Ms Windows 8 Warning

[Duindam]

Yesterday I bought a Genuine version of MS Windows 8 Pro for my notebook, after a technician at Panthip repaired my notebook it was returned with a pirated copy of Windows 7. And while I have a genuine MS Windows 7 version at home I wanted to go for something new and I bought MS Windows 8 as I was planning a fresh installation.

The problem is that MS Windows 8 Pro needs a processor that has VT enabled, and of course the notebook I have doesn't have a processor that supports VT. The processor in the notebook is a Intel T4400 Core2Duo...

So be careful if you have a notebook / computer which you bought in 2010 or earlier as the processor likely doesn't support MS Windows 8...

So I'm back with MS Windows 7 and now also installed Linux....

[hml367]

Can this help you?

http://www.sysprobs.com/disable-enable-virtualization-technology-bios

This situation had been discussed in the Win 8 forums before the final version was released. There were fairly easy solutions to the situation.

MSPain

[Duindam]

The problem is that my Intel processor just doesn't have Virtual Technology (VT) so I'm not able to turn it on.

The processor my notebook is using was used by almost all notebook manufacturers so I guess many more with a 2 year old notebook and computer will have the same problems.

Therefore check if the processor in your computer or notebook support VT otherwise you cannot install MS Windows 8...

[floridaguy]

I have a 6 year old Core 2 Duo that I run Win 8 on as a media server. Have you even tried to install it, or are you just going by system recommendations?

[NHJ]

windows 8 doesn't require VT, you can install it no problem.

[wpcoe]

windows 8 doesn't require VT, you can install it no problem.

+1

[Chicog]

You may not be able to run Hyper-V. No loss there.

[Pib]

If you have an older computer like mentioned in several posts above and therefore can't use all Win 8 features, what real advantage does it provide over Win 7?

[mokwit]

If you have an older computer like mentioned in several posts above and therefore can't use all Win 8 features, what real advantage does it provide over Win 7?

better memory management? That is why I am gathering info on an OS I would not consider in any way otherwise.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I bought a Win8 online upgrade from MS as it was only GBP25. I installed it on a 3 year old laptop running an (official) non-English version of Win7, as I never really like having the non-English OS. As I need to keep to date with new operating systems, GBP25 seemed like a reasonable price to pay to kill two birds, and I am happy with that.

The Metro interface is too awful for words. Whilst it may be nice enough on a tablet, it really is the most impractical thing every released for a computing device that uses a mouse and keyboard (ie just about every laptop and desktop machine in the world, including all the new ones currently being sold). Luckily there are (unofficial) ways of getting the normal Win7 interface in Win8, and once this is done Win8 works well.

Would I pay full price to upgrade to Win8 from Win7? No.

Would I use Win8 if I couldnt bypass the Metro interface? Never, even if it was free. I predict that the Metro interface could lose MS millions of customers as I for one would rather switch to Linux or even MacOS than be obliged to use Metro. Whoever thought up Metro and decided not to make it optional should be shot.

[hml367]

I bought a Win8 online upgrade from MS as it was only GBP25. I installed it on a 3 year old laptop running an (official) non-English version of Win7, as I never really like having the non-English OS. As I need to keep to date with new operating systems, GBP25 seemed like a reasonable price to pay to kill two birds, and I am happy with that.

The Metro interface is too awful for words. Whilst it may be nice enough on a tablet, it really is the most impractical thing every released for a computing device that uses a mouse and keyboard (ie just about every laptop and desktop machine in the world, including all the new ones currently being sold). Luckily there are (unofficial) ways of getting the normal Win7 interface in Win8, and once this is done Win8 works well.

Would I pay full price to upgrade to Win8 from Win7? No.

Would I use Win8 if I couldnt bypass the Metro interface? Never, even if it was free. I predict that the Metro interface could lose MS millions of customers as I for one would rather switch to Linux or even MacOS than be obliged to use Metro. Whoever thought up Metro and decided not to make it optional should be shot.

I upgraded two of my computers to Windows 8. One of them starts up and goes right to the Desktop. I have Programs access in the Task bar similar to the Start button in Win 7. I use Metro when I want to because it is more efficient for me in those cases.

The only thing I miss on Windows 8 is the games that came with Windows 7. I made the update before knowing how to get the games from Windows 7 and it isn't such a big thing for me now, so I am learning to live without them.

Windows 8 is so much faster than both my Vista 32 bit, and my Windows 7 64 bit were.

I am not using anything more than what is available in Windows 8 to make all of these things work.

MSPain

[Crossy]

How are you going direct to the desktop?

[hml367]

How are you going direct to the desktop?

On the computer that goes to the desktop I am using a local account with no login. That particular computer was an upgrade over Windows 7. The other computer was a clean install after having the release preview and consumer previews installed. I did not have to reinstall Vista, which would not have worked anyway because it was Vista 32 bit running on a 64 bit processor.

I have not tried setting the computer to logon to a MS account to see if it would stay at the tiled interface. It works for me as is, so I left it alone.

The computer that was upgraded from Vista 32 signs on to a MS account when starting.

MSPain

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I upgraded two of my computers to Windows 8. One of them starts up and goes right to the Desktop. I have Programs access in the Task bar similar to the Start button in Win 7. I use Metro when I want to because it is more efficient for me in those cases.

I did a clean install as I always do, in spite of the fact that my discounted copy of Win8 was supposedly for update install only. Not exactly difficult to get round that one! No user login on any of my machines.

I found that it was impossible to arrive and stay in the desktop without Metro rearing its ugly head from time to time. The only way of getting it to do so that I could find involved installing an explorer replacement.

Without installing a third-party explorer replacement it was also impossible to have a functional version of explorer, or a proper start menu containing all my programmes, the control panel and other useful links. The Win8 explorer is also unacceptable in that it has its "ribbon", which I also dislike due to missing functionality when compared with Win7 explorer.

The third-party explorer replacement solves all these problems very nicely. Without it I would (and did) find Win8 completely unusable. Maybe I am alone in this, but I strongly doubt it. I would like some sort of switch to turn off the Metro interface permanently though, as it occasionally pops back up for no obvious reason and it annoys me every time. I am certain that some third party will bring out such a switch and I predict that the demand for it will be huge.

I am amazed that anyone could find any use whatsoever for Metro if they are not using a tablet-like device with a touchscreen. As a keyboard/mouse user, it seems to be a totally pointless and unusable interface to me.

Cant say I notice any huge difference in speed when compared to my (4 year old) desktop PC running Win7, except for start-up which is largely due to the Win8 start-up not actually being a full start-up.

I also miss Win7 desktop gadgets that are no longer available in Win8, but this is a minor complaint.

[hml367]

As I said, it works for me on the computer I upgraded from Windows 7.

I haven't tried changing the other computer to a local account because it is also fine for me. It doesn't take much effort for me to get to the desktop and I have Programs function on my Taskbar. I can put anything I want in that function.

Also as I said, all with what is available in Windows 8.

As you said, BlackPuddingBertha, you are probably not alone in your dislike of Windows 8. I have seen lots of people talking negative about it on the internet. I also see lots of people talk about how bad Windows is. It works for me is what I know.

I also remembered one other small annoyance (which isn't hard to overcome) is that when I use the BACK function in the desktop version of IE10 the page does not refresh no matter what the internet options settings are.

MSPain

[wpcoe]

How are you going direct to the desktop?

I did this yesterday, and it's absolutely brilliant! No third party software, no manual fussing with the Registry. It simply works!

[Pib]

If you have an older computer like mentioned in several posts above and therefore can't use all Win 8 features, what real advantage does it provide over Win 7?

better memory management? That is why I am gathering info on an OS I would not consider in any way otherwise.

What do you mean by better memory management in layman's/practical terms? Thanks.

[Khun Jean]

Is it such a big problem to click on one 'tile' to get a desktop, or use the shortcut window+D?

The whole metro style start screen is just a replacement of your start button and with live info on it as an extra.

You can organize this screen very easy by dragging the tiles where you want, add programs to it, arrange it in groups.

Just learn a few keyboard shortcuts, jeez. windows+X, windows+I etc..

For a measly 39US$ you get the best windows OS ever.

Sometimes you have to break with the old to get the new.

Windows 8 offers a bridge between both old and new, so what is there to complain about.

[Chicog]

Classic Shell not only puts your desktop back, you can also customise your start menu the way that you want, and switch to Metro any time you like.

It's how Microsoft *should* have designed this OS while there are still so many desktops around.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Is it such a big problem to click on one 'tile' to get a desktop, or use the shortcut window+D?

The whole metro style start screen is just a replacement of your start button and with live info on it as an extra.

I dont see why I should have to put up with seeing an entire screen of totally unwanted information every time my PC starts up. To me this is just as irritating as having MSN or AOL or whatever set as the browser homepage. My homepage is a blank screen.

All I want on startup is to see my desktop and have a proper start button. Simple.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Classic Shell not only puts your desktop back, you can also customise your start menu the way that you want, and switch to Metro any time you like.

Classic Shell gets my vote also.

Not bothered about switching to Metro as it contains nothing that I need or want.

[wpcoe]

I dont see why I should have to put up with seeing an entire screen of totally unwanted information every time my PC starts up. To me this is just as irritating as having MSN or AOL or whatever set as the browser homepage. My homepage is a blank screen.

Microsoft is a corporation whose goal is to make a profit. Profit comes from sales. Sales which eventually will come in spades from the online Store for Start Screen apps. Look at how much money Apple pulls in from their cut (30%?) on apps. Right now most (all?) the apps on Microsoft's Store are freebies, but that will change.

How will Microsoft get money from desktop computer users if those users are never exposed to the Modern interface on the Start Screen?

[hml367]

It turns out the BACK button function of IE10 that I mentioned in post #15 only happens on ThaiVisa forums, as far as I know.

I made a post about this situation on the Microsoft Answers forum and received an answer in less than 2 days.

The answer helped me find out the problem was not with IE at all, or it is caused by using Win 8/IE 10 on ThaiVisa forums.

However, it also happens when I use Mozilla Nightly on ThaiVisa forums, so it would seem IE 10 would be out as the problem.

I use Windows 8 on both of my computers, so I am not testing Windows versions for the problem.

MSPain

[Khun Jean]

Classic Shell not only puts your desktop back, you can also customise your start menu the way that you want, and switch to Metro any time you like.

Classic Shell gets my vote also.

Not bothered about switching to Metro as it contains nothing that I need or want.

You could start putting some 'tiles' aka shortcuts on it that you need most often, that is the whole purpose. It would then act as list of all your favorites that are now placed as a shortcut on your desktop or somewhere under your start button, all nicely grouped and sorted.

[Crossy]

How are you going direct to the desktop?

I did this yesterday, and it's absolutely brilliant! No third party software, no manual fussing with the Registry. It simply works!

Works like a dream. Metro is still there to act like the Start button did, actually better IMHO, I just didn't want to have to go through it to my desktop where I have my frequent use applications grouped in a way I'm used to

Windows 8 is growing on me as I find the ways of making it do what I want, I'm particularly happy with the new fonts that are so much easier for my aging eyes to read.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

You could start putting some 'tiles' aka shortcuts on it that you need most often, that is the whole purpose. It would then act as list of all your favorites that are now placed as a shortcut on your desktop or somewhere under your start button, all nicely grouped and sorted.

I don't see the point of doing this when the classic desktop/start menu/taskbar already does what I want, and takes up less screen space to do so.

[Chicog]

Classic Shell not only puts your desktop back, you can also customise your start menu the way that you want, and switch to Metro any time you like.

Classic Shell gets my vote also.

Not bothered about switching to Metro as it contains nothing that I need or want.

You could start putting some 'tiles' aka shortcuts on it that you need most often, that is the whole purpose. It would then act as list of all your favorites that are now placed as a shortcut on your desktop or somewhere under your start button, all nicely grouped and sorted.

I already have those on my desktop. Why should I have to f*** about with tiles?

[Khun Jean]

It is just as Darwin said. The most successful will adapt, the rest dies off.

See you in a few years when another evolutionary step is made with the OS.

The ones that adapted to windows 8 will be ready for that step, the rest.... will have an increasingly more difficult experience and will start moaning about 'the old days were better'.

[Chicog]

It is just as Darwin said. The most successful will adapt, the rest dies off.

See you in a few years when another evolutionary step is made with the OS.

The ones that adapted to windows 8 will be ready for that step, the rest.... will have an increasingly more difficult experience and will start moaning about 'the old days were better'.

Dream on. I am playing with the Lumia 920 and *that* is great with Windows 8.

Microsoft might be able to fob this crap off on new desktops, but forget people upgrading from XP or Win 7 unless they know how to get rid of WDI. I'd imagine more than a few will actually downgrade to Win 7 as well.

[Dork]

Whether we like Win8 or not, 94,000 people running a USD73B/year company have decided this is the future. They might be wrong.... but I doubt it.