Windows 8 Some Windows 8.1 Things You Should Know (About)

There are some things w/in Windows 8.1 of which you may not be aware but, should be.

1. Bottom-Left Corner... There is now a Windows logo button on the Taskbar. This acts much the same as the Windows key on the keyboard. Hitting it will give the Start screen & one can toggle back & forth w/ it. (Rather than hitting Enter, clicking the Desktop Tile or hitting Win+D to return to Desktop.

2. Rt Clk this same Corner will pop up the "Power Users Menu". This should be a real focal point for you due to value to you of the items listed on it. One of which , now is, Shut Down or Sign Out options (Sign Out, Sleep, Shut Down & Restart)

3. This one is BIG! Rt Clk on Taskbar > Properties. There is now in this windows a (new) Tab called Navigation. Please, look @ the selections & choices available here. You can have the machine boot directly to Desktop. Can have direct things to the ALL Applications screen instead of Start. And you can have the Windows button bring up the ALL Applications whilst on Desktop & the Win key or the Win button will toggle back to Desktop... in effect making so you can go to ALL Apps whist on Desktop, select an application & go back to Desktop w/out having, actually, left Desktop.

4. Remember, you can control any number (now) of Active apps from the "Switcher Bar" @ the Top-Left corner.

If the above is combined w/ the use of the Desktop Toolbar using & navigation Windows 8.1 is very efficient, direct & easy. Rt Clk Taskbar > Toolbars to enable Desktop Toolbar. This, also, means the Desktop icons can be told not to show; no need to cover up pretty wallpapers.

Finally, enable the Links Toolbar. This is found @ the same place as the Desktop Toolbar. Links is the equivalent of the Favorites Bar contents. One can open the Favorites Bar, add to it, close it and then access its web sites from the Taskbar via Links... the browser does not even have to be open first.

Put all of the above together & any perceived need for 3rd Party start stuff is eliminated.

Cheers,
Drew

 

[davehc]

Before the query comes. A very good quick summary by Drew.
I should point out, in case anyone misunderstands or misreads, that the final option mentioned is for the "Links", is, as Drew says, for the Favorites bar in IE. It has no association with FF, if that is your most used browser. Further, if you have a customised Favorites folder menu, as in the top menu bar of IE, it does not show these, only the sub item "Links."

There is also, now, an extra row added to the modern screen, which is useful to those who have decided to adopt it, and just a little more flexibility in the size of the icons. Still no text on the smallest size, which I found disappointing.

A built in option , in the right click taskbar options, to go directly to the legacy desktop.

Show all Apps automatically, if that is your preference, rather than go to the cut down start,

Search can now search everywhere, instead of only the section you have selected. This brings it back to the more acceptable old standard.

If you are a mouse click and desktop users, you have the option to give the desktop features priority, in the modern start menu

In the Power menu, mentioned by Drew, there is a very useful inclusion (for me- anyway!) to select the command window as an Administrator.

 

[Drew]

Thank you, David. And, yes, Folks, Favorites & Favorites Bar are 2 different things. While the Favorites Bar shows as a (sub)folder under Favorites... Links does, indeed, only relate to the contents of the Favorites Bar. And, yes, this is a feature which is only available w/ IE. But that's ok w/ me, @ least, since IE11 is damn good & I must admit, I forget about the other browsers (1) cus I'm trying to help Folks w/ Windows 8.1 and ITS browser and (2) I am not using other browsers, currently.

These 2 things I did mention as parts of the Taskbar Properties Navigation tab...

A built in option , in the right click taskbar options, to go directly to the legacy desktop.

Show all Apps automatically, if that is your preference, rather than go to the cut down start,
Please note, you can, still, have the (ALL) Applications window on the Desktop Taskbar that I told y'all about it long ago. It is, still, my preference. But, anything that goes to ALL Apps instead of Start is cool. All Applications is basically like the old ALL Programs of Windows 7.

I had not mentioned how terrific Search now is in 8.1, which it is, because I was mostly trying to direct people to the Navigation tab of Taskbar Properties. and a few other things of which people may not know exist; stuff that makes using 8.1 very personalized & a joy to use.

As for CMD as Admin on the PUM that is not new to 8.1; was, also, in 8.0. What IS new to 8.1 is, again under the Nav tab of Taskbar Properties, that can be changed to Windows PowerShell, instead.

Cheers,
Drew

 

[davehc]

Sorry Drew. I was editing whilst you posted. I have added a little more.

 

[Drew]

Sorry Drew. I was editing whilst you posted. I have added a little more.

Ok & in that case, so have I

Cheers,
Drew

 

[davehc]

Oh. One other. When I first opened the Windows 8.1 Store, I was a little puzzled as to where I should go next. The navigation has changed. A right click will reveal all.

 

[davehc]

My latest 8.1 Start Menu. - Still under modification. I have even tried yet another trick - putting the old desktop games in.

To encourage the cynics. Now in my 7th week with Windows 8.1. It is now my principal Os and I have no visions of returning to Windows 7.

 

[Drew]

My latest 8.1 Start Menu. - Still under modification. I have even tried yet another trick - putting the old desktop games in.


View attachment 25621

To encourage the cynics. Now in my 7th week with Windows 8.1. It is now my principal Os and I have no visions of returning to Windows 7.

David, WOW, do I ever know what you mean, what you are saying!! As an IT Pro I have to work on pre-Windows 8.1 machines for clients... 7, Vista, XP. And there's my memory of my own use of prior Windows Systems. Sure makes me appreciate, enjoy & like Windows 8.1 even more. Couldn't pay me to go back to a pre-Windows 8.1 machine.

Oh and by the way, if you set 8.1 to point @ Applications instead of Start, everything is there (already) w/out organizing or arranging anything (Tiles).... no 'Tiles'

Cheers,
Drew

 

[davehc]

I am more than aware of that, but, NO way. That is the beauty of how I have arranged it. This is my START menu. the clutter is still there, and one click, but my daily used programs are facing me.
I still am totally bemused by the criticism of the modern screen.. Why should I have to jump through layers, as in the earlier start menus, when everything is two clicks away!

 

[Drew]

I am more than aware of that, but, NO way. That is the beauty of how I have arranged it. This is my START menu. the clutter is still there, and one click, but my daily used programs are facing me.
I still am totally bemused by the criticism of the modern screen.. Why should I have to jump through layers, as in the earlier start menus, when everything is two clicks away!

Yes, indeed, David. Have been trying to tell people for 2yrs 8 is easy, efficient, direct, less time consuming, less effort, less digging, fewer clicks. And you have pointed @ why (@ least some) people LIKE the Start in 8... Active, pretty, eye-catching, customizable, vivid & alive. But, straight-forward, too.

Quick anecdote...

My hardware/software supplier has a shop & does sales & service. I am much more familiar w/ Win8 than he. Couple days ago I built 3 new Win8.1 PCs for him. In the process I showed him lots of things so he would know to pass things on to his own customers. He was so impressed w/ Win8/8.1 for these same reasons... things being so much more @ ones fingertips, easy, quick & direct to access & find than ever in any prior Windows OS.

Yes, the criticism is hard to comprehend. The interesting thing is I have never heard any of it from anyone to whom I have sold or installed Windows 8/8.1

It seems most of it comes either from Folks going on bad hearsay or lacking any understanding of Windows 8 or those stubbornly refusing to being open to welcoming any understanding of it.

Cheers,
Drew

 

[uudesk]

thanks ,, good .

 

[Drew]

thanks ,, good .

Welcome.

Cheers,
Drew

 

[kemical]

My latest 8.1 Start Menu. - Still under modification. I have even tried yet another trick - putting the old desktop games in.


View attachment 25621

To encourage the cynics. Now in my 7th week with Windows 8.1. It is now my principal Os and I have no visions of returning to Windows 7.

Nice David..

Here's my current Start page:

Link Removed

 

[davehc]

Ok. Another POV.

It may be something to do with my set up, but, fwiw, I have found that using that weather map app, keeps it running permanently, and it does use resources. I have gone back to my local weather forecaster

 

[kemical]

Hmm.. if after using an app you place the cursor top pf the screen as you know you'll see it turn to a hand where you can then pull the screen down to effectively close it. With 8.1 however you have to pull down and then hold it for a couple of seconds. That turns the app off for sure..

Or are you meaning something entirely different?

 

[davehc]

No. Nothing different, but, when I look in the task manager, after closing, I see it still listed as running.

 

[Trouble]

I would expect that maintaining a Weather Live Tile on your start screen might, by virtue of the fact that it is "Live" and updating from time to time might require it to be "running"

 

[badrobot]

And that's how came up with a faster than fast Win 8... no more running apps in the background...

....

 

[kemical]

No. Nothing different, but, when I look in the task manager, after closing, I see it still listed as running.

Weird... Like you if I look in the task manager I don't see the weather app running unless it's been opened of course. This is regardless of whether it's a live tile (which it always is) or not.

 

[Drew]

Open browser windows will use a wee bit of CPU%, Skype will & Task Mgr will. The APPs you mention use a bit of RAM but not CPU. Opening them, having them 'live' on the Switcher Bar or not, makes no difference to CPU nor the amt of RAM usage. Only eliminating them as shown in the picture above will lessen that draw on RAM. Does it or will it affect performance much? Not really... not w/ the amt of RAM most of us have in machines these days. But, keeping them all off until & unless needed, certainly, can do no harm & can/will indeed help performance. This takes me back to something I have been saying since the onset of Win8. There is no (real) need for the Start screen or its (Active) Tiles; albeit people may find it all fun & funky. If one has the Start screen devoid of Tiles and instead keeps an Applications 'folder'/window on the Taskbar anything that would be or could be on Start is, still, readily available & accessible. OR (especially in Win8.1) go to the ALL Applications screen (Win+Q) and grab whatever you want, whenever from there. Point is, if it's not running on Start it's not drawing on RAM, all the time, instead of just whilst you CHOOSE to be having a particular item in use.

May be fun to look @ all that stuff humming along on Start but, necessary? Nope. Fire up only what you want (from ALL Apps) & let it sit on the Switcher Bar.

But, the difference made or realised is not great.

Cheers,
Drew