About to uninstall 8 and put Windows 7 on computer

I've kinda had it with this OS. I thought I would upgrade from Vista to 8 but am finding that was a mistake so far. Windows 8 seems to be very fast with the internet and I've figured out how to get around in it over the past week but I'm frustrated with not being able to do the things I want to do with it.

I use my computer to play DVD movies for the kids, surf the web, use Excel, Word, other programs to make signs and fliers for work, open files, PLAY GAMES, etc. I can't do the more important things like play DVDs for the kids or play games. It wont play DVDs even after I downloaded and installed VLC Player. I've tried to play EVE online and it just freezes up with that even after I've completely turned off Windows Defender. I tried downloading and playing a few other online games from Steam but they just crash my computer.

I ordered a new video card and will install that hoping to fix some of these problems but I'm not happy at all with 8 so far.

I don't have a problem with no Start button or using the Metro app setup. I do have a problem with the computer not doing what it used to. I understand the reason for not including a dvd playback device but there should be an app for it or something. Posts on other forums complain that even Media Center won't play DVDs even after it was bought from the app store. I know the new wave is to pay for a movie and have it streamed in online but what about the dvd collections most of us have?

I've installed all the updates I can find and nothing helps. I'm not complaining as much as I'm looking for help and advice on how to get this system doing what I want. Thanks for any input.

Rod

I'm able to do all of those activities you are having issues with. In fact my windows 8 machine is my primary computer for gaming and video.

Have you:

1. Updated all your hardware drivers to the windows 8 versions?
2. Try a clean install. Aka. Wipe the drive and install windows 8?

I upgraded from a Vista installation, choosing to keep personal files and folders. I can move those over to an external HD and re-install I suppose. I think I saw a file in the Settings area to reinstall 8. I don't want to wipe the HD cause I only have an Upgrade version, not a full install disk. Don't wanna have to dig out the old Windows 3.1 install disks either, lol.

If you play games, have you been able to download from Steam and run them? I tried that last night with Fortress or something and when I tried to run it, it simply crashed the computer.
Rod

Rod,
Do the clean install as I'm doing the same things you are and I'm not having any issues. Don't give up yet...

Have a look at this, http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/13375-clean-install-windows-8-upgrade.html?filter
Upgrades almost always have issues.

Yes, I had many, many issues when I tried the upgrade and dual boot, but now I'm running after a clean install and no issues at all...

Roddrick7 said:

I've kinda had it with this OS. I thought I would upgrade from Vista to 8 but am finding that was a mistake so far. Windows 8 seems to be very fast with the internet and I've figured out how to get around in it over the past week but I'm frustrated with not being able to do the things I want to do with it.

Click to expand...

You should be able to do essentially everything from the Windows 8 desktop (e.g., install a browser other than IE on the desktop or use IE exclusively from the desktop) that you could do from your prior setup--well, except for play DVD's. If you can get something that will work for your DVD's, then just forget using the metro start screen (except if absolutely necessary), and focus all attention on the desktop. Unless you simply can't do otherwise, start everything you want to do from the desktop. What are some of the other things you want to do and can't. Maybe you don't need to reinstall.

Also, if you decide to reinstall, for simplicity, you could do a refresh.

Refresh Your PC in Win8—Attempts to solve system problems by replacing system files without affecting user data files. Such files still should be backed up off computer. Installed programs will have to be reinstalled except those from the Windows Store. A list of uninstalled programs is provided on desktop. Your personalization settings will be maintained. System settings will be set to defaults. A Windows.old folder will be created at C:. You can delete it once you have everything you want from it--Windows.old Folder - Delete in Windows 8.

Cool! Thanks for the help. I found a section under settings (?), that allowed me to remove all my old files from my "old" computer to a "new" computer, i.e. my external HD. It named itself something like Windows Files from Old Computer. Looks like all I have to do is "recover" the C: drive with a wipe and reinstall clean Windows 8. I'll try that. So far, the computer works and I got the VLC to play movies (not sure how). I think my biggest problem is upgrading the video from onboard ATI 3000 to GeForce 560i GT. I checked the performance of my computer at some microsoft site and it scored in the 6.9 out of possible 9.9 range on everything except the video card. I'm going to upgrade the bios as well.

I don't mind using the Metro side of the computer and I've gotten used to the speed. If I can get it so it plays dvds and games pretty well, I'll be an advocate of the OS.

Rod

I've never seen Windows 8 not play a DVD...even with VLC player installed. That is odd.

You have to format your local disk c:

I always install the video and audio codec pack named CCCP. It has always helped to play every kind of audio and video file.

In case you may be interested here goes the link. It's free and reliable. Lots of people use it.

CCCP - Combined Community Codec Pack (yellow button to the left)

Be patient. Windows 8 is a pain but when under control and everything solved, it is better than Windows 7.

jojojmtk said:

You have to format your local disk c:

Click to expand...

No need to format. A refresh is really all that is needed. A reset (and a clean install) will format, but that is not really needed if one simply wants to replace all system files and retain essentially nothing but data.

Ok, thanks for all the responses everybody! Here's where I am now with this machine: I kept reading until I found other peeps with Nvidia Card problems in Windows 8 and managed to find the latest driver that specifically works with Windows 8 64bit. It fixed the issue. I forget the actual program's name cause it's on my home computer but it was something to do with "The GeForce Experience" that matched my card with a Windows 8 driver. That did the trick! Do a search on it and download the GeForce Experience if you're having similar problems.

The VLC video player still puzzles me but it plays. Sometimes, I load in a disk and go get a sandwich or something and the movie's ready to play. It takes a long time to load up. Probably some kind of driver issue. I think the driver issues will grow less over time as more and more Windows 8 drivers are published.

Overall I like the OS. It's quick and clean and doesn't take long to figure out where everything is.

Rod

Did you actually upgrade from windows Vista to Windows 8, or is 8 a fresh install?

If its an upgrade then something got messed up in the transfer.

I also use VLC player on my win8 and win7, love it.

I have a fresh install of Win8 on my old HP g60 laptop, and its amazing!

Its fast, clean, and does alot.. Is your desktop custom made or store bought?
Does it freeze and shutdown, bluescreen errors?
Have you had viruses on it before?

We can probably help you out if you give us a little more about what it does. maybe your dvd player went bad?
Does it give read errors?
does it work ok for reading data/software?

yah that's what I used on mine, its just called "GeForce Experience" - It found my cheapo eVga card, downloaded the best driver for it.

How in blazes did you do an UG from Vist-Poop to 8? It allowed you to do it? I did mine from 7 to 8, my 7 was Not-Det-Hosed, so all of my Not-Det is f'd up on this one too. Can't run VLC Streamer Helper or anything else that relies on dot-bet 4 and DX11- This includes STEAM.

But I don't game on this PC so I don't need em on here. Everything else so far works.

I did an upgrade from Vista to Windows 8. It offered to do a complete install or choose to upgrade and keep personal files and folders. I chose that one. It shouldn't have made a difference in how apps run as it didn't keep any of my old programs, just stuff like pics, Excel, Word files, etc.

As for the VLD, I tried to play a movie last night. Stuck in the bonus disk from Breaking Dawn Part 2 by mistake and within 10 sec the movie was up. NP till I ejected it and put the movie disk in so I could watch the movie, not the bonus stuff. It never came up so I had to watch it on some online movie site. Sigh...It plays Bioshock Infinite great! All I needed was the Windows 8 driver for the card. I bought another card online and put it in my other computer and it works really well. Nvidia 630 GT. Doesn't even need a power plug and Windows 8 saw it immediately. I like the operating system so far but the VLD still has me scratching my head.

BTW, my home/game computer is a Windows 8, ASUS MB with AMD 9050 Quad core, 4 gig ram, 1TB HD, 750watt power supply, MSI N560GTX video card homebuilt computer. It's my 10th one so far. The one at work is pretty much the same but with a Gigabyte MB.

Rod

jojojmtk said:

You have to format your local disk c:

Click to expand...

You don't need to format your hard drive... firstly this will remove everything, from OS to System files. Secondly, if it's not playing videos ever since you installed VLC, it's a application/hardware issue.

Thanks for the info. I'll take a look at doing those things. I need to backup my files anyway before I do so. As for the VLC thing, it plays some videos and not others. After the next time I turn on the computer, it plays the movies it wouldn't play before and stops playing others, lol.

There may be an issue with certain kinds of copy protection on the DVDs. But in all easrleir versions of Windows, the DVD playability was NATIVE in the OS. In Windows 8, it is not there, it is missing from Media Player, and you have to install VLC to add the stuff that is missing from Windows 8.

Now, VLC should have installed all opf the DVD support you need, you may want to remove it, and reinstall it. Make sure you do a complete install of it- And I would use VLC version 2.0.5 rather than the latest - You can get it from the "earlier versions" FTP area. Once you do, open it up and see if this section is in the Input Codecs: