Windows 8
has been with us for over half a year now, and if you're used to
previous versions of Windows then you're going to notice that quite a
bit has changed. In fact, Windows 8 has seen the biggest change since
the jump from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95.
Out goes the Start menu,
in comes the new touch-oriented Start screen with new Windows 8-style
apps and new interface conventions. Even experienced PC users may be
left feeling a little lost.
Windows 8: what you'll need to relearn
Don't
despair, though, help is at hand. We've poked around every part of
Windows 8, uncovering many of its most important tips and tricks, so
read our guide and you'll soon be equipped to get the most out of
Microsoft's latest release.
1. Lock screen
Windows 8 opens on its lock screen, which looks pretty but unfortunately displays no clues about what to do next.
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It's
all very straightforward, though. Just tap the space bar, spin the
mouse wheel or swipe upwards on a touch screen to reveal a regular login
screen with the user name you created during installation. Enter your
password to begin.
2. Basic navigation
Windows 8 launches
with its new interface, all colourful tiles and touch-friendly apps. And
if you're using a tablet then it'll all be very straightforward: just
swipe left or right to scroll the screen, and tap any tile of interest.
On a regular desktop, though, you might alternatively spin the mouse wheel to scroll backwards and forwards.
And
you can also use the keyboard. Press the Home or End keys to jump from
one end of your Start screen to the other, for instance, then use the
cursor keys to select a particular tile, tapping Enter to select it.
Press the Windows key to return to the Start screen; right-click (or
swipe down on) apps you don't need and select Unpin to remove them; and
drag and drop the other tiles around to organise them as you like.
3. App groups
The
Start screen apps are initially displayed in a fairly random order, but
if you'd prefer a more organised life then it's easy to sort them into
custom groups.
You might drag People, Mail, Messaging and Calendar
over to the left-hand side, for instance, to form a separate 'People'
group. Click the 'minus' icon in the bottom right corner of the screen
to zoom out and you'll now find you can drag and drop the new group (or
any of the others) around as a block.
Right-click within the block
(while still zoomed out) and you'll also be able to give the group a
name, which - if you go on to add another 20 or 30 apps to your Start
screen - will make it much easier to find the tools you need.
4. Quick access menu
Right-click
in the bottom left corner (or hold down the Windows key and press X)
for a text-based menu that provides easy access to lots of useful
applets and features: Device Manager, Control Panel, Explorer, the
Search dialog and more.
5. Find your applications
The
Win+X menu is useful, but no substitute for the old Start menu as it
doesn't provide access to your applications. To find this, hold down the
Windows key and press Q or either right-click an empty part of the
Start screen or swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen and
select 'All Apps' to reveal a scrolling list of all your installed
applications. Browse the various tiles to find what you need and click
the relevant app to launch it.
6. Easy access
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If
there's an application you use all the time then you don't have to
access it via the search system. Pin it to the Start screen and it'll be
available at a click.
Start by typing part of the name of your
application. To access Control Panel, for instance, type 'Control'.
Right-click the 'Control Panel' tile on the Apps Search screen, and
click 'Pin to Start'. If you're using a touchscreen, press and hold the
icon, then flick down and select 'Pin to Start'.
Now press the
Windows key, scroll to the right and you'll see the Control Panel tile
at the far end. Drag and drop this over to the left somewhere if you'd
like it more easily accessible, then click the tile to open the desktop
along with the Control Panel window, and press the Windows key to return
you to the Start screen when you're done.
7. Shutting down
To
shut Windows 8 down, just move the mouse cursor to the bottom right
corner of the screen, click the Settings icon - or just hold down the
Windows key and press I - and you'll see a power button. Click this and
choose 'Shut Down' or 'Restart'.
Some of the tricks available in
previous versions of Windows still apply. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, for
instance, click the power button in the bottom right-hand corner and
you'll be presented with the same 'Shut Down' and 'Restart' options.
And
if you're on the desktop, press Alt+F4 and you'll be able to choose
'Shut Down', 'Restart', 'Sign Out' or 'Switch User' options.
Customize your 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.
Use your mouse wheel to scroll left-to-right through your
tiles.
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.
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.
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.
Know the answers to common questions
Windows 8 is the biggest change to Microsoft Windows since the
introduction of Windows 95, which was released all the way back
in 1995. Since so many people
have grown up with Windows, it can be difficult to transition to
a new way of doing things. Below, is a short list of the most
common questions previous Windows users will have.
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where they are located, and what is listed.
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