Windows 8/8.1 tips and tricks - post them here

[FaiKee]

The registry entries are in : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ShellCompatibility\InboxApp

However, I got a problem here: if I try to add a new key - access denied

the "event viewer" is quite useless for me, so I tried to edit it to another program, e.g. mspaint.exe, access denied

[br0adband]

You're not going to be able to add new shortcuts for a variety of reasons, the most notable being the way the permissions are set for that folder, and tampering with the permissions or trying to add your user to any of the groups that have already limited access just pooches the whole thing completely.

In time someone might figure out a way to add custom shortcuts but for the moment it's just not going to work properly if at all.

[George P Global Moderator]

MS should just add a control/menu of some sort that lets you edit/add items to the menu when you want. It shouldn't be hard to just have it ask you what you want to add and what you want to name it and let it do the rest.

Though I never looked at making a shortcut to a specific part of the OS, like the links to specific parts of the Control Panel that are already in that menu.

[V23]

Every time I open a video in Media Player Classic Home Cinema (latest version) I keep getting this dialog box:

I can click OK/close the box and the video will play fine but was wondering if there's a way to get rid of it.

Thanks.

[Excelsis]

Every time I open a video in Media Player Classic Home Cinema (latest version) I keep getting this dialog box:

I can click OK/close the box and the video will play fine but was wondering if there's a way to get rid of it.

Thanks.

Download and run this.

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=35

It updates DX, like it asks you to do. Microsoft still has out of date DX libraries in W8. It's the same in W7.

[statm1]

I bet the first thing you'll see is someone add Shutdown to it, probably a link to a simple shutdown.bat file, heh.

I've already heard that MS is going to add shutdown to that list between now and the RC or RTM which ever comes first. It just didn't make it in time before the CP went into escrow.

[George P Global Moderator]

I've already heard that MS is going to add shutdown to that list between now and the RC or RTM which ever comes first. It just didn't make it in time before the CP went into escrow.

If true, it makes sense, and is the best place to add it IMO. MS should add a properties section for the menu itself and let us tweak it though. Lots of people should be asking for this. Heck, if you could set some kb shortcuts to things in there that'd be useful.

[Anthonyd]

I've already heard that MS is going to add shutdown to that list between now and the RC or RTM which ever comes first. It just didn't make it in time before the CP went into escrow.

Source? :)

[statm1]

Source? :)

I want to say Paul Thurrott said it during a Windows Weekly episode but I don't really remember which one.

[Matthew_Thepc]

Doesn't quite work the same in the Consumer Preview. I assume they'll also be properly signed by RTM too.

Try it, but with C:\Program Files\WindowsApps

[V23]

Download and run this.

http://www.microsoft...ails.aspx?id=35

It updates DX, like it asks you to do. Microsoft still has out of date DX libraries in W8. It's the same in W7.

Thanks, it worked.

[Anthonyd]

I want to say Paul Thurrott said it during a Windows Weekly episode but I don't really remember which one.

Almost everything that Paul Thurrott said has been proved wrong over the last couples of years.

In fact, when he says something now, people are excepting the opposite :p

[WizardCM]

Almost everything that Paul Thurrott said has been proved wrong over the last couples of years.

In fact, when he says something now, people are excepting the opposite :p

And that's because (annoyingly) Microsoft aren't being open about everything. I mean, how many times has Mary Jo Foley said on Windows Weekly "we just don't know." Microsoft are trying to be too much like Apple, and because we Microsoft fans have become so used to getting the interesting information early, it's getting extremely annoying not getting this kind of information.

JUST TELL US WHAT IS GOING ON MICROSOFT.

:p

[Anthonyd]

Microsoft are trying to be too much like Apple,

I don't think they are, not at all. Just look at how any billet blog they have made about Windows 8.

[WizardCM]

I don't think they are, not at all. Just look at how any billet blog they have made about Windows 8.

Well Paul Thurrott, especially when mentioning the Building Windows 8 blog, says that Steven Sinofsky and the other writers say very little in a large amount of words. They're trying to seem like they're giving out all the information, but in the end we have more questions rather than answers.

And when it comes to Apple, they give very little away. I mean, how about when the iPhone 4S came out. EVERYONE believed it would be the iPhone 5, and there was a multitude of rumors that never went anywhere. Apple did very little to stop the rumours, or to clear anything up.

[George P Global Moderator]

Timing is important in all this as well, if you give out too much then wait so long before RTM etc then you start to lose peoples interest. MS is giving out info little by little but the info they do give out is for things that are, so far, looking like they're locked and done. Things they don't talk about are probably still in some sort of flux internally.

I'm waiting for them to announce some new show for the summer, maybe around the time they're ready to release the RC to us. That event should give us a large chunk of new and final information because they'll have locked/signed-off on things by then.

[UncleSpellbinder]

Here is a new one, you can now take screenshots without any additional software. To do this simply press WINKEY + PrtScn (Print Screen) on your keyboard.

The screenshots are saved directly to your "pictures" library and have the name "Screenshot" (if additional screenshots are captured, they will be named "Screenshot (1)" and so on).

The screenshots are saved as PNG files.

Doesn't work for me.

[Eric Veteran]

I didn't see this one posted yet, but I just noticed semantic zoom works on the All Apps page, too!

[Stoffel]

I didn't see this one posted yet, but I just noticed semantic zoom works on the All Apps page, too!

Thanks for that one!

[FaiKee]

Askvg came up with the solution to customize the "WinX Start Menu"(right click on desktop bottom left corner), turnes out to be quite complicated and involves editing twinui.dll:

http://www.askvg.com/exclusive-how-to-add-new-shortcuts-in-quick-access-menu-win-x-menu-of-windows-8/

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Askvg came up with the solution to customize the "WinX Start Menu"(right click on desktop bottom left corner), turnes out to be quite complicated and involves editing twinui.dll:

http://www.askvg.com...u-of-windows-8/

interesting

now to wait for someone to come out with an easy to use program that takes advantage of that :)

[Ci7]

Not sure if this has been mentioned.

I removed a hard drive from one PC to another. Totally different hardware. Windows 8 Discovered this and cleverly rebuilt itself quickly and booted me into windows as if nothing had changed. Nice job MS !!!

you can do that since Vista.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

you can do that since Vista.

really? I always thought you couldn't do that because windows would freak out because the mobo is different

[dafin0]

really? I always thought you couldn't do that because windows would freak out because the mobo is different

it can be pretty hit and miss, going from AMD to a Intel chip will sometimes cause a nice bluescreen

but with Windows 2 go or what ever they call it, it seams to be a lot more consistent with working. at lest in my tests

[Ci7]

really? I always thought you couldn't do that because windows would freak out because the mobo is different

it always worked for me so long as

1- both machines are either AHCI or IDE (otherwise it would Bsod)

2- both being Intel based or AMD (you have 50%/50% chance otherwise )