Once you sign-in to Windows 8 you are greeted by the new 'Metro' Start
screen with its tiles. While this radically new display is designed for tablets, it's easy
to switch to the familiar Windows desktop layout. Either simply press
the Windows key, or else seek out the 'Desktop' tile.
In the Consumer Preview edition the registry hack
RPEnabled, which booted
Windows 8 into the legacy desktop, no longer works.
The work-around is to create a shortcut to the desktop in your startup
folder.
C: \Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\ Microsoft\Windows\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup Note 1: In Explorer's View
menu, click Hidden items, otherwise you won't see AppData.
Create a new shortcut to Explorer.
Sign Out --> Sign In.
Count to 15! The Metro UI changes to the Windows 8 Desktop. Note 2: Boot to the desktop works better if you combine
with AutoAdminLogon.
Plan B - Modify the Shell Using Regedit
It is possible to modify the Shell setting in the registry.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Shell: explorer.exe Explorer /e, /root, Libraries
While this does side-step the Metro UI, the resulting explorer was not
ideal. I am yet to get it to display the desktop and Taskbar.
Windows 8 - The Lost Start Orb
The hot debate in Windows 8 is the disappearance of the Start Orb.
People's reactions are polarised, those with a tablet form-factor accept the
whole Metro UI as one big start menu. While many of those with a
mouse prefer to work from the desktop as they did in Windows 7 and XP.
Do remember that the Metro UI is new technology, and knowing
Microsoft, it will evolve rapidly. The battlefield is how to reconcile
touch screens functionality with those wanting a desktop workhorse.
If
you navigate to the desktop - pressing WinKey is a good way - then it's
possible to access a special 'Start' button.
Amazingly, if you
carefully right-click this icon then you get a whole menu of Windows 8
settings, which is reminiscent of the Windows 7 Start menu. See
screenshot lower left.
There is a knack to accessing this menu. You have to hover the
mouse over the lower left corner, it's on the very lower edge of the screen.
One more surprise, it's possible to customise the list. Navigate
to: C:\ Users Select: YourAccount\AppData\ Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX
You should now see three sub-folders called Group 1, 2 and 3. This
is where you can inspect the listed items, and with care, customize the menu
by pruning the shortcuts. I am still trying to figure out a way of creating new shortcuts for other executables. When you have finished
tweaking the items remember to Sign out - Sign in before your changes take
effect.
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To
see this effect, and learn how to cycle through all the Apps that you have
opened, try this:
Open two or three Apps
Push the mouse at the top right corner. Key point. It's
really difficult the first time. Try different speeds, and try
right in the corner, try 20 pixels in from the corner.
Look for a thumbnail of one of the open Apps
Click in the thumbnail, you should be able to cycle through all your
open Apps.
The screenshot (above right) shows regedit open, and a thumbnail of a
weather App; OK, confession, I enlarged the thumbnail so that you could see
it more easily.
There are two ways to access the 5 icons
that comprise the Windows 8
'Charms', either press WinKey +c, alternatively, swipe downwards over the bottom right
corner of your screen. See arrow to the right. Actually the
Charms remind me of Vista's Gadget Sidebar, but less intrusive.
The good news is that this overlay containing Search, Share, Start,
Devices and Settings is available from both the Metro and the Desktop view. It
seems that position of the Charms has now settled on the right edge, whereas it was
at bottom left in the Developer Preview.
One job for the Charms is to access the Control Panel, while another
purpose is to use this sidebar to configure the settings of individual Apps.
Incidentally, I realized the Charms was important when I saw a program to
change its icons.
Show Desktop Button
The Show Desktop button is hidden in Windows 8. However, hovering over
where this button was visible in Windows 7 will minimise all open windows,
and thus display the desktop and any shortcuts.
SolarWinds Firewall Browser
Here is an utility where you can review firewall settings such as
access control lists (ACL), or troubleshoot problems with network
address translation (NAT).
Other reasons to download this SolarWinds Firewall Browser include
managing requests to change your firewall settings, testing firewall
rules before you go live, and querying settings with the browser's
powerful search options.
The key to viewing jump lists is to right-click a program pinned to the
taskbar. Alternatively, on a tablet computer drag the icon upward with
your finger.
In addition to recently opened files, you can pin files to the Jump List.
Social media websites also program the jump lists to provide links to
commonly used parts of their site.
For those with a mouse, Windows 8 has an alternative to the Metro UI,
namely a Windows 7-like Desktop. Furthermore, it's possible to access
many of the system management settings via its 'Start' button.
If you like this page then please share it with your friends
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