Windows 8 blocks users from hiding Metro Start Screen after logon

[Rick]

With the announcement of Windows 8 reaching its RTM milestone, the final and polished version of the OS has been finding its way to various unauthorized channels of distribution. According to individuals who have managed to procure Microsoft's "latest and greatest" Windows, there have been a handful of changes since its public Release Preview.

It appears the most contentious tweak Microsoft has made since the Release Preview is disabling the ability of users to bypass the Metro Start Screen after boot. The default behavior of Windows 8 has always been to greet users with the Metro Start Screen after logon, but the Start Screen could be bypassed, allowing users to see their classic desktop instead. Early adopters report that this is no longer possible, according to ZDNet.

The method used to bypass the Metro Start Screen after boot has been to effectively create a "Show Desktop" shortcut and place it inside a program loading point like the "Startup" folder. It's unclear from this report exactly how Microsoft may be blocking this method, but it is conceivable that Microsoft has programmatically disabled the "Show Desktop" shell command from the typical executing from the Startup folder, task scheduler and registry loading points.

Hopes for a group object policy to control this startup behavior also appear to be dashed, according to ZDNet's sources. This is particularly troublesome for system admins who were hoping to easily mitigate user confusion by disabling the Start Screen via a simple GPO. And according to TechRepublic, there are quite a few businesses out there who will be disappointed.

TechRepublic released today its results from a survey which polled more than 3,000 of its readers whether or not their business would upgrade to Windows 8 and why. 

Amongst the top reasons cited for avoiding Windows 8 included the usual suspects: need for retraining, OS fragmentation and hardware concerns. Interestingly though, the missing Start Menu and "Desktop Abandonment" were also top issues. These of course are novel concerns specific to the direction Windows 8 is taking the dominant franchise.

As for why users should upgrade, those polled liked that Windows 8 brings a more consistent experience across different devices, Push Button Reset, the ability to run directly from a USB drive and offers much faster boot times.

Windows 8 is expected to hit shelves October 26, 2012.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/49669-windows-8-blocks-users-from-hiding-metro-start-screen-after-logon.html

 

[Guest]

Wow. Microsoft keeps coming up with reasons for the enterprise world to bypass 8.

 

[oldikes]

Microsoft is seriously amazing me with stupidity. Spend 2 weeks or so making a decent start menu and let people choose between them or use both.. and that eliminates the need for extra corporate training AND makes the home consumers happier.

 

[wastedkill]

Microsoft should just rename windows 8 to Windows Tablet/phone as its looking like Microsoft want to loose out on the PC market and just destroy the company's future which I am all up for so keep destroying your company

 

[treeski]

I don't think the cons list really provides many reasons. The "lack of a start menu" thing can really be shoved into "need for massive training". "Desktop abandonment" isn't really valid... the OS works just as well on desktops. Desktops just aren't the primary focus. "Hardware outlay" is bogus too. It's an optional addition to the OS, and doesn't remove previous functionality. I do agree with the AD and massive retraining issues.

 

[Jesse]

Microsoft is seriously amazing me with stupidity. Spend 2 weeks or so making a decent start menu and let people choose between them or use both.. and that eliminates the need for extra corporate training AND makes the home consumers happier.

I totally agree with this. Is it that big of a deal for them to at least make it available? Why not allow people who want it the ability to use it, that way you don't alienate users.

 

[gwailo247]

Why? Man, Windows was great because of its versatility. If MS does lock it down, sigh, its going to suck.

I've seen some bitching modifications to various versions of Windows, so programmers can delve deep and change stuff around, but I'd rather not resort to going back to pirating Windows so that I can restore some basic functions that I've become used to over the last, geez, 17 years.

 

[Adhmuz]

Still can't believe Microsoft hasn't caught on and put the start menu back. It's a really bad decision no matter how you look at it, and now they force you to look at the Moronic UI. Besides having an 8 second boot process, in my testing in was no where near this, and bootable off a USB key, which you can make 7 do as is. Choice, the fundamental building block to any consumer product, remove that and your product will bomb. Just like I hope to see happen to Windows 8.

 

[Guest]

Microsoft is smart. Take Windows 7 with SP1, make as many improvements as a SP2 would include, then make some changes to be tablet friendly, and call it Windows 8, cost of development 126 dollars and 52 cents. They're not stupid, they're geniuses. Too bad the experience of Windows 8 on a desktop really blows.

 

[Guest]

Microsoft is becoming like apple I am starting to hate them for that just like I hate apple.

 

[Guest]

For people that do not have a touch screen is pointless to have that metro style menu,.. I will propose in my company to migrate to linux ubuntu,..

 

[Tanstar]

So a major complaint was you had to use Metro, but there was a simple fix; so Microsoft's answer was to remove the fix? Sounds like they're learning from Apple now

 

[Guest]

""Desktop abandonment" isn't really valid... the OS works just as well on desktops. Desktops just aren't the primary focus."

They are marketing it as a desktop OS. If desktops aren't the primary focus of an OS, then they have no business calling it a desktop OS. But anyway, at least we can take comfort in the fact that Microsoft is following their pattern of hit and miss. Windows 7 was definitely successful, so naturally Windows 8 was doomed to fail even before it got started.

 

[cliffordcooley]

And people thought (including myself), Microsoft learned their lesson when listening to consumers during Windows 7 beta period. They seem to be listening today but not to consumer desires.

I will not be purchasing Windows 8 or a machine that has Windows 8 on it.

If Microsoft wants to sell an OS, they will have to prove it by listening to those who will be using the OS. Forcing change instead of encouraging change is not a good business decision.

 

[p51d007]

As someone who works around computers and computer users daily, abandoning the traditional desktop for this, is another reason I think I.T. people will be passing on this for a while. Most corporate office drones can barely figure out a left click from a right click, let alone navigate moving icons around on a desktop, and, if you move something on a desktop, it causes panic among users. Now you are going to saddle them with these silly icons, without a touch interface?
Oh, yeah right....I.T. guys are going to tell the CFO's to pony up the money for thousands of new screens....let me know how that works out.

 

[Guest]

The Apple comments are funny. Apple's OS X now provides 6 built-in easy ways to get at your apps and files: The Dock, Spotlight, LaunchPad, Finder, Stacks and ShortCut keys. Over the years Apple has only continued to add great functionality and not punish users with stupid decisions like Microsoft does. Oh yeah, OS X is NOT copy protected at all (read NO windows activation nonesense) and includes only the professional version for the grand price of 20$. Also, software updates on the Mac are painless and they don't try to force it on you like Microsoft feels the need to.

Seriously, OS X runs like a happy lucid dream and doesn't require bogging down the system with $$ AV, Malware and Firewall protection.

It's easy to see why Windows users hate Apple. They feel "stuck" with Windows and are full of envy.

Try it Mikey. In the long run you will save yourself lots of aggravation, downtime and money. Check out the resale value of Macs on eBay - there are reasons they fetch a premium. Most Windows machines are landfill after their short life.

 

[cliffordcooley]

They feel "stuck" with Windows and are full of envy.

Wrong, try again. I realize it must be hard for you to believe, but there is absolutely no envy on my part. I am very happy with Windows 7, I only wish I could say the same for Windows 8.

Most Windows machines are landfill after their short life.

A machine's short life has nothing to do with inadequacies of an OS. Throwing a machine to landfill because of software related issues is stupidity at best.

 

[Guest]

Guest said: ↑

They feel "stuck" with Windows and are full of envy.​

Wrong, try again. I realize it must be hard for you to believe, but there is absolutely no envy on my part. I am very happy with Windows 7, I only wish I could say the same for Windows 8.

Maybe by "stuck" guest means that you have to wait so many years before Microsoft releases another version of Windows worth upgrading to. XP (2001) -> Windows 7 (2009) -> Windows 9 (?2014). And by 2014 it's pretty likely the hardware will have gone to pasture at least once.

 

[Guest]

What I find really amazing is that no one seems to be talking about the hardware requirements for windows 8. Has anyone noticed that it requires a touch screen monitor that has five finger touch response? Most monitors out there right now our Windows 7 aka two finger touch response. And what about afordability? Sure the OS can be had for $39.99 but that monitor won't be under a $100. Who can aford that upgrade?

 

[Guest]

I don't get why Windows 8 doesn't just give you the option when installing.

1. I am installing Windows 8 on a touch capable computer.
2. I am installing Windows 8 on a non touch capable computer.

Instead of...

1. Do what I say and no one gets hurt... except for your productivity... that's getting murdered.

 

[Guest]

didnt the rc version have that registry tweak to show classic desktop, couldnt someone just port it over? agreed with above too! give users the option!!!

 

[Sphynx]

I will propose in my company to migrate to linux ubuntu,..

Same here, except my company has refused to accept my proposal and will migrate to Windows 7 instead. Why? Because none of the software we use is native to Linux and using Wine severely diminishes the performance any software that we use. And the Linux alternatives are a joke compared to the quality of their Windows counterparts, especially the proprietary ones. Not to mention our Canon printer is not compatible with Linux.

With that said, I would not be surprised if your company will reject your proposal for the same reasons stated above.

 

[CryVer]

The Apple comments are funny. Apple's OS X now provides 6 built-in easy ways to get at your apps and files: The Dock, Spotlight, LaunchPad, Finder, Stacks and ShortCut keys.

Easy way to get your files? My experience with OSX (and friends familiar with it), is that it is a pain in the *** to view all files, as there are no real file explorer. OSX users need a seperate Android file explorer to view the files on their Android. On the other hand Windows have a real file explorer (Windows Explorer).

 

[Guest]

[FONT=Calibri]I believe that Microsoft is making a mistake by forcing changes that users have not been requesting and not offering choices, this is why many people still use XP (after the Vista issues). I found Windows 7 is a really good upgrade as Microsoft corrected the mistakes they made with Vista and listened to what users want. Now they are making the same errors with Windows 8 that they did with Vista.[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]On the business side of things, I think we will be sticking with Windows 7 for quite some time, some of our clients have just completed upgrades of Windows 7 within the past year and I don’t see them jumping to Windows 8. On the home front, I’m moving to Linux (Ubuntu). Hopefully with Steam releasing games on Linux, the Linux ecosystem will continue to grow and hardware vendors will work more closely with Linux.[/FONT]

 

[VitalyT]

There, they lost it. 'nough said.