Windows® 8.1 Inside Out

Windows® 8.1 Inside Out

by Tony Northrup
Released November 2013
Publisher(s): Microsoft Press
ISBN: 9780735684881

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Book description

You're beyond the basics - so dive right in and really put your PC to work! This supremely organized reference packs hundreds of timesaving solutions, troubleshooting tips, and workarounds for Windows 8.1. Plus, you get access to two and half hours of video training and a companion ebook.

Topics include:

  • Installing, upgrading, or migrating to Windows 8.1

  • Using and managing apps

  • Personalizing your system

  • Accessibility features

  • Organizing, backing up, and restoring files

  • Managing storage and using SkyDrive

  • Digital media and home entertainment

  • Security and privacy features

  • Setting up and troubleshooting networking

  • Maintenance, performance tuning, and troubleshooting

  • Using Hyper-V virtualization

    •

    Table of contents

    1. Windows® 8.1 Inside Out
    2. Dedication
    3. Introduction
      1. Who this book is for
        1. Assumptions about you
      2. How this book is organized
      3. Supplemental videos
        1. List of videos
      4. Your companion ebook
      5. Acknowledgments
      6. Support and feedback
        1. Errata & support
        2. We want to hear from you
        3. Stay in touch
    4. I. Getting started
      1. 1. What’s new in Windows 8.1
        1. Interacting with Windows 8.1
          1. Touch controls
            1. Tap
            2. Hold
            3. Swipe
            4. Slide
            5. Flick
            6. Pinch and stretch
            7. Rotate
          2. Mouse controls
          3. Keyboard shortcuts
        2. Windows 8.1 user interface
          1. Lock screen
          2. Start screen
          3. Charms
          4. PC Settings
          5. Autocorrect and highlight misspelled words
          6. Searching
          7. Portrait and landscape modes
          8. Language packs
          9. Accessibility
          10. Boot changes
        3. Hardware
          1. Minimum hardware
          2. Display resolution
          3. Touch hardware
          4. Sensor support
          5. Improved power efficiency
          6. USB 3.0 support
          7. ARM support
        4. Security
          1. Picture password
          2. PIN login
          3. SmartScreen filter
          4. Windows Defender
          5. BitLocker
          6. Secured Boot
          7. Microsoft accounts
        5. Networking
          1. Mobile broadband
          2. Wi-Fi
        6. Storage
          1. SkyDrive
          2. Storage Spaces
        7. Manageability, productivity, and troubleshooting
          1. Support for multiple monitors
          2. Task Manager
          3. Refreshing and resetting your PC
          4. Client Hyper-V
        8. What’s new in the Windows 8.1 update
          1. Improved multitasking
          2. Boot to desktop and other navigation properties
          3. Start button on the desktop
          4. Improved WinX menu
          5. Lock screen slide show
          6. Camera access from the lock screen
          7. New tile sizes on the Start screen
          8. Improved Apps view
          9. More personalization options
          10. Drastically improved searching
          11. More settings available with the touch interface
          12. Internet Explorer 11
          13. Improved security
          14. 3-D printer support
          15. Tethering
          16. New business features
        9. What’s missing
      2. 2. Using Windows 8.1 apps
        1. Common features
          1. Settings
          2. Search
          3. Share
          4. Printing
          5. Resuming
        2. Using apps
          1. Store
          2. Updates
          3. App commands
          4. Snapping
          5. Live tiles
          6. Lock screen
        3. How Windows 8.1 apps work
          1. Isolation
          2. Suspending Windows 8.1 apps
          3. Background tasks
        4. Changing app file associations
        5. Built-in apps
          1. Internet Explorer 11
          2. File Explorer
            1. Ribbon
            2. Copying files
            3. Conflict resolution
          3. People
          4. Calendar
          5. Mail
          6. Games
          7. Music
          8. Video
          9. Photos
          10. Weather
          11. Finance
          12. Reader
          13. Maps
          14. Camera
          15. News
          16. Travel
          17. Sports
          18. Food And Drink
          19. Health And Fitness
          20. Help+Tips
          21. Reading List
          22. Scan
          23. Sound Recorder
      3. 3. Buying and installing Windows 8.1
        1. Buying Windows 8.1
        2. Installing Windows 8.1
          1. Making a bootable flash drive
          2. Starting the installation
          3. Configuring express settings
          4. Selecting custom settings
          5. Signing in to your PC
        3. Dual-booting Windows 8.1
          1. Installing Windows 8.1 on a separate partition
          2. Booting from a VHD
          3. Configuring boot options
      4. 4. Upgrading and migrating to Windows 8.1
        1. Preparing for an upgrade
        2. Upgrading from Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 8.1
        3. Performing the upgrade to Windows 8.1
        4. Migrating from an old PC to a new PC
        5. Post-upgrade tasks
          1. Configuring your apps
          2. Testing your apps and hardware
          3. Freeing up disk space
        6. Uninstalling Windows 8.1
      5. 5. Personalizing Windows 8.1
        1. The Start screen
          1. Arranging tiles
          2. Grouping apps
          3. Changing the Start screen background
          4. Showing administrative tools on the Start screen
          5. Adding restart and shutdown to the Start screen
        2. Tiles
        3. Notifications
        4. Lock screen
        5. Desktop
          1. Adding the Windows 7 Start menu
          2. How to launch apps
          3. How to pin apps
          4. How to add the Recycle Bin to the taskbar
        6. Searching
        7. Power settings
        8. Multiple monitors
          1. Configuring multiple monitors
          2. Setting up your taskbar
        9. Language settings
        10. WinX menu
          1. Adding items to the WinX menu
      6. 6. Adding, removing, and managing apps
        1. Installing Windows 8.1 apps
        2. Uninstalling Windows 8.1 apps
        3. Setting default programs
        4. Configuring AutoPlay
        5. Managing startup apps
          1. How to examine startup apps
          2. How to remove startup apps
          3. How to add startup apps
        6. Recording app problems
        7. Understanding app permissions
        8. The .NET Framework
        9. The parts of a Windows 8.1 app
          1. Types of Windows 8.1 apps
          2. XAML app file types
          3. HTML5 app file types
          4. Configuration settings
          5. File locations
          6. App manifests
        10. App compatibility settings
        11. Managing Windows 8.1 app packages
          1. How to run Dism
          2. How to list Windows 8.1 app packages
          3. How to remove Windows 8.1 app packages
        12. Monitoring app events
      7. 7. Using Windows 8.1 accessibility features
        1. Choosing accessible hardware
        2. Configuring accessibility options
        3. Visual accessibility
          1. Making everything bigger
          2. Increasing contrast
          3. Magnifying the screen
            1. Using Magnifier with touch
            2. Using Magnifier with a mouse
            3. Using Magnifier with a keyboard
          4. Third-party screen magnification software
          5. Narrator
            1. Narrator settings
            2. Narrator keyboard shortcuts
          6. Third-party text-to-speech software
          7. Making the pointer easier to find
        4. User input accessibility
          1. Using Windows 8.1 with only a keyboard
          2. Using Windows 8.1 with only a mouse
          3. Using Windows 8.1 with speech recognition
          4. Using Windows 8.1 with touch
        5. Dyslexia and reading accessibility
      8. 8. Obtaining help and support
        1. Obtaining professional support
        2. Help and support
        3. Determining who to contact for support
        4. Searching the Internet
        5. Asking for help
        6. Connecting with Remote Assistance
          1. Enabling Remote Assistance
          2. Creating a Remote Assistance invitation
          3. Using Remote Assistance
        7. Recording problems
    5. II. File management
      1. 9. Organizing and protecting files
        1. The Windows 8.1 way of organizing files
        2. File system concepts
          1. File names
          2. Attributes
        3. Working with libraries
        4. Zipping folders
        5. Protecting files
          1. Using permissions
          2. Using encryption
        6. Advanced searching
        7. Freeing up disk space
        8. File organization tips
      2. 10. Backing up and restoring files
        1. Backup concepts
        2. Connecting a backup disk
        3. Backing up and recovering files
          1. Backing up files
          2. Restoring files
        4. Backing up and recovering apps and settings
        5. Using cloud services
        6. Online backup services
        7. What if disaster strikes and you don’t have a backup?
      3. 11. Managing Windows search
        1. App search concepts
        2. Managing search suggestions
        3. Managing file indexing
          1. Managing searchable files and folders
          2. Managing the search index
          3. Indexing other file types
          4. Disabling indexing
      4. 12. Managing storage
        1. Storage Spaces
          1. Storage Spaces concepts
          2. Evaluating Storage Spaces
          3. Configuring Storage Spaces
          4. Configuring resiliency
        2. BitLocker
          1. Evaluating BitLocker
          2. Drive types that can be encrypted
          3. Choosing the startup mode
          4. Using BitLocker without a TPM
          5. Suspending and removing BitLocker
          6. BitLocker recovery
          7. Enabling BitLocker
          8. Using BitLocker with removable drives
        3. Fixing errors
        4. Choosing a new drive
      5. 13. Using SkyDrive
        1. SkyDrive overview
        2. Using the SkyDrive app for Windows 8.1
        3. Accessing SkyDrive from mobile devices
        4. Accessing SkyDrive from a browser
        5. Using SkyDrive on the desktop
          1. SkyDrive performance
          2. Handling versioning conflicts
          3. Accessing PCs through SkyDrive
        6. Editing documents simultaneously with other users
    6. III. Music, videos, TV, and movies
      1. 14. Music and videos
        1. Using the Music app
          1. Listening to music
          2. Creating and managing playlists
          3. Using Xbox Music
        2. Ripping CDs
        3. Editing metadata
        4. Watching videos
        5. Purchasing TV and movies
        6. Editing videos
          1. Installing Movie Maker
          2. Editing a video
          3. Publishing a video
          4. Other video editing apps
      2. 15. Photos
        1. Viewing pictures with the Photos app
        2. Importing photos
        3. Printing photos
        4. Working with RAW files
        5. Selecting and sharing photos
          1. Sharing photos in email
        6. Working with photos on the desktop
        7. Organizing photos
      3. 16. Sharing and streaming digital media
        1. Xbox Music
        2. Streaming to the Xbox
        3. Stereos and TVs
        4. Smartphone
        5. Car
        6. Other computers
        7. Music services
        8. Video-streaming services
        9. Creating media
          1. CDs
          2. DVDs
      4. 17. Creating a Home Theater PC
        1. HTPC software
        2. Media Center
          1. Media Center settings
          2. Converting recorded shows
        3. Configuring HTPC software to start automatically
        4. Choosing the hardware
          1. Case
          2. Fan
          3. Video card
          4. Processor
          5. Memory
          6. Storage
          7. Sound card
          8. Network
          9. Cables
        5. Recording TV
          1. Encrypted digital cable with a CableCARD
          2. Using a cable box or other device that connects to a TV
          3. Analog and unencrypted digital cable
          4. Over-the-air broadcasts
          5. Using IR blasters
        6. Choosing a remote control
    7. IV. Security and privacy
      1. 18. Managing users and Family Safety
        1. Logon security
          1. Microsoft accounts
          2. Local accounts
        2. Configuring sign-on options
          1. Using a picture password
          2. Using a PIN
        3. Password best practices
          1. Password uniqueness
          2. Password complexity
          3. Regularly changing your password
          4. Using passphrases
        4. Managing accounts
          1. Creating accounts for guests
          2. Deleting a user
          3. Creating groups
          4. Changing group memberships
        5. Family Safety
          1. Turning on Family Safety
          2. Web filtering
          3. Activity reporting
          4. Time limits
          5. Curfew
          6. App restrictions
          7. Windows Store and game restrictions
      2. 19. Windows, application, and network security
        1. Malware protection
          1. User Account Control
          2. SmartScreen
          3. Windows Defender
        2. Protecting your privacy
          1. Privacy while browsing the web
          2. Privacy while using Windows
        3. Removing malware
          1. Step 1: Uninstall apps
          2. Step 2: Scan with Windows Defender
          3. Step 3: Scan with third-party antimalware
          4. Step 4: Perform a system restore
          5. Step 5: Restore from backup
          6. Step 6: Refresh your system
          7. Step 7: Removing rootkits
        4. Windows Firewall
          1. Allowing an app to listen for incoming connections
          2. Preventing an app from listening for incoming connections
          3. Manually configuring firewall rules
          4. Temporarily disabling Windows Firewall
          5. Switching between public and private networks
        5. Wireless security
        6. Turning off security features
          1. UAC
          2. SmartScreen
          3. Windows Defender
      3. 20. Using Hyper-V
        1. Hyper-V requirements
        2. Installing Hyper-V
        3. Creating your first virtual switch
          1. Startup memory
          2. Dynamic memory
          3. Connection
          4. Virtual hard disk size and location
          5. Operating system
        4. Configuring VM settings
          1. Add hardware
          2. BIOS
          3. Memory
          4. Processor
          5. IDE controllers
          6. SCSI controllers
          7. Network adapter
          8. Integration services
          9. Automatic stop action
        5. Starting a VM
        6. Using snapshots
        7. Managing virtual disks
          1. Virtual disk formats
          2. Virtual disk types
          3. Migrating physical disks
        8. Hyper-V tips and tricks
        9. When not to use a VM
        10. Using VirtualBox
    8. V. Networking
      1. 21. Setting up a home or small office network
        1. Network technology overview
          1. The architecture of a home network
          2. IP addresses
          3. NAT
          4. DHCP
          5. DNS
        2. Choosing an ISP
        3. Connecting Windows 8.1 to your network
        4. Manually configuring Windows 8.1 networking
        5. Fine-tuning wireless settings
        6. Routers
          1. Choosing a router
          2. Configuring a router or wireless access point
        7. Choosing home networking technologies
          1. Wireless Ethernet
          2. Wired Ethernet
          3. Ethernet over coax
          4. Ethernet over phoneline
          5. Powerline networking
        8. Designing a wireless network
          1. Choosing a wireless network standard
          2. Choosing a wireless access point
          3. Choosing wireless encryption
          4. Choosing a SSID
          5. Providing wireless access throughout your house
            1. Using two wireless access points
          6. Managing wireless networks
        9. Web applications
          1. Email
            1. Configuring Mail
            2. Adding extra mail accounts
            3. Learning to live without POP
            4. Centralizing your email services
          2. File hosting
          3. Web hosting
      2. 22. Setting up ad hoc, Bluetooth, and mobile networks
        1. Ad hoc networking
          1. Creating an ad hoc wireless network
          2. Sharing an Internet connection
          3. Easier ways to share an Internet connection
        2. Bluetooth
          1. Pairing Bluetooth accessories
          2. Sending files between PCs across Bluetooth
        3. 3G/4G mobile broadband
      3. 23. Troubleshooting your network
        1. Troubleshooting tools
          1. Restarting
          2. Network And Sharing Center
          3. Network Diagnostics
          4. Ping
          5. PathPing
          6. PortQry
          7. Network Monitor
        2. The home network troubleshooting process
        3. Troubleshooting network performance problems
          1. Measuring and optimizing Internet performance
          2. Measuring and optimizing local network performance
      4. 24. Sharing and managing files and printers
        1. Using a homegroup
          1. Creating a homegroup
          2. Joining a homegroup
          3. Accessing shared files
        2. Using folder sharing
        3. Granting permissions to files
        4. Using shared printers
          1. Sharing a printer with a desktop PC and a homegroup
          2. Sharing a printer with a desktop PC without using a homegroup
          3. Sharing printers without a PC
          4. Automatically connecting to shared printers
          5. Manually connecting to a printer shared from a PC
          6. Manually connecting to a network printer
    9. VI. Maintaining, tuning, and troubleshooting
      1. 25. Maintaining your PC
        1. Updates
          1. Windows updates
            1. Configuring automatic updates
            2. Installing optional updates
            3. Manually downloading updates
            4. The Windows life cycle
          2. Windows 8.1 app updates
          3. Desktop app updates
          4. Driver and firmware updates
          5. BIOS updates
        2. Backups
        3. Uninstalling apps
        4. Disk integrity
        5. Disk space
        6. Maintaining your batteries
      2. 26. Monitoring, measuring, and tuning performance
        1. Benchmarking your computer
          1. Benchmarking disks using HD Tune
          2. Benchmarking network performance
        2. Finding and controlling a troublesome app
        3. Setting priority and affinity when starting an app
        4. Speeding up startup
          1. Removing startup apps
          2. Delaying automatic services
          3. Disabling unused hardware
          4. Upgrading your hard drive
        5. Using Task Manager
          1. Processes tab
          2. Performance tab
          3. App History tab
          4. Startup tab
          5. Users tab
          6. Details tab
          7. Services tab
        6. Using Performance Monitor
          1. Monitoring performance in real time
          2. Logging performance data
          3. Creating performance reports
      3. 27. Troubleshooting startup problems, crashes, and corruption
        1. Troubleshooting startup problems
          1. Using Windows Recovery Environment
          2. Troubleshooting startup from a command prompt
          3. What to do if you can see your system drive
          4. What to do if you can’t see your system drive
        2. Troubleshooting corruption and intermittent failures
          1. Identifying system changes and error details
          2. Testing your hard drive
          3. Testing your memory
          4. Testing other hardware components
        3. Refreshing your PC
        4. Resetting your PC
    10. A. Index to troubleshooting topics
    11. B. About the author
    12. Index
    13. About the Author
    14. Copyright

    Product information

    • Title: Windows® 8.1 Inside Out
    • Author(s): Tony Northrup
    • Release date: November 2013
    • Publisher(s): Microsoft Press
    • ISBN: 9780735684881