Windows 10: Disabling new 'shell' type desktop - newbie alert!

Hi


I'm new here and don't fully understand what I'm on about so apologies in advance for posting in the wrong section (if I have) and also for my vague/incorrect description of my issue (if I have!!).

I've updated my laptop to windows 10 (just for information...I deleted the old version of windows in order to clear space following installation of Windows 10 so I can't easily go back to that version) and I hate one aspect of it. It's the part of the desktop/ start menu where you would have tiles displayed. I have unpinned all the tiles but the 'shell' (if that's the correct term) remains. It kind of darkens the desktop image slightly, even though there are no apps, etc, displayed as tiles. How do I get rid of that completely so my desktop is just 'there' without having this 'invisible' place to pin tiles constantly running over the top of my desktop?

Also when, for example, I have a File explorer window open and also a Word document and I minimise one to go to the other, instead of the background app just 'being there' under the foreground app, it seems to switch from one to the other via some kind of 'shell'. Sometimes I can't seem to get to the background app at all, despite hovering my cursor over the icon on the taskbar. Eventually somehow the required app pops up from wherever it's been lurking, but it's driving me mad!! Also I can't resize the window on running apps so that I can quickly move from one app to the other. It seems that all I can do is run in full screen or minimised, but no 'layering' of running apps so that one is visible behind the other as I'm working.

Does what I'm trying to describe make sense to anyone? Hopefully someone will know what it is I'm trying to describe and help me get back to it being nice and simple and working how I want it to.

Once again, apologies for my gobbledegook description and thanks so much in advance for any help you may give!

Nip

:)

 

Windows 10 - Issue with "blinking" screen and Windows button not working

Good job. Disabling those two services did the trick for my wife's box (a nearly new HP all-in-one). The shell wasn't loading completely (no desktop or taskbar icons), so it looks like the services weren't playing nicely with the shell.

 

After KB3124262 update when I right click on the desktop the options (refresh, change desktop background, etc.) come after a delay of three to four seconds

If the delay is seen when right-clicking on the Desktop, one of the shell extensions may be causing it... Intel graphics add a shell extension in the Desktop context menu.

Right-click delays are caused by third-party shell extensions. To identify the culprit, you need to use an utility like ShellExView, and disable non-Microsoft context menu handlers one by one (or disable items in a batch) and observe

.

Slow Right Click:

Troubleshooting Right Click Issues Caused by Shell Extensions

ShellExView - Shell Extension Manager For Windows:

ShellExView - Shell Extension Manager For Windows

The desktop background context menu loads from these two registry keys, if you want to inspect them manually.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

and

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell

 

It sounds as if you are using Windows in Tablet Mode. If that's the case, simply turn Tablet Mode off (tutorial).

 

Welcome to TenForums @nipperooney

Kari's advice sounds spot on.

Do stick around, the Tutorials section is an excellent learning resource.
Windows 10 Tutorials

 

Ah, thank you so much @Kari - perfect! It's been driving me mad for weeks and the answer was so simple!
and, yes @Bree, I intend n sticking around and getting stuck into some tutorials.

Thanks for your responses.