we are talking bout RP, with a scf file launched as sched task DO NOT WORK anymore... f**k MS!! A workaround is instead that file, use a shortcut to explorer.exe, just after logon it appears immediately windows explorer with just after desktop, no metro start screen crap at all, neither for a little while!!!!!! Better explorer than Metro UI!!! Classic shell is buggy at auto launch once in ten, you have to reboot, neither manually will be executed! RP bug(or prevention) or class shell bug? Once again METRO sorry for that!
Yep, classic shell works rock stable for me too. I've had flaky starts with other tools but not classic shell.
Just wanted to add my +1 that Classic Shell hasn't failed to start for me yet. I have a shortcut to it in my Start Menu's Startup folder.
So what does HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon have on Windows 8? I haven't one installed at the moment so I cannot check. With Windows 8 Embedded it is possible to boot to cmd or explorer.exe so that might be worth investigating.
Of course it's possible to boot to cmd.exe, it's just not well suited as a shell for most users. Even Embedded Standard 8 comes with the start screen if you include the Explorer shell and boots straight to it, and it doesn't look like they're going to make it available as a separate component.
Now i found a way for a "normal user account" to boot to the desktop. dm-moinmoin.deviantart.com/art/boot-directly-to-desktop-windows-8-307078343
moinmoin, I just tried the exe you've linked. It does indeed boot to the desktop but there're many downsides. 1) The metro screen shows for a longish period before switching to desktop (10 seconds on my core 2 duo). 2) After the dsektop appears, strange things happen. When I placed the exe in startup, my office 2003 wants to reconfigure itself on boot and then a scanning dialog appears. Then, to test, I removed the exe from startup and created a task for it. This time again the office installer wanted to configure plus there was aprompt for a name for a self signed certificate. Whats going on man?
I repaired the office install. Now without fail an excel workbook opens every time I boot to desktop.
If you're that desperate to get rid of the Metrofied start menu, I personally would do this: 1) Download (and install) Classic Shell. 2) Run Registry Editor (right-click and Run As Administrator!) Bonus ignorance of how UAC works: Don't forget to elevate! Something I've noticed people forgetting while reading a lot of threads here - and then their edits don't do anything because of UAC has virtualised their registry. If you're going to poke around in HKLM, always, ALWAYS elevate REGEDIT.EXE. 3) Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. 4) Change the Shell value (and if it doesn't exist, create it of type REG_SZ) to the full path and filename to Classic Shell's EXPLORER.EXE. Make sure the path is absolutely correct, or Windows won't let you log in upon reboot. 5) Winlogon, if I recall correctly, caches the Shell value, so a full reboot may be required to take effect.
Have you actually done this? There is no Classic Shell explorer.exe in my Classic Shell folder, (version 3.5.0).
Nope. I don't use Classic Shell. I've rather liked the built in shells since Windows 2000, and only in very special circumstances have I changed the Shell value (usually to CMD.EXE ). Hmm, I thought Classic Shell was, you know, a shell (and for simplicity, would have supplied a (stub?) EXPLORER.EXE). What *.EXE files are in your install folder? I hope Classic Shell isn't just a substitute Start Menu. In which case, this may well be pointless.
It is a substitute start menu, with an added toolbar for Windows explorer. There is no Classic explorer exe file, only a dll.
Just out of curiosity, didn't anyone try to copy the explorer.exe from win7 to win8 and just run that one? Else I'll give it a go in VM ^^ (it sounds just wrong and prob. full of crashes and blue screens to expect.. but dunno )