Your post is confusing, but what I mean is that only conventional desktop programs have the ability to be pinned to the taskbar. You can't pin a metro app to the taskbar. IE is *somewhat* of an exception but actually, not really, because IE metro and IE desktop are effectively two different programs that just share some special interaction between each other. MSDN would cover it more in detail but that's the general idea. When you configure that option in internet options it is just altering what version of IE the start menu is launched.

Really! I took trouble to spell it all out and thought I was generalising from the IE instance, but

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

You can't pin a metro app to the taskbar

Indeed! I had noticed a few (2) other tiles (HP apps) that had 'Pin to taskbar' options and, w/out trying them out, assumed that they would run Metro when clicked, but in fact they run on Desktop.

So my query regarding other 'Pin to taskbar' capable apps is pointless as there just aren't any. IE is the sole survivor!

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I don't blame you for going back to local account, I am on a local one as well

I know it's a small thing, but when you are just a local a/c your picture is just a silhouette. Where are all the account pictures gone? They should be in \ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures but all the pix there are outlines. Can't find any in Store, only wallpapers. Any suggestions?

NM: I've transferred some from XP & Vista.

It seems underhand of MS to only supply them for MS a/c logins!

Edited by XRaySpeX (Mon 20-Jan-14 03:19:51)

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

8.1 will allow you to boot to desktop

Just to clarify what the HP pamphlet was getting at, the 8.1 Taskbar Properties do contain a Navigation tab which allows you to configure this?

i had to have a look as I don't really use windows a lot and when I do i use Start is back. Here is avideo from you tube to show you how to boot to desktop and yes it is in the taskbar properties.

sound is a bit quiet ont he video, so you may need to turn volume up.

sorry for a bit of a delay in answering.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I don't blame you for going back to local account, I am on a local one as well

I know it's a small thing, but when you are just a local a/c your picture is just a silhouette. Where are all the account pictures gone? They should be in \ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures but all the pix there are outlines. Can't find any in Store, only wallpapers. Any suggestions?

NM: I've transferred some from XP & Vista.

It seems underhand of MS to only supply them for MS a/c logins!

i never noticed, i don't bother with account pictures, .

Thanks very much! That puts my mind at rest that I had not bought a PC with the wrong vers of Win 8 and that all the HP pamphlet meant by '(select models only)' was those with Win 8.1 pre-installed.

As at the mo' HP sells its Windows laptops about half & half 8 or 8.1, the pamphlet must be written to cover them all.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

Thanks very much! That puts my mind at rest that I had not bought a PC with the wrong vers of Win 8 and that all the HP pamphlet meant by '(select models only)' was those with Win 8.1 pre-installed.

As at the mo' HP sells its Windows laptops about half & half 8 or 8.1, the pamphlet must be written to cover them all.

Now I see what you mean. w8 can be updated to 8.1 anyway.

The boot to desktop in 8.1 is just Microsoft trying to please people, just like the start button. they still ignored people about a start menu, still there are some good start menus out there and most are free.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

The boot to desktop in 8.1 is just Microsoft trying to please people[snip]

It's pleased me for sure. I was using Task Scheduler to boot to my desktop prior to updating to 8.1 but this is much better.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

still there are some good start menus out there and most are free.

Any good recommendations? And does MS offer one? I suppose not as they removed it from their mainline OS. Looked on their d/load site, which does offer much more meaty apps than the MS Store, and on the Store itself, but only found a few by unknown publishers.

Well, I've finally upgraded to 8.1 after the backlog of updates for Win 8. It is just as you all here have said and advised, for which I thank you all .

Indeed, once I got familiar with it, I quite like 8.1 once it can login directly to the desktop; it is a very slick OS aided by my faster PC than I have had before. The only thing missing is a proper desktop start menu. In fact, the All Apps Metro screen is its Start Menu, being the only interface provided to access all the desktop applications on the PC. and there seems to be no provided official facility to construct a Start Menu on the desktop.

Having realised that, I have found a way to construct my own Start Menu on the desktop. I discovered where the All Apps menu is stored (\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu ) and copied that to the standard location for storing Start Menus (\Users\user\Start Menu) for all my users. Then I added a Toolbar to my taskbar pointing at that place. Et voila, a Start Menu rising out the taskbar . Of course, it won't auto update as apps are installed/removed . But it's early days!