Problem Opening Programs, Windows 8.1

[mr__ed]

I have a fairly new Toshiba laptop running Win 8.1. When I click or double click on a desktop icon to open a program it often won't open. Even right clicking and clicking "open" often won't work. My mouse is new (not a wireless one) and I checked mouse properties and all appears OK. I'm a little suspicious that it has something to do with the mouse.I've noticed that even when attempting to drag thecursordoesn't always stay latched.I checked for driver updates and the driver is up to date. Any ideas? Thanks.

[bradyk]

Funny how people say it is all crap. Software guy myself and all the laptops I run here are on 8.1 and all run fine. As in any technology unfortunately when something new comes out many either don't want any change or buck the changes. Once adjustments are made the software works just as well as the old.
By the way I am an old computer guy too starting back in the 70's so have seen them all. Windows 10 when it comes out should make some of these folks happy as MS is trying to hit the no change market people and please them too no just the tablet customer.

[otis-agnes]

I have that same problem!! I have a Toshiba and use the touch pad. I'm just persistent and keep clicking and clicking. Eventually the program opens. Norton does this and so does my photo program. Agnes

[NiasWagn]

so....is the mouse issue fixed?

[sherlock62]

sherlock62 wrote:

LANShark42 wrote:
Switch to Windows7. If you can't do it yourself, pay to have someone do it.

This has my vote as most nonsensical comment in this thread. Yup, change your OS to an older version versus addressing a set-up issue in your current OS. And to boot Windows 8.1 is pretty much Windows 7 with a different coat on so to speak. :S

[strollin]

LANShark42 wrote:
This is not a beta vs. VHS kind of issue. This is a Windows98 vs Windows ME or Windows XP vs. Vista kind of issue. Microsoft screwed up. And it's happened more than once. In Win8, they attempted to "dumb down" the Windows experience by making it more tablet-like. They know it. Pretty much anyone in the industry will tell you that. They made a half-hearted attempt to fix it by immediately bringing out 8.1. Too little too late.

I love it how you keep using the term "modern". You don't work for Microsoft, do you?!?

At this point, I'm weary of this. I've had my say. Good luck to the OP. I hope you get your issue resolved. And as someone else said, you might want to think twice before looking for computer assistance in an RV forum.

In reality, in Win 10 they have "dumbed down" the Windows experience by adding the Start Menu back in.

I use the term Modern because that's what it is called. Anyone in the industry will tell you that. Yes, I do work in the industry but no, I don't work for MS (and never have).

Yup, looking for computer assistance in an RV forum has its drawbacks, someone might tell you to spend money unnecessarily to replace your OS when all that's needed is a tweak somewhere.

[LANShark42]

This is not a beta vs. VHS kind of issue. This is a Windows98 vs Windows ME or Windows XP vs. Vista kind of issue. Microsoft screwed up. And it's happened more than once. In Win8, they attempted to "dumb down" the Windows experience by making it more tablet-like. They know it. Pretty much anyone in the industry will tell you that. They made a half-hearted attempt to fix it by immediately bringing out 8.1. Too little too late.

I love it how you keep using the term "modern". You don't work for Microsoft, do you?!?

At this point, I'm weary of this. I've had my say. Good luck to the OP. I hope you get your issue resolved. And as someone else said, you might want to think twice before looking for computer assistance in an RV forum.

[strollin]

LANShark42 wrote:
I stand corrected on the lifetime of win8. And its market share. But only 14% at 28 months?!? For an OS that comes preinstalled on almost every PC and laptop being sold today?? This tells me there are MANY others doing exactly what I sugggested the OP do. Even the End-of-lifed XP has more share.

My suggestion was not inappropriate at all. I've been in IT for 26 years, doing everything from mainframe operator to PC support to network administrator to storage engineer. So I'm fairly well-versed in how PCs and OSes operate. As I said, I gave the same advice I would give my sister. It's sad to see how many people here swallow Microsoft's propaganda... errr... marketing hook line and sinker.

Unfortunately, market share doesn't indicate whether one product is better or worse than another. For instance, look back at Beta vs VHS. Beta was clearly a better technology but VHS dominated the market. IMO, Win 8's limited market share is due to it getting an unwarranted bad rap from the press.

What is it that makes Win 8 so bad? If you don't use Modern apps or the Start screen, it works and acts pretty much like Win 7 (especially if you install Classic Shell). I personally bounce back and forth between Win 7 and Win 8 machines all day everyday and barely notice that I'm on a different OS since I use the same suite of programs on Win 8 that I use on Win 7.

Based on your extensive background, I'm surprised that you can't see that Win 8 is basically Win 7 with an added (but optional) Modern interface. I tell people if they don't like the Modern interface, don't use it. That doesn't make the whole OS bad.

[LANShark42]

I stand corrected on the lifetime of win8. And its market share. But only 14% at 28 months?!? For an OS that comes preinstalled on almost every PC and laptop being sold today?? This tells me there are MANY others doing exactly what I sugggested the OP do. Even the End-of-lifed XP has more share.

My suggestion was not inappropriate at all. I've been in IT for 26 years, doing everything from mainframe operator to PC support to network administrator to storage engineer. So I'm fairly well-versed in how PCs and OSes operate. As I said, I gave the same advice I would give my sister. It's sad to see how many people here swallow Microsoft's propaganda... errr... marketing hook line and sinker.

[strollin]

Not sure where you got that 4% figure from. This chart from 12/2014 shows Win 8 with almost a 14% marketshare: OS market share

All forms of Mac OS X combined have just over 5% market share and Linux has just over 1%. Are they terrible OSes as well? Both of them have been around much longer than 16 months. Also don't know where you got that 16 month figure since Win 8 was released in Oct 2012 so it's been on the market for 28 months.

I don't believe that Win 8 is the best OS of all time nor is it without its faults but it is a perfectly usable OS that doesn't deserve the bad reputation it has. I can't tell you how many people I have encountered that determined Win 8 was bad just based on hearsay and have never actually tried the OS.

IMO, the reason why some people have so much trouble with Win 8 is because they never bothered to learn how to use Windows, they only learned how to use the Start Menu in Windows. When MS took that away, they were lost even though the Start Menu is redundant, unnecessary and antiquated. That's why most users are fine with Win 8 if you install Classic Shell for them.

My 2 sons and my sister are 3 people that I know personally that recently started using Win 8 and none of them are having issues with it. My sister is one that relies on the Start Menu so she has Classic Shell on her computer. Neither of my sons uses Classic Shell.

That doesn't change the fact that your suggestion of switching from Win 8 to Win 7 to solve the OP's problem was totally inappropriate. Would it fix his problem? Maybe. But then re-installing Win 8 might fix it as well. The point is, the problem doesn't stem from what OS he is using and it's not necessary for him to switch to a different OS to solve his problem..

[LANShark42]

Right. I'm sure there is some OTHER reason that Win8 holds less than 4% market share after having been on the market for 16 months.

I'm betting you all LOVED Windows1, ME and Vista. :R

[strollin]

Fizz - I still have my copy of the Jan 1975 issue of Popular Electronics magazine that featured the kit for the Altair 8800 mini-computer. I was always going to build one but couldn't afford it (starving college student with a wife to support) so I only used the mini-computers at school. It wasn't until 1984 that I was able to afford to buy my own PC.

My point is that I have been using computers for 40 years and agree with you that if someone is struggling with Win 8, it's them, not the OS, since Win 8 isn't substantially different than Win 7.

[Fizz]

Might as well chip in here..
I've been at it for over 35 years. My first home PC was a Radio Shack in 1979.
I read the manuals, bought books on computers and did NOT use an RV forum for my main goto trouble shooting.

If you are struggling with Win 8.1 it's you not the OS.

[strollin]

LANShark42 wrote:
No, I'm not going away. I stand by my statement. I've been using PCs for 27 years, since DOS 3.1. I know a piece of******when I see one and Windows 8.1 is a piece of crap. It was written to try to force people into using tablets. It was written for touchscreen tablets. Tablets DO NOT have mice. This is not "bad gas". It's more like trying to use the engine from a Honda Civic in your TV. It MIGHT work, but you will never be happy with it. It is simply a bad operating system being forced on people who don't realize they have options.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion but Win 8.x was designed to work on both tablets AND non-tablets. I use Win 8.1 everyday on both a tablet with touchscreen and a laptop without a touchscreen and it works fine for both. IMO, it's you that doesn't seem to realize that you have the option of using the new touch features of Win 8.x or choosing not to use them.

BTW, I've been using PCs for 31 years, since DOS 2.1 (used mini computers before that).

[Fishinghat]

LANShark42 wrote:
No, I'm not going away. I stand by my statement. I've been using PCs for 27 years, since DOS 3.1. I know a piece of******when I see one and Windows 8.1 is a piece of crap. It was written to try to force people into using tablets. It was written for touchscreen tablets. Tablets DO NOT have mice. This is not "bad gas". It's more like trying to use the engine from a Honda Civic in your TV. It MIGHT work, but you will never be happy with it. It is simply a bad operating system being forced on people who don't realize they have options.

No offense, but I just have to join in here. I've also been using PCs since 3.1, and have used most of the Windows OS since they were introduced, including 8.1. I don't have a touch screen and use a mouse, yet 8.1 works just fine. I have Windows 7 on my laptop, and it works almost the same as 8.1. I will admit 8.1 was designed for touch pads, but our touch pads are all Apple products, and smart phones are Android, so I don't have any experience with the 8.1 and touchpad technology.

So, it is a matter of getting current with the technology. I know it can be frustrating, but be patient.

Going back to the original post, I would suggest cleaning out your Internet History and Cookies. Those are common causes of overloaded RAM.

If that doesn't help, try the Task Manager. (Control, Alternate, Delete.) See what is running and how much of the resources are being used. Check the startup menu for a program that's hogging RAM. Good luck.