Acer Aspire and Windows 8.1 help

Sunshine_and_Roses

I have just bought a new laptop and struggling to set it up.


I am not used to these tile things - can I change them? I would like to personalise the front screen with my Amazon music player, Dropbox, Facebook etc. Is this possible?


Will have lots more questions if people would be kind enough to help

grumpycrab

Assuming you want to stick with the "tile things" (rather than old-stlye Windows interface) try this
http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/how-to-customize-the-new-start-screen-in-windows-8-1/

poppasmurf_bewdley

I bought a new laptop a couple of weeks ago, loaded with Windows 8.1.

After 10 minutes with this appalling mess of an operating system I downloaded http://www.classicshell.net/ which has transformed my new laptop into something which is easy and a pleasure to use, including a proper Start Button.

Sunshine_and_Roses

Thanks both. Until I find my way around the laptop properly I have installed Classicshell. Going to be a long night I think!!

RumRat

There is nothing wrong with W8.1, it's just different. Some people just can't adapt so revert to an older OS with Classic Shell or similar. Those who depend on it will probably never move forward. Even without CS you don't need to be anywhere but your desktop if you don't want to.

Sunshine_and_Roses

Thanks RumRat. Is there an easy way I can add tiles for pages I use most often, ie amazon music, facebook, bank etc

MrWillyWonka

Classic shell is good. However there will be a time when you will need to learn how to use the tiles. I pushed out Windows 8.1 to my workplace recently, lots and lots of complaints at first but tough. Now after several weeks most of them love it. Even for me as a senior engineer it took me a while to get used to it and now I love it. The trick I found is to take your time and organdie things in the way you want.

For any tile, right click to get options to unpin it. To add anything, use the search (Ctrl+F) and when you found the program you want, right click and pin it. You can also use the mouse to drag tiles to where you want it to go. At the end of the day you use less programs than you think.

As for web shortcuts, it's easier to maintain a favorites list. Press Ctrl+D to bookmark a page.

Sunshine_and_Roses

Thanks MrWillyWonka, that's really helpful.


I want to try to use the tiles, it looks like it should be simple to use when I get the hang of it.


Is it only the Windows Apps you can use on there, or can you add from Google Play?

MrWillyWonka

clareski wrote: »

Thanks MrWillyWonka, that's really helpful.


I want to try to use the tiles, it looks like it should be simple to use when I get the hang of it.


Is it only the Windows Apps you can use on there, or can you add from Google Play?

You can pin anything, it is not limited to Windows Apps. You can pin shortcuts too including web shortcuts (a little long winded but if you want to do that, let me know and I'll post instructions).

Sunshine_and_Roses

MrWillyWonka wrote: »

You can pin anything, it is not limited to Windows Apps. You can pin shortcuts too including web shortcuts (a little long winded but if you want to do that, let me know and I'll post instructions).

I would be really grateful if you could, thanks

RumRat

You can also pin them to the taskbar to save you keep going back when on the desktop. Just right click and 'Pin to taskbar' any program you require.