Windows 8 Release Preview Discussion

By Roger H.
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

In the Developer and Consumer Preview, there was a way to snap Metro Apps alongside desktop apps, even if your desktop was below the required resolution. However this hack doesn't seem to work in the Release Preview. Anyone know how to do this?

I have *always* been able to snap a Metro app beside a desktop app - in fact, I did it yesterday with Mail (snapped to the left of Waterfox).

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

Any help guys? I've tired installing it with Windows 7 x64 option and "other 64bit" option none work!

I have an AMD A8 CPU, with virtualization enabled.

Has anyone got it to work with VMware Player? Thanks

post-88569-0-20795800-1338659219_thumb.p

How much RAM do you have devoted to the virtual machine?

For x64, VMware (both Player and WS) likes 2 GB for Windows 8 guests - at minimum.

Grand Master

jakem1

Posted
Posted

I have *always* been able to snap a Metro app beside a desktop app - in fact, I did it yesterday with Mail (snapped to the left of Waterfox).

Windows Snap only works on resolutions >= 1366 x 768. I'd say that drazgoosh is looking for a hack to get it working at a lower resolution.

Rising Star

x.iso

Posted
Posted

I noticed Anti-Malware Service eating up CPU and HD - went to services and disabled Windows Defender.

No idea what the hell it was doing - but I never gave it permission to do anything. :)

probably it was checking your system for malware in scheduled manner, as every other anti-virus program do. but the problem is, it's hard to find the damn settings for Defender. so I recommend install MSE instead (almost same thing, but with icon in tray and ability to easily access it's settings).

Enthusiast

Jygoro

Posted
Posted

Is scrolling with a mouse any more coherent yet?

Previously, even with some Microsoft apps, scrolling might not work. Sometimes it popped up a metro styled scrollbar, sometimes that was overlayed by a desktop style scrollbar.

Sometimes, you would be able to scroll horizontal and vertical content, sometimes only vertical.

Other times, an app might not even scroll at all with the scroll wheel! On occasion it was dependant as to where the cursor is, at other times, the scroll wheel would only scroll one part of the content on the screen no matter where your cursor was and even when there was extra content that could be scrolled. Sometimes you have to click the alternative content to focus it and scroll, sometimes that didn't work and you'd have to click on a screen scroll bar.

Even with my Logitech keyboard and trackpad combo with multi-touch scroll, scrolling vertically sometimes scrolls content horizontally, sometimes vertically. Same goes for horizontal scrolling, sometimes using it caused vertical scrolling.

This is my biggest gripe with windows 8 on the desktop!

(Disclaimer: I do realise that many of these problems are caused by developers but I don't believe Microsoft gave them clear enough rules to follow when it comes to standard user controls on desktops. Even if it turns out that they did, Microsoft aren't following them very well!)

Oh, try this. Open the weather app. Scroll left and right and leave your cursor in the middle of the screen. Try to scroll the middle section (think it was a 10 day forecast or something). This is one of the inconsistent instances which I'm talking about.

I think now is at least usable. If you move the mouse cursor to the bottom using the wheel you will always scroll horizontally the entire App. And if there is something with vertical scroll just move the cursor over it and the wheel will scroll vertically.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

probably it was checking your system for malware in scheduled manner, as every other anti-virus program do. but the problem is, it's hard to find the damn settings for Defender. so I recommend install MSE instead (almost same thing, but with icon in tray and ability to easily access it's settings).

Are you able to install MSE?

Grand Master

George P Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted

It's the same thing in Windows 8?

That's right, it is, I don't think you can install MSE on Windows 8 because they should be the same code and engine, just with different names. MSE will be around for Win7 and Vista only from now on I'd guess.

But as far as finding it, without booting into win8 right now doesn't it come up if you just hit winkey and type defender? That should bring up the app, or if not I'm going to say you can find it in the control panel (the desktop one).

Collaborator

contextfree

Posted
Posted

That's a wise move and I can see why they did. Most people with mouse will need it at the right especially if they use the start button in Charms bar. Also you should think in people who is using a tablet and now they can open All Apps with 3 fast moves with the right thumb.

just to note, you can get to the All Apps screen just by using the Search charm while on the Desktop or the Start screen. (in the Developer Preview that was the only way to get there)

Enthusiast

Jygoro

Posted
Posted

just to note, you can get to the All Apps screen just by using the Search charm while on the Desktop or the Start screen. (in the Developer Preview that was the only way to get there)

yep, you are right, but you need an additional click to really access to the All Apps list. With the new button placement It needs only 2 fast moves with right dumb if you are in StartScreen.

Grand Master

Quillz

Posted
Posted

I imagine that will be one of the first Metro apps made - one that lets you shut down and restart your computer from a tile. It's unbelievable that Microsoft hasn't addressed a very legitimate issue and common complaint.

Well, it's not a hugely critical thing for me, anyway. On my laptop, I just close the lid. On my desktop, pressing the power button puts the computer into sleep mode and turns off the display. I was curious how to add the tile to the Start screen, but I actually wouldn't use it all that much.

Collaborator

Subhadip

Posted
Posted

It's really not such a huge issue. To reach the Power menu, Win+I + up. Really no different from Win 7 where it was Win + right.

That said I am sure the Win+X menu is a WIP and they will redesign it, make it configurable (it already is using the registry) and add a Shut Down in their somewhere.

Of course one can always pin the Shut down command as a Start Screen shortcut.

Community Regular

KevinN206

Posted
Posted

oh yeah i remember i asked that in the last release and forgot, shows how intuitive that is,... also if you've searched for something before you go into the store it keeps the history and looks like you are still searching your start screen

what exactly has changed in this compared to the last release, someone please tell me? (ok its a bit faster, but after that...)

The idea is that you can search for anything, at anytime, from anywhere, within any app, and within any place within any app WITHOUT having a dedicated search UI for each app. Once you understand this new idea of search, then it actually works pretty well. If I need to search for anything within ANY app, I think of the Search charm (or press Win+Q). Your search box is always at the same location regardless of where you are.

Most apps these days dedicate a portion of the UI for a search box. Microsoft decided to provide a method for app developers from NOT having to develop their own search UI. Instead, they can use the built-in Search function. Developers are encouraged not to provide a search bar but not prohibited.

Proficient

Tilt090

Posted
Posted

what i find with windows 8 ui is that if there was a competition to break down the winxp UI into multiple unrelated categories and hide them all over the UI then you'd get windows 8. Its not difficult to learn or memorise this but whats the point.. some stuff hidden behind the fancy shamncy couch some behind the old shabby recliner.. etc etc.

its just like playing treasure hunt. rofl!!

Grand Master

George P Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted

It's really not such a huge issue. To reach the Power menu, Win+I + up. Really no different from Win 7 where it was Win + right.

That said I am sure the Win+X menu is a WIP and they will redesign it, make it configurable (it already is using the registry) and add a Shut Down in their somewhere.

Of course one can always pin the Shut down command as a Start Screen shortcut.

I think having the new power user menu (win+x or right click in the lower left corner) be customizable either by MS doing it or some 3rd party tool that it'd be great. Right now it has a good chunk of links to useful stuff you'd otherwise have to go through control panel to get to from the looks of it so I like that part of it.

Honestly if they wanted to make it easier to shutdown then moving the power button to the charms bar or adding a restart/shutdown option in the user menu under log off would work as well.

Neowinian

altr

Posted
Posted

[...]

The bad : The store seems to take forever to install an app, whenever I try to add a new account in Mail and I go to Settings > Accounts and I click Add a new account, the pane on the side (or however that's called) disappears. Just like that. I've tried it multiple times, I tried installing / uninstalling , pin / unpin and even "Refresh / Reset your PC" . Nothing works, so I believe it's a problem with the metro apps. Also, in Calendar, if I try to add a new account, the same thing happens, only this time, not only does the pane disappear, it closes the app and takes me back to the Start Screen. In Music, whenever I try to get to the playback controls (via right click), the menu appears on the bottom, stays there for like a second and then disappears. I installed all the updates, all the drivers, and I have the exact same setup I did when I installed the CP. (these apps worked prefectly for me)

Has anybody else experienced something like this? Maybe I'm "holding it wrong"?

I had the same problem, I was able to solve it by doing the following:

Open up the charms, then chose "Settings" > "More PC Settings" > "Ease of Access", turn off "Tap through webpages and apps using caret browsing".

I hope that helps you ;)

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

I think having the new power user menu (win+x or right click in the lower left corner) be customizable either by MS doing it or some 3rd party tool that it'd be great. Right now it has a good chunk of links to useful stuff you'd otherwise have to go through control panel to get to from the looks of it so I like that part of it.

Honestly if they wanted to make it easier to shutdown then moving the power button to the charms bar or adding a restart/shutdown option in the user menu under log off would work as well.

+1

One thing I would have liked is for them to steal a page from Server 2012/Server 2008 R2 and include Windows PowerShell with the operating system (and a shortcut to a PowerShell prompt) to that menu.

PowerShell is the red-headed stepchild of Windows scripting languages - even VBScript, which predates it, is used more on desktops. Practically all of PowerShell's usage has been confined to *servers* - despite it being utterly platform-neutral, by both design and purpose.Even if you don't have it part of 8 by default, have the script that installs it add the appropriate menu item, please!

Grand Master

Sszecret Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I had the same problem, I was able to solve it by doing the following:

Open up the charms, then chose "Settings" > "More PC Settings" > "Ease of Access", turn off "Tap through webpages and apps using caret browsing".

I hope that helps you ;)

Wow, thanks! Turns out I was indeed "holding it wrong".

Grand Master

The Teej

Posted
Posted

Finally got round to installing Release Preview after using the Consumer Preview. Loving things so far!

One slight niggle though - in IE10 Metro, mouse overs are completely borked. For example, when you rollover a hyperlink with your mouse, it turns a different colour and gets underlined. Now typically, when you roll off the link it turns back to normal. However in IE10 Metro it doesn't do this! It stays a different colour/underlined! This is also true of other rollover features like the news and forum drop down menus at the top of the forums - the menus drop down, but when you roll off they don't pull back up! They stay down!

Any one else had this issue?

Enthusiast

Jygoro

Posted
Posted
Finally got round to installing Release Preview after using the Consumer Preview. Loving things so far! One slight niggle though - in IE10 Metro, mouse overs are completely borked. For example, when you rollover a hyperlink with your mouse, it turns a different colour and gets underlined. Now typically, when you roll off the link it turns back to normal. However in IE10 Metro it doesn't do this! It stays a different colour/underlined! This is also true of other rollover features like the news and forum drop down menus at the top of the forums - the menus drop down, but when you roll off they don't pull back up! They stay down! Any one else had this issue?
Can't reproduce your problem. Yours seems a refresh screen problem. Maybe a graphics driver problem?
Grand Master

The Teej

Posted
Posted

Can't reproduce your problem. Yours seems a refresh screen problem. Maybe a graphics driver problem?

Well, a restart fixed the issue. Very strange.

Still also getting those issues of a freeze followed by graphical artefacts everywhere, followed by either a restart of explorer or the whole PC, just like in Consumer Preview in this picture here:

WP_000095.jpg

Anyone else getting this?

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

  • Posts

    • UK nudity blockers are a looming privacy disaster, we must be able to see the source code

      By zikalify · Posted

      UK nudity blockers are a looming privacy disaster, we must be able to see the source code by Paul Hill Image via Pexels The UK government, just like many state governments in the US and national governments around the world, has begun going on a bit of a power trip when it comes to digital safety. The major step taken so far is the introduction of the Online Safety Act, which requires users to prove their age to access adult websites (it includes more than this, too). Now, UK PM Keir Starmer is calling on Apple and Google, and presumably other mobile OS makers, to scan phones for explicit images to protect children. This potentially mandatory on-device scanning by vendor-controlled software will create unacceptable harms to individual freedoms and transparency, and introduce massive surveillance risks. In a statement on June 8, the Prime Minister stated that big tech companies, such as Apple and Google, must add features to their platforms, such as iOS and Android, that will detect and block sexually explicit or nude images involving under-18s on phones or tablets. Adults who want to take or send nudes would be required to hand over some form of identification to stop their phone from blocking these pictures, creating unnecessary privacy risks. According to the government, it wants to see these measures implemented within three months; otherwise, the government will introduce legislation to force them to introduce such technology. The legislation will include fines for companies and maybe even criminal liability for tech bosses who do not comply with the measures. In its announcement, the government said that stopping users from taking, sending, or receiving nudes without verifying their age is technically feasible, and pointed to a British firm called SafeToNet, which has made proprietary, closed-source, uninstallable software called HarmBlock and is actively selling a device with it enabled and is working with other OEMs. The fact that this software is closed source is a huge problem because it’s a black box; you do not know what it is doing on your device. The fact that it is unremovable is also a problem because you lose control of a phone that you own. Laughably, the government, just before highlighting SafeToNet, says that companies must introduce such measures “without threatening privacy or collecting any data.” It then says over-18s will still be able to view adult content by providing proof of age… Which sounds to me like data collection. SafeToNet makes some debatable claims about HarmBlock The government’s example software, HarmBlock, is a hugely alarming choice to espouse the virtues of this type of software. SafeToNet claims that HarmBlock is “ethically developed,” but this is the opposite of the truth. This black box software puts digital handcuffs on you if it’s installed in your device, taking away your freedom to control what software runs on your device, as it cannot be removed. It is not even free software, so we cannot inspect the source code to see what it is doing. For all we know, it could be acting maliciously. While that’s unlikely, we can’t verify that it’s not doing that. When Google and Apple do inevitably integrate these features on devices in the UK, they are very likely to be closed-source binaries, which will also be non-auditable. They will also have identity services built into them, which will require at least temporary collection of sensitive identity documents to verify your age. One saving grace for Android users is that this nudity blocker will very likely be implemented within the Google Play infrastructure that’s deeply tied into commercial Android devices. However, anyone with enough determination to throw out Google apps from their phone by flashing a custom ROM could find they regain control over their phone again without these digital handcuffs. Obviously, this is only how I expect Google to implement the feature; if it bakes it into the open-source Android somehow, that would be bad news for anyone looking to escape it. Outside of stripping mobile phone users of their freedom and sovereignty over their devices, these proprietary on-device machine learning or hash-matching solutions cannot be independently audited. This means that hackers could potentially exploit them because security researchers can’t investigate the code, and they could overstep their intended use case and collect even more user data without anybody knowing. We also wouldn’t know if the code is prone to detecting false positives or biased classification, because we can’t see the code. In the government’s announcement, contributing comments from the Internet Watch Foundation keep talking about “on-device protections” as if to say that users don’t need to worry about server-side processing; however, this is misleading, as data could flow from devices for the purpose of updates, remote model changes, telemetry, or server-side matching. We’ve also seen with the Online Safety Act that the government is never content with the laws it introduces; it always wants to expand the controls. If this scanning functionality arrives on devices, it might only block nudes initially, but later governments could pressure vendors for expanded access or use mandated features for other surveillance aims. The introduction of on-device scanners opens the door to massive risks in the future. Once nude blocking becomes normalized, regulators like Ofcom or politicians themselves could push for more controls over people’s devices. Very possible candidates for blocking include hate speech, misinformation, or undesirable political content. Also, there is a chance that once Apple and Google have developed this software, they might attempt to reuse the infrastructure for commercial or foreign requests, putting customers in greater danger. Just the UK's demand for this sets a precedent. What if a dictatorship decides to spy on activists by demanding that Google or Apple implement similar controls? Another concern with this scanning is that it adds compliance costs for businesses looking to get into the mobile operating system space. While Google and Apple dominate the space right now, there are lots of smaller companies creating mobile operating systems too, including community projects with very shallow pockets. How are these smaller competitors supposed to implement sophisticated nudity detectors? Simply put, they can’t. Then the government goes after them, causes them to shut down, and Google and Apple have less competition. Image via Aurora Store For us users who value sovereignty over our technology, this development will force us to seek freedom-respecting alternatives. The simplest path forward will likely be to install a custom ROM on an Android device; however, kicking Google off the phone with its black box nudity blocker could also make it harder to access apps such as banking apps, which tend to need you to pass Google's integrity checks. Thankfully, Google Play Store apps can still be obtained by storefronts such as the Aurora Store, but it just adds to the friction. To be fair to those pushing this measure to protect children, I think it will be reasonably effective, but people will still try to find ways around it, just as they’ve done with age gates on adult websites introduced under the Online Safety Act. In the effort to find circumvention methods, it could lead users to join riskier platforms that introduce new dangers. This effort also diverts resources from proven interventions such as law enforcement cooperation, targeted investigations, education, and support services to broad technical controls that have uncertain effectiveness (due to their newness). If the government is set on introducing such tools, then there ought to be safeguards in place. Any mandated code should be released as free software so that it can be audited, and the binaries should be reproducible builds so that the public knows nothing has been tampered with in the code used to create the binaries shipped out. Ideally, these tools should also be voluntary, opt-in, and even community-run. This would also allow people to have full control over their hardware while allowing parents to flip a switch to turn on these protections for children, with the knowledge that the code being run is doing exactly what it says on the tin, and nothing nefarious, like a black box solution could be doing. The government should also have a narrow legal scope where this technology stays with blocking nudes and not spreading to blocking political opinions, hate speech, and so on. Ideally, any implementation should avoid identity-linked age verification to keep user data safe, and matching should be done locally with no server telemetry to ensure it is truly on-device. While I do understand that stakeholders such as parents want to keep children safe, the potential for abuse with this type of software is colossal. It would entrench black-box surveillance and take away our freedom to use our devices as we want. There is also the acute risk that the government will demand this surveillance be expanded to block other activities, which could be particularly dangerous. If you are in the UK and don’t wish to see these measures implemented, it is still possible to write to your MP, which could lead to some better safeguards being introduced before it’s too late. Once we get more technical information about how this will be implemented, then we will be able to see if de-Googling Android devices will bypass this measure. For anyone with an iPhone, there is zero chance that you’ll be able to take off these handcuffs because Apple doesn’t let you mess with your software.
    • Apple would rather delay Siri AI than open iOS to rival assistants in the EU

      By Malisk · Posted

      I'm reading the reports as EU rejecting Apple's proposal because Trusted System Agent would be an intermediary offered to third party AI's (this article is also worded as such) but Siri AI itself would not pass this intermediary. This would cause a situation where Siri AI would have more direct system access and offer it an unfair advantage. (speaking from EU regulator perspective here) Apple is citing security issues with doing what EU asked for, and I think this also supports this theory, because truly direct system access like Siri AI would make it impossible to control third party AI's running on the devices and e.g. reign them in via adjustments to Trusted System Agent. So, I _think_ this is the sticking point right now: EU saying they need to be on equal footing as Siri AI, Apple saying they can't be because Apple only trusts their own AI. Apple could of course be leaning a bit extra hard towards this because they're biased in terms of excluding competitors. One method to find an agreement would be to have Siri AI also run through Trusted System Agent and treat it as untrusted. This kind of defensive architecture design (especially when involving an AI) would honestly not be a very bad idea from a sheer engineering standpoint. But then Apple would need to swallow their pride and adapt worldwide due to EU, and make perhaps major updates delaying Siri AI once more.
    • Politically funny images of the World

      By PsYcHoKiLLa · Posted

    • Halo: Campaign Evolved is out next month with new prequel missions

      By mcloum · Posted

      I have not even heard of that game. will take a look
    • Chasys Photo 5.41.01

      By Copernic · Posted

      Chasys Photo 5.41.01 by Razvan Serea Chasys Photo is a suite of image editing applications including a layer-based image editor with adjustment layers, linked layers, timeline and frame-based animation, icon editing, image stacking and comprehensive plug-in support (Chasys Photo Editor), a fast image viewer (Chasys Photo Viewer) and a fast multi-threaded image file converter (Chasys Photo Converter) , with RAW image support in all components. It supports the native file formats of several competitors including Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, ArtWeaver, Corel PhotoPaint, FireAlpaca, GIMP, Krita, Paint.NET, PaintShop Pro and Pixlr, and the whole suite is designed to make effective use of multi-core processors, touch-screens and pen-input devices. Designed under the mantra of “unique, flexible and powerful”, Chasys Photo takes a radically different approach to image editing with the aim of opening up new possibilities for those who dare to be different. Chasys Photo key features: Free-style layering with blending modes Adjustment layers with multiple adjustments per layer Linked layers (a.k.a Linked Smart Objects) Composite, Image List, Frame Animation and Object Animation image modes Animation, both frame-based and object-based (timeline animation) Animation Composer engine Image Stacking for noise reduction, super-resolution, etc. Tablet/Pen-input/Stylus support with pressure control Touch-screen support with gestures including pitch-to-zoom and multi-finger panning Support for the native formats of Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, ArtWeaver, Corel PhotoPaint, FireAlpaca, GIMP, Krita, Paint.NET, PaintShop Pro and Pixlr Support for common formats such as JPEG, animated PNG, animated GIF, TIFF, PICT, WebP, HEIF, DDS, JPEG-2000, JPEG-XR, JPEG-XL, AVI video, etc. Support for the OpenRaster interchange file format and rare formats such as QOI, MNG/JNG and DPX Support for older formats such as PPM/PGM/PBM, PCX/DCX, PCD, TGA, COKE, etc. Comprehensive Camera RAW file support with live adjustment Extensive plug-in support with streamlined SDKs Support for Photoshop Filter Plug-ins (.8BF) Advanced printing and scanning engines PDF document generation Icon and cursor editing, import and export, including Vista-style and Mac-OS icons Screen Capture, including Video Screen Capture with multiple triggering modes Video capture from devices (e.g. TV/Video) Supports multi-core processors, High-DPI displays and Multiple Display setups Integrated File Browser, Bluetooth OBEX and in-built utilities (Calculator, Notepad) Shell integration with thumbnails and conflict detection Unlimited Undo/Redo and Asynchronous Auto-Save, with Just-in-time memory compression to save space Fully re-editable text with advanced styling and effects (TextArt) Full alpha channel through out the workflow with Alpha protection (a.k.a. transparency protection) Multiple language support with user-editable language files and translation assistant (Chasys Photo Language Studio) Anti-aliasing and super-sampling support in tools and paths* Smart-resizing (similar to seam-carving) Best-in-class post-edit heuristics anti-aliasing engine Physical measurement specification with display size detection via EDID Uses the latest CD5 specification with animation and multi-resolution Super-fast internal graphics engine (JpDRAW2) Full UNICODE support in all components Metadata save, restore and scale to imitate vector art Configurable Guides and Grids with Snap-to-Grid Smart-dither to custom palette Asynchronous preview rendering engine Pantone equivalent palettes for PMS 100 to 814-2x Automatic color naming ... and many more! Chasys Photo 5.41.01 changelog: New Features Layered images with multiple pages (Composite/Multi-page) Additional templates to support template-centric workflow New Layer Blend Mode: Inverse Luma Mask Horizon detection in Rotate Transform Cropping option when importing video Orientation options in QR Code Generator plug-in Solved angle ambiguities (CCW versus CW) Internal Improvements Improved graphics engine (JpDRAW2™ v26.05) Improved CD5 codec (v4.10, improved ACSC compression) Improved interpolation when downsizing images Improved motion detection in Video Capture Slightly lower memory usage (RAM is getting expensive!) File Support and Bug Fixes Improved PXZ file support (placeholders, blanks) [bug-fix] Memory leak in flt_JPEG.dll Download: Chasys Photo 5.41.01 | 46.1 MB (Freeware) View: Chasys Photo Home Page | Wikipedia Page | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware

  • Recent Achievements

    • Very Popular
      Captain_Eric earned a badge
      Very Popular
    • One Month Later
      amusc earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      DJC50PLUS earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      DJC50PLUS earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Proficient
      Eric Biran went up a rank
      Proficient

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      508
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      220
    3. 3
      ATLien_0
      92
    4. 4
      +Edouard
      90
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      83
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!