Your general opinions on Windows 8.1 Preview Release

[slamgc]

I was going to put it on my production box, but after following this thread I'm having second thoughts. I'll go ahead and test it in a VM first.

 

[torre]

I installed 8.1 on a second computer.

Am I correct in stating unless you use touch or a mobile device, the changes are nil and the basic win8 is equal ?

 

[caperjack]

I installed 8.1 on a second computer.

Am I correct in stating unless you use touch or a mobile device, the changes are nil and the basic win8 is equal ?

i would say that is correct ,from what i have seen in my install so far

 

[brummyfan]

I like the speed of IE11, they have a done a decent upgrade on IE10, fonts in some web sites look slightly awkward, I don't like the start button but may be useful to those who log in to desktop.

 

[bagavan]

Is the option to create a system image faeture removed from the preview?

 

[pparks1]

I installed 8.1 on a second computer.

Am I correct in stating unless you use touch or a mobile device, the changes are nil and the basic win8 is equal ?

I would disagree. The native ability to boot to the desktop instead of the Start Screen has nothing to do with touch or mobile. Being able to have the same desktop background on desktop and the Start Screen has nothing to do with touch or mobile. Being able to sort the all apps screen (most used, most recently installed, etc) is beneficial regardless of the environment.

Is the option to create a system image faeture removed from the preview?

It appears to be. I find this on the MS forums.
How to create system image in windows 8.1 prewiev pro - Microsoft Community

 

[bagavan]

I installed 8.1 on a second computer.

Am I correct in stating unless you use touch or a mobile device, the changes are nil and the basic win8 is equal ?

I would disagree. The native ability to boot to the desktop instead of the Start Screen has nothing to do with touch or mobile. Being able to have the same desktop background on desktop and the Start Screen has nothing to do with touch or mobile. Being able to sort the all apps screen (most used, most recently installed, etc) is beneficial regardless of the environment.

Is the option to create a system image faeture removed from the preview?

It appears to be. I find this on the MS forums.
How to create system image in windows 8.1 prewiev pro - Microsoft Community

I hope they include this feature in the final version.

 

[Hopachi]

Old games like Dune 2000 and Red Alert 1 get a window saying that DirectPlay is needed but after a click or two, the needed feature is enabled and the games work fine. All works just like in 8 so in this case 16bit color mode needs to be enabled.

 

[ciscodisco]

I personally think a lots changed. These are my biggest issues at the moment:

1. 
   [*=left]The themes in 8.1 have changed- I can’t find the minimal themes. Instead were left with giant fish, dragons etc. or just a blank colour.
   [*=left]The search on the start screen is like in an app- just the small column on the right. Is it possible to revert to the 8.0 style- Full screen?
   [*=left]In Windows Explorer it shows all the folders but I have my own filling system. Anyway of completely removing the section or at least customising which folders show?
   [*=left]Also some of the x86/x64 app tiles now have a backing colour. (I particularly like the way they have chosen a blue background on the icons with a blue monitor in them lol- Just look at RDC and This PC icons. :shock

​

 

[jimbo45]

I like the speed of IE11, they have a done a decent upgrade on IE10, fonts in some web sites look slightly awkward, I don't like the start button but may be useful to those who log in to desktop.

Hi there
Are you using an Online Banking system in the UK -- I've tried "Sharkleys" (Barclays) and get a message "You are using an unsupported Browser -- please UPDATE IT. !!!! Strangely enough another account using what we call "Satan's Bank" or SANTANDER Bank seems to work OK.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[besb]

My Initial Reaction

Hi Guys, I have been quiet for some time having bought a couple of 8 upgrades and slowly customised them to my own satisfaction for use on my desktops to completely ignore the start screen.
I read a few pre-pre release revews 8.1 and downloaded the iso minutes after it was availabe.Installed on a new drive booted went to desktop and set to boot to desktop (right click taskbar - navigation - boot to desktop)
A start button - big smiles they listened - click it.
???? tears of disbelief they had done the one I didn't want - go back to the start screen
Promptly installed "classic shell" . MS "joke start" is off screen to left of the classic shell and does not interfere.

Sugestion- immediate mod required for their "Joke start button" L click bring up their power options now much better,especially option to shut down, navigation pane etc
R click back to start screen if one wants to do such a thing.

Other changes appear to minimal for the desktop environment which is my only interest.
I have spotted various other changes to the start screen others have mentioned, the fact that the hotspots appear to be larger much easier on a 3900x1200 desktop.

All this aside I read a few MS splurges about Win8.
Win8 has overtaken vista sales Hurray! yes big deal almost the most short lived OS in history!

Surveys show that users are happy with the new Win8 interface providing a better user experience!!!
Pardon- I don't know how Microsoft do their surveys but on my very limited survey of some 20 people who have telephoned me having bought a windows 8 laptop, is that they can't shut down, get out of full page apps, find their programs etc. This survey consists of general home users, elderly "I am to old to learn a completely new interface" and semi techs who's comments cannot be printed. (the techies have already found the answer).
Not one has commented on how good it is. I told to download classic shell.Others phoned me asking what they should buy as they had seen the bad reviews - my answer dont worry it can be fixed.

Microft drive for profit although purchasing new a tablet , laptop ,desktop etc with win 8 pre-installed they increase the win8 user base; they are ignoring the upgrade potential of approx 1.5 billion installed base. Non techies read the bad reviews and refuse to upgrade.
I have had some 50+years in computing and was responsible when working as an IT director with some 3500 PCs under my control and therefore would not contemplate any update to a standard mouse/pc desktop a because of training cost and knowing the general chaos that would ensue.
Solution for for MS offer big bucks to the classic shell developers incorporate it in the new desktop start button add a link back to the win 8 start screen if they so wish.

As a business user I would then be able to contemplate upgrading - why shut yourself out of that market.
The underlying code is that much better.

Last point- Does any body know if 8.1 will be free as a service pack or they will charge us again as a new release????
Rant over
besb

 

[brummyfan]

I like the speed of IE11, they have a done a decent upgrade on IE10, fonts in some web sites look slightly awkward, I don't like the start button but may be useful to those who log in to desktop.

Hi there
Are you using an Online Banking system in the UK -- I've tried "Sharkleys" (Barclays) and get a message "You are using an unsupported Browser -- please UPDATE IT. !!!! Strangely enough another account using what we call "Satan's Bank" or SANTANDER Bank seems to work OK.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi jimbo,
Yes, I have no problem with online banking using IE11, it seems to be working fine.

 

[pparks1]

Last point- Does any body know if 8.1 will be free as a service pack or they will charge us again as a new release????
Rant over
besb

8.1 is free for 8.0 owners.

 

[sygnus21]

I was going to put it on my production box, but after following this thread I'm having second thoughts. I'll go ahead and test it in a VM first.

Well it is stated in numerous places that this shouldn't be run on production machines. Anyway I'm running it in VM and so far no issues. On the other hand I've never obsessed over a start button anyway so the fact that they have their version there is cool for me, and I like the options presented by right clicking it. I also like the fact that clicking it instantly switches you between desktop and Metro mode.

Under Windows explorer I like that they changed "Computer" to "This PC" and included some of the most used folders. That's a nice touch.

Anyway having Win 8 on my laptop, and having Win 8.1 on my VM machine allows me to do some comparisons between the two.

So far I've no issues with 8.1; on the flipside it's not on a fully loaded production machine though. I don't have a any of my basic programs like Office, Photoshop, games, etc loaded on the VM.

 

[ciscodisco]

How do you pin shortcuts to Windows 8.1? If you right click pin to start nothing happens????

 

[vrosa]

My Points

I really liked the improvements in the Metro side of the OS, but again I think it's not enough to encourage Metro haters to use it. The new Store and some new apps are cool, but some good old features, like WEI for example, are missing, and it's not clear if those things will be in RTM. The reloaded start menu is a shame. I don't need a stupid button to take to Metro, I already had other ways to go there, and as far as I could research there's no way to disable/remove it.

I know it's far from what we would like to see in that release, but at the end of the day it's not that horrible. Despite all the problems of that build I was able to install all the software that I need to work, except Rocscience RS3 which causes a BSOD due to a SafeNet Hardlock driver (hardlock.sys). Also my Motorola RAZR isn't recognized, but it's a minor issue. Of course I won't be using that build as a production environment, but it's good to know that it is compatible with 95% of the software I need and hopefully RTM will run all of them.

Works:

Adobe Creative Suite 6 (CS6)
Autodesk AutoCAD 2014 (*1)
Bittorrent 7.8.0
Cacheman 7.60
CCleaner 4.0.3
CorelDRAW Suite X6 (Update 2)
Doro PDF Writer
EVGA PrecisionX 4.2
Filezilla 3.7.1
GEOSLOPE GeoStudio 2012
K-Lite Code Pack 9.9.5
Nero Multimedia Suite 12
Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.1 (*2)
Rocscience Geotechinical Pack 2012
Visual Studio 2013 Ultimate (Preview)
Visual Studio Express 2012
VMWARE Workstation 9.0.2

*1) Must be installed with customized Setup.ini


1. Copy the Media contents to a local drive.
2. Open file setup.ini from the root folder using a text editor.
3 .Search for (without quotes) “[DOTNET4LANG]” and “[DOTNET45LANG]”
4. Add a new line “IGNORE_FAILURE=YES” for them if found. This line can be added anywhere below “EXE_PARAM=”


*2) VCD virtual device driver disappears randomly

:: DRIVERS ISSUES ::

SafeNet Authentication Hardlock Driver - BSOD (hardlock.sys)
Motorola V3 RAZR USB Driver - Installs but doesn't recognize the phone

I'm testing compatibility of a dozen of games, and once it's done I'll forget that until the next release (Preview refresh or RTM).

Vlad.

 

[kmint]

I noticed that in Windows 8.1 Preview the "Computer" window is now called "This PC", and has your user folders included on it now. The navigation pane options have changed a bit as well.

View attachment 23610

This change kills me. It displays all the user folders in the navigation bar, which I don't use, and they can't be removed. I use my own folders within D:, where I store everything. I can still add everything up in the navigation bar, but I prefered it the old style and decide by myself which folders to add to the left or not. I don't like it when Microsoft forces you to do something their way.

 

[Hopachi]

I noticed that in Windows 8.1 Preview the "Computer" window is now called "This PC", and has your user folders included on it now. The navigation pane options have changed a bit as well.

View attachment 23610

This change kills me. It displays all the user folders in the navigation bar, which I don't use, and they can't be removed.

Same here.
The quick fix in This PC window is to compact the folder view (default is expanded) by clicking on the arrow in the title above the folders. Then it will remember the view so it doesn't get in the way next time(s). BUT for the navigation bar... didn't found any solution to this.

 

[TerryE]

I have never been wild about Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 hasn't changed that. Yes, I see improvements and I like them, but I'll keep my Windows 7, thank you.

Great, very useful tips here though - I need to spend a little more time exploring the new version. Who knows, maybe I'll come around yet!

 

[kmint]

I noticed that in Windows 8.1 Preview the "Computer" window is now called "This PC", and has your user folders included on it now. The navigation pane options have changed a bit as well.

View attachment 23610

This change kills me. It displays all the user folders in the navigation bar, which I don't use, and they can't be removed.

Same here.
The quick fix in This PC window is to compact the folder view (default is expanded) by clicking on the arrow in the title above the folders. Then it will remember the view so it doesn't get in the way next time(s). BUT for the navigation bar... didn't found any solution to this.

It looks like a little small thing, but just this change can push me back to 8.0.

A very annoying thing to deal with every day when you have your habits. Miscrosoft takes every user for a novice and I for instance have never ever used their user folders in C:. The first thing we all do is to create new partitions and store our stuff in our own folders, not in the C: ones.

Definetely annoying to me.