Tips for using the Windows 8 Start screen

Here are some tips to help you become comfortable with the Start screen in Windows 8

1. You can use your keyboard to navigate around, using the cursor keys, PageUp or PageDown and the Home and End Keys to jump to the beginning item or end item respectively.

2. You can right-click on any tile you don’t need (or want) and select ‘Unpin from Start’.

3. You can drag tiles around on the Start screen so the ones you use frequently are together.

4. You can group tiles together, perhaps creating a custom group such as one for photo editing. To do this in Windows 8, you need to ‘Zoom Out’ the Start screen, so it’s a little fiddly so I’ll write a separate blog post shortly (sign up to receive updates!). Windows 8.1 includes a Customise option which makes it easier.

5. To shut down your PC quite quickly, you can press Control-Alt-Delete {just the once!} and you’ll find (on the bottom right) a power button which makes this easy and quick!

Keyboard shortcuts:-

Windows logo key with E opens up Windows Explorer so you can browse your drives.

Windows logo key with D opens up the Desktop (press it again to close)

Windows logo key with X opens up the Admin Menu

Windows logo key with I opens up the Settings

Windows logo key with Q opens up the Search bar

More to come very shortly ….

Last updated Wednesday 3rd June

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