I used that for a while TabbyTom. Also tried a similar program called 'Start8' that worked OK. There is no need to put up with the default appearance and behavior of a Microsoft operating system if it is disliked. There are always clever developers who will provide a program (usually free) to change it.

I don't know if people will still feel the need for programs like Classic Shell or Start8 when it comes to Windows 10 but I expect there will be compatible versions of the programs released anyway.

...I just switched to a Mac before that Vista thing came around... I missed my Windows 2000 (ok, actually, I miss Windows 3.x but it's not like I can run that on anything anymore!)

I plan to update to 10 at some point, but not right away, as I am going to let some of the bugs get cleared out first.

The Windows 8 monitor can be set to the older 'Desktop" version without any extra apps added on simply by clicking the tile labeled DESKTOP. You will be presented with the old way of navigating your system files. Programs can be accessed by clicking the task bar FILES icon and you can navigate your PC's internal files. I have pasted a screenshot of my W8 tiled screen. My Desktop tile is black because I have my desktop set to high contrast mode. If you want some other background used that is more colorful, the Tile screen tile will reflect that choice. On the Desktop screen, you can order and manipulate your desktop icons just as before, by right-clicking on an open desktop area.

I've re-typed the word DESKTOP since it doesn't show well in the screenshot.

A screenshot of Mehaul's desktop is shown here.

Are we allowed to post images up to a certain size here now? It is often useful to provide a screenshot when talking about computers.

I have had trouble with providing only links to images on Photobucket. Advertisements can take over the screen for those following the link, even if an ad-blocker is installed. Embedding photos/images/screenshots in posts seems fine but I don't just link to images there any more.

Not keen on that Desktop Mehaul. Mine is much prettier ..but each to their own.

You're right Tellywellies, posting images within threads - apart from the photography threads - isn't allowed. I have edited Mehaul's post to include a link to the screenshot rather than the image itself.

Photobucket is increasingly unwieldy for links, I tend to used Tinypics for that. It's also no longer as good as it was but for one-off images it's okay.

It is possible to link to images on your Microsoft OneDrive cloud account (log in via the Internet). No adverts for people visiting there. In fact, if the link is surrounded by the 'IMG' tags, it will even show up as an embedded image in a post. Varying success with this though. I have had a couple of images that needed re-linking after a while but others have been OK and are still showing.

Back to the topic, Microsoft are releasing preview builds of Windows 10 thick and fast now. There have been 3 in the last month I think. They all seem to work reasonably well but testing builds is probably different to using the OS every day.

Not long to go before the final release. I read the number of computers eligible for upgrade is 1 billion. Some people won’t take up the upgrade offer of course or they may decide to wait a while but I’ll bet the Microsoft servers will have a lot to cope with when the release date arrives. Delays may be experienced I suppose. Microsoft might need to regulate the roll-out to everyone over a period of time.

Sorry about posting the screen shot. I will try to use a link next time.
Dial-up ISPs don't reach the altitudes (speeds) that the clouds require.
But I hope you concede that no extra apps are needed to get from W8 to a version similar to earlier editions of Windows.
My image is of the Tile screen, not the desktop. But, the tile screen takes on the background defined on the desktop page so mine shows a bland black and white. And to the right, off-screen are many colorful tiles that are defined by their supporting providers.
My IE browser is burping a lot lately. I wonder if Microsoft is to some extent ignoring or back-burnering the upkeep of IE 11 as the new OS causes some discord?

I agree that no extra programs are needed for the Windows 8.1 interface but it's a fact many haven't taken to it. For those people, 'Start8' or 'Classic Shell' can give Windows 8.1 the look and feel of Windows 7 and therefore make it more acceptable.

The only changes I have made to the Start Screen can be purely classed as 'playing'. By that, I mean what has been done wasn't really necessary at all. Just an appearance thing done out of interest using a free program called 'Oblytile'. This allows using images on tiles (made in a graphics program). Here's a couple of links to screenshots, not overrun with ads I hope:

Overall Start Screen

A close-up showing some modified tiles

I suppose the points about the Windows 8.1 appearance are almost history now, what with the Windows 10 release being so close. It will then be all change for those who decide to upgrade (I will). Nonetheless, the screenshots show the way I've been happily using Windows 8.1 for a good while.

I still have XP, when Ibought this computer it had 7 installed so I told them to put XP on. I still have ancient software and bits of equipement and don't want to spend a fortune upgrading things, like my Office 2003.

I'm with you, Sue. Why get something new, when what you have is working just fine?

Well, I've just taken the leap into the unknown and installed Windows 10 which was remarkably painless. Although I admit to installing it on a relatively new PC which had 8.1 but which hadn't yet been loaded with too many bits and pieces or other assorted essential gizmos junk.

It's seems to have left all my installed software alone except Bitdefender but a short panic and a quick google said that three hours after the install I should get a Windows alert to update Bitdefender and then all will be well again.

Otherwise it looks great. Okay, I think if I was coming straight from XP I might get a bit of a shock, and some basic things have moved (again), but as someone who has progressed through all the dinosaur versions of Windows then to XP to Vista to Win7 to 8.1, it's both different and accessible. And as little things please me, I was delighted to find I could get my desktop clock back in a sidebar!

So my new laptop now looks and behaves like a computer, not a strangely overgrown version of a phone!

Okay. I don't stress easily, but I make an exception for computers. I just downloaded Windows 10.

One problem is no sound. Everything is showing as if it is okay, everything turned on, etc. ?????

Another problem is certainly my fault. I had been doing a lot under an Administrator user name rather than the original name on the computer (both of them me). I don't know how to access that Administrator account now, and don't know if it even exists on this computer anymore. I can deal with starting over from scratch and have Word documents backed up, but I've lost some handy bookmarks and automatically remembered passwords. Probably safer not having those up there, but they were really convenient. Now I have to find where I hid them and put them all in again before I can pay my bills.

However, I CAN get to Facebook and Fun Trivia, so what could be wrong?

The good news is that it does look a bit more intuitive and less mysterious than Windows 8.

Got my sound back by doing an update of driver. Wasn't too hard to find where to do that. Step one.

If you set up the Administrator account under the standard UAC (User Accounts Control) procedure under the previous operating system, you might be able to access it via the same process in Win10. Go to Control Panel, click on User Accounts, and everything is the same as it used to be. The User Accounts set up is also available under the Win10 Settings option - try "Family and other users".

I'm afraid I was a smart**** - I backed up my bookmarks before I upgraded. Yeah, I know, I deserve a smack.

I wonder if they got automatically backed up to the Cloud? Did you set up and use a Microsoft account with Windows 8 and have you used it to log into Windows 10? If so, open Internet Explorer. If you are really lucky, your bookmarks might be in place.