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Hi all!
My post should be in the developer page, but since I have less than 10 posts I'll post it here. Hope someone'll read it, I think it may be useful to everybody. BTW sorry for my poor english.
I am a user of Windows 8 from the developer preview, and I learned to appreciate the new Start Page and get used to.
The only thing that makes it still "just bearable" to me is the poor (more like nonexistent) non-metro applications customization. I understand that Windows wants developers to create Metro Apps, but their usability on a desktop PC does not fully not convince me; for some uses I prefer a thousand times to use the classic applications.
The question is: how to get the tiles to the classic desktop applications more pleasing than a monochromatic square with an icon?
I started to look far and wide on the Internet, finding not that much (really this does not affect anyone?), but I found something, something (even right in this site).
I've thought about three different ways of solving this problem. Since it's a little bit tl;dr i'll organize them under quotes.
1- An app that opens programs
- it is relatively easy to modify images of Metro Tiles for metro applications already installed, just follow this guide.
- For those who have knowledge of programming C + +, Javascript, or, generically, any language to Visual Basic, creating a tile for your application is extremely easy, so easy even I did it (I don't know programming, sadly). Still, nobody yet has thought to create standard desktop applications with these tiles, even Microsoft itself (Visual Studio RC hasn't got it!).
- I know that Metro Apps work a bit like the sandbox, but you can set the permissions to access images, documents and so on, so should not be impossible to make up a "double bounce" (metro app that opens a link in the Documents which opens the user desktop) without slowing down too the opening of the original program. I do not think is too complex, yet I can not do it alone.
- Also, an xda user found a way to bypass the sandbox and HERE someone (looks like the only one on the ENTIRE internet, apart from me) wondered about this problem and tried to solve this by itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2- The icon, centered and bigger
- a simple and elegant solution: can't we just edit the registry to bring up the icon in the middle of the tiles and change as well as the size of it equal to the tile itself? Then we should just make bigger icons for programs large enough to not be pixelated.
I searched a bit in regedit on:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ ImmersiveShell \ Grid
However, I found "only" how to enlarge or shrink the tile itself or the number of these files. There are a lot of other data but does not have competence to understand the setup.
Seems the easiest way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3- Copying from Google
As you surely know Google has launched the Google Chrome metro interface, with some special features:
- The program does not come from the Windows App Store, but can be downloaded from the Chromium Project site, therefore, is installed in the usual place of Chrome (User / AppData / Local) and not in the folder WindowsApps. This is quite unusual, because I thought it was the "exclusive" folder for metro applications;
- From my analysis I understood that the application that starts, both in desktop and Metro look, is always the same, "chrome.exe". To confirm this I noticed that, in fact, the folder "Metro" in "Google Chrome" folder contains only the userdata files and not specific ones for the program, which instead are contained by the classic Chrome folder;
- I'm pretty sure that all Google Chrome files are in this folder, since I found inside the "Manifest" and the images for the tiles. Trying to change the PNG and cleaning the cache also changed the tile in the Start bar.
- The first step, too simple for it to be working ( ) was to copy the manifest and the images folder in the folder of another program (obviously changing the directory on the manifest through Notepad), clearing the cache and restarting the PC. It did not work, of course.
- The next step was to open the folder "C: \ Users \ MYUSERPROFILE \ AppData \ Roaming \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Start Menu \ Programs" and try to understand more of nature of the link to Google Chrome...Only to find out that the link to Chrome was not there! ... Does anyone know where it is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And that's all. There is still nobody in the world that seems to manage a tweak for having tiles in non-metro applications, so if someone here manages to do this he'll be like the first in the ENTIRE WORLD
Hope this motivates you. I hope to read something from you developers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The user Argony-OT has found a solution to add metro tiles in the start page for common legacy application. Link to his thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899865
Otinademoniac said:
Hi all!
My post should be in the developer page, but since I have less than 10 posts I'll post it here. Hope someone'll read it, I think it may be useful to everybody. BTW sorry for my poor english.
I am a user of Windows 8 from the developer preview, and I learned to appreciate the new Start Page and get used to.
The only thing that makes it still "just bearable" to me is the poor (more like nonexistent) non-metro applications customization. I understand that Windows wants developers to create Metro Apps, but their usability on a desktop PC does not fully not convince me; for some uses I prefer a thousand times to use the classic applications.
The question is: how to get the tiles to the classic desktop applications more pleasing than a monochromatic square with an icon?
I started to look far and wide on the Internet, finding not that much (really this does not affect anyone?), but I found something, something (even right in this site).
I've thought about three different ways of solving this problem. Since it's a little bit tl;dr i'll organize them under quotes.
1- An app that opens programs
2- The icon, centered and bigger
3- Copying from Google
And that's all. There is still nobody in the world that seems to manage a tweak for having tiles in non-metro applications, so if someone here manages to do this he'll be like the first in the ENTIRE WORLD
Hope this motivates you. I hope to read something from you developers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would think that Microsoft would give a way for Google to bypass the restriction on side-loading (for verified developers like Google or the like) if they requested (Of course, they could also have found a way to install Metro Applications without the developers license/enterprise requirement, etc.)
This is probably how it works since the Metro application is not in the usual Installation folder. It is something to wonder about though.
My god! Me and my friend are having this same problem with windows 8! We like the metro menu a lot, but we want to customize non metro program tiles!! We can make some pretty cool images for the tiles, but we just dont know how to change the tiles. I think ur on to something with Google chrome though! I hope some can figure this out! Ur not the only one who wants this!
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
bb12489 said:
My god! Me and my friend are having this same problem with windows 8! We like the metro menu a lot, but we want to customize non metro program tiles!! We can make some pretty cool images for the tiles, but we just dont know how to change the tiles. I think ur on to something with Google chrome though! I hope some can figure this out! Ur not the only one who wants this!
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is that I haven't got enough knowledge (not as much as my dedication to the cause ) to really do something with this...I am kinda searching for some help from XDA Developers
Same problem here
I'm also having the same problems on Windows 8. I'm also finding a way to change the default traditional app icons to the metro look, like what google do. Hmmmm.... Microsoft should add a feature to change default non-metro icons to non-metro tiles.
What's weird is that, as someone made me notice, if you make Google Chrome (the W8 version) the default browser for Metro instead of Internet Explorer, IE loses it's metro icon and become a normal Windows monocoloured tile. It's weird enough for making me think that the "copy Google" way is a bit harder than expected.
On the other hand, I've got a friend of mine searching in Windows 8 resources for a way to enlarge and center icons in Start Scren. Nowadays all the icons are big and detailed enough to fit inside a tile, and if they don't we can always make our own. I think that this is actually the easiest way.
Anyone have any clue that might help the cause? Also, since I still have less than 10 post, might someone link this thread in the Windows 8 hacking-developer forum?
Otinademoniac said:
What's weird is that, as someone made me notice, if you make Google Chrome (the W8 version) the default browser for Metro instead of Internet Explorer, IE loses it's metro icon and become a normal Windows monocoloured tile. It's weird enough for making me think that the "copy Google" way is a bit harder than expected.
On the other hand, I've got a friend of mine searching in Windows 8 resources for a way to enlarge and center icons in Start Scren. Nowadays all the icons are big and detailed enough to fit inside a tile, and if they don't we can always make our own. I think that this is actually the easiest way.
Anyone have any clue that might help the cause? Also, since I still have less than 10 post, might someone link this thread in the Windows 8 hacking-developer forum?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what might cause it, but I know that it's a behavior that's been there since Developers Preview, after setting Chrome as the default browser it would go away, Even when I set the older chrome versions as default it would do it.
Still nothing...! This is quite frustrating, I'm searching really deeply a way to edit the METRO UI, but nothing yet found. Any help?
The way I think would be easier is to center and make bigger the Icon inside the Metro Tiles. I'm trying to use a Resource Editor in windows, but I haven't found anything yet.
Hi, I'm (obviously) new here.
I actually joined just to try and help figure this very issue out.
1. I actually noticed about an hour ago (when installing Firefox) the change that occurred with the Metro tile for IE, changing to a default tile. Your post made me chuckle, as I had literally just done that very thing. It was as if IE felt unloved. :laugh:
2. I am a designer. The ability to not change these tiles right now is killing me from the inside! I could easily set some color values or make my own icons in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and then make new metro-esque tiles the way I want for nearly all my apps in no time.
So, with all of that said... I too shall be looking into how we can manage making our own tiles for non-metro apps.
I wonder (and this is a cheap cheap fix) if one were to design an application icon for say, Firefox, and it would be the actual size & dimension of the pre-fixed metro square...would that icon fill the sqaure and at least give the appearance of being a metro app? It may, but I fear it might just down-size the icon entirely leaving us at square one.
All my design programs are on my OS X hard drives. Later I'll plug them back in, then re-boot my hackintosh and try to make a fill-in metro styled icon for testing purposes.
-TYPØ
Hi TYPOGRAPH1C, sadly changing the icon size won't work, nowadays almost every application icon for Windows have a resolution big enough to fit more than just the METRO tile; sadly, it's still not working.
Also, I've tried (withouth success) another experiment: In the "Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu" folder you can find the links for some of the METRO APP; those icons are from a DLL! I've tried to simply copy one of those in another folder and make a legacy program use it, but it didn't work. I guess is one way less to try
That is unfortunate. And, who knows this may be something we can't fully tackle until the full release of the OS. But, I do know that I went through yesterday and counted 30+ apps that I personally would like to make icons for. Mainly the general stuff I use, but a lot of them are things many people use as well. So between now and the finalized OS release, I should have them all done. And if worst case, we can never set the tiles ourselves... at least I'd rock some custom metro style icons on my taskbar.
But if we do get this working... I was actually thinking last night about this. If we were able to achieve the correct look for the tile icons, I suppose it would be 100% possible to have practically nothing living on the taskbar in Windows 8 (besides the current open desktop application). Everything could be bound to the Start Menu and grouped accordingly in theory.
-TYPØ
I am also looking for a solution. I really want all my programs to have the tile icon.
What i already did is make a white icon for some programs and then specify it as the icon.
Like this you have the icon in the tile (downsized ofc) but the tile itself isn't filled with a background color.
I looks better than the full colored icons from before but i still want the whole metro tile look.
Otinademoniac said:
Hi all!
3- Copying from Google
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can read all about "metro enabled desktop browsers" when you get some free time. It's a cool idea, but unfortunately, you can only have one.
Could someone who knows how to make Tiles not make a custom tile app that can then handle custom image and file path, so we just update the details within the app so it points the the right place? So we could install the placeholder with the new set details and pop the icons are Larg and Small and offer booting the exe?
I have NO idea how to make tiles but I just thought maybe that could be a way?
rexzooly said:
Could someone who knows how to make Tiles not make a custom tile app that can then handle custom image and file path, so we just update the details within the app so it points the the right place? So we could install the placeholder with the new set details and pop the icons are Larg and Small and offer booting the exe?
I have NO idea how to make tiles but I just thought maybe that could be a way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows Phone has custom tile apps...Wiztiles is one I use. A user can create custom tiles using pictures they have on their phone. These tiles can then be used to link to specific functions. The function I use it for is to point to websites. You can have it open many of the built in apps on WinPhone. It will open email and draft a new email for you with contact, subject and even the body of the mail drafted...all you have o do is hit send, or edit then send. Same with sms. It can be used to dial a contact or perform a search in the marketplace or Bing app. So it doesn't just open an app, it opens and performs an initial action in the app. Not sure how much of a leap it would be to have it point to 3rd party apps, but the basic idea is there.
The website the OP posted which was this http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9527644/launching-a-desktop-application-with-a-metro-style-app actually does have a method on creating an app to launch a desktop app if anyone wants to try it. Me I'm not that great with code.
a tip for hex editors, just DUI hackers: twinui.dll UIFILES.
I think that it's possible, because you can open internet explorer desktop from internet explorer immersive
@Ka-la I've tried some time ago, but twinui.dll get corrupted... (Next time I will retry )
Pasquiindustry said:
I think that it's possible, because you can open internet explorer desktop from internet explorer immersive
@Ka-la I've tried some time ago, but twinui.dll get corrupted... (Next time I will retry )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I managed to size content in my tiles in RTM pretty succesfully, not sure why you corrupt it. Im not using Windows 8 at the moment so I cannot really help. I remember there were templates for many variant of tiles (widewithpicture and smallwithpicture and so on). If there is one for that applies to desktop apps, it might be possible to apply a metro one to it
I'll give it a shot once im using Windows 8 but cant promise anything.
Maybe i had wrong edits in wrong place
Hello XDA members!
I installed the leaked WinPho 8 SDK, and (as OndraSter said in an another topic) the ROM images are VHD files.
Currently, I can only open and mount Flash.vhd. The other 3 is not valid VHD.
I have found lots of REG files inside this and will try to unlock, but there is a tons of reg.
Found changes from 7.5:
There will be new ring- and alert tones
Power Point Presentations can be view in Portrait mode
Windows Live renamed to Microsoft account in account manager
If you set password you:
dont get a new "window" to set the password, just expand screen downwards
you can show the typed caracters
Charging while turned off?
I found some interesting files in boot partition:
battery_100.bmpx
battery_255.bmpx
battery_500.bmpx
battery_755.bmpx
battery_1000.bmpx
battery_charge_normall.bmpx
battery_errorr.bmpx
battery_inside_empty.bmpx
battery_plug_100.bmpx
battery_plug_255.bmpx
battery_plug_500.bmpx
battery_plug_755.bmpx
battery_plug_1000.bmpx
ffuloader.bmpx
mobilestartup.exe
pluggedin_battery_loww.bmpx
resetphone.bmpx
resetphone.exe
unplugged_battery_loww.bmpx
I live in a strong suspicion that new Windows Phone 8 devices can be charge without booting complete OS (becouse of EFI, maybe).
I cannot open bmpx files, becouse I could not find any program to do this.
Hidden video
Found an interesting video in emulator.
I have no idea what is this.
balcsida said:
Found an interesting video in emulator.
I have no idea what is this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm maybe we can use bing vision on videos
james1123 said:
hmm maybe we can use bing vision on videos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is
bing -> vision -> ... menu -> test settings
balcsida said:
I found some interesting files in boot partition:
battery_100.bmpx
battery_255.bmpx
battery_500.bmpx
battery_755.bmpx
battery_1000.bmpx
battery_charge_normall.bmpx
battery_errorr.bmpx
battery_inside_empty.bmpx
battery_plug_100.bmpx
battery_plug_255.bmpx
battery_plug_500.bmpx
battery_plug_755.bmpx
battery_plug_1000.bmpx
ffuloader.bmpx
mobilestartup.exe
pluggedin_battery_loww.bmpx
resetphone.bmpx
resetphone.exe
unplugged_battery_loww.bmpx
I live in a strong suspicion that new Windows Phone 8 devices can be charge without booting complete OS (becouse of EFI, maybe).
I cannot open bmpx files, becouse I could not find any program to do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are just icon files :good:
balcsida said:
Hello XDA members!
Currently, I can only open and mount Flash.vhd. The other 3 is not valid VHD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are actually valid, those are differencing disks images and Flash.vhd is a parent for them.
balcsida said:
Hello XDA members!
After a second, turning into 1024x768x32 resolution, and after another few seconds, it restarts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's your host OS? It works fine with Hyper-V on Windows 8 RP x64
View attachment 1227657
Hi using Windows 7 for host and runs vhd-s in virtual pc 2007.
I confirm all vhd works.
gamo84 said:
Hi using Windows 7 for host and runs vhd-s in virtual pc 2007.
I confirm all vhd works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you share how exactly you did the setup
Sorry for that trouble. I can confirm ONLY that vhd-s are okay. So I can mount it. But I don't think they are usable with virtual pc
Finally, I can start the emulator (do not ask how )
I will modify the first post to tell the (maybe little) differences between 7.5 and 8.
Good Topic
I hope the experts can find more changes and inform us the new changes coming with Windows Phone 8. I doubt there will be anything substantial to inform by Microsoft, although I am expecting some surprises.
You can run flash.vhd in VirtualBox, by setting the guest OS to Windows 7 and upping the graphics memory and enabling 3d + 2d graphics acceleration.
ie shortcut sync
any sign of sync of ie bookmarks to Skydrive to then syc with desktop; also sync of recent web history?
Hi I searched for this and I did not find this. Perhaps some ideas could be discussed, it's not just a question.
I noticed that the theme sounds have been removed in Windows 8 (though the folders are still there in the Windows folder, just empty). Yet, the seashore/sailing themes from Windows 7 maintain the sound schemes. I have tried saving these and they just disappear. I copied the Win 7 sounds into the the same location in Win 8, restart, it does nothing. The only way I've found this is by adding one sound at a time, importing, which would take forever for just one theme.
Anyone found a way?
Ok here is what to do:
1. Log in to Windows 7. Click Start, Run, regedit.
2. Go to HKEY Current User, AppEvents. Highlight AppEvents and click 'export'. I named it as Windows 7 Sounds Complete. At this point, I saved the default Win 8 sound scheme in a folder in case the regedit file nukes the Win 8 sounds.
3. Log in to Windows 8 / 8.1. Find the location of your regedit file, I saved it on the Win 7 desktop. Double click this, click yes.
Now, if you go to control panel, sounds, you will ALL the Windows 7 sound schemes there. These become present in Windows 7
themes that you use in Win 8/8.1.
I have a theme from another forum (which has been down for about a week now) which inserts cursors, and sounds, in addition to the themed GUI itself. I will try to take a look tonight and see if I can offer some helpful info.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Hi, I tried to click thanks but some strange error comes up about permissions...?? thanks anyway!
Anyone else find anything on this?
On the occasion that I boot into Win 7 for something - like now - I remember how pleasant the various sound schemes are. If we an imitate Aero, we can do this!
Solved, in first post.
I had previously asked about making an active tile, but I fear I may have been throwing out what I thought would be a 'simple' solution instead of asking for what I really wanted. I am looking to have something that allows my users to see this content - http://orsl.montana.edu/weather/ORSLweather.php - easily. This page is basically a small image that updates every five minutes with a new image showing the current weather from a weather station at a university.
Turning on the way back machine I was able to accomplish this using Active Desktop in Windows XP and Vista. With Windows 7 I wrote some code to make a Windows Gadget and even used an add-on to re-enable gadgets in Windows 8. I had hoped making an active Windows Tile for the Start Menu would be fairly easy, but it turns out that is not the case.
I am open to a solution that allows this content to be on the Desktop or Start Menu and regularly update. Any thoughts?
Perfect gadget Weather desktop like in Windows 7? It can be installed.
You can try Rainmeter: http://rainmeter.net/ or XWidget : http://www.xwidget.com/xwidget/
maxaon09 said:
Perfect gadget Weather desktop like in Windows 7? It can be installed.
You can try Rainmeter: http://rainmeter.net/ or XWidget : http://www.xwidget.com/xwidget/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the thought, but the goal is not to just have some weather widget/gadget. I am looking to have the exact weather image detailed in the OP update regularly. This weather data is from a specific weather station and a new image is created every five minutes with the latest weather info. Having it appear on the Start menu or Desktop is what we need
cleonti said:
I appreciate the thought, but the goal is not to just have some weather widget/gadget. I am looking to have the exact weather image detailed in the OP update regularly. This weather data is from a specific weather station and a new image is created every five minutes with the latest weather info. Having it appear on the Start menu or Desktop is what we need
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, rainmeter lets you also create these widgets, with a fairly simple script language. you could easily fetch said photo every five minutes. :good: