win8 New Windows 8 RTM Feature - Show Metro Style App Sizes

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

More and more new features in Windows 8 RTM and not in the release preview are being revealed. Today, I want to talk about a new neat little handy feature that is included in the RTM version of Windows 8. It is a new addition to the Metro Style control panel in Windows 8 that will let you see how much space is left on your hard drive AND how much each metro style app is occupying in your hard drive. I am sure many of you will find this feature a very welcoming one, as in the past, it was quite hard to see how much disk space these apps were using without actually examining the app directories manually.

To activate it, go to the General section of the Metro Style control panel. Or you can directly search for it from the start screen by typing relevant words like, "app size", "size", "space", "disk space", etc. You will need the RTM version of Windows 8 (or later) to be able to do this!

[neo1911]

Cool. I wished they merged all features from classic control panel to Metro control Panel and remove the classic control panel all together.

It will need another re write.

[nMIK-3]

Nice addition. Does it let you uninstall Metro apps from this list as well?

Or still the only way to uninstall a Metro app is from the Start Screen?

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

The only way to uninstall Metro Style apps to right-click them from the start screen (or all apps menu) and clicking Uninstall. You can't uninstall apps from that list in the control panel.

[jakem1]

Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully this feature will make its way over to Windows Phone as well.

[+FloatingFatMan Subscriber¹]

Can you specify the installation path for metro apps yet? Because it's massively stupid not to be able to do that in RP, and really honks me off, big time.

[George P Global Moderator]

  On 10/08/2012 at 08:36, sanke1 said:

Cool. I wished they merged all features from classic control panel to Metro control Panel and remove the classic control panel all together.

It will need another re write.

They could do that and then all the desktop users would moan about it in the end. Anyways, I more or less agree, and I think they'll add more to the metro control panel as time goes on but if they leave out more of the advanced stuff then we won't see the desktop control panel going away anytime soon.

[MikeChipshop Member]

  On 10/08/2012 at 10:10, FloatingFatMan said:

Can you specify the installation path for metro apps yet? Because it's massively stupid not to be able to do that in RP, and really honks me off, big time.

Absolutely this ^^^

I do not want everything on my C: drive, i want to put things where i want to put them.

[Descartes]

  On 10/08/2012 at 08:36, sanke1 said:

Cool. I wished they merged all features from classic control panel to Metro control Panel and remove the classic control panel all together.

It will need another re write.

I won't try to discuss whether this is a good idea or not, but one thing I am sure of is that it'd cause a massive uproar.

[ahhell]

  On 10/08/2012 at 08:42, Nazmus Shakib Khandaker said:

The only way to uninstall Metro Style apps to right-click them from the start screen (or all apps menu) and clicking Uninstall. You can't uninstall apps from that list in the control panel.

It works this way in WP7 as well only instead of the doubleclick you just hold your finger down for a couple of seconds.

[Anthonyd]

  On 10/08/2012 at 08:36, sanke1 said:

Cool. I wished they merged all features from classic control panel to Metro control Panel and remove the classic control panel all together.

It will need another re write.

So they break their compatibility with software made for the previous edition of Windows just because you're mad that there 2 menus?

[theyarecomingforyou]

  On 10/08/2012 at 14:53, Marcin Kurek said:

I won't try to discuss whether this is a good idea or not, but one thing I am sure of is that it'd cause a massive uproar.

True, but the Control Panel is definitely in need of a major overhaul. Microsoft keeps adding new features and putting them in random locations. For instance, Storage Spaces, Power Options and File History are listed under "System and Security" - it doesn't strike me as logical.

That said, Metro probably isn't the answer until Microsoft allows Metro apps to be run in a window (which there really is no reason to disallow) - then a new Control Panel would be tolerable as it wouldn't fill your entire screen. Same with Metro games. Why does Solitaire require me to run it in full screen? It's a backwards move.

[BajiRav]

  On 10/08/2012 at 15:44, theyarecomingforyou said:

True, but the Control Panel is definitely in need of a major overhaul. Microsoft keeps adding new features and putting them in random locations. For instance, Storage Spaces, Power Options and File History are listed under "System and Security" - it doesn't strike me as logical.

That said, Metro probably isn't the answer until Microsoft allows Metro apps to be run in a window (which there really is no reason to disallow) - then a new Control Panel would be tolerable as it wouldn't fill your entire screen. Same with Metro games. Why does Solitaire require me to run it in full screen? It's a backwards move.

That actually sounds logical? Power Options also shows up in Hardware&Sound but the other two are not really hardware related.

[George P Global Moderator]

  On 10/08/2012 at 14:47, MikeHellstone said:

Absolutely this ^^^

I do not want everything on my C: drive, i want to put things where i want to put them.

You can, though you'd have to make the change right after you install Windows, move your "user folders" to a different location. Change the default path for it and then that should do the trick. I haven't tried this but I'm pretty sure all Metro apps install to your User folder, though MS probably has the exact folder hidden or something.

[Joshie]

  On 10/08/2012 at 21:29, GP007 said:

You can, though you'd have to make the change right after you install Windows, move your "user folders" to a different location. Change the default path for it and then that should do the trick. I haven't tried this but I'm pretty sure all Metro apps install to your User folder, though MS probably has the exact folder hidden or something.

Seeing as these apps are technically installed similar to how mobile apps are installed, what seems to be needed here is the Android-esque "Move to SD" feature, where it would be slightly more robust and allowing moving to any non-primary partition.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a tweak somewhere that could make this happen, and with the rising popularity of SSDs, it'd be a nice addition.

Though, personally, for 240 GB drives and up, I don't think it's such a big concern. I WANT my apps launching from the fastest drive I have (usually the primary drive). I'll go out of my way to store data elsewhere, since that's by far the real offender when it comes to taking up space.

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

  On 10/08/2012 at 21:29, GP007 said:

You can, though you'd have to make the change right after you install Windows, move your "user folders" to a different location. Change the default path for it and then that should do the trick. I haven't tried this but I'm pretty sure all Metro apps install to your User folder, though MS probably has the exact folder hidden or something.

Incorrect. Metro apps are stored in the Program Fises folder. There is a hidden folder called Windows Apps. The reason for this is do that if multipple users install the same apps, Windows can use the same app directory to save disk space.

[@Leo]

Quran :laugh: Religion :laugh:

[George P Global Moderator]

  On 10/08/2012 at 23:30, Nazmus Shakib Khandaker said:

Incorrect. Metro apps are stored in the Program Fises folder. There is a hidden folder called Windows Apps. The reason for this is do that if multipple users install the same apps, Windows can use the same app directory to save disk space.

OK, my mistake then, but the same applies. In XP and even in Windows 7 i've changed the location of my Program Files folder, it's not that hard to do. I've had "program files" be on a 2nd HDD before (a bigger one, and it also kept the main C: drive from getting fragmented as much). If people really want to do it it should be possible as far as I know.

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

Here's a screenshot of the Metro Style app directory. It is called "Windows Apps". If you like a soundtrack of a game, for example, you can hunt down this folder and extract it yourself! ;)

  On 11/08/2012 at 04:55, GP007 said:

OK, my mistake then, but the same applies. In XP and even in Windows 7 i've changed the location of my Program Files folder, it's not that hard to do. I've had "program files" be on a 2nd HDD before (a bigger one, and it also kept the main C: drive from getting fragmented as much). If people really want to do it it should be possible as far as I know.

How do you change the program files path??? Doesn't this break (or cause errors in) Windows? Is there an utility in Windows for relocating the program files path?

[George P Global Moderator]

  On 11/08/2012 at 05:20, Nazmus Shakib Khandaker said:

Here's a screenshot of the Metro Style app directory. It is called "Windows Apps". If you like a soundtrack of a game, for example, you can hunt down this folder and extract it yourself! ;)

How do you change the program files path??? Doesn't this break (or cause errors in) Windows? Is there an utility in Windows for relocating the program files path?

No tool or anything you just have to go into the registry and change the setting to a new path.

Go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Locate the value named ?ProgramFilesDir? and change the default value ?C:\Program Files? to your new directory path(address).

You'd probably have to do this before you install anything though, that's when it'll start to break things I bet. Anyways, after you make the change you can copy over any pre-installed stuff to the new path and it should work fine, or keep that their and just let any new things install to the new path from then on.

When I did it I had no problem with things breaking, infact since apps were on a 2nd drive the few times I had to reinstall windows any apps that kept things in their own folder kept working without issue.

*edit* I'd also like to add that if you're on 64bit version of Windows than the above change is a little different. Do a quick bing or google search and you'll find what you need.