Thursday 31 March 2016

Advice for new Win 8 Users – How to get started with less frustration. Tech Support

Advice for new Win 8 Users – How to get started with less frustration.

At the risk of being lambasted, and burned at the stake; I would like to state that I love Windows 8.  I also hate that MS has completely botched the rollout of this product causing so many to be dissatisfied with it.  It is the ONLY product out there that
bridges the gap between modern mobile computing and traditional desktop environments and I am using both very successfully.

First let me state for the record that I am not an employee of MS.   I am an accountant and IT admin for a mid-sized company that has been using Windows 8 for a while now very successfully in my business and at home.  I have a traditional PC setup at work
with a mouse and keyboard and I use a touchscreen Windows 8 device when I am at home.   I’m just a user like the rest of you and getting to know WIN 8.

So here is some friendly advice on getting started with WIN 8, in the hopes that your transition will go smoother and with less frustration. 

The main lesson I learned early on about getting started is this...

Don’t hang around the new start screen and get to work setting up your traditional desktop environment FIRST!

Click on the desktop tile, and install all those traditional applications that get you through the day.  Email client, MS Office, etc.
Resist the urge to go to the start screen and trying to find applications that will replace those that you are used to
working with and concentrate on your Desktop environment.  Tweak it so it is as close as possible to the previous setup you had before you upgraded or got your new computer with Win 8 on it.   If you like, install one of the many “get your start button back”
applications.
  Some of these applications will even let you bypass the start screen all together and boot directly to your desktop.  I find this unneeded but you may like it.

Soon you will notice that the new desktop functions pretty much like the old one did.  Install an application and it will put a shortcut on the desktop, pin it to the task bar by dragging it if it’s something you use often.  Play around with file explorer,
you’ll find that it functions just as it should, and your familiar tree structure for files and directories has not changed a bit.  Click WINDOWS KEY + X and you will find all those administrative functions that you need from time to time including the control
panel.  Use ctrl+alt+esc to get the new and improved task manager.

Now, explore some of the enhanced features of the desktop.  Wallpaper, multi-monitor support, the use of WIN+arrow keys to easily move open programs around the screen for better multi tasking.  There are really too many to list.

Ah...now, like a warm comfy blanket, you have a Windows 7 "like" environment to springboard from.

UPDATE:  Now with WIN 8.1 update you can setup your system to bypass the new start screen for the most part.
 There is also a new start button included that can also be tweaked to get closer to it's original functions.
 Here's how:

After you are in desktop right click on the taskbar at the bottom and click properties.Click on the navigation tab.Make sure the following are checked:  Start Screen: Check #1, #2, #4, and #5 
These tweaks will let you boot the computer directly to the desktop, make the new start button function a little more like the traditional win 7 button, and get you back to the desktop UI quickly should you ever venture away from it.

Playing around with these setting should help create a more "traditional" windows 7 environment.
 

 
NEXT..
open the charms bar and play around with the new UI on a casual basis.

Only after you are satisfied with your desktop and can get around in it, should you even consider exploring the new Metro/Modern UI and applications.  Why?  Because at the end of the day, you need to know how to get stuff done in an environment you have
some familiarity with.  Explorer doesn't work like you want in Metro?  Go to desktop and use Chrome or whatever alternative browser you installed.  Don’t like the new email?  Use Outlook or Thunderbird. 

But what you may come to realize is that there are some very good alternatives that are actually much easier to use in the modern UI.
Over time you may find yourself using some of them as go-to applications for certain things.  I have many that I prefer
to use over their desktop counterparts, and I never thought that was ever going to happen.  I even find myself now using the search in the charms bar to find files and launch programs (much faster than clicking around the old start button by the way).  But
these things came with time and I could always get what I needed with my traditional desktop while I learned some of the tricks in Win 8. 
MUCH LESS FRUSTRATION.

I have choices in WIN 8 in terms of how I want to work and how I want things setup that I never had in the past.  I make those choices based on how I want to work, and the computing environment I am in at the time.  There is no law that says “If you are
not using the Metro Start Screen you are not using Windows 8.”  I only wish MS would have done a better job with the rollout so that more could be as satisfied as I now am with Windows 8.  Are there some issues with Windows 8? Sure there are.  Are they as
dire as for me to want to switch back? Are you kidding? Absolutely not!  I now have the ability to compute in any environment on any type of machine and not have to learn an entirely new OS to do it. 

If I can, you can.  I’m an accountant for Heaven’s sake…  we hate change man!
 
Let the stone throwing begin…

Keys to the Problem Advice for new Win 8 Users – How to get started with less frustration.

Download Error Fixer (Free)

Manually editing the Windows registry

Manually editing the Windows registry to remove invalid MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION keys is not recommended unless you are PC service professional. Incorrectly editing your registry can stop your PC from functioning and create irreversible damage to your operating system. In fact, one misplaced comma can prevent your PC from booting entirely!


Caution: Unless you an advanced PC user, we DO NOT recommend editing the Windows registry manually. Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows. We do not guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To manually repair your Windows registry, first you need to create a backup by exporting a portion of the registry related to MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION (eg. Windows Operating System):

  • Click the Start button.
  • Type "command" in the search box... DO NOT hit ENTER yet!
  • While holding CTRL-Shift on your keyboard, hit ENTER.
  • You will be prompted with a permission dialog box.
  • Click Yes.
  • A black box will open with a blinking cursor.
  • Type "regedit" and hit ENTER.
  • In the Registry Editor, select the Error 0x9C-related key (eg. Windows Operating System) you want to back up.
  • From the File menu, choose Export.
  • In the Save In list, select the folder where you want to save the Windows Operating System backup key.
  • In the File Name box, type a name for your backup file, such as "Windows Operating System Backup".
  • In the Export Range box, be sure that "Selected branch" is selected.
  • Click Save.
  • The file is then saved with a .reg file extension.
  • You now have a backup of your MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION-related registry entry.

Another Safe way to Fix the Problem: Advice for new Win 8 Users – How to get started with less frustration.:

How to Fix Advice for new Win 8 Users – How to get started with less frustration. with SmartPCFixer?

1. Click the button to download SmartPCFixer . Install it on your computer.  Open it, and it will scan your system. The junk files will be shown in the list.

2. After the scan is done, you can see the errors and problems which need to be fixed.

3. The Repair part is finished, the speed of your computer will be much higher than before and the errors have been removed. You can also use other functions in SmartPCFixer. Like dll downloading, junk file cleaning and print spooler error repair.


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