Monthly Archives: September 2012

Windows 8 – Keyboard Shortcut

Posted on by
Reply

The Windows logo key  also known as the Windows key, the home key, the meta key, the start key, MOD4, or the flag key is a keyboard key which was originally introduced on the Microsoft Natural keyboard before the release of Windows 95. This key became a standard key on PC keyboards.

Main Keyboard Shortcut to remember for Windows 8

  •  : Toggle between Tile screen and the last accessed application
  • + C: Access the charms bar
  • + Tab: Access the Modern Desktop Taskbar
  • + I: Access the Settings charm
  • + K: Access the Devices charm
  • + Q: Access the Apps Search screen
  • + F: Access the Files Search screen
  • + W: Access the Settings Search screen
  • + X: Access the Windows Tools Menu
  • + E: Open Computer
  • Alt + F4 : Close the active program/Screen

Other Keyboard Short Cuts

  • + O: Lock screen orientation
  • + H: Access the Share charm
  • + P: Access the Second Screen bar
  • + . : Move the screen split to the right
  • + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications
  • + PrtScrn: Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot
  • + Enter: Launch Narrator
  • + Z: Brings up the App Bar when you have a Modern Desktop App running
  • + R: Open the Run dialog box
  • + U: Open Ease of Access Center
  • + 1..10: Launch a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
  • + B: Select the first item in the Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items Press Enter to open the selected item
  • + T: Cycle through the items on the Taskbar
  • + M: Minimize all windows
  • + D: Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows)
  • + L: Lock computer
  • + Up Arrow: Maximize current window
  • + Down Arrow: Minimize/restore current window
  • + Home: Minimize all but the current window
  • + Left Arrow: Tile window on the left side of the screen
  • + Right Arrow: Tile window on the right side of the screen
  • + Shift + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order
  • + Shift + . : Move the screen split to the left
  • + Shift + M: Restore all minimized windows
  • + Shift + Up Arrow: Extend current window from the top to the bottom of the screen
  • + Shift + Left/Right Arrow: Move the current window from one monitor to the next
  • + Shift + 1..10: Launch a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
  • + Ctrl + B: Access the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area
  • + Ctrl + 1..10: Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
  • + Ctrl + F: Open Find Computers dialog box
  • + Alt + 1..10: Access the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
  • + F1: Launch Windows Help and Support
  • + Pause/Break: Open the System page
  • PageUp: Scroll forward on the Modern Desktop Start screen
  • PageDown: Scroll backward on the Modern Desktop Start screen
  • Esc: Close  a charm
  • Ctrl + Esc: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application
  • Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Activate the Semantic Zoom on the Modern Desktop screen
  • Ctrl + A: Select all items
  • Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item
  • Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item
  • Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item
  • Ctrl + D: Delete selected item
  • Ctrl + Z: Undo an action
  • Ctrl + Y: Redo an action
  • Ctrl + N: Open a new window in Windows Explorer
  • Ctrl + W: Close current window in Windows Explorer
  • Ctrl + E: Select the Search box in the upper right corner of a window
  • Ctrl + Shift + N: Create new folder
  • Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the Windows Task Manager
  • Ctrl + Alt + Tab: Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows
  • Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Access the Windows Security screen
  • Ctrl + Click: Select multiple individual items
  • Ctrl + Click and drag an item: Copies that item in the same folder Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item: Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder
  • Ctrl + Tab:  Move forward through tabs
  • Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move backward through tabs
  • Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program as an Administrator
  • Ctrl + Click on a grouped Taskbar button: Cycle through the instances of a program in the group
  • Alt: Display a hidden Menu Bar
  • Alt + D: Select the Address Bar
  • Alt + P: Display the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer
  • Alt + Tab: Cycle forward through open windows
  • Alt + Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through open windows
  • Alt + F: Close the current window Open the Shut Down Windows dialog box from the Desktop
  • Alt + Spacebar: Access the Shortcut menu for current window
  • Alt + Esc: Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened
  • Alt + Enter: Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item
  • Alt + PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard
  • Alt + Up Arrow: Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer (Like the Up Arrow in XP)
  • Alt + Left Arrow: Display the previous folder
  • Alt + Right Arrow: Display the next folder
  • Shift + Insert: CD/DVD Load CD/DVD without triggering Auto play or Auto run
  • Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the selected item without sending it onto Recycle Bin
  • Shift + F6: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
  • Shift + F10: Access the context menu for the selected item
  • Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
  • Shift + Click: Select a consecutive group of items
  • Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program
  • Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button: Access the context menu for the selected item
  • F1: Display Help
  • F2: Rename a file
  • F3: Open Search
  • F4: Display the Address Bar list
  • F5: Refresh display
  • F6: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
  • F7: Display command history in a Command Prompt
  • F10: Display hidden Menu Bar
  • F11: Toggle full screen display

Windows 8 – Versions

Posted on by
Reply

Windows 8 Version details

  • Windows 8 is the basic edition of Windows for the x86 and x86-64 architectures.
  • Windows 8 Pro succeeds Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate and is targeted towards enthusiasts and business users.
  • Windows 8 Enterprise provides all the features in Windows 8 Pro (except the ability to install the Windows Media Center add-on), with additional features to assist with IT organization.
  • Windows RT will only be available pre-installed on ARM-based devices such as tablet PCs, and was named for the Windows Runtime (WinRT) development platform that Microsoft is introducing in Windows 8.

Unlike Windows Vista and Windows 7, there are no Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, or Ultimate editions

Windows 8 – How to activate product key

Posted on by
Reply

For general public, you need  a Microsoft account, you can see all of the apps you bought from the Store and you can install any of those apps on up to five PCs.

Because Microsoft Windows 8 handles activation differently, the grace period has been eliminated. Microsoft has ditched the 30-day grace period, a trademark of Windows 7, in the retail copies of Windows .

For general public release, Microsoft requires a product key during setup because both Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro and the customers must enter a unique product key — a 25-character alpha-numeric string — to proceed during Windows 8 setup. If you cannot provide the key,  the process stops in its tracks. The version installed depends on the key provided.

Windows 8 Enterprise, the version aims companies with volume license agreements, uses an entirely different mechanism for activation. Rather than ask the user for a key, it install the Windows 8 Enterprise and activates the  KMS (Key Management Service) key that’s activates by an on-premises machine or a MAK key through internet.

Here, (MAKkey scenario) most of the time the system failed to activate the product key.

To activate it manually using MAK key,

  • Hit the Windows+R hotkeys to open the Run box and run the following command: slmgr -ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx  

OR

  • GUI option: Hit the Windows+R hotkeys to open the Run box and run the following command: slui.exe 3.
  • This command will open the following Dialog Box in which you can manually enter your MAK:

  • Enter your MAK in the “Product Key” field shown above.
  • Click the “Activate” button.

As if there aren’t enough scenarios, Microsoft’s free 90-day evaluation of Windows 8 Enterprise does not require a product key.  As with the retail versions now available to some users, and that will go on sale Oct. 26,2012 the evaluation automatically activates if the PC has a live online connection. All the Software assurance users, Windows 8 RTM is available for download from their portal itself.

Windows 8 Release Preview is stable and has been thoroughly tested by Microsoft, but it’s not the finished product. Your PC could crash and you could lose important files. You should back up your data and you shouldn’t test Windows 8 Release Preview on your primary home or business PC. Install at your own risk. This copy is only for testing the OS. You can install the release preview from here. For detailed product and feature information, download the Windows 8 Release Preview Guide (available in English only).

Microsoft Store – For general public, you need  a Microsoft account, you can see all of the apps you bought from the Store and you can install any of those apps on up to five PCs.

Enjoy!!!

Windows 8 – Boot from USB disk

Posted on by
Reply

Now you can create bootable USB for Windows 7 or Windows 8. Microsoft has released a new tool for this task to achieve

  • First download an ISO file of your Windows 7 onto your media
  • Download the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (This is a onetime process)
  • Run the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

The advantage to following this process and creating bootable media is that it allows you to install Windows 7 without having to first run an existing operating system on your machine. If you change the boot order of drives in your computer’s BIOS, you can run the Windows 7 installation directly from your USB flash drive or from a DVD when you first turn your computer on.

System Requirements

  • You need to be an administrator on the computer you are installing the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool.
  • The tool requires the Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 or higher.
  • This tool requires the USB flash drive to be completely blank before the Windows 7 files are copied.  This helps ensure that the device is bootable after the copying has completed.
  • Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit).
  • Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is recommended).
  • 50MB of free space on your hard drive.
  • DVD-R drive or 4GB removable USB flash drive.

Enjoy!!!

Windows 8 – How to disconnect VPN connection

Posted on by
1

Ha ha ha… New OS released and we are now findings work arounds…

When you connect a VPN network through Windows 8, how to disconnect an incoming virtual private network (VPN) connection in Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012.

  • Open Network Connections. To do this, use either of the following methods:
    • Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, or point to the lower/upper-right corner of the screen, and then click Search. Then, type ncpa.cpl, and then click the Ncpa.cpl icon.
    • Another option is press Win+R to open the Run window, type ncpa.cpl,  and then  click OK.
  • Right-click the incoming VPN connection that you want to disconnect,  and then  click Status.
  • On the General tab,  click Disconnect.
  • Close Network Connections.