The key to navigating
quickly between the tile-based Start screen and the Desktop is to
realize that each corner and edge has a specific action associated with
it. Taps and clicks are associated with corners. Swipes and drags are
associated with edges.
When you’re using a mouse in Windows 8, it is
worth taking some time to see what happens when you move your mouse
cursor to a corner and right- or left-click. You should also experiment
by tapping or clicking each corner.
To use the actions available at the lower-left corner of your display
• To view a thumbnail of the Desktop or Start screen, tap or click the lower-left corner of the display or press 
. Click the thumbnail to switch between the Start screen and the Desktop .
On a tablet, you don’t see the thumbnail in the lower-left corner of
the display, but when you click the lower-left corner, you switch from
the Desktop to the Start screen and vice versa.
Click the Start screen thumbnail or the Desktop thumbnail to switch between the two interfaces.
• Right-click the lower-left corner to view the Computer Management menu . You can also use +X to open the Computer Management menu.
The Computer Management menu is available from the lower-left corner of either the Start screen or the Desktop.
The Computer Management menu allows you
to access system tools and utilities that are part of the Desktop
interface. It is a stripped-down version of Windows 7’s Start menu. Some
of the commands, particularly settings and searches, are contained in
the Charms bar. In a touch-based interface, most users will prefer to change
settings and perform searches using the contents of the Charms bar.
To use the actions available at the upper-left corner of your display
• To view a thumbnail of the next application open in the tab order, click the upper-left corner of the Desktop .
The next open app in the tab order is displayed in the upper-left corner of your display.
• To view a menu that lets you switch to or close the next application, right-click the upper-left corner of the Desktop.
• To view all open applications in a bar, tap or click the upper-left corner of the Desktop and drag or swipe down .
All open apps displayed as a bar
• With the tab order open, you can click an application to open it.
• Swipe from the left edge to move to
the next app in the tab order. Tap and hold the upper-left corner of the
Start screen to display the Apps bar at the lower edge of the screen.
To use the actions available at the upper-right corner of your display
• Tap or click the upper-right corner
and you will see no action. This is to not interfere with functions such
as clicking the X button to close a window.
• To view a highlight of the Charms bar,
move the mouse cursor to the upper-right corner; to display the Charms
bar for use, drag the cursor or your finger down.
Press +C to open the Charms bar directly.
To use the actions available at the lower-right corner of your display
• To view the Charms bar, tap or click the lower-right corner of the display on the Desktop.
• To view the app groups in miniature,
tap or click the minus (-) just to the left of the lower-right corner of
the display on the Start screen .
App groups are displayed from the lower-right corner of the Start screen.
• To minimize all windows and show the
Desktop, tap or click just to the left of the lower-right corner of the
display on the Desktop; click again to restore all minimized windows.
Tip
If you are using a
multi-monitor setup, the hot corners are found only on the primary
display. Even if you extend the desktop onto a second (or third) screen,
your gestures are still confined to a single monitor. This means that
you can use a touch screen as your primary monitor and get the full
benefit from that display type.
