Win 8 noob" thread.

 

[c627627]

Theocnoob: