Thread: Boot to the 'Classic' desktop in Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Hi Doc

We more or less have the same approach, but I'm a big ran of Rocket Dock, which works fine in Windows 8.

I like to boot to the desktop and have everything right there.

But I don't want my desktop covered with icons and junk.

I have a lot of software that I use all the time, graphics programs, games, Skype, (which I use as my telephone) tools etc.

I've made my own folders (and my own icons) that I use for temporary storage of things like my desktop image below.

Everything is one click away.
You can see in the picture that I've put graphics software, game related, Windows tools, etc in groups across the bar.

I've used Rocket Dock since I started using Windows 7 so moving to Windows 8 doesn't seem any different then 7 for the most part.

I put the things I want to be able to access when I'm online or in an application (like Skype, Word, Windows Explorer and my e-mail) on my Task Bar, (so they are visible when I have a Window open) everything else goes on Rocket Dock.

So it looks like when I do switch to Windows 8 I can continue to work just the way I always have.



Mike

For anyone setting up a computer just for themselves, personal preference takes precedence.
But my design for a desktop is not just for me, but for my hundreds of customers, some of them over 90.
If it's not on the desktop, where they can see it, then it doesn't exist.

For instance, on the left side of the screen, right above the START button, I keep the Utilities, like my Weekly Maintenance Routine.
Even with it right there in their face, so to speak, they still forget to do their maintenance.
That's one reason that I started, (many years ago now) to put my XPCleanup.bat program in the Startup folder so it runs every day.
Recently, I started putting the Disk Cleanup program at the end of that batch file, to run UN-attended. That takes out a lot of junk that I don't address with my cleanup batch file.
Otherwise in a year, their HD would be so full of crap that it would choke. They check their email and maybe play a game or two and forget everything else. Again, that's why I use an AV program that gets its own updates and runs a scan every day, automatically.

So in short, I keep my own computer set up like I set up my customer's, just for continuity.
I never let my icons drift out into my desktop. When I get too many to fit along the borders, I create a folder, with a name like "Extra Stuff" and start dropping icons into it that I don't use often.

I don't like adding more programs to any PC, to do things that can be done with what's already present in Windows.

Again, it's all a matter of personal preference.

By the way, I grabbed that beautiful picture, minus the icons, for my new desktop wallpaper.
It's just beautiful! Thank you!

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor

Hi

You can get the whole theme right from the personalize menu in Windows.

It's the Green Island theme.

Look under Places and Landscapes.

Mike

Well, I'm on XP-Pro and the Themes are handled the way they are in Win-7 or 8.
Thank you and I'll look at it when I'm back in Win-8.

Doc