How to disable the new Metro UI in Windows 8

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer and change the value of RPEnabled to 0. Reboot.

Byebye, tiles!

ADDENDUM: Before freaking out about Microsoft force-feeding everyone Metro, let's keep in mind that developer previews and betas are often feature-limited in a way that forces users to test specific components of the OS for the purpose of gathering meaningful telemetry. If everyone turned Metro off, Microsoft wouldn't gain any data about its stability/performance/etc., and developers would be less inclined to work with it for fear of wasting time. It's entirely possible that users will be given a registry-free way to switch to the "classic" Win7 UI as newer builds of Windows 8 are released.

 

As well as losing the Metro, you also lose the great new TaskManager so basically back to Win 7.
If you don't like the Metro interface, not much point in upgrading.
Wha'ts driving me crazy is the lack of Directory trees - guess they're there somewhere, LOL.
Still, what can you expect from a pre-beta, lots of changes ahead.
Good fun playing.
Cheers

 

I'm perfectly happy giving up the new task manager, as the old one was just fine for me.

Even without some of these UI features, Windows 8 very well may be an upgrade for me. There are lots of under-the-hood performance enhancements that will make this OS more robust for gamers, and that's change I can believe in.

 

Sorry for the late entry. I have just read your post, rowa. Do you mean in the Windows explorer? Mine is quite normal, no discernable differences from Windows 7?

 

Thanks Dave.
What I have always called the Directory Tree, Windows calls the Navigation Pane. In XP you clicked the FOLDER button, and in Win 7 they were always showing. As I had never lost them before I was at a bit of a loss but didn't actually take long to track down in the ribbon.
Cheers

 

To quickly access the power button, just press WinLogo + I

 

Win 8 Task manager is fairly different than win 7. See snips.

win 8 allows you to analyze the wait chain which really comes in handy.

 

Curious but of no concern. My top menu bar is a little different. I do wonder, also, what you have running resident? Look at my resource usage.

 

Dave

The gui differences are not Germain but there are many under the hood changes to WDP Task manager not the least of which is the wait chain,

 

No offence, but I cannot quite see the reference in your answer, to my post. But, as I said, it was just curiosity.