official Windows 8 Consumer Preview Discussion

[Elliot B.]

I want to use the classic desktop at all times.

1. Where is the Start button?
   
2. How do I bring the Start button up? When I press the WIN key, it goes back to the Metro design - argh!
   

[manifesto]

Downloading now the x64 build. I hope it will detect my laptop's Intel HD this time unlike the Dev Preview.

[.Neo]

Pretty much anything in Windows can be disabled, either via a registry change, a GPO, a third party shell workaround, or just flat out replaced.

In Windows 8 that would probably mean you'll loose a lot of functionality.

[Syanide]

Downloading it now to test it out. Hated the Developer Preview, so I hope this is better.

Pretty much the only question I have before I try it: can you disable Metro?

[notuptome2004]

ok i am new to ESD files never well used one how do i burn to DVD as iso or so or use

[firey]

I want to use the classic desktop at all times.

1. Where is the Start button?
   
2. How do I bring the Start button up? When I press the WIN key, it goes back to the Metro design - argh!
   

1) No more start button, but if you find it let me know..

2) No more start menu, the "Tiles" are the start menu, retarded if you ask me. I had to add a shortcut to cmd.exe on my desktop, eventually I will have to find all the apps I use regularily and make desktop icons, and make sure that I remember to make the icons, because the new start menu search is no were near as easy as

-> click start, type what I want, hit enter, program loads, done

[TheLegendOfMart]

I want to use the classic desktop at all times.

1. Where is the Start button?
   
2. How do I bring the Start button up? When I press the WIN key, it goes back to the Metro design - argh!
   

You cant.

[firey]

Pretty much the only question I have before I try it: can you disable Metro?

not in any way shape or form

[Rudy]

Anyone know if one can use Boot Camp or Parallels or something along those lines on a Mac to get this working?

I am really doubting it can be done, just curious.

You can install it on a partition on your Mac just as you would install Win7 (it installs directly on the hardware, any future version of Windows will work out of the box). The drivers provided by bootcamp might work after some tweaking (the installer might give you a hard time, but you can probably extract the drivers)

[Elliott]

Anyone know if one can use Boot Camp or Parallels or something along those lines on a Mac to get this working?

I am really doubting it can be done, just curious.

It's working in VMware Fusion for me just by setting it up as though I were setting up a Windows 7 x64 machine, so it'll probably work in Parallels.

No idea about Boot Camp though. I don't like it enough to jeopardize my Windows 7 install on my iMac.

[pack34]

I want to use the classic desktop at all times.

1. Where is the Start button?
   
2. How do I bring the Start button up? When I press the WIN key, it goes back to the Metro design - argh!
   

You can either click in the bottom left corner or hit the hardware windows key. The metro start screen is the new start menu. The classic one we are used to is gone.

[Aaron Olive]

Anyone know if one can use Boot Camp or Parallels or something along those lines on a Mac to get this working?

I am really doubting it can be done, just curious.

yeah I got it installed on my iMac and it's working ok but widows keeps readjusting my backlight to low when I make it brighter, but so far i'm really hating this Metro garbage. Stuff is scattered everywhere and in my opinion they should make the desktop experience like windows 7 come final release.

[Amarok]

1) No more start button, but if you find it let me know..

2) No more start menu, the "Tiles" are the start menu, retarded if you ask me. I had to add a shortcut to cmd.exe on my desktop, eventually I will have to find all the apps I use regularily and make desktop icons, and make sure that I remember to make the icons, because the new start menu search is no were near as easy as

-> click start, type what I want, hit enter, program loads, done

You cant.

not in any way shape or form

:/ Well then it's pretty useless and a giant step backwards.

[Max Norris]

In Windows 8 that would probably mean you'll loose a lot of functionality.

Well yes, if you disable features, you're going to lose the functionality the disabled stuff brings ;)

(Directed at people in general) Personally kind of defeats the whole purpose of a consumer preview though... if you don't want to try the experimental latest and greatest, or if you're just going to whine about Metro, then you have no business installing it, that's just silly. Stay with 7.

[Roger H. Veteran]

I want to use the classic desktop at all times.

1. Where is the Start button?
   
2. How do I bring the Start button up? When I press the WIN key, it goes back to the Metro design - argh!
   

metro is start - press start again to go back to the desktop. If you hover a mouse in the bottom left of the screen also it'll be the same. Pin your most used stuff to the area taskbar thing. LOL Then whenever you want something else, click start and type what it is (it auto searches) or just launch the app you want say you have it pinned there.

[Syanide]

not in any way shape or form

So it's Windows 7 and Ubuntu for me then. I'll still give the CP a shot, but god dayum, Microsoft's insane if they think this can pass as a desktop environment. Too bad because I was interested in the hardware improvements and the other smaller changes to the desktop UI.

[Dannydeman]

ehhh.. if Microsoft is gonna release this to the public in the current form, I believe we have a new Windows ME on our hands. It's sooo confusing, this is one of the worst experiences I ever had.

I have a dual-monitor setup. But it's confusing as hell. The Startscreen can't be set to open on the second monitor. The HTML5 apps can't be pinned to the second monitor. What the hell? It is a feature which gives the Metro stuff any use on a desktop-PC and it just isn't even there. I'm not sure if I can ever get used to this. The Metro Apps kinda suck on a desktop PC, especially when you can't use them on the second monitor..

Am I doing something wrong, or is there something I can do to pin apps to the second monitor?

They also need to add more focus to the desktop enviorment I think. I don't want to log-off first to shutdown the PC. I don't want to click on 'apps, settings, files' when I want to open something like CMD..

[scumdogmillionaire]

Seems ok, going to have to really get into it to figure this out.

How do I get favorites in the metro IE?

No POP accounts in Mail?

I don't like that it's either Microsoft Account OR Local Account. Why can't it be both? A local account that you link your Microsoft Account to?

Have it in a VM and my wife's laptop. Might go all in and throw it on my Development machine. We'll see.

[Max Norris]

They also need to add more focus to the desktop enviorment I think. I don't want to log-off first to shutdown the PC. I don't want to click on 'apps, settings, files' when I want to open something like CMD..

Take a look in the bottom right corner of the desktop. Also, Win-R hasn't gone anywhere, nor has the ability to re-arrange or pin items on the start menu.

[pack34]

They also need to add more focus to the desktop enviorment I think. I don't want to log-off first to shutdown the PC. I don't want to click on 'apps, settings, files' when I want to open something like CMD..

You can always hit the win key and type "CMD"

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

I took the liberty of creating a poll: Rate the Windows 8 Consumer Preview

[firey]

They also need to add more focus to the desktop enviorment I think. I don't want to log-off first to shutdown the PC. I don't want to click on 'apps, settings, files' when I want to open something like CMD..

the way I got around the apps thing was just made shortcuts on the desktop to apps I use, and any I didn't know I checked my Windows 7 machine for (such as the ability to auto-run the windows update client, instead of going through control panel).

Also made a shortcut for "shutdown /s /t 0" to shut down the computer without logging out, or doing extra work.

[ybrett23]

Anyone know if one can use Boot Camp or Parallels or something along those lines on a Mac to get this working?

I am really doubting it can be done, just curious.

mines working fine in parallels, :laugh:

[TheLegendOfMart]

(Directed at people in general) Personally kind of defeats the whole purpose of a consumer preview though... if you don't want to try the experimental latest and greatest, or if you're just going to whine about Metro, then you have no business installing it, that's just silly. Stay with 7.

If enough people moan then maybe Microsoft will listen, if people put up and shut up then nothing will change. We arent whining for whinings sake, I am genuinely very unhappy with the situation as Microsoft has such a monopoly on the desktop PC I dont have any other options other than Linux or buy a Mac.

I could stay with Windows 7 but eventually, much like XP and Vista, Windows 8 will get things that wont be back ported to legacy Windows operating systems. Not only that but developers will start to target the new Metro features which means I will be getting reduced functionality out of the apps I use on Windows 7 just for the sake of Metro.

[Vice]

If enough people moan then maybe Microsoft will listen, if people put up and shut up then nothing will change. We arent whining for whinings sake, I am genuinely very unhappy with the situation as Microsoft has such a monopoly on the desktop PC I dont have any other options other than Linux or buy a Mac.

I could stay with Windows 7 but eventually, much like XP and Vista, Windows 8 will get things that wont be back ported to legacy Windows operating systems. Not only that but developers will start to target the new Metro features which means I will be getting reduced functionality out of the apps I use on Windows 7 just for the sake of Metro.

I agree 100% with everything you just said.