How does Metro work?

By Atomic Wanderer Chicken
in Microsoft (Windows)

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Atomic Wanderer Chicken

Posted
Posted

How does metro work? Does it work in the same way as when you press alt+ctrl+delete in Windows to bring up the security screen thing? In other words, how does it operate in technical terms?

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1141770-how-does-metro-work/
Share on other sites
Grand Master

Atomic Wanderer Chicken

Posted
  • Author
Posted

How does it work in Windows, does it work like the security screen when you press alt ctrl delete? I think my question was very clear and understandable

Grand Master

Atomic Wanderer Chicken

Posted
  • Author
Posted

So, it operates in the same technical manner as the security screen or the lock screen (Win key + L). For an example, when you press win key + lock, the screen appears immediately just like metro, it is always there?

Mentor

argonite

Posted
Posted

I think he's asking how Metro was written as a whole other interface on top of Windows, and how the Shell instantiates it on startup. I think his analogy is to the Secure Desktop for login, which is a separate user interface handled by a separate (non-Explorer) process that takes over the display when you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

Grand Master

TAZMINATOR

Posted
Posted

I think he's asking how Metro was written as a whole other interface on top of Windows, and how the Shell instantiates it on startup. I think his analogy is to the Secure Desktop for login, which is a separate user interface handled by a separate (non-Explorer) process that takes over the display when you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

Oh, I remember that, that was on Windows 2000 and/or Windows NT.

Grand Master

Atomic Wanderer Chicken

Posted
  • Author
Posted

When I was first introduced to windows 8, I wondered how Metro would not eat more memory. So metro is apart of the Windows system. So, does Metro work in the same way as when you hit al ctrl delete in vista and beyond?

Grand Master

TAZMINATOR

Posted
Posted

When I was first introduced to windows 8, I wondered how Metro would not eat more memory. So metro is apart of the Windows system.

The desktop is there but Metro is like Start Menu... And Metro apps allow you to view app in full screen... but you can not change to windowed version unless you have the desktop apps which can be viewed on your desktop.

Experienced

Matthew_Thepc

Posted
Posted

I think (don't quote me on this) when Win8 was being announced they made it very clear that Metro wasn't a layer on top of Windows - it is Windows now, basically like replacing the "classic shell," but still keeping the Desktop there, but the desktop code is only loaded when the Desktop app is launched. Again, not completely sure, but I think it's more analogous to like the Windows Desktop and the command prompt or DOSBox, where the "stock Windows" is the Start Screen and the desktop is more there for older applications and applications that take advantage of the specific desktop-based Windows features. not a perfect analogy, but that's the best I could come up with :\

Mentor

argonite

Posted
Posted

When I was first introduced to windows 8, I wondered how Metro would not eat more memory. So metro is apart of the Windows system. So, does Metro work in the same way as when you hit al ctrl delete in vista and beyond?

While I'm not sure how Metro apps are represented in the system, I can say for certain that Windows is not instantiating a 'new desktop' like the Ctrl+Alt+Del Secure Desktop. You'll notice it doesn't flicker when going in and out of the Start Menu like it does if a UAC prompt (on the Secure Desktop) comes up.

If I were to guess, everything is still tied to explorer.exe and the Desktop Window Manager. You'll notice that if you kill that process, all Charms Bars, start screen, taskbars disappear. So I'm guessing they just rewrote explorer.exe to show the Start 'menu' first and the desktop later, Metro apps are Windows apps that use WinRT (as opposed to Win32) that draws to fullscreen Direct2D surfaces represented inside the Desktop Window Manager, like every other window.

  • Matthew_Thepc
  • Like 1
Grand Master

Atomic Wanderer Chicken

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I see now, Metro and the desktop work almost the same way. Metro is like alternate desktop then. I still like and always will like the start menu though. Metro may be nice and everything, but it makes people a lot less productive. Microsoft really did not need to get rid of the start menu, it worked fantastically. Metro is designed primarily for the tablets!

Grand Master

FunkyMike

Posted
Posted

When was this thread ever a technical discussion, the OP question didn't even make any sense, it took most of the first page to work out what he was saying

It did make sense. You cannot expect someone that is trying to ask a technical question and hence obtain more knowledge to form it coherently if he is trying to learn more about this topic.

Metro is part of explorer.exe so it is not like hitting control alt delete. Try killing the explorer.exe process and see for yourself.

Metro Apps on the other hand run separately.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Major Xbox layoffs may claim South of Midnight developer Compulsion entirely

      By Abercrombe · Posted

      I agree. I also think Phil stayed too long. They should definitely fire whoever thought all a console platform needed was Call of Duty, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout to survive. Asha and crew are still saying they need more Elder Scrolls and Fallout games. They simply don't get it.
    • Samsung is shutting down yet another app used by millions

      By Krieg · Posted

      wtf cares
    • Microsoft announces 12th-gen Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2 processors

      By tsupersonic · Posted

      Macbook Air is an appealing option, as are plethora of Windows devices with various different CPU's
    • Mozilla highlights Firefox Nova 2026 redesign and more upcoming features with new roadmap

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Mozilla highlights Firefox Nova 2026 redesign and more upcoming features with new roadmap by Sayan Sen Last month Mozilla confirmed that Firefox was set to get a major redesign this year. Dubbed "Project Nova", it can already be tested and will roll out to all users later this year.The idea is to keep the browser competitive in a rapidly evolving internet landscape. As such the revamp focuses on improving privacy, usability, performance, accessibility, and customization. Key privacy features including the built-in VPN, private browsing mode, and Enhanced Tracking Protection, will be more visible and easier to manage, while users will have the option to disable AI features entirely through a dedicated kill switch. Additionally, the redesign promises faster page loading, the return of Compact mode, expanded personalization options, and stronger accessibility support. You can find the full details in the dedicated piece linked above. In a new blog post today the company once again reiterated on Nova and also emphasized other new and upcoming features like the settings revamp that is intended to make it easier for users to understand browser settings. In order to make it simpler for users to keep up with such features Mozilla today is launching Firefox roadmap. Hence enthusiasts and interested users will be able to check out what's cooking and also share feedback about the upcoming additions. Alongside the roadmap announcement, Mozilla also highlighted what's new in Firefox 152. One of the biggest additions is the arrival of Tab Groups on Android. The feature, which has already been helping desktop users organize large numbers of tabs, is now beginning to roll out on mobile. Users will be able to group related tabs together, assign names and colors to them, and return to them later. Mozilla says support for iOS will arrive later this year. Firefox 152 also introduces the aforementioned redesigned Settings experience. The company says the changes are meant to make controls easier to find and help users discover features they may not have previously known about. Existing preferences are not changing, though they are now better organized. Another notable addition is the new Blocked Tracker Widget, which provides a visual overview of Firefox's privacy protections by showing how many trackers have been blocked over time and the types of tracking activity the browser has stopped. Looking ahead, Mozilla revealed several upcoming roadmap features. They include customizable keyboard shortcuts, as well as enhanced PDF editing tools that will allow documents to be split, merged, and reorganized directly within Firefox. The company is also working on bringing Multi-Account Containers into the native Firefox experience thus removing the need for a separate extension. Meanwhile Firefox's built-in VPN is set to expand to mobile devices. Mozilla is also developing AI-powered features like Quick Answers, which can provide concise responses to voice queries, and Smart Window, its optional AI browsing experience that is now available without a waitlist. Finally, a new Power Saving Mode is in the works and will help reduce the impact of resource-heavy tabs on mobile devices in order to extend battery life. The video below summarizes the upcoming changes in an easy to understand format: You can find the announcement blog post here on Mozilla's official website.
    • Microsoft unveils new Surface Laptop with improved trackpad, Snapdragon X2, and more

      By tsupersonic · Posted

      Dead on arrival at that price. Like they missed the mark by multiple hundreds of dollars - this should actually undercut the Macbook Air at $899 if they want any sort of sales / further adoption of WoA

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      Console General earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Year In
      Twozo Technologies earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      Twozo Technologies earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Twozo Technologies earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Veteran
      branfont went up a rank
      Veteran

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      511
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      199
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      109
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      89
    5. 5
      Nick H.
      71
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!