A few hints & tricks for build 8102

By FaiKee
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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FaiKee

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I understand there is already a thread on the old start menu thing, but it is already 6 pages and counting, I guess if I post it there, after a few pages more, then nobody would find the trick.

I try to add a few things on 8102, and hopefully add a few more later, but first thing first:

1. To get back the old start menu, open regedit, goto

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

change value of RPEnabled from "1" to "0"

close regedit, you get your old start menu......the catch is, no more metro UI because you just disabled it. To get back the Metro UI, change the value back to "1"

I had ran thru the other thread, and agree with some members : this is progress, try to adapt to it, use the old thing as a temporary way until you get use to Metro.

screen739.jpg

2. Install on Hard-disk to dual boot with win7

Do-not try to install 8102 within win7, it won't ask you which partition you want to install, and go stright to install on C, and your win7 is gone.

You need to burn the ISO to a DVD or USB FD, boot with it, then set-up will ask you for the partition, everything goes like win7 installation.

3. Dual/multi-boot with XP

8102 still uses BCD but it doesn't care about XP, so after 8102 is installed, use VistaBootPro to install the "Vista Bootloader" back to the system partition, then set-up the bootmenu with VistaBootPro.

Of course you can use EasyBCD, I don't want to install it just to show the basically similar procedures.

screen738.jpg

Update 1:

Actually you can install inside win7(or other windows) and it is very simple: After mounting to a virtual CDrom, people tend to fire up the setup.exe on the root dir, and it will cause win8 setup to install directly on C, and put the win7 in windows.old.

The correct way is to go to the sources folder, there is another setup.exe in it, and firing up this exe file will begin install by asking you the partition to install.

Update 2

If you are one of those unlucky chap who installed 8102 over win7, and must have to get the win7 back, here is the MS tech page on how to restore XP from win7. I have not tried but read over the article, the steps should basically be the same:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971760

Update 3

screen740.jpg

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1025334-a-few-hints-tricks-for-build-8102/
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Grand Master

Max Norris

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change value of RPEnabled from "0" to "1"

Haven't tried this one myself (actually enjoying the new interface), but nice to see you can disable a ton of whining with a simple registry edit ;) Wouldn't it be changing 1 to 0 though?

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Grand Master

Calum Veteran

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  • Veteran
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[. . .]

I had ran thru the other thread, and agree with some members : this is progress, try to adapt to it, use the old thing as a temporary way until you get use to Metro.

[. . .]

There is no way they can get used to it if they disable it completely. The best option would be for them to just try the Immersive experience for a month or two.

Can anyone confirm this? Love to share it with our readers if I can get confirmation :)

Why? It's not an official option within the operating system, and it will just lead to more people not getting used to the new Immersive experience, meaning they will continue to complain when it is finally released. As the Start Menu will most likely not return, it'd be better to encourage all users to try to get used to it :)

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FaiKee

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Haven't tried this one myself (actually enjoying the new interface), but nice to see you can disable a ton of whining with a simple registry edit ;) Wouldn't it be changing 1 to 0 though?

Yeah, thanks, amended. :rolleyes:

There is no way they can get used to it if they disable it completely. The best option would be for them to just try the Immersive experience for a month or two.

Why? It's not an official option within the operating system, and it will just lead to more people not getting used to the new Immersive experience, meaning they will continue to complain when it is finally released.As the Start Menu will most likely not return, it'd be better to encourage all users to try and get used to it :)

I agree, some may still use the old menu "forever". But this trick will be known thru other channels, one way or the other, there's no secret in the web, I am not the only guy to know it........, a MS guy told me this trick. :laugh:

Experienced

Nehemoth

Posted
Posted

Hint : If you are installing on vmware workstation and get the nasty message "windows cannot read the <productKey> setting from the unnattend answer file", just disable the floppy drive on the vmware settings.

:-D

tried with VmWare Workstation 8, Windows Developer Preview 8 x64 as Guest, Windows 7 professional x64 as Host

Grand Master

George P Global Moderator

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I can see why some would want to use the old start menu, but honestly I barally use the thing as it is right now in Win7. The apps I'm always using are just pinned to the taskbar, as such having those pinned to the start screen is the same thing.

One thing they need to do is add things the start screen is missing atm. Lots of people want to be able to close metro apps without having to do it through task manager, I suppose this will come in the beta and that right now MS wants to show you how the OS manages those apps on it's own, like on WP7 etc.

Also unless you have a old desktop app open then I don't think Alt+Tab works between metro apps, this should be added, OR I expect they could be working on a WP7 like task switcher when inside the start screen UI. I say this because, though it's not in this build that we got, they demoed in the keynote that you can zoom out on the start screen to move whole tile groups around and to also jump between them etc. That option would work well for apps also, you can do it with touch, zoom out with pinching etc to get a row of open apps (like Alt+tab shows basically) then you pick the one you want. This can also be done with a KB shortcut (just keep it as Alt+tab) and arrow keys or the mouse.

Really, that's all that's missing imo. A better close option and then app switching inside the new UI.

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

My screen-shot is proof, but I changed it back to Metro, I like new things. :laugh:

I have the standard desktop as an app (basically, the default), but I'm sticking to Immersive, despite having a traditional (but wireless) keyboard and mouse (the keyboard is Microsoft's Wireless 6000 V.3, the mouse is the Logitech V220).

So far, I have not run into any 7-isms with either applications or drivers; if 7 x64 supports a driver or application, so does the Developer Preview. I haven't needed to use Compatibility Mode so much as once.

Office 2010 (x64) is installed (mounted the ISO and installed that way); it also updates (via WU) just fine (I just applied SP1, in fact).

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

I can see why some would want to use the old start menu, but honestly I barally use the thing as it is right now in Win7. The apps I'm always using are just pinned to the taskbar, as such having those pinned to the start screen is the same thing.

One thing they need to do is add things the start screen is missing atm. Lots of people want to be able to close metro apps without having to do it through task manager, I suppose this will come in the beta and that right now MS wants to show you how the OS manages those apps on it's own, like on WP7 etc.

Also unless you have a old desktop app open then I don't think Alt+Tab works between metro apps, this should be added, OR I expect they could be working on a WP7 like task switcher when inside the start screen UI. I say this because, though it's not in this build that we got, they demoed in the keynote that you can zoom out on the start screen to move whole tile groups around and to also jump between them etc. That option would work well for apps also, you can do it with touch, zoom out with pinching etc to get a row of open apps (like Alt+tab shows basically) then you pick the one you want. This can also be done with a KB shortcut (just keep it as Alt+tab) and arrow keys or the mouse.

Really, that's all that's missing imo. A better close option and then app switching inside the new UI.

Alt+Tab certainly *does* work, between Metro/Immersive apps, Classic apps, or any combination. Creative's software updates are a good example of Classic apps, while IE 10 by default is Immersive/Metro - at one point, I had Creative AutoUpdate running, IE10 desktop, IE10 Immersive, and Windows Explorer all open, and Alt+Tabbed between them as needed. (That's right - IE10 desktop *and* IE10 Immersive; you CAN run both at once. In fact, if you launch IE via the Run line, it starts in Immersive, even if you have a separate IE10 desktop session running.) I haven't even *used* Task Manager.

Rising Star

kInG aLeXo

Posted
Posted

Actually if the metro UI will be there by default I guess instead of getting myself used to it, will be the moment I finally switch to Linux.The thing looks so ugly to me.They should have added something like multiple desktops, or infinitely scrolling desktop, but the metro just seems so wrong to me, atleast the way the tiles look.

Grand Master

Sulphy

Posted
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nice one... Although, i came up with an issue installing 8102 on my OCZ Vertex 2 SSD.... it would not recognise the drive... had to haul out a 160Gb SATA HDD to get 8102 installed.... that was kind of odd!

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

Actually if the metro UI will be there by default I guess instead of getting myself used to it, will be the moment I finally switch to Linux.The thing looks so ugly to me.They should have added something like multiple desktops, or infinitely scrolling desktop, but the metro just seems so wrong to me, atleast the way the tiles look.

And you actually think the learning curve there will be any easier?

Consider GNOME, or UNITY, or even Wayland - all have a higher learning curve than even Metro does from a user point of view.

All the keyboard tricks from as far back as Windows 9x/NT still work - even within Metro. If you're even a halfway-competent keyboard jockey, Metro/Immersive can be dealt with quite easily - even without touch support.

Something I said (elsewhere) is coming true - far too many of us may SAY we want change; yet, when confronted with it, we become very Pharonic in our attitudes and insist on staying put.

And it doesn't seem to matter whether it's applications, games, operating systems (including FOSS), and even politicians.

Far too many of us don't want new - what we REALLY want is *improved old*, and with as little real change as we can get away with.

Community Regular

Lunfai

Posted
Posted

I've installed it so far. I've ran into no bugs except, Internet Explorer crashes after every 10-30 seconds of use, and refuses to load web pages without crashing constantly, however this bug doesn't effect me much since I use a different browser anyway. I'm not sure what's causing it. Skype finally worked after I downloaded the new version, strangely the online installer they issued me from their download page of the official site seems to install 5.3.XXX, this didn't have Windows 8 support so it didn't sign up properly. It was fixed after I found an offline installer of a newer version 5.5.XXX, which had support for the new OS. I think disabling the start menu to the old one has also cured my hatred for how ugly the ribbon has been implemented in the explorer frame. I think that direction is pretty risky since I liked how it is disabled.

Other than that, it's pretty solid, no real complaints really, I knew I was downloading pre-released software, and it's running better than pre-released software does. I think there's a lot of work to be done, but the main ideas are there and the direction is clear. I hope they don't have that metro panel as a default for computer based users as I think it should be kept on touchscreen devices. Would people choose to use that IE instead of desktops IE? But yes, I know it's pre-released software and that it'll probably be changed in the future, but I just wanted to jot down at least one fault imo, but I do realise they are trying to show the new metro UI.

Rising Star

OuchOfDeath

Posted
Posted

And you actually think the learning curve there will be any easier?

Consider GNOME, or UNITY, or even Wayland - all have a higher learning curve than even Metro does from a user point of view.

All the keyboard tricks from as far back as Windows 9x/NT still work - even within Metro. If you're even a halfway-competent keyboard jockey, Metro/Immersive can be dealt with quite easily - even without touch support.

Something I said (elsewhere) is coming true - far too many of us may SAY we want change; yet, when confronted with it, we become very Pharonic in our attitudes and insist on staying put.

And it doesn't seem to matter whether it's applications, games, operating systems (including FOSS), and even politicians.

Far too many of us don't want new - what we REALLY want is *improved old*, and with as little real change as we can get away with.

There is a considerable problem in the current build with little to no consistency in between the two desktops. It randomly jumps between one and the other at the most inopportune times, and it's an incredible pain in the ass and is massively confusing. I know I'm not the only one because this very same argument has been stated in reviews as well. As it currently stands in the preview build, I do believe the learning curve is higher than with GNOME or UNITY. Wayland by the way isn't a Desktop Environment. It's a display server that lets you run DE's like GNOME or UNITY on it.

Grand Master

Digitalx

Posted
Posted

Little thing I found when installing it as I downloaded the full iso image 4.8GB or whichever wouldn't fit on standard DVD so went the USB route but was too lazy to do whole manual copying and making USB stick bootable so tried using the Windows 7 USB software from Microsoft and what do you know, it works so if anyone's in similar boat it's easiest solution.

Grand Master

Eric Veteran

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  • Veteran
Posted

For better navigating the startscreen with a keyboard/mouse: press pageup/pagedown to swipeleft/swiperight. Home/end will also work.

The scroll wheel moves the start screen back and forth as well. I have no idea why they don't have mouse dragging. :/

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