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10 more Windows 8.1 tips

If you have to use it every day, there’s no such thing as knowing too much about Windows 8.1. Not too long back, we ran a series of special features detailing everything that was new in the latest update, and it proved very popular. So much so, in fact, that we thought we’d put up another ten tips to help our readers discover the useful ins and outs of Microsoft’s latest operating system.

Tile Size

Change the size of your tiles

Windows 8.1 gives you four different tile sizes to choose from, meaning you can size the tiles on your Start Screen according to how much ‘live data’ the underlying app can display. To do it, simply right-click on the tile, go to Resize and choose the setting most appropriate to your tastes. That way, you can get creative with your tile layout and how it’s arranged.

Same_BG_Image_Circled

Show the same background image when viewing the Start Screen and the desktop

Opening the Start Screen in Windows 8.1 can be a little off-putting when its background isn’t the same as your desktop’s. Fortunately, changing that is easy-peasy: simply right-click your taskbar and click Properties, then go to the Navigation tab. You’ll see an option called ‘Show my desktop background on Start’; put a tick in it and you’re done.

Sort_Your_Apps

Sort your apps list

By default, all of the apps on your Start Screen are listed alphabetically. If you’d prefer to sort them by the ones you use most frequently, or by the date they were installed, you can do that by clicking where you see “by category” in the heading. A list containing all three options will appear, and you need to click on the one that suits you best.

Turn Live Tile Off

Disable or enable Live Tiles

Microsoft was very proud of Windows 8’s “Live Tiles” that displayed information about the Start Menu’s programs, like weather details, emails in the Mail app and updates from various social media in the People tile. But not everyone likes or needs that, which makes the ability to turn “Live Tiles” off rather useful. To do it, all you have to do is right-click the tile that’s annoying you and choose “Turn live tile off” from the menu. To do that to more than one tile, hold the left control key down when you’re left-clicking tiles to choose them.

Customise_Lock_Screen

Customise your lock screen

If you want a specific photo to show when your computer is locked, go to PC Settings, then choose PC and Devices. The first category is Lock Screen, and it’s here you can choose the exact photo you wish to use from anywhere on your PC, OneDrive or a network share. You can also add an entire folder full of pictures to use that will play on your Lock screen in a slideshow by setting “Play a slide show on the lock screen” to ON.

Move_Folders_OneDrive_Skitched

 

 

Save and sync folders via OneDrive

Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage service is a great way to synchronise your files across your Windows 8.1 PCs. To do it, right-click on each folder you’d like to sync in Explorer, choose Properties and then go to Location. Click Move, choose OneDrive as the storage location and let Windows do the rest. Now, any time you save something to those folders, it will upload to the internet, and be available from your other Windows 8.1 PCs once they’ve synced over the ‘net.

Apps_Side_By_Side

Run apps side by side

Windows 8.1 apps can be positioned side by side just like desktop apps. First, load an app then press the Windows Key and the left or right arrow key. This shelves it to either side of your screen. Next, left-click on the blank second half of the screen and choose your second app – this will open it in the unfilled part of the screen. And voila, you have two Modern UI apps running side by side.

Disable_Hot_corners

Disable hot corners

Disabling Windows 8’s annoying hot corners is now much easier thanks to the Windows 8.1 update. To do it, simply right-click the taskbar, choose Properties then go to Navigation. The first two options under ‘Corner navigation’ are what you’re looking for – remove the ticks from those two suckers and you’ll never again accidentally open the Charms bar with an errant mouse cursor.

Default_Apps

Select default apps

Choosing the app that opens certain file types by default is sometimes necessary if you have more than one that opens photos, for example. To choose the app that opens photos by default, open the Charms bar (swipe in from the right or press Win + C), click or tap Settings and then choose Change PC Settings. Choose Search and Apps, then click Defaults and make your selection.

Customise_Quiet_Hours

Set times when notifications are off

Windows 8 lets you specify “Quiet hours” where apps aren’t allowed to send you notifications of any kind. To access it, open your Charms menu with Win + C or by moving your mouse cursor into the top right corner and then down and choose Change PC Settings. Go to the Search and Apps section, click Notifications, and set the hours you’d like to be left alone.

Have a few tips of your own that we haven’t covered here? Send them to us and your tip could be featured in an upcoming “10 Tips” article.

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