Tiles are really what
this new interface is about. A tile can be a tile-based app, a Desktop
app, a website, a library or other special folder (like Desktop, Control
Panel, and so on) a script or macro, or some other experience. The
tile-based interface comes populated with a set of tiles, and as you
install programs, their tiles are added to the interface. You can find
additional features and add them to the Start screen, group them
logically, and perform other actions. This section tells you how.
With tiles selected, the Start screen displays the Apps bar , which contains tool buttons for altering the properties of your selected tiles .
The Start screen, with three selected tiles and the Apps bar
The All Apps screen, with a selected app
The All Apps button allows you to toggle between the Start screen and the All Apps screen . When you select an app on the All Apps screen, buttons on the Apps bar allow you to perform tasks specific to a selected app:
• All Apps. Takes you back to the tile-based interface Start screen.
• Open File Location. Goes to the folder that contains the program, executable file, folder, or other object.
• Run As Administrator.
Runs the program with elevated privileges, which may be required to
install a program, for a program to run, or to use particular features.
• Open New Window. Opens the object in a new window, the program in a new instance, and so forth.
• Uninstall. Opens the
Programs And Features dialog box for a legacy application so that you
can remove the program. For a tile-based program, the program is simply
deleted.
• Pin To Taskbar.
Places a shortcut to the object on the Desktop taskbar. This button
changes to Unpin From Taskbar when the object is already in the taskbar.
• Pin To Start. Adds the tile to the Start screen. This button changes to Unpin From Start when the object is already in the Start screen.
You can also add items to
the Start screen (and Taskbar) from a desktop icon’s context menu or
from an icon inside Windows Explorer . Nearly all objects in Explorer have this feature .
Add an object to the Start screen or the taskbar from a desktop object’s context menu.
To launch a tile
• Tap or click it.
• If the tile is already selected, it will have a white border around it; press Enter to launch that tile.
• With no tile selected, press Enter to open the upper-left tile in the left tile group.
To select a tile
• Use the arrow keys to move your selection left, right, up, or down.
• Use the Home and Page Up keys to move
to the upper-left tile in the left tile group; use the End and Page Down
keys to move to the upper-right tile in the right tile group.
• Right-click the tile to select it; that tile displays a check mark in its upper-right corner.
• To select more than one tile, hold the Ctrl key and either click or right-click additional tiles.
To move a tile to a new location
Tap or click the tile and drag it where you want it.
To remove a tile or tiles from the Start screen
• Select the tile or tiles and tap or click the Unpin From Start button.
• Select the tile or tiles and press Delete.
• Click the Unpin From Start button, as described in the next section.
To add an app tile to the Start screen
1. Right-click the Start screen to display the All Apps button.
2. Click All Apps, find the app you want, and select it .
3. Click the Pin To Start button in the Apps bar to add the tile to the right side of the Start screen.
4. To add this app to the Desktop taskbar, click the Add To Taskbar button.
Tip
Shortcuts are pointers
that activate the object that they point to. Shortcuts can be tiles on
the Start menu. Doing this gives you an opportunity to name the tile
anything you wish. Choose the New command on a context menu to create a
shortcut. You can also use a drag-and-drop copy operation (hold down the
Ctrl key while you drag and drop) to create shortcuts.
