Solved Thinking of going back to Windows 7

[james1st]

I am totally fed up with Windows 8. This is my computer. I bought it, I paid for it. I tried Windows 8 for two months now, and it gets worse each day. So anyone have some suggestions on installing Windows 7 on mu computer? I will have to buy Windows 7 and install it and I just want any advice to make the transfer easier.

Dell Inspiron 5721
x64-based PC

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3517U CPU @ 1.90GHz, 2401 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical

RAM 8.00 GB
HD 1 TB

 

[SpyderBite]

MS wants to remove the Desktop service eventually. This has nothing to do with the Start Menu. The "metro" UI is the new Start Menu.

I know. It's just semantics. But, it's a peeve of mine. People want their Windows 7 Desktop (with a Start Menu). And, as others stated, this is easily done with a few 3rd party programs. I use the Stardock solutions mentioned. But that is different than simply wanting a "Start Menu".

The true problem lies with legacy programs that require explorer.exe. This challenge is far more complicated for MS than pacifying the handful of people who want a Start Button.

 

[SIW2]

handful of people who want a Start Button.

Why are you assuming it is a handful? What do you mean by button?

 

[goodintentions]

1.9ghz... should have gone for a higher clock speed.

 

[goodintentions]

handful of people who want a Start Button.

Why are you assuming it is a handful? What do you mean by button?

To be fair, I would say that everyone who has ever used windows before want a start menu or start button when they first migrated to windows 8. And this includes me.

The thing is this. After just the first month of using windows 8, everyone I know including myself realized that we never used the inserted start menu anyway. I have classic shell installed on my computer and I haven't used it after the first couple times I tried it. All my friends who are IT professionals have said the same to me.

So, yes, people do want the start button if they were used to windows 7. But people will very quickly realize that they don't touch it after their initial tests.

 

[pparks1]

handful of people who want a Start Button.

Why are you assuming it is a handful? What do you mean by button?

To be fair, I would say that everyone who has ever used windows before want a start menu or start button when they first migrated to windows 8. And this includes me.

The thing is this. After just the first month of using windows 8, everyone I know including myself realized that we never used the inserted start menu anyway. I have classic shell installed on my computer and I haven't used it after the first couple times I tried it. All my friends who are IT professionals have said the same to me.

So, yes, people do want the start button if they were used to windows 7. But people will very quickly realize that they don't touch it after their initial tests.

I still use the start menu. I bought Start8, and I use it. 95% of what I want is pinned to my taskbar, but for those things I randomly access I do so with the start menu. I strongly dislike having my entire desktop removed when I access the start screen.

 

[goodintentions]

Why are you assuming it is a handful? What do you mean by button?

To be fair, I would say that everyone who has ever used windows before want a start menu or start button when they first migrated to windows 8. And this includes me.

The thing is this. After just the first month of using windows 8, everyone I know including myself realized that we never used the inserted start menu anyway. I have classic shell installed on my computer and I haven't used it after the first couple times I tried it. All my friends who are IT professionals have said the same to me.

So, yes, people do want the start button if they were used to windows 7. But people will very quickly realize that they don't touch it after their initial tests.

I still use the start menu. I bought Start8, and I use it. 95% of what I want is pinned to my taskbar, but for those things I randomly access I do so with the start menu. I strongly dislike having my entire desktop removed when I access the start screen.

Have you tried the search?

 

[SIW2]

I have been using 8 a long while.

Like pp I still use a start menu. It works better for me. I don't think it is only me - nor is it a tiny handful.

Yes, thanks - the start menu search works well.

 

[Mark Phelps]

Like so many others, I've added the Stardock apps -- and now have Win8 looking and working much like Win7 -- which is something I really like, now.

And ... I tried, REALLY tried, using the Search capability when I first installed Win8, and discovered it was unable to find nearly everything I entered. I remember posting on that, without finding any solutions.

With a menu back, and with icons in the taskbar, I can launch everything I want with one or two clicks at most -- which is how I like to work.

Others may prefer other approaches.

 

[goodintentions]

Like so many others, I've added the Stardock apps -- and now have Win8 looking and working much like Win7 -- which is something I really like, now.

And ... I tried, REALLY tried, using the Search capability when I first installed Win8, and discovered it was unable to find nearly everything I entered. I remember posting on that, without finding any solutions.

With a menu back, and with icons in the taskbar, I can launch everything I want with one or two clicks at most -- which is how I like to work.

Others may prefer other approaches.

Like what? I'm just curious so I can replicate it.

 

[SIW2]

Like what? I'm just curious so I can replicate it.

Are you just curious? Or are you trying to "prove" him wrong.

Don't bother, let people do what they prefer.

 

[goodintentions]

Like what? I'm just curious so I can replicate it.

Are you just curious? Or are you trying to "prove" him wrong.

Don't bother, let people do what they prefer.

No, I'm genuinely curious. He's not the only one I've seen saying they can't find anything with the search. I've never had a problem finding things I needed. As far as I know, everyone I know has never had a problem with the search.

But there are people who "couldn't find anything" with the search. I've been trying to track down the cause of this.

But suppose that I am trying to prove him wrong. So what? Suppose I like dairy queen. Suppose everyone I know likes dairy queen, particularly in the summer. Then one day I bump into someone that says dairy queen tastes like poop. He goes around telling people dairy queen tastes like poop. Wouldn't you be the least bit curious what he ordered or what he ate that made him think this way?

The to-each-his-own only works to a certain point. This is a tech website. Making a general tech statement, especially one with technical nature in it, requires more description than just a typical "it sux" proclamation.

 

[pparks1]

And ... I tried, REALLY tried, using the Search capability when I first installed Win8, and discovered it was unable to find nearly everything I entered. I remember posting on that, without finding any solutions.

I'm curious about this too. I haven't had any issues with native search. I just hit start screen, start typing and click on files and it finds what I am searching for. What problems are you seeing?

With a menu back, and with icons in the taskbar, I can launch everything I want with one or two clicks at most -- which is how I like to work.

When I know the name of the app, I find it fastest to click Start button on keyboard, type first few letters and hit enter. However, when I don't actually know the name of the app exactly, I prefer using the start menu. For example, to launch calculator, I hit Start, cal, enter. Then I usually pin it to my taskbar and it's always there going forward.

 

[SIW2]

I can't answer what he was referring to, of course.

But suppose that I am trying to prove him wrong. So what?

That is what causes friction.

Wouldn't you be the least bit curious what he ordered or what he ate that made him think this way?

No. I like spinach. A lot of people don't. That is fine.

If I was making the ice cream you mentioned, then I may be interested in the things people do not like about it. I may then change those things in the hope of increasing sales.

I would not try and force them to like whatever.

 

[goodintentions]

I can't answer what he was referring to, of course.

But suppose that I am trying to prove him wrong. So what?

That is what causes friction.

Wouldn't you be the least bit curious what he ordered or what he ate that made him think this way?

No. I like spinach. A lot of people don't. That is fine.

This makes no sense.

Suppose I say windows 7 sucks. Suppose I say nothing in 7 works. Every time I try to open a program in 7 it crashes and decreases my bank account by $300. You're not going to ask me what I'm smoking just to avoid friction?

He makes an incredible claim. Those of us who have never had a problem with the search function would want to know what kind of apps he can't find. Perhaps he's onto something here. But we can't know unless he's more specific.

 

[SIW2]

If you are curious, that is different from trying to prove him wrong and shame him into doing something the way you like to do it.

There is a lot of "you are not doing it right" attitude from 8 lovers.

It doesn't matter . If I prefer a particular thing - you are not going to change my mind.

 

[pparks1]

I'm not here to change anybodies mind, I'm not the worlds largest 8 fan, but I find the search works fine. I'd like to know what is going on to prevent his from working right, because chances are that I would stumble upon it in my future IT endeavors.

 

[Ztruker]

I think the Search in Windows Explorer is what people complain about, not the one off Start.

 

[SIW2]

I don't know what he was referring to Pp

I recall it didn't work well at first. Can't remember exactly, but diskmgmt.msc may have been one of the things it couldn't find.

I think there have been updates to fix that since.

Makes no difference to me.

I am using a start menu because it works better for me, I prefer it.

I'm not here to change anybodies mind, I'm not the worlds largest 8 fan, but I find the search works fine. I'd like to know what is going on to prevent his from working right, because chances are that I would stumble upon it in my future IT endeavors.

 

[pparks1]

I recall it didn't work well at first. Can't remember exactly, but diskmgmt.msc may have been one of the things it couldn't find.

I just searched that from the start screen and it showed up as an application in the list.

I am using a start menu because it works better for me, I prefer it.

Most times I agree, but in many cases I have found that i can hit the start button (on keyboard) and type the first few letters of my app and hit enter and launch the app faster than I can with the start menu. I wish that it wouldn't take over my entire display, but I'm there for less than 2 seconds so for as infrequently as I use it, it's fine.

 

[goodintentions]

If you are curious, that is different from trying to prove him wrong and shame him into doing something the way you like to do it.

There is a lot of "you are not doing it right" attitude from 8 lovers.

It doesn't matter . If I prefer a particular thing - you are not going to change my mind.

I realize that I won't change anyone's mind. But "the search function doesn't work" is not an opinion. It's a statement of fact. I know I'm not going to change anyone's opinion, but I'd like to know what's behind his statement of fact.

Refusing to tell us exactly what he couldn't find shows he was just looking for a reason to hate windows 8, which is fine with me. I'd prefer he just says so. No need to try to find a reason not to like windows 8.

I can't stress the word choice enough. We don't live in a dictatorship. Everyone is entitled to like or dislike things based on opinion and taste. But making statements of fact is an entirely different matter.

I know that I do not like ginger. And I often tell people I do not like the taste or smell of ginger. I would never say "ginger tastes and smells like poop", because that would be a statement of fact. If I were to make that statement, I would expect any reasonable person to question where I got this idea and how I arrived at this statement of fact.

Do you see the difference?