How to boot Windows 8 to Desktop without using 3rd party tools

By Sergey "hb860"
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Sergey "hb860"

Posted
Posted

There are many "skip metro" applications exists since Windows 8 RP. They run at every Windows 8 startup .

I want to share some hack that can natively boot Windows 8 to the desktop.

The main idea: we will install a system licensing policy which allow the OS to go to the Desktop directly after startup. After installing Windows 8, it is necessary to apply this policy. It is preferable that you apply this tweak before you activate Windows 8. If you have already activated, applying this tweak will require re-activation of the OS. Sounds a bit complex, doesn?t it? Don?t worry, I have prepared ready-to-use files that do all the dirty work for you. All you need is just a product key for your Windows 8, which you probably already have.

Get that ready-to-use files here.

Extract them, edit __wrapper.cmd and insert your key at line 4, then run Install.cmd. You are done.

:)

Grand Master

Rigby

Posted
Posted

"4. Navigate to the fourth line and replace the ?YOUR-WINDOWS8-SERIAL-NUMBER-HERE? part with your genuine product key for Windows 8."

Download a program off the internet and give it my Windows product key? I think I'll pass on that.

Grand Master

Fraud OS 11

Posted
Posted (edited)

It is a script, not a compiled program. You can open it in Notepad and SEE what it does. The key is meant to be supplied because without the key the native boot to desktop won't work (if you understand how they have locked down the feature to Windows Server licensing model). If you can read simple batch commands, you can see the script doesn't send anything over the internet or try to steal your key. It offers NATIVE boot to the desktop instead of showing Metro first and simulating Win+D. Lastly, no one is forcing you to use it.

Edited by Intrinsica
Edited out offensive comments.
Grand Master

Fraud OS 11

Posted
Posted

Totally agree. Bashing other members isn't really a good way to get people to use your utilities/scripts/whatever.

Like I said, no one is holding a gun to anyone's head to use it. Bashing the app as malicious and accusing it of trying to steal your product key when the proof is in the script isn't very friendly either. Can some moderator clean this thread please?

Grand Master

Nick H. Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted
Download a program off the internet and give it my Windows product key? I think I'll pass on that.
It is a script, not a compiled program. You can open it in Notepad and SEE what it does.

MsftGaurav should have left it at that, or at least the offensive remarks could have been left out. You can open the script and read through it to make sure it's safe.

I'll remove the offensive comments, but the rest of the thread can stay as it is relevant to the discussion.

Experienced

georgevella

Posted
Posted

Just put a shortcut to a program (Firefox for example) in the Startup folder.

Does this work if I am resuming my PC from sleep mode? I'm asking because I have this HTPC running XBMC. It's okay on normal boots (goes straight to XBMC and shows the start screen for a second or two). When resuming from sleep, the start screen comes up and blocks the view to XBMC, until I press the Windows key or CTRL+D.

Veteran

+Biscuits Brown MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

My concern is that the scripts are not just executed, but rather are passed as a parameter to ele.exe

@echo off
cd /d %~dp0
ele %cd%\__wrapper.cmd
exit[/CODE]

So what is ele.exe? I'm not saying I mistrust the OP but the question does need to be asked. The file info states its from winreview.ru. Nothing personal but once again, I start to get a funny feeling when I see my Win8 key in a script being passed to an exe that was created from an .ru domain.

After running through ILSpy we can see that ele.exe simply is a apparently a tool to open an elevated command prompt. Why? Why not just just have the instructions for the user to right click Run as Administrator?

Rookie

ButteIrishProud

Posted
Posted

Does this work if I am resuming my PC from sleep mode? I'm asking because I have this HTPC running XBMC. It's okay on normal boots (goes straight to XBMC and shows the start screen for a second or two). When resuming from sleep, the start screen comes up and blocks the view to XBMC, until I press the Windows key or CTRL+D.

I still have to click my user account name after resuming from sleep mode. Don't know if there is another way around that.

Grand Master

majortom1981

Posted
Posted

The problem with bypassing the new start menu is if you do this on say a work network. People will be calling in if the program doesn't work after say an update and it brings them to the new startmenu.

Having employees having to click on desktop will at least teach them how to get to the desktop from the new start menu. Also personally I don't find it that big of a pain to press desktop to go to the old desktop.

Grand Master

Anibal P

Posted
Posted

The problem with bypassing the new start menu is if you do this on say a work network. People will be calling in if the program doesn't work after say an update and it brings them to the new startmenu.

Having employees having to click on desktop will at least teach them how to get to the desktop from the new start menu. Also personally I don't find it that big of a pain to press desktop to go to the old desktop.

Remember, people are lazy and don't like change

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