This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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.
After wandering through all the nonsense trying to "disable" the full screen openings of .pdfs, I just went to "File Associations" and changed the association for .pdf from "Reader" to Adobe Acrobat.... Problem solved, the .pdfs open in acrobat like they are supposed to.
Pat
So that works for Adobe but what about IE, Chrome, Word, Excel, and the other tens of apps that someone is likely to use at the same time? The UI is awful for this. I somehow fixed it on my previous laptop, but just bought a new laptop and can't figure out how to fix it on here.
This is the stupidest Windows Ever! What's the point when one can't multitask. I am reverting to 7.
Unfortunately Windows 8.1 kept the full screen display of apps. MS are you listening to PC users?
This is the stupidest Windows Ever! What's the point when one can't multitask. I am reverting to 7.
Unfortunately Windows 8.1 kept the full screen display of apps. MS are you listening to PC users?
I agree it's the stupidest Windows ever! I've had Windows 8 / 8.1 for over a month now on my new desktop machine and have to agree, it's the most unfriendly user interface Microsoft have made ( and I've been using Windows since ver. 3.1 ).
This thread sums up how bad 8 is for desktop users, "if you want it to work right install an outside company's product". If I had the choice I would revert to Windows 7. If Microsoft had wanted an Android touch screen UI they should have released a separate one instead of this shambles.
I was being subjected to a 22" wide 1 page pdf. It's now sorted I've just downloaded Adobe Reader to view pdf's in a desktop window, the most recent thing I've done in an attempt to get back to a desktop only environment. The full screen touch screen interface has its place, I have numerous ones, but not on a 22" desktop.
Looking forward to Windows 8.2 without the mock touch screen phone interface and a real Start Menu like the one we used to have.
I've just been on CNet's download site and noticed that on 13th Nov 2013, CNet's site states that there were 2,009,068 downloads of Start Menu 8 start button replacement - OVER 2,000,000. It doesn't reflect the actual number of users or how satisfied they are with it, but that's got to be an indicator of how annoyed people are with this dreadful interface.
But it can be fixed so easily. Have you never installed a 3rd party application because the Windows offering was too basic and didn't do the job that you wanted it to do?
The PDF issue can be rectified with Foxit Reader which is a much better choice than either the Windows 8 app or Adobe Reader.
What email client do you use? Windows Live Mail or Outlook? Or maybe one of the 3rd party clients like Thunderbird?
How about media players? Do you like WMP or would you rather use VLC which will play anything without having to add 3rd party codecs from uncertain sources?
Which anti-virus solution do you use? MSE or one of the other freebies, Avast, Avira , AVG etc..?
The Windows 'winner' has always been the huge amount of software available, much of it free or priced for pockets of all depths..
