Windows 7 awkward feel, missing WinXP, need advice

[zzz2496]

*Migrating...*

zzz2496

 

[whs]

Nick, You may show up again. The UAC discussion has been diverted. We can focus on your problem again. Sorry for the UAC "bloat" in your thread.

 

[Duke of Alinor]

I am NOT recommending pirated software, but by far the best user interface for Win7 is Tiny7 (32 bit). Rather than spend weeks reinventing the wheel, down load it, install, use easy transfer when you get your 64 bit up and running. I have the settings on a USB stick now and deleted the Tiny7 file.

This method saves you an incredible amount of time.
If you do like I did and read the volumes of threads here you will find a lot of RAH RAH RAH - you gotta learn it! But precious little actual testing. And even more tips that take more time to implement than they will ever save. Skip the posts with just text, they are opinions. Read the ones with links carefully.

If you don't want to seem to support piracy by downloading Tiny7, start with
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/77626-convert-windows-xp-style.html#post678927

Tiny 7 adds
On the right click of "Computer" added:
- Advanced System Properties
- Device Manager
- Edit Registry
- MSCONFIG
- Services
- It is the fastest most XP like UI I can find + Win7 additions

 

[CommonTater]

Skip the posts with just text, they are opinions. Read the ones with links carefully.

Odd you would bring this up... I was just sitting here thinking about how very easy it would be to virus up a couple of dozen computers by linking to malitious software...

 

[Nick2]

Whew! Nick2, your head must be spinning with all this information. I'm going to add another bit of reading for you -- something I think will help you in the transition from XP to Windows 7. Andre DaCosta, recently awarded Microsoft MVP, prepared a quick guide with side-by-side image comparisons to help new Windows 7 users become familiar with some of the changes and benefits of Windows 7. See Andre's article in For the 'former' Windows XP User - Welcome to Windows 7!

I'm certain between the tutorials here and all the Windows 7 converts, you will get any questions answered -- and then some!

Good luck and enjoy your new computer.

Indeed I'm spinning!

I have an exam today, but this week I'll read/respond to all of the questions.


Many thanks to all of you who have supported me.

 

[pezzonovante]

Nick2, the fact is Windows 7's default UI is BY FAR better than Windows XP's. Use Windows 7 the proper way for a couple of weeks and you will never want to use the fugly XP UI ever again.

Most of the problems that you are facing will disappear if you start using Windows 7's greates feature -- Search. Learn to use the Start Search Box for EVERYTHING -- from running programs to Control Panel items to finding text within documents. You will be surprised how great the Search feature is.

 

[CarlTR6]

Nick2, the fact is Windows 7's default UI is BY FAR better than Windows XP's. Use Windows 7 the proper way for a couple of weeks and you will never want to use the fugly XP UI ever again.

Most of the problems that you are facing will disappear if you start using Windows 7's greates feature -- Search. Learn to use the Start Search Box for EVERYTHING -- from running programs to Control Panel items to finding text within documents. You will be surprised how great the Search feature is.

+1 Very well said.

 

[Nick2]

Wow, this really is a warm welcome. It means a lot to me, guys.
Some of the things that bother me seem to have solutions and I'll apply them as soon as possible, but IMHO it would have been better if Microsoft had included the original XP theme(using the same layout,icons, buttons, etc).

That'd be too easy. No, I hear ya. The pleasing aesthetics of Win7 is , I think, one of it's key features, but it's hard to see it when it's not what your'e used to.

Like being on a long road-trip, looking at beautiful scenery and houses, but nothing compares to the sight of your own front door, no matter how old it might be.

The problem is that I don't like these aesthetics, I find them to tiring. The menus/text/icons distract me from what I want to do. Everything seems blurry due to cleartype.
There's no privacy, there are previews for every window or folder.
There's no option for fast switching from icons to thumbnails for pictures like XP had.

Whew! Nick2, your head must be spinning with all this information. I'm going to add another bit of reading for you -- something I think will help you in the transition from XP to Windows 7. Andre DaCosta, recently awarded Microsoft MVP, prepared a quick guide with side-by-side image comparisons to help new Windows 7 users become familiar with some of the changes and benefits of Windows 7. See Andre's article in For the 'former' Windows XP User - Welcome to Windows 7!

I'm certain between the tutorials here and all the Windows 7 converts, you will get any questions answered -- and then some!

Good luck and enjoy your new computer.

This may be of interest .

You can choose during install to have either the start menu, or the Explorer enhancements, or both.

Classic Shell: Features

Wow, thank you for the link. This is one of the things that I really need.

I am NOT recommending pirated software, but by far the best user interface for Windows 7 is Tiny7 (32 bit). Rather than spend weeks reinventing the wheel, down load it, install, use easy transfer when you get your 64 bit up and running. I have the settings on a USB stick now and deleted the Tiny7 file.

This method saves you an incredible amount of time.
If you do like I did and read the volumes of threads here you will find a lot of RAH RAH RAH - you gotta learn it! But precious little actual testing. And even more tips that take more time to implement than they will ever save. Skip the posts with just text, they are opinions. Read the ones with links carefully.

If you don't want to seem to support piracy by downloading Tiny7, start with
Convert to Windows XP Style

Tiny 7 adds
On the right click of "Computer" added:
- Advanced System Properties
- Device Manager
- Edit Registry
- MSCONFIG
- Services
- It is the fastest most XP like UI I can find + Windows 7 additions

What's Tiny7? An Win7 stripped down OS?(I need 64bit)

Rather than spend weeks reinventing the wheel, down load it, install, use easy transfer when you get your 64 bit up and running. I have the settings on a USB stick now and deleted the Tiny7 file.

What do you mean here?


Thanks for the link.

Nick2, the fact is Windows 7's default UI is BY FAR better than Windows XP's. Use Windows 7 the proper way for a couple of weeks and you will never want to use the fugly XP UI ever again.

Most of the problems that you are facing will disappear if you start using Windows 7's greates feature -- Search. Learn to use the Start Search Box for EVERYTHING -- from running programs to Control Panel items to finding text within documents. You will be surprised how great the Search feature is.

It might be better, but I don't feel comfortable with it.
There are many radical changes that aren't necessarily faster. In some cases they are slower, for example using labels(on the taskbar) with multiple instances of the same program. It takes more time to identify the instance that you need.



Offtopic: I did not figure out how to edit permissions for emule(in order to access its own config folder).

 

[zzz2496]

Nick2, open an explorer window, go to a folder full of pictures, now with that window active - hold ctrl -> then scroll your mouse... See what happen...

zzz2496

 

[CommonTater]

[
The problem is that I don't like these aesthetics, I find them to tiring. The menus/text/icons distract me from what I want to do. Everything seems blurry due to cleartype.
There's no privacy, there are previews for every window or folder.
There's no option for fast switching from icons to thumbnails for pictures like XP had.

Nick... if you go to Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Performance There are quite a few visual options you can mess with, you can even go all the way back (almost) to the windows 2000 look and feel. A lot of the stuff that seems to be annoying you can simply be turned off.

Also for your problem with pictures folders... Win7 allows you to customize each folder (and it's kids) in several different ways... If you go to your home folder, right click on Pictures, select properties and customize it for images, you'll get your previews. To switch betwee preview and icon modes just right click in the folder and select View then Details

Clear Type can be turned off... in the display properties dialog.


Methinks a little time going through all the settings... deliberately looking for them... just might help you out quite a bit.

 

[Nick2]

I want a fast way to switch from icons to thumbnails and viceversa, just like XP had. I've attached a picture.

I want to stop the previews that folders have when they store pictures, in fact I want to completely change the icon, to the one that XP has for folders.
I want to change the fonts to the ones that XP uses.
They are better suited for me. http://pix.defcon5.biz/files/33532792111776630271.png

I want to stop all those previews for taskbar/alt+tab, I don't need them.

I'm installing the classic shell at the moment.

 

[zzz2496]

I want a fast way to switch from icons to thumbnails and viceversa, just like XP had. I've attached a picture.

I want to stop the previews that folders have when they store pictures, in fact I want to completely change the icon, to the one that XP has for folders.
I want to change the fonts to the ones that XP uses.
They are better suited for me. http://pix.defcon5.biz/files/33532792111776630271.png

I want to stop all those previews for taskbar/alt+tab, I don't need them.

I'm installing the classic shell at the moment.

The View option you want is still there, it just got expanded a little bit... I usually hold control and scroll to change View settings

Added: To change Font settings, right click desktop -> personalize -> Window color -> Advanced appearance settings...
go crazy in there...



zzz2496

 

[Nick2]

Control+scroll shrinks my files up to "list". I don't want this. I want to maintain the size to medium icons and stop the preview.

 

[zzz2496]

Control+scroll shrinks my files up to "list". I don't want this. I want to maintain the size to medium icons and stop the preview.

In an explorer window -> Organize -> Folder and search options -> view tab -> Always show icons, never thumbnails <-- check that.

zzz2496

 

[whs]

Nick, I have read thru all your posts and think that you will never be happy with Windows7. By the time you have applied all the tweaks that have been suggested, your Windows7 may be disfunctional. What you want is a VW of the 50's or a Ford Model T that you can deal with using a pair of pliers and a hammer. But what you got is a 2010 BMW with all the electronic gizmos that will just not live up to your expectations because it has too many basic functions that you dislike.
I suggest you stay on XP. I have a neighbor that is still on Windows ME and he is happy. No reason that you could not operate with XP for the forthcomng years. Then you have the system environment that you like. Good luck.

 

[CarlTR6]

Nick, I have read thru all your posts and think that you will never be happy with Windows7. By the time you have applied all the tweaks that have been suggested, your Windows7 may be disfunctional. What you want is a VW of the 50's or a Ford Model T that you can deal with using a pair of pliers and a hammer. But what you got is a 2010 BMW with all the electronic gizmos that will just not live up to your expectations because it has too many basic functions that you dislike.
I suggest you stay on XP. I have a neighbor that is still on Windows ME and he is happy. No reason that you could not operate with XP for the forthcomng years. Then you have the system environment that you like. Good luck.

WHS's advice is spot on. Nick, you have a mindset against learning and using Win 7 as it is. If XP works for you, stay with it. You will continually be frustrated if you try to make Win 7 like XP. Win7 is not XP and you cannot make it into XP. It is what it is. Learn it, learn to use it or stay with XP.

I am not flaming you in anyway. I like XP, too and my wife is very happy with her XP. It works for her and she has no reason to change and learn Win 7.

 

[pparks1]

Nick,

I too would agree. Just stick with XP..it has critical update support for 4 more years I believe...

 

[Nick2]

I can't stay with XP because I need 64bit. If only Microsoft had done XP x64 as they should. But no, why would they have done that? They would have ruined the sales for Vista/7 x64.

I have to tweak the 7 until I'll find an acceptable compromise.

I just can't understand what were they thinking when they ditched the XP's shell. Why?
Why don't they care about their customers?

 

[whs]

They ditched the XP shell because that was not nice - and very homely. At least in my book.

 

[alphanumeric]

I can't stay with XP because I need 64bit. If only Microsoft had done XP x64 as they should. But no, why would they have done that? They would have ruined the sales for Vista/7 x64.

I have to tweak the 7 until I'll find an acceptable compromise.

I just can't understand what were they thinking when they ditched the XP's shell. Why?
Why don't they care about their customers?

This isn't meant as a criticism but I think you are in the minority as far as wanting windows 7 to look and feel like XP. There are people that want that but I think the vast majority (myself included) like the new look and functionality of windows 7. It's not so much that Microsoft doesn't care its just that at some point you have to move on. I consider myself pretty tech savvy but I did struggle a little bit at first with where things were and the new way of doing some things. The more I use 7 though the more I realize I could never go back to XP. Just my 2 cents.