Tips for Windows 8 users!

Article on the matter.

To sum its most important messages up:

Need DVD Playback? Use VLC Media Player...

Need Start menu and/or hate Modern UI (Metro)? Use Classic Shell...

Need Gadgets? Use Rainmeter...

Need more informative BSODS (lol)? Use Blue Screen View...

Need Aero Glass? Use Aero Lite Tweaker...

...

And so on, because:

"One of the biggest strengths of the Windows operating system is its third party development scene. It comes up with new and improved applications regularly, so that missing features can be added easily to the OS. This makes Windows 8 not different from previous Microsoft operating systems. Even Windows 7 or Windows XP had their missing features and great third party apps that made them available."

I request this thread to be a sticky as well, if possible.

.

 

of better than reinventing the wheel to get basic OS functions like the above mentioned, install a REAL OS such as Windows 7. problem solved

 

Win 8 has native USB 3.0 support.

also, Win 8 supports DirectX 11.1, not sure if Win 7 has...

i'm not an expert about what's under the hood in Win 8 but it's a good bet to assume that it is better equipped to handle new tech stuff.

 

sure it does

- no start menu
- UAC disabling doesn't really work as it still asks u if u when u want to copy or move a file to C:
- no configurable icon horizontal / vertical size unless u want to mess around with the registry, the whole color and appearance section is missing those options unlike win 7
- weird errors on restart such as "Cum surrogate has caused an error" google it it's all over the net with win 8 users
- icons appear white somtimes randomly until u restart the icons come back

this is a half baked OS that requires users to install 3rd party apps to make it act as a real OS

 

i don't have any of the problems you are experiencing.

as for the icons, i don't know exactly what you mean, so i can't try to replicate this issue on my machine.
you mean the icons on the desktop or Metro?

 

I'm not a Win 8 user, but you do have a good point, and I agree...

 

a quick search on google bro...

http://www.forumswindows8.com/customization/non-metro-icons-look-blank-7046.htm

and

http://answers.pubarticles.com/64965,non-metro-icons-blank-in-windows-8-help-1351750039.html

happens randomly

 

Indeed; I don't understand the persistent angst against something like this.

Every version of Windows removes functionality many consider "basic," requiring third-party software to replace.

 

i just checked on my machine.
the icons are working fine on my end.

unfortunately, i have no idea how to fix your problem, nor what the cause could be.

 

strange, it happens randomly not always, keep monitoring every now and then and let me know

thanks

 

Berryracer, I assume the icon cache is being cleared by ccleaner or one of those programs you use to optimize the system. Or some registry cleaner is breaking things by cleaning up associations.

 

i noticed in that image http://www.forumswindows8.com/custom...blank-7046.htm that the user is using Windows Explorer to access the Control Panel.
i don't even know how to do that. lol
have you tried accessing the Control Panel directly by right-clicking on the hotspot at lower left instead of using Windows Explorer?

that would make sense.

 

Every version of Windows has random issues with icons.

I've seen it once or twice, but it usually cleared up after a number of minutes (without rebooting). For me it appeared to happen when explorer would get hung up, and that was due to third-party software, a bum codec (while explorer tries to create thumbnails for videos), or the bum SATA cable to the CD-ROM that I replaced. All causes have been resolved on my system.

The day that any software is released with zero bugs is the day- well, Skynet will have already taken over.

 

Control Panel is actually always displayed in Windows explorer.

 

tried to find it in Windows Explorer but i haven't got a clue.
edit: i found it

to tell the truth, i haven't used Windows Explorer in years.
"The horror. The horror..."

 

I mean that even when you use the quick menu, it's displayed in explorer.

If you start from My Computer, you can find it in the Computer menu/ribbon tab.

 

yes, i see.
i always used the right-click on the hot spot at lower left.
there's a whole bunch of quick shortcuts to admin stuff.
it's very convenient.

 

tnx, but i've switched to Directory Opus a long time ago.
works very nice in Windows 8 and there should be an update within days to make it fully compliant with Windows 8.

but i think i'm getting a little off topic here...

 

Agreed; I've gotten used to using explorer for just about any navigation. (That and hitting the Windows key and then just typing what I want.)

On that note: one of my new favorite apps is Clover. It adds Chrome-like tabs and bookmark bar. I have found it immensely useful.

Woah, I didn't know that; very cool.

 

You're not getting a little off topic! The talk about third-party apps for Windows 8 such as Directory Opus is definitely on-topic...

The linked article of the initial post even recommends apps to replace or add functionality to Windows Explorer, I just opted to not mention everything.

 

tnx!

i'm quite enjoying Windows 8.
while we're on the subject a very nice virtual monitor application that works very well with Win 8 and is also portable is VirtuaWin.
it's nice ant light, free and open source!
http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/

for mouse gestures i use StrokesPlus, also free and portable:
http://www.strokesplus.com/

this one is easier to use:
http://justgestures.com/ but i have not tried in with Win 8.

 

What a joke...
This is the definition Operating System... a platform to run other applications.
And the strength of Windows 8 is that allows not MS apps to run? No wonder... windows 8 is another OS!

Wild Hunter please stop trying so hard to promote windows 8; you make it look bad...
Personally I don't like it as an upgrade/downgrade for existing systems (I like it on multitouch systems though) ,but... it is a more decent OS than the way you describe it.

Panagiotis