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Windows 8.1 May Reintroduce Boot-To-Desktop Mode

By - Source: WinBeta | B 54 comments

Offering desktops and laptops that boot straight into desktop could help push Windows 8 sales.

Many people may disagree, but one of Microsoft's biggest mistakes with Windows 8 is forcing desktop and laptop customers to boot straight into the new Modern UI overlay. While it's understandable that the Redmond company is trying to push a new way of computing that spans across multiple devices, the move should be gradual, perhaps even optional, so that customers who have relied on the desktop since the early 90s can get used to the change at their own pace.

Sure, there's a tile that leads directly to the desktop, but throw in the removal of the traditional Start button/menu, and long-time Windows customers may be reluctant to upgrade from what's been "normal" for decades, even more so with touch-based solutions still rather pricey. Because of this, Microsoft may be caving in to the keyboard and mouse crowd with the release of Windows 8.1 later this year.

MicrosoftPortal (via WinBeta translation) reportedly dug into important operating system files stemming from one of the recent Windows 8.1 leaks and discovered references for disabling the Start screen. One such file was twinui.dll -- which is responsible for switching between the Modern UI and desktop user interfaces -- that contained a setting labeled "CanSuppressStartScreen".

According to the report, disabling or modifying this code will supposedly make the system boot into desktop automatically without the need for third-party software like Start8. The current leaked builds reportedly don't feature a toggle for booting directly into the desktop, so it's possible that Microsoft still hasn't decided on whether to include the desktop toggle or not.

Previous reports surrounding the leaked Windows 8.1 builds indicate that Microsoft is actually trying to move even further away from the desktop, throwing more controls onto the Start screen than before. But with Windows 8 partially blamed for the continued decline in PC sales, Microsoft may not have any choice but to allow Windows 8 towers and laptops to be sold with the desktop as the primary focus, not the new Start screen. This could possibly ease consumer reluctance in upgrading their current Windows platform or from buying a completely new machine.

Windows 8.1 is part of Microsoft's "Windows Blue" release schedule which sees the Redmond company refreshing the Windows platform annually rather than waiting every three or four years. Windows Blue will supposedly span across multiple platforms including Windows Phone and Windows RT.


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Top Comments
  • 52 Hide
    bak0n , April 15, 2013 11:40 AM
    It has nothing to do with "at your own pace". Some people, like myself just plain don't like tiles even after having giving them a shot.
  • 46 Hide
    esrever , April 15, 2013 11:40 AM
    This would definitely be great. The metro UI just isn't needed on a desktop/laptop.
  • 38 Hide
    Immoral Medic , April 15, 2013 12:07 PM
    Allow me to disable metro completely. Then I might be a little happier.
Other Comments
    Display all 54 comments.
  • 46 Hide
    esrever , April 15, 2013 11:40 AM
    This would definitely be great. The metro UI just isn't needed on a desktop/laptop.
  • 52 Hide
    bak0n , April 15, 2013 11:40 AM
    It has nothing to do with "at your own pace". Some people, like myself just plain don't like tiles even after having giving them a shot.
  • 18 Hide
    groundrat , April 15, 2013 11:41 AM
    Finally. Common sense comes to Redmond.
  • -8 Hide
    merikafyeah , April 15, 2013 11:44 AM
    Best immediate solution: http://www.wesnext.com/login-directly-to-desktop-bypass-metro-ui/
  • 11 Hide
    wiyosaya , April 15, 2013 11:56 AM
    Good luck to M$. I really don't think they understand the market place. Poor sales, IMHO, are being driven by the fact that businesses will not spend the money on it after finally having spent a considerable amount of money to upgrade to 7. Maybe doz 9 or 10 will be the next best seller.
  • 7 Hide
    christop , April 15, 2013 12:05 PM
    Maybe they are learning from this metro crap.
  • 38 Hide
    Immoral Medic , April 15, 2013 12:07 PM
    Allow me to disable metro completely. Then I might be a little happier.
  • 11 Hide
    onichikun , April 15, 2013 12:20 PM
    The issue isn't with their push to create a new style of computing across devices, but more of the poor execution on the desktop front. The metro-slapped-onto-desktop approach was a bad idea, and I feel like their innovation was just half assed. They created a start menu replacement that lacked any benefits for a parallel workspace, so they just left in the traditional windows desktop.
  • 16 Hide
    twelve25 , April 15, 2013 12:20 PM
    Windows 8 really has a lot going for it. So I think Microsoft would be wise to give consumers the choice of UI, while still allowing access to the Metro UI if they want to run marketplace apps. More choice and letting the customer tailor the system to their need/wants is not a bad thing.
  • 4 Hide
    pyrotek85 , April 15, 2013 12:30 PM
    "Many people may disagree, but one of Microsoft's biggest mistakes with Windows 8 is forcing desktop and laptop customers to boot straight into the new Modern UI overlay."

    Who disagrees? Practically everyone is saying that Metro, while not inherently bad, should be optional, particularly for desktop users. If I'm not mistaken the feedback they got during testing noted this too, so they shouldn't be surprised at the outcome.
  • 0 Hide
    DjEaZy , April 15, 2013 12:33 PM
    ... and a improved win7 style start button with proper indexed search... and aero or improved something... this win8 desktop theme is ugly...
  • 1 Hide
    goodegg , April 15, 2013 12:37 PM
    Why can't we have both at the same time?? Why can't Metro sit INSIDE my desktop as an active background? That's what Metro seems to be anyway, is a bunch of active widgets. It seems like this should not be difficult to make happen. Best of both worlds. Metro for those who like it, but same old desktop for people who don't.
  • 0 Hide
    ssdpro , April 15, 2013 12:37 PM
    If they are kind enough to give you a choice, this is golden. I don't want this through an obscure registry mod; don't be embarrassed to give me the option. Apple "knows" what its users want, MS gives you the choice. If you take away that choice, you are not much different - and PC sales will reflect it.
  • 0 Hide
    logainofhades , April 15, 2013 12:40 PM
    Looks like M$ is finally starting to listen to its users, somewhat.
  • -2 Hide
    David Nation , April 15, 2013 12:41 PM
    Not going to happen guys and gals..Microsoft is phasing out the desktop
  • 0 Hide
    slyu9213 , April 15, 2013 12:52 PM
    Don't care. I can live with the change. Once I customize the start screen it's much faster for me to get to my programs.
  • 1 Hide
    logainofhades , April 15, 2013 12:54 PM
    I despise the start screen. Too cluttered with all those ugly tiles. Metro is a flaming pile of garbage.
  • -1 Hide
    gnodeb , April 15, 2013 12:57 PM
    It's strange they didn't made it optional from the beginning but, for me, it is even more surprising how many people have a problem with pressing Win+D.
  • 0 Hide
    gnodeb , April 15, 2013 12:58 PM
    It's strange they didn't made it optional from the beginning but, for me, it is even more surprising how many people have a problem with pressing Win+D.
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