How to setup Boot to Desktop in Windows 8.1. Or type Desktop into Search box and click on it from results. Right-click or hold and press on the taskbar, and select Properties from the menu. Click on the Navigation tab. Under the Start screen option, check “ Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign in ” box. How to Enable Boot to Desktop in Windows 8.1. One of the most highly-touted features of Windows 8.1 is its 'boot to desktop' option, which lets you go straight into the classic desktop mode from the moment you power on your PC. Like Windows 8, Microsoft's new operating system boots up to the Start Screen by default.
One of my chief complaints with Windows 8 is that Microsoft forced you to boot to the new Start screen rather than giving you the option of booting to the desktop--which is where I prefer to hang my computing hat.
You could work around this using any number of utilities (most of which were designed primarily to restore the missing Start button, essential if you are working in Desktop), but with the release of Windows 8.1, Microsoft has added the capability.
In other words, now you can boot directly to the desktop. It's not immediately obvious how--Microsoft still doesn't outfit Windows with any 'guides to new features' or the like, a silly oversight--but at least it's easy once you know the steps.
1. After booting Windows 8.1 (here's how to get the preview if you don't already have it), click the Desktop tile to enter Desktop mode.
2. Right-click any open area in the taskbar, then click Properties.
3. Click the Navigation tab, then check the box next to Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign in.
4. Click OK, then reboot. Windows should plunk you right into Desktop.
And that's all there is to it. If you want to go back to Start-screen booting, just repeat the process and uncheck the box in step 3. (Also, if you don't have a Navigation tab, leave a comment letting me know. This appears to be an issue for some users. I'm investigating why.)
What are your thoughts on this? Where do you prefer to land when you boot Windows 8?
Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. Ask for help with your PC hassles at [email protected], or try the treasure trove of helpful folks in the PC World Community Forums. Sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.
Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.
//
I burned DBAN to a CD and then rebooted my Windows machine with the CD inserted in the drive. To my surprise, it just booted right back into Windows. What gives? How do I get the computer to boot up from the CD?
This is a common problem for which the answer has become complex.
Your computer’s BIOS [Basic Input/Output System]
BIOS is an acronym for Basic Input/Output System. A BIOS is PC software that:
The BIOS is typically stored in re-programmable ROM, allowing it to be updated using special reprogramming or “flashing” software (this is unrelated to so-called “flash memory” as used in USB memory sticks and other devices). (Click on the term for full definition.)'>BIOS needs to be instructed to check for a bootable CD or DVD
An HDD, or Hard Disk Drive, is data storage made up of magnetic spinning disks. '>hard disk first, at boot time.
(Click on the term for full definition.)
The problem is that newer machines don’t have a BIOS; they have something called UEFI [Unified Extensible Firmware Interface]
UEFI
Windows 8 Boot Directly To Desktopis an acronym for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. It is occasionally, albeit technically incorrectly, referred to as “UEFI BIOS”.The UEFI, like the BIOS it is designed to replace, is software built into PCs, and performs functions such as:
One of the more notable, and occasionally frustrating, features of UEFI is “secure boot”. Secure boot allows the boot process to be “locked down” according to the PC manufacturer’s specifications, preventing unauthorized operating systems or boot sources from loading. Like the BIOS, the UEFI is typically stored in re-programmable ROM, allowing it to be updated using special reprogramming software. Unlike the BIOS, additional portions of the UEFI may be stored on reserved areas of a computer’s hard disk. (Click on the term for full definition.)'>UEFI.
And UEFI makes things more complex.
Become a Patron of Ask Leo! and go ad-free!
UEFI and Secure BootSecure Boot allows a computer's boot process to be “locked down” according to a PC manufacturer’s specifications, preventing unauthorized operating systems or boot sources from loading.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |