Window 8 Metromare

OneADay

New laptop and I replaced the crappy Metro nonsense with a freeware classic start menu and got some sort of usability back.

But is there a way of completely getting rid of the Metro junk still running in the background?

Is there also a better color scheme for the taskbar - tried changing it through Desktop settings and it still looks a mess with title bar colors making the the titles unreadable and taskbar having white font which you cant (the ttitles being black and you can't change those either if you change the title bar colour)/

Can't install Linux on it yet because of the partitioning system and boot being stuffed by Mickysoft's new ideas. Almost on verge of giving up and trashing the whole install and stick Linux on.

Bollotom

Have you tried burning a copy of Linux Mint to a dvd and running it. It won't install until you try and are happy with it, then it's a doddle. I know what you mean about Win 8. I right-clicked on the home screen box things and deleted them and replaced them with my own. Then click start, bottom left hand corner, and my own screen comes up. It's going to be a learning curve I think. :-)

OneADay

No CD drive with this lappy I have - tried doing USB boot - no good.
Just too tired o wasting time on Win 8 - its boring and nothing really appeals to me on it.
So much hassle now - either I backup the whole disk and replace with Linux or just trash the whole disk and replace with Linux.

penrhyn

There must be a better way of shutting the damn thing down without getting RSI, fraking charm bar!!

Apps? Don't talk to me about apps, 99.9999999999% useless non rezizable one at a timeable bollos, that seem to exist in a parallel universe to the desktop.

Windoze 8, worst £15 spend ever.

Bill Gates should stop trying to save all the Africans from polio and get back behind the wheel at Microsoft, sack Ballmer and get Windows 9 out quick.

Jivesinger

penrhyn wrote: »

There must be a better way of shutting the damn thing down without getting RSI, fraking charm bar!!

<WindowsKey>-<D>
(takes you to the desktop)
then
<Alt>-<F4>

Bollotom

You can hold LEFT Ctrl while right-clicking each unwanted box and then on the bottom will be an unpinning thing. Click on that to remove all that you tick. But yes. They may just go back to a decent GUI in Win 9. :-)

Bollotom

Have a read of this, OneADay

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/how_install_windows_8_flash_drive_31384

colin79666

If the laptop has Windows 8 Pro then you can downgrade to Windows 7 if you like. You might run into driver issues though and you would need Windows 7 installation media and a product key.

Lum

Metro stuff doesn't actually run in the background. They get loaded on first use and when inactive they get frozen, though if you like you can go into metro, right click on the apps and uninstall them.

As for making the theme less ugly, there are a bunch of third party themes available here: http://windows8themes.ms/cat/visual-styles/

You will need a patch to enable use of third party themes though: http://www.uxstyle.com/

OneADay

Lum wrote: »

Metro stuff doesn't actually run in the background. They get loaded on first use and when inactive they get frozen, though if you like you can go into metro, right click on the apps and uninstall them.

As for making the theme less ugly, there are a bunch of third party themes available here: http://windows8themes.ms/cat/visual-styles/

You will need a patch to enable use of third party themes though: http://www.uxstyle.com/

Mildly better - but does require that patch to do install themes - how stupid can an OS be. It stills looks and feels crap but slightly better.

gjchester

OneADay wrote: »

Mildly better - but does require that patch to do install themes - how stupid can an OS be. It stills looks and feels crap but slightly better.

And a lot of people said that about Windows 95 and then XP, not to mention the Ribbon in Office. All are still here.

Like it or not it's here to stay, and it would be better to get used to it that try and ignore it...