Win 8 Has me baffled! Help.

Win 8 is a total puzzle to men, and I've used personal computers
since beforre floppy disks exixted!
Is there any way in Win 8 to get something like "My Computer"
in XP and previous versions of Windows? So I can actually
get to the computer --- see what's there and like drag stuff from
a flash drive into the computer, fins progams, find a directory,
etc ???

On Fri, 30 Aug 2013 10:10:39 -0500, wrote:

Win 8 is a total puzzle to men, and I've used personal computers
since beforre floppy disks exixted!
Is there any way in Win 8 to get something like "My Computer"
in XP and previous versions of Windows? So I can actually
get to the computer --- see what's there and like drag stuff from
a flash drive into the computer, fins progams, find a directory,
etc ???



Sure.

Let me point out something that you perhaps don't realize: Windows 8
has two interfaces; the Modern/Metro Interface (which may be all
you've looked at) and the traditional Desktop Interface. That
traditional Desktop Interface is almost identical to Windows 7's
interface; the biggest difference is that there is no Start Orb to
click to bring up the Start menu. But note that you can get the Start
Orb back by using one of several third-party programs, either free or
very inexpensive (Classic Shell at
http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ and Start8 at
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/; my personal preference is
Start8, but they are both very good). And going from one interface to
the other is very easy; there are several ways, but simply pressing
the Windows key is perhaps the easiest.

I use Windows 8, almost exclusively with the traditional desktop
interface, and with Start 8 installed. If you were to look at and use
my computer, you would have a hard time realizing that it's not
Windows 7.


--
Ken Blake

Ken Blake wrote:
On Fri, 30 Aug 2013 10:10:39 -0500, wrote:

Win 8 is a total puzzle to men, and I've used personal computers
since beforre floppy disks exixted!
Is there any way in Win 8 to get something like "My Computer"
in XP and previous versions of Windows? So I can actually
get to the computer --- see what's there and like drag stuff from
a flash drive into the computer, fins progams, find a directory,
etc ???



Sure.

Let me point out something that you perhaps don't realize: Windows 8
has two interfaces; the Modern/Metro Interface (which may be all
you've looked at) and the traditional Desktop Interface. That
traditional Desktop Interface is almost identical to Windows 7's
interface; the biggest difference is that there is no Start Orb to
click to bring up the Start menu. But note that you can get the Start
Orb back by using one of several third-party programs, either free or
very inexpensive (Classic Shell at
http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ and Start8 at
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/; my personal preference is
Start8, but they are both very good). And going from one interface to
the other is very easy; there are several ways, but simply pressing
the Windows key is perhaps the easiest.

I use Windows 8, almost exclusively with the traditional desktop
interface, and with Start 8 installed. If you were to look at and use
my computer, you would have a hard time realizing that it's not
Windows 7.


And further to this Ken, a user can save themselves a heap of
trouble, if they will only purchase two monitors :-)

This is a disturbing trend that our Linux friends have
latched onto as well. The GUI in the OS changes behavior,
as the screen real estate grows. For example, at 1024x768
on my Linux USB stick, I can't see some of the graphical
elements in the OS. If I connect a 1440x900 monitor to the
computer, suddenly little features in the title bar show up.

In Windows 8, if you have two monitors, one has the desktop
and the other has Metro. This takes some of the "fear factor"
out of Windows 8, and you can actually use it. But it'll cost
you $150 to $200 for a cheap second monitor. (I got my second
monitor for $99 at a Staples sale. Only one dead pixel :-) )

In the picture here, both environments can be seen at the
same time (mainly because they are running at the same time).
You could use one Metro app (like Windows Update)
on the left. While doing Desktop stuff (file explorer) on
the right.

http://www.bwone.com/wp-content/uplo...-Windows-8.jpg

There are also "snap options", but the feature set gets kinda
boring after that (not worth looking up).

As long as you can find that Trash Can icon, you'll have
access to the File Explorer :-) That's what I rely on as I
change from one OS to another. They all have that feature,
of "burrowing in" from the Trash Can. In the above photo,
the Trash Can is on the right-hand monitor, in the lower
right corner.

Paul

Hi, Pfsszxt.

As Ken said, you don't really have to work with the Win8 UI. Even without
the add-on apps that Ken and several others use and love, I find working
with Win8 just about as easy as Win7 - but it took some time to climb the
learning curve. (My first TRS-80 in 1977 didn't have a floppy disk, either,
until that was introduced several months later.)

As a first step, just start Win8 and, on the first page of tiles, move that
"Desktop" tile to the upper left corner position. Then just press Enter
and, Voila!, there you are at what looks like the Win7 (and WinXP, as I
recall) desktop - except that there is no Start button. From then on, just
boot up, Press Enter, and there you are at the desktop. ;)

There is a Task Bar, and just about anything can be pinned to it. With a
few minutes (or maybe hours) work and exploration, I had a dozen or so of my
favorite icons lined up there. (I chose Quicken, WLMail, Command Prompt,
Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer, Control Panel, Excel, Media Center...
you get the idea, but make your lineup.) Just as with Win7 (and WinXP?),
WinKey+4 (the Windows Key plus the 4 on the top row of the keyboard) pops
up the 4th Taskbar icon - which is Windows Explorer on MY desktop; WE hasn't
changed too much from WinXP and before.)

My Computer is gone, as you said, but Computer is still there and works just
as before - except they've added Favorites and Libraries ahead of it and
I've not got around to eliminating those. But I just click Computer and all
my drives are there. I can easily drag to/from flash drives, just as
before. And Disk Management still works as it has since Win2K.

I could go on, but with your years of experience, which must have included
learning dozens of successive OSes, you should have no trouble getting comfy
with Win8. If you have specific questions, just ask here. ;)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3508.0205) in Win8 Pro


wrote in message ...

Win 8 is a total puzzle to men, and I've used personal computers
since beforre floppy disks exixted!
Is there any way in Win 8 to get something like "My Computer"
in XP and previous versions of Windows? So I can actually
get to the computer --- see what's there and like drag stuff from
a flash drive into the computer, fins progams, find a directory,
etc ???

wrote in message

Win 8 is a total puzzle to men, and I've used personal
computers since beforre floppy disks exixted!
Is there any way in Win 8 to get something like "My
Computer" in XP and previous versions of Windows? So I
can actually get to the computer --- see what's there and like drag
stuff from a flash drive into the computer, fins progams,
find a directory, etc ???

Windows key +E will get you where you want to go (which is File Explorer),
doesn't matter if you are on the Metro screen or desktop.

Or, type in "explore" and select file explorer. When in Metro, you need not
type into a box, just start typing.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

Pfsszxt wrote in message ...


Win 8 is a total puzzle to men, and I've used personal computers
since before floppy disks exited!
Is there any way in Win 8 to get something like "My Computer"
in XP and previous versions of Windows? So I can actually
get to the computer --- see what's there and like drag stuff from
a flash drive into the computer, fins programs, find a directory,
etc ???


To add to RC's comment
- If desired and familiar with WinXP's Quick Launch Tool bar it can be
enabled on Win8 (just like Win7) and will sit on and adjacent to the Windows
8 Task Bar.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975784

I prefer to use both of them....using the Quick Launch for most commonly
used programs/utilities and the Task Bar for only a few (e.g. pinning
different folders to the Windows Explorer icon for easy access, a Win7
Search app, a few select web sites).

Since WinXP the Start Menu for me has been a last resort option save for a
few items pinned to it...Windows Update, Acronis, Control Panel.

Windows key and E as in the past opens Windows Explorer

Like the Quick Launch toolbar, if desired one can add the full IE
(properties based icon) to the Desktop (search Google/Bing for the Windows 7
procedure, include the author's name in the search - Ramesh Srinivasan
e.g. restore real internet explorer icon ramesh

With your years of experience, in short time you'll be doing things just
like you have in the past.

If you've questions about how to manage/rearrange/remove-add tiles on the
Win8 Modern UI, just ask.


--
....winston
msft mvp consumer apps

I could go on, but with your years of experience, which must have included
learning dozens of successive OSes,

First thanks for the info ----- but yes

__whatever the first "OS", actually just a small ROM, that was in
that very first Radio Shack computer, then TRS80, every version of DOS,Win
3.1, 95, ME, XP Pro and now Win 7 and Win 8 (in my wife's computer).
None was a problem for me -- until Win 8.





you should have no trouble getting comfy
with Win8. If you have specific questions, just ask here. ;)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3508.0205) in Win8 Pro

"R. C. White" wrote in message
ecom...
Hi, Pfsszxt.

(My first TRS-80 in 1977 didn't have a floppy disk, either, until that was
introduced several months later.)

As a first step, just start Win8 and, on the first page of tiles, move
that "Desktop" tile to the upper left corner position. Then just press
Enter

I had the desktop --now to learn how to boot to it !

There is a Task Bar, and just about anything can be pinned to it. With a
few minutes (or maybe hours) work and exploration, I had a dozen or so of
my favorite icons lined up there. (I chose Quicken, WLMail, Command
Prompt, Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer, Control Panel, Excel, Media
Center... you get the idea, but make your lineup.) Just as with Win7 (and
WinXP?), WinKey+4 (the Windows Key plus the 4 on the top row of the
keyboard) pops up the 4th Taskbar icon - which is Windows Explorer on MY
desktop; WE hasn't changed too much from WinXP and before.)

I could go on, but with your years of experience, which must have included
learning dozens of successive OSes, you should have no trouble getting
comfy with Win8. If you have specific questions, just ask here. ;)

All TRs-80 versions, all DOS versions, Win 3.1, 95, ME, XP Pro
and now Win 7 PRO (and XP, Vista, & now win 8 on my wife's machines.

Thank you.

has written on 8/31/2013 2:23 PM:
"R. C. White" wrote in message
ecom...
Hi, Pfsszxt.

(My first TRS-80 in 1977 didn't have a floppy disk, either, until that was
introduced several months later.)

As a first step, just start Win8 and, on the first page of tiles, move
that "Desktop" tile to the upper left corner position. Then just press
Enter

I had the desktop --now to learn how to boot to it !

Either use Google or buy startisback for $3.

wrote:
"R. C. White" wrote in message
ecom...
Hi, Pfsszxt.

(My first TRS-80 in 1977 didn't have a floppy disk, either, until that was
introduced several months later.)

As a first step, just start Win8 and, on the first page of tiles, move
that "Desktop" tile to the upper left corner position. Then just press
Enter

I had the desktop --now to learn how to boot to it !


Two steps.
1. Update to Win8.1; it's a free update, google for download.
2. See here;
http://tinyurl.com/knge6vq

Remember a couple of things, look beyond them, and Bob's your uncle.
Remember that MS tried to bridge pads to desktops.
Remember that they knew that the vast majority of users would initially
be desktops.

Ergo the desktop option is still there, but ..... a little bit
camouflaged to survive in the jungle of teenager-appealing razzmatazz.

Ed

Thank you!

"Ed Cryer" wrote in message
...
wrote:
"R. C. White" wrote in message
ecom...
Hi, Pfsszxt.

(My first TRS-80 in 1977 didn't have a floppy disk, either, until that
was
introduced several months later.)

As a first step, just start Win8 and, on the first page of tiles, move
that "Desktop" tile to the upper left corner position. Then just press
Enter

I had the desktop --now to learn how to boot to it !


Two steps.
1. Update to Win8.1; it's a free update, google for download.
2. See here;
http://tinyurl.com/knge6vq

Remember a couple of things, look beyond them, and Bob's your uncle.
Remember that MS tried to bridge pads to desktops.
Remember that they knew that the vast majority of users would initially be
desktops.

Ergo the desktop option is still there, but ..... a little bit camouflaged
to survive in the jungle of teenager-appealing razzmatazz.

Ed