Windows 8 Boot to the 'Classic' desktop in Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Solution
OK! OK! Curiosity got the better of me. (curiosity killed the cat)

I printed out the instructions and then rebooted from XP into Win-8/CP.
At the bottom of the first page of the instructions, it said, "Go to Control Panel > System and Security....bla bla bla" , but there is no "System and Security" location....at least not on my Win-8/32. So I went directly on to "Administrative Tools" and from there, with only a little trouble, completed the task.

I noticed only a few second difference, between just the script in the Startup folder and the much more complicated task of putting the script into the Task Scheduler.

I can totally automate the task of installing the little script into the Startup folder, , but not so...
Sorry, I didn't read the article. The eyes are bothering me today.

But what I did was put this shortcut in my Startup folder.

C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe shell:::{3080F90D-D7AD-11D9-BD98-0000947B0257}

During the boot-up process, there is a few second pause at the Metro screen and then the boot continues right to my desktop.

I don't sit here and wait for a boot up anyway. Typically, I flip the big switch to start that Power ON and boot process and then I step into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. By the time I get back to the PC, it's UP at my desktop screen and ready for..... whatever.

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor
 
OK! OK! Curiosity got the better of me. (curiosity killed the cat)

I printed out the instructions and then rebooted from XP into Win-8/CP.
At the bottom of the first page of the instructions, it said, "Go to Control Panel > System and Security....bla bla bla" , but there is no "System and Security" location....at least not on my Win-8/32. So I went directly on to "Administrative Tools" and from there, with only a little trouble, completed the task.

I noticed only a few second difference, between just the script in the Startup folder and the much more complicated task of putting the script into the Task Scheduler.

I can totally automate the task of installing the little script into the Startup folder, , but not so sure about automating the other thing.

Possibly, someone will come up with a Registry Script that could do that. Not me though, I barely get by with simple batch files.

I'll be back!
Doc

OK! I'm back and I've taken the batch file out of the Startup folder and just let the PC boot up from the script in the Task Manager/Scheduler. The second process is faster, but only by a few seconds, hardly worth all the added effort. But it does work, for those capable of following all the pages of instructions to get the job done. And if you have to reload Win-8 (which I have several times already) you'd have to go through all that process again.

I'm going to commit the short process to an installation batch file, in a folder with the Start2Desk.bat program and I'll add that to my "Win8Stuff" folder on my Utilities Disk. Then, adding the Boot to Desktop feature can be added to Win-8 in about two sec's.
 
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Solution
One last time!

I've done both the short way, to boot directly to desktop and the long way on both Win-8/32 and Win-8/64.

Timing the best I could without a stop watch, it seemed that the difference between the short way and the long way was only about two seconds.

I have the short method, with an "Install" batch file, in a folder which I can share with anyone wanting or needing it.

Cheers Mates and Happy St Patrick's day!

The Doctor
 
For those who may not know exactly how to do that, I've put the shortcut and an Install batch file in a folder, zipped that up and put it on my website, for easy download.
Link Removed

Download it, unzip it and run it. Job done.
It will reboot your PC for you after the install.

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor
 
I agree with Mike. I have my Start Page set up so that I can get to 90% of the software I use during the
day from the Start screen

Switching between applications (programs) is so easy and fast I just wish I had a touch screen.
I am running Windows 8 on my laptop that I use for tutoring and demos and the only problem I have is
with my older projector that only has a display resolution of 1024 x 768.
 
With Win-8 now booting right to the desktop, without any added software, that might mess up Windows, things are definitely looking up. Things that require two to six steps to get to, I'm just putting on the desktop as a shortcut, or putting in the Task Bar (Quick Start Menu) for a one-click startup, like Wordpad and Notepad.

Of course, it's subject to change, but here's my desktop today:

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At the top of the screen is a folder called, "Extra Stuff", for things I want quick access to, but don't use every day.
That keeps my desktop from getting too crowded.

Cheers Mates, I hope y'all had a great St Patrick's day,
The Doctor
 
For anyone setting up a computer just for themselves, personal preference takes precedence.
But my design for a desktop is not just for me, but for my hundreds of customers, some of them over 90.
If it's not on the desktop, where they can see it, then it doesn't exist.

For instance, on the left side of the screen, right above the START button, I keep the Utilities, like my Weekly Maintenance Routine.
Even with it right there in their face, so to speak, they still forget to do their maintenance.
That's one reason that I started, (many years ago now) to put my XPCleanup.bat program in the Startup folder so it runs every day.
Recently, I started putting the Disk Cleanup program at the end of that batch file, to run UN-attended. That takes out a lot of junk that I don't address with my cleanup batch file.
Otherwise in a year, their HD would be so full of crap that it would choke. They check their email and maybe play a game or two and forget everything else. Again, that's why I use an AV program that gets its own updates and runs a scan every day, automatically.

So in short, I keep my own computer set up like I set up my customer's, just for continuity.
I never let my icons drift out into my desktop. When I get too many to fit along the borders, I create a folder, with a name like "Extra Stuff" and start dropping icons into it that I don't use often.

I don't like adding more programs to any PC, to do things that can be done with what's already present in Windows.

Again, it's all a matter of personal preference.

By the way, I grabbed that beautiful picture, minus the icons, for my new desktop wallpaper.
It's just beautiful! Thank you!

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor
 
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Well, I'm on XP-Pro and the Themes are handled the way they are in Win-7 or 8.
Thank you and I'll look at it when I'm back in Win-8.

Doc