Windows 8: Useful Tips and Tricks

As Windows 8 is spreading curiosity among users and even the common user has cautiously begin to use Windows 8 Consumer Preview edition, it is imperative that we present a few tips to make Windows 8 experience even more pleasant for new users. So, here we are, ready with a bunch of cool tips which not only speed up a few things that you do on Windows 8 but also solve a few questions that could be nagging your mind. Go on and try these!

• Use arrow keys to select among tiles
• Use escape key to close Start screen
• Just begin to type the name of the application you want to launch –Windows 8 will search for it. For example, on Start screen, you can type “notepad” and Windows will show you the icon of Notepad that you can click on to launch Notepad
• Use Home and End keys to go from one end of the tiles to the other end

• Win + I opens charms bar
• Win + D takes you to desktop
• Win + R opens Run box
• Win + C opens “start menu” of Windows 8
• Win + Q opens application search
• Win + W opens settings search
• Win + F opens files search
• Win + L locks computer

• You can use Windows key on your keyboard to bring up the Start screen.
• In order to lift the pretty picture on lock screen –you can either press space bar, drag it upward with your mouse or spin the wheel on your wheel-mouse
• You can pin the frequently used application in the Start screen tiles. Just search for the application and right click on it to get the options
• If you want even quicker access to certain apps –pin them down on your taskbar.
• To see what all applications are running; just press Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Task Manager. You can use this key combination to shut down your computer
• If you don’t want lock screen to appear before password entry –do the following:
  • Press Win + R to bring Run box up
  • Run GPEdit.msc (the Local Group Policy Editor)
  • Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization
  • Double-click “Do not display the lock screen”, select Enabled and click OK
  • Restart computer

I hope with these tips you will be able to use Windows 8 operating system more easily. It’s a new interface which may required a bit of getting used to, but soon you’ll begin to like it, as I have! Please let me know if you have any questions.