# Windows 8 & 8.1



## Mike (Jun 9, 2015)

Are you happy with windows 8?

I got a new PC that has 8.1 installed, I found it very confusing,
so I found a great little program that allows you to have the old
style start button instead of the big squares on the start screen.

If you are interested, have a look in classicshell.net

It is free.

Mike.


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## Stephen (Jun 15, 2015)

I also recently got a new PC with Windows 8.1. I saw a review for Clasicshell. I held off installing it. I rarely use the Start menu. I launch programs from the desktop. 

I just got an offer for a free installation of Windows 10. What do you know about Windows 10?


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## Don M. (Jun 15, 2015)

Windows 10 is "supposed" to be a much improved operating system...vs. W8.  It seems that every other program that Microsoft releases is a total Dud, and the next one fixes the messes they created.  

Windows ME was bad...But XP was good.  Vista was a Mess...but W7 is great.  W8/W8.1 is a bad joke...so if history is any indicator, W10 will probably be a good OS.  W10 will be free to individual users beginning in late July...so in a couple of months we will know if it is worth having.


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## AZ Jim (Jun 15, 2015)

I have win 8.1 and I installed classic shell long ago but I am waiting for my free upgrade to win 10.


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## Stephen (Jun 15, 2015)

The only reason I bought the W 8.1 computer was because my Vista computer which I had since launch was driving me crazy. It got worse with every update. I replaced it with a HP desktop which is smaller than a cantaloupe. Runs well so far.


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## Don M. (Jun 16, 2015)

Windows timing on the release of W10 will be good.  By late July, early August, it will be getting too hot to do much outdoors...so as the release date nears, I will have a full backup of W7 and all my programs on my external HD, then dive into W10 and learn how to use it.  If the early reviews on CNET, etc., are any indicator, W10 will be a fairly easy transition, and well worth getting.  We will Almost have to make the transition, as W7 support will go away about a year after W10 is released, and leave W7 users open to any number of issues...hacking, etc.


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## Mike (Jun 17, 2015)

Stephen said:


> What do you know about Windows 10?



Well Stephen,

I know not very much about windows 10 except for what I saw on a couple
of YouTube videos.

They are including an assistant that you speak to instead of typing all the
time. This could be a step too far I think, we all speak English differently,
so, we will have to train the PC to understand our voices, I can remember
when I got a voice to text programme about 20 years ago, the results were
funny to say the least, I had to spend about 4 hours teaching the machine
my English.

So just go to YouTube and type in "Windows 10", there are almost 3.5 million
videos there.

Mike.


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## Bob in NH (Jul 7, 2015)

Good Day!

I thik I have given Win 8.1 a good shake. With the Classic Shell add-on, it behaved pretty much like the windows versions I am familiar with. A few nights ago, I attempted to copy files from the data drive of a dead XP desktop to another external drive. My evil plan was to then transfer these files to a new dell Win 8.1 machine I ordered.

I got snarled up in the Permissions / Ownership mess and am not sure if I have lost the files forever into the ether or they are hiding somewhere I have yet to find. I was seriously surprised that, to designate ones self a Super Admin (or whatever it's called), I had to go to the C: prompt and fatfinger a command sequence. In 2015, fully 30 years after we got away from messing with "C: Prompts" to do what we needed, we are back there again. Amazing! The upshot of my attempt at a fairly straightforward file copy effort is that an archive may be lost. If I screwed up somehow, I'll own it.  IMHO, Win 8.1 is a "dull knife" and I have ZERO confidence Win 10 would be a "sharp knife" from the same drawer. Microsoft took a system we had grown to make useful and totally messed it up.

I am switching to Mac for serious computing an keeping my android phone and tablet for day-to-day stuff.


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## WhatInThe (Jul 9, 2015)

8 , 8.1 equals glitchy galore. Constant screen freezes from pop ups showing the 8.1 icons. It was designed for mobile devices and since most lap and desktops have wireless modem capability some lazy butt thought the same software could work on completely different devices with similar functions. When the screen isn't freezing it chirps or keeps on blinking at me. It's like a fidgety child without ADD meds.

Although probably a sales pitch the sales people say 8.1 should only be on high capacity computers ie 4 MB Ram minimum with 8 MB being ideal for the system


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## imp (Jul 9, 2015)

*"Windows ME was bad...But XP was good.  Vista was a Mess...but W7 is great."
*
We had XP, no problems, liked it maybe best, have 7 now, dislike some of it's nuances, and too frequent "updates". Heard Vista was really bad. Laptop getting kinda old now, and we are concerned about what it's replacement will bring.   imp


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## imp (Jul 9, 2015)

Don M. said:


> Windows timing on the release of W10 will be good.  By late July, early August, it will be getting too hot to do much outdoors...so as the release date nears, I will have a full backup of W7 and all my programs on my external HD, then dive into W10 and learn how to use it.  If the early reviews on CNET, etc., are any indicator, W10 will be a fairly easy transition, and well worth getting.  We will Almost have to make the transition, as* W7 support will go away about a year after W10 is released, and leave W7 users open to any number of issues...hacking, etc*.



Illiterate here, what exactly is "support"? I thought the processes being used by any system are basically stored within the PC, little being actually done operationally by the issuer of the software. Am I wrong?   imp


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## Mike (Jul 9, 2015)

Hi Imp,

"Support" is where the send updates from, mainly security ones,
or sometimes to fix problems.

It also means that if you have a problem with the program, they
will answer questions if you can find somehow to connect with
them.

Most companies now-a-days have forums, usually Peer to peer,
but sometimes with a member of corporate also answering queries.

Mike.


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## Don M. (Jul 9, 2015)

This just in...When July 29th rolls around...DON'T try to do the upgrade on that date...or within the first few days.  The MS systems will probably be overloaded, and the upgrade Might Not go very smoothly.  Far better to wait a week or two, see what kinds of problems crop up, and then...if things settle down, make the move.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2487342,00.asp


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## imp (Jul 9, 2015)

Thank you, Mike! Don, too, though I don't think it will apply to me.   imp


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## Mike (Jul 10, 2015)

imp said:


> *"Windows ME was bad...But XP was good.  Vista was a Mess...but W7 is great."
> *
> We had XP, no problems, liked it maybe best, have 7 now, dislike some of it's nuances, and too frequent "updates". Heard Vista was really bad. Laptop getting kinda old now, and we are concerned about what it's replacement will bring.   imp



Hi Imp,

I prefered XP to all the others, I bought a vista PC once and tried
it for a couple of days, but ditched the Vista and loaded the XP
into the machine.
I bought this 8.1 machine, (Refurbished by the Manufacturer), in
order to get the Windows 10 when it comes out, cheaper that way.

If your laptop is ageing, look at a refurbished machine, they are only
a fraction of the cost and have been done by experts. Personally I
prefer the Desk-Top computers, you can get inside them and clean
them occasionally.

Mike.


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## Rainee (Jul 11, 2015)

If I have a Vista on my laptop is it able to take windows 10 ? it didn`t perform well with Windows 8 put on it ..I have a desktop with Windows 7 so it 
will be ok for windows 10 ? just curious as I like Vista in a way that it has page like XP , not too happy settling into Windows 8 on laptop its too confusing..


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## Don M. (Jul 11, 2015)

This free upgrade to Window 10 is only for current users of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1.  If you are still using Vista, you are probably stuck with it, unless you want to buy W10.  All support for Vista probably ended quite some time ago, so you have exposure to hacking, etc., unless you have your system well protected with OEM Anti-Virus, Malware detection, etc.,etc.  

There is quite a bit of information about this upcoming W10 upgrade on the Internet....both Pro and Con.  Do a search on "Windows 10 upgrade".


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