Ooops! 10 Common User Errors & How To Fix Them In Windows 8
Try as it might to be an easy-to-use, simplified operating system, Windows 8 is still Windows at heart. If you're using Windows 8's desktop, you'll still be facing many of the issues you faced on previous versions of Windows. We'll cover some common problems users will face and how to fix them on Windows 8. Some of these tricks may work on previous versions of Windows, but Windows 8 adds many new tools to help with these sorts of problems. For example, Windows 8 includes a built-in antivirus.
How To Control Your Windows 8 PC From Your Mobile Device
Sometimes it's nice to just plug your laptop into an HDTV and watch some Netflix — until you have to pause it or adjust the volume. Then you have to get up and walk across the room to click around on your computer. There just has to be a better way to do it. Apps like Team Viewer or Pocketcloud come to mind, but you don't always need complete remote access to your computer; sometimes you just need an easy to use remote for your computer. That's where Windows 8 Controller comes in.
How To Remove Ads From Native Windows 8 Apps
In-app adverts have become a bit of a problem for Windows 8 users, particularly for those native Microsoft apps that you’ve already paid for. With third party apps you get the option of upgrading to remove the ads; this isn’t the case with apps like Bing News. Ads can be distracting and disruptive, and when found within apps that you’ve already paid for, their presence can become pretty galling. Fortunately, there is a very good chance that you are able to remove the adverts from native Microsoft apps.
10 Windows 8 Start Screen Hacks
Windows is moving towards a more locked-down direction with Windows 8 and its Start screen and "Modern" app environment. There's no denying this -- you can't even set a custom Start screen background without installing a third-party utility. Luckily, Windows hasn't completely shed its legacy of customizability, yet. There are many different hacks you can perform with the Start screen, although most of them should have been included with Windows 8 itself. This article reveals them all.
Game On: 10 Windows 8 Metro Games You Don't Want To Miss
Gaming on Windows 8 has also proved a provocative talking point, with people such as Valve chief Gabe Newell declaring that the platform would be "a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space." Naturally, the vast majority of games that run on Windows 7 will also run on Windows 8 in desktop mode – but what about games for the touchscreen, Modern/Metro mode? In fact, there is a good selection of titles, from platform-specific strategy games to titles ported from iOS and other platforms.
How to Jailbreak Your Windows RT Device and Run Unapproved Desktop Software
Windows RT is the locked-down version of Windows 8 for ARM computers, as seen on Microsoft's Surface RT tablet and other Windows RT devices. Windows RT doesn't allow you to install your own desktop programs. You're limited to the included desktop programs written by Microsoft or Modern apps from the Windows Store. However, there are ways to jailbreak your Windows RT device and run unapproved software on the desktop. These tricks are for the geeks who want to make their Surface do more than what it was designed to do.
How to Run Old Games & Software in Windows 8
One of Microsoft's big strengths -- and weaknesses -- is their focus on backwards compatibility. Most Windows applications will work just fine on Windows 8. This is especially true if they worked on Windows 7, as Windows 8 is very similar to Windows 7. Some old games and software, particularly ones designed for older operating systems like Windows XP, Windows 98, or DOS, may not work properly out of the box. The below tips apply to all different types of software and will help you get an idea what the problem is.
Managing Notifications in Windows 8
Windows 8's new app platform provides an integrated notification system for Modern apps. Windows 8-style apps can use several different types of notifications -- traditional toast notifications, lock screen notifications, and live tiles. All of these can be managed, whether you want to disable an app's notifications, allow notifications only for certain email accounts, or temporarily silence notifications. Unfortunately, Windows 8 doesn't include a notification center that shows a history of your notifications in one place.
2 Windows 8 Swype-Like Touch Keyboards Tested
On more than one occasion, I've found myself attempting to drag my finger around the keyboard on my Windows 8 tablet, only to be disappointed when only a single letter is entered. Swype-like input is simple, intuitive, and fast. So why can't a Windows 8 tablet do that? Well, it can—sort of. There are a couple limited options you can choose from. They won't be a perfect replacement for your keyboard, but they can offer some good Swype-style relief for those days when you really don't want to lift your finger off the screen.
3 Uncommon Ways to Use Your Laptop Touchpad
Your laptop's touchpad seems like a simple, boring piece of technology, used only when no mouse is available. But touchpads can be fast and efficient. They have shortcuts for everything from easily scrolling to gestures for quickly getting around in Windows 8. Spend a moment learning your touchpad's tricks and configuring actions that work well for you. It will pay off when you can use your touchpad to get things done faster. For Windows 8 users, touchpads are a great way to add touch gestures to PCs without touch.
4 Amazing Lens Apps for Nokia Windows Phones
Windows Phone 8’s growth has been slow but steady in the months since its release, an increase that can in part be contributed to Nokia’s excellent series of smartphones and camera hardware. Complementing this is a series of apps intended for Nokia phones that integrated with the camera to produce enhanced photo tools, augmented reality and other excellent utilities. There are four amazing lens apps for Nokia Windows Phones below, each of which is available free from the Windows Phone Store.
Great Time Saving Tips For Managing Email in Windows 8
Depending on the volume of messages you need to process, managing emails can be a tedious task. With the Windows 8 Mail app, Microsoft introduced an application that makes this task very convenient. The interface is visually pleasing, simplistic, intuitive, and yet the app is surprisingly comprehensive. For those of you using Windows 8 and looking for an application to manage multiple email accounts, give the native Mail app a try and consider the following tips&tricks to save time wile managing your emails.
How To Upgrade To Windows 8.1 Preview & What To Expect
Anyone using Windows 8 can now upgrade to a preview version of Windows 8.1 for free. This update refines Windows 8, giving keyboard and mouse users important interface improvements and making the Modern interface more powerful. Note that you can't downgrade back to Windows 8 without completely reinstalling your operating system from Windows 8 installation media or a recovery drive. Windows 8.1 Preview is thus best confined to computers you can afford to experiment with and virtual machines.
3 Ways to Disable Windows 8 Gestures
Windows 8 is full of gestures and shortcuts. In addition to touch-screen gestures, there are swipe gestures you can perform with your laptop's touchpad and mouse gestures that involve moving your cursor to the corners of the screen. However, there are ways to disable all of these gestures. This is particularly useful if these gestures get in your way while using your touchpad or mouse. You can even disable a Windows 8 device's touch screen entirely -- we don't recommend it, but it's something you can do if you want.
Did You Know You Could Customize The Windows Context Menu? Organize It With Right Click Enhancer
Have you ever wondered if there could be more to the Windows context menu? It has a dedicated key on every keyboard, yet are we really using it to it's full potential? Perhaps it's clogged up with a bunch of program entries from software that you don't really use. Now technically, you don't need a program to remove context entries, but if you want to extend your context menu beyond the defaults that Microsoft has limited it at, I recommend taking a look at Right Click Enhancer.
How To Set Up & Troubleshoot The Mail App In Windows 8
Windows 8 features a pretty slick Mail app. If you thought it only supported Microsoft accounts, such as Hotmail, Windows Live, or Outlook, you were wrong. The Windows 8 Mail app lets you add any email account that supports IMAP. As it always is in life, the theory is beautiful, but in practice we run into all sorts of petty issues. That was me when I tried to set up the Windows 8 Mail app. This article will help you set up the Mail app and troubleshoot common pitfalls in case you get stuck.
6 Safest Ways to Backup & Restore Your Files in Windows 7 & 8
By now, we're sure you've read the advice over and over: Everyone needs to back up their files. But deciding to back up your files is only part of the process. There are so many different ways to back up your files, and it can be hard knowing where to start. We'll cover all the best ways you can back up your files and help you find the method that's right for you. The most important thing is having several copies of your files -- either on an external drive or in the cloud somewhere.
How To Restore, Refresh, or Reset Your Windows 8 Installation
In addition to the standard System Restore feature, Windows 8 has features for "refreshing" and "resetting" your PC. Think of these as ways of quickly re-installing Windows -- either keeping your personal files or deleting them from your hard drive. In addition to functioning as troubleshooting features, Refresh and Reset are similar to the "restore to factory defaults" option found on many simpler devices. We'll explain how to use these features, but we'll also explain what they do and when you'd want to use them.
How This Freelance Writer Maximises Productivity With Windows 8 & Windows Phone 8
My personal desktop setup has changed considerably in the past few months since purchasing the Acer Iconia W7 series tablet, which I use as my primary PC. Gone is the tower of my old self build AMD-powered game station, replaced by far more compact dimensions, a new monitor and an external HDD. This is the main hub of my professional life: a Windows 8 tablet. Yes, you read that right. Let me demonstrate how you can be productive with Windows 8. It is possible, and with the right apps you can get great results.
Every Windows 8 Shortcut - Gestures, Desktop, Command Line
Windows 8 is all about shortcuts. People with touch-enabled PCs use touch gestures, users without touch devices must learn the mouse shortcuts, power users use keyboard shortcuts on the desktop and novel command-line shortcuts, and you can even use special swipe gestures on your laptop's touchpad. Here we collected all the shortcuts you need to master Windows 8. If you've upgraded to Windows 8 or bought a new PC that came with Windows 8, you'll find that a lot has changed.