Coffee Shop Goss Banora Point > Kirra Beach - December 2013 | Page 3

computer tips TECHNOLOGY Windows 8.1 Tips & Tricks It’s that time of year again, the holiday season. For most of us, it’s a time to unwind and catch up on ourselves (indulgence), and family. Many will be opening a shiny new computer device of some sort this Christmas and ‘consuming only’ on their computer. If you’re a tad confused about Microsoft’s new Windows 8 Operating System, here are some of the best tips and tricks so far. 1. Boot to Desktop. I’ve mentioned how to do this previously in CSG but I’ll mention it again because it’s so handy to know. Go to the desktop > right-click on the Taskbar > click on Properties > click on Navigation tab > place a tick in, “Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign it” > click Apply, then Okay. 2. Start Button. The Start button is back, but not the Start menu. Clicking it takes you straight to the tiled Start Screen. But you can change the Start button’s behaviour so it lands you in the Modern UI’s Apps screen instead – similar to how the start menu used to function in previous versions of Windows. Go to the desktop > right-click on the Taskbar > click on Properties > click on Navigation tab > Tick, “Show the Apps view automatically when I go to Start” > click Apply, then Okay. 3. Right click Start button functions. A simple right click of the Windows 8.1 Start button produces direct access to many of Windows features, like Control Panel, Search, File Explorer, Task Manager and much more. 4. How to Shut Down or Restart Windows. To shut down or restart Windows 8.1, simply rightclick on the new Start button and choose Shut down. 5. Change PC Settings. The PC Settings area you aske d for it!!! now has more organised options. Launch the Charms bar (Windows Key + C) > select “Change PC Settings”. Here you can change PC settings. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, click the magnifying glass to the right of the title words “PC Settings” and search for the PC setting you’re after. 6. Save your documents in the cloud via SkyDrive. If you have a free Outlook.com account, then you have access to Microsoft’s SkyDrive which provides online storage for your documents and other files. You can automatically save your files to SkyDrive. To do this, launch the Charms bar (Windows Key + C) > select “Change PC Settings” > select SkyDrive. Here you configure Windows 8.1 and SkyDrive’s storing of your documents and more. 7. Edit your Photos. The photos app in Windows 8 is great for viewing your photos but in Windows 8.1 the editing abilities have been reworked making it much more powerful than before. To try it out, Start Screen > look for “Photos” tile > select your image and start editing. 8. Take a screenshot in Windows 8.1. Ever wanted to take a screenshot or screen grab? Here’s how, press the Windows key + Print Screen button together. The screen capture will be stored in a new screenshots folder inside your Pictures folder. Have a safe and joyous holiday season. Supporting Local Computer Users for 8 Years Technology Specialist Computer Repairs and Sales Home Office & Small Business IT Support Ian Piggott email: [email protected] DECEMBER > COFFEE SHOP GOSS > BANORA POINT TO KIRRA > 3