Windows 8, total disaster for first week of high school

[LNC]

We thought our daugther would love a new laptop for high school. She starts Lukeion tom. for her first online class.

 

I unboxed it yesterday after a week at the beach. It is soooooo darn hard to figure out! It doesn't have a touch screen which Windows 8 seems made for. I can't get java to work unless I switch to desktop mode, how the heck do I close open windows? etc. I set up 3 user accounts linked gmail, and figured out to arrange our start screens. That only took 5 hours. :(

 

I feel so discombobulated. We love our schoolwork today, but this tech is driving us batty! Even my desktop won't work, says there is not enough disk space to download our beach pics in Picasa. Sigh.

[AK_Mom4]

I installed StartMenu 8 on DS17's new laptop.  I figure eventually we will learn all the Windows 8 tricks, but he needed to get up and operational right away.  It's a solid little program that just works like it's supposed to - and poof! the classic desktop is back and working.  You can always get to the new Metro view or whatever it's called, but this made it easier to work with.

[Jan in SC]

It must be made for a touch screen. My ds 13 just got a new laptop with windows 8 and he said it is super easy to use. Can you switch the laptop for a touch screen one, since it is still new?

[Mnemosyne]

I have it on my desktop (no touchscreen) and I find it a breeze to use. It does take some getting used to though - maybe pull up a tutorial on YouTube to get started?

[LNC]

I've been using it on my laptop and figuring it out as I go.

First off, a mouse made a HUGE difference. Trying to do everything without one made it so difficult.

Second, using IE in desktop mode made it easier. It's just like windows 7. It has tabs and a favorites bar. I would love to switch to Chrome like my other pc, but I read the Chrome has had issues with 8. I'm not sure it's still true, but I'm just fine for now with Internet Explorer.

Have you checked on YouTube for how-to videos? There was one that I watched before getting the laptop that really helped. I think it was this one. I remember he got right and left side wrong at one point, but it's obvious what he meant.

 

Basically you move the cursor to different corners of the screen to do different things.

Bottom left = Start Menu

Top left = last open page

Middle left = open pages - right click to close them.

 

The start menu is just a visual representation of a regular start menu in 7. You can shortcut all of your favorite programs and apps to your start menu and they will open. If I just want to browse the internet or go to the forums, I use the IE shortcut button from the desktop not the start menu. This opens and looks just the way you are used to. I have to be careful about opening websites from the start screen. It's fine for programs, but not the internet. use the desktop screen for that and save yourself a headache.

This helps a ton for internet. I'll explore that for some websites she pinned to the start menu. They would work much better in desktop. I'll have to search how to save bookmarks.

 

Thanks. So, I see the ie button in desktop, but there are several others pre installed I would like to move to recycle bin, like ebay. I hate screen clutter. I tried to drag it to recycle but it says administrator only. Something else to search!

[Kalypso]

I installed StartMenu 8 on DS17's new laptop.  I figure eventually we will learn all the Windows 8 tricks, but he needed to get up and operational right away.  It's a solid little program that just works like it's supposed to - and poof! the classic desktop is back and working.  You can always get to the new Metro view or whatever it's called, but this made it easier to work with.

 

 

Thank you for sharing this info. We got a new computer with Windows 8 over the weekend, and it has been driving my dd and me crazy.