Raging at Windows 8

[TallManNY]

So work got me a fairly nice HP laptop with Windows 8 on it. Nice of them since I don't travel a ton but it allows me to have a dedicated work computer at home for the weekends.

Anyway, I'm using it and lately when I open a word document it launches into some sort of Word Pad. So basically, as far as I can tell, Windows 8 intentionally gimps one of Microsoft's own best products. Since I'm on Windows 7 in the office and I just got this laptop three weeks ago, I'm still getting used to 8. I'm sure I will figure this out. But seriously this is a major stupid thing for Microsoft to do. Last night I couldn't see track changes on a document I received. I fiddled with things for a bit and eventually the document opened in regular Word. But why in the World would Pad be the default setting when I have Word installed and it is a flagship program?

 

[maflynn]

Dump question but is office installed on the laptop? From the symptoms, it acts as if it wasn't.

 

[TallManNY]

Dump question but is office installed on the laptop? From the symptoms, it acts as if it wasn't.

Full office suite is installed. Double clicking on Word attachment in email launched Pad. But saving Word document to desktop (just dragging it off email), then double clicking launched regular Word (though it is Windows 8 version of Word, so it looks different).

 

[cocacolakid]

So work got me a fairly nice HP laptop with Windows 8 on it. Nice of them since I don't travel a ton but it allows me to have a dedicated work computer at home for the weekends.

Anyway, I'm using it and lately when I open a word document it launches into some sort of Word Pad. So basically, as far as I can tell, Windows 8 intentionally gimps one of Microsoft's own best products. Since I'm on Windows 7 in the office and I just got this laptop three weeks ago, I'm still getting used to 8. I'm sure I will figure this out. But seriously this is a major stupid thing for Microsoft to do. Last night I couldn't see track changes on a document I received. I fiddled with things for a bit and eventually the document opened in regular Word. But why in the World would Pad be the default setting when I have Word installed and it is a flagship program?

In my experience everything about Windows 8 is a disaster. For example, try running something in administrator mode. Instead of right clicking on the actual program and choosing to run in administrator mode, you have to leave the area you are in, go to the Metro start screen, type in the name of the program in a search box, start a search, find the program from a list, then highlight that program, and the bottom of the page there is an Advanced button, click on that and in the menu choose Run as Administrator.

How is that easier or faster or better?

The entire OS is a disaster. I went back to Windows 7.