So there have been a lot of rumors on the web lately about Windows 8.1 and how many changes are going to be made to Windows 8.
The real question though is not what the pundits think or want but what you guys want in this new release.
So this is an open forum for you the readers – Microsoft may be listening so feel free to chime in.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN WINDOWS BLUE (8.1)?
I got a lot of mail asking that the start menu(button) be brought back and users be given the ability to boot straight into the desktop. I think those two hands down were the biggest customization requests by the people.
I do know that I have been asked if some of the other elements of the Windows 8 UI could be tweaked even more and that’s been cool with me too.
If you have any customizations you think would be cool to enhance Windows 8, this is the place to comment and let the world know.
If you think that Windows 8 sucks butt and you don’t care, you can say that as well.
Take a second and use the comments below.
All Comments
I want to see the Start Menu button back!
Like to see them get rid of windows 8 forever…. microsoft will never get rid of the tiles! they never listen to the consumer!!! NEVER!
I want better security.
Fingerprint detection etc…
I want better security.
Fingerprint detection etc…
Start menu button with a real menu, not a button that takes you to their stupid start page. Boot to desktop. Option to disable the charms & corners. The option to permanently remove all the metro/modern stuff would be ideal. Otherwise, the OS is great!
Classic Shell (Free Open Source)! Does the majority of what you want (and more), the only thing I am not sure of is the disabling of the Charms (which personally I would not want to ever do)! If you run Windows 8 you, sooner or later, have to get to the functions that are built-in, rather you like them or not!
I have yet to find a use for the Charms bar. Search was handy when I was first using 8, but now that I have stuff pinned to the taskbar (MS Office Apps, IE, etc) I haven’t used search in week. Share is useless. Not sure why I need to access Devices regularly.
I’m using Start 8 from IObit rather than Classic Shell. It works well, but it annoys me I have to fix Win8 just so I can get work done.
start button with the all programs menue
Start Menu button
Classic Shell (Free Open Source)! Better than anything Microsoft would do, most likely!
You know what bugs me the most about Windows 8 on my Surface? How come I can’t change the wallpaper to some other pattern than the ones already there?
Yeah, that’s petty… but so far it’s the biggest problem I have had with Win 8.
You know what bugs me the most about Windows 8 on my Surface? How come I can’t change the wallpaper to some other pattern than the ones already there?
Yeah, that’s petty… but so far it’s the biggest problem I have had with Win 8.
same here start menu
I want the windows Start button to come back and please get rid of the tiles. winodws Xp and 7 is still the best one still out.
I want an in depth tutorial on using tiles, and how to repliacte the functionality that the start menu once provided.
Start Button, working homegroup, ability to hold WEA code, and to print wirelessly ! all of these were absolutely OK in Windows 7 so another option would be a free return to that excellent OS
Fix how the new control panel handles devices. It doesn’t show any of my Bluetooth devices and most of my printers correctly. It seems to have been designed/tested with a specific few kinds of devices only.
IF only windows blue has a hub somewhat like BlackBerry 10. Why would you want to use tiles? It can’t show as many notifications as BlackBerry 10. Perhaps instead of a blank space at the top of the screen that says start there is a bar that shows the date and time and a couple of icons here and there, like in the taskbar, only Playbook tablet-style. Tap the bar and all the live tile messages will be there, no waiting for it to appear. Everything is at your fingertips on demand with BlackBerry, why not with Windows if it is designed for tablets rather than desktops?
They need to add more sizes of tiles to the start screen. They also need to allow other arrangements besides the two-column-only stacks. I like that it fills the whole screen – why should the classic start menu use only a small portion of my huge monitors? But right now, it is too inflexible.
I agree 100%. This new layout does not work for a PC. The learning curve to use efficiently is steep for business. For experienced user, the mouse/touch screen impedes progress and efficiency.
I work in IT and this is what I constantly hear: Bring back the Start menu, boot to desktop, remove metro forever! The worst bug (I hope its a bug) is when it restart randomly to install updates: theres even no prompt to cancel or save your work, it just starts shutting down your pc or laptop WHILE you are working. For now, as a business OS, it is a toy. For the consumer it is a pain. Listen to your clients MS!
100% agree that’s all I hear “Start menu and programs list, I can’t find my programs list” over and over. Not all programs are listed on the windows8 home page list. Oh that’s not a bug, its good coding roflmao
That sounds like your corporate push server to me.
First, Classic Shell (Free Open Source)! Better than anything Microsoft would do, most likely! Full Menu, by pass of Start Screen, directly to Desktop on boot, etc.
Windows Update, go into Control Panel & adjust to the settings you want (it doesn’t have to install them automatically, there are several options. just like there always have been)… The auto reboot has a two day delay, people need to pay attention to there systems and quit thinking everything is going to be handled for them (then moan & groan when it is!)
I want them to scratch the whole buggy program I’ve never used an OS with so many bugs before vista is better than this 8 crap what Microsoft really needs to do is hit delete and start completely prom scratch. Microsoft need to quit tryin to mimic the IOS and go on there own road i mean geezer guys get creative
Boot on desktop and Start menu button with programs to select..
better virtual keyboard layout
I’m sure its an unpopular thing to say on this forum but I really have no complaints at all about the tiles and the departure of the Start button. I would not welcome it back – used that feature every since 94 during beta testing of W95 and good riddance to it.
One little thing I would like to see is more customization of tiles themselves, not just their size as promised for W8.1
Second tap as right click for touch input, as was in win7
more free apps that actually work. free to all windows 8 users
Bring Windows Aero back for windows 8.1, it was really nice looking but got replaced with the metro which was made using little effort, and they NEED to add an option so that you can ENABLE/DISABLE the start menu, start button, apps, and the metro features so that you can make your computer JUST the way you want it to be. Another thing I think Microsoft should add to Windows 8.1 is a Create Your Own OS and use it on your pc but Duel-Booted with Windows 8.1 during the installation Of windows 8.1! The last thing Microsoft should add is a program that allows the user to customize the Windows 8.1 Logo, Login screen, Boot up Windows logo screen, and also the BEST… The Windows 8.1 OS name! Oh, Instead of Window BLUE Or Windows 8.1 They should name it Windows Chrystal or Windows Obsidian and maybe even Windows Azul!
l like windows 8 just the way it is its fast and l can find my way around it with no problems
From where they are at, just a start screen button and metro ui folders.
firstly it is should be for computers laptop and desktop not for tablet as professionals has a lot to do with typing etc so a world without typing is unreal un profesional, you cannot always cut and paste if you have to type about 20 pages , forms mails etc it has to be a key pad. we expecting somthing upgrade of win 7 in an profissional way a multimedia is always a home choise not an small, big or large business. sugessetions 1. it could be fast booting less battery consuming of say somthing having auto recharge in idle mode. faster brosing downloads, auto organisor of filling etc, cloud bacup and syncronising etc…. in other ways more powerfull than win 7 so an upgrade should be more profissional. and also please launch an os after some gap and proper r&d say not earlier than 5 years. if window is to be launched every year there would be lot of issues such as driver supports, programe and software compatability. i have a hobby of trying new os so i can say win xp is the best till date after win 98. win 7 was only a survival of window vista, as xp of ME , even win 2000 was a powerfull os but as you withdraw your support it forces us to upgrade our systems…. if an feedbak please write to anupampoddar@rediffmail.com
my two greatest desires which I want to become true, are the start menu and be able to boot right into the desktop. and I do want the newest Version of DirectX to be available for Windows 7.
Start Menu, loose Tiles on Desktops/Servers…. Ability to pin folders “easily”. Better Driver integration/support. Have had a lot of issue’s with various Bluetooth mice, as well as 2 year old nvidia video cards. At the very least, they can work on simplifying their UI, rather than making it look basic with their 16bit color tiles… The majority of users would prefer a fancier UI, and have ease of use.
As an old grey-haired with friends just as wrinkly, can I say that when we go into the stores now looking to upgrade our desktops or laptops all we see is win8 on all choices, whether touchscreen or not. Most of us don’t want don’t want an oily fingerprint screen to jab at and certainly not a virtual keyboard. The emphasis of win8 seems to be on tablet type use with little consideration for those of us content with a mouse and keyboard approach. Accordingly, many of us have walked away and not spent money on a new computer. It would be nice to have new hardware and an improved underlying OS and yes we can fiddle with it or download apps to make it work as we are used too: but why should this be necessary? Stuff your learning curve, we simply want to carry on with our basics: docs, spreadsheets, emailing, photo editing and browsing. Microsoft shut the door on a generation with cash to spare and the computer industry shouldn’t be surprised that sales are dramatically down.
same here start menu
I am more than happy with the way that it is. However, one small change I would like to have included is the ability to resize tiles as we do on WP7.8/8.0. that is, have a third, smaller option for the start menu tiles.
I’m wondering if the versions of Windows 8 that come on consumer PCs – Best Buy, Costco, Walmart, etc. – will be able to upgrade to 8.1? Nobody at any of the stores knows if they will or not. My MIL wants to buy a laptop for my son for graduation present, but I don’t want him stuck at an obsolete level like RT became. And asking some techs about compatibility, they say that many older programs won’t necessarily work with Win 8, unless there is a version in the App Store. I’m not an IPad guy, so I am not used to a one-site to download from. I’m wondering if we can just get him a laptop with Win 7 home premium on it, instead while MS works out the kinks in Win 8.
1-start button
2-boot to desktop
startbutton and programlist for sure.. otherwise i will keep using win7
Return to the functionality and beauty of windows 7, the start button is the least of it, but we need it, who need to work in the company, with this windows 8 does not work.
We had so much evolution of windows, now to invent this crap system weak, no vision for the professional within the company.
Return to the functionality and beauty of windows 7, the start button is the least of it, but we need it, who need to work in the company, with this windows 8 does not work.
We had so much evolution of windows, now to invent this crap system weak, no vision for the professional within the company.
Include the choice if we want to use the metro or desktop to install the system. So keep democracy
I go along with the start button, but if using tiles, then make more of them live and allow customization. I would also like to see the voice commands upgraded. Both IOS and Android have voice commands that are are starting to really work, but Windows’ speech recognition is pathetic, and really saves no time. How nice it would be to sit back from my 23″ monitor and voice command. Hell, I might even put down my iPad.
Revert Windows Media Center back the way it was in Windows 7. Free and able to burn legal content to DVD. The rest is OK with me.
Include the Media Center functionality and drivers for popular ATSC (8-VSB) & QAM-256 tuner cards.
Boot to a usuable desktop.
Allow “one-click” shutdown
optional Start menu button or “direct to desktop” which has already been rumored. Um 8.1 also should be “free” Or else I will never do business with Microsoft ever again. It’s bad enough I had to pay 40$ for 8 which all it is is a updated version to 7. Custom Welcome screen changer, custom start screen changer/wallpaper so I don’t have to pirate decor8 anymore. lol I think being able to change the background of the start menu should be common sense and should have been something from the beginning. Having to be “forced” to pirate something just to change the background is a bit ridiculous.
Microsoft please, please fix the Windows Media Center “Play Ready Failed To Load” issue on Windows 8 and I will love it forever. It would be nice, also to fix it on Windows 7. It is the single most frustrating Windows problem I have seen, ever.
The Modern UI isn’t bad for what it is, and I encourage further development of it and apps for it. Just as minivans did not kill cars, tablets are ideal for many workloads and will earn their place. That does not mean Desktop is obsolete, deprecated, or even legacy. Desktop is ideal for a different set of workloads that will never be well-served by a tablet interface. Microsoft needs to push tablets not by forcing Desktop users to start on the Modern side, but to encourage the Surface team and OEMs to produce attractive tablets.
The most important and the most urgent problem for Windows 8 is a Start button and the ability to start in Desktop or Modern, selectable per user.
The Modern UI isn’t bad for what it is, and I encourage further development of it and apps for it. Just as minivans did not kill cars, tablets are ideal for many workloads and will earn their place. That does not mean Desktop is obsolete, deprecated, or even legacy. Desktop is ideal for a different set of workloads that will never be well-served by a tablet interface. Microsoft needs to push tablets not by forcing Desktop users to start on the Modern side, but to encourage the Surface team and OEMs to produce attractive tablets.
The most important and the most urgent problem for Windows 8 is a Start button and the ability to start in Desktop or Modern, selectable per user.
A finished product, Mac gives their upgrades away, how much is MS going too charge for theirs’
no metro ,only salemen and sci shows need touch screen, I do not and never whant it , I need a command tree that is fast too access so I am in good productivity for my work , I whant my os too give a smart response not a granny one, I whant too choose if I whant a home base os or not
Better Multi-Screen support! Such as being able to leave the Start page on one screen and work on the desktop on the other. Also, Metro apps such as Skype or Google Chrome (for example) need to be able to be minimized without losing sound or communication (I get logged out of Skype if I ever switch focus to another window).
During the beta stage of W8, it was said that there would be stellar multi screen support with so many customization options; I see nothing new yet.
The Windows Update page is very complicated to navigate to for no reason. You shouldn’t have to go to Settings–>Windows Update–> etc. There should be a simple notification that you can click on and you should be able to see the description without going into desktop mode.
Such an unfinished OS, but so much promise.
The default apps need still more polish. The update to Mail was more than welcome, as it brought the most basic functions, but the Social and Calendar apps need attention.
Also, there should be a notification center or bar, instead of many notifications popping up and populating the right side of the screen; it’s annoying.
The final and most important thing, WHY CAN’T YOU SEE THE TIME OF DAY ON THE START PAGE?!?! The fact that you have to swipe to even get such basic information is ridiculous. I would leave the Start Page on one side with the time but I can’t even do just that when I switch focus to a desktop app.
PS: I do not mind that they took out the Start Button; I use shortcuts instead and everything is a lot faster now. If I ever need a better search function, I can use Launchy.
Better Multi-Screen support! Such as being able to leave the Start page on one screen and work on the desktop on the other. Also, Metro apps such as Skype or Google Chrome (for example) need to be able to be minimized without losing sound or communication (I get logged out of Skype if I ever switch focus to another window).
During the beta stage of W8, it was said that there would be stellar multi screen support with so many customization options; I see nothing new yet.
The Windows Update page is very complicated to navigate to for no reason. You shouldn’t have to go to Settings–>Windows Update–> etc. There should be a simple notification that you can click on and you should be able to see the description without going into desktop mode.
Such an unfinished OS, but so much promise.
The default apps need still more polish. The update to Mail was more than welcome, as it brought the most basic functions, but the Social and Calendar apps need attention.
Also, there should be a notification center or bar, instead of many notifications popping up and populating the right side of the screen; it’s annoying.
The final and most important thing, WHY CAN’T YOU SEE THE TIME OF DAY ON THE START PAGE?!?! The fact that you have to swipe to even get such basic information is ridiculous. I would leave the Start Page on one side with the time but I can’t even do just that when I switch focus to a desktop app.
PS: I do not mind that they took out the Start Button; I use shortcuts instead and everything is a lot faster now. If I ever need a better search function, I can use Launchy.
“Start menu! start menu!” How about not? You can’t really go back. How about a new start screen? The thing I miss most about windows 7 is the list of recent documents opened in recent apps on the start menu. If they could add something that lets you see that on the Start Screen, that would be nice. But all this talk about going back to the start menu just doesn’t suit it.
I have not used the Start Menu since Vista. The lack of the menu does not bother me. However, the time wasted pushing the Start Page down everybody’s throat is making Linux look pretty good.
I would like the ability to better customize the start page. I do not want a return of the start menu. The start page is much more user friendly and faster to use.
The ‘Charms’ pop into my screen when I use the right slide to position the cursor on the site = frustrating! They should only enter the picture when I want them, namely prompt in a more unique location.
I had Windows 7 and it was great however Windows 8 is absolutely fantastic. Faster, Smoother, sexier and delightful to work with. Keep it up Microsoft.
What I would like to see is to have the desktop tile to be a live tile, that shows more than merely the desktop background. I think it would be good to show the open Windows on one slide, the time on another slide, performance numbers on a third slide, like network usage, disk IO, memory usage like you would see with task manager without having to open Task manager, toast notifications for when you are in the modern interface and something happens on the desktop that needs your attention, such as a misbehaving desktop program that triggers Windows Error Reporting.
THe inconsistent switching between metro and desktop. I want when I am in desktop mode – all apps open by default in their desktop application and same for the metro screen. I also want to be able to return to where I was previously when I close an application. For example, when going to the start menu, after I launch my command or whatever I’m doing, and I’m doing, I want to smartly return to the whatever I was previously attempting to do.
Snapping could be better – use up more real estate. And maybe even snap more than two windows simultaneously. That would be awesome. Have more functionality in the snapped windows. Custom snap windows so that it’s not just two size options.
Other than that, Windows 8 is awesome! I love it. Rarely use metro though – but when I get a tablet Win 8 I am sure I will.
THe inconsistent switching between metro and desktop. I want when I am in desktop mode – all apps open by default in their desktop application and same for the metro screen. I also want to be able to return to where I was previously when I close an application. For example, when going to the start menu, after I launch my command or whatever I’m doing, and I’m doing, I want to smartly return to the whatever I was previously attempting to do.
Snapping could be better – use up more real estate. And maybe even snap more than two windows simultaneously. That would be awesome. Have more functionality in the snapped windows. Custom snap windows so that it’s not just two size options.
Other than that, Windows 8 is awesome! I love it. Rarely use metro though – but when I get a tablet Win 8 I am sure I will.
I own licenses for two Win 7 Pro 64 bit and XP Pro 32 bit and Windows 8 upgrade.
I want MS to get rid of all the unnecessary restrictions on installing Windows 8.
I want to dual boot keeping Windows 7 installation on one partition and installing Windows 8 64 bit over another partition with XP 32 bit installed on it.
What I would really like is to revert to their older method doing a clean installation of a new version by only requiring proof of ownership of an older version even if not installed.
It should be in Microsoft’s interest to aid everyone in moving from 32 bit to 64 bit.
They allowed this when people moved from 16 to 32 bit so why not now.
I own licenses for two Win 7 Pro 64 bit and XP Pro 32 bit and Windows 8 upgrade.
I want MS to get rid of all the unnecessary restrictions on installing Windows 8.
I want to dual boot keeping Windows 7 installation on one partition and installing Windows 8 64 bit over another partition with XP 32 bit installed on it.
What I would really like is to revert to their older method doing a clean installation of a new version by only requiring proof of ownership of an older version even if not installed.
It should be in Microsoft’s interest to aid everyone in moving from 32 bit to 64 bit.
They allowed this when people moved from 16 to 32 bit so why not now.
Bring back the start button and option to boot to desktop for pc non-touch owners. The ability to change Font colour and styles in Start screen should you use it.
PS….Also aero for desktop users.
Start button, boot to desktop, the ability to change the size of the buttons in metro
what I would like is if an application is started from the Start Screen (Windows 8 App or not), when that application is closed or minimized, that I would be returned to the Start Screen, not the Desktop!
A 3rd-party application, StartIsBack, enables that as an option. When you close an application/program, you’re returned to the environment from which it was launched.
I really wish they would give users the ability to remove the notification area on the taskbar of the desktop and let users put live tiles on the start screen for those. If they had a battery tile, action center tile, windows update tile, etc. I really like my desktop being very clean and getting rid of those icons makes me much happier.
Tambien desearia que haya un boton visible para cambiar de usuarios
They should add an option to put the start menu back or leave it out. You should be able to download more start screen themes and add wallpapers if you want to. If live wallpapers could be used on your desktop it would be great. The Windows 7 aero should also be an option at the personalization on the desktop, so the windows borders and start bar’s aero look like windows 7’s. There should also be more apps on the windows store like all the angry birds games and all the cut the rope games. And games like ice age village, animal acadamy and skylanders lost islands. And every week the store should put a awesome paid app to be free for only the one week. And if the desktop start bar could get more colour like the wifi icon should like cind of green at the signal bars, and the notification flag should be red or stuff like that. Gadgets should also be brought back, and more notification sounds. A new windows media player would also be nice. And on the start screen it would be nice to have sort of a bar at the top like an android phone, then the signal and battery strength and time,date also shows there and all your notifications. Thanks. And if desktop game icons could co-operate like live tiles it would be great, like it show your completion status and achievements etc.
I installed Windows 8 Pro on my desktop but it failed.
It was installed in RAID 0 on 2x256gb OCZ Vector SSD’s and kept locking up.
Went back to Windows 7 and it’s running beautifully.
So I’m done with Windows 8. At least on hardcore machines.
BTW, go to ninite.com and download the classic start to get the start button and boot to desktop.
a free upgrade for all windows 8 users who bought it
Aero Glass, and rounded edges. The things that made windows 7 so appealing.
Aero…….I really miss Aero.