Title Details

Paul Thurrott runs the popular Windows enthusiast website winsupersite.com. He is the author of more than 20 technology books and the co-host of the Windows Weekly podcast. Rafael Rivera is a software developer for a VAR 500 company, Telos Corporation, where he works on mission critical system software. He is also a certified reverse engineering analyst and takes Windows apart on his blog WithinWindows.com.

Read This First xv

Chapter 1 3 Choosing Windows 8 Versions, PCs and Devices, and Hardware 1

Picking a Windows 8 Product Edition 2

Picking a Windows 8 PC or Tablet 10

Summary 24

Chapter 2 3 Installing and Upgrading to Windows 8 25

That Was Then, This Is Now: How Setup Has Changed 26

Using the Windows 8 Web Installer 28

Advanced Setup: Using the Old-School Installer 45

Post-Setup: Now What? 48

Advanced Windows 8 Setup Configurations 51

Summary 61

Chapter 3 3 Metro: The New User Experience 63

Times They Are A-Changin’: The New Windows Shell 65

Lock Screen: A New Way to Sign In 67

Start Screen: A New User Experience for Modern Apps 69

Using the System-Wide Metro User Experiences 76

Summary 101

Chapter 4 3 (Still) Alive and Kicking: The Windows Desktop 103

What’s New on the Windows Desktop? 104

Where New Meets Old: Metro Features You Get in the Desktop, Too 109

Managing Files and Folders 123

Managing Classic Windows Applications 136

To the Cloud: Using the SkyDrive Desktop App 143

Summary 144

Chapter 5 3 Make It Yours: Personalizing Windows 8 145

Customizing Metro 146

Customizing Settings and Settings Sync 163

Customizing the Desktop 165

Power User Customization Tips and Tricks 177

Summary 181

Chapter 6 3 Windows Store: Finding, Acquiring, and Managing Your Apps 183

What Is an App Store . . . and Why Does Windows 8 Need One? 184

First Rule of Windows Store: There Are Rules to Windows Store 186

Launching Windows Store 189

Using Windows Store 189

Configuring Accounts and Preferences 212

Summary 214

Chapter 7 3 Browsing the Web with Internet Explorer 10 215

Two Browsers, One Brain: Understanding Internet Explorer 10 216

Internet Explorer 10 for Metro 218

Using the Desktop Version of Internet Explorer 10 239

Configuring IE 10 Desktop 241

Where IE Metro and Desktop Meet . . . and Don't 242

IE 10 and Default Browser Selection 243

Summary 245

Chapter 8 3 Get It Done with Windows 8's Productivity Apps 247

A Note About the Windows Productivity Apps and Your Microsoft Account 248

People 250

Mail 262

Calendar 272

Messaging 281

SkyDrive 287

Windows Reader 292

The Bing Apps 293

Microsoft Office Comes to Windows . . . Sort Of 300

Summary 303

Chapter 9 3 Relaxing with Windows 8's Photo and Entertainment Apps 305

A Note About the Windows 8 Entertainment Apps and Your Microsoft Account 307

Enjoying Photos 308

Buying, Managing, and Playing Music 324

Buying, Managing, and Playing Movies and TV Shows 339

Summary 348

Chapter 10 3 Xbox Games with Windows 8 349

Games and the Metro Environment 350

Finding and Acquiring Games for Windows 8 355

Finding and Acquiring Desktop Games 358

Xbox LIVE and Windows 8 359

Summary 375

Chapter 11 3 Storage, Backup, and Recovery 377

Storage Basics: NTFS Today, ReFS Tomorrow 378

Storage Spaces 379

File History 394

Using the Windows 8 Recovery Tools 400

Accessing System Image Backup and Recovery

Functionality with Windows Backup 407

What's Missing: Cloud Backup 409

Summary 411

Chapter 12 3 Accounts and Security 413

User Accounts 414

Security and Windows 8: Keeping Your PC Safe 431

Summary 440

Chapter 13 3 Networking and Connectivity 441

What Was Old Is New Again 442

Connecting to and Managing Wired and Wireless Networks 443

Connecting to Cellular Data Networks 448

Sharing Files, Media, and Printers at Home with HomeGroup 456

Summary 460

Chapter 14 3 Windows 8 for Business 463

Domain Join and Group Policy 464

Disk Encryption 470

Virtualization 475

Features Exclusive to Windows 8 Enterprise 486

Windows RT and Business: A Tablet for All Seasons 488

Summary 489

Appendix 3 Windows Key Keyboard Shortcuts 491

Index 495