Windows 8.1 Preview

The Metro hater's adviser to the Windows 8.1 Preview

In announcement the absolution of the Windows 8.1 Preview, Microsoft admiral said, “We’re alert to feedback.” That’s a affable way of adage they were aggravating to abstain actuality splattered by a battery of rotten tomatoes.

Some of the best articulate complaints—sorry, feedback—came from longtime Windows users who capital the acceptable genitalia of Windows 8 after sacrificing the accustomed Windows 7 desktop. Responding to that complaint was the catalyst abaft Microsoft’s accommodation to restore the Start button in Windows 8.1 to its acceptable abode at the larboard ancillary of the taskbar.

The acceptable news: Windows 8.1 has all the user-interface pieces you charge to accompany the desktop to the beginning and accomplish the Start awning abate far, far into the background.

The bad news: Windows 8.1 doesn’t accept a abracadabra “make Metro go away” button. Desktop diehards will charge to absorb a brace account (really, that’s all the time it takes) to abuse the Windows 8.1 Preview into submission.

Here’s what you charge to do to accomplish Windows 8.1 as desktop-friendly as possible. Note that all of the appearance I call actuality are new or decidedly afflicted in Windows 8.1 compared to Windows 8.

Step 1: Uninstall exceptionable apps.

Your focus is on desktop apps. You accept no admiration to use any of the 20-plus congenital Metro apps and no affairs to download any from the Windows Store. To abate the adventitious that you will aback barrage one of the congenital apps, uninstall as abounding as you can. Windows 8.1 allows you to uninstall all of those apps in one operation; that’s a big advance over Windows 8, which fabricated you uninstall anniversary app separately.

Step 2: Adjust the attending of the Start screen.

Windows 8.1 includes an advantage that allows the Start awning to allotment the aforementioned accomplishments as the desktop. Personally, I acquisition that ambience somewhat distracting, so I leave it off. Instead, I acclaim removing the arrangement and adjusting the accomplishments blush to article neutral. This chat box isn’t in PC Settings, area you ability apprehend it. Instead, you accept to go to the Start screen, bang the Settings charm, and again bang Personalize.

Step 3: Abuse the Start awning settings to clothing your preferences.

Right-click any abandoned amplitude on the taskbar and bang Properties. That opens up the familiar-looking Taskbar And Navigation Properties chat box, with a Navigation tab that’s new to Windows 8.1. Options actuality acquiesce you to bypass the Start awning at sign-in, appearance the All Apps awning back you bang or tap Start, and attenuate the two hot corners at the top of the screen.

Step 4: Arrange the Apps screen.

You’ll apparently demand to abstain the Start awning completely, but you can’t abstain an casual appointment to the Apps view. It replaces the All Programs card with a full-screen list, organized into groups. You accept several allocation and alignment options in Windows 8.1 that aren’t accessible in Windows 8.

Step 5: Pin your admired desktop programs to the taskbar.

This is absolutely one affair Windows 8.1 does bigger than Windows 7. From the Apps appearance you can baddest as abounding desktop programs as you demand and again bang Pin to Taskbar from the command bar at the basal of the screen.

Step 6: Set your absence apps.

This is a footfall a lot of bodies overlook. By default, Windows 8 sets several accepted book types to accessible with Metro-style apps. Windows 8.1 follows in that tradition. You can use the awkward and ambagious Absence Programs advantage in the desktop Control Panel. But it’s much, abundant easier to use the new Defaults option, which you’ll acquisition in PC Settings below Search & Apps.

Don’t balloon to change your absence browser here. If you use Chrome or Firefox, the desktop adaptation of your adopted browser becomes the default. If you use Internet Explorer, be abiding to appointment the Internet Options chat box application the desktop interface. On the Programs tab, below Opening Internet Explorer, accept Always In Internet Explorer On The Desktop, and additionally analysis the box below that setting.

There, you’re done.

That was apparently added complicated than it needs to be, but the end aftereffect should be a arrangement that is far added advanced of your desktop habits, with far beneath Metro style.