103 replies to this topic 3 votes

[FaiKee]

I understand there is already a thread on the old start menu thing, but it is already 6 pages and counting, I guess if I post it there, after a few pages more, then nobody would find the trick.

I try to add a few things on 8102, and hopefully add a few more later, but first thing first:

1. To get back the old start menu, open regedit, goto

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

change value of RPEnabled from "1" to "0"

close regedit, you get your old start menu......the catch is, no more metro UI because you just disabled it. To get back the Metro UI, change the value back to "1"

I had ran thru the other thread, and agree with some members : this is progress, try to adapt to it, use the old thing as a temporary way until you get use to Metro.



2. Install on Hard-disk to dual boot with win7

Do-not try to install 8102 within win7, it won't ask you which partition you want to install, and go stright to install on C, and your win7 is gone.

You need to burn the ISO to a DVD or USB FD, boot with it, then set-up will ask you for the partition, everything goes like win7 installation.

3. Dual/multi-boot with XP

8102 still uses BCD but it doesn't care about XP, so after 8102 is installed, use VistaBootPro to install the "Vista Bootloader" back to the system partition, then set-up the bootmenu with VistaBootPro.

Of course you can use EasyBCD, I don't want to install it just to show the basically similar procedures.




Update 1:

Actually you can install inside win7(or other windows) and it is very simple: After mounting to a virtual CDrom, people tend to fire up the setup.exe on the root dir, and it will cause win8 setup to install directly on C, and put the win7 in windows.old.

The correct way is to go to the sources folder, there is another setup.exe in it, and firing up this exe file will begin install by asking you the partition to install.

Update 2

If you are one of those unlucky chap who installed 8102 over win7, and must have to get the win7 back, here is the MS tech page on how to restore XP from win7. I have not tried but read over the article, the steps should basically be the same:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971760

Update 3

[Max Norris]

FaiKee, on 14 September 2011 - 12:30, said:

change value of RPEnabled from "0" to "1"

Haven't tried this one myself (actually enjoying the new interface), but nice to see you can disable a ton of whining with a simple registry edit Wouldn't it be changing 1 to 0 though?

[ledgori]

great!!!

[bdsams]

Can anyone confirm this? Love to share it with our readers if I can get confirmation

[FaiKee]

bdsams, on 14 September 2011 - 12:43, said:

Can anyone confirm this? Love to share it with our readers if I can get confirmation

My screen-shot is proof, but I changed it back to Metro, I like new things.

[Calum]

FaiKee, on 14 September 2011 - 12:30, said:

[. . .]
I had ran thru the other thread, and agree with some members : this is progress, try to adapt to it, use the old thing as a temporary way until you get use to Metro.
[. . .]

There is no way they can get used to it if they disable it completely. The best option would be for them to just try the Immersive experience for a month or two.

bdsams, on 14 September 2011 - 12:43, said:

Can anyone confirm this? Love to share it with our readers if I can get confirmation

Why? It's not an official option within the operating system, and it will just lead to more people not getting used to the new Immersive experience, meaning they will continue to complain when it is finally released. As the Start Menu will most likely not return, it'd be better to encourage all users to try to get used to it

[FaiKee]

Max Norris, on 14 September 2011 - 12:38, said:

Haven't tried this one myself (actually enjoying the new interface), but nice to see you can disable a ton of whining with a simple registry edit Wouldn't it be changing 1 to 0 though?

Yeah, thanks, amended.

Callum, on 14 September 2011 - 12:50, said:

There is no way they can get used to it if they disable it completely. The best option would be for them to just try the Immersive experience for a month or two.


Why? It's not an official option within the operating system, and it will just lead to more people not getting used to the new Immersive experience, meaning they will continue to complain when it is finally released.As the Start Menu will most likely not return, it'd be better to encourage all users to try and get used to it

I agree, some may still use the old menu "forever". But this trick will be known thru other channels, one way or the other, there's no secret in the web, I am not the only guy to know it........, a MS guy told me this trick.

[Nehemoth]

Hint : If you are installing on vmware workstation and get the nasty message "windows cannot read the <productKey> setting from the unnattend answer file", just disable the floppy drive on the vmware settings.

:-D

tried with VmWare Workstation 8, Windows Developer Preview 8 x64 as Guest, Windows 7 professional x64 as Host

[GP007]

I can see why some would want to use the old start menu, but honestly I barally use the thing as it is right now in Win7. The apps I'm always using are just pinned to the taskbar, as such having those pinned to the start screen is the same thing.

One thing they need to do is add things the start screen is missing atm. Lots of people want to be able to close metro apps without having to do it through task manager, I suppose this will come in the beta and that right now MS wants to show you how the OS manages those apps on it's own, like on WP7 etc.

Also unless you have a old desktop app open then I don't think Alt+Tab works between metro apps, this should be added, OR I expect they could be working on a WP7 like task switcher when inside the start screen UI. I say this because, though it's not in this build that we got, they demoed in the keynote that you can zoom out on the start screen to move whole tile groups around and to also jump between them etc. That option would work well for apps also, you can do it with touch, zoom out with pinching etc to get a row of open apps (like Alt+tab shows basically) then you pick the one you want. This can also be done with a KB shortcut (just keep it as Alt+tab) and arrow keys or the mouse.

Really, that's all that's missing imo. A better close option and then app switching inside the new UI.

[PGHammer]

FaiKee, on 14 September 2011 - 12:49, said:

My screen-shot is proof, but I changed it back to Metro, I like new things.

I have the standard desktop as an app (basically, the default), but I'm sticking to Immersive, despite having a traditional (but wireless) keyboard and mouse (the keyboard is Microsoft's Wireless 6000 V.3, the mouse is the Logitech V220).

So far, I have not run into any 7-isms with either applications or drivers; if 7 x64 supports a driver or application, so does the Developer Preview. I haven't needed to use Compatibility Mode so much as once.

Office 2010 (x64) is installed (mounted the ISO and installed that way); it also updates (via WU) just fine (I just applied SP1, in fact).

[PGHammer]

GP007, on 14 September 2011 - 14:00, said:

I can see why some would want to use the old start menu, but honestly I barally use the thing as it is right now in Win7. The apps I'm always using are just pinned to the taskbar, as such having those pinned to the start screen is the same thing.

One thing they need to do is add things the start screen is missing atm. Lots of people want to be able to close metro apps without having to do it through task manager, I suppose this will come in the beta and that right now MS wants to show you how the OS manages those apps on it's own, like on WP7 etc.

Also unless you have a old desktop app open then I don't think Alt+Tab works between metro apps, this should be added, OR I expect they could be working on a WP7 like task switcher when inside the start screen UI. I say this because, though it's not in this build that we got, they demoed in the keynote that you can zoom out on the start screen to move whole tile groups around and to also jump between them etc. That option would work well for apps also, you can do it with touch, zoom out with pinching etc to get a row of open apps (like Alt+tab shows basically) then you pick the one you want. This can also be done with a KB shortcut (just keep it as Alt+tab) and arrow keys or the mouse.

Really, that's all that's missing imo. A better close option and then app switching inside the new UI.

Alt+Tab certainly *does* work, between Metro/Immersive apps, Classic apps, or any combination. Creative's software updates are a good example of Classic apps, while IE 10 by default is Immersive/Metro - at one point, I had Creative AutoUpdate running, IE10 desktop, IE10 Immersive, and Windows Explorer all open, and Alt+Tabbed between them as needed. (That's right - IE10 desktop *and* IE10 Immersive; you CAN run both at once. In fact, if you launch IE via the Run line, it starts in Immersive, even if you have a separate IE10 desktop session running.) I haven't even *used* Task Manager.

[Dannydeman]

For better navigating the startscreen with a keyboard/mouse: press pageup/pagedown to swipeleft/swiperight. Home/end will also work.

[Vileu]

I love how my laptop gives me a 0xc000021a on booting up from USB..

Let's see if an x86 disc works, an x64 disc didn't..

Also, does this build have the new startup stuff?

[majortom1981]

The only problem I have is closing apps. There is no way to do it within them. A lot of the games do not suspend and will play there music in the background. That is not a very good demo to developers to show them how its supposed to work.

[kInG aLeXo]

Actually if the metro UI will be there by default I guess instead of getting myself used to it, will be the moment I finally switch to Linux.The thing looks so ugly to me.They should have added something like multiple desktops, or infinitely scrolling desktop, but the metro just seems so wrong to me, atleast the way the tiles look.