Windows 8 is a new operating system from Microsoft that is designed to be more user-friendly and intuitive. One of the new features of Windows 8 is the “desktop” mode, which allows you to boot to your desktop instead of the Start screen. This guide will show you how to boot to the desktop in Windows 8. To boot to the desktop in Windows 8, first open the Start screen by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard or clicking on the Start button at the bottom left corner of your screen. Then, click on “Settings.” Under “Personalization,” click on “Desktop.” You will now see a list of options under “Desktop.” Click on “Change Desktop Background.” You will now see a list of available backgrounds. Select one and then click on OK. Now, you will need to restart your computer so that the changes you made will take effect. To do this, press the power button and then press F8 when your computer starts up. This will bring up a menu with several options. Click on “Restart.” Your computer will now restart into desktop mode. ..
Windows 8 always shows the Metro-style Start screen when you log in. You don’t have to click the Desktop tile every time you log in, you can boot straight to the desktop with this quick trick.
Update: If you’re using Windows 8.1 this is much easier.
RELATED: How to Skip the Start Screen and Boot to the Desktop in Windows 8.1
This is especially useful if you’re using a third-party Start menu like ViStart or Start8, but it’s also useful if you just use the desktop most of the time. You can also quickly get to the desktop from Metro with the Windows Key + D keyboard shortcut.
Creating the Shortcut
First, fire up Notepad — you can do that by pressing the Windows key from the desktop to access Metro, typing Notepad at the Start screen and pressing Enter. Once you have, paste the following text into a new file:
[Taskbar] Command=ToggleDesktop
Save the file with the .scf file extension — name it something like ShowDesktop.scf.
You may remember the “Show Desktop” button found in the Quick Launch area on Windows XP — this is the exact same shortcut.
Using the Task Scheduler
You can set the shortcut to automatically run when you log in with the Task Scheduler. Launch the Task Scheduler by pressing the Windows key again, typing Schedule, clicking the Settings category and selecting the “Schedule tasks” application. You can also find it under Administrative Tools in the Control Panel.
Click the “Task Scheduler Library” folder at the left side of the Task Scheduler window once it appears.
Right-click in the main pane and select “Create New Task.”
On the General tab, name the task something like “Show Desktop.”
Click over to the Triggers tab and use the New button to set a new trigger. In the New Trigger window, set the task to begin “At log on” and click OK.
Click over to the Actions tab and create a new action. Set the action to “Start a program,” use the Browse button to select the shortcut you created, and click OK.
Click over to the Conditions tab and uncheck the “Start the task only if the computer is on AC power” check box under Power. If you don’t do this, your laptop won’t boot to the desktop if it’s running on battery power.
Click OK and you’re done. You’ll start at the desktop every time you log in, but the Start screen will still be a click away.
This method isn’t perfect — you will see Metro for a moment when you log in. It also causes a Windows Explorer window to appear on your desktop at every login.
Leave a comment and let us know if you find a better method!
