Windows 8.1...

[Vice]

Microsoft launched Windows 8.1 today and it appears to have entirely fixed the memory issue in Evochron Mercenary. Whatever the issue was in the original Windows 8 that caused the 'memory leak' type condition in the game, they've apparently corrected it completely in Windows 8.1. Details are available here: http://www.starwraith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10401

If you are using Windows 8, I'd recommend updating to 8.1 as soon as convenient as this update may also help resolve other similar issues in other games.

[ixtern]

It's not so easy to upgrade to 8.1. I have tried today. Windows 8.1 failed due to Users directory moved to other partition. I am using (typical configuration, I think) SSD for Windows and HDDs for other programs/data. Looks like I am forced to remove symlinks and restore User dir on C drive.

[Edited on 2013-10-18 by ixtern]

[Marvin]

Vice, my wife's computer is "infested" with Windows 8. I did a cursory check to see if it could be updated. Evidently it's more complex than simply going to Windows Update.

[goodgimp]

Vice, my wife's computer is "infested" with Windows 8. I did a cursory check to see if it could be updated. Evidently it's more complex than simply going to Windows Update.

Not really, you just go to Windows Store instead of Update (I know it's stupid, I tried to find it in Windows Update first too .

[49rTbird]

Yes the update is at the windows store. It took 4+ hours last night to go from 8 to 8.1 and when it started up I NOW have to sign on to my computer on start up using my Microsoft password. I am looking at ways to disable that. I did not have time to do a check such as to try the Sim.

I did run into a start up error that has bothered some others in that I get a start up ERROR window indication the "WINPK driver not loaded or corrupt" or some such thing. I found a link to download the WinpkFilter 3.0 program and will try to install it.

[Vice]

Yes, the update has to be done through the store, not through Windows Update (that would probably make too much sense

[Star King]

I have running Windows 8.1 preview for months and playing Evochron Mercenary on a seven year old PC. Works great and for me at least updating has been a breeze. I wonder if your registry is screwed up?

[Marvin]

I NOW have to sign on to my computer on start up using my Microsoft password.

Thanks for the warning. I don't know my wife's password so I don't think I'll be updating her computer until she confirms that she hasn't forgotten her password.

[49rTbird]

I NOW have to sign on to my computer on start up using my Microsoft password.

Thanks for the warning. I don't know my wife's password so I don't think I'll be updating her computer until she confirms that she hasn't forgotten her password.

After you sign in you can look for the option that lets you pick a "PIN NUMBER" to use instead of the password. It is a four digit passcode you make up if I remember right.

[Vice]

While Windows 8.1 does appear to resolve a number of issues, it's still Windows 8 though, so be prepared to still have some things that get in your way of using your PC quickly and efficiently in certain aspects. It still has touch emphasis in its design. So users who are familiar with smudging their screens with their fingers, covering the very display trying to present them information, will continue to generally use it as before with some minor changes. It still lacks accessibility in a number of areas and forces inconsistent UI switching at various points. Here are some things to consider that have been issues for me when trying to use 8.1:

- There is a start button, but it's mostly just a metro on/off toggle switch. Don't plan on having access to recently/commonly run programs, program folder trees, quick opening of recent documents within programs (which is a big issue for someone like myself who uses a lot of programs), etc. While it's a start 'button', you only have access to metro with a left click and system operations with a right click. I use the popular 'Classic Shell' program to restore a decently functioning start button and menu.

- You still sometimes need to use DOS-era like command line typing for access to various options while in the 'start screen' (ie Metro). The more 'apps' (and programs) you have, the more cluttered the start screen will get and the harder it is to find things. There isn't much of a sorting system for this menu, not like the expanding folder tree system in the start menu found in Windows 95-7 anyway. So be prepared to hunt (swipe or scroll) for things if you want to use that menu to find things you have installed.

- It still has the same pastel monochrome 16-color EGA 1980's look as before. No nicely shaded window control buttons, semi-transparent glassy window frames, layer shadowing, etc. Oddly, the taskbar is still semi-transparent, but the windows themselves are still one color bland solid blue on their frames. Still looks very primitive and 80's-like compared to Windows 7 running next to it (I frequently have both running side by side). The start screen is worse, bland one-tone colored square and rectangular tiles all asymmetrically mismatched with bland white graphics and text on the single color boxes for most of them. It's quite a strange mix of individual orange, blue, green, purple, and red panels that actually fits well with the cluttered and bland limited tone coloring design theme of Windows 8. They had plenty of room for improvement in the visual department, but have done little to address it with this update (for example, they've added some options to change the single tone colors and the background, but that's about it). Ironically and amusingly, this is always called the 'modern UI' of Windows 8, even though it looks and functions much more primitively in comparison to Windows 7 by most accounts (including people I put both OS's in front of and ask them to describe how they both look and function to them).

- There is still no built-in Flip3D. So PC users who enjoyed the ability to quickly toggle through their apps in near full screen detail still lose it in Windows 8.1, you only get the tiny little alt-tab mini-tiles as the only option (which ironically open in a small window in the middle of the screen that can't be moved or resized, blocking whatever is left behind it). For example, if you have maybe 5 or so sessions of notepad open or any other combination of programs, you can't see much detail in each one without actually bringing each of them up fully (even in preview form, the alt-tab menu will block the middle of it in Windows 8 anyway). Developers like myself often appreciate the ability to see what each program has in its screen in high detail with Windows-tab Flip3D, it makes sorting through multiple running programs quick and efficient since it is large enough to determine even what text content the program has. I think there are 3rd party solutions to this, but just be aware that it's been deleted from Windows 8 (and 8.1) and hasn't yet returned. Sadly, probably never will.

- The 'choose default program/open with' menu is still a static locked 'tile'. In other versions of Windows, a proper 'window' would open that could be moved anywhere on the screen so you could see the windows/icons/programs left behind it. It also provided an expandable list, recommended programs, browse button with explorer menu, an option to search for the appropriate program on the internet, along with a description field you could enter for the file type you selected. These are all gone in Windows 8. You now only have a tile that opens, a tile that can't be moved out of the way to see anything else behind it, it's locked into place in the middle of the screen and it blocks anything else behind it... it can't be moved nor can any other programs be moved to in front of it like you can in Windows 7. If you try to move a program in the background to see it (for example, to gain more details about the file you might be trying to access relative to that program), you'll force close the tile. The tile only has a static list of programs, no browse option with the explorer window (only an app search at the bottom of the program list you have to scroll all the way down to in order to access it), no description option, and no option to search the web. Obviously, no X in the corner to close it either since it's just a tile.

- Yes, you apparently have to log in every time you boot up (or since it's Windows 8, restore from hibernate). I haven't yet found a way around this. Be prepared to switch over to a metro app-like full screen mode, losing the desktop windows/icons/taskbar/etc, when you try to change the settings for this. You'll have to point the pointer up into the upper left corner of the screen and click on the small desktop icon that appears there to get back to the desktop from the full-screen consuming settings app. No UI consistent windowed program/menu for this as with a lot of other things in Windows 8, unfortunately.

There are other things, but these are some main points that I have issue with. In the end, don't expect much of a difference compared to Windows 8, it's still sorely lacking depending on the level of capability and access you expect to get from your PC. But they have improved a few things, making it somewhat easier to live with. I normally upgrade all of my development systems to the latest version of Windows, but not in this case. It still has far too many compromises and losses of functionality for me to want to use it as a developer. For now, I intend to stick with Windows 7 for work and only use the one Windows 8 machine I have for testing on. Others may find Windows 8 just fine to contend with, depending on the scope of how they use their PC.

[Marvin]

- It still has the same pastel monochrome 16-color EGA 1980's look as before.

Adding insult upon insult, the latest update to the iPhone does the very same thing: monochrome icons!

[49rTbird]

My try at fixing "win pk filter driver not installed" error on start up did not work. Turns out it is Lan optimizer program that uses the file. installed new version and Error gone.

I will use my Win 8.1 machine for gaming only at this point.



[Edited on 10-19-2013 by thetiebers]