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Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby shreader » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:17 am

I Dl & installed the x64 flavor of the Consumer Preview, build 8250.
The .ISO Dl size was 3.33 GB (3,583,707,136 bytes).
From hitting the next button to arriving at the desktop took under 15 minutes.

Here are a few screenys:
About Windows
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Location sensor (for Weather)
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Windows Reader (I have only tried on a .pdf so far)
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Apps available to pin to “Start” desktop
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IE 10 new look
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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby JabbaPapa » Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:52 am

I'm in !! ^*^

Setup is both cleaner and messier than the DP -- cleaner because it's faster, and works more smoothly ; messier because there appears to be some more W7/W8 permeability than previously at a deep level. I noticed that they've removed the whole "enter a blank product key" thing, but given the degree to which setup has been streamlined and simplified since Vista, I can understand that.

Had to fix the hard drive boot order after setup, to restore dual boot capability.

It messed up validation of my W7 -- which was *very* quickly fixed, but ... y'know ... hmmmmm .... :no

I also share desktop between W7 and W8, but when I made the registry change to point to the desired desktop folder, the mouse pointer switched by itself to the one that I had defined in W7 !!!!! Which is, as it happens, fine --- but again ... y'know ... hmmmmm .... :no

---

Otherwise, this one will take a LOT of getting used to...

You need to right-click on desktop (not the Metro) > view in order to prevent it from auto-arranging icons alphabetically, which is the annoying default option.

No Start button workaround --- right-click on taskbar, add the desktop toolbar -- this will provide access to a context menu (click on : >>) which has the basic features of the start menu -- it also points to the contents of your desktop, so it would be possible to create a folder on the desktop called programs, containing links to whatever you'd normally want to access via Start button (whether it's regedit, msconfig, little used software that you don't want cluttering up taskbar or desktop, or anything else -- and you will be able to get to that stuff via the desktop context menu on taskbar -- though it will be located bottom right instead of bottom left). (or you could put that stuff in your Documents folder, or anywhere else accessible by that means)

taskmgr -- both versions of task manager, both legacy and the new one, are in W8 CP -- I've personally stuck a link to the old one on my taskbar (don't know the name of the new one, but the old one is still called taskmgr)

BEST news so far for me personally is that Opera 64-bit Alpha is working far better in here than in either W7 or the DP ^*^ ^*^ ^*^

Under the hood, W8 CP is using less RAM than the DP build did. Unsurprising really, Beta > Alpha :uhhh

---

Main OS, obviously, as according to my usual habits.

The ATi Catalyst W8 preview drivers from the end of last year work on the CP, and remain downloadable from their site.
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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby JabbaPapa » Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:00 am

I've not tested the old trick from DP to disable Metro, which I'll only attempt if the default setup really gets on my nerves after a while :angel:

I will **NOT** be using my e-mail address and password as my User account, because it's you know, kind of BASIC as a security measure to avoid doing so... yes, that means no access to the Microsoft Store (SHRUG !!!!) :sick
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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby JabbaPapa » Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:15 pm

JabbaPapa wrote:No Start button workaround --- right-click on taskbar, add the desktop toolbar -- this will provide access to a context menu (click on : >>) which has the basic features of the start menu -- it also points to the contents of your desktop, so it would be possible to create a folder on the desktop called programs, containing links to whatever you'd normally want to access via Start button (whether it's regedit, msconfig, little used software that you don't want cluttering up taskbar or desktop, or anything else -- and you will be able to get to that stuff via the desktop context menu on taskbar -- though it will be located bottom right instead of bottom left). (or you could put that stuff in your Documents folder, or anywhere else accessible by that means)


Better workaround -- you can actually create your own toolbar for the taskbar, which will link to *any* folder you want -- which can be the program files folder.

This is done by right-clicking on taskbar and selecting > Toolbars > New Toolbar ... and then navigating to a folder which will constitute the contents of your toolbar.

But I'm actually thinking the Start Menu is still in here somewhere, so that it may be possible to create a toolbar linking to it directly ? hmmmmm off to explore ...

yep !!! :)

Make hidden folders visible ; Go to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows and select the Start Menu folder for your toolbar !!! :yesnod: ^*^

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For some extra refinements, navigate to C:\Users\%user name%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Copy the folder Windows System, as well as the Windows Defender shortcut -- and paste it into C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

In some other folder, even a temporary one, create some shortcuts to stuff that you want in your Start menu -- Documents, Pictures, Music, anything you want !!

When you're done, copy all of these links into -- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

--

Please note that this will make these items available to all users (assuming that you performed the same trick for those users, or if those users decided to disable Metro) -- if you wish to keep these items user-specific, simply reverse the process, and copy things from C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu to C:\Users\%user name%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs --- however, the user-specific Start Menu contains some empty folders, and will therefore be less useful as a basis ; and I would personally recommend against deleting any of those empty folders...

Alternatively, you could simply link to any or all of these contents, and whatever else you'd like to have in your Start Menu, into an entirely different folder in your Documents folder, or on your desktop or wherever, and do what you want with it -- call the containing folder Start Menu or Stuff or whatever, and that is the name that your custom-built toolbar will have -- in order to avoid the drawback of needing to keep it manually updated in case of software updates, or folder structure changes, etc --- such a folder would need to contain not copies of the Start Menu folders or other folders or objects and so on, but links to those folders and objects. ;)

--

Voilà !!! Customisable Windows 8 Start Menu without having to disable Metro !! :witch:
Last edited by JabbaPapa on Thu Mar 01, 2012 2:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby shreader » Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:44 pm

Thank for the tips Julian ^*^

I am going to install the x86 flavor today on another partition & will try them out.

FTTB though I want to give the Metro desktop a chance & not mess w/ the UI too much.
I have placed several more apps on my start desktop & removed several too.
It sure is nice how fast the CP shuts down, sure does put W7 to shame in that department.


Edit: I'd really like to install this on my Samsung 7 Slate tablet (S7S) so I can use the touch screen, (my thoughts ATM) think I'll wait for the RTM though.

Edit2: On the tablet I'm going to just use W8 CP on a USB drive (sim to W2Go) to test it for now, sounds even better than using a bootable VHD.

Edit: Well after using a slow USB 3.0 flash drive that burned up around 4 hrs. I broke-out the fassst USB3.0 drive, Created the Win2Go files on it & tested it on the laptop, it worked great. Now I'm a bit nervious about plugging it in the S7S , will probably wait until tomorrow after I back-up everything on it.
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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby shreader » Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:08 pm

This is a photo of the S7S tablet w/ W2G running off the flash drive I have plugged in on the left side.

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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby shreader » Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:06 pm

Julian, I reread your steps & finally did another win8 CP install.
I like the metro desktop, getting used to it & the charms bar (nice) being able to add more apps/etc.
This AM I installed DBP & the shortcut icon was auto added to the start desktop & probably will do that w/ all apps one installs.

Alt + F4 will close any open app.
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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby JabbaPapa » Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:06 pm

I quite like the look of the Metro UI too, JD, but I *do* want to be able to run everything I need from the "normal" Windows desktop. I *am* running with a very large monitor though, so I really do want to keep all Aero bells and whistles, 1080p worth of little boxes doesn't really please my personal aesthetics ;)

There are a couple of things from the old start menu that you won't find in Metro, like a quick link to command prompt, or run, or the Office apps organised in the classic menu UI -- but I didn't want to just disable Metro and go Aero all the way this time round, so that I'm pretty happy with my compromise solution to recreate a Start button on the taskbar.

Thing that's taking me longest to get used to is the new method to hit shut down and restart etc .. of course I could just write up a couple of one line batch commands and stick them in my start menu, with appropriate icons even ; but if I were to go that far, I'd just disable Metro instead, as being less hassle...
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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby shreader » Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:24 am

A couple of tips I found, tried & liked:

Capture & save multiple screenys automatically: press Windows key + PrtScr. That keyboard shortcut copies the current screen and saves it as a PNG file in the default Pictures folder. Each file has the generic name Screenshot, followed by a sequential number.

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If you place the mouse pointer in the lower left corner and right-click. You get a system management tools menu. This will work from any Metro app, or either desktop.
Windows key + X also brings up this menu.

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Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Build 8250 Install & Testing

Postby shreader » Wed Mar 07, 2012 1:37 am

I installed Office 15 M2 that I have had for months so I could test Moorea & Lime on the CP.

In the CP it created 24 new "Live Tiles" on the Metro desktop & a lot more in the Apps menu. No folders to hold them all just a few headings w/ them all (Office 15 apps) listed beneath.

It's easy to remove them from the Metro/Start desktop but cannot be removed, AFAICT, from the apps menu w/o uninstalling Office 15.

Edit: Moorea runs great & can be started w/ a simple deaktop shortcut. Lime/Limestone so far I have only been able to start it using a admin. command prompt.
It would be nice to get a copy of the Office 15 technical preview :yesnod:

Edit 2: Ok I got the Lime shortcut working now, I only needed to check the "Run as Administrator" box in the shortcut advanced properties ^*^
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