Should I install Win7 or Win8 programs?

skyzoomer

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I'm a new Windows 8 user and am running the Classic Shell since I don't like the Metro interface. When I opened a .pdf file, it opened via Win8's pdf reader. Aside from being bad (being nice), when I close Win8's pdf reader I'm back in the Metro interface which I hate.

So I installed Adobe reader. During the download, it asked for the OS version with Win8 and Win7 as choices. I chose Win7 and installed Adobe reader 11.0. It's working fine so far and mainly, when I close the reader, I'm back in the desktop where I want to be.

QUESTIONS:

1. if I had selected Win8 as the OS, would Adobe Reader have installed as a Win8 app and acted like the Win8 pdf reader and put me in Metro when I closed it?

2. In the future, should I always chose Win7 as the OS for software downloads if I want to always stay in the desktop mode running Classic Shell?

Thanks,
Skyzoomer
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio 1537
    CPU
    core 2 duo
    Memory
    4GB
QUESTIONS:

1. if I had selected Win8 as the OS, would Adobe Reader have installed as a Win8 app and acted like the Win8 pdf reader and put me in Metro when I closed it?

2. In the future, should I always chose Win7 as the OS for software downloads if I want to always stay in the desktop mode running Classic Shell?

Thanks,
Skyzoomer
I don't think there's a universal answer to your question. If a software vendor says, "Here's a Windows 8 version of our program" it might mean a Metro based program or it might mean they've certified it to work in Windows 8 as a desktop app. Unless they're explicit about which, it's hard to tell. Or you just have to try it. I haven't tried the Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows 8, so I'm not sure which side they fall on. It's free, so you could try it and, if it's Metro, just uninstall it if you don't like it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 / Win 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo T510 / HP ProBook 4540S
    CPU
    Intel i5-510m / Intel i3-3110m
    Memory
    4GB / 8GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6"
I don't think there's a universal answer to your question. If a software vendor says, "Here's a Windows 8 version of our program" it might mean a Metro based program or it might mean they've certified it to work in Windows 8 as a desktop app. Unless they're explicit about which, it's hard to tell. Or you just have to try it. I haven't tried the Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows 8, so I'm not sure which side they fall on. It's free, so you could try it and, if it's Metro, just uninstall it if you don't like it.

I don't like to install programs and and then uninstall since Windows never had strict rules about removing software for vendors. Removed software always seems to leave remnants on the HDD and especially in the registry. Guess I'll just install the Win7 versions of all programs until there's a definitive answer on this.

Thanks,
Skyzoomer
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio 1537
    CPU
    core 2 duo
    Memory
    4GB
Greetings, Sky Zoomer! Let me give you a helpful suggestion. Go to the Start Page, and drag the Desktop icon to the top left. Now, you only have to hit "Enter" to get to the regular desktop.

And now another friendly suggestion: poke around the Start Page a little. Some of those tiles are pretty good.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
I don't like to install programs and and then uninstall since Windows never had strict rules about removing software for vendors. Removed software always seems to leave remnants on the HDD and especially in the registry. Guess I'll just install the Win7 versions of all programs until there's a definitive answer on this.

Thanks,
Skyzoomer
Yes I agree. It's an imperfect solution. Welcome to Windows 8. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 / Win 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo T510 / HP ProBook 4540S
    CPU
    Intel i5-510m / Intel i3-3110m
    Memory
    4GB / 8GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6"
Greetings, Sky Zoomer! Let me give you a helpful suggestion. Go to the Start Page, and drag the Desktop icon to the top left. Now, you only have to hit "Enter" to get to the regular desktop.

And now another friendly suggestion: poke around the Start Page a little. Some of those tiles are pretty good.

Hi Vince,

Thanks for your tips. Now that I have Win8 working like Win7 using the Classic Shell, I can do everything like I normally do. I'll have all the time in the world to play with Win8's UI to learn how to use it.

Thanks,
Skyzoomer
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio 1537
    CPU
    core 2 duo
    Memory
    4GB
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