Windows 8.1 Tips & Tricks
Contents
First Tip, if you are using Windows 8, upgrade to Windows 8.1
Windows 8 has enough serious technical issues that users of this operating system are advised to upgrade to Windows 8.1.
Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for Service Techs
Windows Key + E = Launches File Explorer both from the Desktop and the Start screen.
Windows Key + R = Launches the Run dialog that you can use to run programs or commands.
Windows Key + F = Launches the Files Search. You can use this to search for files on your PC and OneDrive.
Windows Key + W = Launches the Windows Settings Search. You can use this to search for specific operating system settings by typing in certain keywords.
Control Panel Applet commands
In Windows XP you click START and then RUN to access the Run dialog. This can be accessed by a right click on the Windows logo (where the start menu was in XP) in the Windows desktop (not the Metro screen.) Windows Key + R also launches the Run program dialog box.
Common Windows components can be accessed directly by executing them from the run program dialog, such as the Control Panel. Enter "control" and click OK to open the control panel. See below for other common applets:
You can use "control" + the applet name below, or, depending on your version of Windows, simply use the applet name alone.
- sysdm.cpl - system properties (Advanced System Settings) contains System Protection (Microsoft System Restore), and Computer Name, Workgroup, & Domain
- ncpa.cpl - network connections (configure NICs and other connections)
- firewall.cpl - windows firewall
- appwiz.cpl - programs and features (add/remove programs)
- hdwwiz.cpl - add hardware wizard
- desk.cpl - display screen res
- inetcpl.cpl - msie properties
- powercfg.cpl - power mgr
- mmsys.cpl - sound
- timedate.cpl - date and time
- nusrmgr.cpl - user accounts and passwords (Windows 7) 7-10 use netplwiz.exe
Special control panel applets (you must type "control" before the applet name.
- control - open windows control panel
- control folders - folder options (where you can do things like show hidden files and show file extensions)
- control mouse - mouse device properties
- control userpasswords - user accounts and passwords
- control fonts - opens the fonts folder in an explorer window
- control printers - opens printers folder
- control system - opens system properties (Vista, 7 and 8x)
- control desk.cpl,screensaver,@screensaver - Screensaver
- control /name Microsoft.WindowsUpdate - Windows Update (legacy: wuapp.exe)
Microsoft Management Console applets
- devmgmt.msc - Device Manager
- diskmgmt.msc - Disk Management
- fsmgmt.msc - File Share Mgmt
- services.msc - Services Management, start / stop / disable services
note: These (some or all) Windows Applet commands work in Windows versions including 2000, XP, 7, and 8.
This is not a comprehensive list, it is a list of the common more common/useful commands. See our discussion page for additional commands.
Windows System Information Tools
SystemInfo
command line:
systeminfo.exe
You can echo the output to a text file to view in notepad
systeminfo.exe > "%userprofile%/documents/systeminfo.txt"
Systeminfo.exe is a great tool console based tool. Systeminfo.exe is a command-line utility that displays information about your Windows version, BIOS, processor, memory, network configuration, and so on. The output is DOS text.
System Information / MSInfo Utility
If you prefer something with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) you can use msinfo32.
command line:
msinfo32.exe
Use this tool to gather information about your computer, to diagnose issues with your computer, or to access other tools. This command opens a GUI applet. It can be run directly from START, RUN. It provides mostly the same information as systeminfo.
