Win 8.1 for dummies?

[Theocnoob]

Don't have many yet c627627, I only had a few minutes of battery to start Win 8 for the first time and didn't do much. When the thing is recharged tonight I'll get in there and figure out what kind of questions I have. They'll mostly be "where is this (ie control panel) now" "how do I do X" etc.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

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..

Good point!
It's good experience I suppose.

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.

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]

When the thing is recharged tonight I'll get in there and figure out...

Yup, I agree with your approach, definitely spend time learning and knowing the native new user interface.

When Windows 8 laptops first came out, there were a lot of Windows 8 returns and exchanges for Windows 7 because people didn't even want to use it long enough to figure things out, it has a nice keyboard friendly approach where you can find lots of things by just typing the first few letters. If you don't like it - then Classic Shell is always there. There is no need whatsoever to abandon Windows 8 is the point of Classic Shell.

Also, laptops nowadays are quickly gravitating toward touch screens so Windows 8 user interface will be very applicable for them. Good luck.

 

[Theocnoob]

Yup, I agree with your approach, definitely spend time learning and knowing the native new user interface.

When Windows 8 laptops first came out, there were a lot of Windows 8 returns and exchanges for Windows 7 because people didn't even want to use it long enough to figure things out, it has a nice keyboard friendly approach where you can find lots of things by just typing the first few letters. If you don't like it - then Classic Shell is always there. There is no need whatsoever to abandon Windows 8 is the point of Classic Shell.

Also, laptops nowadays are quickly gravitating toward touch screens so Windows 8 user interface will be very applicable for them. Good luck.

Ok here are my first questions-

When I first launch Win 8 I press the start button but it won’t go to the desktop. I have to launch MSIE for it to go to the desktop

How do I get a start menu icon for Google Chrome?

Where is “my computer”, where is the “search” function? Where is “control panel”?

How come when I press "FN" and the volume or brightness up and down on the keybo nothing happens? (possibly win 8 related possibly crappy HP laptop related)

In the top left corner of desktop icons there is a check box I can check or uncheck. WTH is it?

 

[c627627]

Not being able to go to easily and quickly go to Desktop is one of the first fuses that light the flame of anger toward Windows 8.

You would want to go straight to desktop, most people would. Classic Shell gets you straight to Desktop, also the newest-latest Windows 8.1+ updates give you that option. Otherwise you can create a shortcut, or learn keyboard shortcuts, if they exist for what you want to do. Classic Shell or boot straight to desktop option is easier.

Windows 8 fans will tell you to always use the search box and type in the thing you are looking for, like Control Panel. If you disagree with them, use Classic Shell or create custom shortcuts once you get to what you are looking for using the search box.

Start typing and you should see the search box.

Laptop questions are HP related, not Windows 8 related.

Screen shot of check box you are asking about would help.

 

[Theocnoob]

Windows 8 fans will tell you to always use the search box and type in the thing you are looking for, like Control Panel.
Start typing and you should see the search box.

That's so horrible... Oh my god...

Laptop questions are HP related, not Windows 8 related.

I figured.

Screen shot of check box you are asking about would help.

There's no GD print screen key on this thing and I'd hate to have to look for MS paint on it. It looks like a tiny square box filled in white at the very top left corner of the icon. You can click it and a checkmark appears.

 

[c627627]

More than 50% of people and therefore by definition, the majority of people dislike Windows 8 user interface. We shouldn't criticize those that do like it. Those that don't should install Classic Shell. Now. On every Windows 8 computer. All problems go away, as long as you turn Charms off as posted in my screen shots above.

Icons have a a white check box when you right click on them to symbolize you are selecting them to perform actions listed at the bottom of the screen. Maybe you are talking about something else?

 

[Theocnoob]

More than 50% of people and therefore by definition, the majority of people dislike Windows 8 user interface. We shouldn't criticize those that do like it. Those that don't should install Classic Shell. Now. On every Windows 8 computer. All problems go away, as long as you turn Charms off as posted in my screen shots above.

Ok I will install classic shell and get back to you.

Icons have a a white check box when you right click on them to symbolize you are selecting them to perform actions listed at the bottom of the screen. Maybe you are talking about something else?

Nope. Just in desktop. No right clicking has occurred, when I left click the icon, the little checkbox shows up in the corner.

 

[Supertrucker]

Without classic shell, or any other. U I mod on you can boot straight to desktop or press the desktop button in metro. From the desktop moving the mouse to the lower right corner will activate one of the quick boxes, in this case it is the one with control panel, power, and search boxes.

From the desktop, the folder icon in the task bar will bring up all of your hard drives in a my computer like window if you don't have any open folders. Adding shortcuts to the start screen (just like adding them to the start menu in 7) add them to the metro start screen.

Edit, this is for 8.1 not sure about 8.

 

[c627627]

Ok I will install classic shell and get back to you.

Hey now, I had native Windows 8.0 on for a whole month. Had to take the suffering or else how are you going to argue against it? . You need to figure out Windows 8 UI the hard way, Theocnoob. No Classic Shell yet. But seriously, after Classic Shell is installed, you can just hold shift when you click on the real Start Button Classic Shell installs and you are right inside Windows 8 UI a.k.a. Metro. Some people say they like it and prefer it. You really should give it a shot.

Windows 8.1 Update 1, gives you some of the Classic Shell options natively too, so you may want to update to that.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Hey now, I had native Windows 8.0 on for a whole month. Had to take the suffering or else how are you going to argue against it? . You need to figure out Windows 8 UI the hard way, Theocnoob. No Classic Shell yet. But seriously, after Classic Shell is installed, you can just hold shift when you click on the real Start Button Classic Shell installs and you are right inside Windows 8 UI a.k.a. Metro. Some people say they like it and prefer it. You really should give it a shot.

Windows 8.1 Update 1, gives you some of the Classic Shell options natively too, so you may want to update to that.

Ooof. I you for enduring that UI M$ gave Windows 8.
yuck.

EDIT: 8.1 Update1 comes with Classic shell?
That's pretty darn sweet now

 

[Theocnoob]

Ok classic shell installed. It does make Win 8 less horrible. However, my start icon is a shell. An ugly shell. I couldn't figure out how to make it look like the win 7 start menu (or any other menu for that matter)

 

[Theocnoob]

Using metro, I went into the Windows store and downloaded Facebook. I can't find it on the metro menu. In the start menu it's buried in the apps folder. I right click and say pin to start menu (classic shell) and nothing happens. I send it to desktop and it shows up as a blank icon and says "app"

WTH windows 8. You suck.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

lol. Win 7 time?

Windows 8 will take time to get used to, although it sounds like facebook didn't get install right..

 

[c627627]

However, my start icon is a shell. An ugly shell. I couldn't figure out how to make it look like the win 7 start menu (or any other menu for that matter)

Have you looked at post #14 of your thread here?

Custom Button, then use one you find elsewhere or use Windows 7 button I included for you in post#14. Right click on it and save it to your computer.

 

[c627627]

Update1 comes with Classic shell?
That's pretty darn sweet now

Elements of Classic Shell are being incorporated into Windows. Ability to choose if you want to boot into Desktop is now officially part of Windows 8.1.

Other Classic Shell features will not be incorporated into Windows 8.1. They will be used as selling points for Windows 9.

 

[Theocnoob]

Have you looked at post #14 of your thread here?

Custom Button, then use one you find elsewhere or use Windows 7 button I included for you in post#14. Right click on it and save it to your computer.

Yup I got that working now. I didn't clue in as to why you posted those PNG images. I need to be walked through things a little more than most when I'm learning. I think I may have some sort of mild learning disability.

You're being extremely helpful. I owe you one.

 

[c627627]

Theocnoob, you have not begun yet finding out about absurdities of Windows 8 interface, in particular Windows 8.0 user interface. We're beating a dead horse by posting about them but here's one: Did you know how they made Windows 8.0 reboot or shut down?

Unless you knew the keyboard shortcut or searched help for it, they made you

Hover your mouse *carefully* in the corner, hoping to Fish-In the "Charms" pop-up, or rather *trying* to Fish-In Windows Charms then (usually) Fail once or twice to Fish it in

only to have to carefully scroll down to Settings thereafter... making sure that Charms doesn't disappear... Then it took you a bit of time after that for your eye to locate the Power button to only then bring up the menu to be able to start the Reboot/Shut Down process (!)


As posted before, I am all for giving people the option to have Charms but one psychologist is not enough. You need a team of psychologists to figure out how Windows 8 developers justified having Windows 8 reboot/shut down process be done through Charms like that.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Theocnoob, you have not begun yet finding out about absurdities of Windows 8 interface, in particular Windows 8.0 user interface. We're beating a dead horse by posting about them but here's one: Did you know how they made Windows 8.0 reboot or shut down?

Unless you knew the keyboard shortcut or searched help for it, they made you

Hover your mouse *carefully* in the corner, hoping to Fish-In the "Charms" pop-up, or rather *trying* to Fish-In Windows Charms then (usually) Fail once or twice to Fish it in

only to have to carefully scroll down to Settings thereafter... making sure that Charms doesn't disappear... Then it took you a bit of time after that for your eye to locate the Power button to only then bring up the menu to be able to start the Reboot/Shut Down process (!)


As posted before, I am all for giving people the option to have Charms but one psychologist is not enough. You need a team of psychologists to figure out how Windows 8 developers justified having Windows 8 reboot/shut down process be done through Charms like that.

Win 8 uses a hybrid shutdown thingy right?

That's why the shutdown/restart is hidden, so the user thinks Win 8 boots very fast from a shutdown but in reality it's pretty much hibernating.

That's how I see it anyway

 

[c627627]

Yea, this is why people sometimes think they cannot get into Windows 8 Safe Mode or BIOS. Windows 8 doesn't do a full shut down.

Here's what to do.

For Windows 8 quick FULL shut down, instead of cutting power, you can also create a full shut down shortcut, just right click on Windows 8 Desktop > New > Shortcut

%windir%\System32\shutdown.exe /s /f /t 0


Otherwise Windows 8 will be doing a hybrid shut down:
%windir%\System32\shutdown.exe /s /hybrid /t 0