How can I have Windows 8 go to the desktop by default?

I've played around a smidge with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a VirtualBox VM and I think the improvements under the hood may be worth tolerating the Metro UI crap. I don't like that the entire screen changes to something I don't care about when I hit the Windows key and start typing but I can deal with it.

The one thing I cannot stand, though, is that it starts in the Metro interface by default. I have to hit the "Desktop" tile to get to a normal interface, and while I can hit "escape" to go back to the desktop and dismiss Metro, it doesn't work when you first log in. When you first log in, you have to hit that "Desktop" tile.

I know that the Enterprise versions of Windows 8 will go to the desktop by default. I don't know but I would assume that there's probably some registry key that would handle this. Has anyone figured that out yet?

Solution 1:

Adding a Scheduled Task that launches explorer.exe on login is the method we're using for our automation clients.

This approach worked best for us as it doesn't require third party software or registry hacking, and we can deal with having an Explorer window on the desktop.

Solution 2:

The thing is that switching to your Desktop feels like an useless operation. You could instead launch an application you are planning to use, because clicking the Desktop first can be seen as an extra click.
_{(Disclaimer: I have used Windows 8 since the day it came out, never had to click on Desktop; but YMMV may vary [see second section])}

See the Start Screen Blog Article for a deeper understanding behind this choice:

The Start screen is not just a replacement for the Start menu—it is designed to be a great launcher and switcher of apps, a place that is alive with notifications, customizable, powerful, and efficient. It brings together a set of solutions that today are disparate and poorly integrated.

The first thing customers will want to do when you boot your computer is launch something, don't you? :)

Here is where the power of secondary tiles come in, you can even pin your favorite messaging contacts.

However, you might be one of those users that has his Desktop full of icons and aren't going to listen to that; hence which is why I do have a solution for you that allows you to go straight to the Desktop:

1. Place the Desktop in the upper left of your Start Screen.

2. As the Start Screen supports Keyboard Navigation, the upper left is selected by default.

3. Just press Enter to launch the upper left entry, this works anytime.

This is of course not automatic, but as the known registry hack might/does not work anymore this is as close as we can get for now. Unless somehow looks into the login behavior and finds a way around.

As there is disagreement on actually having to use Start Screen, one could try to port the Start Menu:

Your best bet is to see whether you can port executable code from the Windows 8 Developer Preview or Windows 7, other than that you'll need to live with the changes.

However, this might come with its own adventure of working around OS security and what not...

Start of by trying to copy Explorer.exe as well as monitoring/copying its dependencies. You might require an API monitor or debugger to get a deeper understanding on what the Explorer is doing, don't forget to copy the registry settings as well.

Solution 3:

Nothing official but there are some apps out there to disable the Start Screen (Metro UI). originally for Developer Preview, use at your own risk.

Here, Here and Here

Manual Reg hack here, it appears the registry "RPEnabled" DWORD is not present in the new build, I tried adding the value and it did nothing, so it does not work on the new build.

Nothing specific to the New W8 build, yet, give it time.

Win+D or just Win key loads the desktop from the metro UI, not sure if someone could figure out how to run this at startup, maybe some sort of batch file.

One thing I did learn Win + X gets a limited legacy start menu, either from the desktop or Metro UI.

::Update for Consumer Preview (some of the old tricks don't work anymore)

6 Ways to Totally Avoid Metro and Use Only Desktop Mode in Windows 8

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Solution 4:

Try one of the following:

1. Start8
2. Classic Shell
3. Skip Metro Suite
4. http://www.7tutorials.com/how-boot-desktop-windows-8-skip-start-screen