Suggested Steps To Take Installing And Setting Up Windows 8

[DavidY]

Welcome to Windows EightForums, DavidY. It's good to have you aboard.

Thanks.

So what your saying is that one would have to manually transfer the files from a XP backup source?

Well XP's built-in Backup creates files in .bkf format, but I couldn't find anything on Microsoft's site that would read them in Windows 8. There is this utility that can read an XP backup in Windows 7 but I couldn't find any indication that it would work in Windows 8.

So (unless anyone knows different) I think that anyone wanting to do a clean Windows 8 install and transfer files from XP needs to use something other than XP Backup to do it; either copy files manually onto another disk, or use another backup utility that supports restoring of individual files or sets of files rather than restoring a whole disk image.

I think there is a case for using XP Backup for the scenario in which your Windows 8 installation fails and you want to go back to XP, especially if you're not doing a clean install, but otherwise I believe you need something else.

 

[KentC]

Must haves - (Once you have Windows 8 Setup)

ProductKeys (APP - FREE)
WinDirStat - (Grab from ninite.com) [Keep tabs of full directories space size,previously only a cmd line tool from MS]
ClassicShell - (Grab from ninite.com to ease the learning curve of Windows 8 to give you a start menu)

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Must haves - (Once you have Windows 8 Setup)

ProductKeys (APP - FREE)
WinDirStat - (Grab from ninite.com) [Keep tabs of full directories space size,previously only a cmd line tool from MS]
ClassicShell - (Grab from ninite.com to ease the learning curve of Windows 8 to give you a start menu)

Hello, KentC. Welcome to EightForums.

Thanks for posting your suggestions.

Would you please expound on "ProductKeys (APP - FREE)". I'm not sure what you mean.

Would you please expound on "WinDirStat". I'm not familiar with this utility. Is not "full directories space size" found in Disk Management? If so, which, in your opinion, is better for the information?

Would you want ClassicShell listed in "Setup/Personalization"? If so, which part of that thread segment? Would you please expound on how that's performed?

Thanks again for posting and yet again, welcome. It's good to have you aboard.

 

[KentC]

Must haves - (Once you have Windows 8 Setup)

ProductKeys (APP - FREE)
WinDirStat - (Grab from ninite.com) [Keep tabs of full directories space size,previously only a cmd line tool from MS]
ClassicShell - (Grab from ninite.com to ease the learning curve of Windows 8 to give you a start menu)

Hello, KentC. Welcome to EightForums.

Thanks for posting your suggestions.

Would you please expound on "ProductKeys (APP - FREE)". I'm not sure what you mean.

I can't wait for those Ebay laptops to get here, man I need a home Windows 8 machine! Sorry... i got two on the way!

Back to the Product Keys App you get from the Windows Store. This is probably the biggest app development even though it's design is simple (I could of made it lol) it's very clean, comes from Microsoft, and helps you store VITAL product key information in a very simple WEB 2.0 format. I've already put this bad boy to work MANY times for my company. I love the simple ease this brings to the confusion. You can upgrade for 1.99 to the Skydrive Pro cloud redundancy option if you are the IT manager of your company if you see this as fit... I just locally store and screenshot our stuff and load it to the private cloud but Microsoft still sold me on the cheap offer to store on their colocations... hehe



Would you please expound on "WinDirStat". I'm not familiar with this utility. Is not "full directories space size" found in Disk Management? If so, which, in your opinion, is better for the information?

This is an amazing application any hacker or IT person trying to reclaim a ransacked production server would ABSOLUTELY need!
In unix, you can run commands like df and grep,etc and see what is currently in use,etc

WinDirStat is a disk usage statistics viewer and cleanup tool for various versions of Microsoft Windows.

In windows XP, you have to grab the utility cmd line tool from Microsoft to do the same commands this application does in GUI now. It's them helping us quickly manage our PC's for possibly unauthorized usage.

Would you want ClassicShell listed in "Setup/Personalization"? If so, which part of that thread segment? Would you please expound on how that's performed?

I have given this application to many as a "Windows 7.8" desktop program transition ease of use for those "slow" to learn how to use the new start GUI menu and charms menu located on the right corners of the OS. The new hot feature is Hot Corners. Which many are kinda new to, that application eases the Desktop flow for workplace needs till one learns how to use the Windows Apps Store and New Start Menu Gui and Searching for Apps via Charms Menu

Thanks again for posting and yet again, welcome. It's good to have you aboard.

Read my reply in quote

 

[Wynona]

If someone using a "computer" (not a toaster) does not understand "F1 - help" or in Windows 8 moving the mouse to the edge to access charms (edge UI) - search - start - settings - power etc... then I question their skill set and they indeed may need help.

Whaddaya think I done went and came here!?

Seriously, once Windows 8 is installed, I sat there and looked at the screen wondering what to do next. Those colorful blocks all ran together in my poor muddled Windows 7 proficient mind! Yes, there was a block up there wanting to tell me how to get started, but, well . . . nothing was intuitive! You see, I have always kept my desktop free of any icons. I don't like 'em at all.

As I've stated before, in another thread, I sat there and looked at the thing, moving my mouse around and around, making him dizzy in the process, and finally hit the "charms" bar. (Now, who thunk up that silly name?) After going down the list to see what was there, I finally found the power button under Settings no less. Dumb da Dumb Dumb . . .

So, yes, I came here desperately needing help with Windows 8. Half of the hints and tips don't work on my computer. Probably because I've installed no less than three 'start menu' apps and removed them all. At any rate, I'm considering a reinstall so that I can dual boot Windows 8 and Windows 7. Reasoning is that when I get tired of fighting with Windows 8, I can go back to Windows 7 and have a little peace and quiet.

 

[DavidY]

If someone using a "computer" (not a toaster) does not understand "F1 - help" or in Windows 8 moving the mouse to the edge to access charms (edge UI) - search - start - settings - power etc... then I question their skill set and they indeed may need help.

When I'm on the Start screen, and I press F1... nothing happens.

No Help coming from that source.

The same is true of the Modern/Metro style apps I tried (apart from IE which retains quite a few of its shortcuts from the Desktop version).

Has Microsoft ditched the "F1=Help" rule?

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Hello there. F1 works on the desktop to bring up help as in past OSs. On the Start Screen it's listed in the Charms Bar under settings. That opens up help online with the Modern IE 10. It's more internet/cloud centric.

 

[tommyg562000]

Hello, thank you for the guide. I have one question. I just got a lenovo y500 with windows 8 on it. I want to do a clean install with Windows 8 Pro. Will the key that's already programmed in the BIOS screw up my installation or will it just let me put my pro key in?

 

[Coke Robot]

If you have Windows 8 core, meaning the base standard, it will reinstall as Windows 8 core. The Pro upgrade will have to be applied after install. If you have a Windows 8 Pro install .iso, it will install as Windows 8 core due to the precooked key.

 

[PhyllisColeman]

thanks for your helpful suggestion here as this Win version is new with many unique features .. in such case it is pretty obvious that anyone may get stuck at any point .. through your post here all is well clear

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Welcome to Windows EightForums, PhyllisColeman.

Thank you for your kind words.

 

[DavidY]

I know this is an old thread but I just found something I wished I'd done several months ago before upgrading.

I have a PC with two partitions (drives C: and D: ) on one physical disk. I was just doing a bit of a cleanup and couldn't figure how to delete some quite big files from the D:\RECYCLER folder - I tried logging in as every user on the PC but the files weren't visible in anyone's Recycle Bin.

Then I figured it out - I sent those files from the D: drive to the Recycle Bin when it was a Windows XP PC. But then I did a Clean Install on the C: drive, and created new users... so the old users who owned those files no longer existed and the files were left orphaned in the D:\RECYCLER folder. (I don't think Windows 8 even uses \RECYCLER folders any more.) And of course I no longer had access to them by default from the new users on the PC, even though the users had the same names, so I had to mess around with taking ownership etc.

So my tip is:
* If you have multiple partitions and plan to keep any of the data there, and you're about to do a Clean Install, then consider emptying the Recycle Bin (while you still can) before you install.

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Sorry about the delay to get to this. I've been quite busy redoing my system.

Thank you, DavidY. :thumb: I never realized that problem. So as I understand this straight > Libraries are carried over in installation. It also carries over the Recycle Bin folder as well? Or just from XP? 7 to 8?

If that be true, then good suggestion if one chooses not to reformat a disk, as there's an option within 8 installation to do so in advanced options. Of course files won't be carried over. In fact there's disk management on 8 install disks, or at least on mine. I don't remember that being on previous install disks. Anyone?

Any which way, I'll be sure to mention your suggestion.

 

[Hopachi]

So my tip is:
* If you have multiple partitions and plan to keep any of the data there, and you're about to do a Clean Install, then consider emptying the Recycle Bin (while you still can) before you install.

Good tip!

$RECYCLE.BIN

It's hidden and if you didn't emptied the recycle bin, files remain here on disk.

Another scenario that applies here is for instance: you have an external HDD, you delete movies, ISO's, big and small files and then you eject it without emptying the recycle bin. All files are located on the same disk in the hidden folder mentioned above. But the if you empty the bin afterwards the files don't get removed because disk is not connected and even if you reconnect it: if bin says already empty then it's too bad for the files affected.

Manual fix:
Browse that folder with 7-Zip for instance (sees everything: this way you don't need to check show hidden files and system files in Explorer) and delete the files in each of its containing folders (leave the folders empty but keep the file desktop.ini), then your recycler is clean again.

Depending on the situation, if you were affected by this multiple times you can gain a couple of gigabytes back by doing the manual fix.

 

[DavidY]

Thank you, DavidY. :thumb: I never realized that problem. So as I understand this straight > Libraries are carried over in installation. It also carries over the Recycle Bin folder as well? Or just from XP? 7 to 8?

Well I'd say Folders (rather than Libraries) are carried over.

I don't know how it works from 7/Vista as I was coming from XP, but I reckon there might be similar issues.

In my case, everything in the recycler folder on C:\ was removed because I wiped the whole partition with a clean install (so C:\ was OK), but the recycle folder on the D:\ partition was left behind and no longer emptied by "Empty Recycle Bin" because (as I understand it anyway) each bit of the recycle bin has an owning user and following a clean install those users no longer exist, and D:\ was where I found the problem.

Like Hopachi says it was a couple of Gb that I could have freed up the easy way if I'd just emptied before the Win 8 install, but I had to empty the hard way after the install (and didn't even realise it was there for ages).

So my tip is to empty the Recycle Bin before you install; it's much easier than doing it later. If you think there are files in the Bin which you might want to keep, then undelete them and back them up.

 

[DavidY]

Hi HippsieGypsie,

Me again.

Another thought.

I've seen a lot of problems on here where the user doesn't have a Recovery Drive or Repair Disc, and it would have made their life much easier if they had done this when they started using Windows 8.

So I think the "First-tasks/ time-savers" section should include these (linking to the appropriate tutorials):
* Make a Recovery Drive or Repair Disc
* Consider making a Custom Refresh Image

I know this thread has got quiet with many people having upgraded if they want to, but with the 8.1 release coming in October, there will presumably be a big push from Microsoft to get another bunch of people to upgrade, especially targetting the XP folks. So I think there's probably still value in keeping it going and perhaps updating when the final 8.1 is released.

 

[pwhaas]

How to Add Menu Items Under the (Windows 8.1) Right-Click or Context Menu.

I made numerous attempts on updating 64-bit Windows 8 Pro
client systems to 64-bit Windows 8.1 Pro and/or doing a fresh
install of 64-bit Windows 8.1 Pro from an ISO DVD. In any of these
cases I found the Windows 8.1 Shell Context Menus to be incomplete.
Especially, they were missing the default/top Open entry for
any Program Icon on the user's desktop.

What I found is that ZipGenius 6.3.2.3110 is actually inserting
itself into the list of items available in the Windows registry under
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
placing an ZipGenius 6 entry there. Obviously, this entry
is able to terminate the ContextMenuHandlers' parsing of the
verb list, essentially leaving incomplete context menus to
the user.

A quick way to cancel these artifacts is to remove such
entries from the ContextMenuHandlers' verb list.

1. Open Regedit (Go to Startmenu\Run; type regedit)
2. Expand until you are in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex
3. Select ContextMenuHandlers
Entries present, e.g.:
{90AA3A4E-1CBA-4233-B8B8-535773D48449}
BriefCaseMenu
Open With
Open With EncryptionMenu
Sharing
Workfolders
. . . . . .
ZipGenius 6
. . . . . .
Action:
Delete any potential entries by ZipGenius 6 under 3.

Maybe it's worth to check if there are additional user applications out there
that may impair the shell's context menus in similar ways.

 

[DavidY]

Ages ago, I posted on here to say that I didn't know how to restore Windows XP Backup files into Windows 8.

Well it looks like people have figured out how to workaround this - here's a link to an article on Tech Republic describing how to do it.

Restore a Windows XP backup in Windows 8 - TechRepublic

There are a couple of caveats in there, but hopefully it might be useful to some former XP users.

 

[partogi]

Please have a look on my root drive partition:

Is there anything wrong with that? What about this "System Reserved" partition. Should I merge it with C: on fresh install so that I would get better performance, maybe?

 

[Wynona]

The "System Reserved" partition should be left alone. It's something Windows creates when it's first installed. I found the following online:

"The 100MB partition is a system partition and contains boot files. Disk Manager will not allow you to remove this partition because removing this partition could cause the system to not boot."

Although the above is related to Windows 7, it seems that in Windows 8/8.1, it's 350 MB rather than 100 MB.