Customize your
tiles :
Windows 8 tiles Make the most of your Windows Start screen
tiles by adjusting the sizes, where they are located, and what is listed.
Move any tile by clicking and dragging the tile. While
moving a tile, if you need a larger view of the Start screen move the tile
towards the top or bottom of the screen to zoom out.
Any Desktop shortcut or program can be pinned to the Start
screen by right-clicking the icon and choosing Pin to Start.
In the bottom right-hand corner of the start screen is a
magnifying glass with tiles, click this icon to get a zoomed out view of your
Start screen. In this view, if you right-click on a group of tiles you'll be
given the option to name group, which can be useful if you have a group of
related tiles (e.g. games). In this view, you can also click and drag a group
to organize your tile groups.
Create a new speed bump between tile groups by moving a tile
to a speed bump.
Resize any User tile or Live tile by right-clicking the tile
and choosing resize.
If there is a tile you want on your Taskbar, right-click the
tile and choose Pin to taskbar.
Show admin applications on the Start screen by clicking
Settings in Charms, click Settings, and change the Show administrative tools
from No to Yes.
In Internet Explorer 10, you can also pin any of your
favorite web pages to your Start Screen.
Windows 8 keyboard
shortcuts :
Knowing at least some of the Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts
will make your Windows 8 experience much more enjoyable. Try to memorize these
top Windows 8 shortcut keys.
Press the Windows key to open the Start screen or switch to
the Desktop (if open).
Press the Windows key + D will open the Windows Desktop.
Press the Windows key + . to pin and unpin, Windows apps on
the side of the screen.
Press the Windows key + X to open the power user menu, which
gives you access to many of the features most power users would want (e.g.
Device Manager and Command Prompt).
Press the Windows key + C to open the Charms.
Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings, which is the
same Settings found in Charms.
Press and hold the Windows key + Tab to show open apps.
Press the Windows key + Print screen to create a screen
shot, which is automatically saved into your My Pictures folder.
See our Windows shortcuts page for a full listing of all
Windows shortcuts.
Know your hot
corners :
The corners on your screen are hot corners and give you
access to different Windows features. Below, is a brief explanation of each of
these corners.
Bottom Left-hand corner
The bottom left-hand hot corner of the screen will allow you
to access the Start screen, if you're in the Start screen and have the Desktop
open, this corner will open the Desktop from the Start screen.
Tip: Right-clicking in the left hand corner will open the
power user menu.
Top-left corner of the screen
Moving the mouse to the top-left corner and then down will
display all the apps running on the computer. Clicking and dragging any of
these apps to the left or right-hand side of the screen will snap that app to
that side of the screen. Each of these open app icons can also be right-clicked
to close or snap.
Right-hand side of the screen
On the full right-hand side of the screen will be given
access to the Windows Charms.
Taking advantage
of search :
The Search in Windows 8 has been significantly improved when
compared to all previous versions of Windows. To search for a file or run a
program in Windows 8 from the Start screen just start typing what you're trying
to find or want to run.
As you begin typing, the results will start appearing on the
left-hand side. In addition to being able to search for files and run programs,
the Search also supports limiting the search to apps such as Finance, People,
Maps, Photos, Mail, Music, Videos, Weather, and much more. If what you are
searching for is not a file or program, click on the app you wish to use as the
search. For example, if you were searching for "New York" and
selected the Weather App you would be shown the weather in New York, NY.
By default, Search organizes the available Apps by how
frequently they are used and then in alphabetical order. If you want to keep
your favorite app at the top of the Search list, right-click the app and choose
Pin. Pinning the app will lock it in place regardless of how often it is used.
If there is an app you don't want (e.g. Finance) you can turn on and off any of
the search apps through the PC settings, which is found under the Settings in
the Charms.
Bonus tip: The Search is also found through Charms and can
also be opened by pressing Windows key + F.
Running two apps
side by side :
Any app can be pinned to the left or right-hand side of the
screen. For example, open the People app and then press the Windows Key + .
(period) to move that app to the right-hand side of the screen, pressing the
same keys again will move it to the left-hand side, and pressing the same keys
again will make it full screen. While an app is pinned, any other app or
program can be opened and loaded into the available space on the screen. For
example, in the below picture, we've opened a browser window and have the
People app running to monitor our social networks.
Any open app can also be pinned using your mouse by clicking
at the top of the tile and dragging it to the left or right-hand side of the
screen.
Bonus tip: The Desktop can also be pinned to the left or
right-hand side of the screen.
Note: In order for snap to work properly your resolution
must be at least 1,366 x 768.
Windows 8 Task
Manager :
The Windows 8 Task Manager has been significantly improved
over previous versions of Windows. Some of the new changes include showing a
total percent usage at the top of your Processes, which makes it easier to
determine total memory and CPU usage, improved Performance graphs, a Startup
tab to see startup processes and their impact to system performance, and the
App history tab (as shown below) that gives you the total resources an app has
used over a period of time. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to start exploring the new
Task Manager.
Use a picture
password to log into your computer :
Windows 8 includes a new feature called Picture password,
which allows you to authenticate with the computer using a series of gestures
that include circles, straight lines, and taps. Enable this feature if you want
a new way to access your computer or have a hard time with passwords.
Open the Windows Charms.
Click Settings and then More PC settings
In the PC settings window click Users and then select Create
a picture password
Bonus tip: A four digit pin password can also be created and
used to access your computer.
Take advantage of
Windows 8 apps :
Windows 8 comes included with several apps to help you get
the most from your computer. Below are just a few of the included apps.
People
Microsoft touts the People feature in Windows 8 because they
understand how many people are using social networks today. In the People
feature you'll be able to connect your Windows computer to all the major social
networks including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Once connected, you can pin
the people app and monitor your social network (as shown below), use People in
Search to find people, and get an overview of what is happening in all your
social networks.
Windows 8 People - Reader
The Reader app will give you PDF support right out of the
box.
SkyDrive
The SkyDrive app will give you access to the Microsoft cloud
service SkyDrive, which allows you to store your photos, documents, and other
files in the cloud and access or share those files with any computer with
Internet access.
Store
Take advantage of the Windows Store and install one or more
of the thousands of available apps designed for Windows 8. The Store is found
in the Start screen, or use Search to search the Store app for any apps that
you are trying to find.
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