- Deleting files and folders no longer comes with a confirmation prompt.
- The pagefile.sys no longer uses a fixed ratio size (24GB of RAM = 6556MB Pagefile). Mark Russinovich complained about this bitterly. Seems he influenced a change.
- The OS will actually shrink the pagefile.sys over time! Original after install size above, current size 3407MB.
- The hiberfil.sys can be made smaller via an Admin command prompt with the command: powercfg /h /size 50 (Windows 7 also has this option.)
- There is now a swapfile.sys used by Modern UI apps.
- The Modern UI Advanced Restart option contains an entry to boot you directly into your UEFI firmware without user intervention. This feature does require firmware support.
- The OEM version of Windows 8 does not support legacy touch hardware of less than five points.
- The NTFS Advanced Security Settings menu has been vastly overhauled - for the better IMO.
- SuperFetch appears to be more aggressive in Windows 8 vs Windows 7.
- Do not disable defrag in Windows 8! The defrag tool is what runs TRIM on SSDs!
- SuperFetch is used now even if you have an SSD drive.
- The ability to change keys and activate Windows have been removed from the bottom of the System Properties in Windows 8 Enterprise. From an elevated command prompt you must:
- slmgr -ipk <key>
- slmgr -ato
or - slui 3
- Signing in with your Microsoft Account (Formerly Live, Formerly Passport) can result in unusual profile folder names (Hell_000).
- Network profiles can only be renamed via Group Policy or Registry Editing. (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles)
- Network profiles can no longer be merged. (Registry workaround)
- Changing Network Locations - such as from Public to Private (aka Home or Work) - is no longer done in the Network and Sharing Center. See here
- The old Network Location panel still exists, but requires an ugly hack. See below.
- Windows 8 Enterprise has pieces of the new Server 2012 network teaming options within the OS, but lacks the ability to create the team.
- If your Intel Management Engine Interface driver is too old it will result in Hyper-V failing to install and it will accuse your box of lacking the required hardware virtualization support.
- The Hyper-V hypervisor does not support Hybrid Sleep.
- IE10 finally has spellcheck built-in.
- Tabs in the background cannot automatically play Flash video.
Network Location Hack
Open Regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\NetworkList\Profiles
Each GUID key represents one network and contains the associated friendly name within the ProfileName string entry.
Select the connection whose network location you want to change. Copy the GUID of that network including the brackets - { } - and paste it into the string below. You will replace the GUID ID in the string below as that string is simply an example.
"C:\Windows\system32\rundll32.exe" pnidui.dll,NwCategoryWiz {40087600-D0A0-41C6-B161-AACCD57C9900} 0
Once this string has your GUID copied earlier entered copy it and paste it into a command prompt, shortcut, or Run dialog box.
If done correctly it will bring up the old wizard UI that allows you to define the network location. Incorrectly doing this has no output.
Before selecting your network location make sure that the network name listed in the dialog matches the network you wanted to change.