Table of Contents

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

About the Author

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.