Is there a way of killing Windows 8 and getting Windows 7

[RobinBanks]

Tycho said:

I've done the same with my media server/gaming pc at home and it is brilliant. The gestures etc IMO don't work at all with a mouse but on a Windows 8.1 tablet the gestures etc are great.

Exactly. Windows 8 laptop - I use classic shell.

Tablet I use normal 8.1.

Most of the people complaining just want to complain, I think.

[wolves_wanderer]

R8VXF said:

Personally love, can't understand what all the bhing is about tbh.

OP: just upgrade to windows 10 already, available through windows update already: https://insider.windows.com/

Agreed. I like Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 looks to have solved all the problems that the luddites are having.

[Dr Jekyll]

I know exactly how this guy felt

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32407688

[R8VXF]

Dr Jekyll said:

I know exactly how this guy felt

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32407688

You and me both...

[TurricanII]

budgie smuggler said:

yes, but it's easier to install classic shell. That gives you the start menu and some other things back.
http://www.classicshell.net/

If you want to go ahead with the downgrade anyway, what you need to search for is 'downgrade rights'.

+1 for ClassicShell, but I assume this netbook is Win 8 (i.e. the home edition, not Win8 Pro) and as such probably does not come with the downgrade right to install Win7 instead.

[AlexC1981]

Windows 8 will always find a way to annoy you, even when you think you have it sorted. I was browsing Pistonheads just a few minutes ago when I got the warning that Windows will restart in 5 minutes. I'm using the computer, so it's an inconvenient time for it to restart.

No obvious way to stop this or postpone the shut down. I had to watch it restart and install updates before I was allowed to carry on browsing PH. This sort of thing is typical of Windows 8. Windows 7 was simple and easy to use and presented a number of different options if it was an inconvenient time for a restart.

I just looked online and apparently there is no way to postpone the shutdown. The only way around it is to turn off automatic updates completely.

[papercup]

budgie smuggler said:

yes, but it's easier to install classic shell. That gives you the start menu and some other things back.

http://www.classicshell.net/

This.

Makes Win8 bearable.

Still find myself having to search for things I used to be able to find easily, and every now and then end up in Metro Hell, but on the whole its fine.

[98elise]

AlexC1981 said:

Windows 8 will always find a way to annoy you, even when you think you have it sorted. I was browsing Pistonheads just a few minutes ago when I got the warning that Windows will restart in 5 minutes. I'm using the computer, so it's an inconvenient time for it to restart.

No obvious way to stop this or postpone the shut down. I had to watch it restart and install updates before I was allowed to carry on browsing PH. This sort of thing is typical of Windows 8. Windows 7 was simple and easy to use and presented a number of different options if it was an inconvenient time for a restart.

I just looked online and apparently there is no way to postpone the shutdown. The only way around it is to turn off automatic updates completely.

Yup. happened to me while I was in the middle of a huge data transfer. Just one of the many niggles with Windows 8.

[98elise]

wolves_wanderer said:

R8VXF said:

Personally love, can't understand what all the bhing is about tbh.

OP: just upgrade to windows 10 already, available through windows update already: https://insider.windows.com/

Agreed. I like Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 looks to have solved all the problems that the luddites are having.

Its funny that you think we're luddites. In the past couple of years Apple and Google have released brand new Operating Systems, on new format devices. Consumers (including me) have found them to be simple to use and easy to convert from the Microsoft world.

MS come out with their latest OS and Consumers hate it. They can't even get it right for people that have been using their OS for decades, and probably still use it every day in the office.

[jmorgan]

98elise said:

wolves_wanderer said:

R8VXF said:

Personally love, can't understand what all the bhing is about tbh.

OP: just upgrade to windows 10 already, available through windows update already: https://insider.windows.com/

Agreed. I like Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 looks to have solved all the problems that the luddites are having.

Its funny that you think we're luddites. In the past couple of years Apple and Google have released brand new Operating Systems, on new format devices. Consumers (including me) have found them to be simple to use and easy to convert from the Microsoft world.

MS come out with their latest OS and Consumers hate it. They can't even get it right for people that have been using their OS for decades, and probably still use it every day in the office.

I found 8 to be the big pile of a dogs dinner as a user, if I were to compare it to a car, the steering wheel was in the boot and the accelerator was on the roof. I almost went back to the Vista it was replacing. Classic Shell was the bit that made it work.

I am not a a windows expert, therefore I expect stuff to just work out the box, I did not see the need to become an expert over night with what should be intuitive. I had to search the internet to find the off button in the software. But, Classic Shell, had the bits that made it bearable. It was nice to use after that (even better than 8.1).

I use 7 everyday at the moment, in the office. Main use is opening documents and spread sheets etc. That is all I want it to do. I realise that work requirements will be different to others and home use will vary for different people, but even for home use, I want it to open documents and start games. Simple requirements really.

[Hainey]

Ari said:

wolves_wanderer said:

Alt-F4

That's very helpful, thank you.

But that's exactly what I'm talking about - Windows 7 you click the little 'x' at the top right to close it. Simple. With this there some command that you're just supposed to somehow know? And when it went it just left a blank blue screen. It took a bit of prodding various buttons until I could figure out how to get back to the start screen.

Hateful!

Exactly this. Whatever ahole signed off on Windows 8 needs sacked. Utterly HATEFUL piece of software.

[Goaty Bill 2]

jmorgan said:

I found 8 to be the big pile of a dogs dinner as a user, if I were to compare it to a car, the steering wheel was in the boot and the accelerator was on the roof. I almost went back to the Vista it was replacing. Classic Shell was the bit that made it work.

Excellent analogy.
A good friend brought his new laptop with Win8 over to my house some time ago just to show it at me.
I made him put it back in his car immediately.
Fortunately it wasn't a Win8 car and he was able to find the boot quite easily.

jmorgan said:

I am not a a windows expert, therefore I expect stuff to just work out the box, I did not see the need to become an expert over night with what should be intuitive. I had to search the internet to find the off button in the software.

This all day long.
You know you have achieved complete failure when you deliver a new version of a software product and average users [of your previous versions] can't even recognise where to start, or in this case 'stop'.

"You mean 'Stop/Shutdown' isn't under 'Start' any more
Yeah, it was a stupid place to put it, or a stupid way to label it (depending on your perspective I suppose), but at least after more than a dozen years, we all knew where the 'Shutdown' was hiding.

For a product clearly (I think) targeted at the home/tablet user, I agree completely; it isn't a case of 'should be', it must be intuitive.

jmorgan said:

I use 7 everyday at the moment, in the office. Main use is opening documents and spread sheets etc. That is all I want it to do. I realise that work requirements will be different to others and home use will vary for different people, but even for home use, I want it to open documents and start games. Simple requirements really.

I work almost exclusively on client sites, and have never seen Win8 at any of them.
Tells me everything I need to know about it.

[wolves_wanderer]

98elise said:

wolves_wanderer said:

R8VXF said:

Personally love, can't understand what all the bhing is about tbh.

OP: just upgrade to windows 10 already, available through windows update already: https://insider.windows.com/

Agreed. I like Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 looks to have solved all the problems that the luddites are having.

Its funny that you think we're luddites. In the past couple of years Apple and Google have released brand new Operating Systems, on new format devices. Consumers (including me) have found them to be simple to use and easy to convert from the Microsoft world.

MS come out with their latest OS and Consumers hate it. They can't even get it right for people that have been using their OS for decades, and probably still use it every day in the office.

IOS and Android are basically a grid of icons so there is no new paradigm to learn. Personally i didn't find Windows 8 any harder to pick up than, say a new phone but people seem to see something different and throw their hands up in the air and give up. My mum picked windows 8 up as quickly as she did IOS but she didn't have the "baggage" of being used to previous versions. I think the problem is that they made a massive change all at once, Windows 10 has kept the best of Windows 8 but combined it with the same type of UI as 7, if they had released that first then I don't think there would have been so much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[wolves_wanderer]

Hainey said:

Exactly this. Whatever ahole signed off on Windows 8 needs sacked. Utterly HATEFUL piece of software.

He was!

[Hainey]

wolves_wanderer said:

Hainey said:

Exactly this. Whatever ahole signed off on Windows 8 needs sacked. Utterly HATEFUL piece of software.

He was!

Good!

[98elise]

Goaty Bill 2 said:

jmorgan said:

I found 8 to be the big pile of a dogs dinner as a user, if I were to compare it to a car, the steering wheel was in the boot and the accelerator was on the roof. I almost went back to the Vista it was replacing. Classic Shell was the bit that made it work.

Excellent analogy.
A good friend brought his new laptop with Win8 over to my house some time ago just to show it at me.
I made him put it back in his car immediately.
Fortunately it wasn't a Win8 car and he was able to find the boot quite easily.

jmorgan said:

I am not a a windows expert, therefore I expect stuff to just work out the box, I did not see the need to become an expert over night with what should be intuitive. I had to search the internet to find the off button in the software.

This all day long.
You know you have achieved complete failure when you deliver a new version of a software product and average users [of your previous versions] can't even recognise where to start, or in this case 'stop'.

"You mean 'Stop/Shutdown' isn't under 'Start' any more
Yeah, it was a stupid place to put it, or a stupid way to label it (depending on your perspective I suppose), but at least after more than a dozen years, we all knew where the 'Shutdown' was hiding.

For a product clearly (I think) targeted at the home/tablet user, I agree completely; it isn't a case of 'should be', it must be intuitive.

jmorgan said:

I use 7 everyday at the moment, in the office. Main use is opening documents and spread sheets etc. That is all I want it to do. I realise that work requirements will be different to others and home use will vary for different people, but even for home use, I want it to open documents and start games. Simple requirements really.

I work almost exclusively on client sites, and have never seen Win8 at any of them.
Tells me everything I need to know about it.

A better analogy is you decide to try an new resturant and expect to see a menu, instead they expect you guess at ingredients and they will let you know if they have anything with it in.

You try to leave the resturant only to find that the door doesn't actually function as an exit. The exit is a hidden door somewhere you wouldn't expect it.

Someone on the internet tells you its your problem that you don't "get" modern dining.

[ArsE92]

98elise said:

Goaty Bill 2 said:

jmorgan said:

I found 8 to be the big pile of a dogs dinner as a user, if I were to compare it to a car, the steering wheel was in the boot and the accelerator was on the roof. I almost went back to the Vista it was replacing. Classic Shell was the bit that made it work.

Excellent analogy.
A good friend brought his new laptop with Win8 over to my house some time ago just to show it at me.
I made him put it back in his car immediately.
Fortunately it wasn't a Win8 car and he was able to find the boot quite easily.

jmorgan said:

I am not a a windows expert, therefore I expect stuff to just work out the box, I did not see the need to become an expert over night with what should be intuitive. I had to search the internet to find the off button in the software.

This all day long.
You know you have achieved complete failure when you deliver a new version of a software product and average users [of your previous versions] can't even recognise where to start, or in this case 'stop'.

"You mean 'Stop/Shutdown' isn't under 'Start' any more
Yeah, it was a stupid place to put it, or a stupid way to label it (depending on your perspective I suppose), but at least after more than a dozen years, we all knew where the 'Shutdown' was hiding.

For a product clearly (I think) targeted at the home/tablet user, I agree completely; it isn't a case of 'should be', it must be intuitive.

jmorgan said:

I use 7 everyday at the moment, in the office. Main use is opening documents and spread sheets etc. That is all I want it to do. I realise that work requirements will be different to others and home use will vary for different people, but even for home use, I want it to open documents and start games. Simple requirements really.

I work almost exclusively on client sites, and have never seen Win8 at any of them.
Tells me everything I need to know about it.

A better analogy is you decide to try an new resturant and expect to see a menu, instead they expect you guess at ingredients and they will let you know if they have anything with it in.

You try to leave the resturant only to find that the door doesn't actually function as an exit. The exit is a hidden door somewhere you wouldn't expect it.

Someone on the internet tells you its your problem that you don't "get" modern dining.

It's more like going to a restaurant, and the menu looking different than it usually does. But, when you spend some time with the menu you realise that it's actually laid out ok but will take some getting used to. Then you notice that the exit has just been moved, but you can leave and enter the restaurant so much quicker!

[Dr Jekyll]

ArsE92 said:

It's more like going to a restaurant, and the menu looking different than it usually does. But, when you spend some time with the menu you realise that it's actually laid out ok but will take some getting used to. Then you notice that the exit has just been moved, but you can leave and enter the restaurant so much quicker!

No, it's as if the menu is in an obscure dialect of Sanskrit. You point out that this is a inconvenient to say the least, but the restaurant says the only people who complain are the ones too lazy to learn the language.

[ArsE92]

Dr Jekyll said:

ArsE92 said:

It's more like going to a restaurant, and the menu looking different than it usually does. But, when you spend some time with the menu you realise that it's actually laid out ok but will take some getting used to. Then you notice that the exit has just been moved, but you can leave and enter the restaurant so much quicker!

No, it's as if the menu is in an obscure dialect of Sanskrit. You point out that this is a inconvenient to say the least, but the restaurant says the only people who complain are the ones too lazy to learn the language.

No, the menu is clearly in the same language, just on a different background. And the option is there to have the 'menu' look like it used to

What the fk are we talking about?

[anonymous-user]

Ari said:

I bought a new netbook thing at the weekend and it came with Windows 8.

What the hell is that all about!? Even the most basic task such as shutting down email is basically impossible as far as I can see.

Is there any way of reverting it to Windows 7 (before I hurl the whole bloody thing out of the window)?

1. Buy Win7
2. Copy your data off the HD
3. Format the HD
4. Load Win7
5. Find and load Win7 drivers for your laptop
6. Load Apps, AV, anything else
7. Copy data back onto HD.

Did this for a desktop pre Xmas. PITA but ultimately worth it. I didn't have to do 2 & 7 as my data was on external HDs. 5 was a bit tricky as I had no network card driver, so couldn't access the internet. I had to use another computer to find the drivers on line and then use a memory stick to get them onto the desktop.