Solved Does Windows 8 Include Sample Photos, Videos, and Music?

BruceH

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8
Hello,

Prior versions of Windows included sample photos, videos and music files from Microsoft.

I have a new install of Windows 8 Home, 64 Bit OEM version and when I look in My Pictures, My Videos, and My Music these libraries are empty. In the past after installing Windows, I used these files to do a quick check to see that sound card and other parts of the system were working. I went to try that in Windows 8 and no files!

I do not know if they are there but in a new location, or if they are no longer included, or if something went wrong with the install, or something else.

I am also not finding any sample photos when I start up the Photo Tile App.

I would appreaciate any comments on this.

Thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Home 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770
    Motherboard
    Biostar TZ77B
    Memory
    Team 4 X 4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    None
    Sound Card
    Integrated
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    Western Digital Black 1TB
    PSU
    Sea Sonic 650 Watts Modular
    Case
    Enermax Staray
    Cooling
    Intel standard fan
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    IE 10
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Hello Bruce, and welcome to Eight Forums.

In Widows 7, the "Sample" folders were in the "C:\Users\Public" Music, Pictures, Recorded TV, and Videos folders.

They were not included in Windows 8. :(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
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    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Brink ..... Thanks for the welcome and the reply!

First no Start Button and now no sample files.....Time to go back to XP (just kidding, I think).

Interestingly, I was at a couple of big box stores recently looking at monitors and those Windows 8 machines had photo files. I did not notice who made the machines, but I am assuming they must have picked up where Microsoft left off included sample photos. Each store had the same photos, so I guess I was viewing machines from the same manufacturer. I will check that out in some more detail the next time I go to a store selling Windows 8 machines. To bad MS dropped them.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Home 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770
    Motherboard
    Biostar TZ77B
    Memory
    Team 4 X 4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    None
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital Black 1TB
    PSU
    Sea Sonic 650 Watts Modular
    Case
    Enermax Staray
    Cooling
    Intel standard fan
    Browser
    IE 10
    Antivirus
    Norton
Hi there
Stores have an infuriating habit of doing that -- for example I've gone into a Curry's in the UK and been totally amazed when they are trying to sell large 60 inch / bigger expensive beautiful miniscule thin TV's which have the best definition possible -- but what are they showing on them -- Just "Bog standard" TV pictures -- not even the HD channels or even a Blu Ray DVD.

On that large screen standard TV looks a bit of a joke -- looking at these you would wonder why people would bother buying these huge screens just to turn their living rooms into looking like a Hotel Lobby.

I asked the manager --why don't you show HD or BLU Ray so people can see and compare the pictures with standard TV and you'd sell many more sets -- he answered --we have to show what the area manager says --- Can't understand that mentality --if it were me I'd give the store manager a Bonus on the number of sets being sold and give him a free reign on what to display on their hardware.

Same with computers and those pictures -- which don't exist on the model when you get it home --causes unbelievable annoyance to consumers too.

Some of these "regional managers" wouldn't be able to sell a litre of water to someone dying of thirst in the desert.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
I was at another store today and looked at three different Windows 8 machines, a Acer, a Dell and a HP. All three had the same sample photos that a recall seeing previously at the other stores, and the Start Screen all showed the same account user, Allison Brown. This makes me think Microsoft has some kind of demo pack for retail machine sales.

The demo photos are in C:/Users/Kiosk/Pictures. The OEM install disk does not generate a C:/Users/Kiosk folder. It looks like Microsoft still offers demo files, but it depends on the version of the software.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Home 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770
    Motherboard
    Biostar TZ77B
    Memory
    Team 4 X 4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    None
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital Black 1TB
    PSU
    Sea Sonic 650 Watts Modular
    Case
    Enermax Staray
    Cooling
    Intel standard fan
    Browser
    IE 10
    Antivirus
    Norton
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