It has been some time since Windows has announced it's latest baby, but many people still opt for the older windows versions, reasons being they find it more easier to use, of course they are used to it more. And a non touch screen user, doesn't find Win8 attractive either.
Over time, your PC accumulates junk files. And then there might be those instances when you might have made some changes to your OS settings leading to systeminstability.
Well, with Windows 8, you don't have to worry.
This new OS has a unique feature that restores your computer to its original state. To access this feature, in the Charms menu, go to Settings and then Change PC Settings > General Tab.
Here you will find two options. Remove everything and reinstall Windows is similar to formatting the hard drive and reinstalling Windows.
Refresh your PC without affecting your files simply restores the OS to its original state without deleting data.
Here are some tips that will make your Win8 experience better, if not best.
Easy shut down
To shut down a Windows 8 PC, you have to bring up the Charms menu click on Settings, click on Power and then select Shut down.
You can avoid this roundabout process by creating a shortcut for 'Shut down' and pinning it to the taskbar.
When you are in desktop mode, right click and from the menu select New shortcut. A window will open.
In the location field, type shutdown /s /t 0. Enter a name for the shortcut.
You can call it 'Shutdown' or whatever else you fancy.
Select an icon for the new shortcut and save it.
You can then click on this shortcut to shutdown the system. For easy access, drag the icon on to the taskbar to pin it there.
The God mode
We all have used this God Mode in our video games, wherein we use cheat codes to become invincible and also to gain Godly powers.
In Windows 8, this mode puts hundreds of OS settings at your fingertips in one single location.
To turn on God Mode, create a new folder on Desktop and name it GodMode.{ED7BA470-8 E54-465 E-825 C-99712043 E01C}.
Remember you can call the folder by anyname. Just ensure that the text following it, including the curly brackets, is exactly the same.
After that, the folder you created will include each and every configurable option in Windows 8. Use these powers responsibly.
Troubleshoot problems
The highly effective Troubleshooting feature has to be the best feature of Windows 8.
Now, whenever you face any problems with the OS, you don't necessarily need to search for an expert for help.
To access the Troubleshooting wizard, go to Control Panel > System and security > Find and fix problems.
In the screen that appears, click on View all to display all the automated packs in the OS.From here, users can troubleshoot over 20 commonly occurring problems including hardware issues, network connections, performance matters, setting up a printer or a TV tuner - and even overall system maintenance.
No need to call your techie friend ever again.
Modern start screen
The biggest grouse people have against Windows 8 is its new Start screen that's made up of large tiles.
This interface works wonderfully with touch, but many mouse users would rather get to the desktop straight away.
Of course, you can still access the desktop by clicking on its tile. But if you want to skip this extra step altogether, use Skip Metro Suit.
Run the app (no installation needed), and check the Skip Start Screen option, and you're done.After this, your PC will boot directly to your desktop.
But that's not all. You can also use this tool to disable other Windows 8 touch features that are triggered when you hover your mouse. Namely, the top-leftcorner that activates the App Switcher; the top edge that activates Drag to Close; the bottom-left corner that brings up your Start Screen; and the bottomright action that brings out the Charms bar. Download here
Missing the Start Button?
So you've got your desktop back, and you would now like the familiar Start button back from where you can search for programs or files, launch programs, shutdown the computer and access folders like My Documents. Well, use ClassicShell.
After you install the program, you can choose between three options: Windows Classic, Windows XP and Windows Vista/7. Select the one you want and you are good to go.
Download here
Super calculator
The calculator tool in Windows 8 has some nifty features. Sadly, it's all hidden away.
To access these 'power' options, go to the View menu to find modes for scientific calculations, programming and statistics.But that's not all.
Your Windows 8 calculator also comes with a built-in conversion function (time, angle, area, energy, length, power, pressure, temperature, etc) - and it can also be used to calculate the difference between two dates in years, months, weeks and days.
Boost PC performance
The problem with using a laptop is that, more often than not, it isn't easy to upgrade the amount of RAM on your machine.
And the lack of such memory is most apparent when using process-intensive software such as Adobe Photoshop.
Thankfully, Windows 8 comes with ReadyBoost technology, which allows you to use any USB pen drive (as long as it has at least 250MB of usable space after formatting) as additional RAM.
In fact, you can use up to eight USB pen drives for a maximum of 256GB of additional memory.
To use ReadyBoost, right-click on your pendrive in Windows Explorer and go to Properties.
There, select the ReadyBoost tab, and click the Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost button. Click OK and enjoy a spiffier machine.
Refresh your computer
Over time, your PC accumulates junk files. And then there might be those instances when you might have made some changes to your OS settings leading to systeminstability.
Well, with Windows 8, you don't have to worry.
This new OS has a unique feature that restores your computer to its original state. To access this feature, in the Charms menu, go to Settings and then Change PC Settings > General Tab.
Here you will find two options. Remove everything and reinstall Windows is similar to formatting the hard drive and reinstalling Windows.
Refresh your PC without affecting your files simply restores the OS to its original state without deleting data.
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