Use the Interface and Launch Applications

Windows 7

Windows 7 featured a desktop upon which applications could be used. A taskbar was displayed by default along the bottom. The Start Menu existed in the bottom-left. This menu was used to launch applications and control the computer. In addition to being launched from the Start Menu, applications could also be launched from the taskbar if they were previously pinned to it.

Windows 8

The new user interface in Windows 8 is titled as the Metro Start Screen. Rather than simply listing applications, the Metro Start screen displays applications as rectangles. Touching or clicking an application launches it. For applications that were not designed for Metro, Windows 8 includes the Desktop application. This application is very similar to Windows 7 interface. However, in Desktop mode the Windows key switches to the Start screen in Windows 8 rather than the Start Menu, which no longer exists. The Start screen is like a fullscreen version of Windows 7's Start Menu.

Log into Windows

Windows 7

Under Windows 7, users might have had to log into Windows. On a single-user machine, the welcome screen showed the user's profile image and text input field for the password. After entering a password, pressing ENTER logged into Windows.

Windows 8

Windows 8 features a lock screen that slides open. This can be slid up either by dragging upward (either with a finger on touch-enabled computers or by clicking and dragging with a mouse) or by pressing the up arrow on the keyboard. The user's password is then entered followed by pressing ENTER.

Find an Unpinned Application

Windows 7

Applications that weren't pinned to the Start Menu or taskbar could still be launched in Windows 7. In the Start Menu, these programs were found under the "All programs" submenu.

Windows 8

Windows 8 also contains something similar to the "All programs" submenu. On the Start screen, right-click on the background with a mouse or flick up from the bottom on touch-enabled displays to open a panel with an "All apps" button. Select this button to find the rest of your applications.

Use Shut Down, Restart, or Sleep

Windows 7

In Windows 7, the ability to use Shut Down, Restart, or Sleep was part of the Start Menu. After opening the Start Menu, clicking the Shut Down button near the bottom-right caused the computer to shut down. Next to Shut Down was an error that opened a menu containing Restart, Sleep, and possibly other options. Selecting these would cause the appropriate action to occur.

Windows 8

Using Windows 8, move the mouse cursor to upper right or flick left from the right-side of the screen on a touch-enabled display to open a side panel. Select "Settings." Next, select "Power" to open a submenu containing Shut down, Restart, and Sleep. Select one of these to cause the action to occur.

Add an Application to Start

Windows 7

After finding an application, right-clicking it opened a menu. Selecting "Pin to Start Menu" in this menu would add the application to the Start Menu.

Windows 8

Find your application and right-click it. Next, select "Pin to Start" to pin it to the Start screen.

Use the Search Function

Windows 7

The search field existed in the Start Menu in Windows 7. After opening the Start Menu, the search field was automatically selected. Typing would enter the search term. Pressing ENTER selected the first choice.

Windows 8

To search in Windows 8, go back to the Start screen. If viewing a screen other than the Start screen, press the Windows key to do so. Begin typing at the Start screen. This will automatically begin the search. Additional filters can be selected at the right.

In addition to this search, the search field can also be accessed in a side panel. Place the cursor in the upper-right or flick to the left from the right-side of the screen on a touch-enabled display to open the side panel. Then, select Search. If the application is designed to use it, accessing the search feature this way will search the current application.

Use the Task Manager

Windows 7

Pressing CTRL, ALT, and DELETE at the same time opened the Task Manager. The "Applications" tab contained all open application, and the "Processes" tab contained all open applications and background processes. Columns included CPU for CPU usage, Memory for memory usage, and multiple I/O fields for the usage of input and output (including file, network, and device reads and writes).

Selecting an application on the "Processes" tab and clicking "End Process" would cause a confirmation box to open. Selecting "End Process" in that window would force the application to close.

Windows 8

The task manager in Windows 8 is similar to the task manager in Windows 7. However, there is no separation of "Applications" and "Processes." All open applications are displayed by default. Pressing "More details" expands the list to show all running processes. In place of I/O columns, the task manager in Windows 8 features a "Disk" column for disk usage and a "Network" column for network usage.

In the "Processes" tab, select a process and then click "End task" to force it to close. If attempting to do this to Windows Explorer, the button will change to "Restart" because Windows Explorer will automatically relaunch after closing.

See Which Applications Are Open

Windows 7

An open applications was represented by an icon enclosed in a box on the taskbar in Windows 7. These were lined up within the taskbar. Right-clicking on one and selecting "Close Window" would close the application.

Windows 8

In Windows 8, open applications on the Desktop are indicated the same way they were on Windows 7. Closing them also functions the same as in Windows 7. Open Metro applications can be seen by moving the cursor to the upper-left of the screen and then moving the cursor down or flicking to the right from the left-side of the screen on touch-enabled displays. To close a Metro app, right-click on it in the list and select "Close."

Resize an Application

Windows 7

WIthin Windows 7, clicking the middle button in the upper-right would cause the application to maximize or return to normal if already maximized. Dragging the edges of the window caused it to resize.

Windows 8

Desktop applications in Windows 8 can be resized the same way they could be resized in Windows 7. Metro applications can't be resized.

Display Multiple Applications at Once

Windows 7

By resizing, windows in Windows 7 could be used in any configuration. Dragging a window from its top status bar to the left or right side of the screen would allow applications to be used side-by-side.

Windows 8

Desktop applications in Windows 8 can be used the same way they could under Windows 7. To use Metro applications side-by-side, open the first application. Then view the open Metro application list (as described above) and drag the other window out of the panel. Drag it to the left or right of the current application and release the drag to cause it to be displayed side-by-side. Note that this only functions if the monitor is sufficiently large.

Change Volume

Windows 7

Left-clicking on the volume icon in the notification area near the clock open a slider to control the volume.

Windows 8

Volume control within the Desktop functions the same as it did in Windows 7. To change the volume from the Metro interface, move the cursor to the upper-right or flick to the left from the right-side of the screen to open the side panel. Select "Settings." Then, select the volume icon to open the volume slider.