The Most Thorough Deletion of Windows 8 Metro: Replace With a Win7 Explorer

By FaiKee
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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FaiKee

Posted
Posted

This was posted in MDL, If you hate metro, and want your win8 to act just like a win7 SP2 - this is the way to go! .

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/35189-Windows-7-explorer-for-Windows-8

screen1102.jpg

You need to have Windows 8 Release Preview (32-bit or 64-bit) installed. It should work in Server 2012 RC too.

Installation: grab c:\windows\explorer.exe and c:\windows\en-us\explorer.exe.mui from windows 7 system or installation CD (with 7-zip).

It must be same bitness and same language (or en-US) version. You can use Server 2008 R2 too.

Extract them to directory like "c:\explorer7". Extact attached archive to that directory too. It should look like this:

C:\explorer7\explorer.exe

C:\explorer7\en-US\explorer.exe.mui

C:\explorer7\patchex7.exe

C:\explorer7\wrp32.dll

C:\explorer7\wrp64.dll

Launch patchex7.exe. It will patch windows 7 explorer.exe. Then choose "7" to set it as default shell in registry, terminate current explorer.exe and log you off.

After log-on you should see Windows 7 desktop.

To uninstall, launch patchex7.exe again, choose "8" to reset shell to default explorer.exe in registry. Do this if you're upgrading patcher too.

Download: patchex7-b1.zip

PLEASE READ

THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS" AND I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING

Issues

- Start menu pin list and MFU list doesn't work. Instead, Start menu always shows "All programs" list.

- Trying to pin app to start menu by drag&drop will pin it to taskbar instead.

- Choosing "Pin to Start" menu item will add item to Start menu All programs list.

No Metro:

- Metro programs won't run.

- Autoplay popups won't show.

- "You have new program to handle this stuff" popups won't show. You need to use Default programs to change associations.

- Network icon popups don't show since Metro UI isn't started.

- You can't manage Wi-Fi networks. Use third-party program for that.

- You can't manage VPN/dialup connections. Run rasphone for that.

- You can't add new user. Run control userpasswords2 for that.

- "Choose default program to open this file type" is still Metro UI and works.

No new explorer goodies:

- No language input indicator. Use third-party program for that.

- No multi-monitor taskbars. Maybe more multimon issues.

Beta 1 issues:

- Alt-tab switcher is legacy one (you can replace alttab.dll/.mui in system32 to windows 7 ones to get it to work).

- Some debug messages are going in background.

It also works in other languages, a PCBeta member had it worked in a Localized Chinese Edition:

screen1105.jpg

.........Hope Mr. Brandon Live is not seeing these, he could get a heart attack. :laugh:

Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

Posted
Posted

There are too many limitations for this to be taken seriously. It eliminates the multi-monitor improvements, doesn't allow you to manage Wi-Fi networks and you can't add a new user properly. It's very much a bodge.

It's a shame that there are so many mods like this and none that take Metro and try to improve it.

  • +Ryster and Glassed Silver
  • Like 2
Grand Master

Som

Posted
Posted

this works pretty well, considering it was only released a couple of days ago, i'm sure with a little tweaking they'll be able to completely copy the windows 7 style interface

pity microsoft didn't have an option for this in the first place

Mentor

SharpGreen

Posted
Posted

this works pretty well, considering it was only released a couple of days ago, i'm sure with a little tweaking they'll be able to completely copy the windows 7 style interface

pity microsoft didn't have an option for this in the first place

No it is not "a pity".

Don't blame MS for you being too lazy to learn something new. That's all this metro hate really boils down to if you ask me.

Grand Master

Glassed Silver

Posted
Posted

No it is not "a pity".

Don't blame MS for you being too lazy to learn something new. That's all this metro hate really boils down to if you ask me.

Oh yeah, right...

I'll forget my opinion and replace it with your evaluation of us non-adopters just being lazy then.

Me being a Mac user must make me super lazy surely, right?

Oh and by the way: Win 8 - Metro != Windows 7

It's funny when so many Metro-opposition haters say that, defending their perception of Metro of positive kind, which is perfectly ok (albeit they say that everyone should adopt theirs or else they are just lazy/backwards/etc - yeah right).

It's funny when those Windows 8 lovers (not everyone) think that all Windows 8 brought is Metro, they don't even have a clue what Windows 8 is!

The same ones are often the ones complaining the loudest when people stuck to Windows XP, the oh so insecure OS.

The outdated OS. The "bad" OS to install on nowadays machines.

Well, guess what, any OS version will suffer this fate.

Any OS version will be out-dated, unsupported and tame at some point.

Somehow, Windows 7 must be the eternal isle of non-adopters, why?

People should think about what they are saying for a second before they do actually spill their unwillingness to understand, when they happily adopt something they like, neglecting the plethora of usages and users, that might disagree with them.

Glassed Silver:mac

  • trag3dy and Hum
  • Like 2
Grand Master

trag3dy

Posted
Posted

No it is not "a pity".

Don't blame MS for you being too lazy to learn something new. That's all this metro hate really boils down to if you ask me.

No one asked you. I'll form my own opinions, k? Thanks.

  • Glassed Silver and Hum
  • Like 2
Community Regular

Daveski

Posted
Posted

I've only been using Win 7 for about 15 months or so. I have no need to upgrade just for the sake of it. It works just fine as it is. Operating system upgrades are predominantly for making a profit for the companies that create them. Otherwise they would be offered free of charge with updates. I just can't think of a single reason to upgrade a perfectly good copy of Win 7 to Win 8.

Veteran

FaiKee

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I am using WRP as is; i.e. metro and all ....

Just reporting on some alternatives that if some user doesn't like metro, he could still enjoy win8; win8 without metro is not win7, or win7 SP, just to name a few: kernel 6.2; hybrid boot; software acceleration and better ram management; storage spaces, IE10, etc, etc. :)

btw, if you are using win8 X64, with some tweaking you could also try out ReFS, the new standard FS coming with win9........zero chance to try it out on win7.

Collaborator

Manarift

Posted
Posted

Also if you read the terms of use for widows modifying core files like ya stated here can get your cdkey void

If, after a validation check, the software is found to be counterfeit, improperly licensed, a non-genuine Windows product, or include unauthorized changes, the functionality and experience of using the software will be affected, for example:

Microsoft may

? repair the software, remove, quarantine or disable any unauthorized changes that may interfere with the proper use of the software, including circumvention of the activation or validation functions of the software, or

? check and remove malicious or unauthorized software known to be related to such unauthorized changes, or

? provide notices that the software is improperly licensed or a non-genuine Windows product

and you may

? receive reminders to obtain a properly licensed copy of the software, or

? need to follow Microsoft?s instructions to be licensed to use the software and reactivate,

and you may not be able to

? use or continue to use the software or some of the features of the software, or

? obtain certain updates or upgrades from Microsoft

d. You may only obtain updates or upgrades for the software from Microsoft or authorized sources. For more information on obtaining updates from authorized sources see go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid=104612.

  • Matthew_Thepc
  • Like 1
Grand Master

Joshie

Posted
Posted

That's a very dumb statement. :rolleyes: As if everyone is obligated to 'upgrade'.

You're right. People aren't obligated to upgrade. So why are they going to such extreme lengths to turn Windows 8 into Windows 7? These tricks are ONLY FOR WINDOWS 8. Why would the sort of person who would want to use these tricks, in a world where they aren't obligated to use Windows 8, HAVE Windows 8 in the first place?

For what it's worth, this sort of thing is a broken 'solution' anyway. One round of Windows Updates and you might not even be able to boot.

If you buy a 2012 model car, strip it down, replace all of its parts with parts from the 2009 model of the same car, people are going to think you're stupid and ask why you didn't just keep using the 2009 model to begin with. Saying you aren't "obligated to use the 2012 changes" doesn't exactly put them in their place, brew.

Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

Technically it's a custom shell, the only actual modifications it makes are to the registry and the explorer files from Windows 7. And given that a lot of other Explorer shell replacement applications can be used perfectly legitimately, Microsoft would be a bit dumb to deactivate people's installs because of the use of a custom shell. Technically by reusing and modifying files from Windows 7, they're violating the EULA from 7, not 8.

Collaborator

Manarift

Posted
Posted

Technically it's a custom shell, the only actual modifications it makes are to the registry and the explorer files from Windows 7. And given that a lot of other Explorer shell replacement applications can be used perfectly legitimately, Microsoft would be a bit dumb to deactivate people's installs because of the use of a custom shell. Technically by reusing and modifying files from Windows 7, they're violating the EULA from 7, not 8.

Actually that clause is in windows 8 as well :)

Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

Actually that clause is in windows 8 as well :)

I'm well aware of that, but you're missing my point: It doesn't actually modify any files from your Windows 8 install, just the registry.

Mentor

SharpGreen

Posted
Posted

No one asked you. I'll form my own opinions, k? Thanks.

Ok. Good for you. But I reserve the right to do the same, which I did and made clear in my previous post. Don't like it? Don't care.

Oh yeah, right...

I'll forget my opinion and replace it with your evaluation of us non-adopters just being lazy then.

Me being a Mac user must make me super lazy surely, right?

Not quite sure what being a mac user has to do with anything in the context of this thread. Also who said you have to accept my opinion as the only one? I certainly didn't.

Grand Master

BajiRav

Posted
Posted

oh my...

- Autoplay popups won't show.

- "You have new program to handle this stuff" popups won't show. You need to use Default programs to change associations.

- Network icon popups don't show since Metro UI isn't started.

- You can't manage Wi-Fi networks. Use third-party program for that.

- You can't manage VPN/dialup connections. Run rasphone for that.

- You can't add new user. Run control userpasswords2 for that.

- "Choose default program to open this file type" is still Metro UI and works.

People who do this must be really bothered by the new UI...

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