Windows 8 Top 10 Essential Tips

1 - Restore the Start menu

Windows 8 has no Start menu. There are two different solutions to recover.

- Start8 Stardock is clearly the best solution on the market. But beware, it is now paid (less than € 5). This tool allows you to find the traditional Start menu with an additional option to recall the touch home screen. It also allows the PC to boot directly to the desktop.

-  StartMenu8 of IOBit is free. However, it is still in beta. It can also force Windows 8 to boot directly to the desktop rather than the home screen.

2 - Simplify access to the control panel

The Control panel and its functions are essential everyday for many users. This is one of the menu options in Start the most clicked on Windows 7. Except on Windows 8, there is more Start menu.

There are two ways to approach the problem. The first is to remember that all panel functions are indexed and therefore accessible by search. Use the combination [Windows] [W] . Practical option to find lost as Backup Windows version 7.
The second is to pin the Control Panel on the desktop and use its Jumplist (by clicking the right mouse button). Press [Windows] [X] to display the Advanced menu, click Control Panel, click the right button and select Pin this program to taskbar .

3 - Place the key elements on the home screen

The feeling of  the "great unknown" that provides the home screen is partly related to the fact that no reference to the world of Office is present by default in the home screen, except for the tile office. However, it is possible to pin to the home screen as well as the control panel , the element computer , the element library and any folder or file.

Open Explorer ( [Windows] [E] ). In the left pane, click Desktop . Then right-click on each icon you want and select Pin to the home screen .

4 - Find a normal behavior of the desktop for photos, videos and PDF

In Windows 8, the display of photos and PDF as well as music and videos are in the new tactile universe. If you want to stay on the desktop for all these tasks, simply reconfigure the default software.
Advanced call via the hotkey menu [Windows] [X] and select Control Panel . Click Programs and then click Choose Default Program. Select Windows Media Player and click 'Set this program as default'. Do the same with Windows Photo Viewer and Adobe Reader .

Note that the same applies to e-mail and calendar if you prefer to install Windows Live Essentials and use these versions rather than their conventional equivalents.

5 - Search only in the desktop

Internet Explorer 10 tactile version incorporates a rewamp to allow tactile recognition and Flash Player. It is therefore not compatible with all sites. Rather than allowing the user to enable or disable this player, IE10 uses a list of "compatible" sites managed by Microsoft. So, today it's better to surf the web from the desktop to not encounter any incompatibility. Fortunately, Microsoft has provided a way to give priority to IE10 Classic.

Start by running IE10 on the desktop: Press [Windows] [R], type iexplore and press [Enter]. Pin IE10 on the taskbar. In the menu, click Tools in Internet Options, then on the tab Programs and deploy the menu.

Choose how to open links . Select Always in Internet Explorer on the desktop . Check the box Open Internet Explorer thumbnails on the desktop.

6 - Tiles to turn off and restart the PC

It takes at least three clicks to turn off your PC! All because Microsoft think we use the button on the PC or tablet to put it to sleep. We propose another solution: install tiles "Shutdown" and "Restart" on the home screen of the new interface.

Just download a small script Win8 icons POWEROFF , then double click to run it.

7 - Access to the entire contents of Store

The Store shows only a few hundred Windows apps while there are thousands. It's normal. By default, Windows Store displays only the programs that are in the languages ​​installed on your system (remember that Windows 8 can switch in different languages). In other words, a French type PC, Windows Store displays only apps available in French.

You open the doors of the International: Launch Windows Store , call talisman Settings ( [Windows] [I] ), go to Preferences and turn off the switch Simplify the search for applications in my favorite languages​​.

8 - Remove the lock screen

Windows 8 has a lock screen like smartphones , which makes sense on a tablet or a Windows phone, but does not have much interest in a desktop PC. We can happily skip this step.

Press [Windows] [R] , type gpedit.msc in the search field and press [Enter] .
Once launched, the policy editor, expand Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Control Panel,  then Personalization . Double-click on the line.  Enable 'Do not display the lock screen'. Confirm with OK . Restart your PC.

9 - Place Windows 8 Apps on the desktop

Microsoft has decided that priority would be given to the new tactile universe. But we can well imagine another scenario. Prioritize Office and use only the new environment for a few Apps that amuses me. For now, there is no simple solution to implement to place on the desktop shortcuts to apps. But here's an option for most hackers.

At first, download the small utility MetroApp Link to Pasqui. It will automatically create icons for the main Microsoft Apps (Contacts, Mail, Music, Games, etc..). To create icons for other apps installed on your PC, copy-paste one of the icons generated by the software. Then edit its properties and change the "Target" line to replace the number that starts with "AppX" by the number of the app you want to point to. You can find this number by doing a search on his name in the Registry of Windows (regedit).

10 - No icons! Tiles please!

Windows Store will be filled with Apps, the more we spend time in the new tactile universe. And you would be wrong to denigrate the power of seduction induced fluidity and simplicity of this interface. Ultimately, it probably will eventually seduce you and convince you.

However, as we will always continue to use the desktop to access MS Office and our other favorite software. One of the concerns of the Start, further evidence of the lack of integration of both worlds screen is that the desktop software does not appear in the form of tiles, but vulgar icons. It is visually quite shocking on the Home screen. Again, a small tool comes to save the situation. OblyTile of Argony-OT can create real tiles to your favorite office software.

And there you have it. I hope you found this article very useful.