So you’ve successfully upgraded to Windows 8.1. Now it’s time to improve your user-experience with a couple recommended tips. We have found these 2 tricks below to be helpful, and unfortunately Microsoft did not make these settings changes obvious to find so here are the instructions:

 

 

 

1.  Log in Straight to Desktop

If you’re like us and you prefer working in the familiar desktop screen, rather than the new Start screen, you can have your computer boot up directly to the desktop, skipping over the Start screen. Here’s how:

  1. While on the desktop screen right-click on the Taskbar (bottom bar on screen) and click “Properties.”
  2. Click the “Navigation” tab and check the box next to “When I sign in or close all apps on a screen, go to the desktop instead of Start”, click OK and your DONE. The next time you start up your computer it will boot directly to the desktop.

2.  Unified Background for Start Screen & Desktop

This may seem like a minor feature, but it may have the greatest potential to make the user-experience friendlier. By having the same background on both the desktop and Start screen, Windows “traditionalists” may begin thinking of the modern user-interface as the extension of the platform that it is, not something foreign.  Having a consistent wallpaper lends to a more cohesive feel, and makes the jump between the desktop and Start Screen feel much less disorienting. Unfortunately, Microsoft buried this option in the Taskbar’s Control Panel on the desktop for some reason. Here’s what to do:

  1. While on the desktop screen right-click on the Taskbar (bottom bar on screen) and click “Properties”
  2. Click the “Navigation” tab and check the box next to “Show my desktop background on Start”, click OK and your DONE. The desktop and Start backgrounds are now the same.
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