Most interface changes to new editions of Windows have been minor--an icon moved here, a toolbar added there. Windows 8 will be different, using a completely new Metro interface as the primary environment, and removing important elements like the Start menu from the older but still accessible “desktop” interface. Even IT pros may need to do some web searching to figure out some features. What questions will your workers have, and will you have the answers?
With all that in mind, here are answers to some of the basic questions workers will be asking their first day using Windows 8.
How Do I Log On?
Unless you’re the one installing Windows 8, the first thing you’re likely to see on a Windows 8 device is a scenic background with an overlaid clock. Similar to using CTR+ALT+DEL to access the logon screen in previous version of Windows, to expose the logon screen in Windows 8 either swipe (slide your finger across a touchscreen) or drag (click and move with a pointing device) the Lock screen upward.
Where Is the Start Menu?
The Start menu is gone, no longer a part of Windows. Instead, your starting point will be the Metro interface Start screen, comprised of smart "tiles" that act like desktop shortcuts and can contain all sorts of information related to a program, such as listing your latest email messages, upcoming calendar appointments, or incoming chats.
How Do I Get Back to Metro?
Where Are My Apps?
Some of your apps are shown as tiles on the Start screen. If you don’t see what you need there, open the Charms Bar and select search. This will reveal an Apps screen that you can scroll or swipe through, or you can type within the search bar to see apps and other content related to your search.
How Do I Close My Apps?
In the desktop interface, closing apps is the same as in previous versions of Windows. You can choose Exit from the File menu, or use the Close button (red ‘X’ in the title bar). Metro apps don’t need to be closed, as Windows 8 manages them in the background in a Suspended mode. If you do want to close one anyway, on a touchscreen device you can drag in and back out from the left edge of the screen to reveal a list of running apps, then drag the icon for the app you wish to close to the bottom of the screen. Or, with a pointing device, move to the lower left corner to reveal your last used app, then move your pointing device up the left edge of the screen to reveal a list of running apps. Right-click and choose Close on the desired app.
How Do I Shut Down or Restart?
Why Don't My Websites Work?
If you are using Internet Explorer in the Metro interface, it does not support plug-ins or toolbars. This will break some web features that rely on plug-ins such as ActiveX, Flash, or Silverlight. If you visit a website that requires plug-ins you will generally see a warning message, with an option to open the site in the desktop version of Internet Explorer, which still supports plug-ins and toolbars.
How Do I Open Web Pages in IE Desktop?
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Joseph Fieber has 25 years of experience as an IT pro, with a background in computer consulting and software training. Follow him on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter, or contact him through his website, JosephFieber.com.