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10 tips for Windows 8.1

20th February 2014 Print

Let's face it, the introduction of Windows 8 came as quite a shock. The multi-platform operating system and user interface was met with mixed reviews thanks to its bright, bold appearance, Live Tiles, touch-screen compatibilities and revamped Start screen – but that's all in the past.

Microsoft have seemingly listened to the feedback from customers and released the first significant update to the operating system, appropriately named Windows 8.1. Available to download onto Windows 8 devices – available in computer shops or online via sites like eBay - it addresses many of the problems first mentioned by consumers, so check out these top ten usability tips.

Enjoy the Start button

If you spend hours searching from the Start button omitted from Windows 8 – fear not, this little gem is back. Simply click it to return to the Live Tile screen at any time or right-click to access other areas of the system such as the Control Panel and Task Manager.

Boot to the Desktop

Thanks to the Windows 8.1 upgrade, you no longer have to stare at big blocks of colour every time you switch on your computer. That's right, now you can boot straight to Desktop. To do this, right-click on the Desktop taskbar, choose Properties and open up the Navigation tab. Once the grey box appears, scroll down to the Start Screen section and tick the first box, which essentially says go to Desktop instead of Start.

Customise the Start screen

If you happen to like the Start screen and don't know what all the fuss is about, you're in luck. With an array of customisation options, you can now right-click on the Start screen to rename shortcuts and change tile sizes, or open the Settings charm to choose your wallpaper and colours.

Utilise split-screen

With Windows 8, you could display two apps on the same screen with a ration of 70/30 but this functionality has been significantly improved. Now, you can split apps in ratios of 70/30, 60/40 or 50/50, giving you much more flexibility and choice. To split your screen 50/50, for instance, open both apps so that one is taking up the whole page then swipe in from the left and hold your finger until the second app appears. 

Create a slide show

Believe it or not, you no longer have to look at one static image while your computer is in lock mode. You can now enjoy a slide show by going from the Settings icon to Change PC settings > PC and devices > Lock screen. Then from there you can switch the slide show option to 'On' and specify exactly where you want the images to be pulled from. A rather swanky improvement we must say.

Keep your tabs and address bar on view

The good news is that a modern version of Internet Explorer 11 comes with Windows 8.1. The bad news is it hides your web page and tabs as soon as you load up another page. To change this, all you need to do is to launch Internet Explorer 11, select Setting from the Charms menu, click Options in the submenu and slide “always show address bar and tabs” to On. sorted!

Check your app sizes

If you want to know how much storage space your apps are taking up (and what you can cut) – here's how! Go to the Settings charm on the right hand side. Choose Change PC settings > Search and apps > App sizes and you'll see a list of currently installed apps with the biggest at the top. Good to know if you want to free up some room on your laptop.

Access SkyDrive files offline

With SkyDrive now more deeply integrated into the Windows 8.1 system, you can access all your cloud storage offline. To do this, tap the SkyDrive tile to launch the app. Next, swipe from the right of the screen to reveal more options and tap the Gear icon to bring up the Settings menu. Once that's done, go to Options and make sure the “access all files offline” toggle is on.

Use one background

Want to use your Desktop background on the Start screen? No problem! Simply go to the Settings charm on the Start screen, choose the Personalise option and you'll see your current Desktop wallpaper as one of the options. It's simple things like this that makes Windows 8.1 a whole lot simpler to use.

Edit your photos

Editing your photos is now easier than ever thanks to the Microsoft 8.1 update. It seems the team have been working hard on the Start screen apps which means you can now make a range of edits to your photos using an array of nifty tools. To do this, select the image from the Photo app, right-click, select Edit and you'll have access to many filter and adjustment options.