The H-Factor

Reducing Entropy

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Recently our previous blog service (Typepad) ended their business – so, we have a new home. It will take a bit to get images back and displaying properly, but we are working on it! Final pageview count of original Typepad blog: 387,232

Using a Non-Standard Pipe Type in HydraCALC

A customer called today asking how to enter a 1″ black plastic underground pipe for the calc. This particular situation sounded unique enough that I did not tell him to add that pipe type to our database, as I would have if he expected to see this pipe type used repeatedly. I told him to…

Using the Hydratec Software Download Area

Hydratec uses ShareFile to distribute our software installs and updates. New customers, or those without access, must request access to be able to get at these downloads. Access is only available to customers with a Hydratec subscription or those on an update plan. You can access the download area and request access by picking the…

November 2012
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My biggest complaint about Windows 8 is the lack of a Start button and the associated Start Menu and its shutdown provisions. The Metro interface gets blamed, but MS could have left the Start Menu and still added the new interface.

Metro, why do I hate thee? Let me count the ways…

  1. The Metro interface requires a convoluted and not-at-all intuitive sequence of commands to shut down or restart your computer. Either hover over the right side of your screen, wait for the panel to pop up, then pick Settings and then..oh, never mind

    -or-

    Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL and sign out. After that is complete, then pick the doodad at the lower right part of your screen and Shut Down

  2. You cannot find your programs. Once you switch to the Metro screen, you can indeed start typing in the name of what you want to run (and I like this feature), but items are no longer grouped, you do not know which one you are going to get. Try typing in README and see how many show up. Now, try to figure out the right one. This makes it a support nightmare for us
  3. When you install new software, shortcuts do not show up on the Desktop. It is not easy to find them in the Metro screen and bring them over to the Desktop. Yes, it can be done, but it is far harder than it needs to be

What to do? I installed VISTART – it is one of many utilities that will recreate the Start Menu. I ran this one because it seemed to have the most recommendations. And it worked great. Hallelujah.

PS – I am going back to Windows 7

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One response to “Restoring the Start Menu in Windows 8”

  1. Wayne Petts Avatar

    I’m always hesitant to jump on the latest version of Windows X. But it is very cheap right now. Maybe it makes sense to buy it for $50 or $60 now and wait for SP 1 or 2 to come out before installing it.

    Like

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