Microsoft appears to have blocked a workaround that would have allowed Windows 8 users to skip the new tile-based Start screen and go straight to the traditional Windows 8 desktop when launching the new operating system.
The changes in the finished version of Windows 8 are detailed by Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet, with confirmation from Rafael Rivera, the co-author of the upcoming Windows 8 Secrets book. In test builds of Windows 8, users were able to create a shortcut that sent them straight to the old-fashioned Windows desktop (minus the old-fashioned Start button) when they booted up.
Some corporate IT departments had planned to use the shortcut to keep users in a more familiar environment.
Windows 8’s Start screen is one of the signature elements of the new operating system, part of an effort to make Windows work across devices including tablets. The customizable screen features tiles similar to those on Xbox Live and Windows Phone, delivering information and other content from apps and letting users click to launch an app.
In other Windows 8 news, Microsoft today detailed how the default “Do Not Track” setting for Internet Explorer 10 will be implemented as part of the express setup process for Windows 8.
The implementation of Do Not Track by default in IE10 is designed to help users keep online services from tracking their activities for purposes of targeting ads. The news is not popular among advertisers and ad networks that use the technology.
Meanwhile, The Verge has a first glimpse of the Windows 8 retail packaging.
Windows 8 makes its debut on new computers and in retail stores on Oct. 26.
