You’ve bought your first Windows 8 laptop, taken it of their box and turned it on, when suddenly you’re confronted by the first challenge: what’s a Microsoft account, and why is Windows asking you to sign in by using it? If you’re not really acquainted with Microsoft’s brand-new operating-system, establishing Windows 8 may present lots of similar hurdles. To create your transition a bit easier, listed here are eight stuff you should do when establishing your new Windows 8 laptop.
Produce a Microsoft Account
Before you even switch on your Windows 8 laptop, you’ll want to subscribe to a Microsoft account. Formerly known as a Windows Live ID, a Microsoft account is definitely an current email address and password which you can use to sync your settings across all Windows 8-powered devices. To get an account, head to this site (http://bit.ly/UIpiSu) and enter the required information. You should use any email address you want, or you can sign up for a brand new email account using either hotmail.com or live .com. You’ll make use of your Microsoft account to sign into Windows 8, that will connect you automatically towards the cloud and let you see your friends’ contact info and standing updates; allow you to access files on SkyDrive, Facebook and Flickr; and sync your settings (including desktop themes, language preferences, browser favorites and history, and Microsoft apps and services) across every machine that’s running Windows 8.
Set Up Your Lock Screen
Security aficionados, or anyone with an adorable picture they’d like to boot into on a daily basis, will be thrilled to understand that Windows 8 features a nifty new feature called “picture passwords.” By using this tool, you can use any picture stored in your Windows 8 Pictures folder to log into the OS, rather than a traditional text password. Once you’ve selected the image you want to use, you can create a geometric password using any mixture of circles, straight lines or taps on three areas of the screen. Microsoft encourages you to keep the password simple, tracing a loved one’s glasses, for instance, rather than a city skyline. To set up an image password, first search for “picture password” on the Start screen. Under Sign-in Options, click Create A Picture Password (if this button isn’t visible, it means you have to create a text password first). Once you’ve visited the button, Windows will give you a short tutorial explaining how you can create a picture password, then the machine will prompt you to decide one of your own photos. Finally, choose your three gestures, then perform the 3 again to verify your selection. Windows 8 also lets you set up a unique password for each additional user on the device, that is handy for those who have multiple members of the family sharing a single computer or tablet. And don’t worry if you can’t remember your picture password – you can always use a text password or perhaps a four-digit PIN instead.
Install Antivirus Software
With malware, viruses and phishing scams lurking in innocuous places, you don’t want to see the Internet without adequate protection. Fortunately, a plethora of companies, from McAfee to Microsoft, provide free or paid access to robust antivirus and Internet-security tools. Before you start shopping on the web or saving your passwords in your browser, activate the web security suite (such as Norton Antivirus) which comes preinstalled fitted 8 laptop or, in case your notebook doesn’t have this type of tool preloaded, download one online. If you’re a spendthrift (or a very security-savvy user), Microsoft offers a free antivirus utility called Windows Defender that provides enough protection to help keep you safe from low-grade malware. However, if you’re concerned about accidentally opening infected email attachments or clicking suspicious links, you’ll probably wish to spend a little extra dough for any full-featured, paid suite from such companies as Kaspersky or Symantec Norton. These may screen email attachments and steer you from infected websites.
Run Windows Updates
Even though Windows 8 is brand new, chances are high that Microsoft has released important updates that enhance the operating system’s security, performance and efficiency. Although Microsoft touts Windows 8 like a much more secure operating-system than Windows 7, malware developers are adept at finding and exploiting loopholes in ubiquitous software such as Javascript. And considering that prerelease builds of Windows 8 have been available since September 2011, unhealthy guys have had plenty of time to examine the OS for exploitable weaknesses. To actually have the latest updates for Windows 8, open the Charms menu by swiping in in the right side from the screen, tap on the Settings icon, then tap Change PC Settings at the bottom to create up the PC settings menu. On the left side from the screen, scroll down to select Windows Update, then select “Check for updates now” around the right side of the screen.
Transfer Files and Apps out of your Old PC
You bought your new Windows 8 laptop, but how about the files in your old Windows 7 notebook? Then chances are you have photos, movies and documents that you want to maneuver to your brand-new machine. Thankfully, transferring files to Windows 8 doesn’t have to be a time-consuming or frustrating process. Using free software, for example Windows Easy Transfer, and an external hard drive, you are able to move the files out of your old PC for your new Windows 8 notebook inside a relatively almost no time. First, search for and run Easy Transfer from the beginning menu’s search bar on your Windows 7 laptop. From the list of transfer options, select “An external hard disk or USB flash drive,” then select “This is my old computer.” Finally, choose the account whose files you’d prefer to transfer and click on Next. Once the files are successfully transferred to hard drive, switch on your Windows 8 laptop. From the Start screen (or while using search bar in the Charms menu, accessed by swiping in in the right side of the screen), look for and run Easy Transfer. The following steps are almost just like those used to transfer files off of your Windows 7 PC, except you decide on “This is my new computer” instead. Windows 8 will then prompt you to connect the external hard drive and enter your password to begin transferring files. Choose the account you’d prefer to transfer for your new PC, click transfer and, voilà, your old files are now fitted 8 notebook.
Pin Your Favorite Apps to the Start Screen
As fun because it is to turnover through apps around the Windows 8 Start screen, you’ll eventually need to use the traditional desktop to run popular applications for example Microsoft Word. However, transitioning between your desktop and begin screen may become tiresome. That’s why you’ll wish to pin your preferred apps to the Start screen. Thankfully, it’s simple: just right-click on any app in the desktop, and also at the top of the dialog (just beneath Open) you are able to click “Pin to begin.” You can also organize your pinned apps into groups. To do so, drag their tiles into a clear space on the Start screen, then zoom out by either pinching your figures together on the screen (if your laptop includes a touch screen) or click on the Zoom button at the bottom right corner from the display. Right-click around the group. A menu bar can look at the end, with an option for Name Group. Click this icon and then provide the group a name.
Make use of a Password Manager to keep Logins
Despite its faster speed, Windows 8 makes it no easier to remember all of your myriad passwords. To help you keep track of them (and generate complex passwords), we recommend utilizing a password manager. The Windows Store already boasts a quantity of applications specifically designed for the Modern browser, including Password Locker ($1.99), LockIt ($1.99), Code Vault ($1.49) and LastPass (free). You can also use tools such as Iron Password to create high-quality passwords associated with a length. Alternatively, you can download a Windows 7-based password manager, which will work on Windows 8’s desktop browser. Our favorite may be the free KeePass Password Safe, which works on all major devices and operating systems.
Tweak Your Power Settings
A surefire way to boost the battery life in your new Windows 8 notebook would be to change your laptop’s power settings. To modify your settings for example display brightness, sleep mode and graphics power-consumption, look for and run Power Options in the Start screen. Once there, click Change Plan Settings next to the power plan of your choice. (Alternatively, you may create a custom plan by clicking Produce a Power Plan.) Within the Edit Plan Settings dialog, you can adjust the display brightness or alter the period of time it requires for the screen to dim, switch off or go to sleep. You can tweak more in depth settings, for example graphics usage, by clicking Change Advanced Power Settings.