Actually, i have bee running versions of Windows Technical Preview since about Sept with no real problems, and with Classic Shell and Star 8 would likely be similar.
You could try it out if you wanted. You can download it here , if you
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Sign up for the Windows Insider Program.
The best place i think is to install it on a separate spare drive, unplugging your Windows drive until after you installed WTP. You then choose in your BIOS which drive to look to boot from first, although you can also usually keep tapping the F11 or F9 or another keep during the POST phase of boot up .
And the best place i think is to install using a USB flash drive. Install and run the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool , and choose the WTP ISO that you downloaded from the first link up above .
Then choose in your BIOS to boot from the USB drive first, or find out which F key gives you that option during boot up.
After it is installed and you reboot, you can do things like copy program folders from your User Roaming folder, and then when you install them then your preferences should be the same.
I also go to File Explorer and open to C drive, and choose Details under View. And choose columns and adjust them and the window size. Then go to File Explorer/Folder Options and choose to Open File Explorer to This PC, rather than Win key and e opening Quick Access. And under View, choose to see as much as possible. And up top, Apply this view... to all folders of this type. And under Search, not to index System...
I also do things like add a Quick Launch bar to the task bar (C:\Users\dennisw\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch) Note that i replaced my User name with dennisw, as you must replace that with your actual user name.
And i make shortcuts to the Startup folder and the SendTo ("C:\Users\dennisw\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" C:\Users\dennisw\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
TaskBar with small icons (23'' screen)
Classic Shell Start
QuickLaunch