Getting Started With Windows 8

After acquiring and installing Windows 8 on your PC and upgrading it to the latest Version, you might get stuck wondering what should be your next step. this can be the perfect opportunity to learn new tips that will improve your experience.Here are a few essential tips to help you get started. 

Organizing your Icons on Start Screen

Everybody likes a customized desktop look, no one likes that scattered tiles all over the screen that is at times confusing too. In order to get a more organized look on the screen you need begin by organizing the columns. This is as easy as using the drag and drop functionality especially when it comes to dumping the icons in their specific groups. You also have the choice to group a cluster of icons together. Hover the mouse to the right hand low corner of the screen; click the icon representing a hyphen in the box image. This will make the screen to zoom out, now you can conveniently move around the columns you need. You can also choose to rename your columns accordingly by right-click on a column; now select the option of Name Group. 

Changing the Start Screen Animation

Initially when you log onto the Windows 8 you will be greeted by a background with numerous colored icons displayed from left to right. This is simply a display of animations that are filled with solid colors. Nonetheless, the graphics that appears while opening or closing the system are boring. Therefore, to pump up the pretty factor you can apply settings accordingly, here is how:

• Go to Registry by regedit on your start screen

• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell\Grid 

• On the right side of your Windows 8 pane right-click

• Go to the New and select DWORD

• Rename the DWORD option to Launcher_SessionLoginAnimation_OnShow

• Double click on the option and set the value to 1

• Now you will be greeted with new Windows animation on opening and closing the system

Arrange Rows

While you are still logged into the registry key, you can make yet another change. You can make one more tweak to your system, in the icons rows. You can make a setting that will enable you to lock a given number of icon rows that are displayed on your Start screen. This is as simple as the setting that you have created for the start animation, just create another DWORD and rename it to Layout_MaximumRowCount. Now enter the row counts by double clicking the icon. Remember that you can add up to 5 rows. Additionally, to be able to apply the settings you need to restart your system. 

Shortcuts and Charms bar

If you are not using a touch screen enabled device then you know how annoying it is to use other input devices like keyboard and mouse. These come in the way of accessing menus that are otherwise easy to reach, so why not use the keyboard shortcuts. You can use commands like Windows key + H for displaying Share sidebar this will help reveal the Charms Bar sub-menus. Windows key +I for displaying Settings also to turn off your PC, also if you want to reveal the menu then you can do so by simultaneously pressing the Windows key and X key. 

How to Change the Lock Screen Option

It is annoying indeed when each moment you need to login to your system as it is not a touch enabled screen that you are working with. Therefore, it is better to get rid of the lock screen option. 

• Go to the Group Policy Editor by entering gpedit.msc

• Navigate to Computer Configuration

• Choose the Administrative Templates

• Go to the Control Panel and then select Personalization

• Double click the Do not display the lock screen option

• This will enable the functionality of unlock screen and then press OK to confirm the changes

Taking Screenshots Made Easy

Capturing a screen shot in a previous Windows version would involve a few steps. With the Windows 8 all this is made possible in just one-step:

• Windows key and Print Screen, this will enable taking a screen shot and simultaneously dump the image file in a folder by the name of Screenshots.