Just getting to grips with this on my new lappy - and not as bad as a feared. BUT, how to I close or minimise programmes???. Am I missing something obvious?

 

On a touch screen you sweep your finger down from the top of the screen to close a program.

 

With a mouse not sure.

 

Alt+F4 will close the current active program even on Win8.1

Edited 15 March, 201412 yr by Aspman

You should still have the usual ?in the top right and minimise button too. If not able to see the buttons check screen resolution or position... The buttons may be off the visible screen.

I use Win 8.1 and still use normal mouse clicks.

Hmmm, maybe its just "apps" that don't have these buttons, never did understand the difference between an app and a programme. Will check this out later.

News Just In.

Mozilla are abandoning work on a Win8 version of Firefox because no-one wants to work on it. A spokesman said "we have millions of people everyday come and beta test the desktop versions, but we have never had more than 1000 willing to beta test the Win8 version.

use your mouse to drag the app from the top of the screen to the bottom (same as finger swipe) or better still get a add on shell to make it look and feel the same as XP, vista or win 7  like this one http://www.classicshell.net/

 

John

If it's one of the full screen apps, move the mouse pointer to the top left corner of the desktop and you'll see everything that's running - you can then right click and close.

 

I believe the next major update to 8.1 will show full screen apps on the task bar as well, so they can be closed as normal.

My problem with 8.1 is that when I switch on it asks me for a password, I never had this before and don't know how to remove it so the computer just comes alive. Also why was updates disabled I had to enable and make a manual restore point. Thanks in advance, simple terms please.

try resetting the password to blank - worked on my win  XP and 7 machines

use your mouse to drag the app from the top of the screen to the bottom (same as finger swipe) or better still get a add on shell to make it look and feel the same as XP, vista or win 7  like this one http://www.classicshell.net/

 

John

 going to persist with the standard 8.1 for a wee while but will revert to classic shell if get too frustarted.

 

I must say that on my Lenovo Flex 14  convertible laptop I find 8.1 reasonably usable so far.

I bought a new  logitech wireless touchpad (T650?) off ebay for £35 (about half list price)

This allows all the touch screen motions to be reproduced so windows 8.1 can be used as if you have a touch screen. Even the touch pad reviewers have missed out its most basic function which is also not mentioned in the instructions or on the logitech ads for the device, ie the lower two rubber feet  are also the left and right equivalent of the mouse buttons, ie push down on the lower right corner and it is the same as clicking the right mouse button. These can be used one handed in conjunction with swiping motions of another finger on the pad to highlight and do multiple file operations and operations not worked by just tapping the touch pad. It is excellant

 

I have it to the left of my keyboard, to use with my left hand, and still have a mouse to the right so I can alternate hand use and minimise RSI which I suffer from in my right wrist. 

 

I love windows 8.1 as I have set it up on my new computer which I recently built. I use SSD for the operating system so the program is running almost as fast as it takes for the monitor to display the screen, about 10 seconds from turn on to being able to enter the password.

 

I have tweaked the settings so it starts on the desktop, not the windows 8 app screen which is a bit pointless to me. I have installed a shell program which puts the start button back, so I effectively have a superfast system that is like windows 7 to use, yet has the windows 8 app screen etc available if I want it. If it was made clearer in the shops, eg pcworld how easy it is to do these tweaks, and how fast it is compared to windows 7, a lot more systems would be sold.

 

In response to the complaint above that you have to log in, it seems only sensible to do so to me. Everyone has a lot of personal information on a computer and it needs protection. Even if you are the only user the PC could be stolen and if there is no password set up it is open to anyone to use. By logging in it also gives access to a lot of other features associated with the users details.

Edited 20 March, 201412 yr by kenfowler3966

use your mouse to drag the app from the top of the screen to the bottom (same as finger swipe) or better still get a add on shell to make it look and feel the same as XP, vista or win 7  like this one http://www.classicshell.net/

 

John

Exactly what I did a day after buying it and I haven't looked back - keeps the good bits (speed increases etc) but keeps the bad bits at arms length (Metro interface)

Actually  growing to quite like the Modern (Metro renamed) interface as I use this mainly in touchsceen mode  as a replacement for a Nexus Tablet (screen too small).