Metro needs more customization options

I have been toying around with a copy of Windows 8's Release Preview on my second desktop system for a while now, and have gotten used to the Metro interface rather quickly.
I specifically like the new way of searching and what the Windows Store has to offer.
There are definitely a few quirks here and there, and some things that I would have designed different. In this article, I'm going to look at some of the options that I feel are missing.
I do not have high hopes that anyone from Microsoft will comment here on this site, as the company has been largely ignoring it for the last six or so years of its existence.
1. The order of tiles
You can move Metro tiles around by dragging and dropping them to another location to customize where items appear on the start screen. When you drag and drop one or multiple Metro tiles around, you will notice that they are automatically placed underneath a column's existing tiles, or on the right of it if adding the new tiles would exceed the column tile limit.
What you can't do is leave gaps in the interface. If you look at the screenshot above you notice that I only have two Metro tiles on the left. I would move other tiles there, but only if I could leave a horizontal gap between the existing tiles in the column and the new tiles that I want to move there.
I can do that on the Windows desktop, where I can move the desktop shortcuts around into locations that I want them to be in without them snapping back to the next icon automatically.
2. Tile colors
There is no way to change the color theme, or the color of individual tiles in Metro. For me, there are simply too many colors in Metro, and I'd like to have a way to reduce the colors that are used to make it more eye-pleasing for myself. This is actually not just a problem of the start screen, but also of Windows Store where it is really difficulty to concentrate on individual items because of the color explosion there.
Give me options to display tiles in a certain color scheme, or black and white only. I do understand that this is not as hip and lively as the full color experience, but since I want to work with the operating system, I prefer usability over looks any time of the day.
What I'm looking for is something like what the high contrast theme is offering, only not that minimalistic.
The store is still to colorful for my liking in the high contrast theme, making it hard to concentrate on the app titles.
Custom tiles on the other hand should have personalization options. They are all displayed in green on the screen, and there should be options to make them stick out as well if that is what a user wants.
3. Remove/Hide Start header
When you look at the Metro start screen, you see the header area at the top that is basically just displaying a Start title and on the right the username and profile icon that you can use to switch users, lock the screen or sign out. It would be really nice if one could automatically hide that header to make more room for additional Metro tiles there. There is not really a need for the Start title there, and the lock, sign out and account switching options are also available elsewhere.
Closing Words
Have you had a chance to work with the new Metro interface? Have you identified areas where it needs improvement?
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What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help