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Windows 8 is great if you want to slow down your computer and enjoy restarts.

Anonymous
2013-03-06T22:14:49+00:00

Just in case someone from Microsoft reads this, I am 52 years old, was writing code in college when PC's were few and far between and have been building my own gaming PC's since it became feasible.  I can honestly say I have used EVERY version of Windows from the very first version.  

I feel Windows 8 was written for tablets and phones; when used on a PC not only does Windows 8 slow down my computer but I have to re-boot it multiple times every day (mostly when switching from one program to another).  I strongly believe that Windows 8 was written with phones and the Surface in mind and compatibility with PCs was an afterthought.  I personally have no interest in a touch screen monitor as I have to clean my iPad almost daily due to fingerprints.  I even read an article today which clearly stated that if you use a keyboard and mouse there is no reason to upgrade from Windows 7.   Out of all the Windows operating systems I have used this has to be the worst upgrade in their history.  If Microsoft thinks tablets and touch screens are the future of computing I would have to disagree.  Simply look at the top 50 paid iPad apps, at least 75% or more are games or other non  business apps.  Tablets, in my opinion, are gadgets which do not come close to functioning as a PC; even on trips I use a  laptop and do not take my tablet unless I feel like playing games.  Also prices are getting unreasonable, to the point you could purchase a PC or laptop for the price of a Surface tablet.

I cannot express in words how much I regret installing Windows 8, and would never have purchased it if Microsoft had made full disclosure. Switching back  to Windows 7 will take a fair amount of  time and effort and given I have three hard drives with some  programs installed on the second drive, meaning a format and clean install will require me to re-install all of these programs; once again if I had known that I would have to wipe my boot drive I would never have bought Windows 8, which I hope I can return.  In all honesty I purchased it because I lost my Windows 7 disk, which I since found, but in the process discovered that Microsoft appears to be pushing Windows 8 as large chains no longer sell Windows 7.

In summary Windows 8 has slowed down my computer, is in my opinion, a downgrade from Windows 7 (for those with PCs), is incompatible with certain programs and drivers, and will require a fair amount of time to figure out how to use it.  I spend half my time on my PC doing searches as simple as how to turn off Windows 8 (it has no start button so turning off is a three step process).  I am amazed at how many results turn up when you search the internet for "how to uninstall Windows 8" as well as the number of programs available to make Windows 8 look more like Windows 7 (which does nothing for speed or having  to constantly re-boot.  I cannot think of a single version of Windows in the past 10+ years which I dislike as much as Windows 8, including Windows Millennium Edition which also removed features which users wanted; PC World dubbed it the "Mistake Edition" and placed it 4th in their "Worst Tech Products of All Time".  Windows 8 is the new "Mistake Edition" and I would personally place it higher on the worst tech product list than Windows ME.

WAKE UP MICROSOFT AND LISTEN TO USERS FOR A CHANGE!!!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-03-13T22:56:46+00:00

    So you install Windows 8, update the device drivers from the motherboard and device manufacturer website, and then install all of the Windows Updates EXCEPT for the device drivers which you already have. 

    The drivers from the manufacturer websites will most likely be later and more specific to an individual device. The drivers included in Windows 8 will be only enough to get it all working. 

    You don't need a third party anti-virus solution because Windows 8 has its own.

    The machine should not be slow after doing the above.

    Re Start menus, Microsoft did include a Start Menu but not anything which was specific to desktop use. It is a hybrid menu which serves both sides of Windows 8. No, I don't like it either.

    Third party utilities have filled the gap. This enables you to operate entirely from the desktop. I can't see a problem unless of course one is looking for a problem..

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-03-12T16:30:40+00:00

    Hello VictorN Thank You for posting back to me regarding the issue with Windows 8 and the performance issues that you are facing. I personally do not know why Windows 8 may be slow for you but as a Windows user. I have used all the operating systems that Microsoft have made and yes personally Windows 7 was the best operating system, however time has moved on and its all most 3 years old now so surely its time to move on with a fresh start like Windows 8, however as you and other users have said that Windows 8 is slow, yes I have noticed the same however the office and customer service work that I do personally it works fine. I also Hate Internet Explorer since they made it. If I have loads of tabs /  Windows open the browser decides to close with this horrible message; Internet Explorer has stopped responding now Internet Explorer 9 is the only browser that some what does not crash and since Microsoft are clamming that Internet Explorer 10 is the best browser out there and its the best browser they have made now how long is it going to take them to fix the issue with Internet Explorer before Windows 8 goes global to all users.

    I run Windows 8 64 bit and 32bit both on different hard drives, however the performance of the 32bit is much better than the 64 bit. Internet Explorer crashes more in the 64 bit one. I have 8gb ram Intel core I7 3.40gz Dual and a 2gb ram, graphics Ati Radeon Card. Which crashes because the software it uses is not compatible with the new Windows however Microsoft has not told users that Windows 8 was not built for gaming because I cannot play a single game on Windows 8 now I have contacted support about this issue, however they don't have an answer they just keep directing me to the company's that make the game, however they tell me that most of the games are not compatible with Windows 8 when in fact Microsoft have webpages telling users that the games / game is compatible with Windows when in fact its not, so why are they selling Windows 8 as an all in one operating system when infact its not

    What I can suggest is go to the link below and get live support for Windows 8, however your Windows 8 must be in the 90 days (Of Nothing) Warranty and see if the answer techs can improve your performance in Windows.

    (http://support.microsoft.com/get-support/windows/windows-8/performance-maintenance?wa=wsignin1.0)

    I hope that some one at support might be able to fix / help with your issue, if you have any other problems or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me back,

    King Regards & Many Thanks,

    Francis Thomas Hayle

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-03-12T07:50:00+00:00

    Hi Francis,

    Mr Batcheller seems to be right about Windows 8 slow characteristics. I am myself a developer. I installed Windows 8 in one of my 6 computers just for the purpose of customer support. I just installed the basic stuffs without any fancy drivers or programs. And it was a fresh install on a new hard disk.

    All Microsoft updates are up to date.

    I still used Windows XP and Windows 7 in my other computers. I noticed a performance difference between a comparable computer with Windows 7 and the computer with Windows 8, both have Intel dual core 2.4Ghz and 4MB RAM each. Both have the screen resolution set correctly at 1280x1024 as recommended by nVidia adapter with Dell 1908FP monitor.

    The first thing I see is the mouse that sometimes barely moves on Windows 8. On Windows 7 or XP, the mouse is much more responsive. This is very annoying sometimes, I have to wait for the mouse to catch up with me before I can point to anything. Visual Studio takes longer to load in Windows 8, and everything is slower on Windows 8.

    I just want to have an OS that works reasonably fast, but Windows 8 is disappointing in that matter. To work faster I had to go back to Windows 7 or even Windows XP. It looks like the only thing that Windows 8 does faster is the boot time. Everything else is slow.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-06T22:33:33+00:00

    You don't have to install Windows 7. There is a perfectly good desktop side to Windows 8..  

    Use an alternative start menu..

    Free..

    http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

    https://www.pokki.com/  

    Costs $5 but is just like Windows 7..

    http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

    They make a huge difference to usability, trust me. I use one myself and would be back with Windows 7 were it not for Start8. Now, I have the best of both worlds. I have the advantage of the improved Windows core, can still get stuff done, and can have a play with the 'other' side now and again..

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  5. Anonymous
    2013-03-06T22:27:07+00:00

    Thank You for Posting your question onto the Microsoft Community.

    What I suggest you try and do is Right click on your desktop - select Screen Resolution and make sure that the screen resolution is set to the correct settings. You can learn more about having the correct screen resolution in this Microsoft Based Article,

    (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Change-your-screen-resolution)

    Also updating Windows  To the latest Updates helps resolves issues Included in Windows  and help Windows to improve Performance it applies to Any version of Microsoft Windows(R) Operating system. By updating your system you will update the key components that run windows giving it the latest information/fixes on how to use resources properly, and to find and fix problems within the Windows Based Environment.

    To find out more about Windows Update please see this Microsoft Based article (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Updating-your-computer)

    To Update Windows Follow this Microsoft Based Article- (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/windows-update)

     I would advise you that you download and install the direct x 11, this is something to do with your graphics improving the performance and the ftps rate's when playing a game or watching a video. You can learn more by looking at this Microsoft Based Software Article, (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/products/features/directx-11)

    I hope by explaining about keeping your system up to date and other programs up todate will fix your problem that you are experiencing with  Windows. If you have any other problems or questions related to this article, please do not hesitate to post back. Also Please do not hesitate to create a new question, We are here to help you out and to suit your needs.

    Many Thanks & Kind Regards,

    Francis.

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