Folders return to Windows 10's Start Thing (Coming in "Creators Update")

The Register ^ | Dec 30, 2016 | Andrew Orlowski

[dayglored]

Because it’s not complicated enough already, Windows 10’s Start menu will support folders in a forthcoming release.

The Windows 10 Redstone 2 release, also dubbed the “Creators Update”, will allow apps to be nested, much as with Windows Phone 8, and the mobile edition of Windows 10. The update is expected around April, and aggregates work since the Anniversary Update in early August. Around a dozen builds have been released via the Insider Preview program since the official announcement in October.

The folders appear in an unofficial leaked build (14997) and MS Power User blog has a nice GIF of them in action, here.

The leaked build also showcases new tab behaviour in the Edge browser, and a system wide night mode, which reduces the blue light emitted by the display.

It’s a mystery why Microsoft deemed Start screen folders acceptable for mobile users, but not desktop users.

Windows 10’s current Start menu/screen thing is a complex hybrid of the Windows 8 start screen and the Windows XP/7 menu.

Like the sex organs of the duck, it's an inexplicable evolutionary artefact.

A Thing.

[Bob434]

[[Maybe the trend is really I’m getting old!!]]

you and me both- but no- the trend is to change things that work fine around just to annoy everyone and force them to adopt changes they don’t like- That’;s precisely why this classic shell was created- so that people wouldn’t have to put up with changes they don’t like-

Also there’s a bunch of spyware and ‘phone home’ stuff on windows 10- did you turn them off? There are some threads on FR on how to go about that- it’s not too difficult, but it’s a pain that MS is forcing people to have to do that too- there are progams that will do it for you but some say that even those programs have spyware junk in them- better to just turn it all of manually- then check once in while to see if any windows updates turned them back on liek updates are known to do fro mtime to time-

[mountainlion]

So has anyone invented an operating system to off of microsoft,s money merry-go-round?

[MayflowerMadam]

I envy you! We bought two HP Envy laptops in June and the Windows 10 component has cut my computer time to about 1/4 of the time I used to spend.

Windows 10 opens that godforsaken Edge by default when we click on a link. WTF?

All those tiles flipping, flopping, and flashing around the Windows 10 screen. Hate them.

If the mouse hovers over something for a split second, a popup will appear, or something will launch.

We still have a Windows 7 desktop, which I love except the processor is a dog. Don’t know if it’s possible to upgrade the processor and keep everything else “as is”. Something to consider.

[Bob434]

have you tried mint? (You no doubt know you can run it from a disk without installing it, just to check it out for awhile?)

I tried Mint and haven’t looked back- I’ve messed abotu with several versions ofl inux- but mint is plenty good enough and easy enough and has probably one of hte best support- although linux is NOT easy if you run into major issues that need correcting (which is rare if you’re just a basic computer user- mint runs fine as is, and soem tweaks are pretty easy to customize it the way youl iek it) and the support is usually way above my head when they discuss stuff-

Mint installed fine, everything works with it- keyboard, mouse, printer (two hp printers were recognized just fine) usb 3 card- etc- linux has really come a long way- back in the day it was a so hard to get anything recognized- i just gave up- these days though it’s pretty much just insert the installation disk and click the questions as it’s installing and everything just works when it’s done-

[HonkyTonkMan]

I just tried Classic and it's fantastic!

I remember "hacking" the registry in XP to update the start button and start screens - Classic made it very easy. Menu structure is back and it actually makes sense! Thanks for the tip.

I did turn off the Win phone home stuff. Taking one of my Win 10 systems to Mint 18.1 today. As a open systems user for 20 years, it appears Linux distro's are becoming more UI friendly than Win!

[dayglored]

> For everyone missing windows 7, or those who don’t have a physical CD to install form or who have l ost their windows recover CD- you can still download the .ISO ...

I've got ISOs of Win7 SP1, but they still require nearly 200 subsequent Windows Updates, which take literally days of waiting and searching and downloading and installing, over and over. There's a recent (mid-2016) KB patch that speeds up the searching process, but it appears to require that you ALREADY installed the prior updates.

Do you know of a reputable source for an ISO that has the updates "slip-streamed" in? Even just through mid-2016 would be a blessing. Thanks!

[MayflowerMadam]

“The numbskull who created ribbon menuing and thought that was a brilliant idea should be summarily executed”

Thank you. I hold on to my Office 2003 program like grim death. When we moved, that went with my jewelry and favorite recipes.

[Bob434]

[[All those tiles flipping, flopping, and flashing around the Windows 10 screen. Hate them]]

Install classic shell- you can get a ncie clean windows 7 menu- NO tiles, or even windows 98, or XP or Vista if you like- bleeive me, i don’t use windows 10 without it- I absolutely hated the tiles look- and even their ‘start menu customization’ wasn’t giving me the look i liked-

[Bob434]

[[Classic Shell has saved my sanity]]

Absolutely- such a great program- one of the best free ones in my opinion- (anothe4r good one used to be ‘tweak UI’) but that’s not really needed much any longer- was a great program though in it’s day-

[whinecountry]

I am a computer idiot. Can you explain what Classic Shell does to improve the horrible Win 10 experience?

[MayflowerMadam]

Is the install easy? Before retiring, computer support and maintenance was part of my job. I loved it, I was good at it, and I was fearless. Ten years later, I’m a bit hesitant to dive in to anything.

“dayglored” offered a link in Post #15. Would this be the one to go with?

[VanDeKoik]

“Windows 10’s current Start menu/screen thing is a complex...”

I love having an IQ above a Democrat, because it has never been “a complex” anything. I swear The Register is the tech worlds version of Washington Post.

Happy to see the folders since my workplace has upgraded to 10, and this will come in handy.

[VanDeKoik]

"I am a computer idiot. Can you explain what Classic Shell does to improve the horrible Win 10 experience?"

It's a crutch for people that ought to never have invested in a PC because they are wholly incapable of using it past the year they got it, and think they are supposed to look like this FOREVER.



There is no "horrible" experience. Just really lazy old people that love to bitch and moan.

A person that cries about "flip floppity things" really is beyond help.

[Bob434]

[[I’ve got ISOs of Win7 SP1, but they still require nearly 200 subsequent Windows Updates,]]

I know- that’s the only downside- but you can do a macrium reflect ‘snapshot’ and create an isntall .ISO fro mthe fully update windows 7 once everythign is done

[[which take literally days of waiting and searching and downloading and installing, over and over. There’s a recent (mid-2016) KB patch that speeds up the searching process, but it appears to require that you ALREADY installed the prior updates]]

I know- it’s an absolute pain in the ear- I did find a way around it by downloading the KB for install offline or something- can’t remember now-

Windows 7 update was the absolute worst updater ever- still is, even after getting all the KB stuff needed to speed it up- it seems to work fine for a bit afterwards, then woopsie, when you go to refresh the list of updates again, it messes something up and it’s back to waiting for hours -

Windows updates, and the constant fight against viruses was the main reasons I moved on from windows- I only use it now for games and windows only programs like photoshop- in a dual boot scenario- and don’t allow windows access online except to get all the updates - or to allow virus protection to update once a month or so- just to be safe-

everything i do online now linux does just fine- email surfing, posting etc- I don’t do anything real taxing in day to day online stuff- so linux is fine- haven’t missed windows one bit for online stuff- but of course for windows only programs it’s still necessary- hence the dual boot

[Bob434]

[[
It’s a crutch for people that ought to never have invested in a PC because they are wholly incapable of using it past the year they got it,]]

And right on cue the clown shows up- I’ts not that we can’t use it- it’s that we D not like it- comprende? Your idiotic belittling of people that don’t like the new setup in windows is tiresome- it’s old- and it’[s plain childish - and it’s peopel liek you that love forcing crap that Noone wants on us-

[GingisK]

We should start a club. Word 2003 suits me just fine. I have a PDF printer driver that I use to produce documents to be read by others.

[Bob434]

if you go down to hte third graphic, you will see the changes it can make to hte start menu

It’s easy to install- and pretty easy to figure out- you’ll basically right click the start menu and choose the classic shell option and work from there-

http://www.howtogeek.com/223728/BRING-THE-WINDOWS-7-START-MENU-TO-WINDOWS-10-WITH-CLASSIC-SHELL/

[whinecountry]

Thank you!

[Bob434]

yes, very easy to install- yep thats’ the link- in my last post i showed a link that shows what it looks like

[GingisK]

I made my debut into computing in 1967 and have been using them ever since. I am an embedded system developer. Win 10 quit running many of my applications, and in particular those that run over $50,000 worth of device programmers, logic analyzers, debugging probes, and so on. It comes down to this: Microsoft breached their backwards-compatibility contract they preached so loudly on behalf of their common dialog boxes.

I can't afford to replace all of my equipment just to satisfy the whims of the marketing folks at Microsoft. Instead, I continue to run the most recent OS that handles my devices correctly. XP.

I use Linux whenever possible because utility software I wrote for Linux years ago still runs without modification.