Windows 8 Shell Replacement

[mr_rodge]

Hi all,

I'm new here, but a regular over at AVForums. I've put this post on there but here seems to have a more active section for Windows 8, so I thought I might have a bit more luck. Here goes:

I've set up two user accounts on my system. One admin for working on the HTPC, one limited account for using it. On the limited account I've gotten round the start screen autoloading by replacing the windows shell with ehome. This works a treat. The account automatically logs on and then runs ehome as it should. Boot times are unbelievable.

As with everything, there's a catch. For some reason in Windows 8 the volume control doesn't work without explorer. I'd just got it working to the point where I was really happy, settled down to watch some TV and when I tried to turn it down the volume bug showed up in the top right, but it wouldn't go up or down. Everything else seems to work. I quickly ctrl+alt+deleted and fired up explorer, alt+tabbed back to 7MC and sure enough, the volume control worked as promised.

So, does anyone know of a workaround for this? I'm not keen on the idea of running explorer when it really shouldn't need to be run.

Also, has anyone tried AnyDVD, Virtual Clonedrive or MyMovies without explorer? Are they all OK?

Cheers.

[gcoupe]

One possibility might be to run a Batch file at startup that starts up both the File Explorer and WMC. For example, as shown here:
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 225#p33225

Admittedly, this does run the File Explorer, but what's the problem with this?

[mr_rodge]

Thanks for the quick reply. I've given this a go, but I find that boot time isn't half as quick when explorer loads as well as MC. I think it faffs and gets the desktop ready behind MC, so when MC looks usable it actually isn't, it's very laggy until explorer's finished doing it's stuff in the background.

The batch file idea, although it's a good one, didn't work for me as (again) I think MC was quicker to load than explorer, so the file browser came up on top of MC resulting in me having to press the green button to get MC back.

I think tonight I might try terminating explorer and then trying the volume, to see if it works. Then I'll know if explorer loads something I need, or if MC relies on it. Hopefully it'll be the former, then I can figure out how to load it through a scheduled task.

[foxwood]

Try having Explorer open pointing at a single folder -

Code: Select all

start /min %windir%\explorer.exe "c:\temp"

It may be that it's waiting for external drives to initialize before displaying.

(Having said that, it's a bit bizarre that you need explorer to change the volume!)

[richard1980]

I have the same problem in W7, as my NVIDIA color settings aren't applied unless I run Explorer. So what I did is change the shell to ehshell, then I have a scheduled task that starts explorer when the user logs on. This causes WMC to run first, then explorer runs in the background. It works very well and I don't have to see the desktop when booting.

Although if I could figure out a way to get the NVIDIA color settings applied without having to run Explorer, that would be ideal.

[mr_rodge]

I have the same problem in W7, as my NVIDIA color settings aren't applied unless I run Explorer. So what I did is change the shell to ehshell, then I have a scheduled task that starts explorer when the user logs on. This causes WMC to run first, then explorer runs in the background. It works very well and I don't have to see the desktop when booting.

Although if I could figure out a way to get the NVIDIA color settings applied without having to run Explorer, that would be ideal.

Funnily enough I tried all manner of combinations for doing this and yet doing it they way you suggested wasn't something I tried. I'll give it a go tonight.

Whilst we're on with disabling core Windows stuff, does anyone have a list of processes that they disable to keep memory/cpu usage to a minimum? Obvfiously only the unnecessary ones!

[mr_rodge]

Quick update for those interested... I tried what richard1980 suggested, works a treat!

Thanks very much.

[robalexclark]

Setting MCE as the shell works fine for me (no need to run explorer to get volume to work). I did notice though that if you press the close button on MCE you are left in limbo - i.e. no shell and no way to log off! So, best to specify the /controlbox:none switch to hide these options. Log off etc works via the usual options under task (thanks MS for not removing these at least!)

[Silversee]

I also use a dedicated limited user account for Media Center.

At the risk of cutting against the grain here, I have simply tought my family to press the "green button" on the remote if they ever turn on the Media Center PC and find themselves at the Start Screen. Windows 8 happily runs WMC full screen when it sees this command.

As elegant? Perhaps not, but it is really simple for people to do and there is no need to hack the machine. This happens infrequently enough anyway (after an automatic or manual reboot) that it's not that big a deal for us.

[barnabas1969]

Setting MCE as the shell works fine for me (no need to run explorer to get volume to work). I did notice though that if you press the close button on MCE you are left in limbo - i.e. no shell and no way to log off! So, best to specify the /controlbox:none switch to hide these options. Log off etc works via the usual options under task (thanks MS for not removing these at least!)

If Win8 works the same as every other version of Windows since NT, you can press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, and then start the Task Manager. Then, click the File menu, and choose "New task (Run)". Type "explorer" (without the quotes) in the box, and press OK.

In Windows NT, XP, Vista, and 7, this will start the taskbar. At this point, you can shutdown/reboot/whatever. I'm not sure what will happen in Win8. I suppose you could start ehshell again by entering "C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe" (without the quotes) in the box, and pressing OK.

[mr_rodge]

I have the same problem in W7, as my NVIDIA color settings aren't applied unless I run Explorer. So what I did is change the shell to ehshell, then I have a scheduled task that starts explorer when the user logs on. This causes WMC to run first, then explorer runs in the background. It works very well and I don't have to see the desktop when booting.

Although if I could figure out a way to get the NVIDIA color settings applied without having to run Explorer, that would be ideal.

Funnily enough I tried all manner of combinations for doing this and yet doing it they way you suggested wasn't something I tried. I'll give it a go tonight.

Whilst we're on with disabling core Windows stuff, does anyone have a list of processes that they disable to keep memory/cpu usage to a minimum? Obvfiously only the unnecessary ones!

Update on this, it works a treat, and I'm left with a fully functional system exactly as though I'd ticked the box in the 7 version. Thanks for the tip.

[richard1980]

Update on this, it works a treat, and I'm left with a fully functional system exactly as though I'd ticked the box in the 7 version. Thanks for the tip.

I wasn't satisfied with native option in WMC, as it still ended up showing the desktop for split second between the welcome screen and WMC. I like this method better because the transition from the welcome screen to WMC does not show the desktop.

[fbvolpb89]

Anyone manage to get this working correctly?

When I switch the shell to ehshell.exe it works, but some stuff I had starting with windows doesn't start up at all. Ideally I'd like to load explorer in the background. Anyone know how to start the metro/desktop interface in windows 8? When I run explorer after exiting wmc it just opens the 'my computer" browser. It doesn't start all of the desktop ui. Thanks.

[mdavej]

I don't know about this shell business, but StartIsBack works fine. Win 8.1 can also boot straight to the desktop.

[richard1980]

When I run explorer after exiting WMC it just opens the 'my computer" browser. It doesn't start all of the desktop ui.

There are a few different registry values that can be changed that will allow you to change the shell, and changing some values will result in what you are describing (IIRC, it happens when you change the shell values in the Winkogon keys in either HKLM or HKCU). Revert the changes you made, and make the following change instead:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"Shell"="C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe"