Win8 Consumer Preview Disable Metro

By Matt Sharpe
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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Apprentice

Matt Sharpe

Posted
Posted

Alright, since I can't see a thread about this I thought I'd start one.

Has anyone found a way to disable Metro and get the Start Menu back in the Win8 Consumer Preview yet?

I have tried the old Dev Preview reg hack but it didn't have any effect.

note: I don't want to discuss whether you think we should disable metro, I'm simply interested whether it's possible. Thanks.

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1061546-win8-consumer-preview-disable-metro/
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Experienced

9UnknownMen

Posted
Posted
?The ?Do not show the Start Menu when the user logs in? policy allows you to boot the OS into the more familiar desktop and not the Metro start menu. Interesting to note that booting into the desktop is also the default behaviour for Windows Server 8 so you can also use this setting on your server if you want to start them into Metro (but you prob don?t want to).?

More at Some possibly not-so-good news for business users with Windows 8

Veteran

~Johnny

Posted
Posted

ViStart apparently does the job. haven't tried myself.

Well, ViStart just adds a fake start menu / button that only half works, but it doesn't disable Metro.

I don't think we'll be seeing any simply Metro disabler for a while considering the previous changed a registry key which no exists / has any effect. I believe they've removed the old start menu code entirely?

Veteran

lalalawawawa

Posted
Posted

I believe they've removed the old start menu code entirely?

I could be wrong, but I don't think so. 'Start Menu' is still present in ProgramData - Microsoft - Windows, and everything put there is being detected and added to the Windows key + Q (view all apps) screen. Something still works.

Veteran

~Johnny

Posted
Posted

I could be wrong, but I don't think so. 'Start Menu' is still present in ProgramData - Microsoft - Windows, and everything put there is being detected and added to the Windows key + Q (view all apps) screen. Something still works.

That's just the shortcuts to the default apps - all the same folder structure exists (and the new start screen also uses it), but I think the actual code in explorer.exe is gone.

Explorer

Adam20

Posted
Posted

I've just done this on my test setup, obviously it isnt disabling metro start screen, but it is taking me into the Desktop straight away (well after a few seconds) so I do feel somewhat happier now:

Go into the Start Menu, Startup Folder of the user profile.

Create Desktop.scf

Enter the following:

[shell]

Command=2

IconFile=explorer.exe,3

[Taskbar]

Command=ToggleDesktop

Save and logoff and test logging in, works a treat.

Veteran

Wakers

Posted
Posted

I've just done this on my test setup, obviously it isnt disabling metro start screen, but it is taking me into the Desktop straight away (well after a few seconds) so I do feel somewhat happier now:

Go into the Start Menu, Startup Folder of the user profile.

Create Desktop.scf

Enter the following:

[shell]

Command=2

IconFile=explorer.exe,3

[Taskbar]

Command=ToggleDesktop

Save and logoff and test logging in, works a treat.

Create in notepad and save as .scf?

Veteran

Wakers

Posted
Posted

If you want to disable Metro, what's the point of upgrading to Windows 8? Why not just stay with 7?

I know. The sad thing is, it happens with every single release of any piece of software, not just operating systems.

Honestly, I spend most of my time on the laptop outside of metro. But when I need to go in there, it's fine. I would probably even use some of the metro apps more if they had basic functionality added (like the ability to remove contacts from the People app, and if the Mail app became a bit more robust.

The start screen is a dead easy way of organising everything, and once you've got it setup it works just fine.

My only major gripes at this point in time are that the charms bar is far too slow at popping onto the screen, and that half of the keyboard shortcuts don't appear to be working on my laptop - most annoyingly the switch to desktop one.

Explorer

Adam20

Posted
Posted

Create in notepad and save as .scf?

Yes sorry, was typing quick as quite busy at work!

If you want to disable Metro, what's the point of upgrading to Windows 8? Why not just stay with 7?

Because as it stands in the consumer preview, if you configure Media Center to launch on startup, Metro interface is in the way, despite telling Media Center to always stay on top.

Plus I am not that keen on it yet I only see this Metro interface as being useful on a tablet not on my desktop or on my laptop!

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

At the moment Metro to me is basically a full screen start menu. Which is pretty and easier to take in quickly. The Metro apps by and large are poor in their current state though. They're so basic and stripped down as to be nigh on pointless.

Metro apps are incomplete. They are very much beta. It explains why they have "App Preview" written on them. ;) But I agree with what you said about the Start Screen.

But if all you're going to do is find ways to disable everything, then THERE IS NO POINT OF INSTALLING THE CONSUMER PREVIEW! It's a "preview" - Something which you'll be removing before long anyways.

Grand Master

TheLegendOfMart

Posted
Posted

But if all you're going to do is find ways to disable everything, then THERE IS NO POINT OF INSTALLING THE CONSUMER PREVIEW! It's a "preview" - Something which you'll be removing before long anyways.

Its a good gauge to find out what the final Windows 8 will be like. There is a point of installing the consumer preview, to preview if you want to buy the OS when it comes out, If there is a way of disabling Metro in the Consumer Preview then I may buy final Windows 8 for all the 'behind the scenes' improvements.

Getting fed up of these Microsoft apologists telling me that I should just stick with Windows 7 and never get or use Windows 8 because I'm not clever enough to 'get' Metro.

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Grand Master

+Ryster Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted
Getting fed up of these Microsoft apologists telling me that I should just stick with Windows 7 and never get or use Windows 8 because I'm not clever enough to 'get' Metro.

Just as I'm getting fed up with these self-entitled people who think Microsoft owe them something.

There's nothing to "apologise" for. It's not like they OWE you an OS without Metro and they've somehow let you down. This is a product. Like it? Then buy it. Don't? then Don't. Simples. Metro UI is a great UI if you only give it chance. And by that I'm not referring to the current selection of Metro apps, which quite frankly are clunky at best right now.

Grand Master

TheLegendOfMart

Posted
Posted

Except there's nothing to "apologise" for. It's not like they OWE you an OS without Metro and they've somehow let you down. This is a product. Like it? Then buy it. Don't? then Don't. Simples. Metro UI is a great UI if you only give it chance. And by that I'm not referring to the current selection of Metro apps, which quite frankly are clunky at best right now.

I can't just not buy it because Microsoft has the monopoly of OSes, there is no other Microsoft Compatible OS I can buy if I want to continue to use the apps I use and play the games I play.

I could just keep using Windows 7 but then I am losing out on the latest improvements, then theres the problem of developers targeting Metro for their new apps so then im losing out on apps and/or functionality, then theres the problem of things that Windows 8 might get in the future that won't be backported to Windows 7 much like a lot of stuff XP and Vista don't have and will never have.

Experienced

9UnknownMen

Posted
Posted

It's something you will just have to get used to. It happened with Win7 and Longhorn/Vista dev cycles. They'll be the critics and uber-defensive cheerleaders who won't stand for it.

The snide remarks insinuating that those who don't prefer the Metrotop for the non touch PC's are just dense....you'll just learn to ignore them.

Veteran

~Johnny

Posted
Posted

There is a point of installing the consumer preview, to preview if you want to buy the OS when it comes out...

Only problem with that logic is that this isn't the OS that's going to come out. It's not going to ship incomplete with half working, unfinished Metro apps and a virtually non-existent Metro app ecosystem, or with still unfinished mouse & keyboard interaction.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

Its a good gauge to find out what the final Windows 8 will be like. There is a point of installing the consumer preview, to preview if you want to buy the OS when it comes out, If there is a way of disabling Metro in the Consumer Preview then I may buy final Windows 8 for all the 'behind the scenes' improvements.

Getting fed up of these Microsoft apologists telling me that I should just stick with Windows 7 and never get or use Windows 8 because I'm not clever enough to 'get' Metro.

I just don't get what there is to hate. If you don't want to use the metro apps, you can simply get rid of them... All your left with is a start screen, that quite honestly, I don't find myself going into all that often. I'm still quite active on the desktop - just as I was in Windows 7.

I had my laptop at school yesterday, and I think I clicked into the Start Screen all of 5 times.

The Start Screen is just a more visual way of presenting the Start Menu.

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