Windows 8 Tips and Tricks
https://www.computersprofessor.com/2017/06/windows-8-tips-and-tricks.html?m=0
Update
to Windows 8.1
Microsoft
has released Windows 8.1, which is a free upgrade for anyone running Windows 8.
This update addresses many of the problems users have had with Windows 8 and
also adds a Start button. Visit Microsoft's
Windows 8.1 page for the update.
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 helps 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 opens
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 screenshot,
which is automatically saved into your My Pictures folder.
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 allows you to access the Start screen.
If you're in the Start screen and have the Desktop open, this corner opens the
Desktop from the Start screen.
Tip: Right-clicking in the left hand corner opens the power user menu.
Top-left corner of the screen
Moving
the mouse to the top-left corner and then down displays 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. 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 want 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
makes 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
picture below, 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: 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
changes include a total percent usage of your Processes, improved Performance
graphs, a Startup tab to see startup processes, and the App history tab (as
shown below) for total resources an app. 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.
1.
Open the Windows Charms.
2.
Click Settings and
then More PC settings
3.
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 gives you PDF support right out
of the box.
SkyDrive
The SkyDrive app
gives you access to the Microsoft cloud service for storing photos, documents,
and other files in a cloud and
access or share those files easier.
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.