Remember back when Windows 8 came out?
It sure got a lot of hate – even being compared with the likes of Windows Vista and Windows ME (Millennium Edition). Partly because most of us hate change, but change is a constant in the technology field and the modern interface is here to stay.
That said, it certainly isn’t the most ideal setup for non-touchscreen desktops and laptops. But don’t shut the door to it and revert back Windows 7 just yet. Give these tips a try and see if they help you be more productive – you might just like it!
Add A Program List To Your Taskbar
“Where did all my programs go?!” This was one of the biggest complaints people had in regards to Windows 8. There’s nothing more anti-productive than searching everywhere to find something. And even when with the Windows 8.1 update, there still wasn’t a foolproof solution.
One of the simplest routes to access your programs quickly is to add the Programs List to the Taskbar. This isn’t to be confused with the Programs Folder, but rather the one in the Start Menu – there is a difference.
Right click the Taskbar > Toolbars > New Toolbar. Then paste in the following folder path below into the Windows Explorer address bar.
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
Click on (but don’t open) the Programs folder, click “Select Folder” and you’re done.
Use Run Box Or Launchy
Windows has a built-in feature called Run Box that allows you to launch programs both which are default to windows (like the Task Manager) and those you download, such as your web browser. Below, it’s being used to launch Windows Live Writer.
The problem with this option though is that it’s inconsistent. Some prompts work, while others don’t. In the image above, “windowslivewriter” works, as does typing in “chrome”. No need to even add “.EXE” at the end. However, other programs which you’d think would work, like “taskmanager” or “recyclebin”, don’t launch.
I’m sure there are working shortcuts. In fact, I know there are – “taskmgr” is a relatively well known one. But there are so many – which you’ll discover upon a quick search – how are you supposed to remember them all? You can, but do you want to?
There’s a simpler option – Launchy. The stylish third party launcher app was covered on MakeUseOf in 2008 and has been mentioned in many articles since, including several by yours truly. Launchy is no veteran in the tech space, but still in very active duty – it’s efficient, minimalistic, simple and looks good. Start typing in any program and it immediately pulls the closest results, listing the most accessed first.
Pin Folders To Taskbar & Start Screen
Not only does pinning folders allow you to quickly access them, but it also helps keep your desktop tidy. Did you know that “folder icon” on the Taskbar has a “hidden” feature in Window 7 and 8 that allows you to quickly access folders via a right click?
Referring to the photo above, you can simply drag and drop the icon of the preferred folder onto the “Pinned Folders” icon in the Taskbar. However, if you have too many pinned folders, you may not see it appear. To remove the ones you don’t want, hover over the pinned item(s) and click the “tack” icon.
You may also want to quickly access some folders from the Start Screen – don’t think you’ll use it? I’ll address that later. For now, find a folder you think you’d want to access (or any folder just to practice) and right click on it. In the image above, you’ll see an option in the context menu called “Pin to Start”.
Install A Third Party Start Menu
The uproar about “no Start Button” on Windows 8 was overwhelming. And Microsoft realized their mistake and fixed it in 8.1. However, they didn’t add a Start Menu, which was what at least half the complaints were about. Instead, the button just took you to the Start Screen. It certainly was an improvement over no button at all, but it’s still not a Start Menu. Microsoft has also acknowledged this, but is holding off until 2015 to feature it again in Windows 10.
So what to do until then? Tina covered 5 excellent third party Start Menu apps, as well as some additional options you have. Classic Shell, my personal favorite, is a Start Menu replacement we’ve thoroughly reviewed, but refer to her article and the comments for more great suggestions.
Important Point: This Is A Band-Aid
I’ll cover this more in a bit, but I wanted to briefly address it now as well. Don’t find a Start Menu replacement simply because you’re stuck in your old ways and don’t like change. I’ll admit, initially I wasn’t thrilled. But we should realize by now that technology changes, and generally it goes in the right directions. As with any change, there will initially be hiccups, but the Modern Start Screen is actually far easier to use than the old text-heavy Start Menu. For the time being, try a third party Start Screen, but make yourself slowly get used to the Modern Start Screen – you’ll appreciate its many new features.
Master Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
On the topic of “making yourself learn new things”, knowing shortcuts for Windows 8 will make your life far easier. Let’s look at some essential ones for navigating around Windows 8.1. If you already had a basic understanding of some shortcuts prior to Windows 8, then you undoubtedly had an easier time merging into it. There are also some new shortcuts to Windows 8, such as Win + X, which awesomely launches the Windows Tool Menu, also known as the Power User Menu (pictured below).
Below are some must-know shortcuts:
- Win + D – Show/Hide Desktop
- Win + Tab Cycle through open apps
- Win + X – Launch Windows Tools Menu
- Win + Left/Right Arrow Keys – Dock windows to left/right sides
- Win + . (period) + Left/Right Arrow Keys – Snaps current app to right or left sides
- Win + J – Switches between snapped modern apps
- Win + S – Launch Search
- Win + E – Launch Windows Explorer
- Win + C – Launch Charms menu
There are many more (if you have a favorite I missed, share it in the comments!), so check out both Craig’s article on Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts as well as the MakeUseOf Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet, which you can download as a PDF.
Dock Windows To Edge
This is simple, but works wonderfully. In fact, you may even know this one already as it was a feature in Windows 7 as well. Take any two windows on your desktop, select one at at time and hold down Windows Key + Left/Right Arrow. Do the same procedure, but tap the opposite arrow for the second window. I work almost exclusively in this mode, often times swapping three or four windows with each other.
Split The Screen Between The Desktop, Start Screen And Apps
Multitasking with Windows 8 can be a bit cumbersome at first, but once you understand how to split the screen, you’ll wonder how you got along without it for so long. Instead of just desktop applications like the docking feature allows, you can simultaneously use any combination of a desktop window, Start Screen or Windows 8 app. Below is a quick tutorial video, if you’re more of a visual learner.
If you’re in an app, use Win + Arrow Keys to dock it to a side, then Win + D to display the Desktop and its windows in the opposite pane. Don’t forget about Alt + Tab to quickly navigate between Desktop windows and Win + Tab to navigate through open apps, which can also be used to pin two apps side by side.
The divider is very easily moved to adjust various widths. You’ll also notice that while the Desktop pane is selected, you can dock two windows to either side as well, though on a smaller screen, this gets to be a little cumbersome… leading us to an awesome solution…
Invest In A Dual Monitor Setup
Or triple, or however many you want – can you actually have too many monitors? For practical purposes, I only have one monitor plus my laptop screen, but to each their own! Nonetheless, multiple monitors are incredibly useful, especially with Windows 8. You could have the Start Screen always up on one monitor (which you’ll definitely want to do after you read all about how awesome it really is). Or you could use them to display two windows (the most common route). Lastly, you could combine multiple monitors with splitting the screen, like we just covered, for an incomprehensible amount of productivity – there, now you have absolutely no reason to not get work done… except for the fact that one screen most likely has a movie or YouTube video playing.
Don’t Abandon Your Start Screen
Let me guess, the reason you don’t like the Modern Start Screen is because it has a bunch of “Internet-looking stuff” that you don’t need and is cluttered with various-sized tiles that you have to scroll through to the end of the earth to find what you’re looking for… like this, or worse.
And how do you get back to the desktop? Or find anything? You have to move your mouse to the bottom corners to make anything pop up – why?!
First off, you’re right – the majority of the default tiles aren’t needed. The best way to tackle this is by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking each Tile you don’t want – you can always add it back later. Then right click on one you’ve selected and click Unpin from Start.
Secondly, don’t let this “work” turn you away from trying to use the Start Screen – there are so many hacks to make the Start Screen work for you.
I’m going to address a few important and simple options to get you started, but Justin Dennis has gone into great depth explaining how to manage Start Screen Tiles and Modern apps like a pro.
Simplicity Is Key
Initially, this might be experimental – seeing which programs you use the most, but in the beginning, just pin what you want to use the most.
Next, break the Tiles into groups – organizing them however works best for you. You can label these groups by right clicking anywhere on the Start Screen and clicking “Name groups”.
Just Start Typing To Search
If you haven’t discovered the robust search features in Windows 8, you’ll find that they’re very similar and far superior to previous versions. Just like in Windows 7 when you opened the Start Menu, you can immediately start typing in the Start Screen to search for something. It could be anything from a folder to an app (even ones not downloaded or installed) to a bookmark to a file.
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