Windows 8 Tips Tricks and Secrets

8/12/2019 Windows 8 Tips Tricks and Secrets

1/22

60 Windows 8 tips tricks and secretsContents

60 Windows 8 tips tricks and secrets..................................................................................................... 1

1. Open from the lock screen .......................................................................................................... 2

2. Handle basic navigation .............................................................................................................. 2

3. Group apps .................................................................................................................................. 34. Use the quick access menu ......................................................................................................... 3

5. Find your applications ................................................................................................................. 4

6. Make access easier...................................................................................................................... 4

7. Shut down ................................................................................................................................... 5

8. Use the app bar ........................................................................................................................... 5

9. Launch apps from the desktop ................................................................................................... 5

10. See what's running .................................................................................................................... 5

11. Close an app .............................................................................................................................. 6

12. Hide the taskbar ........................................................................................................................ 6

13. Master Internet Explorer in Windows 8 ................................................................................... 7

14. Spell check ................................................................................................................................. 7

15. Run two apps side by side ......................................................................................................... 7

16. Run as Administrator ................................................................................................................ 8

17. Make a large app tile smaller .................................................................................................... 8

18. Uninstall easily .......................................................................................................................... 8

19. Customise app privacy .............................................................................................................. 8

20. Show administrative tools......................................................................................................... 9

21. Disable the lock screen ............................................................................................................. 9

22. Install anything ........................................................................................................................ 1023. Pin app contents to the Start screen ...................................................................................... 10

24. Log in automatically ................................................................................................................ 11

25. Use six apps at once ................................................................................................................ 11

26. Replace the Start menu........................................................................................................... 11

27. Learn Windows key shortcuts ................................................................................................. 12

28. Boot desktop apps faster ........................................................................................................ 12

29. Launch programs fast .............................................................................................................. 13

30. Take intelligent screengrabs ................................................................................................... 13

31. Default to Photo Viewer ......................................................................................................... 13

32. Tweak SmartScreen................................................................................................................. 14

33. Set up Windows 8 File History ................................................................................................ 14

34. Use VHD - enhanced ............................................................................................................... 14

35. Pool storage spaces ................................................................................................................. 15

36. Enable virtual machines .......................................................................................................... 15

37. Smart search ........................................................................................................................... 15

38. Set Start screen background ................................................................................................... 16

39. Schedule maintenance ............................................................................................................ 16

40. Restore the Windows "Updates are available" alert .............................................................. 16

41. Close apps easily ..................................................................................................................... 17

42. Set a picture password ............................................................................................................ 17

43. Hibernate or Sleep .................................................................................................................. 17

44. Simplify search ........................................................................................................................ 18

45. Save bandwidth ....................................................................................................................... 18


2/22

46. Touch keyboard....................................................................................................................... 18

47. Sync and privacy ...................................................................................................................... 18

48. Customise the Quick Access toolbar ....................................................................................... 18

49. Try the advanced menu options ............................................................................................. 19

50. Show all folders ....................................................................................................................... 19

51. Mount ISO files in Windows 8 ................................................................................................. 19

52. Open new file types ................................................................................................................ 19

53. Restart Explorer ...................................................................................................................... 19

54. Correct a VirtualBox error ....................................................................................................... 20

55. Fix it if Windows 8 apps won't launch .................................................................................... 20

56. Solve Store problems .............................................................................................................. 20

57. Fix performance problems ...................................................................................................... 21

58. Diagnose with Device Manager events ................................................................................... 21

59. Speed up chkdsk ..................................................................................................................... 21

60. Recover your system ............................................................................................................... 22

1. Open from the lock screen

Windows 8 coverage

Windows 8 opens on its lock screen, which looks pretty but unfortunately displays no clues about

what to do next.

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. Handle basic navigationWindows 8's interface is 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.


3/22

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. Group appsThe 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. Use the quick access menuRight-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. Download theWin+X Menu Editorand you'll be able to

further customise the list with programs of your own.
http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.30http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.30http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.30http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.30


4/22

5. Find your applicationsThe 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' toreveal 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. Make access easier

Get more

The

latest computing news and features from TechRadar

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'.
http://www.techradar.com/news/computinghttp://www.techradar.com/news/computinghttp://www.techradar.com/news/computinghttp://www.techradar.com/news/computinghttp://www.techradar.com/news/computing


5/22

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. Shut downTo 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.

8. Use the app barWindows 8 apps aim to be simpler than old-style Windows applets, which means it's goodbye to

menus, complex toolbars and many interface standards. There will usually be a few options available

on the App bar, though, so if you're unsure what to do then either right-click an empty part of the

screen, press Windows+Z or flick your finger up from the bottom of the screen to take a closer look.

9. Launch apps from the desktopWindows 8 doesn't provide any obvious way to launch apps straight from the desktop, but this is

actually surprisingly easy to set up.

Right-click on an empty part of your desktop, select New > Shortcut, and type Explorer

Shell:AppsFolder in the "Location" box. Click Next, enter a name - "All Programs", for instance - and

click Finish. Double-clicking that shortcut will open a folder listing all your installed programs, including

the apps, and you can launch whatever you like.

10. See what's running


6/22

If you launch a Windows 8 app, play with it for a while, then press the Windows key you'll switch back

to the Start screen. Your app will remaining running, but as there's no taskbar then you might be

wondering how you'd ever find that out.

You could just press Alt+Tab, which shows you what's running just as it always has.

Holding down the Windows key and pressing Tab displays a pane on the left-hand side of the screen

with your running apps. (To see this with the mouse, move your cursor to the top left corner of the

screen, wait until the thumbnail of one app appears, then drag down.)

And of course you can always press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to see all your running apps in the Task Manager,if you don't mind (or actually need) the extra technical detail.

11. Close an app

Buying Guide

20

best laptops in the world

Windows 8 apps don't have close buttons, but this isn't the issue you might think. Apps are

suspended when you switch to something else so they're only a very minimal drain on your system,

and if you need the system resources then they'll automatically be shut down. (Their context will be

saved, of course, so on relaunching they'll carry on where you left off.)

If you want to close down an app anyway, though, move the mouse cursor up to the top of the screen.

When it turns from the regular mouse pointer to the icon of a hand, hold down the left mouse button

and drag it down the screen. Your app should shrink to a thumbnail which you can drag off the screen

to close it.

If that's too much hassle, then simply pressing Alt+F4 still works.

And when all else fails then press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch Task Manager, right-click something in the

Apps list and select End Task. Beware, though, close something you shouldn't and it's easy to crashor lock up your PC.

12. Hide the taskbar
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/top-laptops-20-best-laptops-in-the-world-706673http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/top-laptops-20-best-laptops-in-the-world-706673http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/top-laptops-20-best-laptops-in-the-world-706673http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/top-laptops-20-best-laptops-in-the-world-706673http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/top-laptops-20-best-laptops-in-the-world-706673


7/22

If you run Windows 8 on a tablet then it makes sense to keep your taskbar on the left, where it takes

minimal space and is best placed for easy thumb access. Switch your tablet to portrait orientation,

though, and you'll suddenly find the taskbar grabs much more valuable screen real estate.

It doesn't have to be this way, however - not if you installSurface Taskbar Helper.This neat tool

enables you to set the taskbar to "auto hide" based on its current orientation, so for instance you can

always show it in landscape view, but hide it in portrait, which is a very flexible way to get the most out

of your display space.

13. Master Internet Explorer in Windows 8Click the Internet Explorer tile from the Start menu and you'll launch a full-screen version without

toolbars, menus or sidebars, which like so much of Windows 8 may leave you initially feeling lost.

Right-click an empty part of the page or flick your finger down from the top of the screen, though, and

you'll find options to create and switch between tabs, as well as a Refresh button, a 'Find' tool and the

ability to pin an Internet shortcut to the Start page. Click the spanner icon and select 'View on the

desktop' to open the full desktop version of Internet Explorer.

14. Spell checkWindows 8 apps all have spellcheck where relevant, which looks and works much as it does in

Microsoft Office. Make a mistake and a wavy red line will appear below the offending word; tap or

right-click this to see suggested alternative words, or add the word to your own dictionary if you

prefer.

15. Run two apps side by sideWindows 8 apps are what Microsoft calls "immersive" applications, which basically means they run

full-screen - but there is a way to view two at once. Swipe from the left and the last app you were
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/surface-taskbar-helper/http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/surface-taskbar-helper/http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/surface-taskbar-helper/http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/surface-taskbar-helper/


8/22

using will turn into a thumbnail; drop this and one app displays in a sidebar pane while your current

app takes the rest of the screen. And you can then swap these by swiping again.

16. Run as AdministratorSome programs need you to run them with Administrator rights before they'll work properly. The old

context menu isn't available for a pinned Start screen app, but right-click one, and if it's appropriate forthis app then you'll see a Run As Administrator option.

17. Make a large app tile smallerYou'll notice that some Windows 8 apps have small live tiles, while others have larger tiles that take

up the space of two tiles. Right-clicking on a Windows 8 app's Start screen tile will display a few

relevant options. If this is one of the larger tiles, choosing 'Smaller' will cut it down to half the size,

freeing up some valuable Start screen real estate.

18. Uninstall easilyIf you want to hide an unused app for now, select 'Unpin from Start'. The tile will disappear, but if you

change your mind then you can always add it again later. (Search for the app, right-click it, select 'Pin

to Start'.)

And, if you're sure you'll never want to use an app again, choose 'Uninstall' will remove it entirely.

Of course, if you like to try out lots of apps then uninstalling them one at a time can get a little tedious.

If that becomes a problem, giveWindows App Bossa try - it enables you to select multiple apps and

remove them all at once.

19. Customise app privacyIt is worth keeping in mind that by default Windows 8 apps can use your name, location and account

picture. If you're not happy with that, it's easily changed. Press Win+I, click More PC Settings, select

Privacy and click the relevant buttons to disable any details you'd rather not share.

The new Task Manager also includes a History feature that tracks the CPU time used by every

application. If you're wondering what someone's doing most of the time on their Windows 8 system,

launching Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and clicking the App History tab will give you an idea.
http://windowsappboss.codeplex.com/http://windowsappboss.codeplex.com/http://windowsappboss.codeplex.com/http://windowsappboss.codeplex.com/


9/22

But if you don't want someone doing the same to you, clicking App History > Delete Usage History will

clear all the figures.

20. Show administrative toolsExperienced Windows users who spend much of their time in one advanced applet or another are

often a little annoyed to see their favourite tools buried by Windows 8. Microsoft has paid at leastsome attention, though, and there is a way to bring some of them back.

Open the Charm bar by flicking your finger from the right-hand side of the screen and select 'Settings'

then 'Tiles'. Change 'Show administrative tools' to 'Yes' and click back on an empty part of the Start

screen. And it's as simple as that. Scroll to the right and you'll find a host of new tiles for various key

applets - Performance Monitor, Event Viewer, Task Scheduler, Resource Monitor and more - ready to

be accessed at a click.

21. Disable the lock screenIf you like your PC to boot just as fast as possible then the new Windows 8 lock screen may not

appeal. Don't worry, though, if you'd like to ditch this then it only takes a moment.

Launch REGEDIT, and browse to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization (create the

Personalization key if it doesn't exist).

Click Personalization in the left-hand pane. Right-click in the right-hand pane, select New > DWORD

Value, and give it the name NoLockScreen.

Double-click your new NoLockScreen value, set it to 1, click OK, and when you next reboot it the lock

screen will have gone. If you decide to restore it for some reason, set NoLockScreen to 0 or delete it

entirely.


10/22

22. Install anythingMost mobile platforms recommend you only install apps from approved sources to protect your

security, and Windows 8 is the same: it'll only allow you to install trusted (that is, digitally signed) apps

from the Windows store.

If this proves a problem, though, and you're willing to take the security risk (because this isn'tsomething to try unless you're entirely sure it's safe), then the system can be configured to run trusted

apps from any source.

It's all done via a single Registry key, too. Just launch REGEDIT and set the value of the

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Appx\AllowAllTrustedApps key to 1.

23. Pin app contents to the Start screenIt's easy to pin apps to the Start screen (right-click, select "Pin"), but you don't have to stop there.

Many apps also enable you to pin particular content for easy access later.

If you want more ideas for your upcoming holiday in Rome, for instance, you could open the Travel

app, right-click, select "Destinations" and choose the "Rome" tile. And then repeat those steps every

single time you revisit the page. Or, alternatively, right-click your preferred Destination tile, select

"Pin...", and you'll be able to access it directly from the Start screen.

Similarly, if you use the Mail app with multiple accounts then just open these, and you can right-click

to select separate live tiles for each one - much more useful.


11/22

24. Log in automatically

WARNING: Your account will lose admin privileges as a result of this step

Of course even if you remove the lock screen, you'll still be forced to manually log in every time your

system starts. This can also be resolved at speed, though, using much the same technique as in

previous versions of Windows.

Hold down the Windows key, press R, type 'netplwiz' and press Enter to launch the User Accountsdialog.

Clear the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" box and click OK.

Enter the user name and password of the account that you'd like to be logged in automatically, click

OK, restart your system and this time it should boot directly to the Start screen.

25. Use six apps at onceLaunch a Windows 8 app and it appears full-screen, which is fine on a small tablet but not so

impressive when you've got a 27-inch widescreen monitor to fill.

Toolbox for Windows 8 helps out, though, by bundling 12 common apps in a single package. You get

a Facebook client, browser, calculator, weather app, clock and more. And instead of always

appearing full-screen, you can run and interact with two, three, four, even six of these tools, all at thesame time.

26. Replace the Start menuIf Windows 8's search and navigation tools still leave you pining for the regular Start menu, installing

the freeClassic Shellwill replace it with something very similar.

Install it and you get the standard menu of your installed programs, for instance, along with Search

and Run boxes, the Recent Items menu, and Windows 7-type shutdown options. And it can make

Windows 8 boot directly to the desktop, too.

Classic Shell doesn't entirely ignore the modern UI world, though. A menu of installed apps enables

you to launch them from the desktop, and you can alternatively switch to the Start screen with a click.
http://www.classicshell.net/http://www.classicshell.net/http://www.classicshell.net/http://www.classicshell.net/


12/22

27. Learn Windows key shortcuts Win : switch between the Start screen and the last-running Windows 8 app Win + C : displays the Charms: the Settings, Devices, Share and Search options

Win + D : launches the desktop Win + E : launches Explorer Win + F : opens the File Search pane Win + H : opens the Share pane Win + I : opens Settings Win + K : opens the Devices pane Win + L : locks your PC Win + M : minimises the current Explorer or Internet Explorer window (works in the full-screen IE,

too)

Win + O : toggles device orientation lock on and off Win + P : switch your display to a second display or projector Win + Q : open the App Search pane Win + R : opens the Run box Win + U : open the Ease of Access Centre Win + V : cycle through toasts (notifications) Win + W : search your system settings (type POWER for links to all power-related options, say) Win + X : displays a text menu of useful Windows tools and applets Win + Z : displays the right-click context menu when in a full-screen app Win + + : launch Magnifier and zoom in Win + - : zoom out Win + , : Aero peek at the desktop

Win + Enter : launch Narrator Win + PgUp : move the current screen to the left-hand monitor Win + PgDn : move the current screen to the right-hand monitor Win + PrtSc : capture the current screen and save it to your Pictures folder Win + Tab : switch between running apps

28. Boot desktop apps fasterWhile you can still set up desktop apps to load when Windows 8 starts, they don't have the priority

they once did. Quite the opposite, in fact - Windows 8 delays their launch to ensure everything else

starts more quickly. This can make the system more responsive as your system boots, but if you're

switching straight to the desktop then it may slow you down, so it may be worth turning off the delay,

just to see if you can spot any improvement.

Launch REGEDIT and browse to

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize.

Create the Serialize key if it doesn't exist, and select it in the left-hand pane.


13/22

Right-click in the right-hand pane, create a new DWORD value called StartupDelayInMSec, and leave

it set at zero (or, if a value is already there, set it to zero).

Restart and the desktop apps will now launch more quickly. Try three or four test boots to see if

there's any improvement, and if not, delete the StartupDelayInMSec value to restore the default

settings.

29. Launch programs fast

What you need to know

Windows Phone 8

If you're a fan of keyboard shortcuts and don't like the idea of scrolling through app tiles to find the

program you need, don't worry, Windows 8 still supports a useful old shortcut. Which is perfect if, say,

you're looking to be able to shut down your PC with a click.

Launch the desktop app, right-click an empty part of the desktop and click New > Shortcut.

Browse to the application you'd like to launch here. Or for the sake of this example, entershutdown.exe -s -t 00

to shut down your PC, or

shutdown.exe -h -t 00

to hibernate it, and click Next. Type a shortcut name - 'Hibernate', say - and click Finish.

Right-click the shortcut, select Pin to Start and it should appear on the far right of the Start screen -

just drag the tile wherever you like.

30. Take intelligent screengrabsIf a Windows 8 application is showing something interesting and you'd like to record it for posterity,

then hold down the Windows key, press PrtSc, and the image won't just go to the clipboard: it'll also

be automatically saved to your My Pictures folder with the name Screenshot.png (and thenScreenshot(1).png, Screenshot(2).png and so on).

You might hope that pressing Win+Alt+PrtSc would similarly save an image of the active window, but

no, sadly not. Maybe next time.

31. Default to Photo Viewer
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/windows-phone-8-what-you-need-to-know-1065086http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/windows-phone-8-what-you-need-to-know-1065086http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/windows-phone-8-what-you-need-to-know-1065086


14/22

Double-click an image file within Explorer and it won't open in a Photo Viewer window any more, at

least not by default. Instead you'll be switched to the full-screen Windows 8 Photos app - bad news if

you thought you'd escaped such hassles by using the desktop.

If you'd like to fix this, go to Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs and select Set your default

programs.

Scroll down and click Windows Photo Viewer in the Programs list.

Finally, click 'Set this program as default' if you'd like the Viewer to open all the file types it can

handle, or select the 'Choose default' options if you prefer to specify which file types it should open.Click OK when you're done.

32. Tweak SmartScreenWindows 8 now uses Internet Explorer's SmartScreen system-wide, checking downloaded files to

ensure they're safe. This is a very good thing - areport by NSS Labsrevealed that IE10 blocks more

malware than any other browser - but if you have any problems then it can be tweaked.

Launch Control Panel, open the Action Centre applet, and click Change Windows SmartScreen

Settings in the left-hand pane. Here you can keep the warning, but avoid the requirement for

administrator approval, or turn SmartScreen off altogether. Make your choice and click OK to finish.

33. Set up Windows 8 File HistoryWindows 8 includes an excellent File History feature, which can regularly and automatically back up

your libraries, desktop, contacts and favourites to a second drive (even a USB flash drive - just

connect it, and choose 'Configure this drive for backup using File History' from the menu).

To set this up, go to Control Panel > System and Security > File History. Click Exclude Folders to help

define what you're saving, Advanced Settings to choose the backup frequency, Change Drive to

choose the backup destination, and Turn On to enable the feature with your settings.

And once it's been running for a while, you can check on the history for any file in Explorer by

selecting it, choosing the Home tab and clicking History.

34. Use VHD - enhanced
https://www.nsslabs.com/reports/2013-browser-security-comparative-analysis-socially-engineered-malwarehttps://www.nsslabs.com/reports/2013-browser-security-comparative-analysis-socially-engineered-malwarehttps://www.nsslabs.com/reports/2013-browser-security-comparative-analysis-socially-engineered-malwarehttps://www.nsslabs.com/reports/2013-browser-security-comparative-analysis-socially-engineered-malware


15/22

Windows 7 added support for creating and attaching virtual hard drives in Microsoft's VHD format.

Now Windows 8 extends this with the new VHDX format, which improves performance, extends the

maximum file size from 2 to 16TB, and makes the format "more resilient to power failure events" (so

they shouldn't get corrupted as easily). Launch the Computer Management Control Panel applet,

choose Disk Management, and click Actions > Create VHD to give the format a try.

35. Pool storage spacesIf you have multiple hard drives packed with data then you'll know that managing them can be a

hassle. But that's all about to change with a new Windows 8 feature, Storage Spaces.The idea is that you can take all your hard drives, whether connected via USB, SATA or SAS (Serial

Attached SCSI), and add them to a storage pool. And you can then create one or more spaces within

this pool, formatting and accessing them as a single drive, so you've only one drive letter to worry

about.

What's more, the technology can also maximise your performance by spreading files across multiple

drives (the system can then access each chunk simultaneously). There's an option to mirror your files,

too, so even if one disk fails your data remains safe. And if your Storage Space begins to fill up then

just plug in another drive, add it to the pool and you can carry on as before.

Yes, we know, this is just a consumer-friendly take on RAID. But there's nothing wrong with that, and

it looks promising. If you'd like to read up on the technical details then theofficial Windows 8

bloghas more, and you can then create and manage your drive pool from the new Control

Panel\System and Security 'Storage Spaces' applet.

36. Enable virtual machinesInstall Windows 8 and you also get Microsoft's Hyper-V, enabling you to create and run virtual

machines (as long as you're not running in a virtual machine already).

Launch OptionalFeatures.exe (press Windows Key and R and type it in to run), check Hyper-V and

click OK to enable the feature. Then switch back to the Start screen, scroll to the right, find and click

on the Hyper-V Manager tile to begin exploring its capabilities.

37. Smart searchWhen you're in the mood to track down new Windows 8 features relating to a particular topic, you

might be tempted to start by manually browsing Control Panel for interesting applets - but there is a

simpler way.

If you'd like to know what's new in the area of storage, say, just press Win+W to launch the Settings

Search dialog, type "drive", and the system will return a host of related options. That is, not just those

with "drive" in the name, but anything storage-related: BitLocker, Device Manager, backup tools, disk

cleanup, and interesting new features such as Storage Spaces.

This Search feature isn't new, of course, but it's easy to forget how useful this can be, especially when

you're trying to learn about a new operating system. So don't just carry out specific searches, use theApps search to look for general keywords such as "privacy" or "performance", and you just might

discover something new.
http://tinyurl.com/83ahtsphttp://tinyurl.com/83ahtsphttp://tinyurl.com/83ahtsphttp://tinyurl.com/83ahtsphttp://tinyurl.com/83ahtsphttp://tinyurl.com/83ahtsphttp://tinyurl.com/83ahtsp


16/22

38. Set Start screen backgroundIf you'd like to change your lock, user tile or start screen images then press Win + I, click 'Change PC

settings' and choose the Personalize option. Browse the various tabs and you'll be able to choosealternative images or backgrounds in a click or two.

And in theory you'll also be able to define apps that will display their status on the lock screen,

although the app must specifically support this before it'll be accessible from your Personalize

settings.

39. Schedule maintenanceWindows 8 can run common maintenance tasks - software updates, security scanning, system

diagnostics and more at a scheduled convenient time, which is good.Unfortunately it doesn't actually ask you what time is convenient, instead just setting it to 3am and

allowing the system to wake your computer (if hardware and circumstances permit) to do its work.

Which isn't so good.

To change this, launch Control Panel, click System and Security > Action Centre > Maintenance. You

can now click 'Start maintenance' to launch any outstanding tasks right now, while selecting 'Change

maintenance settings' enables you to choose a more convenient time, and optionally disable the

feature's ability to wake up your computer if that's not required.

40. Restore the Windows "Updates are available" alertIf you've set up Windows 8 to check for Windows updates but enable you to choose whether to

download and install them, then of course it's very important that the system tells you when updatesare available. And it does this - but only in the logon screen. The "Updates are available" system tray

icon has disappeared, so if you don't log off or restart your PC regularly then no matter how important

Microsoft's latest security patches might be, you won't hear about them.


17/22

As with many other Windows 8 issues, though, it's not taken long for other developers to fill the gap,

and there are now several free tools that can help. Install a copy of theWindows Update

Notification Toolor theWindows Update Notifierand the "Updates are available" alert will be

restored to your system tray.

41. Close apps easilyClosing a Windows 8 app can sometimes be awkward. You have to drag or swipe down from the verytop of the screen right to the very bottom - which might be quite some distance - and if you don't quite

swipe all the way, the window just reappears and you have to start again.

The solution? Get Windows to close the app without you having to travel quite so far. It works like this.

Launch REGEDIT, browse to

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell\Switcher, and

create new DWORD values called MouseCloseThreshold and TouchCloseThreshold.

These define how far mouse and touch users will have to drag the app before they can drop and

close it. Start by setting each value to the maximum 1000, reboot, and you'll find you can now drop

the window maybe only half way down the screen and still have it close correctly, which is much

quicker and easier.You may also be more likely to close apps accidentally, of course. If this happens, reduce the value of

the relevant Registry key a little (the minimum value is 1, setting it to 0 prevents that method of

closing at all), reboot and try again. Or delete the keys if you have problems with this and would like to

restore the default settings.

42. Set a picture passwordWindows 8 enables you to create a picture password, where you choose an image, then draw on it in

a combination of taps, lines and circles - only someone who can reproduce this pattern will be able to

log on. Select Win + I > More PC Settings > Users > Create a Picture Password to give this a try.

43. Hibernate or Sleep
http://www.quppa.net/wunotifyhttp://www.quppa.net/wunotifyhttp://www.quppa.net/wunotifyhttp://www.quppa.net/wunotifyhttp://wun.codeplex.com/http://wun.codeplex.com/http://wun.codeplex.com/http://www.quppa.net/wunotifyhttp://www.quppa.net/wunotifyhttp://www.quppa.net/wunotify


18/22

You won't necessarily see either Hibernate or Sleep in the Windows 8 shutdown dialogs, but if that's a

problem then you may be able to restore them.

Launch the Control Panel Power Options applet (powercfg.cpl) and click 'Choose what the power

buttons do' in the left-hand pane.

If you see a 'Change settings that are currently unavailable' link, then click it, and if Windows 8

detects that your PC supports Sleep and Hibernate options then they'll be displayed here. Check the

boxes next to whatever you'd like to use, click Save Changes, and the new options should now

appear in your shutdown dialogs.44. Simplify searchBy default Windows 8 includes every bundled app in its Search results. If you'll never want to use

some of these - the Store app, say - then select Win + I > Change PC Settings > > Search, choose

which apps you don't want included, and your search list will be more manageable in future.

45. Save bandwidthSet up lots of live tiles on the Start screen and you could find they're using a lot of network bandwidth,

which could perhaps become a problem if you're running a slow or metered connection. But Windows

8 does offer one option that might help.

Click your network connection on the taskbar (or the Start Screen Charms bar), right-click your

network connection in the list and select "Set as metered connection" (you'll only see this withwireless adaptors). Windows will then limit what individual live tiles can do, while also downloading

only priority Windows updates, and applying a few other restrictions. Right-click the connection again

and select "Set as unmetered" to change it back.

46. Touch keyboardBy default the Touch keyboard will try to help you out by, for instance, playing sounds as you type,

capitalising the first letter of each sentence, adding a period if you double-tap the spacebar, and

more. If any of this gets in your way, though, you can turn the relevant feature off: just go to Win + I >

Change PC Settings > General and customise the keyboard to suit your needs.

47. Sync and privacyOne very useful Windows 8 feature is its ability to synchronise your settings with other PCs and

devices. So if you've set up your newWindows Phonedevice with your contacts, email details and so

on, then use the same Live account on Windows 8 and it'll import them for you: very convenient.

Of course that may not always be a good idea. If several people use a device then you may not want

your website passwords to be synced, for instance. In which case you'll want to hold down the

Windows key and press I, then click Change PC Settings > Sync Your Settings and disable anything

you'd rather not share.

48. Customise the Quick Access toolbarWindows Explorer in Windows 8 features a Quick Access toolbar immediately above the menu,

providing easy access to options such as 'New Folder', 'Minimise', 'Undo' and more.

This is customisable, too - click the arrow to the right of the default buttons, in the Explorer window

caption bar, and choose whatever options you need. And you can include add any other ribbon option

on the Quick Access Toolbar by right-clicking it and selecting Add to Quick Access Toolbar.
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/windows-phone-8-what-you-need-to-know-1065086http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/windows-phone-8-what-you-need-to-know-1065086http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/windows-phone-8-what-you-need-to-know-1065086


19/22

49. Try the advanced menu optionsIf you need to run the command prompt as an Administrator then your instant reaction will probably be

to reach for the Start menu. Before becoming annoyed a microsecond later when you remember it's

no longer there.

It's good to see that Microsoft has provided a simple alternative, then - just click the File menu in

Explorer and click Open command prompt > Open command prompt as administrator.

And while you're there, make note of the other advanced new options also on that menu: you can

open a new window in a new process, open Explorer, and even delete your Recent Places andAddress Bar histories with a click.

50. Show all foldersThe default Windows 8 Explorer view doesn't show all the usual drives and folders - Control Panel,

Recycle Bin and so on - in the left-hand navigation pane. It certainly keeps the display simple, and if

you want to see all your drives then you can just click Computer, but if you prefer to see everything

upfront then it only takes a moment. Click View > Options, check 'Show all folders' and click OK.

51. Mount ISO files in Windows 8Need to take a closer look at an ISO file? Right-click it in Explorer, click Mount and you can view it asa virtual drive, launch the files it contains, or add more if you like.

52. Open new file typesIf you find a file type that none of your applications can handle, then right-click on the file in Windows

Explorer and choose Open With. You'll see a 'Look for an app in the Store' option, which enables

Windows 8 to use an automated search tool to find and highlight an app for you.

You can also click 'More Options' to see currently installed programs and apps that may be able to

open the file.

53. Restart Explorer


20/22

If Explorer locks up for some reason, then regaining control is now very easy. No need to close the

process any more: simply press Ctrl+Alt+Esc, select Explorer in the list, click Restart and Windows 8

will handle the rest.

54. Correct a VirtualBox errorThe safest way to sample Windows 8 is to install it on a VirtualBox virtual machine. It's fairly easy to

set up, there's no need to worry about partitioning or other issues, and if it doesn't work for whatever

reason (which is possible, it's a beta after all) then you'll have lost nothing but a little time.

After completing your installation, though, you might find your virtual Windows 8 complaining that"Your PC needs to be repaired". But despite telling you to "Press Enter to try again", or "Press F8 for

alternate boot options", neither option works.

Fortunately there's an easy answer. Close the Windows 8 window, select your virtual machine in

VirtualBox, click Settings > System > Processor and check the 'Enable PAE/NX' box. Click OK, restart

your virtual machine and this time it should launch properly.

55. Fix it if Windows 8 apps won't launchIf you click a Windows 8 app, and nothing else happens, display issues are often the cause. In

particular, Windows 8 apps don't currently support screen resolutions lower than 1024 x 768 (or 1366

x 768 when snapping), so increase your resolution if possible (launch the desktop, right-click, select

Screen Resolution).

Or if that's no help, try updating your video drivers.

56. Solve Store problemsInstalling or updating Windows 8 apps normally takes only a moment, but if your PC just can't do

either any more then there are several potential causes.

A corrupted Store cache is one of the more likely candidates, for instance, but fortunately Microsofthas provided a tool to help. Press Win+R, type wsreset and press Enter, and the Store cache will be

cleaned for you.

If Windows Update is broken or disabled then you'll also have app problems. Launch the Control

Panel Troubleshooting applet (press Win+W, type trouble, and click "Troubleshooting") and click "Fix

problems with Windows update" to detect and resolve any issues.

And if these don't help then it's time to try theofficial Store troubleshooter.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=268423http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=268423http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=268423http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=268423


21/22

57. Fix performance problemsIf your Windows 8 system seems sluggish, the revamped Task Manager may be able to offer some

clues. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to take a look.

Click 'More Details'. The simplified Processes tab then reveals what's currently using your CPU time,

RAM, hard drive and network bandwidth. (The more in-depth data available in previous Task Managerversions is now accessible via the Details tab.)

The Performance tab gives you a graphical view of resource use over the last few seconds, while the

App History dialog looks back over days or more to reveal which app is the most resource-hungry.

And is your boot time slow? Click the new Startup tab to see programs your system is launching when

Windows boots. The 'Startup impact' now shows how much of an effect each of these has on your

boot time; if you spot high impact programs you're sure you don't need, then right-clicking them and

selecting 'Disable' will ensure they're not loaded next time.

Powerful though all this is, if you can think of a reason to use the old Task Manager then it's still

accessible. Hold down the Windows key, press R, type TaskMGR and press Enter to launch it.

(Typing TM will launch the new version.)

58. Diagnose with Device Manager events

If you've got a driver or hardware-related problem with Windows 8, launch Device Manager, browse tothe relevant device, right-click it, select Properties and click the new Events tab. If Windows has

installed drivers, related services or carried out other important actions on this device then you'll now

see them here, which is very useful when troubleshooting.

59. Speed up chkdsk


22/22

If you suspect your Windows 8 system may have a corrupted hard drive, then you might be tempted

to use the old chkdsk /f command. This does still work, but it's horribly slow, and won't do anything at

all until you reboot. What's more, it may no longer be necessary now.

Windows 8 now regularly runs chkdsk in the background, looking for problems, and recording them.

And then, when run at boot time, it doesn't have to scan every single sector of your hard drive. It just

fixes the known problems, usually in a few seconds.

The first lesson here is that you probably won't have to use chkdsk any more.

But if you want to try it anyway, don't use chkdsk /f first. Enter chkdsk /spotfix instead, agree to run acheck when you next reboot, then restart your PC and any fixes will be applied, much more quickly.

While this works most of the time, there are no guarantees. If you're out of other options then you can

still try chkdsk /f later.

60. Recover your systemWindows 8 has performed well for us, but if you find it won't boot at some point then you now have to

press Shift+F8 during the launch process to access its recovery tools.

Access the Troubleshoot menu, then Advanced Options, and you'll be able to try the Automatic

Repair tool, which may fix your problems. No luck? The same menu enables you to use the last

System Restore point, tweak key Windows Startup settings, and even open a command prompt if

you'd like to troubleshoot your system manually.

If that all seems like too much hassle then the Troubleshoot menu's option to 'Refresh your PC' may

be preferable, because it essentially reinstalls Windows 8 but keeps your files, and will fix many

issues.

But if it doesn't then there's always the more drastic 'Reset your PC' option, which removes all your

files and installs a fresh new copy of Windows 8.

You don't have to access these features from the boot menu, of course. If Windows 8 starts but

seems very unstable, then open the new Recovery applet in Control Panel for easy access to the

Refresh, Reset and other disaster recovery features.

Documents

Windows 8 Tips Tricks and Secrets