Gralla P. - Windows 8 Hacks: Tips & Tools for Unlocking the Power of Tablets and Desktops

This book is not a mere tips-and-tricks compendium that tells you where to click, where to drag, and what commands to type. It takes advantage of Windows flexibility and new features, recognizes that there are specific tasks you want to accomplish with the operating system and related hardware and software, and offers bite-size pieces of functionality you can put to use in a few minutes. It also shows how you can expand on their usefulness yourself. To give you this kind of help, the book is organized into 11 chapters:

Want to disable or hack your way through the Lock screen, speed up boot time, refresh your PC by reinstalling Windows without touching your data, run Windows 8 on a Mac, or run other operating systems inside Windows 8? Youll find those along with plenty of other hacks.

Windows 8s biggest change, as compared to previous versions of Windows, is the new tile-based Start screen, as well as the Windows 8 native apps built specifically for it. (The interface and apps for it were previously called Metro, but Microsoft has abandoned that name.) This chapter shows you how to bend the Start screen and Windows 8 native apps to your will. Here youll find out how to hack the Start screen and individual Windows 8 native apps, get access to Windows 8 power tools from the Start screen, track app use with the Task Manager, and much more.

Even if its no longer center stage, your old favorite the Desktop still lives in Windows 8, and Ill show you how to hack it. Heres where youll learn to bring a Start menu back to Windows 8, and even boot directly to the Desktop rather than the Start screen. Youll also find out how to bring back the Quick Launch toolbar, run Desktop apps and Windows 8 native apps side by side, make the Desktop more tablet-friendly, and control the Control Panel. Ill even show you how to turn on Windows 8s hidden God Mode.

When it comes to PCs, there are only three important speedsfast, faster, and fastest. This chapter shows you how to make sure that your PC always runs in the fastest lane. Youll discover hidden tools for juicing up performance and tracking down bottlenecks, peer deep into your system with various Windows 8 monitors, speed up performance using the Task Manager, and use File History to recover deleted files or get back previous versions of files. And the chapter also includes a comprehensive list of Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts. Those with tablets or touchscreen devices will be pleased to see its comprehensive list of touchscreen gestures.

Windows 8 is the first version of Windows designed from the ground up for the cloud and social networking, and this chapter shows how you how to hack them. Here youll find plenty of ways to hack SkyDrive, including making it play nice with your other Windows folders and using it to sync files on all of your Windows 8 devices as well as with other versions of Windows and Macs. Ill also clue you in to other free file-syncing services, and show you how to get the most out of Windows 8s People app and make it work with Facebook and other social media services.

Windows 8 is a multimedia powerhouse, and this chapter shows you how to get more out of it. It shows you how to improve watching DVDs and TV shows in Windows 8, use Windows 8 with your Xbox 360, organize your photos with metadata, burn recorded TV shows directly from Windows Media Center to DVD, and more. Theres even a hack that shows you how to convert vinyl LPs and tapes to MP3 files.

Face it: you live on the Web, Internet, and wired and wireless networks, so why not make the most of it? In this chapter, youll find plenty of ways to improve your life online, including making Windows 8 play nice with your home network, hacking DNS to speed up Web browsing, and hacking Windows 8s Wi-Fi, wireless, and network settings. Youll see how the Task Manager can track bandwidth use of individual apps and your entire network. And there are also several hacks that show you how to use powerful networking command line tools like netstat, ipconfig, ping, tracert, and pathping. Youll find out how to extend the range of your wireless network, troubleshoot bad wireless connections, and how to keep your home network safe and secure.

Its a nasty world out here. There are snoopers, intruders, and malware writers looking to turn your PC into a spam-spewing zombie. But this chapter helps you fight them off and also shows how to customize how you use security. Youll see how to encrypt your PC and set up your own virtual private network (VPN), as well as tell Windows 8 not to snoop on your location. Youll find out how to create a picture password for even more Windows 8 security. Dont like the way that User Account Control (UAC) works? No problemIll show you how to hack it. Youll also find out how to unlock Windows 8s super-secret Administrator account, punch an escape hole through the Windows 8 firewall, and protect your privacy by removing Windows 8 metadata.

Emailcant live with it, cant live without it. In this chapter, youll learn many ways to get more out of it. Heres where youll find out how to trick the Windows 8 email app into using POP mail, use different live tiles for different email accounts, bypass limits on sending large email attachments, hack Microsofts Outlook.com web-based mail service, turn Gmail into a universal inbox, stay off spam lists, and more.