After using Windows 8 Consumer Preview since the release date, there are certain issues that should be addressed. Not only does Windows 8 have a new “Metro” interface that many people are still adapting to, but there are several changes to how software will behave while running Windows 8 CP.

The first and possibly the most important one is Windows 8 does NOT support the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Package. This means that if your software requires this package, you will have to buy new software that has a later version of the package or one that does not use it at all.

Another issue with Windows 8 is browsing the web with Firefox on a computer with an NVIDIA GPU. Firefox seems to have a hard time keeping its graphics straight. A lot of anomalies on the screen as you move through tabs and pages, but other than that it works fine.

Sometimes Metro apps do not start on first click (or touch). Every once in a while, they will start as usual and then go straight back to the Start Screen. On the second click they will start normally. I am sure that this will be fixed by the time RTM comes out.

These are only some of the issues found in Windows 8 thus far. Windows 8 seems quite stable and once you get used to how things work, and seems easy to use. A lot of people have voiced their concern about the Start Button being removed. With a software package called ViStart by Lee-Soft which will put a start button on the taskbar.

As I am still testing Windows 8, that is all I have for now. Check back often to get more of the inside scoop on Windows 8.

Correction: If you are using Windows 8 and Firefox as your browser, then Firefox has an option to turn off “Hardware Acceleration.” This will fix your problem.

Go to tools-options-click on the advanced tab- and un-check “use hardware acceleration when available”, and your golden…