Windows 8 pro review (upgrade XP to Windows 8 with Classic Shell)

PeaceByJesus.net ^ | 1/30/2012 | Daniel1212

[daniel1212]

Windows 8 pro review (upgrade XP to Windows 8 with Classic Shell)

I am writing this hasty and imperfect review of Windows 8 for fellow Freepers (etc.) in case someone is looking into buying it, and as the 39.99 (about 42.00 with taxes) upgrade ends tonight. Better late then never i suppose. And the the media center upgrade is only fre till then ($10.00 afterward) which should be standard. And no, I have no affiliation with MS.

My review is on how W/8 runs this old PC (used mainly for Christian ministry). This is a 2005 Sony VGC-RA840G (Asus P5LP-VX 64 bit. mobo), 2.8ghz Intel 945p dual core cpu, 3gb ram (total cap. 4gb), and A new PC is not affordable, and I am trying to get more life out of this one, as XP would use up most of my 3gb of ram after a while due to 80+ tabs open on Firefox (Chrome or Opera is not an answer, nor Linux), and with many documents open in various stages of completion. And since 64bit can handle more ram and I heard W8 was better on older PCs than Vista and even W/7, and I could try it for free, I installed the W/8 preview/evaluation (here) off a USB (using the MS W/7 USB installer).

The short review is that W/8 does well on an old PC as this (and should enable me to use more ram), and is more stable than XP and also fairly responsive, if not as quick as XP for basic tasks on this box. But it boots to usability quicker (it puts the kernel in hibernation) and launches apps quicker. Ram use seems about the same (or less after some tweaking).

For me its value is that of providing a better social networking or a better interface, and in fact the “metro” interface seems more fitting for a school yard, and I have long used hot keys to get to where I regularly go to, or to launch main programs/apps. Nor do I follow many of Windows defaults for things like documents, pictures, graphics. Therefore the attraction is because it has some improvements and it is not bloated and unduly interrogative (Vista), and with the help of 3^rd party apps you can option out of the defaults and customize it to fit your needs.

Almost all my software works under W/8 pro, but I have no real use or desire for the playground type metro, and so Classic Shell is critical. Also Right Click Extender allows you to add a lot of things to the right click menu (like Shutdown,Standby, Reboot, etc.), while Windows key and Q will bring up all your apps and the search bar (hit Esc twice to get out) and Windows key and I will bring up PC Settings (images coming below), and Windows key and E will bring up Windows Explorer and your drives.

Because of its qualities bought the W/8 pro upgrade DVD (30.00 at NewEgg last Dec, with the 40.00 Visa reward card rebate, but which takes over a month to get, and you have to use it in 6), as well as a 2gb stick of DDR2 667 memory (15.00 on Ebay). However, it turns out that unlike later Intel 775 socket boards, the Intel 945 will not map memory beyond 4gb, and only 3.37 is available under W/8 64 bit, although now I can use the ReadyBoost feature. And unlike past OS licenses (ex$ept retail) , the W/8 one allows you to remove it from one PC and put it on another.

Installation

I found out that to get the 64bit download of the evaluation copy, you need to download the W/8 file from a 64bit machine. Having done so the install went well, but I unplugged all my XP drive just to be safe and installed W/8 on a different drive, then reconnected the XP drive (but for the upgrade version you need to have XP, or Vista or W7 installed, and not just a CD/DVD OS).

Surprisingly, when I installed the full W/8 pro off the DVD, although I kept the XP drive plugged in so it could see I have a valid upgrade path, it did not place that in a Windows.old folder and erase things so that you cannot use it, and instead it left it alone, and put the evaluation copy in the Windows.old folder. As I know that I cannot go back to it, I erased that partition myself, after having copied the Documents and Settings folder and other things first.

Hardware

I needed some updates to fix some issues, [a shortcut for launching Windows update is to just hold down the Windows key and tap the letter “r”, then let go and paste C:\Windows\System32\wuapp.exe in the Run box and hit OK, or move your mouse to the far right of the Taskbar, and hit the gear icon “settings,” and then PC info and then look in the lower left] but most everything works, even my old Lexmark Z32 printer. But the USB faithful powered Canon LIDE30 scanner (a very good buy at the time) will not, despite hacking attempts to get another 64bit driver to work, while no sound would come out of the jacks. However, I remembered I had bought a “USB sound card” for a buck (total) on ebay (from Hong Kong) because I thought I could use it, and sure enough that provides sound.

The ability to go on Standby was missing until I or MS installed some more updates (we both did).

Programs and Services:

I copied my profile files from Firefox and OpenOffice and Bible and other programs from their respective folders in XP to W/8, and installed both programs, and they work well. Most of my programs I use under XP work in W/8, though it is best to look for 64 versions for them. One of my favorites is PhoneTrayFree (now shareware), which uses your modem (if you have one) and caller ID to let you know who is calling in, and to keep unlimited record of calls, and even to zap the telemarketers, play messages, etc. and to my surprise that worked though it is only 32 bit (I have a US Robotic PCI modem).

What I miss is TclockEx (customizable, shows seconds and free ram, etc.), which was an improvement on the Windows clock, but under 64bit it would not work even in compatibility mode, and I have yet to find one as good as it.

A big plus is that AutoHotKey works, and with a little adaptation of paths from W/7 I was able to have my shortcut keys working, which is a big plus for me (see below for some examples), and which helps in what follows.

Task Manager is improved, and replaces the Start up tab functions in the System Configuration utility.

Two issues I had was that of Windows Defender, which I always found too independent for me, and using Process found it running too often and too much, and as I can usually hear my PC working I also would hear my HD being written to constantly when I was not working on it, though I disabled both Defender and Search in Services.msc. So I right clicked on each drive (save one) and deselected “allow files on this drive to be indexed..” and now there is peace.

I also found livecomm.exe using a significant amount of resources sometimes, so I uninstalled mail. I use an email client instead.

Interface:

Along with some others, I had and have no real use for the Metro, but the free Classic Shell took care of that, and gives back the Start Menu (not that I use it a lot, but I have lot of programs and it helps).

Per usual with other OS installs, I also quickly went to folder options and changed the default view to Details, and enables viewing of all the things MS thinks (with some warrant) most should not see. I also found where the Quick Launch folder was and made a New toolbar in the Taskbar for it, and found the location for the Send to folder, and made a shortcut to it, and placed the shortcut in it. I then made shortcuts for things like the Startup folder, the Quick Launch folder, the Desktop, Favorites, Program Files, and certain applications, etc. and sent them to the Send To folder. By so doing you can place a shortcut to anything in the Send to menu, and send whatever is appropriate to it, which can be more what Windows offers by default.

Note that if you want to reduce the size of things on the Desktop, hold down the Ctrl key and mouse scroll.

And I imported my non flashy custom theme from W/7 which I have on a Desktop. Thank God for both units.

The TaskBar is improved from XP, as it does a better job of showing you what is open, and you can move the icons around, which in XP requires a freeware app like the taskbar button manager, but unlike that, you cannot move items to a different order in the list that pops up. And like as in some Linux distros, you can pin things to the TaskBar.

All for now.

[daniel1212]

Actually i recent installed it: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=122989

[daniel1212]

Yes, it has a video card, and the custom made Asus made Sony board and PSU is very picky on what card will run on it. It says it is a ATI/AMD Radeon X300/X550/X1050 (RV370) [Sony] video chipset with just 128 MBytes of SDRAM Video Memory, and I tried replacing it a ATI Radeon X300 SE 128MB DVI VGA TV-Out PCI-E PCI-E Video but it would not work, and likewise with a couple others, but i do not want to risk spending more money.

[daniel1212]

.IN my opinion if you have 7 stay with it..

I fully concur. See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2983661/posts?page=35#35

[daniel1212]

Thank God if it helps. The more you get to know where things are the better. See post above: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2983661/posts?page=54#54

[daniel1212]

More: http://www.howtogeek.com/127699/6-start-menu-replacements-for-windows-8/

From http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1039314965

Classic Shell:
Drag and drop to let you organize your applications
Options to show Favorites, expand Control Panel, etc
Shows recently used documents. The number of documents to display is customizable
Translated in 35 languages, including Right-to-left support for Arabic and Hebrew
Does not disable the original start menu in Windows. You can access it by Shift+Click on the start button
Right-click on an item in the menu to delete, rename, sort, or perform other tasks
The search box helps you find your programs without getting in the way of your keyboard shortcuts
Supports jumplists for easy access to recent documents and common tasks
Available for 32 and 64-bit operating systems
Has support for skins, including additional 3rd party skins
Fully customizable in both looks and functionality
Support for Microsoft’s Active Accessibility
Converts the “All Programs” button in the Windows menu into a cascading menu (Vista and Windows 7)
Implements a customizable Start button (Windows 7 and 8)
Can show, search and launch Windows Store apps (Windows 8)
And last but not least – it’s FREE!

Start8 Features:

$5
Search for Windows 8-style (Modern UI) apps
Pin desktop and Metro apps to the start menu
Jump List support
Unified Search for apps, settings and files
Boot directly to the Windows 8 desktop
One click access to shut down, devices, music, documents, and videos
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/features.asp

Then there is the $1 http://www.startisback.com/

And also, How to Get the Classic Start Menu Back in Windows 8.</a>

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Cool.

[daniel1212]

Windows 8 interface called ‘disappointing’ by usability expert: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2015073/windows-8-interface-called-disappointing-by-usability-expert.html

[daniel1212]

See here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2015107/downgrading-from-windows-8-to-7-what-you-need-to-know.html

http://www.zdnet.com/hp-clarifies-windows-8-consumer-pc-downgrade-and-warranties-7000007280/

[daniel1212]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/what-exactly-do-you-get-with-windows-8-pro/4817

[Lera]

Lol I must have hit alt F4 over twenty times and it would not work for me. I thought they changed it . It’s a combination of having small hands and the laptop .I have to hit the keys with two hands to get it to work on this thing.
Thanks a bunch :)

Clicking and dragging does work to shut the app down but on the laptop it is easier to us the corner

[AbolishCSEU]

Don’t forget! The native email client Windows Mail, doesn’t support POP3 anymore. You have to find an alternate mail client or just use web mail.

[daniel1212]

Don’t forget! The native email client Windows Mail, doesn’t support POP3 anymore. You have to find an alternate mail client or just use web mail

Being one who usually uses 3rd party alternatives, in this case Thunderbird, not having Windows Mail was of no consequence. Yet I should have mentioned that, although I did say that I also found livecomm.exe using a significant amount of resources sometimes, so I uninstalled mail.

[daniel1212]

Glad it worked. It will not work however, in the voting booth, and in which many would rather you use only your left hand:)

[roamer_1]

It says it is a ATI/AMD Radeon X300/X550/X1050 (RV370) [Sony] video chipset with just 128 MBytes of SDRAM Video Memory, and I tried replacing it a ATI Radeon X300 SE 128MB DVI VGA TV-Out PCI-E PCI-E Video but it would not work, and likewise with a couple others, but i do not want to risk spending more money.

If it is only a 128 mg card, I will flat guarantee that it is worth the risk... Try to plug in to local gamers, or a local back-alley tech shop, where used or known-good cards are easy to come by... Or go to your local Best Buy (*spit*) as you can return it if it doesn't work... And if you are having trouble with ATI, then try to find an off-brand that uses an NVidia chip instead - That gets you out of ATI altogether.

The one I have in my test bench right now is an off-brand NVidia from Best Buy (*ptooey*)... It is a 2g and cost about 35 bucks...It was the third one I tried for a client (who wound up buying a new machine anyway)... So I know about the hit-and-miss nature of such things sometimes...

But in your case, jumping from 128mg to 2g vid will be very substantial, and will probably eclipse anything you have done so far... even if you have to pay someone to handle it for you. I doubt that will be the case, since new cards will probably work better (driver-wise) with Win6 than with Win5 - I bet the OS upgrade will help with the vid issues.

[daniel1212]

Thanks for taking an interest but it is not such a need that it warrants more money to experiment. If i should and could perhaps the better cheapo option might be to get away from this Sony proprietary board (not bios updates even) and get a 955 to 975 board with 4 ram slots (which i did look into ) , IF i could use the 2 sticks of DDR2 667 ram i already have in it, and maybe add two 1gb sticks DDR2 (dual channel), as the 945 only maps 4gb, but from what i read the ram may not work or the Intel Pent. d 820.

So I looked a lot but finally gave up. I do not have much of any real problem as long as i restart FF to get some ram back sometimes due to 80+- plus leaking tabs, or the cpu load is too high with pages like http://www.zdnet.com/how-the-new-windows-8-license-terms-affect-you_p2-7000003028/.

And regarding that link, i would have to get clearer confirmation that i can transfer W/8 to a new mobo, without upgrading. But for now it is manageable. Hey, i used W/98se and dial up until about 2005! Let me manage the nation debt and i think gov. would shrink about 50%.

[daniel1212]

By the way, if you watch/listen to good things on a laptop then you know how tinny tinny the native sound is, at least it is on mine, but as the Lord is good, i found a neat and cheap way to get far better sound. For $2.09 you can get a FM Transmitter on ebay, http://www.ebay.com/itm/FM-Transmitter-Car-Charger-4-iPhone-3G-iPod-MP3-MP4-/260754728420?pt=Other_MP3_Player_Accessories&hash=item3cb63165e4,
which will broadcast to your whole house and then some (2 AAA batteries) on one of 4 frequencies (107.1 is best here). The sound is far far better, and you can travel.

And for some sermons from what i think is the best Pentecostal (not hype, word of faith type, but a genuine, holy, anointed and Vietnam tested preacher) search Bert H. Clendennen (one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPjYQiaSE7M&list=UU8pE4Qspmb6PydDZ9RzTfEw&index=1, move ahead about 5 min.)

Bless God.

[Lera]

Thanks much for the links :)
I listened to it this weekend and enjoyed it very much.

I have cordless headphones that make movement very easy while I listen and with them you don’t get the tinny sound like you do with the laptop speakers but that things looks pretty handy when working outside in the garden as I would not have to worry about the headphones slipping off . Cheap enough to that if it doesn’t work good out here that it’s no big loss . Thanks much :)

[daniel1212]

That is good. Glad to were edified. Listen to "soldiers " another strong message, though i do not listen that often to them.

And with the FM transmitter maybe your neighbors can tune in as well close enough. By placing them in series even further range could be reached. They should make then to be powered through the USB hub through.

[Lera]

Thanks much for the link.
Listened to it last night and enjoyed it much :)

[daniel1212]

Thought i would add a couple of helpful links for Windows 8 shortcuts:

http://www.redmondpie.com/this-extensive-list-of-windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts-will-help-you-adapt-to-the-new-interface/

http://lifehacker.com/5955162/how-to-not-get-lost-in-windows-8-the-best-shortcuts-and-tricks

With my set up i have no real use for the “Charms” bar (i can access what i need faster without it), and which, along with “Wizards,” is another example of resorting to witchcraft for describing MS features:

Definition of CHARM
1
a : the chanting or reciting of a magic spell : incantation
b : a practice or expression believed to have magic power
2
: something worn about the person to ward off evil or ensure good fortune : amulet

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charm)

Anyway, if you are confused by Window 8, ro do not like things like a lot of large icons staring at you, or the limited number of things in the W/9 Start menu (versus the Classic) and lose of quick navigation, see above posts and also know that you get the info you need just by searching the Internet, as well as to basically make it like XP (which itself is benefited by tweaking) without losing any added functionality. Or ask here.