Windows 8 Quick Start Guide Contents What is this Start screen and where did the desktop go?... 2 How to get to the desktop from the Windows 8 start screen.... 2 How to get back to the Start screen from the desktop.... 2 Method 1:... 2 Method 2:... 3 Method 3:... 3 How to Log out... 3 More about the Charm bar... 4 Desktop:... 4 Control Panel:... 4 Personalization:... 4 PC Info:... 4 Help:... 4 How to change the volume... 4 How to turn the computer off... 4 How to close an app... 5 How to switch from an app to the desktop or to other open Windows apps.... 5 How to access Run, File Explorer, the Control Panel, Task Manager etc... 5 Search:... 5 File Explorer:... 5 Control Panel:... 5 Task Manager:... 5 Command Prompt:... 5 Computer management:... 5 Disk Management:... 5 Device Manager:... 5 System:... 5 Page 1
Event Viewer:... 5 Power Options:... 5 Mobility center:... 5 Programs and Features:... 5 What is this Start screen and where did the desktop go? This is most likely the first question you will ask when using Windows 8 for the first time. Do not worry the desktop is still there. The first screen you will come to after starting Windows 8 is the Start screen. The start screen contains Windows Apps (these are also sometimes referred to as Metro apps). When you touch or click an app it will come to life and fill the screen. Installed applications can be found here as well. There are also applications in other areas. More on that in a bit. How to get to the desktop from the Windows 8 start screen. 1. Touch or click the tile named Desktop. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Windows-D How to get back to the Start screen from the desktop. There are a few ways to do this. Method 1: Page 2
1. Using the stylus, flick the very rightmost part of the screen toward the center of the monitor. This should display the Charm bar. Another way to display the charm bar is by using the mouse. Go to the very top right corner of the monitor. This will also display the Charm bar. You can also get the Charm bar to display by the keyboard shortcut Windows-C. 2. Select the middle square icon. It will take you to the start screen. Method 2: 1. Using the stylus or the mouse, go to the very bottom left of the screen. The Start button will display. Click it or tap it to go the Start screen. Method 3: 1. Press the Windows key. This will switch between the Start screen and the last application used. How to Log out 1. On the Start screen you will find your name in the upper right corner of the screen. Click it. 2. Select Log off. Page 3
More about the Charm bar Here is what each item of the Charm bar does. 1. The magnifying glass lets you search for apps, files, the Internet, Maps, Music and more. 2. The sharing circle allows you to share things directly to facebook, twitter, email, etc. 3. The square that looks like a window will take you to the Start screen. 4. The icon just under the square will give you access to connected devices like USB drives, cameras etc. 5. The gear icon will take you to the settings. Here are the various options found there: Desktop: Using this option from anywhere other than the desktop will allow you to get to the desktop. Control Panel: Opens the control panel. Personalization: This is where you can change themes, background, colors, sounds. PC Info: Opens System windows and system settings that can be changed. Help: Opens a Windows support window. You can also search for topics here. Network, volume, brightness, notification, power (this is where you can turn it off) click to Shut Down or Restart. How to change the volume 1. Open the Charm bar. Using the stylus, flick the very rightmost part of the screen toward the center of the monitor. This should display the Charm bar. Another way to display the charm bar is by using the mouse. Go to the very top right corner of the monitor. This will also display the Charm bar. You can also get the Charm bar to display by the keyboard shortcut Windows-C. 2. Select the gear icon. From there you should see volume control. Adjust as needed. How to turn the computer off 1. Open the Charm bar. Using the stylus, flick the very rightmost part of the screen toward the center of the monitor. This should display the Charm bar. Another way to display the charm bar is by using the mouse. Go to the very top right corner of the monitor. This will also display the Charm bar. You can also get the Charm bar to display by the keyboard shortcut Windows-C. 2. Click the power icon. Page 4
How to close an app 1. To close the app, move the pointer (via mouse or by touching) to the top of the screen in the middle. You will notice that the pointer turns into a hand. 2. Click (or touch) and drag the screen to the bottom of the monitor then let go. The app will then be closed. How to switch from an app to the desktop or to other open Windows apps. 1. From inside an app, you can switch to the desktop or another open Windows app by taking the pointer (mouse or touch) to the upper left corner. There you will see a screen image of the desktop as well as different screens for the Windows apps that you have opened. 2. Using a touch screen you can also flip through opened apps and the desktop by flicking from the very left-middle side of the screen toward the right. Use a stylus for this. How to access Run, File Explorer, the Control Panel, Task Manager etc. 1. From the desktop, mouse to the lower left corner and RIGHT click. Or you can use Windows + X. Run: How you will open file or folder by name, or launch etc. Search: takes you to search. File Explorer: opens file explorer view. Control Panel: takes you to control panel Task Manager: opens new and improved task manager. Command Prompt: what you would expect. you may or may not have rights Computer management: get to event viewer etc. Disk Management: Tech stuff Device Manager: Opens device manager System: brings up the System stuff Event Viewer: Opens Event viewer logs. This is for technicians. Power Options: Opens power options. Mobility center: This gives you various control settings for laptops. Programs and Features: Opens the Add or Remove software Page 5