Hello,

I found that in we can disable metro UI, and use old style start button on Windows 8 Developer Preview.

Is this works with Windwos 8 RTM?

• Edited by AA user Tuesday, August 28, 2012 9:27 AM

• Proposed as answer by AnthonyDa Tuesday, August 28, 2012 12:23 PM
• Unproposed as answer by AA user Tuesday, August 28, 2012 1:02 PM

Hello,

I found that in we can disable metro UI, and use old style start button on Windows 8 Developer Preview.

Is this works with Windwos 8 RTM?

Hi

That tweak only workrs in the Developer Preview version.

It does not work inthe later previews or RTM.

Regards

• Proposed as answer by Niki HanModerator Wednesday, August 29, 2012 9:06 AM
• Marked as answer by AA user Wednesday, August 29, 2012 8:03 PM

Hey this metro view cannot be disabled however with some tweaks you can get Windows 7 look.

here is an article about the steps and requirements:

http://www.technology-howto.com/2012/10/Remove-Metro-UI-From-Windows-8.html

• Edited by amar3383 Monday, November 12, 2012 5:19 AM

Andre.Ziegler wrote:

Install ClassicShell, disable the Hotcorners and activate SkipMetro to directly boot to the desktop and now Metro is gone.

Andre apparently didn't write it in big enough font above, so I've made it easier to see.  This is a COMPLETE solution to the problem.   You will see the Metro start screen for only 1 second then the system jumps to the desktop.  ClassicShell's start button/menu replacement makes it unnecessary to ever visit the Metro start screen.

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Of course, if you're going to avoid the only part of Windows 8 that adds anything new over what Windows 7 already did, maybe the answer is to just not upgrade at all.  A lot of folks who have already thoroughly evaluated Windows 8 have decided that's the most prudent approach for now.

If your computer is capable of running a virtualization package, such as VMware, I STRONGLY recommend installing Windows 8 as an evaluation in a virtual machine and evaluating it first, before deciding to upgrade.

It's great to see so many solutions to this egregious problem emerging.

It's only a matter of time before someone develops an alternate .msstyle file to bring back a reasonable appearance in the desktop themes.

regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Change RPEnabled from 1 to 0

• Proposed as answer by stepasha Friday, October 26, 2012 6:47 PM
• Unproposed as answer by stepasha Friday, October 26, 2012 6:47 PM

With my preview I found a way by disabling an option in the registry, has anyone tried this on the actual version?

regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Change RPEnabled from 1 to 0

It didnt do anything :(

Metro is really annoying me too, only way to disable it - Classic Shell, but i think that Microsoft MUST RETURN AERO DESKTOP WITH CLASSIC START FOR US as option!

Try this tool:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/158666-start-is-back-beta-3/

Is there something about StartIsBack that sets it apart from ClassicShell?  Just curious.

It brings the original Windows 7 Startmenu back which IS STILL INCLUDED in Windows 8, but disabled and hidden from the users.

Well, clearly it's more than just a settings tweaker, enabling latent functionality, so I wonder about the complete accuracy of that portrayal.  I have nothing against it, nor do I doubt that most of the functionality is still in Windows 8 - I'm just skeptical by nature.  Note, for example, that Microsoft removed Aero Glass by actually deleting the GPU shader code that e.g., blurs things.

But beyond that I guess I'm also having trouble seeing how restoring a vestigial Windows Start Menu would be better than using a 3rd party open source package that re-implements the Start menu entirely to actually work better than the original (e.g., in Windows 7).  I have replaced Windows' Start menu with it as well on all my enterprise systems (Windows 7, Vista) because, well, it's just better/cleaner/faster.

Is StartIsBack an open source project?  Yes, I realize few folks are equipped to actually review all the source code that goes into a product, and we implicitly choose to trust the content of every application we install on our systems (for most folks ignorance is bliss), but the source is there for ClassicShell if one wants to look it over (I have).  I can envision enterprises wanting to vet applications they choose to add to their systems to augment missing Windows functionality.

Does it also restore the original desktop context menus?

These new ones look cheap and ugly.

But beyond that I guess I'm also having trouble seeing how restoring a vestigial Windows Start Menu would be better than using a 3rd party open source package that re-implements the Start menu entirely to actually work better than the original (e.g., in Windows 7). 

Is StartIsBack an open source project?  Yes, I realize few folks are equipped to actually review all the source code that goes into a product, and we implicitly choose to trust the content of every application we install on our systems (for most folks ignorance is bliss), but the source is there for ClassicShell if one wants to look it over (I have).

It is sad that Microsoft is forcing technical people **working** on a desktop (yes, some of us actually don't use Windows just for entertainment), to use a toy user interface which is targeted for tablets and/or non-technical people.

Metro UI is not bad IF I choose to use, but forcing it on users is just taking Microsoft steps backward.

I've been using MS-DOS since 2.0.. and seriously considering leaving the Microsoft world

I just got HP windows 8 laptop on 12/14. My wife is very familiar with windows 7, vista, XP. For windows 8, the metro UI in desktop version is really bad in her mind. Why not have the windows 8 desktop version?

I find we cant disable metro UI for Windows 8 RTM. That being said, renaming Shsxs.dll  and changing RPEnabled =0 are not working.

Class Shell is a good tool to use start menu as you did in Windows 7. More productive.

Look Metro is 'ok' - at best. It's not a huge learning curve, and I'm not opposed to 'new features' - but it just slows things down, honestly. For granny and aunt couldcarelessaboutcomputers, it's fine - but for server admins and power users it's - 'meh' - at best. Well - only because we don't have another option - would that have been so hard?

Instead of a quick click on a start button - I had to sit and bump my mouse against the corner of the server's RDC window 10 times - and don't even get me started on how CLUNKY metro is if you are using a remote access controller like an HP iLO or Dell DRAC - it's horrible. MS obviously didn't consider that even for a second. On a remote access controller with a bit of latency - good luck getting Metro up. Those can be hard, at times, to navigate with WinServer 2008, etc... 

But I found a quick 'fix' that works for me - one that we will be adding to our server images as well:

Launch CMD, pin to taskbar. Instead of bumping the corner 5 times, I just type in 'notepad' in the CLI - and guess what launches! Works - basically the same as Metro, huh? I mean - honestly, it does, lol. 

It's an improvement having to type the app's name.... how? The command line has done that for quite a few years already. So at least I can thank Microsoft for leaving that functionality in.

Microsoft should have looked at Ubuntu's experience with Unity before trying to box it's users into a corner. But luckily, with Linux - you can pick the UI at logon - can we do that with Windows?

Why no.... no we can't.

But honestly - I like Metro, I like Server 2012, with that one exception - the UI is HORRIBLY inflexible - isn't it?

Like it, hate it - you must admit - it's inflexible.

• Edited by Overcast72 Wednesday, August 21, 2013 7:28 PM

First off, the concept of installing an operating system as an upgrade to an existing operating system is putting the cart squarely before the horse.  Avoid doing so at all costs (of course this doesn't help those who already have).

Suggest you download and install the very latest version of ClassicShell (uninstall and reinstall if you already have it in).  You'll find it works properly after that.  Also look in the ClassicShell Classic Start Menu Options.  There's a lot you can tweak in there.

I understand your frustration, but the term "Upgrade" does certainly apply to a major version number release.

That said, I happen to agree with you; there's nothing about Windows 8 that represents an upgrade to desktop functionality and compels you to upgrade. 

It's like they took EVERYONE off all the important parts to work on Metro/Modern.  Who empowers management to do that?  Are all the Board of Directors a bunch of dupes?  Didn't anyone notice that Microsoft was turning completely away from making serious operating systems and leaving their business customer base out in the breeze?

By the way, who has made a Windows 8-only "work-related" application at this point?  I'm REALLY curious about that.

I suppose if your company happens to be developing apps for the Microsoft Store that could be necessary, but beyond that???

Hi Andre,

If you have a moment can you please email me at ben.hunter@microsoft.com.

Thanks,

Ben Hunter

Windows commercial Community Manager

Ok... this all sucks. If one want to remove metro and apps all together with store and all the rest of that bull...

Get yourself good registry editor (the one that allows deleting keys without need to bother your self with permissions e.g. Registrar Registry Manager) and install take ownership shortcut to your right-click menu)

use DISM to list ALL APPS packages, save the list and remove all registry keys and all files and folders with the names of listed apps using those tools.

Use DISM to check and repair health of the image (online or off line). This has to be done to fix latter problems with windows update (this removal procedure removes few files that are necessary for wusa to work. Repair helth command in DISM will download those files and register them as it should)

I do recommend to install all updates before removal.

There is a general problem of adding updates in offline mode and image health though... Be careful not to add updates that will leave "pending operations" on the image. If you do add those than restore health will have to be done after installing windows from that image when pending shit is cleared. (it could be added as runonce command after install of windows, but have in mind that it takes a while to finish.)This will remove everything including that idiotic windows store and apps all together.

Result: Windows 8.1 without store and apps, to get start menu install something like clasic shell, and show the finger to microsoft.

• Edited by ibach Thursday, December 26, 2013 12:22 PM

Andre.Ziegler wrote:

Install ClassicShell, disable the Hotcorners and activate SkipMetro to directly boot to the desktop and now Metro is gone.

Andre apparently didn't write it in big enough font above, so I've made it easier to see.  This is a COMPLETE solution to the problem.   You will see the Metro start screen for only 1 second then the system jumps to the desktop.  ClassicShell's start button/menu replacement makes it unnecessary to ever visit the Metro start screen.

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Of course, if you're going to avoid the only part of Windows 8 that adds anything new over what Windows 7 already did, maybe the answer is to just not upgrade at all.  A lot of folks who have already thoroughly evaluated Windows 8 have decided that's the most prudent approach for now.

If your computer is capable of running a virtualization package, such as VMware, I STRONGLY recommend installing Windows 8 as an evaluation in a virtual machine and evaluating it first, before deciding to upgrade.

 

disable metro UI

hiep me tes

 hi i wed to 

disable metro UI

hiep me tes

Classic Shell Download.

Happy Be.

:-)

This is a clever solution without any install.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDn-WNJ9fNo