Sergey Tkachenko, Author at Winaero

How to open the Win+X menu on a touch screen

The Win+X menu is one of the handy features of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 on the desktop. When you press the Win+X hotkey on the keyboard, it appears in the bottom left corner.

It contains quick links to the main control panel items, some administrative tools and provides quick access to the command prompt or PowerShell. Additionally, in Windows 8.1 it allows you to quickly sign out, shutdown and restart.

On a tablet with a touch screen, you might need to open that Win+X menu, but without a keyboard or a mouse, you may not be aware how to access it. Here's how to access it.

Nature HD#27 theme for Windows 8

How to copy process details from the Task manager in Windows 8.1 and Windows 8

Windows 8's completely new Task Manager has many changes compared to the Task Manager in Windows 7 and below. Now, it features a simplified mode, and the advanced mode has more detailed performance information. There's added management of startup apps with a very useful "startup impact" calculation feature. But one of the real improvements is that you can now easily copy detailed information of an application or service with the modern Task Manager of Windows 8.1/8 with a quick and easy keystroke. Let's see how.

How to copy text from dialog boxes in Windows 8.1

Sometimes, while using Windows, you need to copy the text from the some message box which appears on your screen. For example, some application may show you an error message or crash details. In such a scenario, you would want to copy its text to the clipboard so you can paste it in Google's search box or into your Instant Messaging software to discuss it with your friend or support engineer. Well, here's a trick that you may not be aware of.

Daily Bing #30 theme for Windows 8

Daily Bing #30

Create a shortcut to open Skydrive Metered options in Windows 8.1

Skydrive Metered options in Windows 8.1 is a set of settings which allow you to control Skydrive's behavior when you are on a metered connection. You can enable or disable one or few settings to prevent SkyDrive from using your metered connection as it can be expensive. For example, you can disable file upload and synchronization while you are roaming. These settings are a part of the Modern PC Settings application, but you can create a shortcut to open them directly with one click.

How to get rid of Australis in Firefox

Few days ago, I wrote about an extension for Mozilla Firefox which will allow you to disable Australis, the new user experience in Firefox and get back the classic user interface. Today, I am happy to share with you that the extension has got a name, Classic Theme Restorer. This awesome extension works like a charm and allows you to get rid of Australis completely, right after install. As the author promised, the extension is available for download in time as Australis reached the nightly build of Firefox.

[Bug] Desktop turns black in Windows 8.1

Yesterday I discovered a bug in Windows 8.1. It is not a critical bug, but a bit annoying. After doing a specific sequence of actions, the Desktop turns black and does not show the wallpaper. This bug is related to the "Show Desktop icons" feature. Here is how to reproduce this bug.

Cosmos theme from Windows 8

Exclusive: How to reduce distance to drag close Metro apps and speed up closing in Windows 8.1

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably saw my tutorial "how to close Modern apps", which I posted recently where I explained that apps no longer close when dragged from the top to the bottom - you have to drag and hold the apps to fully close them. Today, I would like to share with you an exclusive tutorial for Windows 8.1 which will improve your Modern app closing experience by leaps and bounds. I discovered some hidden secret parameters which will allow you finally to fine tune the way Modern apps are closed in Windows 8.1. Also, I will share with you my new revived tool, CloseThreshold for Windows 8.1!