Windows 8 Windows 8.1 Preview now available.

You could always post a thread entitled handy links or such like David if you want to start a new thread?

In the preview version, Internet Explorer 11 has a little known added feature called the performance dashboard. Although not fully functional, it currently shows 4 functions that can be individualized for each open tab:


Frame rate (FPS)

Memory (MB)

CPU Utilization %

Paint Time (msec)


All of the functions work, but you can barely see the CPU portion of the tool. Only about half of it shows up. You can click on any of the tools and there is a graphical chart displaying all the ebbs and flows of that particular function. It’s a nice tool. The location is right above developer tools. The shortcut to access it directly is Ctrl+Shift+U. It's already been suggested on the Microsoft Connect Forum that it needs to be merged with the developer tools.

Nice find!

I have been studying it. I cant find much reference to it, but, comparing it at the same time with the performance tab in the task manager, it does look like it is showing the actual performance of IE. Could be useful for bug hunting when IE does something nasty.

Agreed.. Another tool against those that would infect our machines.. Anything is welcomed

I’ve only seen a couple of bugs with the new IE 11 so far. You can’t turn off Location Services. This is the annoying feature that websites use (via a bubble window) to ask if you are willing to share your current location while visiting their site. The other bug is that a few sites that worked fine in IE 10, do not support the new version at all. For example: (https://visualwebgui.com/). Otherwise IE 11 appears to be headed in the right direction.

Actually it's not a bug with sites not working right in IE. After some investigating, this is what I found:


It would seem that major changes have been made in the user agent string, which makes most browser detection methods fail to recognize it as IE 11 or IE anything. (just like on this forum) For a list of the changes you can go here or view below.

User-agent string changes
For many legacy websites, some of the most visible updates for IE11 Preview involve the user-agent string:


JavaScript

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Trident/7.0; rv 11.0) like Gecko

If you compare the new user-agent string to the one reported by earlier versions of Internet Explorer, you'll find the following changes:

• The compatible ("compatible") and browser ("MSIE") tokens have been removed.
• The "like Gecko" token has been added (for consistency with other browsers).
• The version of the browser is now reported by a new revision ("rv") token.

These changes help prevent IE11 Preview from being (incorrectly) identified as an earlier version.
In general, you should avoid detecting specific browsers or browser versions. The assumptions underlying such tests tend to lead to false positive results when browsers are updated. Instead, detect features as you need them and use progressive enhancement to provide simplified experiences for browsers or devices that do not support the features you need.
In rare cases, it may be necessary to uniquely identify IE11 Preview. Use the Trident token to do so.

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I wonder if the bug isn't on your computer?

I can go to the site linked, perfectly. To date, I have had no "bubble" popup asking to use my location??

I can go to the site but all I see is a message stating: “DotNetNuke Error: - Version 04.09.00” I wasn’t even aware of the problem until the site admin stated that the site did not work in IE11. Since it works for you, maybe we’re missing an update or two. As for the Location Sharing popup, that was with another site. My concern is that the option to turn it off is disabled.
When you go to internet options--> privacy. There is a location checkbox that states “Never Allow Websites To Request Your Physical Location”. That checkbox is greyed out in my version of IE11.

The location problem is probably an easy one (I think!)
In the Control Panel, open the location settings. Select the option "Turn on the Windows Location platform.

You may have to log out and in, but I think not. Restart IE and see if you can now use the facility in the "Private" tab I have a feeling this wil lnot stop the bubble popups. If they persist, try and sen us a picture of one

That did the trick. Thanks. For whatever reason, I've never had to manually turn it on before. I didn't even bother to check it.

Re: Best Practice Reminder for Betas!!

Absolutely.

I managed to not find an option to install to a different partition, so went and overwrote. One day I'll have to re-install 8.0 with no aps, then all the aps. Oh well.

8.1 so far hates my hp printer but that's the damn HP driver version-checking the OS, a practice I abhor - let stuff try to run, it prolly will, imho...

Drew said:

It seems, from some of what I read, this needs be mentioned, again...

Right now we have Windows 8.1 Preview available. IT IS A BETA!

Once it goes RTM, it will be pushed out to Users who, already, have Windows 8 via Windows Updates later this summer. Until then...

DO NOT upgrade (or overwrite) your Windows 8 w/ the 8.1 Preview. DO NOT replace your Windows 8 w/ Windows 8.1 Preview.

Only install Windows 8.1 Preview on a spare box, as a dual-boot or as a virtual machine in Hyper-V on your Windows 8 host machine.

Cheers,
Drew

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Re: Best Practice Reminder for Betas!!

Hi John,

have you tried running the driver in compatibility mode?

hopefully this time the new arriving win version is sound enough in the features not to prove being just a show piece like 8

Just an enquiry. What are you finding unsound?

I'm pretty sure Phyllis uses xp?

Davehc,I have just read one of your earlier posts. Is it true that Windows 8.1 can now be set to boot to the desktop without installing start menu software like Classic Shell? That's different from Windows 8 that won't without 3rd party software.

Oh, my, yes and thank god, finally, we don't have to hit ENTER anymore or click the Desktop tile. What a relief that troublesome, aggrevating, pesky, HUGE chore is gone! Pheeeew & YEA!! To be rid of that ordeal! Praise be!!

Never had any 3rd party start thing in Windows 8. You mean I can continue w/out any, now, too :O Oh boy!! Imagine that, eh?

Cheers,
Drew
Link Removed

Wonder if Phyllis & Andrea have met (yet). Might get along famously.

Sonny said:

That is true Andrea, I am running 8.1 on a separate hard drive and have it set to boot straight to the desktop. No third party software is needed.

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That's good so from what I read Windows 8.1 boots to the desktop and has a start button but you still don't get the Windows 7 start menu. It is the Metro start menu like you got in earlier versions of Stardock's Start 8. Which gave you a start button,though the start menu is Metro style.

According to what I read Classic Shell is working on Windows 8.1 so that's still an option. Windows 8 is actually very much like Windows 7. In fact I have never bough a Windows 8 laptop I am running it on Netboks that used to run Windows 7. They say Areo theme is gone from Windows 8 Pro but I did not see that. Probably because the Windows 7 Basic theme that's in Windows 8 is not like Windows Classic theme,it's kind of glossy.

Windows 7 is still the number one OS for me along with Windows XP. Reason for that is Windows 8 runs most software from Windows XP. The only 2 that are not working fully are Windows Movie Maker 2.1 from Winows XP and Windows Movie Maker 2.6. In Movie Maker 2.1 and 2.6 all of the features work including the webcam feature,except for the titiles feature. That is you cannot save videos with titles. Yet nobody has provided a fix for that. That is the reason why Windows 8 looses a couple of points. If they fix that then I will be sold on Windows 8.