official Windows 8 Consumer Preview Discussion

[Ci7]

With sp1 and sp2 it was performed much better.

you said First vista

kinda implied there was Vista SE :p

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Has anyone been successful in getting the iso onto a usb thumb drive using the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool? I get nothing but "the file is not a valid iso" error. And, I have tried this 3 times, downloading the x86 iso directly off MS website.

I was getting the same error earlier this morning. Tried two different sticks. Didn't worked.

Had to buy a DVD and burn the files to it

[TheLegendOfMart]

Has anyone been successful in getting the iso onto a usb thumb drive using the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool? I get nothing but "the file is not a valid iso" error. And, I have tried this 3 times, downloading the x86 iso directly off MS website.

Yeah I had that problem until I did the following:

Run a CMD

diskpart

select disk x (x being your thumbdrive)

clean

create partition primary

select partition 1

format quick fs=fat32

active

assign

exit.

Then try the Win 7 USB tool again and it should copy it over fine.

[Rohdekill]

Yeah I had that problem until I did the following:

Run a CMD

diskpart

select disk x (x being your thumbdrive)

clean

create partition primary

select partition 1

format quick fs=fat32

active

assign

exit.

Then try the Win 7 USB tool again and it should copy it over fine.

But, I'm not even getting to the destination drive portion of the USB DVD Download tool. It's saying the iso is not even valid when browsing out for the source.

[Woelfel]

I love change, I immediately jump in every time new software was released. I love Microsoft products, I am quite anti-Apple but do own an iPad simply because it works.

It felt like I had installed a Fisher-Price desktop overlay, one that comes with some applications for my child to use. Granted on a touch tablet they would probably be awesome, I would rarely go back to the desktop.

However I am voicing my opinions on using it on a desktop.

Like I said, I respect your opinion. I use it on my desktop (40" tv) and I have it on my Samsung series 7 slate, I like it on both. Yea, I can see some problems with multi-monitor with charms bar but that's why they did keyboard shortcuts. Is it perfect for everyone, no, as no OS is going to be perfect for every user, they just have to make use of the lowest common denominator. It's not like the desktop is unusable.

[Mayhem]

just relax, it will appear some program to give us the Start Menu again, just like Classic Start Menu or the Vista menu variants programs

look for the various examples of the existing Programs : http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/alternatives.html

[Woelfel]

But, I'm not even getting to the destination drive portion of the USB DVD Download tool. It's saying the iso is not even valid when browsing out for the source.

After doing the steps that TheLegendOfMart showed...just copy the contents INSIDE of the iso file (mount it) and just copy it over to the USB drive. That's what I did. You don't have to use the Tool. I used "Format quick FS=NTFS" though, not FAT32.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Anybody else having this issue with facebook in IE?

[iD@nny !]

I was getting the same error earlier this morning. Tried two different sticks. Didn't worked.

Had to buy a DVD and burn the files to it

Have you tried with WinToFlash? It's great for this kind of things :)

[Woelfel]

I haven't had any issues with Facebook...works much better (typing that is) than the developer preview...it would skip letters and such sometimes.

[Warboy]

I have graphical glitches with firefox, any fix?

[Shaun N.]

I have graphical glitches with firefox, any fix?

I've got a sore leg, What do I do?

[joddie191]

I've got a sore leg, What do I do?

Chop it off and install Pegleg - it's 100% free of any feelings at all. It also increase your pirate rating.

(to paraphrase a lot of peoples opinion on how to fix a problem in a particular software)

Really though, if Firefox has glitches, it would help to tell people what you run Windows on ( virtual or installed, what graphics card etc) and when i t glitches.

Back on topic, installed Windows 8 on a USB yesterday (guide: http://www.howtogeek.com/98296/how-to-run-windows-8-developer-preview-from-a-usb/ ) and it works surprisingly good on a 16 GB USB-2 stick - I just plugged it into my Work Laptop and booted (Intel Core 2 T5600 2GB memory). No - not install _from_ USB, install _on_ USB.

Everything takes forever to load, but it flows surprisingly good. Your computer hard drives show up as you would expect, and all files are accessible. It doesn't even crash if you remove the USB stick, it just slows down to a crawl of uselessness. Plop the USB back in, and you're back in business.

Best part of it, restart your computer and you're back to your operating system of choice. Fantastic piece of technology for those of us that would prefer to work on Windows instead of Linux Live CD/Usb for crash recovery or similar scenarios.

[Rickkins]

But, if you DO NOT want to use the metro apps, they can be un-installed completely, and you never have to see them again! What you're left with then is a Start Screen reminiscent of the Office 2010 "Backstage" Menu. Metro is gone.

Care to expand on that...as in "how to"...???

[Dot Matrix]

Care to expand on that...as in "how to"...???

Right click the metro apps, there will be an option at the bottom to un-install.

[Wyn6]

That sounds like a "You're holding it wrong" solution. If I want to shut my computer off I should be able to and easily. It took way too long for me to find something so simple as a shutdown toggle and I'm a software developer what hope does the average joe have.

It seems so silly to me that something so basic as turning your computer off needs to be defended. It's like you're under a Microsoft spell or ... dare I say ... reality distortion field?

Turning off computer on Windows 7: Click Start, click Shutdown (2 clicks) or click the arrow next to it to bring up other options and select one of those (3 clicks).

Turning off computer on Windows 8: Open Charms, Click Power to bring up ALL options, select one (3 clicks).

Now, if you're just shutting down, not hibernating, sleeping, or restarting, Windows 7 is exactly ONE CLICK faster. That's ONE WHOLE CLICK.

However, if you're doing any other function, sleep or restart, they have EXACTLY THE SAME amount of clicks... 3.

If 0 to 1 extra clicks is too much for some of you, you're either lethargic, or fat, or both. I keed.

Seriously, guys, we get it. You're not use to it. However, some of us are finding, after actually trying to use the OS and its new features, that it's fast and, in many ways, more efficient that Windows 7. I'm getting around it fairly quickly now, and I've only been on it a day (didn't run the Dev Pre).

Yes, there's a learning curve. Why? Because this isn't what we've been using for the past three decades. This is an entirely different beast. Well, mostly different. What I don't get is, if you don't like it, don't use it. OR, here's a novel approach... learn it and THEN see how it fits into your computing life.

Happy hunting.

[azspeedbullet]

I have graphical glitches with firefox, any fix?

same problem with me..Firefox 10.2, using GeForce 295.73 Driver using native hardware as my main OS (not virtual). The gltiches occurs where i switch between apps or the metro ui

[Wyn6]

Also, here's a little something that may or may not have been mentioned in these 48 pages. Once you drag your mouse to the lower left and the Start "button" appears, right click and this will give you a Jump List with a number of items.

This is for all you Power Users out there. List is as follows:

Programs and Features

Network Connections

Power Options

Event Viewer

System

Device Manager

Disk Management

Computer Management

Command Prompt

Command Prompt (Admin)

------------------------------------

Task Manager

Control Panel

Windows Explorer

Search

Run

Desktop

Now to me, this Start Jump List along with the functionality of the Start Screen, is far superior to what any previous version of Windows has offered from a UI and accessibility standpoint.

If this hasn't come up, perhaps an admin can sticky this.

[d4rk5ky]

Microsoft must think everyone has a tablet or laptop with a touch screen cause this doesn't belong on a desktop, sorry.

[Glen]

Microsoft must think everyone has a tablet or laptop with a touch screen cause this doesn't belong on a desktop, sorry.

That was my initial thoughts as well, but I'm giving it some more time to sink in. As I learn the mouse and keyboard shortcuts (for example: just start typing on the start screen for search), I'm starting to understand it better. Still not sure if it's ideal for a desktop PC experience, but I no longer think it's horrible.

[hobier]

Theres no notification center ......also when you on metro or any other metro app....and you get a skype call in desktop mode theres no visual cue or notification of a skype call........ i dunno but i dont like the mashup of desktop and tablet interface together at all.....

The gestures aren't easy for an intermediate user ...i doubt the novice user will pick it up easily either......

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Have you tried with WinToFlash? It's great for this kind of things :)

Well, I had already installed it, but thanks anyways (Y)

Might com in handy some other time

[netsendjoe]

I upgraded to Windows 8 Consumer Preview from Windows 7 SP1 and I'm running the x64 version.

I'm not sure why, but when I try to get into the MetroUI control panel, I click on "more PC Settings" and it does nothing.

Any Control Panel icons on the Start Screen brings up the desktop version.

If I try to set a user picture (avatar) I click on "Change account picture" and it does nothing.

If I go unto the desktop version of the control panel and into user accounts, and click where it says "Add a new user in PC Settings" it does nothing.

Any ideas?

[migo]

That was my initial thoughts as well, but I'm giving it some more time to sink in. As I learn the mouse and keyboard shortcuts (for example: just start typing on the start screen for search), I'm starting to understand it better. Still not sure if it's ideal for a desktop PC experience, but I no longer think it's horrible.

I can see it not being too useful for people with particularly large screens (in inches, not resolution). But if you've got a 15.6" or under screen, you're going to be doing stuff full screen most of the time and sometimes taking advantage of the snap feature for side by side usage. For that Windows 8 is actually better than anything before it.

[strelok1911]

Does anyone know why I can't install it on a Dell Inspiron 1501? It shows the beta fish boot then goes to a black screen and stays there :(