Useful Tips for Using the Metro Interface

Since Windows 8 has new Metro User Interface, it might be challenging for the new users to understand the UI, and exploit its features to the full. Many users find it annoying and frustrating when they are unable to perform advanced actions to the applications, tiles of which are available on the Start screen of Windows 8 computer.

When on Start screen, many people do not know that they can access the advanced options by right-clicking the tiles that are displayed. The advanced options that can be accessed by right-clicking the tiles include unpinning the tile or application, running the app as administrator, etc.

Apart from the Start screen options, users can also use other features such as pinning the applications available anywhere else on the computer to the Start screen, easily searching for any application or program using the Search feature whose icon is available in the Charm Bar, managing the hardware devices by opening the appropriate window whose icon is again available in the Charm Bar, etc.

This section gives a fair idea of using the Start screen in place of Start menu in a way that all programs that were available in the Start menu in the legacy versions of Windows can now be accessed right from the Start screen, provided users know how to place them there properly.

Below are a few useful tips that can help new users get the most out of Windows 8 Metro UI.

How to Pin Start Menu Programs to the Taskbar in Windows 8?

In order to pin Start menu programs to the taskbar in Windows 8, step-by-step instructions given below must be followed:

1. Log on to Windows 8 computer with the administrator or standard user account.
   
   
2. From the Start screen, right-click the program that is to be pinned to the taskbar.
   
   
3. From the displayed options at the bottom of the screen, click Pin to taskbar to pin the selected program to the taskbar.
   

How to Unpin the Programs from the Start Screen in Windows 8?

In order to unpin the programs from the Start menu in windows 8, step-by-step instructions given below must be followed:

1. Log on to Windows 8 computer with the administrator or standard user account.
   
   
2. From the Start screen, right-click the program that is to be removed from the Start screen.
   
   
3. From the displayed options at the bottom of the screen, click Unpin from Start to remove the selected program from the Start screen.