windows 8 assistance

[SparkleDJackson]

hi guys. i bought my sister a laptop for university and she goes to the states this weekend. i got her it a while ago so she could get used to windows 8. i cant use windows 8 so i cant help her. is there any way to make windows 8 more windows 7 without changing to 7. im not buying a copy of windows 7 on top of the 700 i spent on the laptop. i installed a start button but it doesnt seem to help. any win 8 wizards able to impart some knowledge so i can help her. cos if she goes to america and cant find a nerd she is done for, haha.

cheers in advance guys

 

[AMDFTW]

classic start is good mate

 

[SparkleDJackson]

i dont even know how to clse apps on it if they dont have an x in the corner

 

[QuietOne]

i dont even know how to clse apps on it if they dont have an x in the corner

I just usually end task them or leave them in the background. I use classic shell for my start menu and desktop.

 

[jamesriley94]

Drag apps from the top to the bottom to close them.

You don't need to use the apps though. Just install everything as you normally would after clicking the 'desktop' tile.

 

[SPS]

Is there anything specific she is struggling with?

Apart from installing Start8 and sticking to the desktop (ie avoiding metro apps) it isn't that different.

Also Win+X in the desktop reveals a menu of useful options/apps that will be familiar to you from Windows 7.

Metro apps are all programs that run outside of the desktop app.

Be aware that all metro apps (the desktop is also a metro app) utilise the charm bar (hover mouse to the right of the screen) to display their options and use the search bar to use any search functionality an app may have. E.g. the mail app uses the charm bar's search bar to search for emails.

- To close metro apps, drag from the top to the bottom.
- Hover your mouse in the top-left corner to see the list of running metro apps.
- Windows key toggles between the start screen and the last used metro app.
- You can multi-task with metro apps side by side, by dragging it to the left or right.

 

[dalewakelin]

If in doubt, alt f4.

 

[SparkleDJackson]

You guys are superstars. I really appreciate it and she will aswell. Out of curiosity is it ok for gaming now. I had it at christmas but it was a pita in my system forever crashing out of games etc

 

[vorticalbox]

You guys are superstars. I really appreciate it and she will aswell. Out of curiosity is it ok for gaming now. I had it at christmas but it was a pita in my system forever crashing out of games etc

I'm gaming on win 8 with no problems.

 

[QuietOne]

Same here, all the games I play work fine on Win8. Not sure if 8.1 is really worth upgrading to.

 

[Helium-3]

Same here, all the games I play work fine on Win8. Not sure if 8.1 is really worth upgrading to.

It's free. And adds the old start button, which most people have already paid for. It's worth it.

 

[QuietOne]

It's free. And adds the old start button, which most people have already paid for. It's worth it.

I'll get it tomorrow and try it out then. Thanks Helium.