getting familiar with windows 8 evaluation only - cci...

1198-1 © CCI Learning Solutions Inc. 1

Lesson 1: Getting Familiar with Windows 8 Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand Windows 8 and the various editions available

Log on and off the computer

Lock and unlock the computer

Identify components of the Start screen

Use the mouse and keyboard or use touch gestures

Use scroll bars

Use the Charms menu

Use the default apps on the Start screen

Resize and move tiles, and turn live tiles on and off

Use Help options

Restart and shut down the PC

What is Windows 8 An operating system or environment is a collection of programs designed to control all the hardware and application software on a computer, and to manage the computer’s interaction and communication with the user. It performs two important functions:

• manages the input devices (keyboard and mouse), output devices (monitor and printer), and storage devices (hard, flash, and optical drives)

• manages the files stored on the computer.

Every computer requires an operating system to function. A computer must load the operating system into memory before it can load any application software or interact with the user. Examples of operating systems include DOS, Windows, UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS.

Disk Operating System (DOS) was the original operating system developed for the PC. DOS is a text-based software; you enter single line commands to perform such tasks as managing files, starting programs, or sending output to the printer.

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Lesson 1 Getting Familiar with Windows 8

2 1198-1 © CCI Learning Solutions Inc.

Most operating systems (except UNIX) use an integrated graphical user interface (GUI), or "gooey" for interacting with users. In a GUI, many functions and commands are represented by menus and clickable buttons or icons (pictures or symbols which are shortcuts for launching a program or wizard). The GUI makes it possible for a user to "point and click" in order to perform most tasks. This makes it easy for novice users to work with the operating system.

Software programs designed to run on a particular operating system use the same buttons, symbols, or pictures for common functions (such as copy, paste, bold, save, print, and so on) as those used in the operating system. This consistency reduces the time required to learn new software.

The operating system manages the hardware, programs and files on a computer. The hardware is essentially a collection of connected components and devices which must be able to communicate with each other and with the user in order to function correctly and efficiently.

Application software, on the other hand, allows a user to be productive – to create documents or complete specific tasks such as writing a report, creating a budget, removing red-eye from a photograph, watching a movie, or searching the Internet. Examples of application programs you may use include Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, Windows Media Center, or Internet Explorer. For instance, you would use an application program such as Microsoft Word to create a letter.

While a user works in an application program, the application program interacts with the operating system behind the scenes.

There are several operating systems in wide use today and it is not uncommon for an organization to include computers which run different operating systems. Consequently, operating systems are designed with a certain amount of interoperability, which is the ability for different operating systems to communicate and share/exchange information with one another.

Windows 8 is the latest operating system developed by Microsoft. It is designed to be used on personal computers (PCs), including home and business desktops, notebook computers and tablet PCs.

There are four different editions available to suit the needs of a very wide variety of users: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Enterprise and Windows RT (Windows RT does not have the version number 8 in it).

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Getting Familiar with Windows 8 Lesson 1


Windows 8, 8 Pro, and 8 Enterprise can only be used on PCs (including desktops, laptops, notebooks, and tablets) using an Intel or AMD CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Windows 8 is intended for home users.

Windows 8 Pro is intended for business users and power users.

Windows 8 Enterprise is intended for business users within a corporate network environment.

Source: www.dell.com

Windows RT will only run on tablets equipped with an ARM CPU.

Source: www.microsoft.com/surface

Here is a comparison chart of the four editions:

Feature Windows 8 Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise

Windows RT

Runs on this type of computer hardware

Any PC with an Intel or AMD CPU, including desktops, laptops, and tablets

Any PC with an Intel or AMD CPU, including desktops, laptops, and tablets

Requires a tablet with an ARM CPU, such as Microsoft Surface

Touch screen capability Yes Yes Yes

Able to run any app from the Windows Store.

Yes Yes Yes except for any app intended for the Desktop

Able to run PC software designed for Windows 7 and earlier versions

Yes Yes No

The OS software can be purchased on its own at a retail store or a website

Yes Yes No – this is only available pre-loaded onto the tablet

Includes Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote)

Purchased separately Purchased separately Yes, included with Windows RT

Windows Media Center Not available Can only be purchased as an add-on for Windows 8 Pro

Not available

Includes features used in business environment, such as joining a domain, encryption using BitLocker, and Remote Desktop Server

No Yes No

Includes Remote Desktop Client to connect to other Windows computers

Yes Yes Yes, but app must be downloaded from Windows Store

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The biggest difference between Windows RT and Windows 8 (which includes 8 Pro and 8 Enterprise) are:

• Windows RT will only run on tablet computers, which are thin, lightweight and easy to carry around. Windows RT is ideal for simple uses such as social media. However it is not able to run PC-based software.

• Windows 8 is able to run any of the billions (many more than Apple apps) of PC software that corporations, professionals, home users, and gamers have come to rely on over the decades. However, Windows 8 requires the more powerful Intel- or AMD-based systems which are heavier and more expensive than a Windows RT tablet.

The best of both worlds can be achieved by using a tablet computer containing an Intel or AMD CPU and running Windows 8 or 8 Pro. This courseware will refer to any computer – whether it is a tablet PC, laptop, notebook or desktop PC – that runs Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro as a PC. Even a lightweight tablet PC that runs Windows 8 is a very powerful computer, and has much more processing power than a Windows RT tablet.

This courseware is intended to teach you about Windows 8 Pro.

System Requirements If you want to run Windows 8 on your PC or tablet, here's what you need:

• CPU: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster

• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for a 32-bit CPU or 2 GB for a 64-bit CPU

• Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit) or more

• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

• Monitor resolution: 1024 x 768 or higher; 1366 x 768 or higher if you want to snap apps

If you want to use the multi-touch capabilities of Windows 8, the PC must have a touch screen monitor.

If you want to play DVDs, you must purchase additional software (such as Windows Media Center), and you will also need a DVD drive.

Logging into Windows 8 By default, access security is enabled on Windows 8. This means that users must log in to identify themselves and enter the correct password before being able to use the system. When the PC or tablet is first started up, the Lock Screen is displayed.

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You can also go back to this screen if you are expecting to leave your PC unattended for a period of time, and you want to prevent others from using your email and other social media connections. The image on this screen can be changed, which will be covered in a later lesson.

Once logged in, you will get your own individual configuration or user profile. User profiles allow numerous people to share a computer and maintain their own settings such as position of tiles on the Start screen, email settings, backgrounds, printers and their programs. If one user changes a setting, such as where the various tiles are located on the Start screen, this change will not affect the other users also using this computer.

When you click the Lock Screen, you will see the Logon screen, which looks similar to the following:

Your logon ID will usually be your name. In Windows 8, you are also encouraged to have your Microsoft account (formerly known as Windows Live account) associated with your logon ID, and it will be displayed here as well. If you are using your Microsoft account as your logon ID, then your password is the same as it is for your Microsoft account. You can select any valid email ID as your Microsoft account.

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You will recall that Windows 8 is designed to work in a number of different environments. In a corporate network, users are typically permitted to log onto almost any computer in the network since their access privileges to data files and folders is tied to their logon ID. Each user must also be associated with a domain, which is essentially the name of their corporate network. The Lock Screen will then lead to the Choose User screen, showing the logon ID of the most recent user, or allow a different user ID to be selected.

If you choose Other user, you can then enter your logon ID and password in this screen:

Similarly, in a small business or home environment, the Choose User screen will display an icon for each user ID enabled for this computer. In this simple network, domain names are not used.

After selecting your logon ID, the Logon screen will be displayed for you to enter your password.

Exercise: Logging into Windows 8 In this exercise, you will start Windows 8 and enter your logon ID and password.

1. If necessary, start your PC to display the Windows 8 Lock Screen.

2. Click anywhere on the Lock Screen to move to the next screen. On a touch screen, touch anywhere on the Lock Screen and swipe upwards.

3. If the Choose User screen is displayed, click or touch the logon ID as directed by the instructor.

4. Enter the password for this logon ID and press .

The Windows 8 Start screen is now displayed.

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Locking Your PC When you need to leave your computer with other people around, you should lock your computer unless you have complete trust in them. It’s similar to a situation when you need to leave your car to run a quick errand; do you leave the keys in the ignition with the engine running, or do you lock it while you are away? It would depend on how far you are going and how much you trust the people around you. An additional consideration is the value of the car and the contents; for example, leaving your new Windows 8 computer in the back seat or the trunk. In a home environment, you can usually leave your computer unlocked most of the time. However in a business environment, your computer has access to valuable company assets; for example, accounts payable clerks have the ability to generate payments. Therefore, you should always lock your work computer whenever you leave it because you are responsible for any activity performed under your logon ID.

When you click on your user ID icon in the upper right of the Start screen, a pop-up menu will be displayed showing your security options.

Click Lock, and the Lock Screen redisplays. To get back to the Start screen, click anywhere in the Lock Screen and enter your password.

Exercise: Lock and unlock your PC In this exercise, you will lock your computer, and then unlock it with your password.

1. In the Windows 8 Start screen, click or tap your user ID icon located at the upper right corner of the screen.

2. Select Lock from the displayed menu.

The Lock Screen is displayed.

3. Click or swipe upwards on the Lock Screen.

Notice that the word “Locked” is displayed below your ID. Also, you are the only person who can unlock it.

4. Type your password and press the key on the physical or onscreen keyboard.

The Windows 8 Start screen is now displayed.

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Looking at the Start Screen Once Windows loads, the screen will look similar to the following example.

This screen is radically different than earlier versions of the Windows operating system. Windows 8 is designed to be used equally well on touch screen and non-touch screen monitors, whereas previous Windows versions could only be used on systems equipped with a mouse and keyboard.

Most of the space on the Start screen will be occupied by rectangular buttons called tiles. Each of these tiles can be clicked or pressed to launch that software application (usually referred to as an app), which takes over the screen and pushes the Start screen into the background. In effect, the Start screen is your starting point to access your most commonly used apps.

The location of the tiles on your Start screen may be different than the example screen shown previously. The placement of the tiles depends on the size of your computer monitor and the resolution setting.

Navigating Around the Start Screen All computers running Windows 8 are capable of accepting input from a touch screen, mouse, and keyboards (as well as other input devices). On a computer with a touch screen monitor, you can choose to use your fingers to operate Windows or use the mouse and keyboard, and switch back and forth at any time. Therefore this courseware will describe all of these input options for you.

Tiles

User ID

Zoom

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Using Touch Gestures If you have a touch screen monitor, you can use your fingers to perform the following actions:

Tap This action involves a single, short tap on an object displayed on the screen. The result is that the object will be activated or selected; for example the app will be launched or the file will be highlighted.

Swipe This action involves swiping (or sliding) a finger, starting from below the bottom edge of the screen and sliding in an upwards direction for a short direction before lifting the finger off the screen. The result is that an options bar displays across the bottom of the screen. This options bar displays several alternative command buttons to select from.

If you change your mind, you can hide the options bar by swiping again, in the downwards or upwards direction.

Tug This action involves tugging an object: touch the object, and then give a short downwards swipe. The result is that this object is selected, and an options bar displays across the bottom of the screen with several alternative command buttons that can be performed on this selected object. For example, tug a picture and tap the Delete button in the options bar. You can tug two or more objects in a row – if you tap a command button, it will apply to all items selected.

You can undo the tug by tugging on the object again.

Drag This action involves touching an object, and while holding down the finger on the object, slide the finger across the screen before releasing it. If you are dragging an object, you are moving it to a new location. If you touch an empty part of the screen, the action will cause the screen to scroll in that direction.

Charms menu This action involves swiping a finger starting from beyond the right edge of the screen, and sliding to the left for a short distance before lifting the finger from the screen. The result is that the Charms menu displays.

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Switch to last used app This action involves swiping a finger starting from beyond the left edge of the screen, sliding to the right. A thumbnail picture of the last used app will appear being dragged across the screen. Drag this thumbnail to the middle of the screen and then lifting the finger from the screen to release it. The result is that the last used app will take over as the active app.

Display recently used apps bar This action involves swiping a finger starting from beyond the left edge of the screen, and sliding to the right for a short distance, and then immediately sliding back to the left edge of the screen before lifting the finger. The result is that the recently used apps bar displays.

Close app This action involves pulling an object: touch the object, and then drag it to the bottom edge of the screen. The result is that this app closes.

Zoom This involves placing two fingers on the screen and sliding them closer together or farther apart before lifting them from the screen. Sliding them together (pinch) will cause the screen view to zoom out. Sliding the fingers apart will cause the screen view to zoom in.

This action does not work in all screens.

Using a Pointing Device If you do not have a touch screen monitor, then you will need a pointing device such as a mouse or the touchpad to move the mouse pointer around the screen or to select or activate items. Using a pointing device is faster than using the keyboard to navigate to different areas or options on the screen.

• To select an item, move the mouse pointer (arrow) over top the item and then click the left mouse button once. This action is called a single-click.

• To display a shortcut menu with more options, point the arrow at the item and then click the right mouse button once; this action is called a right-click.

• To launch a program, point the arrow at the item and then click the left mouse button twice quickly. This action is called a double-click.

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Using the Keyboard A number of features can be accessed through keyboard shortcuts. For instance, to display the Start

screen, you can press the button on the keyboard, press to cancel an action, or press to move to the next field in a dialog box. Many keyboard shortcuts are standardized between applications, and are listed in this courseware when applicable.

Using the Scroll Bar If the size of the screen is too small to display all of the contents, scroll bars will automatically appear. Scroll bars appear either vertically on the right side or horizontally at the bottom of the screen.

A scroll bar consists of three parts: an arrow button at each end of the scroll bar, a scroll box and the scroll area. The scroll box is sometimes referred to as a thumb or an elevator.

The position of the scroll box in the scroll area provides an approximate gauge of how much information is displayed in the window in relation to the entire window’s contents. For example, if you are working in a word processing document that contains ten pages of information, not all ten pages will be displayed in the window at the same time. If you drag the scroll box half way down, you should be viewing approximately page 5.

Use one of the following methods to move around using the scroll bars:

• for a vertical scroll bar, click in the darker shaded area, either above or below the scroll box, to display either the previous or the subsequent screen of information, or

• for a horizontal scroll bar, click in the darker shaded area, to the left or right of the scroll box, to display either the left or the right side of the screen information, or

• click the arrow at either end of the vertical scroll bar once to display a line of information in either direction, or

• click the arrow at either end of the horizontal scroll bar once to display a column of information in either direction, or

• click and hold down the mouse button on the arrow at either end of the scroll bar to watch your document scroll in that direction, or

Scroll Box

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• drag the scroll box to a specific position in the scroll area to move directly to that location. Depending on the program, you may also see a tip showing the page number where the cursor will be placed when you release the mouse button, or

• turn the scroll wheel on the mouse. Generally this results in an up and down scrolling direction, or – if there is no vertical scroll bar but there is a horizontal one – a left and right scrolling direction.

Exercise: Using the Mouse to Move Around In this exercise, you will start up an application and drag the scroll bar to the right and left using the mouse.

1. In the Windows 8 Start screen, click once on the Photos tile to launch this app.

After a short wait, the Photos app will display.

2. Click the Pictures library tile.

Any pictures that may be in the Pictures Library are displayed.

3. Click the Back ( ) button to return to the main Photos screen.

Notice that there are more tiles extending off the right edge of the screen.

4. Move the cursor to the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the screen and drag the scroll box to the right.

5. Do not perform any activity on the computer and wait until the scroll bar disappears.

The scroll bar will reappear as soon as you move the mouse again.

6. Move the mouse over the scroll bar, and drag the scroll box to the left to move the screen to the left again.

Alternatively, you can also click on the left ( ) and right ( ) arrow buttons in the scroll bar to shift the screen in that direction. Or, you can also turn the scroll wheel on your mouse to scroll left and right.

Exercise: Using Touch Gestures to Move Around In this exercise, you will start an application and drag the scroll bar to the right and left using touch gestures.

1. In the Windows 8 Start screen, touch once on the Photos tile to launch this app.

After a short wait, the Photos app will display.

2. Touch the Pictures library tile.

Any pictures that may be in the Pictures Library are displayed.

3. Touch the Back ( ) button to return to the main Photos screen.

Notice that there are more tiles extending off the right edge of the screen.

4. Touch any part of the screen (except any of the edges of the screen) and drag to the left to move the screen to the right.

5. Touch any part of the screen and drag to the right to move it to the left again.

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Using the Charms Menu The Charms menu bar is a universal toolbar that you will want to use from anywhere in Windows, even when you are running an app. It always displays on the right side of the screen. Usually it is hidden, but there are three ways of activating it:

• on a touch screen, swipe from the right edge of the screen to the left, or

• point the mouse at the top right corner or the bottom right corner of the screen, or

• press Windows ( ) + on the keyboard.

The Charms menu consists of five different options: Search, Share, Start, Devices and Settings.

Start Charm

Selecting this charm will swap your most recent app with the Start screen. That is, if you are running an app, activating this charm will cause the app to move into the background and the Start screen to redisplay. If you are already on the Start screen, selecting this charm again will redisplay the last app that you were in.

Exercise: Using the Charms Menu and the Start Charm In this exercise, you will bring up the Charms menu from different locations. First try out the Start charm from the current app.

1. Move the mouse cursor to the top right corner or the bottom right corner of the screen. Alternatively, swipe from the right edge of the screen to the left.

2. When the Charms Menu appears, move the cursor down or up to the Start button so that the Charms Menu area turns black. Click the Start button. Alternatively, touch the Start button with your finger.

The Windows 8 Start screen now displays.

If you are using the mouse, you should move the cursor to one of the Charms buttons as soon as the Charms menu appears. If you delay for more than five seconds, the Charms menu will disappear because Windows will assume that you activated it by mistake.

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3. Display the Charms menu, and click or tap Start again.

Notice that the Picture Library app displays again because when you select Start from the Start screen, Windows restarts the most recently used app that you were in.

Search Charm

When you activate the Search charm, a Search pane displays with a list of categories below the search entry box. The majority of these categories are Start screen apps. When you enter a value into the entry box, the Search charm will perform its search on the category that you select.

Depending on where you are, the search charm will behave slightly differently. If you are running one of the apps listed in the Search pane, the Search charm will search for data anywhere within that app. For example, if you are running the Mail app, you can search for words or phrases in any of your email messages. If you activate the Search pane while using an app that is not listed in the Search pane, the Apps category will be selected by default.

Exercise: Using the Search Charm In this exercise, you will use the Search charm to search in various apps and from the Start screen. For the purpose of this exercise, you will start the exercise from the Start screen.

1. Display the Charms menu, and click or tap Start to go back to the Start screen.

2. Display the Charms menu, and click or tap Search.

Because you are in the Start screen, the Search panel is set to be able to search in any app or category in Windows 8.

3. Click or tap the Travel category.

The Travel app now launches on the screen, and the Search pane stays open.

4. In the search entry box, type: Berlin and press or touch the search ( ) button.

5. Click or tap in the Travel app screen, and scroll around to view its contents.

Assume now that you found something interesting about Washington DC, and you want to research information about Abraham Lincoln.

6. Display the Charms menu, and click or tap Start to go back to the Start screen.

7. Click or tap the Internet Explorer tile to launch that app.

8. Display the Charms menu, and select Search.

9. Search for: Abraham Lincoln (you may want to select one of the suggested text after entering

the first few characters, to save some time while having to type the full name).

10. Click or tap in a blank area of the Internet Explorer app to hide the search pane and browse through the web pages.

For the conclusion of this exercise, you will redisplay the Search pane and look at how many different categories are available.

11. Display the Charms menu, and click or tap Search to display the Search pane.

If you are using a mouse, moving it in the Search pane will cause the vertical scroll bar to appear at the far right of the screen.

12. Scroll down the Search pane to view all of the categories listed there.

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Share Charm

This charm will share the content currently displayed on your screen with others. For example, if you are viewing a photo, you can email it to your friends, or upload it to your Facebook page. If you are reading a web page, you can use this charm to send a link by email, or insert the link into a report you are writing in Word.

Note that you can only use this charm while running an app. You can’t use it from the Start screen or while running programs in the Desktop.

Exercise: Using the Share Charm In this exercise, you will use the Share charm to attempt to share a web page with your friends using social media.

1. With the Internet Explorer app displaying a web page about Abraham Lincoln, display the Charms menu, and click or tap Share.

The Share pane will now display with two apps to choose from.

2. Click or touch the People button.

At this point, your social media app is not set up yet, so this message displays for you.

3. Click the Back ( ) button to go back to the Share pane.

Devices Charm

This charm allows your app to send your content to a connected device. For example, if you are reading a web page in Internet Explorer or a document in Word, you can send it to a printer using this charm.

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Exercise: Using the Devices Charm In this exercise, you will use the Devices charm to attempt to print the web page currently displayed on your screen.

1. With the Internet Explorer app displaying a web page about Abraham Lincoln, display the Charms menu, and click or tap Devices.

The Devices pane now displays all currently attached devices and printers. At this time, you may only have the default Microsoft XPS Document Writer.

2. Click or tap Microsoft XPS Document Writer.

3. Click the Back ( ) button to return to the Devices pane.

Settings Charm

This charm allows you to change your settings or preferences for the current app (if you are in one) and for Windows. If you are at the Start screen, the settings options display for the Start screen. The upper two-thirds of the Settings pane applies to the app currently running, and the bottom third is for the computer.

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Exercise: Using the Settings Charm In this exercise, you will use the Settings charm to change your Internet Explorer settings.

1. With the Internet Explorer app displaying a web page about Abraham Lincoln, display the Charms menu, and click or tap Settings.

The Settings pane now displays the Internet Explorer settings in the upper section. The text label Internet Explorer By Microsoft Corporation displays as a reminder to you that these settings belong to Internet Explorer.

2. Click or touch Internet Options.

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3. Click or touch the Back ( ) button to return to the Settings pane.

There are also settings for Windows at the bottom of this pane; they will be explored in more detail in a later lesson.

Using the Start Screen Apps Every Windows 8 and Windows RT system includes the following apps on the Start screen. With these apps, Windows is usable right out of the box. Because these tablet apps (and other non-Desktop apps that you can download from the Windows Store) are designed to work on the Start screen, you do not have to worry that they may not work on either a Windows 8 or Windows RT computer.

Launches the Bing Trending app that displays the most popular headlines and news items.

Displays the current month in calendar format and any scheduled meetings and tasks.

Takes pictures using the connected camera.

Launches the Desktop app.

Displays financial news headlines and stock market data.

Lists and runs games downloaded from the Windows Store.

Launches Internet Explorer.

Retrieves your emails from your email accounts.

Launches the map finder app.

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Sends and receives instant messages through Facebook and other IM services.

Lists and plays pre-recorded music. You can also buy and download from the Xbox Music Store.

Launches your Bing daily news feeder app.

Connects you to your social media accounts in Facebook Twitter, email accounts and LinkedIn.

Lists and displays photos from multiple sources including Facebook, Flickr, SkyDrive, or on another PC.

Accesses files stored on your online SkyDrive account.

Lists and displays sports news.

Lists and displays travel-related news articles, and pictures from destinations around the world.

Lists and plays video files, including movies and pre-recorded TV shows.

Lists and displays the current weather data for your location and others you select.

Lists apps and games available for downloading from the Windows Store.

If you are accustomed to the Start button in Windows 7, then this Start screen is an improved version of the old Start menu. Like the Start menu, a software application is launched when you click on its tile.

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However, Windows 8 was designed with touch screen tablets in mind: the tiles are larger and therefore easier to select, and they can be activated by touching them once instead of the “double-click” action used with a mouse or other pointing device.

When you launch an app, that app will take over the entire screen. The Start screen will move to the background while you are in this app.

If at any time you go back to the Start screen or launch another app, the current app will move into the background.

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Exercise: Running Apps from the Start Screen In this exercise, you will start up some of the apps to familiarize yourself with them.

1. Display the Charms menu, and click or tap Start.

2. Click or tap the Travel tile to launch the Travel app.

3. Scroll to the right and click or tap on an article about a travel destination to view in more detail.


The Travel tile now rotates pictures of different travel destinations every five seconds. Notice that these pictures are not the same (unless by coincidence) as the destinations you had chosen.

5. In the Start screen, click or tap the Travel tile again to display that app again.

The most recently viewed article redisplays. This demonstrates that the app keeps track of your last activity when you switch to something else.


7. At the Start screen, click or tap the Bing Trending tile to launch this app.

8. Click or tap in the search box.

A list of suggested topics will display below the search box.

9. Click in any blank area of the screen to close the list of topics.

10. Click or tap More at the bottom right of the screen.

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Another screen displays with several topics to select from.

11. Click or tap any topic of your choice.

12. Click the Back ( ) button twice to return to the main Bing Trending screen.

Live Tiles As demonstrated in previous exercises, some of the tiles on the Start screen display news headlines or pictures or both. This capability is known as live tiles; the apps behind the tiles collect data as they become available and display up to five of them on the Start screen using a series of rotating slides. For example, the Sports tile will display current sports-related headline news, rotating the slides for each headline. New headlines will be added as they become available. The Mail tile will display the first few lines in your five most recent emails and a count of unread email. The Calendar tile will display upcoming appointments.

The live tile feature can also be turned off. When you do that, the tile reverts back to its original generic tile.

To turn off live tile, right-click the tile to select it. Alternatively, tug down on the tile to select it using the touchscreen. A check mark icon will appear in the upper right corner of the tile. At the same time, the options bar will display at the bottom of the screen. One of the options available in this options bar is Turn live tile off.

To turn live tile back on, right-click the tile (or tug down on it) again to select it, then select the Turn live tile on option in the options bar.

You can only turn live tile on or off for one tile at a time.

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It is important to note that tiles may not get updated immediately. In other words, the Mail tile will not notify you immediately when a new email arrives. The live tile feature makes the Start screen appear more interesting and makes your apps easier to find with only a quick glance. The tiles will be updated by their respective apps, but it may take between 5 and 30 minutes, or possibly even longer. Each app determines how frequently they update the tile, and they may be configurable.

The primary reason for the delayed update is that only the app currently on the screen is allowed to run. Any other app that has been pushed to the background is put to sleep (or suspended).

However, apps do have alternate methods of alerting you immediately. For example, a VOIP (Voice Over IP, or Internet-based phone calling) app such as Skype will be able to generate a notification when there is an incoming call. You can then go back to the Start screen and launch the app to answer the call.

Exercise: Turning Live Tiles On and Off In this exercise, you will turn the live tile setting off and on for an app.

1. Display the Charms menu, and click or tap Start to return to the Start screen.

2. Right-click the Travel tile. If you have a touch screen, tug on the Travel tile (touch the tile and swipe downwards for a short distance).

Notice the check mark in the upper right corner of the tile to indicate that it has been selected.

3. Click or tap Turn live tile off at the bottom of the screen.

The Travel tile reverts back to its non-animated icon. Now turn the live tile setting back on.

4. Right-click or tug on the Travel tile again, and click or tap Turn live tile on.

Not all apps allow you to turn the live tile feature off.

5. Right-click or tug on the Desktop tile.

Notice that the options bar does not have the option to turn live tile on or off for this app.

6. Right-click or tug on the Desktop tile to turn off the check mark.

Changing Size and Position of Tiles You can move the tiles to any position on the Start screen at any time, simply by dragging them to the new position. For example, you may want to group some of your apps together because you use them for work. When a tile is moved to a new location, the tiles immediately below and to the right will shift up or over to fill in the vacant position. The arrowed lines in the example Start screen below demonstrate the direction of movement.

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Notice also that this example Start screen has two groups of tiles, with a gap separating the two. The leftmost group has three columns of tiles, and the rightmost group has one column. When tiles shift to fill in a vacant position, only the tiles in that group will move.

You can have as many groups of tiles as you want, and you can name them. To create a new group, simply move a tile to a blank area at the far left or far right of the Start screen.

You will also notice that some of the tiles are half the size of the larger ones. Some apps allow you to select either the large or small size tile.

To make a small tile bigger, right-click the tile (or tug down on it) to select it, then select the Larger option in the options bar.

Similarly, use the Smaller option in the options bar to make a large tile smaller.

Exercise: Changing Size and Position of Tiles In this exercise, you will move tiles around the Start screen and change the size of the tiles.

1. In the Windows 8 Start screen, drag the Store tile from its current location to a new location of your choice. With the mouse, click on the tile and continue holding down the left mouse button while moving it. On a touch screen, tap the tile and slide your finger to the new position.

Notice that the Maps and SkyDrive tiles move themselves to fill in the spot where the Store tile used to be.

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2. Drag the Store tile again to where the Internet Explorer tile is currently. If you are using a touch screen, you may have to try several times before Windows recognizes you are trying to drag the tile instead of tapping it. You should ensure you touch the middle of the tile and slide upwards immediately. If the tile moves with your finger, then Windows has recognized your intention to drag the tile.

Dragging items is faster using the mouse. Windows seems to be better at recognizing your intention to drag an item when you use the mouse.

The other three tiles reposition themselves again, and all four small tiles in that group are in their original positions again. Now name both groups of tiles.

3. Click the Zoom button ( ) located at the bottom right corner of the screen to zoom out. Alternatively, touch the screen with two fingers and move them together.

4. Right-click the left-most group of tiles, then click the Name group in the options bar at the bottom of the screen. On a touch screen, tug on the left-most group of tiles, and then tap the Name group in the options bar.

The Name group entry box is then displayed.

5. Type: Group 1 and click or touch the Name button

immediately below.

The Group 1 name now appears.

6. Right-click or tug on the right-most group of tiles, then click or tap on Name group in the apps bar. Name this group as Group 2.

7. Click or tap in any blank area of the Start screen to return to normal viewing. Alternatively, use two fingers on the screen and move them away from each other.

The Start screen will now look similar to the following:

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You will now move tiles around in the Start screen.

8. Drag the Messaging tile to a blank area at the far right of the screen.

Notice that just prior to dropping the Messaging tile at the new location, a darker boundary strip appears at the right side of Group 2. The presence of this boundary strip indicates that this tile will be added to a new group, and not added to Group 2.

After moving the Messaging tile, the Group 1 tiles shift up or over to fill in the vacant position. Notice also that the positions of the tiles in Group 2 have not changed.

Now create another new group using the Travel tile.

9. Drag the Travel tile to a blank area at the far right of the screen, to the right of the Messaging tile.

The Start screen is now very wide, and you must use the scroll bar to be able to view all of it.

10. Scroll back to the left of the Start screen, and drag the Desktop tile from Group 1 to a blank area below the Messaging tile.

11. Continue moving the following tiles from Group 1 to blank areas in the lower part of the new group: – Calendar – Photos – Finance

12. Drag the Weather tile to a position between the Messaging and the Travel tiles, similar to the following example. If the boundary strip is displayed, then move the Weather tile a little to the left to prevent it from being put into a new group.

13. Continue moving the following tiles from Group 1 to blank areas in the new group: – Internet Explorer – Store – Maps – SkyDrive – News – Sports

14. Drag the Mail tile in Group 1 to the Messaging tile to force it to shift down.

15. Drag the People tile in Group 1 to the Messaging tile to force it to shift down.

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Because Group 1 no longer has any tiles, Windows has deleted it. The new group now has all of the tiles, in the same position as the original group.

16. Drag the tiles from Group 2 in any sequence of your choosing to the new group with the Travel tile currently in it.

The Start screen should now look similar to the following (other than the pictures or text appearing in the live tiles):

Now make the Store tile larger.

17. Drag the Store tile to a blank area of the Start screen that can accommodate a large tile.

18. Right-click or tug on the Store tile, then click the Larger option in the apps bar.

Restore the Store tile back to its original size.

19. Right-click or tug on the Store tile, then click the Smaller option in the apps bar.

20. Drag the Store tile back to its original position.

Working with Help One of the most useful resources for obtaining help when using Windows 8 is the built-in Help and Support. It includes the main features, focusing on things most people want to do with their computers. Whenever you launch the Help feature, Windows will recognize which app you are currently using and will display the relevant help information for it. For example, the following Help pane displays when you are at the Start screen:

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However, the following Help pane displays when you are running the Photos app:

For the default apps supplied with Windows 8, selecting any of these help topics will launch Internet Explorer with the information about these topics. By going to the Windows website for help information, you can be assured that you will get the latest information available.

As you recall earlier, Windows 8 also has the ability to run PC applications designed for the Desktop. The Desktop has its own Help capability, and it functions differently than the rest of Windows 8. The following screen is an example of that Help window:

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These windows make extensive use of hyperlinks; hyperlinks appear as ordinary text, but will actually cause a different document to display when you click on them. These hyperlinks are often displayed using a different color or font, and the mouse cursor changes to a hand with a pointing finger when placed over it:

The hyperlink feature allows you to jump from one document containing help information to another. Each document will often contain a large volume of information, but with hyperlinks you can explore deeper in any direction as you need.

Each help window also includes several buttons:

Enables you to retrace steps through the Help system.

Print the currently displayed topic.

Help configuration settings.

At the lower right corner of the help window, you can adjust the zoom setting:

At the bottom left corner of the help window is the Online Help/Offline Help switch:

Unlike the rest of Windows 8, the Desktop help feature maintains downloaded copies of help information that you can access even without an Internet connection. With the switch set to Online Help, the help window will download the information from Microsoft as you select the topics. When you switch to Offline Help, you will only be able to display the information that has been previously downloaded onto your PC.

Exercise: Using Help In this exercise, you will use the Help feature located in different parts of Windows 8.

1. In the Windows 8 Start screen, display the Charms menu and click or tap the Settings charm.

2. Click or tap Help from the Settings pane.

The Help pane now displays.

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3. Click or tap on Get started with Windows 8 and Start.

Internet Explorer now launches, and the Windows website displays with general help information.

4. Go back to the Windows 8 Start screen, then select the Settings charm, and select Help.

5. Click or tap on Rearranging tiles on Start.

Internet Explorer launches again, but a different Windows web page displays showing help information about rearranging tiles on the Start screen.

6. Go back to the Windows 8 Start screen, then click or tap the Photos app.

7. Display the Charms menu, click or tap Settings, and then click or tap Help.

Windows detects that you are in the Photos app, so now displays the appropriate help information for that app.

8. Click or tap on How do I add photos and videos to the Photos app?.

Yet another Windows web page displays showing help information about the photos app.

9. Display the Charms menu, then click or tap Search.

10. Click or tap the Apps category, then click or tap in a blank area of the main screen to close the Search pane.

11. Click or tap Help and Support in the lower right of the screen.

The Desktop app now launches, with the Windows Help and Support feature displayed.

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12. Click or tap Get started in this Help feature.

13. Move the cursor over the Get to know Windows hyperlink.

The cursor changes to a hand with a pointing finger to indicate that this is a hyperlink.

14. Click the Get to know Windows hyperlink.

15. Click the (Back) button.

16. Click the (Forward) button.

17. Click on the Browse help hyperlink in the upper part of the help window.

Now search for any help articles about tiles.

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18. Click in the Search text box, type: tiles and press .

19. Scroll down this window to view its contents.

20. Click the (Close) button to close the Help window.

21. Go back to the Windows 8 Start screen.

Shutting Down and Restarting When you have completed your work on the PC, you should shut it down to close all open files and programs. This should be done on a regular basis for the following reasons:

• ensures that data is saved onto the hard drive, and not lost due to a sudden power failure

• conserves electricity

• ensures that Windows operating system updates are applied (more details about this in a later lesson), and

• extends the life of the hard drive, which contains moving parts that wear out with ongoing use.

To access the Shut down feature, open the Settings charm and select the Power option at the bottom of the Settings pane:

These same two options are also available at the login screen. This is useful if your PC is at the Lock Screen; you can click through to the login screen, select the Power button, and choose the Shut down or Restart option.

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The Restart option is also referred to as a reboot or warm boot. It will perform the same actions as a Shut down, but will then immediately start the PC back up again. This option is used when you suspect the PC or an app has encountered an unusual problem and the PC is behaving strangely. For example, you may be running an app, but it does not respond as expected after several minutes. You may be able to close the app, but the PC is responding sluggishly. You can select the Restart option to see if the problem can be resolved.

Exercise: Restarting, and Shutting Down In this exercise, you will restart your PC, and then shut it down.

1. Display the Charms menu and click or tap Settings.

2. Click or tap Power and then click or tap Restart.

The PC will shut down and start up again, and the Lock Screen will be displayed.

3. Click or tap on the Lock Screen.

4. Click or tap the Power button and select Shut down.

Lesson Summary You are now able to:

Understand Windows 8 and the various editions available

Log on and off the computer

Lock and unlock the computer

Identify components of the Start screen

Use the mouse and keyboard or use touch gestures

Use scroll bars

Use the Charms menu

Use the default apps on the Start screen

Resize and move tiles, and turn live tiles on and off

Use Help options

Restart and shut down the PC

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Review Questions 1. On which of the following computers will Windows 8 Pro run (check all that apply)?

a. Dell PC with Intel CPU d. Dell PC with AMD CPU b. Microsoft Surface tablet with ARM CPU e. Microsoft Surface tablet with Intel CPU c. Apple iPad f. Dell tablet PC with AMD CPU

2. Match up the following touch gestures/mouse motion with the action statement below. a. Click or touch an item, then move that item elsewhere while holding down on that item b. Tug down on an item c. Click or touch a tile d. Display the Charms menu

___ Launch an app from the Start screen ___ Drag an item to another location ___ Swipe from right edge of screen or point the mouse cursor at upper right or lower right

corner of screen ___ Selects an object and displays an options bar at the bottom of the screen

3. Under which of the following situations will the Search charm perform a search for relevant web pages? a. When you have the Mail app running b. When you have Internet Explorer running c. When you are at the Start screen d. When you have live tiles activated for Internet Explorer

4. Which of the following describes what a tile can do (check all that apply)? a. A live tile will rotate slides showing pictures or text describing information displayed in that

app. b. A tile can be made larger or smaller c. A tile can be moved to another location d. A tile will continuously display updated information as soon as it is received

5. You should shut down a PC for the following reasons (check all that apply): a. Ensures that the operating system is kept up to date b. Be environmentally friendly by not consuming power when you do not need to c. Helps prevent your hard disk from wearing out prematurely d. Helps prevent your CPU from wearing out prematurely e. Ensures valuable data is protected by saving it to the hard disk

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