Windows 8 - Get the start button back - Classic Shell

[JMRead]

Hello all,

 

Forgive me if you already know this, I bought a new laptop from Argos a couple of weeks ago it's got Win 8.1 on it.

 

I read lots about it and in particular a page on PCWorld: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2054422/five-tools-to-bring-the-start-menu-back-to-windows-8-1.html

 

As soon as I got it home and got it going I downloaded Classic Shell http://www.classicshell.net/ it's free (donation ware). Installed it and now I have the best OS I've ever known working in the classic windows manner.

 

Cheers - Jem

[NannyFerret]

I have  Windows 7 and my old computer upstairs I have kept XP on, but I'm sure people who are running Windows 8 will welcome any tips to help them get the best out of it, Jem.

[Korky]

I'm going to say this before anyone else does.............

 

The best advice I can give to users of Windows 7, 8.1 or 12.6 is dump it and buy a Mac.

 

My iMac runs a freebie called RetroSpex which gives me all the functionality of OS X 10.9, but with a desktop identical to the 48k ZX Spectrum. Manic Miner never looked so good!

 

Korky

[NannyFerret]

Macs are far too expensive for me. I have heard they are good, but I get on with Windows just fine.

[Black Pearl]

I have use a Mac for a while now and personally I would never go back to Windows unless it had a really serious overhaul and even then I would need a very strong incentive....but....I upgraded the bairns laptop to W8 recently and after a little time getting used to it we both agree it is fantastic.

I can't think of a single reason anyone would want the start button (which is an oxymoronic name in that it also shuts the system down) back other than they're used to it and simply don't like change. The Metro UI is far better than the old icons, simply being able to right click in the bottom left corner (still a bit puzzling but thats Windows for you) and having instant access to all the main control panels etc is faster than a start button. 

Why muck about going backwards?

[FUJI]

Jem, you have started something here.......I too have computer questions, that git into this thread......

My XP Pro PC has a high spec, it is under 6 years old, in that XP isn't going to be supported I am thinking around a replacement or an upgrade.

The downside is, that, I have been using Windows PCS since the late 1980s, I began with a locally built business machine that came with Corel Suite and Office pre loaded.

My current desktop, and my Windows XP Pro tablet, are loaded with oodles of software including accounting and Family Tree Treemaker....plus lots more.

Only last year, I acquired CS6, have Corel 12.

I realise that, I will be forced to buy compatible software for whatever system I choose......do I upgrade to Windows 8? ( my phone runs it) .....or.....do I go for an iMac?

That may not be a good move, if I can't open any of my thousands of Windows related files some that date back to the 1980s......I still have Floppy Discs for goodness sake ;-) I have two external hard drives containing copies and old backups, plus dozens of CD-Roms.......

It seems as if, technology has overtaken me?

There are refurbished iMacs with guarantees on eBay.......or......should I just go for upgrading my XP PCs upgraded to Windows 8.

Sooooo.....bearing in mind that I'm a fixed income pensioner..........what would be the best way ahead for FUJI folks?

FUJI

[NannyFerret]

One of the reasons for keeping XP on my old computer. It may not be as fast but at least I can run my older programs on it if I want to.

[ChrisLumix]

I'm going to say this before anyone else does.............

 

The best advice I can give to users of Windows 7, 8.1 or 12.6 is dump it and buy a Mac.

 

My iMac runs a freebie called RetroSpex which gives me all the functionality of OS X 10.9, but with a desktop identical to the 48k ZX Spectrum. Manic Miner never looked so good!

 

Korky

 

Unfortunately, having Googled RetroSpex, nothing but some horrible music videos come up. You sure you got the name right? However, it's led me into the weird and wacky world of emulators, and I've downloaded something called Q which will emulate DOS/Linux/Windows, so I may at last be able to run Mini Office on my Mac which I haven't been able to do since OS 9 !!

 

 

Jem, you have started something here.......I too have computer questions, that git into this thread......

My XP Pro PC has a high spec, it is under 6 years old, in that XP isn't going to be supported I am thinking around a replacement or an upgrade.

The downside is, that, I have been using Windows PCS since the late 1980s, I began with a locally built business machine that came with Corel Suite and Office pre loaded.

My current desktop, and my Windows XP Pro tablet, are loaded with oodles of software including accounting and Family Tree Treemaker....plus lots more.

Only last year, I acquired CS6, have Corel 12.

I realise that, I will be forced to buy compatible software for whatever system I choose......do I upgrade to Windows 8? ( my phone runs it) .....or.....do I go for an iMac?

That may not be a good move, if I can't open any of my thousands of Windows related files some that date back to the 1980s......I still have Floppy Discs for goodness sake ;-) I have two external hard drives containing copies and old backups, plus dozens of CD-Roms.......

It seems as if, technology has overtaken me?

There are refurbished iMacs with guarantees on eBay.......or......should I just go for upgrading my XP PCs upgraded to Windows 8.

Sooooo.....bearing in mind that I'm a fixed income pensioner..........what would be the best way ahead for FUJI folks?

FUJI

 

Intel Macs will run Windows via Bootcamp (you have to reboot) - you do have your original install disks for XP, right? If you do, there's an even better way : for less than £100 you can buy a nifty bit of software called Parallels, which allows you to run Windows as a virtual OS inside its own window WITHIN Mac OS X, thus saving you the hassle of rebooting each time you want to switch.

 

So, that's one way of doing it. I personally don't have Windows, but I can open any Word attachment from a PC either in Word for Mac, or in OS X's TextEdit program (which is better than Notepad but not quite WordPad). You might find that many of your old files will open

 

Oh, and there are loads of free utilities such as UnRarX which will unpack RAR files from PCs, and Flip4Mac which allows many Windows Media files to be played in QuickTime, even something that will convert WMA audio into the format of your choice. 

Edited February 27, 2014 by ChrisLumix

[Korky]

Chris

 

Sorry if I misled you, but I made up the RetroSpex thing in the hope that someone might find it amusing.

 

Must remember to use more LOLs in my posts - but I must admit to a small shimmer or satisfaction following your bloody awful Amen Corner references. LOL

 

Kork E

[JMRead]

Hello All,

 

Windows 8 is a superbly fast OS, Classic Shell makes it easier for those like me who want the Classic Windows layout, nearly ten million people are using it. I can run half a dozen programs side by side and switch from one to another without it locking up, as it did on my previous laptop.

 

I read lots about you can't do this and you can't do that with Win 8 but I've got Office 2000 working, Photoshop 5, and CS2 as well as CS6, free stuff like Kompozer, Web Album Generator, Calibrize, Net Meter, XNView, CCleaner, and FTP Surfer all worked straightaway.

 

Cheers - Jim

[ChrisLumix]

Chris

 

Sorry if I misled you, but I made up the RetroSpex thing in the hope that someone might find it amusing.

 

Must remember to use more LOLs in my posts - but I must admit to a small shimmer or satisfaction following your bloody awful Amen Corner references. LOL

 

Kork E

 

Hahaha. Yeah. My sides are splitting...

 

I did download something call DOSBox, which is a perfectly good DOS emulator for anyone who might want such a thing. I actually got the Mini Office suite to run, but for some reason it can't find its own files even though they are all in the same "directory" as the program. So trying to recreate my classic Charts DB has turned out not so well.

[Barbara]

Thanks Jem, you have made my husband a very happy man, now he can find what he is looking for.

[JMRead]

Hello Blackrox,

 

I'm really pleased to have been some help, why Microsoft can't just build on an extremely successful OS without having to have a someone from outside do it for them I cannot understand. They could have so easily offered the same thing.

 

Cheers - Jim

[Korky]

Hahaha. Yeah. My sides are splitting...

 

 

That just about makes us all square then.

 

Er........... LOL

 

Korky

[FUJI]

Ongoing from my last post.........I have just saved myself from spending loads of money......how?

By calling into my local independent family run PC store, mentioning my concerns over the steady decline forecast for WINDOWS XP Pro, and the advice that an upgrade is urgent.

Now! That young guy in there could have sold me a new PC, offered to upgrade my old one.......in other words spend money with him.

Nope! He was very honest and advised that I stick with XP Pro for the time being......he said that Microsoft dare not dump it too quickly because many huge stores and businesses still rely on it for their tills and computing, so is good for a few years yet.

So it's now a case of checking my two external drive backup systems, doing a file and software clean out, then making a real attempt at logically storing my thousands of photography and personal files......having been computing since 1988 that will be one HUGE task.

FUJI

[NannyFerret]

It's worth remembering in case I do find myself having to have Windows 8 one day, Jem.

 

 

That's really good news about XP, Fuji.
If Microsoft eventually drop support for XP, at least I have an XP disc if I need to sort anything serious out on my old PC.
I can always start from scratch if I get any nasties on it.

[Black Pearl]

Can someone please explain why you want a Start Button?

 

On W8 you right click in the same place then click to access whichever settings - with a Start Button you click that....then click whichever setting.

 

Whats the difference and why go backwards?

[ChrisLumix]

Ongoing from my last post.........I have just saved myself from spending loads of money......how?

By calling into my local independent family run PC store, mentioning my concerns over the steady decline forecast for WINDOWS XP Pro, and the advice that an upgrade is urgent.

Now! That young guy in there could have sold me a new PC, offered to upgrade my old one.......in other words spend money with him.

Nope! He was very honest and advised that I stick with XP Pro for the time being......he said that Microsoft dare not dump it too quickly because many huge stores and businesses still rely on it for their tills and computing, so is good for a few years yet.

So it's now a case of checking my two external drive backup systems, doing a file and software clean out, then making a real attempt at logically storing my thousands of photography and personal files......having been computing since 1988 that will be one HUGE task.

FUJI

 

I wish Apple had had more of a commercial impact (trying to avoid using the dreaded word "enterprise"), then it might not have been so scarily quick to dump its older technology. Windows XP will be approaching its 15th birthday soon, right? Yet Apple went 'Intel' in 2006 and in 2010 dropped the emulator that meant pre-Intel software could still run. Which is why I'm still using OSX 10.6 and not 10.9. 

 

Ironically it's easier for Windows users to migrate to a Mac than it is for a long time Mac user to upgrade...

Edited February 28, 2014 by ChrisLumix

[FUJI]

This is exactly what I was told yesterday....but not quite in the same way as this......;-)

Don't you just love he Yanks?

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

This is exactly what I was told yesterday....but not quite in the same way as this......;-)

Don't you just love he Yanks?

FUJI

 

Actually, he's just stating the "bleeding obvious". Anyone can use any computer running any old version of anything, as long as they are happy with it. They can't run the latest software, they will get no security patches or support, and they will have a hell of a job finding install disks for their OS if they ever lose theirs, but hey ... !

[NannyFerret]

Charity shops are a good source for old operating system discs.
I actually found a Windows 97 disc in a charity shop. Ok, it might not be much use to me, but you can still find old discs of editing software etc. at car boots etc.
Maybe one day, we will find Xp in a charity shop, but I think I made a copy of mine, but if I haven't then this thread has reminded me to make one.

[JMRead]

Hello Fuji,

 

I did a bit of Googling apparently;

 

1/3 of PC's worldwide use XP they have no intention of changing, others are still using Win98, ME and Win2000

 

there is no upgrade from XP a new OS would mean the backup of all files

purchase of new HDD's or format each one
then install the later OS and install backup files
difficult on one machine on 1,000 and all networked, impossible

 

MS is selling Win8 on cheapo laptops etc for peanuts and there are few corporate buyers
MS is hurrying with the intro of Win9 which several sources hope will be upgradeable from XP
The new MS CEO is carrying the can for all of this and if Win9 fails he will be on his way out

 

Hmmmmm :-) - Jem

[JohnP]

I recently got a new computer, I didn't want Windows 8 so I bought a Windows 7 to match my laptop which I've had for 14 months. I had no problem installing everything that was on my old XP computer... even old stuff like Paint Shop Pro9 and the software for my 10 year old HP PSC 950 printer works with no problems.

Edited March 1, 2014 by JohnP

[NannyFerret]

When I recently installed a new copy of Windows 7 on my desktop, I used the compatible mode to install a couple of programs that I used with no problem on XP.

[ChrisLumix]

Charity shops are a good source for old operating system discs.

I actually found a Windows 97 disc in a charity shop. Ok, it might not be much use to me, but you can still find old discs of editing software etc. at car boots etc.

Maybe one day, we will find Xp in a charity shop, but I think I made a copy of mine, but if I haven't then this thread has reminded me to make one.

 

Wot on earth was Windows 97? I've heard of Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, and Windows XP, but not that one.