Ha ha Jimbo!  You would be surprised to hear that I am NOT an Apple fan at all!  I like open source and products that are compatible :P

The only machine I didn't upgrade to Windows 8 is my music machine - and thank goodness for that.

I upgraded a 1 month old Asus Zenbook Prime ultrabook (Win7 Pro 64bit) to Windows 8 Pro. I opted to keep all settings and applications. After the upgrade, I installed a few apps from the Microsoft store. Next thing you know I was caught in an endless loop of Explorer crashes and restores which started as soon as I went to the desktop. Even when flipping back to the "Metro" tile interface - it cycled too. Installed all current Win 8 updates. No go. After reinstalling Windows 8 using the "keep nothing" option, everything, so far, seems fine.

I also upgraded my HP Corei7 laptop (Win7 Home Premium 64bit) to Windows 8 Pro. I opted to keep all settings and applications there too. Afterward, installed a few applications from the Microsoft store and ... same thing. An endless loop of Explorer crashes and recycles. You can't get out of it to use the computer unless you reboot. Also had Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 installed in Win7. The Windows 8 installer didn't complain about it, but after the upgrade, and when going to the desktop, there was a panel waiting for me that stated Kaspersky was not compatible with Windows 8. I went to Kaspersky's site and - no update. So I tried to uninstall it. No go - Windows 8 complained that the "application was not compatible". Tried to get rid of it through Control Panel. No go. Erradicated the registry entries and tried again. Nope. Made sure all Win 8 updates were applied too.

So I reinstalled Windows 8 again using the "keep nothing" option. So far, so good. A Google search for "win 8 explorer crash loop" finds lots and lots of forum hits. Seems this cycling problem has been an issue since the Developer preview.

I also had the Acronis problem, but they offer a 30 day full working demo, so you can at least get at the proprietary Acronis backup files even if you don't initially pay for an upgrade to Acronis 2013.

I'm working now with trepidation on my 2 non-critical machines, but this Windows upgrade has been hell like no other before it.

KEv

No problems here. But then I opted for a clean install (i.e. freshing formatted partition)/dual boot so Win8 and Win7 on same machines just different partitions to boot to. You can use the upgrade license to do this. Backing up/doing a complete reinstall from scratch shouldn't take more than a very full day of your life and it is def worth it to avoid hassle.

In the upgrade scenario I would definately recommend uninstalling any virus scanner or backup software like Acronis before upgrade, but that's hardly any help now.

Did you try removing the software (you can't remove) in Windows safe mode?
Either way I suspect the best thing would be to back up your data and attempt a clean install formatting the partition first.
 
p.s. I'm seriously not seeing any real benefits of upgrading for Win7 to Win8 (well maybe trivial), but I do see huge benefits (not least you can run X2) when upgrading from earlier operating systems (in this scenarios though it may be better to consider buying a new PC in a lot of instances).

On my laptop UAC is disabled. And so I did a upgrade to W8. Now alot of tiles do not work. And I cannot find the place to enable UAC... Ha... But for the rest it is adjusting... But I do like win7...

Windows 8 x64 works absolut perfect with X2.
I no longer work with any 32-bit plugins. 32 bit is past.
Only the driver für the Roland VS700-Console is missing.

RME Hammerfall 9624 is working
Roland Quad Capture is working

burkek


The only machine I didn't upgrade to Windows 8 is my music machine - and thank goodness for that.

Asus Zenbook Prime ultrabook     After the upgrade, I installed a few apps from the Microsoft store.
I also upgraded my HP Corei7 laptop   Afterward, installed a few applications from the Microsoft store and ... same thing.
 
KEv

I think I have spotted a clue.

I would have thought that the the Microsoft store and "apps" will have very little to do with anything. More likely the virus scanner going haywire over the Microsoft store.

But then I opted for a clean install (i.e. freshing formatted partition)/dual boot so Win8 and Win7 on same machines just different partitions to boot to. You can use the upgrade license to do this.

You may be able to do the install and activate using the upgrade media, but if you read your license that came with the upgrade media, you are not working under the license, unless you already had two fully licensed versions of Windows installed on that computer to begin with, and you removed one when you installed Windows 8. Upgrade licensing specifically requires that you must not retain the previous version copy from which you are upgrading in any form (dual boot, on another machine, in a virtual machine installation etc.).


http://www.zdnet.com/how-the-new-windows-8-license-terms-affect-you-7000003028/


On a related note, has anyone purchased the OEM=full versions windows 8, and if so does the license that came with that carry the language of the "personal use license" mentioned in the link above? There was initially talk that Microsoft would release a Windows 8 version for "system builders" that would be different from the OEM release in that it would have more generous licensing terms, and I am not clear that the OEM version being offered at Newegg etc. is that version.


I may have found the answer to my own question here:
http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/personal-use-license.aspx#fbid=RZVorzwvspJ


It looks like the personal use license is available online, so if it is not in the OEM package you buy, you would need to go to MS website and agree to that license in order to be covered by it. This is the first time in a while that MS has even permitted a valid license to an individual for installing an OEM version in their own machine. Not that that ever stopped anyone. 

Newegg is still carrying the following on their Windows 8 OEM versions:
" Disclaimer: Use of this OEM System Builder Channel software is subject to the terms of the Microsoft OEM System Builder License. This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale." But it looks like that no longer applies, if you follow up with a personal use license.

Ha so they've changed the EULA, used to be per PC now it's per partition (darn 'em). I have multiple licensed copies of Win 7 anyway.The "legal" way then would be to delete the old Windows partition when you are happy, although you may be illegal during the transfer process.

Check this out stupidity:

"You do not retain any rights to the original software after you have upgraded and you may not continue to use it or transfer it in any way."

I mean how far do you wanna go, let's say you've backed up your old Windows partition before upgrade. You upgraded it and installed Windows 8... you failed! OK time to restore Windows 7.... but hang on you are not allowed to reinstall it after you installed Windows 8! All your backups are illegal (you are retaining use) and restoring the OS is a capital offence.

What exactly is the benefit of windows 8 over windows 7.
Having been buggered with a transition from xp to windows 7, with a Yamaha 01x and mlan becoming redundant , once bitten ...
But win 7 offered more than 4gb rAm and 64 bit so kinda worth it.
I don't see windows 8 offering anything like that milestone.
Kinda wondering whether it is real daft to upgrade to win 8. I mean why are people bothering??