Home > Articles > Operating Systems, Server > Microsoft Windows Desktop

Five Things You Can Tweak Right Away in Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 includes a number of features you can use to personalize the way the operating system looks and acts. This article spotlights five personalizations you can try as soon as you begin using Windows 8.1.
Like this article? We recommend

Like this article? We recommend

1: Display All Apps

When you first press the power button and enter your password on the Lock screen, the Start menu appears. By now you probably know the drill—to start an app you want to work with, you swipe or scroll to the right and then click or tap the app tile. But what if you have dozens—or hundreds—of apps on your Start screen? You could be scrolling right for a long time to find the app tile you need.

Now in Windows 8.1, Microsoft has made it easy to get a quick look at all the apps you have installed. And even better, you can launch the app from that same view. This view—called appropriately, Apps view—is available whenever you swipe up on the Start screen or position the mouse in the lower-left corner so that the down arrow appears.

Figure 1 When you position the mouse pointer in the lower-left corner of the Start screen, the down-arrow button appears.

2: Reorder Your Apps

Apps view lists all the apps you have installed in Windows 8. By default, Windows 8.1 lists the apps by name, in alphabetical order. You can click or tap the arrow to the right of By Name to display a list of additional options: By Date Installed, By Most Used, or By Category. The apps are reordered according to the option you select.

Figure 2 You can reorder your apps so that Windows 8.1 lists them by date, by usage, or by category.

3: Change the Look of the Start Screen

Windows 8.1 makes it easy for you to change the theme and color scheme of the Start screen; and you can do it without displaying PC Settings. Simply choose the Settings charm, and in the top of the Settings panel, click or tap Personalize. Click or tap the theme you want to apply in the gallery at the top of the panel. To choose the background color, click in the color bar below the Background Color display and then narrow the color to the shade you want by clicking it in the gallery.

Repeat the process to set the Accent color. The Start screen changes in real time to show you the effects of your changes. Continue experimenting with the theme and colors until you get just the effect you want. Then click outside the panel to close it and return to the Start screen.

Figure 3 Choose Personalize in the Settings panel to display the theme and color selections.

4: Show More Tiles

Another way you can improve the way Windows 8.1 uses the real estate on the Start screen is to choose the Show More Tiles option. You can find this option by choosing the Settings charm and then clicking or tapping Tiles. In the Tiles pane, slide the Show More Tiles setting to Yes. This changes the size of the tiles on your Start screen so that more tiles fit in the screen area. Instead of your app tiles appearing three tiles deep, they now display four rows of app tiles by default.

Figure 4 Use Show More Tiles to reduce the size of your app tiles and fit more tiles on the Start screen.

If your computer or device supports it, you can also change the size of apps in PC Settings. Choose the Settings charm and select Change PC Settings. Choose PC & Devices and then tap or click Display. In the More Options area, you can click the down-arrow for the Change the Size of Apps on the Displays That Can Support It option, and choose the setting you want to apply. If this selection is grayed out on your computer, your PC or device doesn’t support changing this setting.

5: Launch Straight to the Desktop

As you’ve probably heard, many people were unsure about Windows 8. Although Microsoft was excited to offer such a dramatic new release, the general public was hesitant to adopt a different, touchable approach to traditional computing. People complained that the Start button was missing, and many folks wanted a way to bypass the Start screen altogether.

In Windows 8.1, you can opt to have Windows boot right to the desktop. It’s this simple: Display the Desktop by clicking or tapping the Desktop app on the Start screen. Right-click a blank spot on the taskbar, and choose Properties from the list that appears. When the Taskbar and Navigation Properties dialog box appears, click the Navigation tab. The top check box in the Start Screen area gives you the option of going straight to the desktop instead of the Start screen when you log in. Click the check box and click OK to save your changes.

Figure 5 You can easily tell Windows to launch to the Desktop by choosing an option in the Navigation tab of the Taskbar and Navigation Properties dialog box.

Also in the Navigation tab of the Taskbar and Navigation Properties dialog box, you can apply the same background to your Desktop and the Start screen; tell Windows to display the Start screen when you press the Windows key; display Apps view automatically by default when you go to the Start screen; and show your desktop apps first in Apps view when you sort apps by category.

Final Thoughts

You can apply many more tweaks to Windows 8.1 to further personalize your app-wrangling experience. You can do things such as display a slide show on the lock screen, make calls and take photos without unlocking your computer, use new touch gestures for entering data, and much more. Explore the new release, and most important, makes Windows 8.1 your own by experimenting to find the personalizations you like best.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020