The new Metro interface is definitely attractive to behold but how simple and efficient it is comparing to Windows 7? How different are Windows 7 and 8 and how can you get around easily without clicking for 5 minutes before you stumble upon the setting you have been looking for? This article answers these and more questions. If you have just started using Windows 8 – read on as you might find some useful tips and tricks.

Close Metro App

One of the most frequent questions is how to close the Metro application. There is no obvious way to do this but there is a less obvious one nonetheless. Get back inside the Metro interface and click the Desktop. This will take you to your Desktop interface. Application opened within the Metro environment will continue running for some time after which it will auto-shutdown.

Disable Login Screen

If you are not keen on entering your login credentials each time after you reboot, there is a way to disable the login screen in Windows 8. The next time you launch the Windows hold the Windows button, type the letter ‘R’ and then ‘netplwiz’ after which you need to hit the ENTER. The window with the user details will come up.

This is where you should disable the option requiring you to enter your login credentials each time your PC reboots. Click the OK after you ticked the option off and the login screen will not appear anymore.

Where Did Start Go

The most of the people who use Windows 8 for the first time get completely disoriented and shocked once they realize there is no Start menu anymore. How can I check my installed programs now?

If you need to have a list of the installed software you should press the Windows button followed by the ‘F’ key to run the search. Click the ‘Apps’. This will bring the alphabetically ordered list of all the applications.

Should you need to launch an application you can normally do it by a simple click or stick them to the Metro interface by right-clicking on the desired application and assigning it to the Metro interface for the quicker and easier future access.

Another thing people get confused about is the absence of the Task manager. As you will see, it is not really absent, it is really much present, and you just need to know how to call it up. You will do this by holding the Windows button and pressing the ‘R’ key. Type the ‘control.exe’ and press the ENTER to bring up the Task manager.

If your Explorer freezes you don’t have to ‘kill’ the process. Instead, you can press Ctrl+Alt+Esc, choose the Explorer and click the Restart. This will perform much faster as it saves the virtual memory necessary to re-launch the process at one side, and killing the process and re-launching it all over again at the other.

Don’t underestimate the power of right-click in Windows 8. While using any application you can right-click on it to check out all the possibilities it offers.

Touch-Screen Optimized OS

Windows 8 has been designed to serve the users of touch-screen based devices. This, however, does not mean that people who prefer keyboards will not be able to get their piece of cake. Here are some useful shortcuts for those who prefer old-style keyboards over touch-screen devices.

Windows button + C

This combination brings up the Charms menu. This menu allows you to edit/optimize various settings, options, devices and search engine.

Windows button + D

This pair brings up the Desktop interface.

Windows button + E

Transforms the screen-sensitive interface to classic Desktop interface and launches Internet Explorer allowing you a quick files overview as well.

Windows button + L

This is a quick way to lock and unlock your Windows.

Windows button + O

This combination turns on or off the rotation of the image at the interface. You can easily fix it in the desired position.

Windows button + W

This combination is a quick way to find out about your PC and/or system performance specifications. It brings up search engine to explore all the settings of your system. For example: if you type the ‘Power’ it will bring up all the details about the power expenditure etc.

Wrap Up

Windows 8 is predominantly optimized to serve the various touch-screen devices like tablets and portable PCs that are based on TS technology. However, great deal of desktop computers also sports this OS as a default operating system that comes out of store.

Henceforth, above listed tips & tricks might useful to all of you who are eager to use the new Windows. Regardless of how complicating it might seem at the start it will take you a month of regular use to get used to it and find out all the benefits Windows 8 offers.

Author Bio:

Alem is a tech enthusiast with various interests in programming, networking and mobile devices.