Change Windows 8 Desktop View
- In Windows 7, you boot straight to login prompt and you can do the same in Windows 10 if you make a simple registry edit. Hit Windows +R to bring up the Run dialog. Type 'regedit' and hit Enter.
- Sep 16, 2019 Both can be configured to boot your computer directly to the legacy desktop versus the modern UI (aka Metro) start window. FWIW I currently have Start 8 installed on my non-touch screen HP G60-447CL laptop but have it disabled simply because I have come to use and really like the new modern UI (aka Metro) start window.
- To set 'List' view for desktop, click on the desktop and press: Ctrl + Shift + 5. For other view types: Ctrl + Shift + 1 (Extra large icons) Ctrl + Shift + 2 (Large icons) Ctrl + Shift + 3 (Medium icons) Ctrl + Shift + 4 (Small icons) Ctrl + Shift + 5 (List) Ctrl + Shift + 6 (Details) Ctrl + Shift + 7 (Tiles).
- The Windows 8 Desktop works the same way as Windows 7, including the ability to place program icons anywhere on the desktop and pin icons to the taskbar. In Windows 8.1, there is even a Start Menu.
- Please Open the Control Panel, and simple change Windows 10 Control Panel to classic view, it is possible! The solution is simple in new Windows 10 to open Control Panel in classic view and create shortcut, pin on Taskbar, or / and Windows-Star, this example is also suitable for Windows Server 2016/2012!
Dec 26, 2013 How to start in Desktop Mode. On the Start screen, find the Desktop icon and tap it to switch. Right-click the taskbar at the bottom (or tap. Staying in the Desktop. Customize the Desktop. Learn the Windows 8.1 keyboard shortcuts. Windows 8 How Switch To Desktop Mode. Windows 8/8.1 comes with a new interface, called Metro. Here there are different shortcuts to different applications and services of Microsoft Store; also, the Windows 8 Metro interface is designed to be more friendly with touch events (drag with finger or touchscreen). If you are new to Windows 8.
The desktop area of Windows operating system is often used to save frequently used files, shortcuts of favorite apps and classic desktop programs. Most PC users usually have tens of files and shortcuts on their Windows desktop.
By default, Windows 10 and earlier versions of Windows, arrange all icons on the desktop using medium icons view. That is, thumbnail of file (if thumbnails are enabled) or file type icon (for most files) appears with file name just below the file icon.
The default view of desktop icons helps us to easily recognize files and program shortcuts on the desktop. However, the default view might become an issue when you have hundreds of files on the desktop.
As you might have observed by now, the Windows 10 (and earlier versions) desktop doesn’t offer a way to change the default view of desktop icons. When you right-click on an empty spot on the desktop, Windows doesn’t show an option to change the view to list view or display view. The desktop right-click menu displays options to switch between small, medium and large icons view only.
Luckily, there is a way to change the default view of desktop icons in Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7 with ease. And the best part is that you don’t need to download or install an after-market software.
Using these little-known keyboard shortcuts, you can change the desktop view to list, details, or content view in Windows 10 and earlier versions. In fact, you can switch between extra large icons, large icons, medium icons, small icons, list, details, tiles and content view using these keyboard shortcuts.
IMPORTANT: Starting with Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft seems to have disabled list, details, and content view in the desktop area. So, as of now, there is no way out there to enable list, details and content view for desktop icons in Windows 10 Creators Update (version 1703) and above versions.
Following are the ways to change the desktop icons view in Windows 10.
Change the size desktop icons
Changing the desktop icons size is quite easy. All you need to do is, hold down the Ctrl key and then scroll the mouse wheel up or down to increase or reduce icons size.
Switch between small, medium, large and extra large icons view
Use Ctrl + Shift + 1, Ctrl + Shift + 2, Ctrl + Shift + 3 and Ctrl + Shift + 4 keyboard shortcuts to switch to extra large icons, large icons, medium icons, and small icons view, respectively. As said before, you can use Ctrl + mouse wheel to switch between these views.
Change desktop icons view to list view
When you have hundreds of icons on the desktop, you can use the list view to see most of the files, if not all. To switch to the list view, use Ctrl + Shift + 5 keyboard shortcut. That is, simultaneously press Ctrl, Shift, and 5 keys.
Change desktop icons view to details view
To change to display view, use Ctrl + Shift + 6 keys.
Switch to tiles view
Use Ctrl + Shift + 7 keyboard shortcut to change desktop icons to tiles view.
Enable content view

Switch to the content view using Ctrl + Shift + 8 keyboard shortcut.
Restore the default medium icons view
To restore the default view, simply right-click on an empty spot on the desktop, click View, and then click Medium icons option.
Don’t forget to check out our how to change desktop icons in Windows 10 guide.
Both the Start button and classic Start menu are gone in Windows 8. If you don’t like the full-screen, Metro-style “Start screen,” there are a few ways to get a classic-style Start menu back.
RELATED:Bring The Windows 7 Start Menu to Windows 10 with Classic Shell
Note: You can get the Windows 7 style Start Menu back on Windows 10 easily.

How To Change Windows 8 Desktop View
In the Developer Preview of Windows 8, you could remove Metro by deleting the shsxs.dll file, but you can’t do this in the Consumer Preview. Metro is now baked into Explorer.exe itself.
1. ‹. NameDownloadsFilesizeUSA2132162.38 GBUSA1751263.26 GBUSA711702.95 GBUSA624953.74 GBUSA60498150.6 MBUSA463263.5 MBUSA4368316.6 MBUSA428202.28 GBUSA395602.81 GBUSA385341.36 GBUSA375443.74 GBUSA365512.89 GBUSA363946.07 GBUSA36199182.5 MBUSA35430341.9 MBUSA340761.43 GBUSA339932.39 GBUSA296012.41 GBUSA28152559.2 MBUSA276041.57 GBUSA273485.72 GBUSA268252.73 GBUSA258971.88 GBUSA248076.54 GBUSA2445145.3 MBUSA243431.52 GBUSA239312.62 GBUSA234512.34 GBUSA227783.61 GBUSA226983.57 GB. Download ppsspp games iso files emuparadise.
Create a Start Menu Toolbar
It’s not a well-known feature, but Windows can create toolbars that show the contents of a folder on its taskbar. This means that you can create a pseudo-Start menu without installing any other software on Windows 8. Just create a new toolbar that points at the Start menu’s Programs folder.
Windows 8 Old Desktop View
From the desktop, right-click the taskbar, point to Toolbars and select “New toolbar.”
Type or copy and paste the following path into the Choose a folder window:
%ProgramData%MicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms
Click the “Select Folder” button and you’ll get a Programs menu on your taskbar.
Right-click the taskbar and uncheck “Lock the taskbar” if you want to move the new Programs menu around.
Drag and drop the grip at the left side of the toolbar to place it somewhere else on the taskbar, like at its left side — the Start menu’s traditional location.
Right-click the “Programs” text if you want to change or hide its name. After you’re finished, right-click the taskbar again and select “Lock the taskbar.”
There’s one catch with this method — it won’t actually show all your programs. The Start menu actually grabs shortcuts from two different places. In addition to the system-wide ProgramData location, there’s a per-user Programs folder at the following location:
%AppData%MicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms
As you can see from the screenshots, the Windows Defender shortcut — and other shortcuts — don’t appear in our toolbar menu.
You could create a second toolbar to list programs from this folder, or perhaps move shortcuts from the %AppData% location to the %ProgramData% location.
Another option is creating a custom folder full of program shortcuts and using a toolbar that points at that folder instead.
Install ViStart, a Third-Party Start Button
ViStart is making the rounds as a third-party Start button replacement. It was originally designed to add a Windows 7-style Start button to Windows XP, so it’s basically a re-implementation of the Windows 7 Start button. And it works on Windows 8.
ViStart wants to install other software when you install it – click the Decline button.
After it’s installed, you’ll see the Windows 7-style Start orb back at the left side of your taskbar.
Click it and you’ll see the familiar Start menu. Almost everything works as you’d expect, although I couldn’t find a way to pin apps to the Start menu. It still shows your most frequently used apps.
Right-click the ViStart system tray icon and select Options if you want to configure it.
You’ll find options for changing the default Web browser, email client and other program settings.
One bonus is that ViStart takes over your Windows key. Pressing the Windows key opens the ViStart Start menu, not the Metro-style Start screen.
You can still open the Start screen by moving your cursor to the very bottom-left corner of the screen, or from the Charms menu that appears when you hover your cursor over either the upper or lower-right corners of your screen.
If you prefer a different Start menu replacement, leave a comment and let us know about it.
READ NEXT- › Just Bought a Mac? 14 Essential Apps You Should Install
- › Why You Should Sign In With Google, Facebook, or Apple
- › A New Wireless Standard: What Is Amazon Sidewalk?
- › How to Use Text Editing Gestures on Your iPhone and iPad
- › Windows 10’s BitLocker Encryption No Longer Trusts Your SSD