Windows 8 tweak. Part 1.

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WINDOWS 8 TIPS AND TRICKS.

part one

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00. Make a large app tile smaller

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You'll notice that Windows 8 apps come in different tile sizes, and these won't always be set up as you like (if you're not really interested in Sports, say, you might prefer that tile to be small).
In Windows 8, right-clicking a tile displays 'Smaller' or 'Larger' options which you can use to resize it.
Or in Windows 8.1, right-click a tile, 'Resize' and choose from one of four tile sizes: 'Large', 'Wide', 'Medium' and 'Small'.

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0.

Learn Windows key shortcuts

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*.Win : switch between the Start screen and the last-running Windows 8 app
*.Win + C : displays the Charms: the Settings, Devices, Share and Search options
*.Win + D : launches the desktop
*.Win + E : launches Explorer
*.Win + F : opens the File Search pane
*.Win + H : opens the Share pane
*.Win + I : opens Settings
*.Win + K : opens the Devices pane
*.Win + L : locks your PC
*.Win + M : minimises the current Explorer or Internet Explorer window (works in the full-screen IE, too)
*.Win + O : toggles device orientation lock on and off
*.Win + P : switch your display to a second display or projector
*.Win + Q : open the App Search pane
*.Win + R : opens the Run box
*.Win + U : open the Ease of Access Centre
*.Win + V : cycle through toasts (notifications)
*.Win + W : search your system settings (type POWER for links to all power-related options, say)
*.Win + X : displays a text menu of useful Windows tools and applets
*.Win + Z : displays the right-click context menu when in a full-screen app
*.Win + + : launch Magnifier and zoom in
*.Win + - : zoom out
*.Win + , : Aero peek at the desktop
*.Win + Enter : launch Narrator
*.Win + PgUp : move the current screen to the left-hand monitor
*.Win + PgDn : move the current screen to the right-hand monitor
*.Win + PrtSc : capture the current screen and save it to your Pictures folder
*.Win + Tab : switch between running apps

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1.

Boot desktop apps faster

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While you can still set up desktop apps to load when Windows 8 starts, they don't have the priority they once did. Quite the opposite, in fact - Windows 8 delays their launch to ensure everything else starts more quickly.
This can make the system more responsive as your system boots, but if you're switching straight to the desktop then it may slow you down, so it may be worth turning off the delay, just to see if you can spot any improvement.
Launch REGEDIT and browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize.
Create the Serialize key if it doesn't exist, and select it in the left-hand pane.
Right-click in the right-hand pane, create a new DWORD value called StartupDelayInMSec, and leave it set at zero (or, if a value is already there, set it to zero).
Restart and the desktop apps will now launch more quickly.
Try three or four test boots to see if there's any improvement, and if not, delete the StartupDelayInMSec value to restore the default settings.

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2.

Launch programs fast. What you need to know In Windows Phone 8

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If you're a fan of keyboard shortcuts and don't like the idea of scrolling through app tiles to find the program you need, don't worry, Windows 8 still supports a useful old shortcut. Which is perfect if, say, you're looking to be able to shut down your PC with a click.
Launch the desktop app, right-click an empty part of the desktop and click New > Shortcut.
Browse to the application you'd like to launch here. Or for the sake of this example, enter shutdown.exe -s -t 00 to shut down your PC, or shutdown.exe -h -t 00 to hibernate it, and click Next.
Type a shortcut name - 'Hibernate', say - and click Finish.
Right-click the shortcut, select Pin to Start and it should appear on the far right of the Start screen - just drag the tile wherever you like.