Windows 8 Tips/Tricks/Things To Avoid

Purchased a brand new laptop yesterday that has Windows 8 for the OS. Haven't received it yet as it has to be shipped. Since I know diddley-squat about Windows 8 (have used XP for the last 6 years), can anyone recommend any advice as to things to avoid, quirks Windows 8 has, or tricks to makje it easy to understand? I ordered a copy of Windows 8 for Dummies, but haven't gotten that yet either. I plan to install IOBit Anti-Malware and Advanced System Care 7 for maintenance/security. Are there any other programs I should install or are those two enough? Should I add Microsoft Security Essentials? ANY advice/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

 

You are facing a steep learner curve with Win 8 so my advice would be not to rush anything, including the programs you have already decided you would like to have. Win 8 includes Defender, a successor to Microsoft Security Essentials and which includes both AV and anti-malware. See how you get on with that before installing anything else. Apart from that just take your time finding your way around 8. It's a very competent OS but don't expect it to be anything like previous editions of Windows.

 

Unload Wild Tangent, Norton and the shortcuts. Download either Classic Desktop or Start8 with Modern mix, to use the desktop vs. the Metro interface.

Once you are in the desktop,you will never realize that you are in 8, since it behaves the same as XP in there.

Windows key X brings up the right click context menu in desktop. Windows key D switches you in and out of the desktop like it does in XP, etc.

I use Microsoft Security Essentials, or as it is called in 8 "Windows Defender". If you did not order it with at least 8gb, I would order the RAM from Crucial, along with a SSD drive. I have 12gb & a 240gb Crucial M500 SSD in my Toshiba Satellite C850d.

I am waiting for it to come back from Toshiba for a keyboard repair, due to it started to act up. I have an Intel Wireless-AC card waiting to go in it, when it comes back.

 

As the previous posters have said, you can make windows 8 behave more like XP than not, if you have the software to do it. I personally use a payware product, start8, although you can get freeware programs that bring back most if not all of the start menu functions, if that's what you want to do.

Otherwise, there isn't much difference, apart from some name changes and Microsoft moving things around a little bit.

 

If your Toshiba is like my new one (Satellite C-55A) it will have more bloatware and unnecessary junk on it than any laptop you're ever seen. First thing I suggest is getting rid of all of it you don't need or want.

The suggestion of an SSD drive is good. I put one in my previous laptop (Dell Vostro with Win 7) and it made a world of difference, especially with bootup time - cut it by about 80%. That said, Win 8 boots even faster without doing anything. From pressing the power button, mine gets to the desktop in about 10 seconds.

 

A big THANK YOU for all the tips. Picked up my new laptop this afternoon and Windows 8 isn't as complicated as I thought! Glad it came with a basic users guide, though! I will look into the programs suggested and get rid of some of the junk soon. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!!

 

Again, there really is not much "junk" on them, as some make it sound. Majority of the stuff is just shortcuts.

Now if you want to go in and slim it down, with the metro apps that come prepackaged with Windows 8, regardless of the OEM, there is around 2gig of that stuff hidden in your appdata local directory, along with one other.

If the drive is large enough, I really would not worry about trimming stuff out, other than getting rid of the Wild Tangent games, Norton if installed, and that is it.

I do highly recommend getting a Pro license, if you did not get the machine with Windows 8 Pro pre-installed. Pro allows you to be able to do Network backup, Bitlocker and some other things, that the home ver. Does not allow.

When you get it, upload the Soeccy results for it. I do recommend using Core Temp, to monitor CPU temps.

 

get all updates then download 8.1 its free great system, love it go to store and download.

 

David, that is not a Shameless plug. I would rather get the guides out there for people to read through, than get frustrated, when they come here, ask a multitude of questions, that either do not get answered, or the point totally gets missed in what the person wants.

 

I found them in the Kindle store. I am going to have to look through and find one that will fit into my library. I am more of a Linux guy, but still work with 8. After all of these years dealing with XP (Still using at my state job), along with the other later OS's, I am finding 8 more of a walk in the park, once you peel back that ugly layer called Metro.