Windows 8 help please

Post » Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:04 pm

Ok, so, my mom recently went out and bought a laptop as her first computer(against my suggestions of just buying a cheap desktop). ON top of that, it came pre-loaded with windows 8. Neither of us can figure out how to access the start-up menu(she didn't even know what that meant, she was just complaining she couldn't play solitaire). So, how do I access the start-up menu/how do I permanently change the settings so that it shows a start-up menu at all times. Windows 8 is not 74 year old lady who has never touched a computer in her life friendly, and it's only slightly more friendly to someone like me, who has never touched a tablet in their life, and is quite happy with the traditional interface of Win2k/XP/07.

Also, does anyone here know anything about "BigFish" games site? I signed my mom up for an account, and bought a game that she wanted, and clicked on the simple link that it told me to click on to download, but absolutely nothing happened. Further clicks still did nothing, and after the irritation of not being able to find the start-up menu, I'm literally at the last vestige of my patience here.
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Adam Porter
 
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Post » Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:41 am

Officially: It cannot be done. Windows 8 does not have a start menu. The start menu has been replaced with a combination of forced-fullscreen start screen and a hidden non-hinted charms bar.

Unofficially: there are numerous start menu third-party applications, however Microsoft has broken them twice in the development cycle of Windows 8 and they may break again in the future.

some free ones are:

http://www.classicshell.net/ -- Open source start menu with cascading lists.

http://www.revel-software.it/bringback.aspx -- Done in a metro-inspired way, but holds dear to the features that made Windows 7's start menu so great

https://code.google.com/p/power8/ -- Closer to the "Classic" side of the menu, but without cascading lists.

http://www.lee-soft.com/vistart/ -- Adapted from XP for Windows 8

http://www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php -- IObit's menu that does a good job of replicating Windows 7's. Probably does the best short of Stardock's Start8.

Windows 8 could be fixed by Microsoft properly integrating the two paradigms instead of just slapping them together like they did. Upon detection of a desktop setup (no touch screen, keyboard + mouse input) the classic start menu would be enabled, you'd boot into desktop, the lock screen would be disabled upon setting a password, modern apps would run in Windowed mode, and live tiles would replace desktop shortcuts/windows gadgets. https://www.dropbox.com/s/u3zk0qjomno9uji/Win8DoneRight.jpg.

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Amanda Leis
 
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Post » Sun Jun 16, 2013 11:34 am


I did see several of these programs when I googled, but without more knowledge, had no idea which one to trust. Is there any specific program that you would recommend for me to download that would add a Start menu bar? There is no way my mom is going to be able to figure out that whole charm bar crap, I barely understood what they were saying when I googled info on it(granted, I would pick it up eventually, but she's 74, and has not touched any form of technology more advanced then a cellphone her entire life).
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Tikarma Vodicka-McPherson
 
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Post » Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:32 pm

Well that stupid screen you get when you turn the computer on IS the start menu. It kinda svcks balls.

BUT if you want to find something, just go into that "start menu" (which is the screen with all the dumb apps everywhere). and just type whatever you're looking for. If you start typing solitaire, it just comes up randomly.

I personally hate my windows 8 with a passion for many, many reasons that I don't care to explain.

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Jonathan Montero
 
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Post » Sun Jun 16, 2013 11:55 am

So, thank you for the list of stuff, I downloaded the StartMenu8 by iobits, and it worked perfectly. Kind of more irritated now then before though, Win8 doesn't come with ANY games? NO hearts, no solitaire, no freecell, or anything like that? I went through all the folders and stuff, and the only games I could find were ones that my daughter had installed on it(the laptop was a combo thing for my mom and for my daughter when she's over there). I had to go download a solitaire game for my mom, as she loves to play that.

Also downloaded Firefox, she was using the abomination known as Explorer, and was ticking me off since as far as I could see, there was no download bar when you started a download, it would only pop up once it was done downloading, which irritated the crap out of me. I have more then half a mind to go tell the idiot that told my mom that Win8 and Explorer was what she would want, to jump off a cliff or something. Worst thing is, he's a friend of my sisters, and knows how old my mom is, and knows her incredibly limited exposure to technology. Can't believe someone who works as a computer guy(he builds, repairs, etc etc) would recommend something like that for a 74 year old woman.
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Anna Watts
 
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