Hell hath no fury like a Windows power user scorned, as Microsoft learned when it introduced big changes to file management in Windows 8. Now, the company is responding to the feedback by tweaking or walking away from some of the changes it planned to make.

The most contentious issue was the “Ribbon,” a set of contextual options that will appear at the top of Explorer in Windows 8. Microsoft had argued that the Ribbon's big buttons are necessary for tablet users, and for exposing features that would otherwise be hidden behind menus, but power users weren't pleased with the clutter.

In response, Microsoft will minimize the Explorer Ribbon by default in Windows 8. Also, people who still use the Ribbon will see pop-up keyboard shortcuts next to each button, so they can eventually wean themselves off of pointing and clicking. Microsoft says that by minimizing the Ribbon, it is "reducing distractions and trusting users to discover functionality on their own."

That's not the only change Microsoft is making. From Windows Explorer, users will be able to pin shortcuts and executables to the new Metro-style Start screen. This change will come in handy for applications or file folders that don't automatically add themselves to Start.

Full story: PC World