So Long Windows 8.1 - An End of Support Retrospective

Windows 8.1's end of support is here, so today we're taking one last look at it to give it a proper sendoff.
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#MichaelMJD #Windows8 #EndOfSupport

[@SmiIeyyXD]

Windows 8.1 was an OS I used for quite a while and didn't really have problems at all, I actually liked it, eventually I went back to Windows 7 and stayed until EOL of Windows 7, then I went to 10. I'll definitely miss it.

[@halo64654]

Same here. But I actually upgraded to Windows 10, only to realise it had a lot of issues, so I went back to 7. I eventually went back to Windows 10 after a year of EOL for 7. Fortanitly, it is a lot better now.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@halo64654 So both of you liked it but not enough to not go back to Windows 7 - which is ultimately what I did but I never liked Windows 8. To be fair, I "endured" Windows 7 too given that XP was the best OS that Microsoft ever made - even as a now full-time Linux person, the "Windows Classic" interface is XP was one of the best and simplest GUIs ever made ("Give me access to my applications and then stay out of the way") and they ruined that with the ugly Aero interface in Windows 7.

[@willibaldoswald]

Windows 8.1 was the last actually good OS by Microsoft

[@loseControlGD]

I stayed until EOL on Windows 7 too

[@eurovision_train_ukraine_more]

Windows 8.1 is also faster than Windows 10

[@_S.H_]

Windows 8/8.1 was the last Windows that gave you proper control over updates. Even with 8 I wasn't bothered much by the lack of a start menu, as I was able to add my own simple start menu on the taskbar, basically the list of programs which is all what I really need the menu for. Windows 8.1 was also faster than 7 specially on old computers.

[@meyers0781]

You can since 2017 trick Windows 10 to delay updates via registry

[@lucassantossj]

I particulary use the LTSC version that only gives security and fixing updates once a month. Of course it's not a legal copy.

[@2k18banvalaki5]

If you want to suspend updates indefinitely for free on any edition you can do this: Open services. Look for windows update and double click it. On the 2nd tab untick the “run with highest privilege checkbox” and select your own user BUT enter an invalid password (twice). Apply the changes and then restart the service. It will fail to start. Now your pc cant update no matter what. One side effect is that the Microsoft Store can install apps anymore but if you really use the store just tick the checkbox again and it instantly fixes itself. You can do this as many times as you want.

[@_S.H_]

Thanks guys for all your feedback regarding disabling Windows updates. I am familiar with all kind of tweaks to disable updates and how that affects the Store as well, but what I meant is the ability to check individual updates and choose whether to download or install them separately. Anyhow, I have learned to live with this now.

[@darkflightdreamer1698]

@@_S.H_ Wsus does that I think

[@JibplayzYT]

8.1 was everything. Everyone didnt like it but i loved it. It ran so smooth, felt like the best os ever. did i also mention it booted faster than windows 10?

[@thecoolburger84]

bro read my mind

[@Cute_Maxi]

8.1 was great... as long as you installed the classic start menu lol. But yea it was fast and reliable, overall pretty dang good. I preferred it over 10 for quite awhile... now I am on 11 and miss the old days when things actually just worked.

[@dalebenton3354]

Windows XP,Windows 7 and Windows 10 have always been my best operating systems,Rest not been to good for me,Worse thing in Windows 8.1 is the Start menu goes in to another screen,I find very annoying grrrrrrr Glad Microsoft changed that in Windows 10,Brought back to normal start menu

[@dalebenton3354]

Worse Microsoft Operating system's Ive ever had was Window ME,That keep t on crashing all the time,Windows Vista run smooth,After a week later started crashing as well,They two where my worse ever operating systems

[@Ograws]

I agree. Very few bugs, crashes, blue screens and driver issues. It ran butter smooth on even mid-range hardware and it was quite secure. The user interface was the biggest let down but once you installed Classic Shell and configured it to boot into desktop mode it was honestly rock solid

[@lliddle7616]

Little known fact about Win8.1 (possible 8 as well). If you had a touchpad, you could use the same gestures that you would use on a touch screen. Swipe in from the right of the trackpad, to bring the charms menu. Swipe from left to access the previous app, etc. Just on the touchpad

[@NoahClevinger]

I do have some memories of the Windows 8 era. It’s so interesting looking back at it all nowadays.

[@lboston4660]

Same. Mine are quite fond. I held on to XP until like 2010 or so, then installed 7 which was a huge relief. I honestly can't remember why I upgraded from 7 to 8.1, but I do remember skipping 8 entirely because of the metro UI crap. At least 8.1 was advertised as a fix to that fiasco, and of course I had StartIsBack installed the whole time. I was just NOT having that whole tablet crap on my PC. I just got used to its quirks and had no problem using it. In fact I miss it and would still be using 8.1 if my modern hardware had drivers for it, despite the lack of support. Windows 10 is just a spit in the face to decades long Windows users. It's like it's built for dumb children. Can't even decide whether your machine should restart after an update or not without messing with group policies and getting lucky. I'd gladly deal with the occasional malware if at least I can trust my system to listen to me first and Microsoft second. Now those were the good ol' days. If anybody from Microsoft is reading this: I am literally ONE incompatible game away from completely switching to Linux and never looking back. Just saying, if you happen to care, which I doubt. The list of software keeping so many of us shackled to you is growing shorter and shorter every year. In the end nobody will love you, Microsoft. You accumulated many loyal followers in the 90's and 00's because you had a theme worth following. You promised us a bright future. What the hell do you think you're promising to those growing up with your contemporary products? Constriction, censorship, and manipulation, that's what. They'll leave you behind like you left us behind, and then you will turn to dust.

[@saricubra2867]

I have issues with a laptop after 10 years now on Windows 10 with the keyboard and touchpad drivers broken, thanks to the abomination of Windows 8. Every single laptop from 2012, 2013 came with Windows 8, my decade old laptop has a freaking i7-4700MQ (same perfomance as a desktop i7-3770). Windows 8 is a disgrace, for me it's almost as bad as ME, both worse than Vista.

[@jbk0]

Especially leaked development builds! They have so many UI elements that look just awful.

[@volkr6755]

I used windows 8 until 2019 Never had a problem with it

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

Windows 8.1 pro - never a problem. All devices work fine on the first try. Windows 10 foced updates bsod crashed pc 4 times. W00ps. Windows 10 software uninstall also decided to uninstall the mouse (???) so that was fun putting the mouse back in, with keyboard shortcuts and no mouse. MS taking good things and making them worse . . .

[@andrewsawesome]

Honestly, Windows 8.1 is kind of nostalgic for me, being the computer OS that I really started using (our old computer had Vista, but I wasn't really allowed to use the computer much at that time. I think Windows 8.1, with a simplified Windows 10 start menu and the start menu color theme, would be a pretty good operating system. Windows 8.1 also seems a lot more lightweight than Windows 10 and 11.

[@klwthe3rd]

it was more lightweight. Less spooky too. The last OS from Microsoft before all the hidden telemetry to watch your every move. I loved Windows 8.1. Still do.

[@leothehuman_9476]

it is much lighter than windows 7 actually.

[@skinnypotato4452]

Why it is nostalgic? İt looks fking new

[@andrewsawesome]

@@skinnypotato4452 Because it was the only computer OS I used at home until I got my own laptop. I didn't have a phone or tablet at the time either, so this computer was where I did almost all of my school research and typed papers.

[@GTFour]

@@leothehuman_9476 can you provide source for that claim?

[@EthanRDoesMC_]

Windows 8’s animations are still drop-dead gorgeous. The transition from the login screen to the start screen… wonderful. Always thought they should’ve used the tile flip animation in 10.

[@JibplayzYT]

I absolutely agree

[@Mapmaker1559]

Agreed. The dilution of the animations in Windows 10 was one of my least favorites things about upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1.

[@FloatSamplesGT710]

Also way smooter than faded animation from windows 7. Or maybe windows Vista/7 really that bad in optimising animation?

[@FishNChips-kq3hk]

Windows 8 really felt like those guys at microsoft were onto something

[@stroopwaf3l]

​@@FishNChips-kq3hkOnto something great, but then they messed up since Windows 10

[@tunicoco]

I think I am one of the very few people that actually loved the interface of this era of Windows. Had a windows phone at the same time and it all felt so connected, so beautiful. I really do miss this.

[@alexanrsousa]

Ah, the very last Windows OS that doesn't perform like garbage using a regular HDD. I have no idea what MS did, but using Windows 10 (especially later builds) without an SSD or heavily modifying it is just... painful. One thing I loved in 8.1 was the fact that they introduced "online only" files in OneDrive, making it very space-efficient and convenient. It was VERY jarring when I upgraded to Windows 10 and it had to download everything. It took them AGES to reintroduce that feature.

[@Xyspade]

This is one area that most people overlook because they're too quick to judge the entire OS by the UI's shortcomings. If you ignore the Metro stuff, you're left with perhaps the best performing version of Windows Microsoft ever put out. As you said it's the last version to work properly on a hard drive, but there's also no bloatware, it's light as a feather, fast, and stable. The flat UI may be dull but it really enabled the system to fly on older hardware, without bogging down the graphics chip showing a bunch of fancy transparency effects. Function over form.

[@filipb.8698]

I used Win 8.1 on my Core2Duo laptops and it just flies even on hdd Sadly its end of support But i finally found worthy successor Its called Win 10 Enterprise 2016 It comes close to Win 8.1 in resource usage although slightly higher RAM usage and runs similar on hdd like Win 8.1 And supported till 2026 👌

[@godmagnus]

10 on a HDD was fine for me.

[@filipb.8698]

@@godmagnus every laptop i used with Win 10 on hdd it was literally unresponsive for like 20 mins after boot so it was unusable Win 8.1 on same laptop and hdd ran blazing fast compared to Win 10

[@alexanrsousa]

@@filipb.8698 I had to setup Windows 10 on some crappy celeron AIOs with HDDs and it was painful. Too bad I never thought of downgrading to 8.1 back then, ended up debloating 10 with Win10-Initial-Setup-Script to make them bearable.

[@UltraGamerYT79]

This OS gave me memories. Even when Windows 10 came out I was still using Windows 8.1 (although it was available as a free upgrade in 2015 and I wanted to press that windows icon my dad never let me) on my current pc. I use Windows 10 now but man I used to play COD Black OPS II at the time

[@sheppardpat47]

Why did your dad never let you install it ? It was your pc isn’t it ?

[@UltraGamerYT79]

@@sheppardpat47 my dad actually owned it at the time. I owned it when he stopped using it

[@ZacharyBuschmann]

This was exactly my experience. While me and my dad had our own laptops, technically he was still the owner of mine (I was maybe 10 at the time so quite reasonable). When that upgrade button showed up he said he didn’t trust the “free” update and figured it’d charge you at some point, but I begged him for months and once he let me upgrade from 8.1 I was so excited!

[@Kurumisama]

funny thing is, you can still get the free upgrade (even on a oem activated win 7)

[@lucassantossj]

@@Kurumisama and most machines you find will have a Home license on the BIOS, except machines you assembly yourself.

[@zachfenton608]

Win 8.1 was a great os especially with all the color customization. You should have showed how programs open up in it with their nice background also the task bar being transparent was real eye catcher for me compared to win 10. Great video

[@idifjrivhjf5198]

i think the color customization isn't much more than cosmetic so besides it was apparently faster than windows 10

[@blainepalmerza]

Awesome video, Michael!

[@SomeUnremarkableGuy]

8.1 was the best of them all for me. It was rock solid stable and fast too, even on hdd. 8.1 was what the 8 is supposed to be from the gecko.

[@klwthe3rd]

Well said!

[@qpol]

do you mean “get go” lol

[@SomeUnremarkableGuy]

@@qpol its just a phrase. get-go or gecko whatever.

[@godmagnus]

​@@SomeUnremarkableGuyfrom the get go is a phrase. From the gecko is not 😂

[@lucassantossj]

The update 2 was it's final form, but only released for RT machines. It was like the first builds of Windows 10.

[@mlg_killer_hd]

This was my first OS, not the first one I ever used but the first one I got on a computer. I love it

[@MandraMockups]

same bro, had it on this massive gateway.

[@spaghetti2830]

same

[@nmac101]

8.1 was my second os I got on a tablet pc, my first was xp

[@GeoStreber]

Fucking hell I'm old. For me it was Windows 95 at the age of 6.

[@Inky19]

Same! I had it on my first laptop and I remember having a program named "Classic Shell" to have a Windows 7 style start menu.

[@MarkoVuckovic32]

I used windows 8.1 ever since 2014 when I bought my current PC and I literally updated to Windows 10 just a few days ago because of the end of support for 8.1. It worked absolutely fine for me all those years, I didn't even mind the metro ui when I got used to it.

[@koduflower2000]

Hi Michael, I just have to tell you I actually watched the video. It was amazing! The only thing that hit me like a freight train is the shutdown option! You actually said it was obnoxious and it was my EXACT same thought when I used Windows 8 in 2018!

[@MarcBaggett1]

Windows 8 came with the first Laptop I got. Lot of memories using it. Thanks MJD for another great video!

[@saricubra2867]

It was an abomination of an OS, i still have a high end laptop from that era with a 4th gen 4core/8 thread i7 and that doesn't matter if the UI is so bad. Now it has Windows 10 since a very long time.

[@Carnyzzle]

@@saricubra2867 the UI was clearly designed only for touch screen users lol

[@klwthe3rd]

I always seem to be the person who loves those things that others hate. I personally liked Windows 8.1 alot. Windows 8, not so much because of the more tablet support and less desktop but when i upgraded to 8.1 alot of my memories of the older systems came back to me. There's something so nostalgic about using older Windows operating systems. Probably why i love this channel so much.

[@Apersonig]

same here, windows vista too

[@klwthe3rd]

@@Apersonig Windows Vista is still my #1 favorite of all the Windows OS.

[@Apersonig]

@@klwthe3rd same

[@ranchocommodorereef]

I also love Windows Vista while everyone else hates it.

[@klwthe3rd]

@@ranchocommodorereef You rock in my book sir! 📖

[@Techmej]

8.1 was a really great thing for me. A great mix of every User-Interface you could use Windows on

[@dirtydemon9723]

Used windows 8.1 on my parents computer all of the time until I was 12, and I just recently updated it to windows 10 in November, had to let go of that operating system, but it has lots of memories.

[@JonnyInfinite]

Been using 8.1 for years, absolutely rock solid OS

[@sierrachief117]

Never faced a blue screen. It was the most stable windows after windows XP sp2 and windows 7. I face bsod or bootloop because of those f*king updates that microsoft is too lazy to check before making you install them forcibly

[@lazynow1]

you mean POS?

[@MWSfan18]

I never used Windows 8/8.1 myself, but my father did, and he is in no way technologically literate. I even struggled trying to figure it out in order to help him with stuff, and I've been using computers since I was 8 years old. I knew nothing of the third party programs, but I think towards the end before Windows 10 was released we did upgrade him to 8.1. Thinking back about how terrible the original Windows 8 experience was makes my blood boil! Love your videos, Michael, but now I need a stiff drink!

[@sihamhamda47]

You are not alone, many Windows users hates Windows 8 because of the start menu and the impractical interface. One of the most annoying thing in Windows 8 is the system apps that placed outside the desktop (such as Maps, Microsoft Store, Media Player, and Photos app) and you need to use Windows + Tab button or go to start menu and click "desktop" just to go back to the desktop every single time after opening those apps

[@farsidesc4044]

Windows 8.1 was DOA for many of us.

[@michigano4864]

@@farsidesc4044 What?

[@stevenjlovelace]

That was my experience as well. I went from 7 to 10, but my parents struggled with Windows 8 and I struggled to help them.

[@gabrielv.4358]

My laptop had windows 8 and later updated to 8.1, but because stability issues we downgraded it to W7, it is still going strong today. Windows 10 is a very cool OS, and Windows 11 is just a bad joke

[@loganklein366]

Man this makes me realize that I'm getting old. My first PC was running Windows 98 second edition and it's crazy that Windows 8 (which felt like it released last week) already has two successors.

[@histhoryk2648]

8.1 is a very stable system, runs games and applications fine - older and newer ones. Also I prefer hidden search bar behind the right side of screen, I've got used to it

[@bilditup1]

IIRC with the Start Screen disabled (I use/used StartIsBack but there are many free alternatives) Win8.1 was actually more consistent in terms of UI elements than Win10 was, where they never really tried to consolidate all of the old Control Panel into Settings properly (putting aside the fact that the Settings app has text that’s too large and generally is kind of ugly and clunky). Basically it felt like Metro was overlaid as a skin over the Win7 shell, and honestly that’s kinda nice!

[@sierrachief117]

I never hated the start screen because of the smooth animations that were cool as hell and the constantly updating widgets/tiles. I tried using classic shell but uninstalled it next hour.

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

Winaero Tweaker lets you customize all your windows settings, disable updates, and take back control of your PC from microsofts random changes... The OLD Control Panel system display is still in Windows 10 /11 , just hidden. To see it make a shortcut to: C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:::{BB06C0E4-D293-4f75-8A90-CB05B6477EEE}

[@_S.H_]

I preferred Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, and I was planning to keep using it until this month's end of support, but I was forced to upgrade to 10 because 8 wasn't compatible with my VR headset, and even with 10 I sticked with the 2016 LTSB edition.

[@Noaddedsalt01]

For me it’s the visuals of 8 that look way better than 10, 8 to me feels like a modern version of 7 where as 10 looks uglier than 9x versions of windows with the program windows being completely white

[@sporemaster97]

I love how 7 got official support dropped first, but had DirectX support for longer than 8.1 did. That was why I had to go to 10, they just didn't show 8.1 any love.

[@kokoamericano1233]

Win10 is better than win8 in every way.

[@sporemaster97]

@@kokoamericano1233 LMAO, no , it's not. 10 is a bloated mess, spies on you, has terrible update problems, and has had more random, OS based issues that require entire re-installs than any other OS I've ever used.

[@modables]

@@sporemaster97 the UI sucks, windows 8.1 had vibrant colors that was fun and consistent. windows 10 is like a combination of a bunch of WordPress templates by a 5 year old

[@Coonotafoo]

A trip down memory lane, I still have a laptop with Windows 8.1 on it, and while I maybe boot the computer up 3 times a year, I don't plan on upgrading it. I also remember taking a desktop support class in college and one of the first assignments in class was, not even joking, installing Classic Shell on a computer to get the old start menu back. Fun times.

[@ThatTonybo]

All of my later primary schooling was on Windows 8 (later 8.1) and I have decent memories of it. The lack of start button taught me to use the Windows key and started my heavy reliance on hotkeys :)

[@offrails]

One thing that 8.1 introduced with the return of the Start button (and is still around in Windows 10 and 11) that made the UI a little less painful was the ability to right click the button to access a convenient menu of settings, tools, etc. IIRC, it could also be used to shut down back then as well, saving having to fumble with the charms menu, etc.

[@Ograws]

This OS got me through my final year of high school and college. It hardly ever gave me any problems unlike just about every other version of Windows I ever used. I'll admit the modern UI left much to be desired and Microsoft Store apps just weren't up to scratch with "classic" programs but once you installed Classic Shell (as it was known back then) and configured it to boot into the desktop at startup you were pretty much were good to go. Thanks for everything 8.1 😊

[@SirFaceFone]

It was the last major Windows version that ran well on HDDs. I remember being pissed at how slow W10 was that I bought an SSD just for it.

[@NewRepublicMapper]

@@SirFaceFone Not gonna lie, this is the reason why i refuse to upgrade to Windows 10 till 2021 before Windows 11 released to the Public in October 5. It is because Windows 8.1 ran pretty fine on SSD, unlike on Windows 10, it runs painfully slow on my Toshiba Laptop because of HDD and 4GB RAM Combined, Windows 11 is much worse, MS Word didn't respond very quick which urge me to bought an SSD from Lazada (SEA equivalent of Amazon).

[@lasarousi]

@@SirFaceFone ?? My setup is 7 years old with a HDD and win 10 never gave me issues? Hell I'm still using the same old ass HDD and every boot up is less than 30 seconds.

[@विचित्रलड़का]

@@lasarousi laptop hdd. Desktop hdd are fine.

[@kermosaarse]

The funny thing about windows 8 / 8.1 is that it had two different calculator applications. One of them was a modern Windows 8 "App" that always covered full screen. In the video at 11:58 , you can its icon in the "Apps menu" .The other one was a traditional "Windows" application that looked the same as in Windows 7. You can see its icon in the video a few seconds later as he scrolls to the right in the same menu.

[@rafal06]

Windows 8.1 helped me transition from 7 to 10. Unpopular opinion, but it made me fall in love with the start screen, live tiles and the whole Metro UI. I also used the charms bar to turn off my computer. I really liked it and I was disappointed when Microsoft announced Win 11, without start screen and tiles... And that made me transition over to Linux, and I really don't regret it.

[@thealien_ali3382]

Same

[@zbiciu99]

I remember when I bought Win8 for Santa just after the premiere. This was my first genuine licensed Windows. The beginnings were very difficult because Avast caused blue screens. For this reason, I used the tablet more often. But after a few weeks an update was released and until the release of Win10 everything worked perfectly. Good times and a good operating system.

[@alixtyyy]

Farewell 8.1, I loved the OS. Mainly cause I used the OS when I was younger.

[@iasad12]

Windows 8.1 was our first PC OS. Quite a nostalgic video.

[@Skateway]

One thing that I have to mention though is that I absolutely love Windows 8 and 8.1 even for a desktop computer. Personally, I would give them the title of the best Windows versions ever made. It hurts that people unfairly hated it so much.

[@cozymistbreeze]

Funny enough for the past couple months I've been using an 8.1 VM and honestly, with open shell included it's been a pretty solid experience. Pretty lightweight and fast with slightly more software support compared to 7 nowadays, my only big issue is the full screen metro UI apps being quite cluttered to navigate nowadays.

[@arnox4554]

Use Open Shell and Aero Glass. You can install them both using the Windows 8 to 7 Restoration Pack.

[@CaptainKenway]

It definitely doesn't have more software support than Windows 7 even now. Windows 7 even got (a limited form of) DirectX 12 support, whilst Windows 8.1 never did. Same goes for driver support. There are drivers for my RTX 3070 for Windows 7. I've played Cyberpunk 2077 on Windows 7 just for kicks. AMD dropped driver support for Windows 8.1 all the way back in 2017, with the RX 400 series being the last cards to work on it. Nvidia only dropped it in 2021, yet support was never provided for any RTX card, with the 10 series being the final cards to get an 8.1 driver. Frankly, I'd be fascinated to know what software you're using that kept Windows 8.1 support longer than Windows 7 support, bar programs designed specifically to fix how terrible 8.1 is out of the box.

[@arnox4554]

@@CaptainKenway 8.1 has out-of-the-box support for some extra hardware like NVMe drives plus some internal improvements like the overhauled Task Manager. Plus, some minor bug fixes at least that Windows 7 never got. There's probably more I'm not thinking of, but 8.1 had a fair few things over 7.

[@Syping]

@@CaptainKenway 12on7 worked on Windows 8.1 like it did on Windows 7, so Windows 8.1 had DirectX 12 support. And you can just install Windows 7 drivers on Windows 8.1, i kept doing that with my laptop.

[@arnox4554]

@ThatYahoo LOL You wanna bet?

[@andrewrobertson8312]

Windows 8.1 Update 1 was really nice. I still miss the desktop visual style today, and I liked the full-screen Start for holding all my desktop apps :)

[@qpol]

ultra based windows 8.1 user

[@MegaRockReborn]

I'm so nostalgic for Windows 8 and 8.1. I loved it and nobody else could understand why. The branding and messaging at the time really felt fresh and new and showed a side of Microsoft adapting to the times. I had to root for the underdog. I had the box for both 8 and 8.1 as well. Such a neat box to have in-hand.

[@niharsheth]

Windows 8/8.1 reminds me of my first personal laptop that I got in high school. Like you, I didn't get to use Windows 7 much, we had it installed on our school computers but at home I pretty much went from my family's old XP desktop straight to 8 on my laptop, so this was my first big 'modern' operating system and despite its all its flaws and limitations I was impressed by the flat UI and animations that 8 had.

[@gehenna14]

i used windows 8.1 for many years and it was definetly a solid operating system when you added something like classic shell and i was pretty fond of it while i was using it

[@saudistic]

May Windows 8.1 rest in peace, I will miss it so much.

[@rallyscoot]

Its still in live.. Only not for important things.

[@GamingWithAnthonyPaul]

My sister had an old laptop that ran Windows 8.1, I always enjoyed looking around it and playing with it. I’m gonna miss 8.1… This was my second childhood computer OS I grew up with

[@JD3Gamer]

As a Mac user who uses hot corners all the time, having the charms menu come up by going to the bottom right felt natural to me. Same with the start menu coming up in the bottom left. I used 8 and 8.1 in bootcamp for years for games and I never hated it like all my friends did.

[@arandommanthatexists]

I switched to 8.1 from 10 before switching to 11 because I have so many problems with 10, that are either not there in 8.1 or easy to disable in 8.1. I did end up not liking the start screen, so I got a start menu for 8.1. It's not anything like 7, but 8.1 is still in my opinion better than 10 & 11.

[@NiKo-uo3xs]

my games run so much better than on 10

[@Deadmeme64]

This video inspired me to reinstall windows on my old hp stream 7 tablet. I remember windows 8 running way better than 10 on it and I was right. It's weird going back to 8, even just to play around with an old device but it's also oddly nostalgic.

[@benjaminballa5783]

I’m been using windows 10 for half a year now, and let me tell you, this video may have brought me to tears. I used windows 8.1 for about 2 years before I upgraded to windows 10 and a huge wave of nostalgia ran through me when watching this video. Windows 8.1 is in my list of top Windows OSs and was so much better than 10 in my opinion. The stability, less bloatware, the simplicity, and the UI were great in my opinion. It also just ran better on my hardware. It was also great using my windows phone with my computer and they paired great together. I’m going to miss windows 8.1 a lot :(

[@velwark]

I loved 8.1. It ran great on my Computer Back in the Day. Rest in Peace!

[@CEO100able]

Yep, today is the end of an era for Windows 8.1. I never had an actual Windows 8.1 system until I received it for Easter / Resurrection Sunday last year (it's a Surface PC/tablet system). Great job on this retrospective video!

[@sfsvaliantjelly8508]

@Maru Angelo Maglalang Santos he did not say 8.1 was bad

[@yesterdaysjam2405]

We had win 8.1 at work for our tablets and worked well enough. I remember doing the 7 to 8 to 8.1 upgrades on my personal laptop (which got upgraded to 10 then eventually got put in storage a few years ago). Good times.

[@ironeleven]

The "Hi screen" puts me on edge to this day because I'll always associate it with frantically trying to get my computer back up and running after some kind of major failure.

[@dimitrischristou]

Windows 8 will always have a special place in my heart

[@mikeonthecomputer]

You could right-click the start button (works in 8.0 too, in the invisible space at the bottom-left) and shut down from there.

[@NewRepublicMapper]

It's nice that it's still present in Windows 11 Nice one Microsoft

[@arhaanbagewadi]

Windows 8.1 really was a OS which was nostalgic to me as it was on my first laptop. I later upgraded to 10 but I reverted as it performed like trash. Now I have switched to a MacBook but still have a connection with 8.1. RIP.

[@TheVivaPictures]

Windows 8 was the first OS I used and I miss its style and colors. I really liked the fact that there was a mobile OS aligned visually too (Windows Phone 8)

[@samglezgo]

Another legend that goes... I have not used Windows 8.1 much, but I have been using until November (now I have Windows 11 leak) a pre-release version called Developer Preview, which brings me back many memories playing the exclusive games that came on this OS by default, watching movies, browsing the web, customizing it like Windows 11 or Longhorn, and it still ran like a bullet and booted up in 3 seconds. Now you have to settle for the frankenstein of Windows 10 or the delicate Windows 11. Thank you very much, Microsoft

[@Eeveewashere]

I'm still afraid to use Windows 11 so I continue to use my Win 10 desktop and do most things with my cellphone. Bought a Windows11 laptop for my sister and it came with Windows 11 S mode. I'm hoping it's not hard to turn off the S mode. Guess, I'll find out before long.

[@rarapas]

@@Eeveewashere it's very easy from the store with a login to a microsoft account. There are workarounds even for that though (loading the system registry hive in winPE and changing some value).

[@bluelight456]

My work computer was running windows 8.1 pro up until today. Today I was given a *newer* pc to replace it. Funny how that happens in a workplace environment once security updates are no longer coming in. I hated 8.1 when I used it on my laptop. Files would randomly get deleted and the os would just stop working now and then. Turns out it was the HDD failing and not windows at all. And since using it for years on my work PC, I actually came to like it. Very rarely did I ever have any issues with it and I'll be sad to see it go.

[@Vaxtin]

Me still using my 2014 Laptop with w8.1 as my secondary. I moved onto making my own desktop years ago, but its still nice to keep the Lenovo Y510p around.

[@heitorgodinho4560]

I really like the Win8 start menu, even tho I didnt had a touchscreen With 3rd party apps you could costumize the hell of it and it looked so pretty

[@RetroGamerOG_]

I miss windows 8.1. I used this is for a long time because it had the nice interface for both tablet and desktop/laptop

[@iestynhands4760]

windows 8.1 was a good os. i loved it, just the only thing i did was change the start menu

[@UzisCrush]

I used Windows 8.1 when i was a kid in Bosnia, my dad said he upgraded it from 7 to 8.1, ive had many memories with it.

[@slippinjimmy5683]

I upgraded my sister's crappy laptop from 8.1 to Windows 10 when that free upgrade was available and it made the laptop unusably laggy. This made me realize that maybe 8.1 wasn't all that bad if you had a slower machine.

[@Matt-xi5xs]

It was on my first pc. I have so many memories. I remember playing Minecraft in 2013 and it got updated to windows 8.1 then in 2015 windows 10 it now runs on 11. It’s a older pc but it’s crazy how quick time flies

[@jawadabuziyad-tj8bm]

:(

[@maxbaykowski]

Even though Windows 8.1's UI was geared towards tablet users, I still liked using it over Windows 10, mainly because it was rock solid. Very rarely did it crash, it didn’t pop up annoying messages (at least most of the time) and it was lighter on resources than present day Windows 10, which has increased significantly in resource consumption since it's release in July of 2015. Even on Windows 7 I had more glitches than I did on 8.1

[@baddgeeksquad]

Time flies so fast nowadays

[@snake2106]

haha im that 2.59% of people who still use and love windows 8.1. Windows 8.1 imo was better and lighter then windows 10

[@cronuslite6358]

Saaaamme

[@cronuslite6358]

Saaaamme

[@UnregisteredHyperCamera2]

make it 2.61% which includes me and another fellow commenter Cronuslite6358

[@leotorma9659]

I think of Windows 8/8.1 as being the best of both Windows 7 and Windows 10. On one hand, you had the classic transparent Windows Aero taskbar, control panel, etc. on the other hand, you also could sign in with a Microsoft account (but were not forced to), you had the Windows store, Metro UI, and new settings menu. You also could use a web browser you actually wanted to use without being begged by the OS to switch to Edge. I have personally used Windows 8.1 for about 3 years and I really enjoyed it, until my PC broke and I got a new one with Windows 10. R.I.P Windows 8.1

[@7stargr]

I will still use it for years to come 🤠

[@TommyAgramonSeth]

I had Windows 8 on my netbook (and later school laptop) since the late-2011 Developer Preview so I familiarized myself and slowly became accustomed to the changes over from Windows 7. I actually liked the new Start menu and even bought a touchscreen monitor that I still use. It didn't impact my workflow in any way, it worked just like it did in Vista or 7, except it was fullscreen and customizable.

[@CuberBeats]

I hated Windows 8 with a passion, but I also LOVED Windows 8.1 with the exact same passion. They fixed almost everything, it felt way more cohesive, far less confusing, and the performance was not compromised at all. So many quality of life changes and Windows 8.1 was just an awesome OS.

[@ultra_minamino]

Even though Windows 8.1 received negative feedback, it was a creation that lead into the metro era. I borrowed Windows 8.1 from a friend for a while and used it for 7 months, and it turned out good. It wasn’t what you expected it to be like Windows XP or Windows 7 or even Windows 10 but still. It was an update of Windows 8. That’s what made it better.

[@generalsquirrel9548]

Honestly, never really hated it as a kid (we went from xp to 8)

[@ALMASHNI-MAN]

I think windows 8 might be the most optimized version of windows, the only thing I liked in windows 8 more than windows 7 was the performance

[@justwentfullchuu2]

Holy hell it's Madobe-san! Hello!

[@My_Old_YT_Account]

Honestly it was better than 10, 8.1 can be fixed with a single program, 10 and 11 simply can't be fixed

[@bagasprihangg]

@@justwentfullchuu2 what the hell...

[@Celestner]

Its a good day when mjd uploads. But still. Windows 8.1 was the first version i used. Sad for it

[@wizzard5442]

I been using Windows 8.1 since 2015 on 2 laptops. I installed Classic Start Menu and Clover and it operates perfectly fine.

[@kazuhiroyasei]

Oh, I have fond memories of Windows 8.1. I miss the centered window titles and really wish it was still a thing, and remember the sheer excitement I had felt when fully activating a Windows 8.1 installation by phone after installing it through a leaked RTM ISO weeks before it was released!

[@edwineriksson2882]

I miss windows 7 and it's scary how many more people using windows 11 instead who using windows 7. Windows 7 is the best operating systems of all times after windows xp!

[@nukicius]

well theres the lack of drivers, im using a 2021 laptop and there are absolutely no drivers for windows 8.1 and below ive tried using windows 7, but with the default drivers its a much worse experience

[@superqaxclub]

Windows 8.1 was actually the OS I used more than 7 or 10 on my old laptop, because it runs pretty fast even on slow HDD, things are responsive (just a bit slow but not entirely frozen), while after updating to windows 10 it's barely usable when every keep freezing

[@sporemaster97]

It really did run so much better, and nobody seems to ever talk about it.

[@superqaxclub]

@@sporemaster97 yeah, people keeps focusing on trashing the start screen while ignoring the performance

[@TrentBrenneman]

For a little while before I updated to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8 on my old laptop, I always used a program called ClassicShell that brought back the classic Windows start menu instead of the start screen by itself.

[@ItsNep]

I really loved Windows 8/8.1. It was the OS of the first computer I had for myself that I got back in 2013, and it felt super cool to have since I was so used to XP or Vista.

[@speedwagoncito]

I still use this OS in a desktop pc we have at home. The shutdown menu thing is a hassle, but I normally just circumvent it with the good old Alt + F4 while on the desktop screen and just hit enter when the pop up window with the shut down options comes up, and that's it lol.

[@TheExileFox]

Or you could make use of Open Shell.

[@speedwagoncito]

@@TheExileFox I don't really use or mind w8's start menu, though. The only thing I really find annoying about it is the shutdown thing, but it's way simpler and easier to just use the Alt + F4 method that Open Shell would just be adding extra steps for me.

[@avert_bs]

update your windows 8.1, they added that back. it won't update it to windows 10, but it will give you a shutdown button in the start *screen*

[@gdcalamity]

Windows 8.1 was really special to me. My first ever laptop had it pre installed. I actually really like most things that got criticised such as the full screen start menu and metro UI.

[@scottishblacklab]

because it was built for touchscreens which never caught on making things annoying to navigate

[@TJ-wf1rr]

I liked the start screen even with a mouse and keyboard

[@boovproductions8515]

@@scottishblacklab You could delete most of the metro apps yk and if you wanted regular windows programs instead of tiles, you could do that too

[@Wheelman1966]

I'm still running Windows 7 on my old (2005) desktop. I shut my updates off the day I had Win 7 installed in 2012 and it's worked flawlessly every day since.

[@saiepro9708]

My first laptop I got was when I was in 5th grade with windows 8.1 I really loved the OS and it's UI. I felt like a business professional at the moment I saw those UI

[@E3v2268]

RT 8.1 Update 3 added a sort of Windows 10/7 Start Menu option. I believe it was used in early dev builds of Windows 10, but might be worth looking at/making a video of!

[@m3e642]

how do you activate it?

[@StevenReviews]

As much as 8.1 gets so much hate, I quite like it. I use windows 11 on my main machine don't get me wrong but for lower end devices like intel atom celeron ect and 2gb of ram 8.1 is like a stripped down debloated OS and uses so little ram to run its really amazing for my intel atom tablet

[@TheExileFox]

it's been so much more stable than the arcane mess that is win10. Only other problem is: Microsoft prematurely killing it instead of fixing 8.1 causing idiots at Dassalt to force me to be stuck with the 2018 version of Solidworks. I have some hardware that is incompatible with Windows 7 so downgrading was not an option. And other software I use does not and cannot run under the arcane mess that is Win10. Thanks Ms, i hate it.

[@NR20244]

Same

[@ksd8531-official]

My dad has a PC that STILL runs windows 8.1 with no issues at all. He has a new PC but he doesn't want me to set it up. He really loves his 8.1 PC. I loved windows 8.1 so much, that I made a powerpoint about it.

[@koltindriver5935]

Used 8.1 when I got a Windows tablet for Christmas in 2013, and on my desktop PC until 2019. I'm on Windows 10 LTSC right now. So far, I'm enjoying it. I miss 8.1, nice-looking UI (aside from the Fisher Price Start screen), and was super responsive.

[@R0DBS2]

I remember using it, I use windows 11 now but when I used 8.1 not too long ago, it was so good, it was fast, gave you proper control over updates, much less simplified theme which made it look better

[@mhammadalloush5104]

I used Windows 8.1 back when it was in its prime, and I can't believe you missed that Windows 8.1 actually got a "Service Pack" (Microsoft refers to it as Windows 8.1 update 1), which made the metro interface slightly more tolerable, and added a visible power button.

[@Carwash1989]

he mencioned it twice, i think you didnt watch the full video.

[@SunnyShuklathedoctor]

13:01

[@zmateneslunicko3928]

Windows 8 was actually the only Windows, which needed less resources to run in comparison with previous major version. Actually, I still use Windows 8.1 as it is like Windows 10 without all of the bloat features it cumulated in the last 8-9 years of development. Since that is the case, it is a good alternative to run on old devices. I am going to install Server 2012 R2 updates until september and then I will see what can be done.

[@katrinabryce]

Server 2016/2019/2022 is actually a lot less resource-hungry than Windows 10. I actually ran in a VM as a desktop operating system in my mid-2010 MacBook Pro because it would run at a useable speed whereas Windows 10 didn't. 2019 & 2022 are essentially 2016 R2 and R3.

[@Pasi123]

I wish Windows 10 would have been what the first Technical Preview was, basically Win8.1 but with a start menu. The preview ran really well on my LifeBook T4215 (C2D T7200) just like how 8.1 would. Modern Win10 struggles on even much more powerful hardware. I use Win10 LTSC 2019 on my main PC because it's way less bloated than the regular versions and it has support until 2029

[@eDoc2020]

Resource consumption doesn't matter when Windows 8 calls for much more modern hardware than Windows 7. 7 runs OK on a Pentium III and is perfectly nice on any old Pentium 4 or M but Windows 8 needs something from the 64-bit era just to boot.

[@Pasi123]

@@eDoc2020 Why wouldn't recourse consumption matter on 64-bit era CPUs?

[@eDoc2020]

@@Pasi123 People usually want lower resource software because it runs better on older systems. When the software flat-out won't run on older systems this benefit is negated. Resource consumption still matters but it's not as important.

[@anthonyduncalf6190]

I quite liked the Start screen .Once you had organised your tiles in categories it made things really east to find . I never understood why people disliked the OS. I switched the Windows 10 menu to full screen because I liked The Windows 8 layout.

[@TrollYou-dz5jy]

Im still using windows 8.1 since 2014 and I love it

[@megachristina12ify]

Same!

[@weeatpplproductions]

So many memories with this OS. Windows 7 was my favorite but 8.1 holds a special place in my heart :)

[@Kacpa2]

And now Windows 11 is windows 8 all over again....

[@POKEMANZZ3]

still use 8.1 rn, works flawless for me, knowing windows key shortcuts was greatly useful.

[@DippedToast]

Windows 8.1 did bring the back start menu. As a Windows RT 8.1 user (me,) the OS came with an update allowing the user to change the start settings to Windows 7 style. On the taskbar, right click then go to properties, go to a specific tab (I don't remember the name,) and then find that option. This may require you to sign out...

[@PCWindowstechguy]

As one of the 2% who use Windows 8.1 I would say that it's quite sad to see support for it ending! It was the last Windows OS where bloatware such as candy crush didn't exist and Microsoft accounts not being forced! R.I.P Windows 8.1! Anyways keep up with the wonderful content MJD!

[@onometre]

I distinctly remember candy crush being included in windows 8.1. not sure if that was oem bloat or not

[@PCWindowstechguy]

@@onometre I think that was the home version, but for the pro version there was literally NO BLOATWARE!

[@onometre]

@@PCWindowstechguy that's true of windows 10 pro as well though

[@So1]

@@onometre Late but that was oem bloat iirc

[@onometre]

@@So1 it was not. We're talking about a fresh install

[@Seikatsu121]

Man i miss Windows 8.1 . Recently tried to actively use it and quickly found out that that would not be happening since Nvidia specifically blacklisted windows 8 & 8.1 on the 3000 series, but still have working drivers for windows 7

[@arnox4554]

"Nvidia specifically blacklisted windows 8 & 8.1 on the 3000 series, but still have working drivers for windows 7" Yeah, what in the fuck is up with that? 8.1 is fully backwards compatible with Windows 7 drivers.

[@Seikatsu121]

@@arnox4554 insane right? They went out of their way to block windows 8 & 8.1

[@Leonard_MT]

@@Seikatsu121 AMD all did that crap as well

[@arnox4554]

@@Seikatsu121 I have a tinfoil hat theory that Microsoft pays off Nvidia to cut support for whatever OS it doesn't want supported anymore.

[@Seikatsu121]

@@Leonard_MT damn i didn't know. I was mostly talking from experience here. That sucks so much. to see an operating system being handicapped like that on purpose is just incredibly sad

[@sierrachief117]

My 2014 lenovo ideapad came pre-installed with Windows 8.1 and I just loved the fluidity of it. If you didn't have any heavy softwares installed, it pretty much ran a Hard drive like an SSD. The start screen was so futuristic and the smooth animations just made everything better. Sucks that the laptop wasn't as good quality as the OS that it came with. Still ran like a champ for 7 plus years.

[@AndrewChapman]

Only got my new Windows 11 laptop just before Christmas. Still keeping my 8.1 laptop though, especially as I still have my old Vista which I've had since Christmas 2008. Comes in handy in case I have problems with my current laptop and need to take it in for servicing.