Solved Apps screen too crowded.

kalisto01

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Hello,

After using Win 8 for about a month ,there's one thing that really annoy me. When i install a program from the desktop screen and then go to the metro/modern screen, i end up with all kind of icons. For example i have the program icon then there are the ones for read me, release notes ,website and others. For one program i had eight icons. I know that we can have the same things on the desktop screen but at least there, they are easy to delete. I find that to remove those entries on the apps screen i have to go to the program folder and delete them and then go to the apps screen to delete them. If we end-up with lots of icons on the apps screen we better get ready for scrolling the screen a lot to find the program we want. Also, when we click the program icon it bring us to the desktop screen. So, i think that for the apps screen there should be only the program icon there and nothing else.

What do you guys/gals think?
 

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This is being discussed in another thread but if you don't like the icons on the Metro screen just multi select the ones you don't like and delete them, it takes only seconds. My guess is when current applications start to get updates with Windows 8 in mind there will be an option during install asking if we want icons on the start screen just like we currently get asked if we want icons on the desktop.

EDIT: Mystere beat me to it.
 

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This is definitely one of my big problems with the start screen idea. With the old start menu, the items were all hierarchical, a folder for each app (or a folder fo rthe publisher, then one for the app). Generally all but ONE of the icons are "useless" and so they were NOT put on the desktop, but occasionally you DO need one of them and they were always there safely tucked away "hidden" on the start menu when you do.

With Metro, they are all right there in your face. And if you dare delete them from the start screen, then how do you get them back? There is no start menu to go to to be able to browse through all the programs that are really installed that you only need to use once or twice a month. You actually have to bring up explorer and go spelunking the program files and program files x86 folders by hand to find an installed program that you deleted the icon off the metro screen for because it was so cluttery.

THis makes the metro screen a seriously underwhelming replacement for the start menu when you have many and in some cases large software packages installed :(
 

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Unpinning is the best way for keeping a start screen Perfect.. See my Start Screen.. Here's My Screen
 

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This is definitely one of my big problems with the start screen idea. With the old start menu, the items were all hierarchical, a folder for each app (or a folder fo rthe publisher, then one for the app). Generally all but ONE of the icons are "useless" and so they were NOT put on the desktop, but occasionally you DO need one of them and they were always there safely tucked away "hidden" on the start menu when you do.

With Metro, they are all right there in your face. And if you dare delete them from the start screen, then how do you get them back? There is no start menu to go to to be able to browse through all the programs that are really installed that you only need to use once or twice a month. You actually have to bring up explorer and go spelunking the program files and program files x86 folders by hand to find an installed program that you deleted the icon off the metro screen for because it was so cluttery.

THis makes the metro screen a seriously underwhelming replacement for the start menu when you have many and in some cases large software packages installed :(

And in Windows 7 if you delete a shortcut from your Start Menu you have to go spelunking in Explorer hierarchy, create a shortcut and move that shortcut into another Start Menu hierarchy to where it once originated. So what's the difference? At least in Windows 8 all you do is right click the program in Explorer and select "Pin to Start Screen". You complain that there is no hierarchy in Metro then complain you have to navigate a hierarchy in Explorer to get your icon back.
 

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Another thing, you can simply open the start menu (with the windows key) and start typing the name and it will show up in the search list, whether it's pinned the start menu or not.
 

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This is definitely one of my big problems with the start screen idea. With the old start menu, the items were all hierarchical, a folder for each app (or a folder fo rthe publisher, then one for the app). Generally all but ONE of the icons are "useless" and so they were NOT put on the desktop, but occasionally you DO need one of them and they were always there safely tucked away "hidden" on the start menu when you do.

With Metro, they are all right there in your face. And if you dare delete them from the start screen, then how do you get them back? There is no start menu to go to to be able to browse through all the programs that are really installed that you only need to use once or twice a month. You actually have to bring up explorer and go spelunking the program files and program files x86 folders by hand to find an installed program that you deleted the icon off the metro screen for because it was so cluttery.

THis makes the metro screen a seriously underwhelming replacement for the start menu when you have many and in some cases large software packages installed :(

And in Windows 7 if you delete a shortcut from your Start Menu you have to go spelunking in Explorer hierarchy, create a shortcut and move that shortcut into another Start Menu hierarchy to where it once originated. So what's the difference? At least in Windows 8 all you do is right click the program in Explorer and select "Pin to Start Screen". You complain that there is no hierarchy in Metro then complain you have to navigate a hierarchy in Explorer to get your icon back.

You didn't NEED to delete anything from there though because that was NOT the primary place to go to launch your daily programs, the task bar was. Task bar clean, used every day dozens of times a day. Start menu crowded (Though a LOT more organized than the metro start screen) but contains
everything you need when you need it on rare occasions. Still FAR superior to using the start screen as a launch point.

And if you REALLY had a lot of stuff installed, the start menu could be edited and new groups installed in any hierarchy you wanted to facilitate faster access than the default install points. So still better, than the Metro screen...

Metro screen, ok for installing and using metro apps. Lousy for desktop apps.

Once more the star menu should have been kept for desktop use and the metro start used soley for metro apps (and windowed!) :)
 

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Little trick I use. I go to the desktop, right click on the task bar and add the desktop from the toolbar. If you click on the desktop on the taskbar, you see basically all that is on your computer, and if you want you can copy anything from it and put it on your desktop.
 

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Looks like the jury is still out on this one. This is my "Metro". It works better for me than a cluttered legacy desktop or cramped taskbar.

met.png
 

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Screenshot (10).png
This is my metro, it's pretty fast. :p
 

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The "buttons" on the Metro screen can be moved or resized (I find those big rectangles cumbersome so I shrink them down to half-size: that is, squares). Much as I dislike the Metro start screen, I did spend some time cleaning it up (unpinning things I would never use).

I just realized that another reason I like Win7 is that it remembers over time which apps I use most frequently. I just click the Start orb and there's a list of my frequently-used programs, and in some cases a "jump list" of recent documents or files that I've opened with the program. I store files in several locations depending on what I'm doing, so having the jump list remember the file name and location saves me time hunting down that document again.

If the jump list feature is used in Windows 8, or the Start screen remembers my most frequently-used programs and recent documents, I have not noticed.
 

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I agree, Terry. The only complaint I have with the Start Screen is that one can't pin docs to it. Creating a folder with one's most used docs is the best one can do. That still opens WE though, which to me is a B.
 

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View attachment 7779
This is my metro, it's pretty fast. :p

hey, Can you shoot me the link to that wallpaper? :D

And, Is that Release Preview?

I think I can simply attach it to a PM, I haven't a clue where exactly I got it from other than it was from DeviantArt. I'm assuming you're talking about the Desktop wallpaper yes? I'm currently gathering and searching for new Windows wallpapers as my Windows 7 inspired backgrounds feel weird with 8. And I'm actually running the leaked RTM of Windows 8 Pro. A subtle difference you'll see if you're running an older release build, the tiles are a sahde lighter than the background and text size is all white and the same size across EVERY tile.
 

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hi Coke Robot,

did you use an "ALLIEN" program to get that wallpaper working?

thanks

Jeff
 

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Hello,

After using Win 8 for about a month ,there's one thing that really annoy me. When i install a program from the desktop screen and then go to the metro/modern screen, i end up with all kind of icons. For example i have the program icon then there are the ones for read me, release notes ,website and others. For one program i had eight icons. I know that we can have the same things on the desktop screen but at least there, they are easy to delete. I find that to remove those entries on the apps screen i have to go to the program folder and delete them and then go to the apps screen to delete them. If we end-up with lots of icons on the apps screen we better get ready for scrolling the screen a lot to find the program we want. Also, when we click the program icon it bring us to the desktop screen. So, i think that for the apps screen there should be only the program icon there and nothing else.

What do you guys/gals think?

Hello,

In my original post i was talking about the All Apps screen and not the Start screen. Everytime we install a program to be used on the desktop we also get icons installed on the All Apps screen. I don`t know about you but for me i don't need them there. If we click them we get transfered to the desktop, so might as well go there in the first place. Usually when we install a program we get the options of installing an icon on the desktop , start menu and the quick launch bar.For example i installed Winrar on the desktop and didn't install and icon for it anywhere since i usually just double-click the archived file and Winrar opens. However i have three icons for it in the All Apps screen. If i right click on the program icon, the choices below are, pin to start, pin to taskbar,uninstall,open new window, run as administrator and open file location. If i right click the other two icons , for console rar manual and Winrar help i get those choices , pin to start and open file location. To me best way would be ,that Win 8 doesn't install automatically icons in the All Apps screen when a program is installed from the desktop. I guess we will have to wait for the final version. As stated in my original post i had 8 icons installed there for a program , i don't remember which. So if we get 2 or 3 icons minimum installed each time we install a program that screen will really get crowded. I know, i just have to ignore that screen but the fact that they are there gets on my nerve plus i don' see the point of having them there. Can we create folders there so we can dump anything we want in there? If not ,that would be an option.
Thanks for all the comments. Great forum.
 

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Hi there
How do you guys get the text to the BOTTOM of the tiles

Mine always are at the TOP and I can't find anyway to change this to get the text at the BOTTOM of the tile (screenshot enc).

Note you can Create a folder --put your .EXE files in it and then pin that to the start -- clicking on that folder opens up the contents -- quite a useful technique for getting some semblance of order into the start screen.

cheers
jimbo
 

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