Windows 8 Tweaks
Published on 4. June 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
408 pages
978-1-118-17277-3 (ISBN)
Description
Acres of Windows 8 tweaks from a Microsoft MVP and creator of Tweaks.com!
From a Microsoft MVP, who is also the savvy creator of Tweaks.com, comes this ultimate collection of Windows 8 workarounds. Steve Sinchak takes you way beyond default system settings, deep under the hood of Windows 8, down to the hidden gems that let you customize your Windows 8 system like you wouldn't believe. From helping you customize the appearance to setting up home networking, sharing media, and squeezing every ounce of performance out of the OS, this book delivers. Get ready to rock and roll with Windows 8!
* Uncovers hidden gems to help you get the most out of Windows 8
* Bypasses the default system settings to show you how to customize the login and start screens, unlock hidden settings, supercharge your network speed, get rid of features you hate, and more
* Provides over 400 pages of workarounds and tweaks, including many high-level ones for you hotshot techies who really love to reshape an OS and make it your own
* Offers expert guidance and insight from author Steve Sinchak, a Microsoft MVP and creator of Tweaks.com
Start tweaking and make Windows 8 your own with Windows 8 Tweaks.
From a Microsoft MVP, who is also the savvy creator of Tweaks.com, comes this ultimate collection of Windows 8 workarounds. Steve Sinchak takes you way beyond default system settings, deep under the hood of Windows 8, down to the hidden gems that let you customize your Windows 8 system like you wouldn't believe. From helping you customize the appearance to setting up home networking, sharing media, and squeezing every ounce of performance out of the OS, this book delivers. Get ready to rock and roll with Windows 8!
* Uncovers hidden gems to help you get the most out of Windows 8
* Bypasses the default system settings to show you how to customize the login and start screens, unlock hidden settings, supercharge your network speed, get rid of features you hate, and more
* Provides over 400 pages of workarounds and tweaks, including many high-level ones for you hotshot techies who really love to reshape an OS and make it your own
* Offers expert guidance and insight from author Steve Sinchak, a Microsoft MVP and creator of Tweaks.com
Start tweaking and make Windows 8 your own with Windows 8 Tweaks.
More details
Person
Steve Sinchak runs Advanced PC Media LLC, a web development firm that operates Tweaks.com and other websites geared towards computer enthusiasts. He also works as a systems engineer for a financial services company, and has received nine Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) awards for his contributions to the Windows community.
Content
Introduction xix
Part I Getting Started with Windows 8 1
Chapter 1 Selecting the Right Edition 3
Edition Comparison 3
Consumer and Business Editions 4
Enterprise Edition 5
Edition Matrix 5
Add Features to Windows 8 8
Summary 10
Chapter 2 Installing Windows 8 11
Understanding the Install Media 11
32-Bit or 64-Bit? 12
Installing from USB 13
Understanding the Install Process 17
Using the Upgrade Install Process 17
Using the Clean Install Process 18
Dual-Booting Windows 21
Creating the VHD File on Windows 7 22
Installing Windows 8 to a VHD 23
Using Windows To Go 25
Why Enterprises Only? 25
Building the Windows To Go Workspace 26
Summary 27
Chapter 3 Windows 8 Basics 29
Using the New Interface 29
Using the Start Screen 30
Using Charms 32
Using Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows Store Apps
and the Start Screen 35
Using the Classic Desktop 36
What's New? 36
Using Desktop Keyboard Shortcuts 37
Summary 38
Chapter 4 Safe Tweaking 39
Using System Restore 39
Creating Restore Points 40
Reverting to a Previous State 41
System Recovery Console 42
Accessing the System Recovery Console 42
Using the System Recovery Console Tools 43
Creating a Backup Image 44
Creating the Image 44
Restoring a System Image 46
Using One-Click Recovery 47
Using Refresh Your PC 47
Using Reset Your PC 48
Summary 50
Part II Customizing Windows 8 51
Chapter 5 Customizing the Startup 53
Customizing the Lock Screen 53
Changing User Pictures 54
Hiding Users on the Lock Screen 55
Clearing the Last User Logon 57
Changing the Lock Screen Screensaver 58
Displaying a Security Message 59
Enabling Num Lock by Default 60
Changing the Lock Screen Image 61
Tweaking Default Color Scheme 63
Customize Lock Screen Apps 64
Using a Picture Password 64
Enable PIN Logon 65
Boot To Desktop 66
Summary 66
Chapter 6 Customizing User Navigation 67
Customizing the Start Screen 68
Changing the Background and Colors 68
Working with Live Tiles 71
Creating Custom Tiles 74
Administrative Tools 75
Restoring the Classic Start Menu 77
Customizing the Taskbar 78
Pinning Applications 79
Modifying Icon Locations 80
Tweaking Jump Lists 80
Enable Classic Taskbar Look and Behavior 82
Customize Taskbar Icon Sizes 82
Tweaking Taskbar Preview Delay 83
Restore Classic Quick Launch Bar 83
Modifying the Taskbar Location 85
Customizing the Notification Area 86
Restoring the Start Button 87
Using Group Policy Editor to Customize the Start Screen and Taskbar 89
Setting Policies with the Group Policy Editor 89
Changing Start Screen and Taskbar Policies 90
Summary 92
Chapter 7 Personalizing the Desktop 93
Customizing the Desktop Icons 93
Removing All Icons from the Desktop 94
Customizing the Icon Drop Shadow Effect 94
Displaying Windows System and User Icons on the Desktop 95
Adjusting the Size of Desktop Icons 96
Renaming the Recycle Bin 98
Customizing the Shortcut Arrow 98
Customizing the Icons 99
Customizing the Desktop Background 102
Automatically Rotate Your Wallpaper 102
Desktop Gadgets 102
Summary 106
Chapter 8 Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface 107
Working with Themes 107
Changing the Current Theme 108
Downloading More Themes 109
Making Your Own Theme 109
Automatic RSS Background Themes 113
Making the Desktop Interface Touch Friendly 115
Supersize the Interface 116
Enable Large Icons 117
Skinning Windows 8 117
Using Hacked Visual Styles 118
Changing the Look of Windows 8 Via WindowBlinds 119
Adding More Skins for WindowBlinds 119
Summary 120
Chapter 9 Fine-Tuning File Explorer 121
Customizing Windows Layout 121
Customizing Panes 122
Tweaking Search 124
Customizing the Ribbon 128
Modifying File Associations 129
Customizing the Context Menu 130
Removing Items from the Context Menu 131
Modifying the Send To Menu 132
Working with Libraries 133
Creating Your Own Libraries 133
Customizing Your Folders 134
Changing a Folder Icon and Picture 135
Changing the Template of a Folder 135
Customizing the Folder View 137
Applying Your Settings to All Folders 140
Working with Hidden Files 140
Showing Hidden Files 140
Revealing the Super Hidden Files 142
Summary 142
Chapter 10 Personalizing Internet Explorer 143
Customizing Search 143
Adding Popular Search Engines 143
Managing Your Configured Search Engines 145
Adding Custom Search Entries 145
Creating Registry Files to Import Sites to Search 146
Tweaking the Tabs 147
Tab Keyboard Shortcuts 147
Multitab Homepages 148
Customizing Tabs 149
Fun with RSS 151
Subscribing to Feeds 151
Customizing Feed Settings 152
Using Add-ons in Internet Explorer 153
Using ieSpell 153
Using RoboForm 153
Advanced Internet Explorer 10 Features 154
Using Accelerators 154
Using Pinned Sites 155
Summary 156
Chapter 11 Customizing Windows Media 157
Adjusting Your Audio Experience 157
Bass Boost 158
Virtual Surround 159
Room Correction 159
Loudness Equalization 161
Headphone Virtualization 161
Customizing Windows Media Player 161
Tweaking the User Interface 161
Sharing Your Library 163
Sharing Your Library over the Internet 165
Using Audio Effects 166
Customizing Media Center 168
Installing Windows Media Center 169
Turning Your PC into a DVR 170
Summary 175
Part III Increasing Your System's Performance 177
Chapter 12 Analyzing Your System 179
Monitoring Your System Hardware 179
Using the Resource Monitor 180
Using Performance Monitor to Get More System Stats 185
Using the Reliability Monitor 191
Using Event Viewer 193
Understanding Blue Screens 196
Using Task Manager 197
Benchmarking Your System 200
Windows Experience Index 201
Benchmarking with PCMark 7 202
Summary 204
Chapter 13 Speeding Up the System Boot 205
Working with the BIOS 205
Changing the Boot Order of Your Drives 206
Using Quick Boot Feature of the BIOS 208
Modifying the Operating System Boot 210
Windows Boot Manager 210
Disabling the System Boot Screen 213
Disabling Unneeded Hardware Devices 215
Removing Extra Fonts for Speed 217
Disabling Unneeded Services 220
Optimizing the Location of the Boot Files 236
Summary 237
Chapter 14 Speeding Up the Log-On Process 239
Speeding Up the Logon 240
Using a PIN instead of a Password 240
Adjust the Startup Programs 242
Customizing Auto-Start Programs for Other Users 246
Other Time-Saving Tips 248
Turning Off the Logon Sound 248
Summary 248
Chapter 15 Speeding Up Windows Explorer 251
Speeding Up File Browsing and Access 251
Disabling Legacy Filename Creation 252
Disabling the File Access Timestamp 255
Adjusting NTFS Memory Allocation 256
Speeding Up the User Interface 257
Fine-Tuning Performance Options 257
Adjusting Animations 258
Adjusting Explorer's Search 261
Adjusting Search Settings 262
Adjusting Windows Indexing Service 262
Using Windows Search without an Index 264
Summary 265
Chapter 16 Optimizing Core Windows Components 267
Windows Loves RAM 267
Adding RAM to Your Computer 268
Using a USB Storage Device to Add Memory 270
Tweaking the Paging File 273
Disabling the Paging File 273
Adjusting the Size of the Paging File 276
Changing the Location of the Paging File 278
Defragmenting Your Hard Drive 279
Using the Windows Defrag Utility 280
Using Third-Party Defrag Utilities 281
Upgrading to an SSD 283
Selecting an SSD 284
Replacing Your Traditional HDD with an SSD 286
Adjusting Your Application Priorities 288
Using Task Manager to Adjust Priorities 289
Starting Applications with a User Set Priority 291
Summary 291
Chapter 17 Optimizing Your Network 293
Optimizing Your Web Browser 293
Speeding Up Internet Explorer 294
Speeding Up Firefox 296
Speeding Up Chrome 298
Accelerating Your Downloads 299
Speeding Up Your Network Connection 302
Tweaking Auto Tuning 302
Disabling Unneeded Protocols 303
Summary 305
Part IV Securing Windows 307
Chapter 18 Windows Security 309
Actively Protecting Your Computer 310
Staying Up to Date 310
Active Security Tips 315
Controlling Your Computer Accounts 317
Using Complex Passwords on All Your Computer Accounts 317
Assigning a Password and Renaming the Guest Account 318
Secure the Administrator Account 319
Hiding Usernames on the Logon Screen 321
Setting the Account Lockout Policy 322
Tweaking User Account Control 323
Controlling User Account Control 323
Using File Encryption 328
Encrypting Your Files 328
Using BitLocker Drive Encryption 332
Summary 335
Chapter 19 Internet Security 337
Analyzing Your Security 337
Testing Internet Security 338
Monitor the Action Center 340
Using a Firewall 341
Using the Windows 8 Firewall 342
Using Online Armor Firewall 345
Web Browser Security 347
Securing Internet Explorer 10 347
Disabling Add-Ons 351
Sandbox Internet Apps 351
Defending Against Spyware, Malware, and Viruses 352
Using Windows Defender 353
Summary 355
Chapter 20 Protecting Your Privacy 357
Internet Explorer Privacy 357
Removing Address Bar Suggestions 358
Clearing Temporary Internet Files, History, and Cookies 359
Adjusting Your Cookie Security Policy 360
Protecting Sensitive Online Data 363
Disabling AutoComplete 364
Clearing Temporary Internet Files Automatically 365
Running Internet Explorer 10 in Privacy Mode 366
Tracking Protection Lists 367
Windows Interface Privacy 368
Removing Specific Entries from Taskbar Jump Lists 369
Removing Temporary Files from Your Hard Drive 369
Removing Saved Passwords with Credential Manager 371
Setting File and Folder Permissions 372
Summary 374
Index 375
Part I Getting Started with Windows 8 1
Chapter 1 Selecting the Right Edition 3
Edition Comparison 3
Consumer and Business Editions 4
Enterprise Edition 5
Edition Matrix 5
Add Features to Windows 8 8
Summary 10
Chapter 2 Installing Windows 8 11
Understanding the Install Media 11
32-Bit or 64-Bit? 12
Installing from USB 13
Understanding the Install Process 17
Using the Upgrade Install Process 17
Using the Clean Install Process 18
Dual-Booting Windows 21
Creating the VHD File on Windows 7 22
Installing Windows 8 to a VHD 23
Using Windows To Go 25
Why Enterprises Only? 25
Building the Windows To Go Workspace 26
Summary 27
Chapter 3 Windows 8 Basics 29
Using the New Interface 29
Using the Start Screen 30
Using Charms 32
Using Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows Store Apps
and the Start Screen 35
Using the Classic Desktop 36
What's New? 36
Using Desktop Keyboard Shortcuts 37
Summary 38
Chapter 4 Safe Tweaking 39
Using System Restore 39
Creating Restore Points 40
Reverting to a Previous State 41
System Recovery Console 42
Accessing the System Recovery Console 42
Using the System Recovery Console Tools 43
Creating a Backup Image 44
Creating the Image 44
Restoring a System Image 46
Using One-Click Recovery 47
Using Refresh Your PC 47
Using Reset Your PC 48
Summary 50
Part II Customizing Windows 8 51
Chapter 5 Customizing the Startup 53
Customizing the Lock Screen 53
Changing User Pictures 54
Hiding Users on the Lock Screen 55
Clearing the Last User Logon 57
Changing the Lock Screen Screensaver 58
Displaying a Security Message 59
Enabling Num Lock by Default 60
Changing the Lock Screen Image 61
Tweaking Default Color Scheme 63
Customize Lock Screen Apps 64
Using a Picture Password 64
Enable PIN Logon 65
Boot To Desktop 66
Summary 66
Chapter 6 Customizing User Navigation 67
Customizing the Start Screen 68
Changing the Background and Colors 68
Working with Live Tiles 71
Creating Custom Tiles 74
Administrative Tools 75
Restoring the Classic Start Menu 77
Customizing the Taskbar 78
Pinning Applications 79
Modifying Icon Locations 80
Tweaking Jump Lists 80
Enable Classic Taskbar Look and Behavior 82
Customize Taskbar Icon Sizes 82
Tweaking Taskbar Preview Delay 83
Restore Classic Quick Launch Bar 83
Modifying the Taskbar Location 85
Customizing the Notification Area 86
Restoring the Start Button 87
Using Group Policy Editor to Customize the Start Screen and Taskbar 89
Setting Policies with the Group Policy Editor 89
Changing Start Screen and Taskbar Policies 90
Summary 92
Chapter 7 Personalizing the Desktop 93
Customizing the Desktop Icons 93
Removing All Icons from the Desktop 94
Customizing the Icon Drop Shadow Effect 94
Displaying Windows System and User Icons on the Desktop 95
Adjusting the Size of Desktop Icons 96
Renaming the Recycle Bin 98
Customizing the Shortcut Arrow 98
Customizing the Icons 99
Customizing the Desktop Background 102
Automatically Rotate Your Wallpaper 102
Desktop Gadgets 102
Summary 106
Chapter 8 Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface 107
Working with Themes 107
Changing the Current Theme 108
Downloading More Themes 109
Making Your Own Theme 109
Automatic RSS Background Themes 113
Making the Desktop Interface Touch Friendly 115
Supersize the Interface 116
Enable Large Icons 117
Skinning Windows 8 117
Using Hacked Visual Styles 118
Changing the Look of Windows 8 Via WindowBlinds 119
Adding More Skins for WindowBlinds 119
Summary 120
Chapter 9 Fine-Tuning File Explorer 121
Customizing Windows Layout 121
Customizing Panes 122
Tweaking Search 124
Customizing the Ribbon 128
Modifying File Associations 129
Customizing the Context Menu 130
Removing Items from the Context Menu 131
Modifying the Send To Menu 132
Working with Libraries 133
Creating Your Own Libraries 133
Customizing Your Folders 134
Changing a Folder Icon and Picture 135
Changing the Template of a Folder 135
Customizing the Folder View 137
Applying Your Settings to All Folders 140
Working with Hidden Files 140
Showing Hidden Files 140
Revealing the Super Hidden Files 142
Summary 142
Chapter 10 Personalizing Internet Explorer 143
Customizing Search 143
Adding Popular Search Engines 143
Managing Your Configured Search Engines 145
Adding Custom Search Entries 145
Creating Registry Files to Import Sites to Search 146
Tweaking the Tabs 147
Tab Keyboard Shortcuts 147
Multitab Homepages 148
Customizing Tabs 149
Fun with RSS 151
Subscribing to Feeds 151
Customizing Feed Settings 152
Using Add-ons in Internet Explorer 153
Using ieSpell 153
Using RoboForm 153
Advanced Internet Explorer 10 Features 154
Using Accelerators 154
Using Pinned Sites 155
Summary 156
Chapter 11 Customizing Windows Media 157
Adjusting Your Audio Experience 157
Bass Boost 158
Virtual Surround 159
Room Correction 159
Loudness Equalization 161
Headphone Virtualization 161
Customizing Windows Media Player 161
Tweaking the User Interface 161
Sharing Your Library 163
Sharing Your Library over the Internet 165
Using Audio Effects 166
Customizing Media Center 168
Installing Windows Media Center 169
Turning Your PC into a DVR 170
Summary 175
Part III Increasing Your System's Performance 177
Chapter 12 Analyzing Your System 179
Monitoring Your System Hardware 179
Using the Resource Monitor 180
Using Performance Monitor to Get More System Stats 185
Using the Reliability Monitor 191
Using Event Viewer 193
Understanding Blue Screens 196
Using Task Manager 197
Benchmarking Your System 200
Windows Experience Index 201
Benchmarking with PCMark 7 202
Summary 204
Chapter 13 Speeding Up the System Boot 205
Working with the BIOS 205
Changing the Boot Order of Your Drives 206
Using Quick Boot Feature of the BIOS 208
Modifying the Operating System Boot 210
Windows Boot Manager 210
Disabling the System Boot Screen 213
Disabling Unneeded Hardware Devices 215
Removing Extra Fonts for Speed 217
Disabling Unneeded Services 220
Optimizing the Location of the Boot Files 236
Summary 237
Chapter 14 Speeding Up the Log-On Process 239
Speeding Up the Logon 240
Using a PIN instead of a Password 240
Adjust the Startup Programs 242
Customizing Auto-Start Programs for Other Users 246
Other Time-Saving Tips 248
Turning Off the Logon Sound 248
Summary 248
Chapter 15 Speeding Up Windows Explorer 251
Speeding Up File Browsing and Access 251
Disabling Legacy Filename Creation 252
Disabling the File Access Timestamp 255
Adjusting NTFS Memory Allocation 256
Speeding Up the User Interface 257
Fine-Tuning Performance Options 257
Adjusting Animations 258
Adjusting Explorer's Search 261
Adjusting Search Settings 262
Adjusting Windows Indexing Service 262
Using Windows Search without an Index 264
Summary 265
Chapter 16 Optimizing Core Windows Components 267
Windows Loves RAM 267
Adding RAM to Your Computer 268
Using a USB Storage Device to Add Memory 270
Tweaking the Paging File 273
Disabling the Paging File 273
Adjusting the Size of the Paging File 276
Changing the Location of the Paging File 278
Defragmenting Your Hard Drive 279
Using the Windows Defrag Utility 280
Using Third-Party Defrag Utilities 281
Upgrading to an SSD 283
Selecting an SSD 284
Replacing Your Traditional HDD with an SSD 286
Adjusting Your Application Priorities 288
Using Task Manager to Adjust Priorities 289
Starting Applications with a User Set Priority 291
Summary 291
Chapter 17 Optimizing Your Network 293
Optimizing Your Web Browser 293
Speeding Up Internet Explorer 294
Speeding Up Firefox 296
Speeding Up Chrome 298
Accelerating Your Downloads 299
Speeding Up Your Network Connection 302
Tweaking Auto Tuning 302
Disabling Unneeded Protocols 303
Summary 305
Part IV Securing Windows 307
Chapter 18 Windows Security 309
Actively Protecting Your Computer 310
Staying Up to Date 310
Active Security Tips 315
Controlling Your Computer Accounts 317
Using Complex Passwords on All Your Computer Accounts 317
Assigning a Password and Renaming the Guest Account 318
Secure the Administrator Account 319
Hiding Usernames on the Logon Screen 321
Setting the Account Lockout Policy 322
Tweaking User Account Control 323
Controlling User Account Control 323
Using File Encryption 328
Encrypting Your Files 328
Using BitLocker Drive Encryption 332
Summary 335
Chapter 19 Internet Security 337
Analyzing Your Security 337
Testing Internet Security 338
Monitor the Action Center 340
Using a Firewall 341
Using the Windows 8 Firewall 342
Using Online Armor Firewall 345
Web Browser Security 347
Securing Internet Explorer 10 347
Disabling Add-Ons 351
Sandbox Internet Apps 351
Defending Against Spyware, Malware, and Viruses 352
Using Windows Defender 353
Summary 355
Chapter 20 Protecting Your Privacy 357
Internet Explorer Privacy 357
Removing Address Bar Suggestions 358
Clearing Temporary Internet Files, History, and Cookies 359
Adjusting Your Cookie Security Policy 360
Protecting Sensitive Online Data 363
Disabling AutoComplete 364
Clearing Temporary Internet Files Automatically 365
Running Internet Explorer 10 in Privacy Mode 366
Tracking Protection Lists 367
Windows Interface Privacy 368
Removing Specific Entries from Taskbar Jump Lists 369
Removing Temporary Files from Your Hard Drive 369
Removing Saved Passwords with Credential Manager 371
Setting File and Folder Permissions 372
Summary 374
Index 375