Here is the list of some very useful Windows 8.1 Tips and Tricks.
1. Options in Start Menu Button.
If you right-click on it, it will show options for
Run,
Search,
Desktop,
Shut Down, and many more.
2. Picture Password for Logon Screen.
Windows 8.1 includes a new feature called Picture password,
which allows you to authenticate with the computer using a series of
gestures that include circles, straight lines, and taps. Enable this
feature if you want a new way to access your computer or have a hard
time with passwords.
- Open the Windows Charms.
- Click Settings and then More PC settings
- In the PC settings window click Users and then select Create a picture password
3. Log In Straight to Desktop
When you start your computer, by default it will take you to the
Start Screen. There is a way to start your computer and
go straight to the Desktop instead. Right-click on the desktop toolbar, select
Properties and go to the
Navigation tab.
Under the Start Screen options, enable the box "When I sign in or close
all applications on a screen, go to the desktop instead of Start".
5. Create A Lock Screen Slideshow
Previously, your Windows lock screen could only be a static photo. On
Windows 8.1, you are able to create a lock screen slideshow with your
favorite photos. To do this, go to the
Settings Charm menu, click on
Change PC Settings, select
PC and Devices then click on
Lock Screen. Enable the option
On to create a lock screen slideshow.
6. Sky Drive
Smart Files is a new feature on Windows 8.1 that allows you to
view your SkyDrive files without having to download everything onto your computer. When you browse through your SkyDrive folder in
File Explorer, you’ll see a column called
Availability.
By default, all the files are listed as
Online-only,
which means that as long as you are connected to the Internet, you can
view the files without actually having them on your computer’s hard
drive. If you want a particular SkyDrive file or folder to be available
offline, just right-click on it and select the
Make available offline option.
7. Automatic App Updates
Unlike Windows 8, app updates in Windows 8.1 will be automatically
installed by default without the user’s consent. To stop this from
happening, open
Windows Store and access the Settings
Charm menu – the charm must only be activated once in the Windows Store
or else it will not display the required menus. In the
Settings Charm menu, select
Settings and navigate to
App Updates. Enable or disable the option to automatically update apps.
8. Close App Running in Background
Previously on Windows 8, when you drag a Start Screen app down to the
bottom of the screen, it will close the app. However, on Windows 8.1,
this action will only make the app disappear – it is still running in
the background. To close the app,
drag the app down to the bottom of the screen but instead of letting it go, hold on to it. Wait until the app card flips over, and only now the app is closed.
9. Delete Old Temp Files
When you upgrade from an old version of Windows, Windows keeps a
C:\Windows.old with your old files. You can delete this folder to free up some storage space. To do this,
Search for
Disk Cleanup, and click on
Free up disk space shortcut. Next, click on
Clean up system files, enable the
Previous Windows Installation(s) option, and run a disk cleanup. If this option does not appear, that means there is nothing to clean up.
10. Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Last but not least, we have put together a list of
15 new keyboard shortcuts you can use on Windows 8.1.
