how do I disable full screen apps in windows 8

Anonymous

For instance - I read a PDF file, and it fills my 24 inch monitor with 1 file. I really only need it to fill about a third of my screen so I can see the pdf while I create the Word file I am working on. I also want several browser windows, a power point window, and an excel window, all in WINDOWS, not in full screen. I NEVER do anything in fullscreen since it is so limiting.

Start with something simple - like PDF reader? How do I make it NOT be full screen, since I NEVER want it to be fullscreen?

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Anonymous

Windows 8 has a built-in MS PDF reader, which always defaults to fullscreen, and cannot be changed. The "issue" here comes from the MS implementation of the Windows 8 Tiled apps.

Download an external app, like Adobe Reader, and open the PDF with that app, and you can open the PDF in a window just fine.

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Anonymous

2013-04-30T22:31:40+00:00

the .pdf reader is not the real issue. All my apps will either go full screen top to bottom, but ,

necessarily side to side (this is acceptable!!), but certain apps (like Paint Shop Pro) will immediately go full screen in all directions if I move it all the way to the right. I need multiple programs open at once so this is annoying!
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Anonymous

2013-04-09T04:29:21+00:00

thank you.. I had the same annoying issue and downloading Adobe Reader solved this... cheers
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Anonymous

2013-02-14T20:33:40+00:00

I don't have a problem with the start menu, or switching to the desktop. The shell is not the issue - 99.9% of the time I jump right to the desktop anyway - the issue is the apps that seem to trap me in full screen against my wishes.

My problem is that I have no idea why anyone would ever want to use any of these apps full screen - ever - I certainly NEVER would. I want my Adobe WINDOW (and every single other app) to fit in like 1/4 of my 24 inch display, not fill it. That way I can scroll and read it, but still have my other WINDOWS available. I always work with multiple apps open at the same time and keep them in windows to facilitate ease of use. The suggestion that Microsoft could have made this a constraint is so far from my reality that it is just simply stupid.

For instance, if I start Explorer from the shell, it locks into full screen, so I immediately close that and drop to the desktop. If I open Explorer from the desktop I can window at will.

So, the question is:

How can I make the apps on my desktop computer running the Windows 8 OS actually open in windows, instead of full screen? Is there a configuration option to restore this absolutely required functionality?
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Anonymous

2013-02-13T23:40:28+00:00

All Windows 8 apps for the Modern UI do the same.

You can switch to desktop by using one of these..

If you don't like the default Start Menu or the apps, try one of these..

Use an alternative start menu..

Free..

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

https://www.pokki.com/

Costs $5 but is just like Windows 7..

http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

Now you can install Foxit for your PDFs which will work as per Windows 7, and have easy access to any Windows 7 style desktop program..

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/

It is free for home use..
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