Windows 8 Win 8 and me

[OldTimer]

yup!

I do have to applaud, MS's forethought, or maybe it's hindsight, that they added an app specifically to provide 16 bit compatibility for older software.
Today, I put an 18 year old game, MahJongg, on a floppy disk, into my floppy Drive and started the install.
Windows 8 installed that old game, with only one stop, to ask me if I wanted to Activate 16 bit support.

After telling it I did, it went ahead and installed that old game without a whimper.
Here it is:

So I'll have to add "Backward Compatibility" to the Plus column.

Oh, and all I had to do to install my Epson Workforce 500 AIO printer, was "Turn it on". Neat, Eh?

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor

 

[Drew]

Win8's HUGE compatibility base, indeed, applies to both hardware and software.

 

[catilley1092]

Does this mean that most of those printers (mainly Canon) that didn't work with Windows 7, of which tons of forum posts were created, will now suddenly run on Windows 8?

If Windows 8 can clear this hurdle, there may be plenty of buyers of the OS. There were lots of Windows 7 users stuck with printers that were very costly at the time of purchase, some went to Pro for XP Mode, some downgraded to XP Pro altogether. This would also give many XP users plenty of reason to dump the aging OS, if only MS would support these users needs.

Cat

 

[Joe S]

I wonder if my old Adobe Photo Deluxe will it wouldn't on W7 I'll have to try that later.
Joe

 

[Andrea Borman]

If anyone wants the Windows 7 Start menu back in Windows 8 CP here could be a solution here-3 Ways to Bring Back the Start Menu in Windows 8 - Technology & science - Tech and gadgets - TechNewsDaily - msnbc.com

I found this post on the web. And it says there are three software's V Start,Start Menu 7 and another software that will put the Windows 7 start menu back into Windows 8 CP.

It won't disable the Metro theme. But you will get the Metro theme with a Windows 7 start menu. So you will be able to see and access all of your programs quickly.Including the shut down and restart button.

So maybe all hope is not lost for getting the start menu back. But there is still the problem with the ribbon freezing the mouse in Windows Explorer. And the bugs and slowness of Windows 8 CP. And none of these problems were present in Windows 8 DP.

And will the final release of Windows 8 have the option to disable the Metro theme? And use the Windows 7 start menu and desktop? Which is what I want. Andrea Borman.

 

[davehc]

Quite a few threads on this, including one of my own. Search around. I do seem to remember that I gave you the links on another thread?

 

[wheels5894]

Well, I haven't been here for a while but I have been working with Windows 8, though I admit to having put Windows 7 back on my main desktop.

1 have an SSD as my boot drive and so i do not really see any difference in the very short boot times between the two OSs. I note that while some thing 7 is faster others think 8 is faster but either way, boot speed is really important only once a day. I though 8 took up more space on my drive, though, which is important when the disk is only 64GB.

Regardless of the pages arguing like PC v Mac over the merits or demerits of Metro over Start Menu, has anyone come up with any pressing reason to upgrade when the time comes? I thought the killer reason would be the upgrade disk filing system that will be in Server but since that seems to have failed to make it to Windows 8 I suppose we will be waiting for Windows 9 for that.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Quite a few threads on this, including one of my own. Search around. I do seem to remember that I gave you the links on another thread?

No I was searching on Google yesterday, and I found that post on another website. That said how to get the Windows 7 start menu back on Windows 8 CP. Andrea Borman.

 

[Joe S]

There are a few posts here if you read them about adding start menu.
Joe

 

[Andrea Borman]

There are a few posts here if you read them about adding start menu.
Joe

So Windows users are not doomed to to being without a start menu on Windows 8 CP? I hope not.

But what will the final release of Windows 8 that goes on sale to the public be like? Will we be able to disable the Metro theme or not?

If not I will never use Windows 8 again. Andrea Borman.

 

[Medico]

Andrea, you just have not been reading the various posts here on this forum. We have discussed in great detail the various methods shown in the link you posted in several different threads. We have also discussed various methods to do without the Start Orb, but you seem inclined to ignore those posts as well. Read through the many threads again and you will see these details.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Andrea, you just have not been reading the various posts here on this forum. We have discussed in great detail the various methods shown in the link you posted in several different threads. We have also discussed various methods to do without the Start Orb, but you seem inclined to ignore those posts as well. Read through the many threads again and you will see these details.

Well I was very happy with Windows 8 Developers Preview as you could disable Metro and have the Windows 7 desktop and start menu. And Windows 8 DP was working a lot better in fact it was a lot like Windows 7. And I even made a You Tube video about Windows 8 DP praising it. And advising people to disable the Metro theme of course as then you got the best out of it.

But unfortunately Windows 8 Consumer preview is not the same as DP. Gone is the option to disable Metro completely. And there are bugs like the one in Windows Explorer that freezes your mouse when you try to access files or pin items to the desktop. And the option to make folders large or medium sized is greyed out.

None of these problems were in the Developers Preview. And even if you did use the Metro theme in DP it was more user friendly than CP Metro.

Microsoft really should have left all of the features from DP in CP. But instead they have taken a lot out and made it harder to use. So they have actually downgraded the OS.

Windows 8 DP was perfect but they have spoilt it in CP. True the Metro apps never worked in DP just like they don't in CP. But I use my own installed software and Windows gadgets and the Vista Sidebar.Which works on both versions of Windows 8. So I don't need the Metro gadgets.

And another reason the Metro gadgets do not work is because I was running Windows 8 on a netbook,HP Mini 210 1GB ram. Which has a screen resolution of 1024 to 600 pixels. Which is the highest it will go. And you need at least 700 to run Metro apps.

But a good operating system is supposed to work on any laptop even a netbook. At least Windows XP,Windows 7 and even Windows Vista does. Andrea Borman.

 

[catilley1092]

So Windows users are not doomed to to being without a start menu on Windows 8 CP? I hope not.

But what will the final release of Windows 8 that goes on sale to the public be like? Will we be able to disable the Metro theme or not?

If not I will never use Windows 8 again. Andrea Borman.

Andrea, there IS a Start Menu on Windows 8 CP, I've told you so at least 3 times. Go to the upper or lower right corner (which was part of "The Four Corners" article that I linked) with your mouse cursor, it's there. Right in the middle of the options. In fact, I've never seen that large of a Start link to click on.

There is nothing, as in zero, that I can't access using Windows 8 CP over Windows 7. The only difference, is the look. That's all.

But you don't have to keep ranting about Windows 8, as Windows 7 is going to be supported until sometime in January 2020. 2 months shy of 8 years. You're in good company, as Windows 7 is loved my many, as evidenced by it's rapid rise. You'll have plenty of professional support options for years to come. SP2 will probably arrive within another year or so.

I feel that you'll be happier just to let Windows 8 go, and stick with what you know, like & does what you want it to do. And let us who enjoy moving forward to new technologies do so.

And for the FINAL time, there IS a Start Menu in Windows 8 CP, & will be with the finished product.

Cat

 

[Drew]

Cat, for heaven's sake spare yourself & go find the Ignore button!! You won't be wasting your time trying to respond to things you can't/don't see. Bad enough, we still see the outrageous quotes you copy. Go in your Profile settings & hit Ignore. Take the advice. Valiant effort on your part but, seriously, ask yourself, why. Ignore + happy.

 

[catilley1092]

Cat, for heaven's sake spare yourself & go find the Ignore button!! You won't be wasting your time trying to respond to things you can't/don't see. Bad enough, we still see the outrageous quotes you copy. Go in your Profile settings & hit Ignore. Take the advice. Valiant effort on your part but, seriously, ask yourself, why. Ignore + happy.

I see what you mean, Drew. Thanks for the advice.

Cat

 

[catilley1092]

There is not now, nor has there ever been any one program or suite of programs, from the same vendor, that will protect any PC 100%.
Anyone who thinks that is totally in error.

As I already stated, AVG and Malware Bytes do not do the same job and they DO get along just fine together.
I will uninstall Nothing!

You are correct, MBAM is an entirely different type of security software than one's AV or IS suite. MBAM catches the real nasty stuff that many AV/IS solutions misses. SuperAntiSpyware (SAS) is also in another category. It catches many ad & tracking cookies, as well as some trojans that many AV/IS suites misses.

A single piece of security software cannot, by itself, do it all. If there were such a software, we'd all be running it & be happy to pay for it. On Windows 7 Pro x64, I run ESET Smart Security 5, a well respected brand of security software. But I also run both the Lifetime Pro versions of MBAM & SAS. They don't all load at startup (ESS 5 does), the others are on delayed startup.

Cat

 

[davehc]

No I was searching on Google yesterday, and I found that post on another website. That said how to get the Windows 7 start menu back on Windows 8 CP. Andrea Borman.

http://windows8forums.com/windows-8-discussion/4450-win-8-me-7.html (Post #69) You didn't respond.

 

[catilley1092]

That's what I thought. I think they have decided to go all out to grab some of the iPad action and to stimulate the Windows Phone market as well and assumed that desktops were on the way out. I think if this is the plan they are a long way out of touch with the real world. Offices and universities all over the world are using desktops as, probably are Microsoft. The way Windows 8 is, they are not going to get any sales to business.

Windows 7 is pretty stable and runs will and I think my family will be sticking with it.

I have to agree with you on this, because it's true. Microsoft is chasing Apple as hard as they can. Problem is, so are Google & Amazon. Although I've read many articles that says different, you know, and I know, the PC is NOT dead. The PC will be here when we're gone. There are so many things that a PC can do that a portable computer, much less a phone, cant.

Go to folding@home with those phones & tablets and try to crunch some serious numbers. They can't do it. Same with hardcore gaming. Is there a version of Photoshop for tablets?

Sure, there are some users that needs these devices. Many professionals on the go needs some sort of portable device. But when they get back to work, what they do on those portable devices are uploading through a PC. While the styles of PC's may change a bit (AIO's are becoming popular), they won't lay down & die. Because we need them, to do the work that these toys can't.

That being said, Windows 8 will make a great OS for my desktop PC. I'm getting used to the feel, & it's practically became my default OS. After all, that's what Windows released it for, to use it. But they can keep the phones, tablets & netbooks, they're too small for me to read. However, they're alright for many users.

When it's all said & done, Windows 8 will run on any computing device that meets the minimum specs & above.

Cat

 

[Mike]

Today, I put an 18 year old game, MahJongg, on a floppy disk, into my floppy Drive and started the install.
Windows 8 installed that old game, with only one stop, to ask me if I wanted to Activate 16 bit support.

An honest inquiry: Are you running the 64-bit or 32-bit version of the Windows 8 CP?

Oh, and all I had to do to install my Epson Workforce 500 AIO printer, was "Turn it on". Neat, Eh?

This will certainly be good news, as added support for additional devices since the release of Windows 7 is likely to be included as part of the WHQL driver set. I wonder if anyone has looked to determine just how much has changed with device detection and how many new drivers are being squeezed into the system.

 

[wheels5894]

I certainly think that Microsoft is after the tablet market that Apple has at the moment Cat, but I don't think that a tablet operating system runs well on a PC. The thing comes down to money, I suppose. I expect I will be asked to pay £70 or more for a new OS, (Windows 8) yet I still don't know what the benefits are. it seems to be a minor upgrade of the 'under the hood' stuff, disk pooling and a failure to provide the new updated disk operating system that is in Windows 8 server.

Frankly, I am not sure I want to pay £70 to get disk pooling as I use on-line sync programmes to keep my data in 'the cloud' and Windows 7 works fine as it is. There is just no really good reason t spend the money with this new version of Windows. So, although I am still playing with it on a laptop I will not be buying it when it comes out. I will probably buy Windows 9 with some sort of Metro (perhaps) but that's for the future.