Classic Shell: Forum

Hi,

Thanks for your nice software. For me it provides almost all needed enhancements to Windows 8 GUI:
- Start menu
- Skips "Modern" start screen upon Windows login

However, one Windows 8 behavior that's really annoying me (and others from what I've seen on the web) is the fact that Windows always goes back to the mode of the last run application after closing that given application.
For example, if I launch and then close WordPad, Windows will always show the desktop screen after closing WordPad. If I launch one of the modern Windows 8 Apps like "Travel", it will always show the modern start screen after closing the modern app.

This is not really convenient for users like me who would prefer to always go back to a "current" mode. IE: if I launch any app from the desktop, I want to always go back to the desktop after closing the app. If I launch any app from the modern start screen, I want to be taken back to the modern start screen after closing the app. Basically, when I work in the modern GUI, I'd like to stay most often in this GUI (typically when using a touchscreen), but if I'm working from the desktop, I'd rather stay in classic desktop mode (typically when using mouse and keyboard).

Of course, this would not prevent users from accessing either the desktop or the modern start screen by clicking on their links or the windows key at any time.

So I was wondering if such feature would be something that could be part of Classic Shell?

p.s. Sorry for not posting in the "Feature request" section, but I can't seem to create a topic there.

Regards,

kik

I don't think that's possible. The system doesn't remember where a program is launched from.
Also, fixed the forum permissions and now you can post to "feature requests".

Hi, thanks for your quick reply.

Well, maybe a simpler approach would be possible providing a similar solution:

option 1: supposing it's possible to detect if the Modern Start Screen is currently opened, always go back to the Modern Start Screen in this case.
or option 2: supposing it's possible to detect if the Desktop is currently opened, always go back to the Desktop Screen in this case.

An even more radical approach would be a permanent user choice: either always go back to Modern Screen / or always go back to Desktop Screen.
In that case, there would be no need to detect anything; the user preferred "home screen" would always be launched or displayed when no other app is on screen.
But then, would it still be possible to explicitely launch the desktop or Modern Start Screen without weird side effects!?

Gee, I'm not sure my post is very clear. Sorry if it's not.

kik

I don't understand - if the Modern Start Screen is already opened, there is nowhere to go - you are already there. Same with the Desktop.
Either way, any such discussion is just theoretical, because there is no way to detect when an application exits. Not without some serious hooking into the OS anyway.
Also, you are assuming a very trivial usage - open application, use it, close it. In practice people run multiple applications simultaneously and close them in arbitrary order. That seriously complicates things.

Ok. I get your point. Sorry for taking your time with such weirdo requests.
I was just hoping for some way to avoid being constantly shuffled by the OS between the Modern Start Screen and the Desktop mode, arbitrarily based on which type of app was last run, each time having to click somewhere to get back to the screen I want to see. Aren't you annoyed when you are in that new modern start screen, using several new apps with the new look, and then just by running calculator, the whole desktop appears and you have to click again in the corner to get back to the modern start screen, even after closing the calculator or other classic apps?

To me both are useful interfaces, but they don't mix well together and have different usage (touch vs mouse). So it would make sense at least that each screen would correspond to a user selectable mode:
If I'm on a tablet I normally don't want to see the desktop, and if I work with a mouse I'd usually not want the Modern Start Screen.

I guess we'll have to wait until most applications are converted to Windows 8 apps to have a more coherent user experience... But right now not even all Microsoft accessories are available as Windows 8 apps.
So until that's the case, many users will stick to desktop mode with Classic Shell and rarely even touch the new Windows 8 apps.

Thanks again. Best regards and keep up the good work.

kik

probably not quite your department, but if only there was a way to run all metro apps in windows with the _[]X buttons and the drag bar XD, from what ive tried of metro apps (i havnt downloaded any new ones besides the ones windows starts with) i really dont like them, especially with the switching interfaces and such.. but im sure there are/will be plenty of jewels that id like to use in years to come.