User Guide

The familiar desktop

The Windows desktop—with its taskbar, folders, and icons—is still here, with a new taskbar and streamlined file

management.

To get to the desktop:

Touch. From Start, tap Desktop

it’s a tile).

Mouse. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of the

screen.

Keyboard. Press Windows logo key +D.

The desktop is where you’ll use desktop apps like Office and File

Explorer. You can also pin Windows Store apps to the taskbar, so

you can launch them without leaving the desktop.

For more info about the using the desktop, see Using the desktop on Surface.com.

What moved or changed in Windows 8.1?

If you’re familiar with Windows 7, here’s the scoop on what’s moved or changed in Windows 8.1.

Task or item

How to do it in Windows 8.1

Searching

At the Start screen, tap or click the Search button or just start typing. See How to

search in this guide.

Start menu

The Start screen replaces the Start menu in Windows 8.1. You can start any app or

program from the Start screen. See Find and open apps for more info.

To access items that used to be on the Start button, right-click the Start button in the

lower-left corner.

Shut down or restart

On the Start screen, tap or click the Power button, and then choose either Shut down

or Restart.

Change settings

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and tap or click Settings > Change PC

settings. Or, tap or click Settings on the Start screen. (It’s a tile.)

Control Panel is still available, in PC settings. For more info, see the Change your

settings in this guide.