Maximum PC

So I downloaded & installed the newest preview - "Release Preview" (released May 31st) expecting things to be a little better than the previous "Customer Preview" release launched in February. I mean really, how can you possibly get worse than the Customer Preview version

Well Microsoft found a way. Gone is the best part of the Customer Preview (CP from here on out), Pinball FX-2 In it's place is instability. Despite all my miss-givings from CP, I never had a lick of trouble stability wise. Sure I changed settings that caused instability in it, but it was stuff I did, not the Windows build itself.

I've had a bunch of stability problems with Release Preview (RP from here on out) & there have already been critical patches released to address some of these problems. Some drivers that worked just fine in CP won't install in RP without installing under Windows 7 compatibility mode, & even then they don't work right.

Programs as well... I installed the PowerDVD Suite that came with my Blu-Ray Burner. It worked flawlessly in CP with just the standard install. However in the RP I cannot watch a Blu-Ray movie. The "loading Blu-Ray" message gets to about 70% then I get a message about PowerDVD being at risk & it stops loading. After failing to get any Blu-Ray disc's to play, I put the Dark Knight DVD in the drive just so I could watch a freakin movie & the computer locked up for about 5 minutes then rebooted.

At this rate, I don't see how Microsoft can possibly make their internal RTM deadline.

IMO, Microsoft has flung the doors wide open for someone else to waltz in & steal a big chunk their desktop OS market share.

EDIT: New Discovery... With Apple iPad connected via USB, Computer fails to boot into Windows 8 RP.

Honestly, at this rate, I don't see how they can have Windows 8 on store shelves before the end of the year & even if they did, there's no way on Earth I'd be touching it till after SP1 is released. Windows 7 64bit drivers that worked just fine with Windows 8 Customer Preview just aren't working with Windows 8 Release Preview, motherboard drivers at that, specifically AHCI & RAID drivers. 3 reinstalls later & I've happily given up on Windows 8, and am back on Windows 7 Pro.

So far the instability seems to be 100% within Windows 8 Release Preview as evidenced by the fact that both Windows 7 Pro & Windows 8 Customer Preview provide better performance and do not randomly fail to read the RAID-0 at boot.

I used it for a few days but didn't think about viewing a movie. If I did I would just let windows do it. It seemed to work OK after I got over the shock of not knowing what to do with it. I had to ask for help just to shut it down. I will not be buying it. I wouldn't even steal it.

This is going to sound wrong, but I am so happy to hear you are having problems!

I just built a new computer so I could test Win8 and it is constantly crashing. And like you, I set up a RAID 0 and half the time it automatically reboots it can't read the RAID drive. I was worried it was one of my components (or possibly the RAID); I was actually getting ready to post a question to the forum when I saw yours and thought I'd read it.

Luckily, I do have a Win7 OS to install, so I guess that's the next step.

Sorry (and happy too) to hear about your issues.

Well, at least it's not just me

If it was still available, I'd say to give the Customer Preview version a try, but Microsoft took it down when the put Release Preview up.