# 5 Tips for Getting the Most out of Windows 8 <br /> Today the newest iteration of Microsoft's flagship product, Windows 8, arrives on store shelves. As was the case with Windows 7, this version of Windows has been available for testing (free of charge) for the last few months. Because of this, a very large number of users have already had the opportunity to experiment with Windows 8 and therefore you will find a wide variety of blog articles describing the new changes in detail. When OS X Lion was released, our friends over at Apple.SE created a question "<a href="https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/17759/what-tiny-thing-in-lion-makes-you-smile-or-has-caught-you-off-guard">What tiny thing in Lion makes you smile or has caught you off guard?</a>". The idea behind the question was to highlight an overlooked or little-known feature in the new operating system. The tips below certainly don't describe undocumented or "hidden" features - but hopefully they make your experience just that much more enjoyable. <h3>Tip 1: Right-click the Taskbar</h3> I've found it to be a bit of a chore to get at certain administrative utilities through the Metro interface and even the Control Panel. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I can access some of them simply by right-clicking the area at the far left of the taskbar. [![][1]][1] <sub>(source: [superuser.com](http://blog.superuser.com/files/2012/10/tip1.jpg))</sub> As you can see, the menu contains entries for launching an administrative command prompt (which I frequently use), getting at the Device Manager, etc. <h3>Tip 2: Directly Mount ISO Files</h3> It gets even better - not only are ISO files supported, but VHD disk images are as well. VHD files are typically used by virtualization tools, such as Microsoft's own VirtualPC and VirtualBox. The ability to open an image without booting up a large virtual machine is invaluable. Simply right click an image file and click "Mount". [![][2]][2] <sub>(source: [superuser.com](http://blog.superuser.com/files/2012/10/tip2.jpg))</sub> <h3>Tip 3: Get a Bird's-Eye View</h3> If you are using a desktop computer and finding it difficult to navigate the Metro interface because you have so many applications installed, then this tip is for you. After pressing the Windows key, hold down the control key and roll the scroll wheel on your mouse. [![][3]][3] <sub>(source: [superuser.com](http://blog.superuser.com/files/2012/10/tip3.jpg))</sub> This will "zoom-out" and give you a much broader view of the icons and applications that are listed. <h3>Tip 4: Refresh Your PC</h3> Windows 8 is capable of reinstalling itself while leaving your personal files intact, which can be very helpful if you want a clean start without the regular hassle that accompanies a complete reinstallation. You can get at this tool by launching the Metro interface, typing "refresh", and clicking Settings. [![][4]][4] <sub>(source: [superuser.com](http://blog.superuser.com/files/2012/10/tip4.jpg))</sub> In fact, you can even take a "snapshot" of your computer's current state (including drivers, applications, and settings) and have Refresh use that snapshot when it performs the reinstallation. <a href="https://www.anotherwindowsblog.com/2012/09/baseline-image-for-windows-refresh.html">This article</a> details that process. <h3>Tip 5: Keep an Eye on Resources</h3> Have you ever noticed the hard drive access LED stay lit for a long period of time and wonder what was going on? Although there are (and have been) third-party tools for figuring out which apps are at fault, Windows 8 now presents this information to you in the new redesigned taskbar. Simply right-click an empty area of the taskbar and click "Task Manager". You might have to click "More details" to show all of the tabs. [![][5]][5] <sub>(source: [superuser.com](http://blog.superuser.com/files/2012/10/tip5.jpg))</sub> You can see an immediate breakdown of each individual app's resource usage. You can easily determine which app is responsible for all of the disk I/O by clicking the disk column to sort the rows by disk usage. [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/BgAAI.jpg [2]: https://i.sstatic.net/SLWZB.jpg [3]: https://i.sstatic.net/NSTdK.jpg [4]: https://i.sstatic.net/uVxls.jpg [5]: https://i.sstatic.net/K5JBQ.jpg