Make Windows 8 Look and Feel Like Windows 7

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
Who needs to go through all this to make Windows 8 look and feel like Windows 7? I have an idea, just use Windows 7 to start with. :rolleyes:

If you have a PC with Windows 8 but miss Windows 7, there’s no need to downgrade. Following a few simple steps, you can make Microsoft’s current operating system look and feel almost identical to its predecessor. Here’s how to bring back the start menu, get the attractive aero glass theme back and hide other Windows 8 elements like the charms menu.
Click to expand...
 
The reason they made it look different is to hide the fact that they have done pretty much nothing to improve 7. If you undo their work there is no reason to sidegrade. Well other than to screw up stuff (random game bugs, DPC, etc. etc.). :D
 
Because some people like the under-the-hood changes in 8 (like the easy restore or storage pool) but really, really don't like Win8's visual presentation.

I like Win8's technical changes--I just hate the presentation. It's a great engine stuffed into a horrible-looking car.
 
I run Start8, Decor8, DeskScapers 8 and ModernMix; they are all very nice. Stardocks makes some nice Windows programs to really personalize your desktop/start screen. I like the fact you can use your desktop wallpaper on the Start Screen with Decor8, which is something I personally felt Microsoft went a bit to far, not allowing your own background for what is essentially your new work environment. I didn't go so far as to eliminate the Start Menu that they did in that walk thru, but it is something to keep in mind for others who don't like Windows 8, but maybe forced into using it.
 
I use Windows 8 vanilla at work and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm always in desktop mode though so sometimes I don't even notice I'm using Windows 8. Under the hood changes are nice too. Finally having a built-in iso mounting tool is so nice.
 
You can make a double-wide trailer "look" like a house too....

The government can turn numbers into all kinds of things that "look" good

Communism "looks" good ----- on paper

All kinds of dangerous code can by wrapped into a nice "looking" web page

The trophy wife might "look" good ----- until you marry her

------------------------------------------------------

I'm sorry gentlemen....
If I were going for "looks" and trying to "keep up with the Jones's", I wouldn't be here in the first place. I'm after what "is" good. NOT what "looks" good.
 
Sovereign said:
Because some people like the under-the-hood changes in 8 (like the easy restore or storage pool) but really, really don't like Win8's visual presentation.

I like Win8's technical changes--I just hate the presentation. It's a great engine stuffed into a horrible-looking car.
Click to expand...

Kinda reminds me of a Subaru Baja Turbo. Fast car, but definitely weird looks. Although, the analogy falls kind of flat. I actually like the Baja. Whereas Windows 8? Nah.
 
Win 8 hands down feels faster and snappier than 7. Yea I loved seven and I don't like tiles but start 8 has solved all that for me, I wouldn't go back to windows 7 just because you hate tiles. 8 is just smoother faster and I have not had one random glitch with it. I didn't like the new tabbed menus at first either but I like them now since I have had a chance to use them a bit.
 
TheWeazmeister said:
Trololol much? Plenty of improvements that are well worth it under the hood.
Perhaps a "starter" review would give you a bit more insight. http://www.techspot.com/review/561-windows8-vs-windows7/
Click to expand...

Glad you agree with and provided evidence for the lack of "performance improvements". >1% performance in a bunch of "canned" benchmarks is worthless and is really equal to nothing in the real world (you could probably get bigger variation by running it twice both times on Windows 8, the change is at the "rounding error" level). :D

The only slight change is the startup, which they "cheated" with by permanent hibernate files (great for small drives/installs!) and is pretty meaningless anyway and Windows 8 "lost' on a bunch of them. :p
 
RangerXML said:
Oh god yes, mounting ISO and VHDs rocks!
Click to expand...
I just discovered this last night, and it was a nice surprise... I thought I was on my way to download isomagic or whatever that program was called...

As for the looks... I still think that 80s Volvo boxy look is attractive... :D
 
DeathPrincess said:
The reason they made it look different is...
Click to expand...

Haveyou ever programmed windows applications? It's pretty convoluted. I'm hoping maybe the simplified UI is due partly to some revamping they did in that area. Wishful thinking, perhaps... I don't plan to program windows apps anytime soon, but I'm glad they at least allow these 3rd party add-ons for folks who want to customize it a bit.
 
Be nice if there was a program that did all of this mumbojumbo for you but...ok.
 
Youn said:
Haveyou ever programmed windows applications? It's pretty convoluted. I'm hoping maybe the simplified UI is due partly to some revamping they did in that area. Wishful thinking, perhaps... I don't plan to program windows apps anytime soon, but I'm glad they at least allow these 3rd party add-ons for folks who want to customize it a bit.
Click to expand...

Well, allegedly the "legacy code" that the 3rd parties use for their "menu replacements" is going away with the next service pack (Blue). So it seems it was more a mistake than something they were actively planning. :D
 
Windows has always had an option to use a classic Windows theme, why on earth they didn't include that with 8 I will never know. 2 options, Start button, yes and classic theme, yes and a lot of this bickering going about Windows 8 would of been for not.
 
I currently run Start8 and I like the functionalities of Windows 8 such as the mounting ISO's. Plus the fact that the engine is improved also works great. F8 startup is much more improved over Windows 7 which is another nice function. Transferring files on Windows 8 is neat which allows you to see the progress and how fast it is moving the files. People claim that Microsoft is removing start menu in Blue but that's not true since they just simply removed 1 file that was critical and no one develops software for beta operating systems anyways.

On my laptop, resuming from sleep under Windows 8 is much more improved as well. Also has Start8 installed on that as well.
 
DeathPrincess said:
Well, allegedly the "legacy code" that the 3rd parties use for their "menu replacements" is going away with the next service pack (Blue). So it seems it was more a mistake than something they were actively planning. :D
Click to expand...

Not true.
 
EDIT button please :D

The code for the Start menu is not going away, it has been confirmed by several sources now, its just been moved (for now).
 
Steve said:
Who needs to go through all this to make Windows 8 look and feel like Windows 7? I have an idea, just use Windows 7 to start with. :rolleyes:
Here’s how to bring back the start menu, get the attractive aero glass theme back and hide other Windows 8 elements like the charms menu.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

"get the attractive aero glass theme back"? That's the first thing I turn *OFF* on Windows VIsta/7! I like Windows 8's new simple theme.
 
Kaitian said:
Don't mind DP. Has always been anti-8 anyways.
Click to expand...

Maybe I find a distinct lack of reasons to be "pro" it (as I have been with every other Windows version I've used)? Anyway you cut it it's a lazy iteration with no real improvements, a crap UI, a bunch of features you can get for free and removed features..

I don't really understand the mentality of praising them for being lazy/stupid, people need both carrot and stick, but MS needs a fuckton of stick right now. :p
 
I have been running windows 8 since public release and actually really like it. I do use startisback for a classic start menu. Everything else seems more responsive than windows 7 and I have not found anything that windows 8 has stopped me from doing.

Most of my usage is autocad, some gaming, light video editing (time lapse videos), watching videos and surfing the web.
 
Don't mind metro, Hate Charms bar. I still have issue with WIFI. Don't ever shutdown so startup is a moot point for me. Hate the control panel stick with 7 until 2024.
 
RangerXML said:
EDIT button please :D

The code for the Start menu is not going away, it has been confirmed by several sources now, its just been moved (for now).
Click to expand...

Fact of the matter is the code as it exists in the leaked Blue breaks the start menu replacements. Whether or not the dependent code has been moved or removed remains to be seen in the final release. The bigger point here is it highlights that all these third party start menu replacements are just jailbreaks and hacks and MS can patch them out any time they want. This is one of the prime reasons enterprise decision makers dont consider start menu replacements a solution. Until a start menu option is reintroduced by MS officially, then it doesn't exist in the eyes of enterprise.

So for now unless something changes then MS will continue to hemorrhage desktop/enterprise share faster than they're expanding the marketshare and uptake of their mobile offerings. The so-called PC/desktop era is dead according to the armchair analysts and MS is punching the accelerator instead of slamming the brakes.
 
Thank you.

AMD T-type said:
Step 1) Install Classic Shell

.....done
Click to expand...

My Dell laptop does not like Windows 7. The BIOS looks to the drive for Windows 8 that was originally installed. If the BIOS doesn't find Windows 8 after about three days wipes the partition. Doesn't matter how I configure the BIOS or what drive I use. After three days Windows 7 install is removed. If I had known this 'feature' was present I wouldn't have bought the laptop to begin with.
 
odditory said:
So for now unless something changes then MS will continue to hemorrhage desktop/enterprise share faster than they're expanding the marketshare and uptake of their mobile offerings. The so-called PC/desktop era is dead according to the armchair analysts and MS is punching the accelerator instead of slamming the brakes.
Click to expand...

At this point there's nothing to indicate that this is true. There's been no measurable uptick of non-Windows OSes from the well known market share counters and enterprises are still in the Windows 7 uptake cycle, they were never going to go to 8 in numbers. Some love to call Windows 8 Vista 2.0 and if that's true, that's not the worst thing that could happen from Microsoft's perspective.

No other desktop OS made any significant jump in market share during Vista's shelf life and to this day Vista is still more widely used than any other non-Windows desktop OS. That's remarkable. Yes I know, it's because Vista came preinstalled on most new PCs, kind of like Windows 8. It's going to take a lot more than a single controversial Windows release to shake up the desktop market especially unless OEMs decide to push other OSes preinstalled and 3rd parties pour billions into software and hardware support. That's a tough sell in a market with stagnant growth and uncertain future.
 
AceGoober said:
Thank you.



My Dell laptop does not like Windows 7. The BIOS looks to the drive for Windows 8 that was originally installed. If the BIOS doesn't find Windows 8 after about three days wipes the partition. Doesn't matter how I configure the BIOS or what drive I use. After three days Windows 7 install is removed. If I had known this 'feature' was present I wouldn't have bought the laptop to begin with.
Click to expand...

Have you called Dell's tech support?
 
Steve said:
I have an idea, just use Windows 7 to start with. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Sometimes you just get stuck with it buying a new laptop like I did. I knew it came with Win 8 but was the only model to have nvidia 650M's in SLI and Win 7 was not an option. Win 7 can be loaded as drivers are available but why spend the $ on a license when you can make Win 8, for the most part, like 7.
 
I feel exactly the same....

I bought and installed 8. People are like, you can make it look just like 7!
And i am like why don't I just reinstall 7 and get it over with.
 
Seattle Tech Guy said:
This.

I bought Start8, and I noticed it is buggy. Uninstalled it and I run classic shell. Best Win. 8 tweak ever, IMO.
Click to expand...

Did it crash when you searched for something? They fixed that issue. Just need to update your Start8 program.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top