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One super useful hidden feature but terrible ui is you can start typing as soon as Win 10 start menu is open... example 'notepad'... I used to install classic

by gemjam 7y ago

One super useful hidden feature but terrible ui is you can start typing as soon as Win 10 start menu is open... example 'notepad'... I used to install classic shell just to get the [run] input box

jorvi 7y ago
How is that terrible UI? It's basically what Spotlight does for Macs. Cmd+space and it overlays a text box from which you can find and open any file, application, event etc. or even do stuff like calculations and unit conversions.
- autoexec 7y ago
  because there is no indication to the user that they can or should enter text. One my favorite things to type in the old "run" box was "." and that doesn't work anymore in 10. I can still open a command prompt and type "start ." at least.
  - ygra 7y ago
    Win+R still gives you that dialog.
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    > One my favorite things to type in the old "run" box was "." and that doesn't work anymore in 10 It absolutely does still work in the Run app. The Run app is no longer conveniently docked at the bottom of the old Start menu near where the search box now opens when you start typing in the new Windows menu, though.
  - jve 7y ago
    Oh, wow, thanks for tip. I always though why they don't include %USERPROFILE% to quick links :/ Btw, as others mentioned - Win+R gives you Run dialog. Or Win+X gives you admin tools and a Run button approximately where it used to be. Or just right click on start button...
    - dragonwriter 7y ago
      A nice thing about Win+X (but not Win+R) is you get the pop-up on your current monitor on multimonitor systems. (Unfortunately, if you do “Run” from the Win+X menu, the Run app does not show up on your current monitor.)
Bjartr 7y ago
It is absolutely useful and exists as far back as Vista. Also WinKey+R will open the run dialog.
robocat 7y ago
Except if you start typing just after booting, the search service (or something) isn't running yet and it doesn't give you any results even if you wait... I hate using Windows 10 because I am constantly hitting new unique bugs in the UI, and regularly enough I run into complete show-stoppers. Windows UI is just so broken. I do run into bugs on Ubuntu, but usually there is a workaround. And I have lower expectations when it costs $0 (and without the trillion dollar market cap of Microsoft). I also regularly find bugs in macOS, which annoys me since we pay such a premium for Apple software.
- la_barba 7y ago
  Wow.. I have never found a showstopper bug in either of those OSs, but I have found a couple of ICE bugs in MSVC which I'm kinda proud of. B-) Any repro steps for the bugs?
- rhinoceraptor 7y ago
  I would prefer if it would just give me no results. Half the time when I hit the windows key, type what I want and hit enter it will open an Edge window with Bing search results for what I typed.
  - lexicality 7y ago
    You can turn that off. It's not easy and they keep changing how you do it, but with enough registry keys you can kill Cortana and all the associated bollocks and return to an actually useful system search.
    - WorldMaker 7y ago
      Windows 10 is back to system search focused by default in 1903. Cortana was refocused to voice-centric and the interfaces (and buttons) are now distinct between system search and Cortana. Rumors are Cortana may even be an optional install in 19H2 or 20H1.
- brynjolf 7y ago
  There is a bug where if you disable blinking textcursors, notifications in the taskbar never gets cleared. Been that way since Windows 7. How are those two things related?
gmueckl 7y ago
This search feature was actually good in Win7. On its way into Windows 10 it has regressed into something awful. The way it inconsistently comes up with different results in different orders when you repeat the same search multiple times in quick succession is a good example of how maddening it can be to use this thing. I want to start a program from the start menu, type its name and I often get a Bing link as first result or a document which is replaced by a Bing link in first place just in time for everything to shift under my cursor so that I pick the wrong thing. The actual menu entry that I'm looking for can be 20 seconds late at times (when it shows up in the program list without delay and probably popped up in an earlier search in first place after only 2 seconds or so). I don't get why this thing is messed up the way it is.
flukus 7y ago
Unfortunately apart from the search being awful it also does some internet search and if your network drops out while it's searching for something you'll be left with the start menu frozen until it hits it's 1-2 minute timeout.

by gemjam 7y ago

One super useful hidden feature but terrible ui is you can start typing as soon as Win 10 start menu is open... example 'notepad'... I used to install classic shell just to get the [run] input box

jorvi 7y ago

How is that terrible UI? It's basically what Spotlight does for Macs. Cmd+space and it overlays a text box from which you can find and open any file, application, event etc. or even do stuff like calculations and unit conversions.

autoexec 7y ago
because there is no indication to the user that they can or should enter text. One my favorite things to type in the old "run" box was "." and that doesn't work anymore in 10. I can still open a command prompt and type "start ." at least.
- ygra 7y ago
  Win+R still gives you that dialog.
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > One my favorite things to type in the old "run" box was "." and that doesn't work anymore in 10 It absolutely does still work in the Run app. The Run app is no longer conveniently docked at the bottom of the old Start menu near where the search box now opens when you start typing in the new Windows menu, though.
- jve 7y ago
  Oh, wow, thanks for tip. I always though why they don't include %USERPROFILE% to quick links :/ Btw, as others mentioned - Win+R gives you Run dialog. Or Win+X gives you admin tools and a Run button approximately where it used to be. Or just right click on start button...
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    A nice thing about Win+X (but not Win+R) is you get the pop-up on your current monitor on multimonitor systems. (Unfortunately, if you do “Run” from the Win+X menu, the Run app does not show up on your current monitor.)

Bjartr 7y ago

It is absolutely useful and exists as far back as Vista. Also WinKey+R will open the run dialog.

robocat 7y ago

Except if you start typing just after booting, the search service (or something) isn't running yet and it doesn't give you any results even if you wait... I hate using Windows 10 because I am constantly hitting new unique bugs in the UI, and regularly enough I run into complete show-stoppers. Windows UI is just so broken. I do run into bugs on Ubuntu, but usually there is a workaround. And I have lower expectations when it costs $0 (and without the trillion dollar market cap of Microsoft). I also regularly find bugs in macOS, which annoys me since we pay such a premium for Apple software.

la_barba 7y ago
Wow.. I have never found a showstopper bug in either of those OSs, but I have found a couple of ICE bugs in MSVC which I'm kinda proud of. B-) Any repro steps for the bugs?
rhinoceraptor 7y ago
I would prefer if it would just give me no results. Half the time when I hit the windows key, type what I want and hit enter it will open an Edge window with Bing search results for what I typed.
- lexicality 7y ago
  You can turn that off. It's not easy and they keep changing how you do it, but with enough registry keys you can kill Cortana and all the associated bollocks and return to an actually useful system search.
  - WorldMaker 7y ago
    Windows 10 is back to system search focused by default in 1903. Cortana was refocused to voice-centric and the interfaces (and buttons) are now distinct between system search and Cortana. Rumors are Cortana may even be an optional install in 19H2 or 20H1.
brynjolf 7y ago
There is a bug where if you disable blinking textcursors, notifications in the taskbar never gets cleared. Been that way since Windows 7. How are those two things related?

gmueckl 7y ago

This search feature was actually good in Win7. On its way into Windows 10 it has regressed into something awful. The way it inconsistently comes up with different results in different orders when you repeat the same search multiple times in quick succession is a good example of how maddening it can be to use this thing. I want to start a program from the start menu, type its name and I often get a Bing link as first result or a document which is replaced by a Bing link in first place just in time for everything to shift under my cursor so that I pick the wrong thing. The actual menu entry that I'm looking for can be 20 seconds late at times (when it shows up in the program list without delay and probably popped up in an earlier search in first place after only 2 seconds or so). I don't get why this thing is messed up the way it is.

flukus 7y ago

Unfortunately apart from the search being awful it also does some internet search and if your network drops out while it's searching for something you'll be left with the start menu frozen until it hits it's 1-2 minute timeout.