Windows 8.1 Archives - Page 22 of 35

How to reset the Start Screen layout in Windows 8.1 and Windows 8

In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, the Start Screen is designed as a touchscreen-friendly Start menu replacement. It focuses on the concept of pinning. Everything must be pinned to the Start screen and it appears as a tile. Earlier in Windows 8 RTM, it pinned every single installed app automatically, creating a real mess of random icons splattered all across the Start Screen. Thankfully, in Windows 8.1, Microsoft has changed this behavior. Windows 8.1 does not pin anything automatically, so you are able to keep your Start Screen well organized. With help of apps like Pin to 8, you can even pin any file, folder or system location.

If you want to change the way your Start Screen is organized, you may want to reset its layout to the defaults. It's pretty easy to do this.

Customize the taskbar date and time formats in Windows 8.1, Windows 8 and Windows 7

One of our readers wanted to know what is a good clock replacement for the default Taskbar clock in Windows because he didn't like the format in which Windows shows the time and date. While many power users would want to replace the system tray clock on the Taskbar with a more powerful one for extra features, the format of the built-in clock in modern versions of Windows is customizable. In this article we will see how we can change the format.

Reduce extra space between icons on the taskbar and tray notification area

Ever since Windows 7 got released, the Windows desktop has had a redesigned Taskbar which is also designed for multi-touch. The icons are larger on the Taskbar so they're easier to access using touch and they are spaced wider apart. The notification area icons (the small ones in the system tray) are also spaced much farther apart than they were in previous versions of Windows. While this definitely makes them easier to access, they do waste a lot of space. Let us see how we can reduce the space between the icons on the taskbar as well as the icons in the notification area.

Customization for power users with 7+ Taskbar Tweaker

In an earlier article, we became familiar with how we can make the taskbar in Windows 8.1, Windows 8 and Windows 7 work like the classic XP taskbar using 7+ Taskbar Tweaker. It also includes some extra customizations for advanced users which we will look at today.

Get a classic taskbar in Windows 8 and Windows 7 that works like XP

Ever since Microsoft redesigned the taskbar in Windows 7 and simply declared it as a superior one, long-time users of Windows have been frustrated at being unable to use it the way they were accustomed to in classic versions of Windows. Not only did the reimagined taskbar change the design of many features without giving any choice but it also eliminated some features of the classic Taskbar. Let us see how we can make the new Taskbar work exactly like the good, old classic Taskbar. You will need to install a free third party program.

How to set a folder view in Explorer for all folders – List, Details, Tiles, Small or Large Icons

If you use the built-in file manager in Windows, Windows Explorer, you will realize that it has a feature to remember each folder's view setting. Unfortunately, it is not explained very properly by Microsoft and some changes were made in modern Windows versions which make it even more confusing for end users. We constantly get this question asked by our readers - is there any way to make Windows Explorer set a desired view for all folders and then remember it? Let us explore how to do that.

How to include UNC network folder paths and shares in Libraries

Ever since Libraries were introduced in Windows 7, you can't include folders on the network in a Library. When you try to include a network location, Explorer blocks it and gives you an error "This network location can't be included because it is not indexed." How then do you include network folder paths in a Library? Read on to find out.

How to disable Metro toast notifications on the Desktop

With Windows 8, Microsoft has introduced a new notification system: instead of balloon tooltips in the tray, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 use toast notifications, which appear on the right side of the screen and fade away after some time.

Such kind of notifications perfectly fit the Modern UI of Windows 8, which has a flat and touch friendly design. However, the classic Desktop is another story. These new toast notifications look out of place on the Desktop. In this article, we will look at how we can disable Metro toast notifications on the Desktop.

Fix: A line shows below Explorer’s address bar after disabling Ribbon in Windows 8.1 and Windows 8

Recently one user of our own Ribbon Disabler app faced an issue with Explorer: after disabling the ribbon, there was an unwanted extra line showing below the address bar:

In the screenshot above, you can see a custom theme installed on Windows 8.1, the Base VS. So the question arises whether the line appeared due to a bug in Ribbon Disabler or it was some Windows Explorer issue. Being eager to fix the issue myself and make sure there was no bug in Winaero Ribbon Disabler, I investigated further.

How to play the logon or startup sound in Windows 8.1 or Windows 8

Every release of Windows since as far back as I can remember (Windows 3.1) has played a welcome sound at startup. In Windows NT-based systems, there is a startup sound as well as separate logon sound. A sound can also play when Windows logs off or when it shuts down. You can assign all these sounds from Control Panel -> Sound. But in Windows 8, sounds for these events have been eliminated almost entirely. Let's see how to revive them.