The Start screen in Windows 8 displays your most-used apps, pinned apps, and live tiles. While it’s easy to change the default background picture and color of the Start screen, Windows 8 doesn’t let you change the default number of rows on the Start screen.
If you have set a custom picture as Start screen background or if you want to give your Start screen a more minimal look, you can reduce the default number of rows on the Start screen.
Not too long ago, we showed you a workaround to reduce the default number of rows on the Start screen in Windows 8. While editing Windows Registry is relatively straight-forward, not all users are comfortable with the method.
Change the number of rows on Windows 8 Start screen
Users who would like to lower the default number of app rows that appear on screen without manually editing the Registry can now download a little tool named Windows 8 Start Screen Tiles. Windows 8 Start Screen Tiles enables you lower the default number of rows on the Start screen.
As you probably know, Windows doesn’t allow you increase default number of rows on the Start screen. For instance, if the screen resolution is 1440 x 900, Windows displays five rows on the Start screen. You can use Windows 8 Start Screen Tiles only to lower the rows number.
Another important thing is that you can’t configure the Start screen to display zero number of rows. That is, there must be at least one row on the Start screen.
Just download, extract the zip file to get Win8StartScreenTiles.ex_ file, rename the file to Win8StartScreenTiles.exe, run the tool, and then select the number of rows you would like to see on the Start screen and finally click Apply button. That’s it! Windows 8 Start Screen Tiles tool is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 8.
Download Windows 8 Start Screen Tiles
hb860 says
Just checked the userinit thing. There is no reason to use it instead of service, it is much slower than service.
hb860 says
advantages are following:
When you move mouse at the middle of the screen, the charmsbar will re-appeared. That is also annoying thing.
When you kill the top hot corner, you will see only when you move your mouse in TRUE bottom corner, not at the middle of the screen. Thats why i have implemented corners killing feature
quadsoft says
“For example, you can kill switcher and top chramsbar corner to keep you top corners clean while Start preview/Drag-to-close and bottom charmsbar corner will be preserved.”
Except disabling “drag-to-close”, I don’t see any advantages to the registry tweak method..
hb860 says
But you can choose which corners to “kill”.
I have the separate option for EACH corner!
For example, you can kill switcher and top chramsbar corner to keep you top corners clean while Start preview/Drag-to-close and bottom charmsbar corner will be preserved.
Also, I will check what I can do to rewrite Skip Metro Suite without using the service app. If I will find it acceptable/improved, then I will release it to public.
Anyway, thank you very much for the honest feedback, I really appreciate it.
quadsoft says
@hb860
NoTilesPlease ist primary to skip the StartScreen, disabling the Hot Corners is only an “extra” option. I tested several tools that are using a service to bypass the start screen (Skip Metro Suite, Start8 etc.) and noticed, that either they were slower than NoTilesPlease or they suddenly didn’t worked, e.g. when loading the start screen took a longer while).
In the ‘userinit’ key is stored the path to a small program that does the bypass stuff. After switching to desktop, the app is closed and does not stay in background as a separate service would do. Disabling the mouse-move hot corners is a good idea, but completely disabling edge-ui is nonsense especially if there is no start-menu replacement installed.
kind regards
Micky says
ok! can u please provide me only 3 articles:
1 to remove metro ui
2: to enable aero glass
3: to enable windows media center
for windows 8. but please make sure all articles are for rtm and pro. anxiously waiting for these articles. :(
hb860 says
Also note that userinit thing is probably much slower than service trick. You will see Metro Start Screen for longer time
hb860 says
I can rewrite Skip Metro Suite to run via “userinit” parameter, but I see no sense in that. Nothing will change fundamentally
Micky says
ok admin thanks, waiting for articles update, n hb860 I really didn’t used notilesplease, my friend recommend me this and i pasted his message in the above comment. I am sure your admin’s recommendation is better than my friend’s. Thanks :)
hb860 says
Also, service is REQUIRED to completely KILL the hot corners, not just disable edge points. As you could see, with NoTilesPlease still will able to get Charmbars/Switcher with mouse. NoTilesPlease does only registry tweak i covered here http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-the-edge-panels-charms-bar-and-switcher-in-windows-8/ and that is NOT enough!
hb860 says
Micky, NoTilesPlease modifies “userinit” registry parameter and runs, speaking with your words, “unnecessary application” from there. There is the difference?
admin says
Thanks a lot. I am going to update those articles and also some other articles.
Admin says
Micky
You are a good observer! Thanks. Agree that most of the articles are based on Windows 8 CP and RP. But I think if a guide works for CP or RP it should work fine for RTM as well (except some customization guides). On a side note, I have started updating key guides (guides that doesn’t work for RTM).
Can you mention the article(s)that you were referring to so that I can update them.
Thanks.
Micky says
Admin please tell me 1 thing, mostly articles on your web regarding windows 8 are about release preview and consumer preview. But now RTM and pro are in market and most of articles are not working on rtm and pro. When will you provide the same articles for rtm and pro?