i had to get a new laptop and so now i have been stuck with this windows 8 crap and i absolutley hate it.

but now it just got worse..... my 1 yr old came over and he hit something and i have no idea what he did or how to undo it (he loves hitting computer keys!!!!)

here's the problem. the internet is now separate form the desktop. right now as im using it the background is black and the bar at the bottom is gone! so if i just want to see what time it is i have to hit the stupid windows key to go to the stupid apps screen to click on the desktop. if im sending an email and i need to attach something, like a pdf and i want to make sure it the right one i have to leave the internet app and go to the main apps and then the desktop view the docs so i can choose a pdf to view then bo back to the internet app to be able to select the right one.

its not like its just full screen, a buddy of mine is an it guy and he said hit f11 but that just changes the brightness. so that doesnt work on windows 8.

Same here

I downloaded the Shell start button, then I went into settings and turned off all the opening screen tile shit.  Now it looks and mostly works like  Win 7.

Start reading here"
http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/software-and-web-apps/how-to-make-windows-8-look-like-windows-7-50009546/

Windows 8 sucks because your child was hitting random keys? Right...

You are talking about Internet Explorer right? There are two versions, the Windows 8 App IE and the desktop IE. Are you saying that when you are at the desktop and you click on the IE button, it goes to the W8 app?

If IE is your default browser, clicking on the IE tile in the Start Screen will bring up the W8 App version.

no windows 8 just plain sucks, these app things suck, the whole thing sucks. its like some kinda new fangled fancy phone thing.

im using google chrome but yeah. when i click on the icon in the task bar it leaves the desktop and goes to the app. it didnt use to do that. i just want to be able to go on the internet and still be on the desktop at the same time.

If I remember right, while in Chrome, open the charms menu, go to settings, relaunch in desktop mode.

whats the "charms menu"?

So they put Chrome in full screen mode and because of that you hate Windows 8. Got it.

Helping the guy without being a douchebag would be nice in the tech forums. But I'm sure that's too much to ask.

Or maybe someone needing help could ask something like: "Chrome stuck in full screen mode, help!"

But no, instead its:







BTW F11 isn't going to adjust your brightness, you probably have a function lock on your laptop that is set and its using the keys for laptop controls rather than Function keys.

Thank you for this.



Seriously.
 

Well I don't know what else to do to help the guy.  I'm no techie, but the CNET article worked for me,

Nothing but Unbridled Hatred for Winblows 8 here. I installed the shell program which is good but no substitute for Windows 7. Attempted to email a vendor and clicked on their link but Windows 8 email program pops up. You have to click back twice to get back to your original screen. Ubuntu ranks close second in annoyance.

Mouse to bottom right or top right of the screen and that black bar with search, share, start, devices, and settings options that pops out.

Click back twice? Top left corner quick switches back through the apps in the order of last use.

I wasn't being sarcastic.  We bought a Win 8 machine on Saturday and are finding it....frustrating.



It seems like the trend among software designers is to hide features and settings and delete conveniences.  All that seems to matter is how the interface looks.  It has gotten so I hate "upgrades" because I know I'm going to lose functionality.



I'm sure some techie will chime in about the added functionality that lies within Win 8.  My question to them is why the fuck is it so well hidden.
 

I paid a guy to put Windows 7 on my laptop.  F 8.  

Okay I just double checked again and you have to click the settings button in Chrome (the three horizontal bars in the top right corner) and click relaunch in desktop mode.

I bought Retro UI Pro, and I like it.

Makes Windows 8 actually sort of usable.

http://retroui.com/

for the ass saying f11 doesnt ajust my brightness, you are not bright, because you have no idea what kind of laptop i have and yes f11 makes it darker and f12 makes it brighter.

and it was NOT in fullscreen, im not a complete moron, i know the difference.

and beavo........THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!! holy crap it is now on the desktop. i was so frustrated also because i wanted to put up a video of my 1919 that i built, i finally test fired it the other day and wanted to out it up on that facespace thingy and when i would click add video..............nothing would happen because face thingy wasnt on the desktop, but now it works fine.

and i hate windows 8 because to me it apears like they are tring to make it like one of those i cell phone things. i dont know how to use that junk. them 4 g things, heck i think my phone only has a half of a g, never mind 4 of um. and thusly for someone like myself who doesnt use that techno stuff it is extremely frustrating. i wouldnt care if they made this and i could still get a laptop with xp or vista like my home computer. if people want that, thats fine just let me keep my old crap that works fine and i KNOW how to use.

thank you again beavo, i was about to throw this thing out a window. but now im happy for now till it does something else

one more small rant about windows 8. i dont like when i move the mouse too fast and it decides well heck ...you must want to open another app then! so as long as i move the mouse reaaaaaaaaaallllllyyyyy slow im ok. but that annoys me a little.

rant off.

I'm assuming you are using a touch pad. Those are swipe gestures. You can turn them off via manufacturer software or a registry edit.

yeah, but that sounds over my head, i will just be careful with the mouse. at least i was able to post the video now.

video of my new 1919

You guys are probably both right.  Either the writing on your F11 key is blue and you need to press the "Fn" key in order to toggle it (Function key, usually next to the windows key), or the screen brightness youa re speaking of is the alternate "function" and you have a function lock on your keyboard.  

For example, my F11 key either works as F11, or if I press and hold the "Fn" key, it will pause/play music that my media player is running.  

You probably could have done without calling the guy an ass or the "you are not bright comment".  I get you are frustrated but you are coming into a tech support forum with a very vague problem statement bashing on an OS that it is very obvious you don't understand.  The other guy was just trying to help you.  

Not trying to start a flame war, just offering my two cents.  

i get that, but a buddy of mine who know more about comp stuff than me, that was the first thought we had was it was fullscreen so he had me try f11 and then when it only did the brightness he also mentioned the lock, it doesnt have a function lock. i just get especially upset with people who think they are know it alls and like to talk down to people. had he asked if i tried the function lock i was have responded so.

regardless i still think its not bright (and was a good pun) to assume you (the other guy) know everythign about my laptop. and it does have a function lock key and it does make it full screen but, and this is the important part, when the internet screen was NOT on the desktop, the fullscreen function does not exist (at least not on this laptop). when its on the desktop you can indeed use the function key and f11 to go fullscreen. but, my major problem is that somehow it (the internet) was no longer on the desktop which induced many other problems.

I get that.  Your original description was just pretty vague so I could see how he may think that's what you were talking about.  Tech support guys don't have much patience for people that bash things that they are having trouble understanding or figuring out.  Normally we are pretty good at guessing what people mean based off some key words, however, even I was a little confused at what you were talking about.

So why didnt you buy one with Windows 7?  A new refurb would have been fine that has Windows 7 on it and probably actually saved yourself some bucks.

I have no problems with Windows 8.  I stay in normal desktop mode all the time so I really dont notice much difference from 7.  Only problems come when I open a file associated with a metro app and it opens full screen.  When that happens just move the mouse to the top left corner and a small icon should pop up and you can right click it and select close.

truthfully, i was an uneducated consumer. i just wanted a cheap new laptop for my business so i went on new egg and bsically looked for one with a decent processor good sized HD and a known brand. i didnt even really know what windows 8 was. i read the reviews on it and the only bad one was from somone miffed becuase it didnt have a touch screen on a 300 dollar laptop.....

in hindsight i would rather have bought a refurbed windows 7 one.