Tech2 Touch

Tag: Windows Tips and Tricks

  • Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcut Keys

    Windows 8 the latest operating system from Microsoft is made big news because of its new User interface. This operating system is mainly built to use on touch screen devices. However, it runs and functions properly on even on normal non touch screen laptops and desktops. Those who are familiar with older versions of Windows, feel little difficult to adopt. So here is a simple tricks using keyboard shortcut keys to make life easier on Windows 8.

    Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcut Keys:

    1. Windows Key+C: This brings the side bar menu. Alternatively, you can move the cursor to right bottom or top corner to get this menu.
    2. Windows Key+I: This will show you the quick settings menu in the right side. Using this menu provides access to  Control panel, brightness of the screen, Power options, Volume etc. This is one of the most handy shortcut key and it is very useful for me because I do not have the touch screen device.
    3.Windows Key+D: This shows the desktop. It works even if you are in modern UI page or any other pages are open and if you want to go back to desktop, you can use this shortcut key.
    4. Windows Key: This will bring the modern UI.
    5. Windows Key+.(Period): This will snap the active app to right side bar. For example, you might have opened news app and you want to open other things. You can keep that modern UI app in the right side, so that even if you are opened other software or app, the side bar shows the your modern UI app.
    6. Windows Key+X: This gives you the power menu through which you can access Device manager, Run command, Disk Management etc.
    7. Windows Key+E: This quickly takes you to the My computer screen. This is another very useful shortcut key in Windows 8. Because there is no direct shortcut key to My computer in Windows 8 like its predecessors.
    8. Windows Key+Q: This shows the page which shows all the apps installed on the system
    9. Windows Key+F: You can this shortcut key to search for an app
    10. Windows Key+R: This opens the run command

    Other Miscellaneous Shortcut Keys For Various Tasks:

    1. For shutting down or restarting the system: Press Windows Key+I. This brings the right side settings menu. Choose power and select shutdown or restart.
    2. For showing the system information: Windows Key+X. This brings the power menu options in the left bottom corner. In that select the ‘System’. The new page opens which shows the system information such as Processor, RAM etc.
    3. Switching between  pages or apps:  Press Alt+Tab: using these two keys you can toggle between the active applications or pages. Use Alt+Tab+Shift to select the applications in the backward directions.
    4. Typing Indian Rupee Symbol: You can use Shit+Ctrl+$: This writes the rupee symbol if you are enabled the Indian keyboard layout.   I have written a detailed post on how i enabled rupee symbol on my Windows system You can read on this here . It works on all the keyboards irrespective of whether rupee symbol is written in the keyboard or not.

  • Set Default OS while booting in Multi Boot OS systems

    Some Laptops and Desktops have multiple versions of Windows.  The default operating system is automatically sets to the latest OS we installed.  There are times Primary OS we are using is not set as default one. So below is the steps to set the default Operating systems. Microsoft is providing a simple and very easy way of setting the default version of Windows to boot. So here is the guide, on how to set default Windows OS for booting.
    Change the default OS
    Steps for Setting default OS while booting:

    • Double click on the ‘My Computer” icon
    • New screen comes up. In the new screen select ” System Properties” button
    • Then select “Advanced system settings” link from the left panel.
    • Click on “Advance” Tab
    • Click on “Setting” button under the “Startup and recovery” Section
    • Select the default Operating system which needs to be set as Default OS  from Default operating system drop down menu.
    • Click ‘OK’ to Save.

    Steps for Setting default OS while booting in Windows 7:

    • Right click on “Computer” Icon which available in start menu right side.
    • Click on ” Advance System Setting”
    • Go to “Advanced” Tab.
    • Click on “Setting” button under the “Start up and recovery” Section
    • Select the default Operating system which needs to be set as Default OS  from Default operating system drop down menu.
    • Click ‘OK’ to Save.

    Note:

    • This will work only if the multiple OS are Windows based OS like Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7. This will not work if you are using Windows and Linux OS.
    • These setting needs to be changes in the Latest OS installed on your system. For example if you have Windows XP and Windows 7, then you need to set this settings in Windows 7.