Windows 8 For Dummies Video Training

Explore the Windows 8 start screen, a tile-based hub that launches apps, shows live content like calendar and mail, and navigates via mouse, touch, or keyboard shortcuts.

Access Windows 8 on a shared PC by signing in with your username and password. Use the administrator or guest account as needed, then sign out when finished.

Call up the charms bar from anywhere in Windows 8 using corners, Windows key plus C, or right-edge swipe, then access search, share, start, devices, and settings for quick tasks.

Learn how to view and arrange apps on the Windows 8 start screen, navigate between apps with mouse, keyboard, or touch, and manage tiles.

Explore how Windows 8 uses a full-screen start screen to launch apps, using tiles, right-edge gestures, typing to filter, or opening from the taskbar or file explorer.

Organize the Windows 8 start screen by removing unused tiles with unpin from start, then drag and drop tiles to group them and name groups for a tidy layout.

See how Windows 8 start screen treats the desktop as an app, pushing aside the start screen to run programs with a keyboard and mouse; antivirus programs may not transfer.

Navigate windows and manage files in Windows 8 using title bars, address bar, and drag-and-drop; then master snapping, side-by-side views, and memorized window size on close.

Organize your Windows 8 desktop by sorting icons by name, size, type, or date, and adjusting view options. Personalize the background or theme to keep icons visible.

Navigate Windows 8 files and folders with File Explorer and libraries, using the navigation pane, address bar, and arrow shortcuts to access documents, photos, music, and video.

Create desktop shortcuts and pin favorites to the taskbar for quick access to programs and places; customize icons for computer, files, network, recycle bin, and control panel.

Learn to set the default program for opening files in Windows 8 by right-clicking, using open with, choosing the default program, and exploring more options or the store.

Open and save documents in Windows 8 by using the file menu or save icons, exploring the ribbon or documents library, and naming files descriptively for easy retrieval.

Open the store app from the start screen to browse, filter by category and price, read descriptions, and install new apps (most are free; some cost).

Find missing items quickly in Windows 8 using the charms bar search and start screen search. Search within folders and use tags to locate files.

Install a printer in Windows 8, test print the page, set a default printer, and print from the desktop with more control while noting app printing limitations.

Explore how Windows 8 stores and transfers files with flash drives, external hard drives, memory cards, and CDs or DVDs, using file explorer and burn to disk.

Connect a Windows 8 device to the internet by selecting an ISP, using Internet Explorer, and securely connecting to password-protected wireless networks.

Learn how Windows 8 provides two Internet Explorer experiences—the start screen and desktop—sharing history and cookies, with private tabs, pin-to-start pages, and desktop browsing power.

Learn to find information on the internet using Internet Explorer, run searches through Bing or your chosen search engine, and customize a default search provider across desktop and start screen.

Save web content from Internet Explorer using save as options such as web page complete, web archive, or text saves, then copy text or save pictures and downloads.

Learn how the Windows 8 Mail app sends and receives emails, manages multiple accounts (Hotmail, Windows Live, Gmail), and uses folders like inbox, sent, drafts, junk, and deleted items.

Navigate Windows 8 mail and people apps to search emails, manage contacts, and view social updates. Add contacts, send emails, and schedule calendar appointments across accounts.

Explore how Windows 8 users access and customize settings through the start screen, charms bar, and PC settings, including personalization, privacy, updates, and devices.

Customize Windows 8 appearance by changing the desktop background, selecting a screensaver, and saving themes, then adjust screen resolution to your preferred display.

Use the control panel's programs category to uninstall, change, or repair installed programs. Free up disk space by removing old or large apps, guided by the size column.

Open the Windows 8 ease of access center to customize accessibility options in the control panel, adjusting text size, contrast, narrator, magnifier, and the on-screen keyboard.

Learn to set up Windows 8 file history to back up your files automatically using a portable hard drive, configure this drive, enable file history, and adjust backup frequency.

Explore how to keep Windows 8 running smoothly with file history, disk cleanup, and update tool. Learn to free up disk space and manage system security via control panel.

Learn to create and manage Windows 8 user accounts, including administrator, standard, and guest roles, plus choosing between local and Microsoft accounts.

Set up a home network by installing a router, adding wireless or wired adapters, and using WPA/WPA2 security to let Windows 8 devices share files and a printer.

Learn to set up a homegroup in Windows 8 to selectively share libraries with other PCs, using create or join, passwords, and simple browsing of group files.

Discover how to share items in a Windows 8 home group, choosing libraries to share, enabling printers and media devices, and collaborating via public folders and your own folders.

Discover how to share a usb printer across multiple devices in a Windows 8 network, using home groups, automatic detection, and easy access from print menus.

Windows 8 provides built-in tools to import photos from any camera via USB, using the Photos app or desktop options to organize by date or custom folders.

Navigate Windows 8 photos with the start screen photos app and the desktop photo tools, viewing local libraries and online albums from Sky Drive, Facebook, and Flickr.

Master finding photos in Windows 8 by using the Photos app search, tagging during import, organizing in session folders, sorting by date taken, and renaming files for clarity.

Learn to take photos and record videos with built-in cameras on Windows 8 devices, switch front and back cameras, adjust settings, and find saved shots in the Camera Roll.

Learn to share photos via email using the Windows 8 mail app and print high quality photos with the Windows 8 photo printing wizard, selecting from the pictures library.

Launch the music app from the start screen, browse storefront tiles, and play songs or albums stored on your PC, with options to shuffle, repeat, and create playlists.

Discover how Windows 8's desktop media player handles privacy and default settings with express or custom setups, while organizing music, photos, videos, TV shows, and playlists in libraries.

Load Windows Media Player to automatically catalog music, pictures, videos, and recorded TV, manage libraries to add missing folders or drives, and rip CDs or add online purchases.

Learn to control Windows Media Player using the library and now playing view, with on-screen controls for play, pause, skip, and mute, plus a playlist, shuffle, and repeat.

Learn how to play songs and albums with Windows Media Player, manage now playing and playlists, watch videos, and access internet radio stations.

Create and manage playlists in Windows Media Player by adding songs, arranging order, removing items, saving named playlists, and using themed playlists for events.

Rip CDs to your PC with Windows Media Player, set MP3 as the default format and raise quality from 128 to 256 or 320, then burn to a CD.

Learn practical Windows 8 problem-solving techniques, from refreshing or resetting your PC and restoring backups to recovering deleted files, fixing settings, and running older programs in compatibility mode.

Explore the Windows 8 start screen with live tiles and labeled apps, and right-click to view all apps such as calendar, mail, and maps.

Learn ten practical tips for laptops and tablets, including airplane mode management, connecting to wireless networks, lid behavior settings, time zone adjustments, and backing up data to protect against theft.