I just picked up a notebook with a touchscreen today so I guess I’m going to have to learn windows 8/8.1. Trying to use 8 in the store was an exercise in pure frustration but 7 is being phased out as touch screens become more common.
Two questions. If I have a DVD of Windows 8 Pro what is the upgrade path to 8.1. Free or not?
What is the best online video tutorial for 8 or 8.1?
Free upgrade.
Microsoft will explain the 8 and 8.1 are completely self-explanatory and you don’t need an online video tutorial.
Some things that might help make the transition more comfortable:
[ul]
[li]You’re not obliged to use the Modern UI (formerly ‘Metro’) apps. You can install and use conventional Windows desktop applications if you want[/li][li]You’re not obliged to use the touchscreen[/li][li]If the charms menu keeps annoying you when you are using the trackpad, look into turning off ‘edge swiping’ in your mouse/trackpad settings, or tweak the ‘active corners’ configuration here[/li][li]If you desperately miss the Start Menu, a number of good third party replacements exist (but with a little tweaking, you may find that the Start Screen is servicable as an alternative - that’s what I use - small tiles, clumped into themed groups)[/li][li]Right-click in the bottom left of the screen for a ‘power menu’ that gives quick access to all of the system config items that used to be in the Start Menu, and more[/li][/ul]
Just to clarify, you don’t have to install anything to use the conventional Windows desktop. It’s right there included with the operating system.
In fact, with the 3 Windows 8.1 systems I’ve installed recently (two desktops and one laptop) the traditional Windows desktop comes up by default when you boot and you have to click an extra button to go over to the Modern UI. (I’m sure this behavior can be changed, but I’ve never wanted to.) In fact, following one of the recent updates any Modern Apps that are running will appear on your taskbar when you have the desktop open, so you more easily work with them. Of course, you are under no obligation to use the modern apps.
The traditional Windows 7-style desktop is all there ready to go. You don’t have to find some hidden system setting, you don’t have to install some dubious code from a hacker site, you don’t have to pay Microsoft any extra. It’s in your face.
Yeah, the first time I tried Windows 8 at a display at Costco they had the modern UI up and I was totally lost. Really. I went and found a ten minute video on youtube that was something like “Windows 8 for Windows 7 users.” There were two versions: one for touchscreen and one for mouse users. And my initial reaction was “What’s the fuss?” It’s a little annoying that they hid some of the controls in the corners or sides of the screen, but once you learn that, it’s easy.
Unfortunately, there now seem to be thousands of Windows 8 how-to videos on youtube and I can’t find the ones I saw.
Do get used to using the “search” function in the charm bar. If you can’t think of where something is, just type it into the search, and most times it will find it for you.
And I love the touchscreen on the laptop. It’s so much easier than the mousepads or having to carry an external mouse.
Just run windows update a whole bunch until it’s done updating (which you ought to do anyway, of course).
The option to start in desktop mode is on the Taskbar Properties dialogue, Navigation Tab. It will be probably be on by default.
The Power Menu that Mangetout mentioned is super useful.
Hotkeys are also useful:
Windows logo key opens the Start Menu
WIN+D switches to desktop
WIN+E = Explorer
WIN+C = Charms
WIN+F = Search (Find)
WIN+I = Settings
You can also search for stuff by just opening the start menu and typing away. You don’t need the Search app.
You can regroup and resize all the various tiles on the Start Menu via drag&drop and rightclicking on them. You can name the tile groups by rightclicking above them.
The arrow at the bottom left of the start menu takes you to a list of all your apps.
Using the online synced Microsoft One Drive (Formerly Skydrive, but obviously that was far too good a name for Microsoft to keep) in place of the purely local Documents/Pictures/Music folders is a very valid approach provided that you a) have a sufficiently complex password on your Microsoft account and b) either have less than 7gb worth of files or are willing to pay for more space. If you want to do this, it’s simple. Just ask.
OneDrive will become available after you’ve updated a few times.
That’s about it. Really, this time tomorrow you’ll be wondering what the big deal was.
It is definitely free to upgrade to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8. I actually call it Windows 8 Service Pack 1, in consistency with previous Windows versions.
But I still use Windows 7. (I made it look like Windows XP!)
I’ve got a feeling the first bit of the 8.1 update had to be installed via the Windows Store - that might still be the case if starting from a truly 8.0 build.