Windows 8 PC Settings

Windows 8 PC Settings

Windows 8's PC Settings are like a special subset of User items you would find in Microsoft's familiar Control Panel.  To get the most out of these menu screens you need to develop a 'personalize' mindset.

• Windows 8 PC Settings – Personalize
• Windows 8 PC Settings – Notifications
• Windows 8 PC Settings – Wireless
• Remember to Sync Your Windows 8 Settings

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Getting Started with PC Settings

The most convenient way to make changes to your Windows 8 settings is to press Winkey +i.

Alternatively, call for the Windows 8 charms.  To get started hover your mouse over the top right corner of the screen, or else press Winkey +c.  Select the cogs of the setting charm.

Click on 'Change PC settings' at the bottom, see screenshot right.

Windows 8 PC Settings – Personalize

At the top of the list of PC settings is Personalize, it's here that you can change your account picture or select the Lock screen apps.

PC Settings – Users

One job for the Users settings is to change the Sign-in options, for instance, you could unlock your computer with a 4-digit PIN.  Remember that selecting a PIN doesn't automatically change the way you sign in.  Next time you logon observe link for 'Sign-in options', now you can select a PIN, or other option that you configure via the PC Settings – Users.

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LEM will alert you to problems such as when a key application on a particular server is unavailable.  It can also detect when services have stopped, or if there is a network latency problem.  Perhaps this log and event management tool’s most interesting ability is to take corrective action, for example by restarting services, or isolating the source of a maleware attack.

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Windows 8 PC Settings – Notifications

The idea is that you can configure an app so that it delivers status updates.  To do this visit the 'PC settings', and then select which apps should send alerts, or notification 'Toasts'.  Alternatively, you can manage the notification 'Toasts' from within the metro-style app.

Windows 8 PC Settings – Wireless

The wireless configuration is reasonably easy, just move the black slider to on or off.  You can also toggle Airplane mode in the same way.  Choosing 'On' means that you can still operate apps, but they won't send or receive any data in Airplane mode.

If you want to start receiving messages again then re-visit the PC Settings and move the Airplane mode slider to 'Off'.

Note: If you need information about your mobile IMEI (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity) number, just click the name of the mobile broadband provider in the Wireless section.

Guy Recommends: Response Time Viewer for Wireshark

Here is a free tool to troubleshoot network connection and latency problems.  Key concept: this is a free tool from SolarWinds that analyzes network packets captured by Wireshark (also a free tool).

When you inspect the data in the Response Time Dashboard, if you hover over an application such as Teredo or TCP, then you get an orange box showing a breakdown of network and application response times, note the 'Peak value' in addition to the 'Average'.

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Windows 8 App Switching Settings

You can use the PC settings to check your App Switching.  Click on the General menu, in the right-hand pane you should see a bar for App switching, make sure it’s set to ‘On’.

Remember to Sync Your Windows 8 Settings

Windows 8 encourages "user experience virtualization", this means you can sync settings between two or more computers.  The benefit is that you get a familiar environment each time you sign in.

Note 1: For sync to work, you need to sign into Windows 8 with a Microsoft account, also known as Windows Live ID.

Spend a minute synchronizing your Windows 8 PC settings for desktop, languages and apps.

Note 2: To synchronize your data files investigate Microsoft's SkyDrive.

Summary of Windows 8 PC Settings

Instead of visiting the Control Panel to make configuration changes, the preferred method in Windows 8 is to call for the PC Settings with Winkey +i.

Microsoft Windows 8 Start Menu

• New features for Windows 8  • Windows 8 Run Command  • Network Performance Monitor

• Windows 8 Start Screen  • Windows 8 Create Tile  • Windows App Store  • Windows 8 PC Settings

• Windows 8 Configuration  • Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts  • Windows 8 Metro-style UI  • SEUM