As many of you know, I've been using two monitors on my workstation for over ten years. I like being able to view two or more programs all at the same time. So when Windows 8 came out, I was happy to see better multiple monitor support. Still, I didn't particularly appreciate running Windows RT / Metro apps, as they took up the full display area. They are nice, but it was just too much for me with a screen size of 2560 x 1024. Then the folks at Stardock came out with a program to run Windows RT / Metro apps in a window on the desktop called ModernMix.

Two Windows RT apps running on a desktop with two monitors using ModernMix in Windows 8

ModernMix allows almost any Windows RT / Metro app to run inside a window on the desktop in Windows 8. It remembers the settings of all of the Windows RT apps you have run, and you can manually modify them if needed. I came across a couple of apps that would only run in full screen. It also has a screen overlay you can enable in the upper right-hand corner that allows you to switch between modes (full screen, maximized, and windowed) and bring up the Settings charm for that app. You can even Pin a program to the Taskbar with ModernMix.

Application settings page inside of ModernMix

Here's a quote from the ModernMix website:

What is ModernMix?

ModernMix is a revolutionary new program that lets you run Windows 8 "Modern" apps in a window on the desktop. Windows 8 Modern apps, also known as Metro or RT apps, will use the full screen on your display regardless of how much of the screen they really need. As a result, that weather app, mail program or stock ticker is going to use the entirety of your computer display.

Features

Run modern apps in windows
• ModernMix enables you to run multiple Modern apps in individual separate windows on the desktop as well as launch them from the desktop.

Apply custom settings
• Modern app window sizes are remembered the next time you launch them.

Pin modern apps to the taskbar
• Active Modern apps will also appear on your taskbar where they can be pinned for quick access later. Also create desktop shortcuts for Modern apps.

Bring back the familiar Windows look
• Standard Windows 8 title bar is enabled for Modern apps.
• Explicitly close Modern apps by clicking its close button.

The price of ModernMix is $4.99 (at the time this article was written). For more information on ModernMix and Stardock, just follow the links below:

ModernMix

Stardock

When it comes to doing computer repair, there are some things you do quite often. Restarting and shutting down computers has to be at the top of the list. So when I found that there was no easy way of doing this in Windows 8, I decided to see what I could do. Here is how I created my log-off, restart, and shut down shortcuts on the Start screen in Windows 8.

Log off, restart, and shut down shortcuts on the Start screen in Windows 8

1. On the Start menu, left-click on the Desktop tile.
2. If you want to create a toolbar on the Taskbar containing these shortcuts, you will need to create a new folder. If not, you can just make them on the Desktop. Then right-click inside the new folder or an empty area of the Desktop and select New > Shortcut.
3. Enter the code below for the different shortcuts.
4. Right-click on the shortcut you just created and select Properties.
   
5. Select the Shortcut tab, pull-down the Run drop-down menu, and select Minimized.
6. Right below Run is the Change Icon button; left-click on it. A warning may appear telling you that the program contains no icons. Select OK.
   
7. Select an icon from the default library (shell32.dll). Or you can use another library by browsing for it. When finished selecting an icon, select OK twice.
8. Right-click on each of the shortcuts you just edited and left-click Pin to Start.
   
9. If you created a shortcut folder, go to the Desktop and right-click on the Taskbar and select Toolbars > New toolbar... and select the folder you created the shortcuts inside.

Windows 8 log off shortcut Syntax and parameter(s)

C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe -l -f

Windows 8 restart shortcut Syntax and parameter(s)

C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe -r -f -t 00

Windows 8 shutdown shortcut Syntax and parameter(s)

C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 00

Shutdown.exe Syntax and Parameters in Windows 8

In 1995, Microsoft introduced Windows 95 with a new feature called the Start menu. To make it easy to use, they added a key to the standard keyboard and called it the Windows logo key. Microsoft even added a hand full of keyboard shortcuts to go along with it. The Windows logo key is now standard on Windows based computers, and Windows 8 takes full advantage of it.

The Windows logo key from a Microsoft keyboard

There are now over forty different Windows logo key shortcuts inside of Windows 8 (all of them are listed below). For more keyboard shortcuts for Windows, see the links at the bottom of this article.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 8

Press	To
	Start screen
+ C	Open charms
+ D	Show desktop
+ E	Open Windows Explorer
+ F	Go to Files in Search charm (+Ctrl to find computers on a network)
+ G	Cycle through desktop gadgets
+ H	Share charm
+ I	Settings charm
+ J	Switch focus between snapped and larger
+ K	Devices charm
+ L	Switch users (Lock computer if on a domain)
+ M	Minimize all windows (desktop)
+ O	Lock screen orientation
+ P	Projection options
+ Q	Search charm
+ R	Run...
+ T	Set focus on taskbar and cycle through running desktop apps
+ U	Ease of Access Center
+ V	Cycle through notifications (+Shift to go backward)
+ W	Go to Settings in Search charm
+ X	Quick link power user commands (Opens Windows Mobility Center if present)
+ Z	Open app bar
+ 1-9	Go to the app at the given position on the taskbar
+ + (plus)	Zoom in (Magnifier)
+ - (minus)	Zoom out (Magnifier)
+ , (comma)	Peek at the desktop
+ . (period)	Snap a metro app to the right (+Shift to snap to the left)
+ Enter	Narrator (+Alt to open Windows Media Center if installed)
+ Spacebar	Switch input language and keyboard layout
+ Tab	Cycle through metro app history (use Ctrl to use arrow keys)
+ Esc	Exit Magnifier
+ Home	Minimize non-active desktop windows
+ Page Up	Move Start screen to left monitor
+ Page Down	Move Start screen to right monitor
+ Break	System Properties
+ Left Arrow	Snap desktop window to the left (+Shift to move window to left monitor)
+ Right Arrow	Snap desktop window to the right (+Shift to move window to right monitor)
+ Up Arrow	Maximize desktop window (+Shift to keep width)
+ Down Arrow	Restore/minimize desktop window (+Shift to keep width)
+ F1	Windows Help and Support

For more keyboard shortcuts for Windows, see the links below:

Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts

General keyboard shortcuts

Natural keyboard shortcuts

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

Windows explorer keyboard shortcuts

Note: the Windows 8 Release Preview program expired on 8/27/13 and is no longer available.

Recently Microsoft introduced the Windows 8 Release Preview. With the significant changes with the Start menu and the Metro apps, I wanted to get 'under-the-hood' of this new operating system. Now, for the record, I never recommend installing a beta operating system on a production system. But this time, I needed something more than a virtual machine. So being a fan of dual-boot systems, I decided that was the way to go. (see How to dual-boot with Windows 7 and Windows 8).

I have been using Windows 8 Preview Release for two weeks now and have almost gotten adjusted to the new Start menu. And with the release of Surface by Microsoft, we see what Windows 8 can do on touch-sensitive devices. But if you're a die-hard Windows user like me, you want to know, "How are the new Start menu and Metro apps going to affect the way I work with Windows?".

The Windows you have come to know and love, or hate, is still here. Accessing things have changed, that's for sure. But with the new Start menu and the Metro apps also comes new ways to navigate, Swipe, Slide, Pinch, and Stretch. Don't worry if you don't have a touch-enabled screen; Microsoft created keyboard and mouse equivalents.

I have to say I was overwhelmed by the new Start menu interface at first. But with some of the Windows 7 tricks, like 'Godmode', I was able to find some pretty cool features. It was my priority to get productive as fast as possible with Windows 8, the new Start menu, and the Swipe, Slide, Pinch, and Stretch features. Swipe is integrated into both the Desktop and the Start menu, with Slide, Pinch and Stretch only for the touch-screen focused Start menu and Metro apps. So here's a list of some of the new touch-based commands and the keyboard and mouse equivalent:

Swipe - Right side (Desktop, Start menu, and Metro apps)

Swiping from the right side of the screen reveals the charms with system commands.
Mouse equivalent: Place the mouse pointer in the lower or upper right corner of the screen and move your mouse up the right edge.
Keyboard equivalent: Press the Windows logo key + C to open charms.

Swipe - Left side (Desktop, Start menu, and Metro apps)

Swiping in from the left reveals thumbnails of your open Metro apps so you can switch to them quickly. It does not display open programs on the Desktop.
Mouse equivalent: Place the mouse pointer in the upper-left and click to cycle through apps or lower-left corner of the screen to see the Start screen.
Keyboard equivalent: Using the Task Switcher (Alt + Tab) has the same functionally and also displays the open programs on the Desktop.

Swiping in and back out on the left brings up the most recently used apps, and you can select an app from that list.
Mouse equivalent: Place the mouse in the upper left and slide down the left side of the screen to see the most recently used apps.
Keyboard equivalent: Press the Windows logo key + Tab to cycle through the Metro app history.

Swipe - Bottom (Start menu and Metro apps)

Metro App commands are revealed by swiping from the bottom or top edge. You can swipe from the top to the bottom of the screen to dock or close the current app.
Mouse equivalent: Right-click the app to see the app's commands.
Keyboard equivalent: Press the Windows logo key + Z to open the app bar.

Swipe - Top (Metro apps)

If you want to close a Metro app, drag the app to the bottom of the screen.
Mouse equivalent: Click the top of the app and drag it to the bottom of the screen.

Slide to drag (Start menu and Metro apps)

This is mostly used to pan or scroll through lists and pages, but you can use it for moving an object or for drawing and writing.
Mouse equivalent: Rotate mouse wheel to scroll horizontally. Click, hold, and drag to pan or scroll. A scroll bar also appears at the bottom of the screen.

Pinch or stretch to zoom (Start menu and Metro apps)

Zooming provides a way to jump to the beginning, end, or a specific location within a list. You can start zooming by pinching or stretching two fingers on the screen.
Mouse and keyboard equivalent: Hold down the control key on the keyboard while using the mouse wheel to expand or shrink an item or tiles on the screen.

It's still too early in the programming phase for me to criticize Windows 8 Preview Release. Yes, I have had some issues, but nothing catastrophic (mainly video drivers). But with the new Start menu, I expected that. I have installed some of my favorite Windows programs and a couple of Metro apps from the Windows Store, and they seem to work well together. We will have to wait and see what the final release looks like.

I wanted to install Windows 8 on one of my production systems but didn't want to perform an upgrade to my existing version of Windows 7. I have had dual-boot systems in the past, so why not try it with Windows 7 and Windows 8. And to have some fun with it, I decided to use my Netbook.

Windows 7 / Windows 8 boot manager screen

I was surprised as to how easy it was. All that is required is an existing Windows 7 installation, Windows 8 installation media, and enough free space on your hard drive. I didn't even have to edit the boot loader; Windows 8 did it automatically. Here's how I did it.

Rename the existing Windows 7 partition/volume

Once your system is dual-booting, you will need to identify which partition has what operating system. Renaming the existing partition now will make things easier later (see image below).

• Open My Computer and right-click on the C: drive and select Rename. Give it a name that indicates which operating system is installed on it, something like Win7 or Windows 7.

Create a system image of your existing hard drive

The next thing to do is create a system image, just in case you need to recover your system back to its original state.

1. Click the Start button, then click on Control Panel. Inside the Control Panel, click on System and Security, then click on Backup and Restore
or

2. Click the Start button. In the search box, type Backup, and then, in the list of results, click on Backup and Restore

In the left pane, click Create a system image, and then follow the wizard's steps. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Shrink the existing Windows 7 volume

You will need some free space on your hard drive to install Windows 8. Windows 7 makes shrinking the existing partition easy. If you are logged in as an administrator, you can repartition your hard disk using the Shrink feature in Disk Management. You shrink the existing partition to create unallocated disk space, from which you make a new partition during the installation of Windows 8.

• Click the Start button, then click on Computer, which will bring up Windows Explorer. Inside of Windows Explorer, right-click on Computer, then click on Manage
or

• Click the Start button. In the search box, type Management, and then, in the list of results, click on Computer Management.
If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

• In the left pane, under Storage, click Disk Management.
• Right-click the volume you want to shrink, and then click Shrink Volume. Follow the instructions.
  

install windows 8 on the free space

Insert the Windows 8 installation media (DVD or USB drive) and reboot your system. If your system does not automatically boot up on the Windows 8 media, you may have to modify the boot options in the system's BIOS.

Once the installation starts, you will be prompted to do an Upgrade or Custom installation. Select Custom, and then you will be asked which partition you would like to install Windows 8 on. Select the unnamed, unallocated disk space you just created and let the installation complete.

I have built quite a few dual-boot systems in the past and used a third party boot editor to finish the setup. Not this time. Windows 8 modified the existing boot loader.

The reversed drive letters on a Windows 7 / Windows 8 dual-boot system

Once the installation is complete, open up Windows Explorer using the instructions above. You will notice that the drive letters associated with the partitions have changed. The partition you renamed earlier is not the C: drive anymore under Windows 8. Both Windows 7 and Windows 8, when in operation, will make their active partition the C: drive. Rename the unnamed Windows 8 partition Win8 or Windows 8, and you're set.