A Step-by-Step Guide to
Replace the Horrible Microsoft Configuration
With One That You Define
Replace the Horrible Microsoft Configuration
With One That You Define
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By
Len
Suckle
LSN
Enterprises, LLC
Scottsdale,
Arizona 85254
©
2014
BEFORE
YOU BEGIN
BENEFITS
OF WINDOWS 8.1
PROBLEMS
WITH WINDOWS 8.1
UNDERSTAND
THE PHILOSOPHY
APPS
VS PROGRAMS
DOCUMENT
SYNTAX
GETTING
STARTED WITH WINDOWS 8.1
THE
START (HOME) SCREEN
Clean the Start screen
THE
APPS VIEW4
GETTING
AROUND IN WINDOWS 8.1
HOW
TO SHUTDOWN OR RESTART
FINDING
A FILE OR PROGRAM / APP
SETTING
UP YOUR SECURITY
CUSTOMIZING
YOUR START SCREEN
Planning Your Start Screen
Adding Tiles to the Start
Screen
Adding
Apps or Programs
Adding
Folders
Adding
Web Shortcuts
Organizing Your Tiles into
Groups
Renaming Tiles
SETTING
DEFAULT PROGRAMS
OTHER
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
USEFUL
FEATURES & FUNCTIONS
Shut
down or Restart
Sign
Out or Lock the Screen
Keyboard
Shortcuts
Disable
Touch Keyboard on Touch Screen Computers
ADVANCED
CUSTOMIZATION TECHNIQUES
Creating Custom Tiles
RECOMMENDED
PROGRAMS TO INSTAL
Cloud Based Programs And
Securit
TIPS
AND TECHNIQUES BLOG
CHANGE
LOG
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
| NOTE: If you currently have Windows 8 on your computer, it’s advisable to take advantage of the free update to 8.1 now. The update may be found in the Store, after all Windows updates have been performed. |
Windows 8.1 is actually a fantastic operating system. Unfortunately, Microsoft did a horrible job in configuring the default configuration that users are presented with when they first start their computer.
The intent here is to show you how to take advantage of features of 8.1 by reconfiguring the computer to your way of thinking and using a computer.
BENEFITS OF WINDOWS 8.1
- Fast… Start, restart, operation
- Enables exceptional organization of your programs and files
- Find anything on your computer (programs and documents) easily and quickly
- Customizable appearance
PROBLEMS WITH WINDOWS 8.1
- Initial configuration is difficult to understand, presents ’tiles’ to useless or undesirable apps,
- Microsoft’s mistaken belief that users wish to have an app or program consume the entire screen on a laptop or desktop computer.
- Missing or hidden start menu and desktop to which previous users of Windows were familiar.
- Incorrect perception that a touch screen is required or even
desired on a desktop or laptop.
UNDERSTAND THE PHILOSOPHY
Windows 8 was designed to take
advantage of the organization of most smart phones:
- Present the programs or apps that are used most frequently on Home screens,
- Display all of the installed apps in the Apps Drawer. This is the terminology of Android; iPhones simply have the Apps Drawer)
On a smart phone you can drag your
preferred apps to any location and organize them into folders however
you desire.
When you see the Start screen
just think of
Home;
likewise, when you see the Apps
view,
think of Apps Drawer
.
In all likelihood, your computers with
Windows 7 or earlier contained a desktop filled with icons pointing
to the programs or files you use most. They are most likely
scattered all over the desktop, and may be organized in some
haphazard way within the confines of icon placement.
Furthermore,
the Start Menu
that everyone seems to miss is most likely a very long mutiple column
list of all of the programs on your computer through which you must
search to find anything. Maybe you've organized them a bit, but the
capabilities are limited.
With
Windows 8.1 you have the ability to replace all of the scattered
icons on your desktop with organized tiles in the Start
screen organized in a way that makes sense to you. Your desktop
stays clear to perform the various functions you wish to do.
In
addition, all of the programs that were listed in the Start
Menu
are now pleasingly organized into icons in the Apps
view. AND you
don't even need to look for programs or documents. Instead you can
simply start typing a name or concept and the matches will be
instantly displayed. (See Finding a File
or Program/App
below.)
APPS VS PROGRAMS
Microsoft,
with the intent to get consumers to buy all products with the Windows
platform, has promoted the idea of similar presentations on all
types of devices that run Windows 8; ie, Phones, Tablets, Laptops,
Desktops. Full screen app display is required on small screens such
as phones or tablets. The problem is that most people do not want a
full size, dedicated screen to be presented on a laptop or desktop.
We
have been using Programs, such as web browsers, word processors,
picture viewing, music players, etc., on our computers, with the
ability to resize to our choice and share the screen with other
programs. Programs are available to perform all kinds of functions.
An
App is a program, generally with different and less functionality
than its corresponding full desktop program, that displays full
screen and cannot be resized or shared with other programs. It has
been designed to be displayed on phones and tablets.
If
you are like me, you prefer having full functionality and display of
your familiar programs that you can move around, share, and resize on
your desktop that you have used on computers for years.
Bottom
line... you generally want to use a Program, not an App, on your
computer.
It
is Microsoft's selection of "default" Apps on computers
that has confused most people who are new to Windows 8. The default
Start
screen is populated with tiles that point to Apps, not Programs. If
you click on an App, your screen is "consumed" and many do
not know how escape. (Incidentally, you
may close an App by either pressing Alt-F4 or moving the cursor to
the top of the screen until it changes to a hand, and then dragging
all the way to the bottom of the screen.)
DOCUMENT SYNTAX
In the this document, the key on your
keyboard that looks like is called the Windows key,
abbreviated Win. If the phrase Win-X is used, it means
press both the Win key and the X key at the same time.
A phrase in italics refers to an
instruction you will perform.
GETTING STARTED WITH WINDOWS 8.1
If you are just getting started, you will be required to set up a user id on your computer. Microsoft wants you to create one based on your email address, perhaps so they can track your activities or be able to send you messages that THEY want to send. For privacy purposes, I personally prefer not to have this information associated with my computer. Instead…
Setup a Local User
Account Only: When you are asked to enter a user email
address, enter a bogus email such as a@b.com, with any password.
Microsoft will then recognize this isn’t correct and allow you to
Create a local account.
Enter the local account name you desire (and a password, should you want one)
Enter the local account name you desire (and a password, should you want one)
THE START (HOME) SCREEN
Once you are logged in, you will be presented with the Start screen. This is a jumble of tiles (icons) which represent a lot of unknown or undesirable Microsoft Apps. This is a single wide Start screen, rather than the discrete home screens on a smart phone.You can view all of the tiles by scrolling the screen… most easily performed with the scroll wheel of your mouse.
Figure
1 – Default Start screen
Don't click on any of these tiles yet. This is the scary Microsoft roll-out that causes most people to hate Windows 8. You'll be guided through making the Start screen a useful feature, not one to be avoided.
The Desktop tile, normally at
the bottom of the left column, is the only tile on the default Start
screen that is important. Let’s set this tile apart from the
others.
Left click and hold on the
tile and you’ll see you
can drag it anywhere on the screen. Drag it all the
way to the left of the other tiles, and you’ll see that it is
now in a column of its own.
You may remove all of the other
tiles for apps from the Start screen so we can start fresh.
(Don’t worry… you can always retrieve them later). Right
click on each of the tiles
and a check mark will show. Be sure you haven’t
accidentally clicked the Desktop tile.
Click Unpin
from Start at the bottom left of the screen
and your screen will be cleared except for the Desktop tile
THE APPS VIEW
If you move your cursor near the bottom left of the screen, you will see a down arrow.Click on the arrow and you will be presented with the Apps view, which contains all (or most) of the programs and apps which are currently installed on your computer.
THE DESKTOP
The Desktop is the screen that we are all familiar with from previous versions of Windows. This is where all of your conventional programs are run.Click on the Desktop tile. You will see the Desktop, which should be empty except for a Recycle Bin. (You may also use Win-D to always access your desktop)
You can now add a few useful icons.
- Right click on any empty area of the Desktop. A menu will be displayed.
- Select Personalization. A new screen well be displayed.
- Click Change desktop icons on the left
- Check This Computer and User Files.
- If you would like to change your desktop background, you may also do that here.
- Click OK
GETTING AROUND IN WINDOWS 8.1
The 4 corners of your screen allow you to do things very quickly.- Move your cursor all the way to the bottom left and left-click. You will go to the Start screen from the desktop, Each time you bottom-left-click, your screen will toggle between the Start screen and the screen you are currently on. You may also go directly to the Start screen at any time by pressing the Win key.
- Move your cursor all the way to the top left. You will see icons listed along the left side of the screen which represent all programs that are currently running. You may move to any one by moving your cursor down next to the desired program left clicking. You may close any app/program by right clicking by the icon and selecting close.
- Move your cursor to top-right or the bottom-right.
The Charms menu will be displayed to present
various options that may be useful for the screen you are viewing.
This is equivalent to the Menu buttom on a smart
phone.
HOW TO SHUTDOWN OR RESTART
Move your cursor to the bottom-right and right click. You will see the Quick Access Menu (QAM). At the bottom of this list is Shut Down or Sign Out. Slide your cursor to the right and you can select what you wish to do.While your on the QAM, take a look at the other things you can do here. Among them are Control Panel and Program and Features, which allows you to remove programs from your computer.
You may also display the QAM by clicking Win-X keys
FINDING A FILE OR PROGRAM / APP
Suppose you want to find a specific program/app or file on your computer. Windows 8 makes it really simple.For example, if you want to find a calculator:
- Go to the Start screen (Remember? Bottom-left-click or Windows key).
- Without doing anything else, start typing CALCULATOR.
A list of matching files will be displayed. Click on the one you
desire, and the program will load.
(There are 2 types of calculators installed on Windows 8... a Program and an App. The program will add as a concise window on your desktop; the App captures the entire screen. If you accidently open the App, just press Alt-F4 to close it.)
SETTING UP YOUR SECURITY
Making sure your computer is protected against viruses and undesirable access is critical. Not ensuring this is like playing Russian roulette with 5 bullets in a 6 bullet cylinder.Your best choice is to use the built-in Window Firewall and Windows Defender. Other protection software, such as McAfee and Norton, are at best equal to these, and slow down your computer. Plus, they will want to charge you after a trial period. Computer manufacturers are paid to put these programs on your computer, but it's not a favor to you.
If your computer came with either McAfee or Norton or another 3rd part security software, UNINSTALL THEM NOW!!!!
- Open the QAM and select Programs and Features
- Find the software of discussion, select and click Uninstall
You may get all kinds of warnings and it may take a while; ignore these and wait it out.
When they are uninstalled, Restart your computer. - Go to the Start screen and type Firewall
- Select Windows Firewall and be sure it is turned on in the upper and lower windows
- Go back to the Start screen and type Defender
- Select Windows Defender and turn it on, if it is not yet turned on
- Go to the Update tab and click Update. Let it run until it
is complete. In the future, it will update itself.
By the way, never open an email attachement from anyone if you are not expecting it! Even if it's coming from someone you know, it's possible it's malware. Call or contact the individual to ascertain if it was really sent from them.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR START SCREEN
One of the features of Windows 8 is the ability to keep a clear desktop by taking advantage of the Start screen. All of those icons that we use to put all over our desktop can be added and organized on you Start screen.Remember the Default Start screen from Figure 1. It contains tiles to apps that Microsoft wants to promote.
Most people see these tiles on their new computer and are totally lost. They may click on them, and a full screen app takes over, with no obvious way to get out of them. This is why it is recommended in an earlier paragraph to Clean The Start Screen by removing all but the Desktop tile.
Below is an image of my Start screen, enabling me to access the files and programs that I use regularly. Notice that not only do I have tiles to point me to the programs I use most, but also websites, such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Contacts and Maps, that I access regularly. (These tiles will automatically open my web browser (Firefox) and go to the designated page)
Figure 2 - Page 1 of my
Start screen
Figure 3 - Page 2 of my
Start screen
Figure 4 - Page 3 of my
Start screen
I access the different pages
of the Start screen by using the scroll wheel on my mouse.
Note that I've organized the
programs and files I use most into various groups into columns, which
I've named Productivity, Communications, Activities... You can
name your groups whatever you desire by right-clicking on any tile
within the group and then typing into the field at the top of the
column. You may also change the size of any tiles by right-click
selecting them and using the Resize command that will show at the
bottom of the screen.
Make of list of all of these files, folders and websites at which you spend 90% of your time. Try to organize them into groups, so you can form column groups on the Start screen. Use the following steps to add tiles, then you can refer to the section on Organizing Your Tiles into Groups
You can add any program, app,
folder, file or web shortcut to your Start screen as a tile.
Start with a couple of apps that are already installed on your
computer that you'll probably want:
- Go to the Apps view (Down arrow from Start screen), and scroll across to find Windows Media Player. This is probably listed under the W's in the alphabetical listing that starts at the left side of the page. Right click on the icon and select Pin to Start. This will return you to the Start screen and the new tile will be located all the way to the right of the screen. Click and drag it where you desire. You can remove the tile by right-clicking on it and selecting Unpin from Start.
Suppose you also want a program to always be available in the task
bar on the Desktop. Just right-click on the tile and select Pin
to Taskbar.
Go back to the Apps
view and see if there are any other programs or apps you would like
onto the start menu.
You may also use the Find feature
described above and right-click on the result of your choice to Pin
to Start.
In Figure 2 there is a tile for Documents. This is the Documents
library that comes with the computer and is equivalent to the My
Documents of the past.
Go to the Desktop and double click on the folder that is your account
name. In here, you will see all of your libraries on the computer...
Documents, Pictures, Music, Downloads,... These represent folders
that are set up for you to help you organize.
Right click on the Documents icon and select Pin
to Start. You'll
now find it on your Start
screen, all the way to the right. Move it to where you desire. You
can do the same with any of the other libraries (Downloads, Pictures,
etc.) if you think you'll be accessing them often.
You can also go to any other folder
on your computer and do the same – right click and select
Pin to Start.
Here's a technique that allows you to go directly to web pages that
you use often, with a single click from the Start screen.
First, a little preparation you'll only have to do once
- Go to your desktop
- Right click on any empty area and select New... Shortcut
- In the window that opens for location, cut and paste:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs - Click Next and name the shortcut: Apps Drawer
- Leave this icon folder on your desktop, for the time being
Add the web shortcuts
- Open your web browser and go to the web page that you want to save.
- Notice the field with the web address showing at the top of the page.
- Click and hold just to the left of the address, but within the field. Drag to the desktop. You now have a shortcut to this webpage. To prove it to yourself, close the web browser, double click on the shortcut, and the page you saved should be displayed.
- Rename this shortcut to whatever you like to be displayed on the Start screen tile we are creating.
- Drag the web shortcut onto the Apps Drawer shortcut you created above.
- Now go to your Apps view, and find the web shortcut, and Pin to Start as you've done before.
This may sound a little complex, but it's really easy and fast to do
it. In fact, you can put anything into the Apps view this way,
by dragging it onto the Apps Drawer shortcut.
You may want a grouping for your Primary files, another for Media,
another your favorite Activities. After you've added some of the
respective tiles to the Start screen, just Click and Drag
a tile to the right until a light colored vertical stripe appears
under it. Release the button, and the tile will now be in its own
group. You may name the group by right clicking on any tile within it
and typing in the field at the top of the group. When you are done
entering the name, click twice on an empty area of the Start
screen.Want to move an entire group to a different location on the screen? Hold the Ctrl key and scroll down with the mouse wheel. The entire Start screen will zoom out. Click and drag any group to its preferred location. Click on an empty area of the Start sceen when you are done.
You may rename any tile on the Start
screen. Right click on the tile and select Open File Location
at the bottom of the screen. Rename the shortcut that is
highlighted. The tile of the Start screen will be named as you
entered.
SETTING DEFAULT PROGRAMS
(You may wish to
jump to RECOMMENDED
PROGRAMS TO INSTALL
section later in this document and install the ones you desire first)
When you click on a file, a Default App/Program is used to
open this file. Most of the defaults set by Microsoft are the
"dreaded full screen apps". You can change these in
several ways, but you may wish to set these defaults all at once.- From the Start page, type Default.
Select Default Programs, then Set your default programs
You will be presented with a list of available programs and apps
in a column on the left.
- If you know you want to set one of these as the default, just
click on it, then Set this program as default.
- Select Choose defaults for this program, and a
list of files extensions that this program will open will be
displayed. Check the ones you want, the Save.
- Windows Media Player
- Windows Photo Viewer
- Adobe Reader (the version you have installed as per
- Firefox (if you have installed this and desire it as your default)
- Right click on the file you want to open
- Select Open with...
- Select Choose default program...
- Find the program you want to use
- Select
OTHER TIPS & TECHNIQUES
USEFUL FEATURES & FUNCTIONS
Move
cursor
to bottom-left and right-click OR press WIN-X. Select the Shut-Down
or Sign-Out of your choice.
Go to
the Start
screen, click on your account name at the top right. Here you'll see
a variety of options, including Sign Out and
Lock
- Close an App (use any of the following)
- Move cursor to top of screen until it changes into a hand and drag all the way down
- Click Alt-F4
- In the Start screen, move cursor to left column, over the app of intent, and right-click Close.
You may find
a list of useful Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts at:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/keyboard-shortcuts
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/keyboard-shortcuts
While
using an attached or built-in keyboard, having the on-screen keyboard
continually popping up may be needless and annoying. To disable it,
follow the following steps:
- Go to Computer Management in the QAM menu (bottom-left right click OR WIN-X)
- Select Services under Services and Applications in the left screen
- Find Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service in the center screen
- Right-click and select Properties
- Click Stop, and change Startup type to Disabled.
- Click OK and close the Services window
ADVANCED CUSTOMIZATION TECHNIQUES
Looking
closer at Figure 2, you will see that the tiles for Gmail and it's
associated links to Contacts, Maps, and Calendar are not what you
would obtain using the above technique. These tiles have been
created using a nifty free program called OblyTile (available at
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899865
in a dropbox folder).
This program
allows you to create tiles to Folders, Files and Web Addresses and
assign any graphic that you like. Simply download or create a tile
graphic and then use the program to create the tile. If your tiles
don't appear immediately on the Start screen, try Logging off and
then back on.
RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS TO INSTALL
Be careful when you download programs.
Always go to the website of the actual program if possible;
third-party download sites often embed other undesirable software
that will be installed with the program you intended to install.
When you install any program, select
Show on Desktop if given the option. This will enable you to
right-click on the icon on the Desktop and select Pin to
Start to quickly add to your Start page. You may then drag the
desktop icon to the Recycle Bin.
All of the following programs are free,
unless noted.
Adobe Reader –
Reads pdf files that you are likely to receive. Available from:
http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Be careful... they will try to
install McAfee virus protection as a default. UNCHECK this option -
YOU DON'T WANT IT! Windows Defender that is built into Windows is
the best virus protection program.
Firefox Web
Browser - An excellent alternative
to Internet Explorer, with better security and more available
features. Available from:
Open Office
– A free alternative to Microsoft Office. This still uses the
familiar menu structure, rather than the ribbon presentation. Word,
Excel, and Powerpoint file are compatible. Available from:
Thunderbird
Email Client – An excellent alternative to Microsoft
Outlook.
KeePass Password Vault – To
prevent identity theft, it's critical that we use more complex user
ids and passwords and never use the same password on different sites.
The problem is remembering them. KeePass is a very secure program
that easily allows you to store user ids, passwords, and associated
web addresses. It is locked with a single Master password that you
should create and remember and never have to use elsewhere. Now you
only have to remember one password. And it's available for Android
and Iphone.
These are programs that provide a
remote server on the Internet, with which you can store and retrieve
your data. Although these are secured by a user id and password, it
is recommended you NEVER PUT SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON ANY CLOUD
SERVER. With the increased sophistication of hackers, they could
potentially break into the systems.
Dropbox – A cloud drive with
an established security history. Share files with your tablet, smart
phone, other specific people that you designate. 2GB free storage,
more available for a price. Also available for tablets and
smartphones.
Evernote - A cloud -based
notebook where you can keep notes and access from all of your
computers, tablets, and smartphones.
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES BLOG:
Additional
useful information will be added to a blog at:
CHANGE LOG
V1.1 – 21Jan14
- Expand Understanding the Philosophy;
- Add SET-UP YOUR SECURITY,
CUSTOMIZING YOUR START SCREEN: Renaming Tiles,
ADVANCED CUSTOMIZATION TECHNIQUES: Creating Custom Tiles
v1.2 - 22Jan14
- CUSTOMIZING YOUR START SCREEN: Planning Your Start Screen
- CUSTOMIZING YOUR START SCREEN:Organizing Your Tiles into Groups
v1.3 – 31Jan14
- Organization changes; Link to Blog
- Thanks to Jackie Barkworth for her immense contribution in helping reorganize and clarify this document
v1.4 – 8Feb14
- Added SETTING DEFAULT PROGRAMS
- Expanded RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS TO INSTALL
- Explanation of Cloud Based Programs and Security
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