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I have received several emails asking for a way to shutdown Windows 8 from the Desktop. Will you take a few minutes to make yourself a shortcut?
The shutdown procedure in W8 is beginning to annoy me. I've documented that it takes more mouse / keystrokes than in W7. The W8 shutdown process is probably well-suited for portable devices with 'instant on' capability and other devices that are rarely turned completely off, but it doesn't fit this energy-saver's desktop use.
Keep at it; eventually there will be enough work-arounds so that W8 can be made to look like W7.
Keep at it; eventually there will be enough work-arounds so that W8 can be made to look like W7.
Any way to make it differentiate between the two and have a menu option for both?
...typically installed with a Shut down operation not a Restart. In Windows 8, when updates are ready to be installed there will be a message to that effect on the login screen. If you then login and select the Shut down button on the custom Shut down menu, the updates will be installed normally
... so it does. That was the last screen shot that I took and I was so focused on putting together the composite image that I never noticed that is said "Update and restart." I apologize for any misunderstanding.
In any case, I have not yet used the "Update and restart" button. I'll have to pay closer attention the next time Windows 8 is updated.
In any case, I have not yet used the "Update and restart" button. I'll have to pay closer attention the next time Windows 8 is updated.
Yes, I know they've been there for multiple versions. It seems like the solution to anything people dislike about the W8 interfaces is a keyboard shortcut. If that's the case, why even include mouse drivers?
Most people aren't geeks or touch typists. They're used to controlling their systems with mice, often using the keyboard only when they have to enter characters. Now we're supposed to bombard them with more keystrokes than they'll effectively learn. Hell, I'm not going to remember most of them myself.
Most people aren't geeks or touch typists. They're used to controlling their systems with mice, often using the keyboard only when they have to enter characters. Now we're supposed to bombard them with more keystrokes than they'll effectively learn. Hell, I'm not going to remember most of them myself.
Talk about tunnel vision... wow... the simplest and fastest way to shutdown windows 8 is to press the computer's power button.
Too many years of shutting down the OS first, from back in the days when hitting the power button while Windows was still running was the path to a hard drive full of temporary files and corrupt registry.
What if you're logged in via Remote Desktop? What if it's a virtual machine?
Server 2012 seems to have the same annoyingly hid shutdown/logout menus, so this will come in handy for remotely administering those machines, too.
Server 2012 seems to have the same annoyingly hid shutdown/logout menus, so this will come in handy for remotely administering those machines, too.
It's everything I can do to convince my users to shut down on weekends. I don't want anything to make it even less convenient.
Another reason why windows is great, flexible to everyone's needs... I just hate when people bash it for no reason.
I would not want a one touch button/link to shutdown a remote server/pc... what if it is shutdown by mistake and there is no one there to power it back up.... I even remove the ability to shutdown all my remote server... I set them up so it must be done only from the DOS window and a reason must be specified.
...for Shutdown is a viable option. It can also be configured (via Power Options) to put the computer to Sleep.
Since the days of Windows 1.0, Alt-F4 is the universal "Exit" keystroke command. It works (still!!!) for virtually any Windows program, including the Metro-style Apps in Win8. Definitely one of the 2 or 3 keystrokes worth knowing. F1 for "Help" and Ctrl-Z for "Undo" are a couple of others that are almost universal. No need to hunt for the right area of the Ribbon to get these jobs done!
I know all these missing features that are standard, especially in Windows 7, and more so since Windows XP, are annoying to almost all users that use Windows 8 (and obviously those that just complain about it, yet haven't used it) - but I find myself back in time, sort of.
I'm from the old DOS days and the explosion of Windows 3.1 that became mainstream, and I seem to remember A LOT of configuration to do back then (fun e.g. : tweaking the config.sys and autoexec.bat). But, that was expected! Whereas today, with the lazyness that most users find themselves entitled to, they scream, yell and stomp their foot in protest "give me back my simple features! I'm lost without them! Why did you take them away?!". And for most reasons, they're right - user experience should be simple and have minimal impact.
But, come on, it's not the end of the world, and to us programmers and real IT pros, it's definitely a huge opportunity in some many ways; most notably in the professional sphere : why would I want an application and/or an OS that does everything for me like a robot? I'd be rendered useless and discarded, whereas on the other side, because of the amount of years in IT, I'm not lulled into a mundane routine of single-clicks-the-job-is-done-without-knowing-what-really-happened-in-the-background.
Whatever happened to the adventure (albeit nerdy adventures to non-geeks) in computers? The need for discovering features, making it and shaping it to work the way YOU want it, not how someone else decided it should be for the rest of us (and like it or not, the Windows marketplace is still strong and won't be going away any time soon).
I find myself liking Windows 8 because it brings me back to those golden days of being a power user with the ability to shape my day-to-day experience the way *I* want it, instead of today's dumber/average user that complains when even a simple menu option is removed, yet requires a mere swipe/mouse click to render the same effect.
With Windows 8, I can develop myriad applications that will bring back those old functionalities and that can be rewarding (both personally and financially when it can be sold within the Windows Store).
I'm not trying to bash anyone, but all in all, you don't need to be an Einstein genius to create shortcuts and change a bit of OS habits, but it can go a long way.
I'm from the old DOS days and the explosion of Windows 3.1 that became mainstream, and I seem to remember A LOT of configuration to do back then (fun e.g. : tweaking the config.sys and autoexec.bat). But, that was expected! Whereas today, with the lazyness that most users find themselves entitled to, they scream, yell and stomp their foot in protest "give me back my simple features! I'm lost without them! Why did you take them away?!". And for most reasons, they're right - user experience should be simple and have minimal impact.
But, come on, it's not the end of the world, and to us programmers and real IT pros, it's definitely a huge opportunity in some many ways; most notably in the professional sphere : why would I want an application and/or an OS that does everything for me like a robot? I'd be rendered useless and discarded, whereas on the other side, because of the amount of years in IT, I'm not lulled into a mundane routine of single-clicks-the-job-is-done-without-knowing-what-really-happened-in-the-background.
Whatever happened to the adventure (albeit nerdy adventures to non-geeks) in computers? The need for discovering features, making it and shaping it to work the way YOU want it, not how someone else decided it should be for the rest of us (and like it or not, the Windows marketplace is still strong and won't be going away any time soon).
I find myself liking Windows 8 because it brings me back to those golden days of being a power user with the ability to shape my day-to-day experience the way *I* want it, instead of today's dumber/average user that complains when even a simple menu option is removed, yet requires a mere swipe/mouse click to render the same effect.
With Windows 8, I can develop myriad applications that will bring back those old functionalities and that can be rewarding (both personally and financially when it can be sold within the Windows Store).
I'm not trying to bash anyone, but all in all, you don't need to be an Einstein genius to create shortcuts and change a bit of OS habits, but it can go a long way.
but those non-geeks who use computers at work usually aren't interested in adventures, and their employers aren't interested in paying them to do so. To those users, computers are simply tools; tools they and their employers thought those users had mastered well enough to accomplish their jobs. The tasks they'll need to perform on a computer will not have changed just because MS has a new product.
But like all tools, especially when it's a computer system, it always requires constant updates and knowledge.
I do agree with you, don't get me wrong, but only to a certain extent. (I still don't understand, nor agree, why most basic functionalities have been removed.)
But, there are those that can (and/or want) to kee up, even on a small level, or there are those that simply choose not to for probable wrong reasons (e.g. : "they should have left it the way it was!")
For example, car companies don't make the same cars they did 30 years ago, but mechanics aren't yelling at the top of their lungs that they replaced the "insert key here" slot with a "Push to Start" button. People, even employees, and employers, adapt and learn; the simple definition of basic evolution.
The same goes for any business : they adapt or fall to the competition. If they have employees that can't learn to change a few mouse-clicking/finger-tapping routines to something else, I would surmise that business has inherited a failing resource and would probably initiate procedures to help that employee or give them a choice. Unless you can name me a company that retains liabilities and still remains in business.
In terms of technology that we use everyday, and not just the company, even those non-geeks have evolved to use it in more advanced ways with each and every passing year. (Remember the days when programming the VCR was a challenge? Most of the time, it would require the help of a child, of all things! But I deviate from the topic...)
All of this happened before with DOS to Windows 3.1, to then Windows 95, to then Windows XP, to then Windows 7, and now with Windows 8...
I don't like it anymore than you do, but I am finding opportunities within if at least because I'm well aware that whether we like it or not, we'll be stuck with it (another slight example of this is Vista vs Windows 7... the UI and user experience are almost idential; the just solidified Windows 7's code).
I do agree with you, don't get me wrong, but only to a certain extent. (I still don't understand, nor agree, why most basic functionalities have been removed.)
But, there are those that can (and/or want) to kee up, even on a small level, or there are those that simply choose not to for probable wrong reasons (e.g. : "they should have left it the way it was!")
For example, car companies don't make the same cars they did 30 years ago, but mechanics aren't yelling at the top of their lungs that they replaced the "insert key here" slot with a "Push to Start" button. People, even employees, and employers, adapt and learn; the simple definition of basic evolution.
The same goes for any business : they adapt or fall to the competition. If they have employees that can't learn to change a few mouse-clicking/finger-tapping routines to something else, I would surmise that business has inherited a failing resource and would probably initiate procedures to help that employee or give them a choice. Unless you can name me a company that retains liabilities and still remains in business.
In terms of technology that we use everyday, and not just the company, even those non-geeks have evolved to use it in more advanced ways with each and every passing year. (Remember the days when programming the VCR was a challenge? Most of the time, it would require the help of a child, of all things! But I deviate from the topic...)
All of this happened before with DOS to Windows 3.1, to then Windows 95, to then Windows XP, to then Windows 7, and now with Windows 8...
I don't like it anymore than you do, but I am finding opportunities within if at least because I'm well aware that whether we like it or not, we'll be stuck with it (another slight example of this is Vista vs Windows 7... the UI and user experience are almost idential; the just solidified Windows 7's code).
The major annoyance here is that MS designed a Tablet/Touchscreen UI, and stuck it on a desktop OS that lacks a touchpad.
Tablets aren't frequently powered off and never logged off, so MS split the Logout/Shutdown menu into two and hid them in separate places. That was aggravatingly unnecessary and annoying for the desktop version of the OS UI.
Metro apps are full-screen, and you switch between them by swiping your finger left to right on the screen. What if you don't have a touchscreen? Alt-tab doesn't include Metro apps. Oh, stick your mouse in the upper-left corner. That makes sense.
Since Windows 95, the Explorer shell has been reasonably consistent and familiar. With 8, MS switches everyone to a tablet-oriented interface. But how many users will have MS phones and tablets to build familiarity? How many workarounds will users need to learn to deal with using a touch-based UI without a touch interface? Why didn't they include Mouse Gestures of some sort?
Tablets aren't frequently powered off and never logged off, so MS split the Logout/Shutdown menu into two and hid them in separate places. That was aggravatingly unnecessary and annoying for the desktop version of the OS UI.
Metro apps are full-screen, and you switch between them by swiping your finger left to right on the screen. What if you don't have a touchscreen? Alt-tab doesn't include Metro apps. Oh, stick your mouse in the upper-left corner. That makes sense.
Since Windows 95, the Explorer shell has been reasonably consistent and familiar. With 8, MS switches everyone to a tablet-oriented interface. But how many users will have MS phones and tablets to build familiarity? How many workarounds will users need to learn to deal with using a touch-based UI without a touch interface? Why didn't they include Mouse Gestures of some sort?
with everything you said. It is awfully silly to drag your mouse at a precise small area in the corner to switch apps.
It makes no sense why a company would even think of attempting to merge three platforms into one and, on top of that, to categorically change what was a basic routine to something alien.
Windows 8 should have been completely separate from tablets and phones. But, they follow stock prices, and that's indicating that people are using these silly gadgets (I'm not a big fan of tablets and smartphones to be used the way computers are) by a ridiculous amount.
(Personally, I'd rather stick to my machine that's powerful enough to run NASA mission launches by comparison to a tablet/smartphone).
My only take on this is, as a programmer (and a geek), that it offers opportunities for people like me to create (and sell!) programs to bring back that ease of use. If creating a way to automatically include a Start button and/or a Shutdown button and it sells even for a dollar, it's a gold mine.
It allows other companies to step in and develop programs that will break the average user away from traditional closed software (namely MS products) and maybe even hopefully change some pricing in software at the same time.
At least, that's what I'm personally hoping! lol
It makes no sense why a company would even think of attempting to merge three platforms into one and, on top of that, to categorically change what was a basic routine to something alien.
Windows 8 should have been completely separate from tablets and phones. But, they follow stock prices, and that's indicating that people are using these silly gadgets (I'm not a big fan of tablets and smartphones to be used the way computers are) by a ridiculous amount.
(Personally, I'd rather stick to my machine that's powerful enough to run NASA mission launches by comparison to a tablet/smartphone).
My only take on this is, as a programmer (and a geek), that it offers opportunities for people like me to create (and sell!) programs to bring back that ease of use. If creating a way to automatically include a Start button and/or a Shutdown button and it sells even for a dollar, it's a gold mine.
It allows other companies to step in and develop programs that will break the average user away from traditional closed software (namely MS products) and maybe even hopefully change some pricing in software at the same time.
At least, that's what I'm personally hoping! lol
That may be fun to do the first time around, but what about the 3000th time because you're in IT supporting a hundred or so machines and every time you reload them you have to spend the first 30 minutes re-configuring everything back to how you want it?
Like after 4 years with Server 2008, every first login still presents the Server Manager (check box for "do not show this at start-up") and IE pops up the "Do you want to set up your preferences" and Explorer defaults to not showing you the folder tree, file extensions, hidden folders, or anything else an admin needs, and the Start menu's first option is "Shutdown" instead of "Log out."
MS annoys us with multiple versions of Windows - why not give the Enterprise and Server versions a corporate-level Logout menu and sysadmin-friendly defaults?
Like after 4 years with Server 2008, every first login still presents the Server Manager (check box for "do not show this at start-up") and IE pops up the "Do you want to set up your preferences" and Explorer defaults to not showing you the folder tree, file extensions, hidden folders, or anything else an admin needs, and the Start menu's first option is "Shutdown" instead of "Log out."
MS annoys us with multiple versions of Windows - why not give the Enterprise and Server versions a corporate-level Logout menu and sysadmin-friendly defaults?
Microsoft, and even others, have completely disregarded the power user and dumbed-down their softwares so that the average user can use them (in the wrong ways).
Just opened a command window on w8 and asked for shutdown help. I see that the /h switch will do a hibernate and it is very certain about it. I see the /i switch will invoke a GUI for shutdown. I haven't tried it as it will blow me off from posting here.
... does indeed have a hibernate parameter (/h) that can be used, but again if hibernation is disabled, then this using the 'shutdown /h' command line will yield an error.
As I mentioned in the article, "The differences between activating Sleep and Hibernate from the command line in Windows 8 can be tricky." Essentially you can't do both Sleep and Hibernate from the command line at the same time.
I chose to use the 'rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState' command line because it will work in one way or the other regardless of whether hibernate is enabled. Please re-read the Sleep vs. Hibernate section of the article again.
When you use the 'shutdown /i' command to bring up the GUI, you only get the Shutdown and Restart options, but if that is all you want to be able to do, then creating a shortcut to that command is indeed a viable option.
As I mentioned in the article, "The differences between activating Sleep and Hibernate from the command line in Windows 8 can be tricky." Essentially you can't do both Sleep and Hibernate from the command line at the same time.
I chose to use the 'rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState' command line because it will work in one way or the other regardless of whether hibernate is enabled. Please re-read the Sleep vs. Hibernate section of the article again.
When you use the 'shutdown /i' command to bring up the GUI, you only get the Shutdown and Restart options, but if that is all you want to be able to do, then creating a shortcut to that command is indeed a viable option.
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