need help with how to use windows 8?

Learn the shortcuts and use an external mouse wheel to navigate Windows 8 Metro ( the tile screen ) if your laptop does not support touch screen.

These are the shortcuts you need to know

Windows key

Windows key + i

Windows key + c

Windows key + q

Windows key + x

Windows key + e

That will help you navigate quickly.

Alt + tab = switch between applications when you have multiple apps opened simultaneously.

Placing mouse pointer on the top left of the screen and slowly moving down will display open applications. Right click above any that are listed there to close it out.

The top right hand corner of your screen is also a hotspot. Place mouse pointer up there and slowly move down the right side to bring up the start menu and search options.

While on the start screen, the one with all the tiles, type the word help.

That will bring up Windows Help and Support. Click on that and a new window will open. Click "Get started" and read though the various topics describing how to get around in Windows 8. Each article is short so it shouldn't take you very long.

To get to the administrator functions you mentioned, you can either put your pointer in the bottom left corner of the screen and right click or you can do it the easy way and use the keyboard shortcut Win + X.

Here's a good site with 50 tips that are easy to follow.

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/operatin...

You can arrange the tiles however you want by clicking and dragging them around the start screen.

To see a list of all programs while on the start screen, right click, then click the All apps button or press Shift + Tab.

The easiest way to find anything in Windows 8 is to search. While on the start screen just type what you want. Need control panel? Type control panel. Windows will search as you type, just like Google. When you search, the search charm opens and you can select to search by programs, settings, or files.

Windows 8 has a new class of program called an app. Apps are downloaded from the Store app but you will find some already installed with Windows 8. Apps look different than the Windows programs you're used to. They don't have window borders, title bars, or the usual three buttons in the top right corner and they run full screen but you can resize them a bit.

To resize, click and hold then drag the app left or right.

You don't really need to close apps as they pretty much get out of the way when you're not using them. But if you really want to close one then click and hold and then drag the app to the bottom of the screen. It's also possible to close an app by using the switcher.

Win + Tab opens the switcher which pops up on the left hand side of the screen. Right click the app you want to close and click close from the popup menu. Your laptop probably has a built in touchpad so you can try the new Windows 8 gestures. To open the switcher using the touchpad, put your finger outside the left side of the touchpad then swipe toward the center of the touchpad.

The charms bar opens by pressing Win + C or swiping from outside the right side of the touchpad toward the center. It gives you quick access to Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings.

To shut down push the power button or you can open the charms bar, click Settings, then click the power button to shut down or restart.

If you just want to sign out of your Windows 8 account, go to the start screen. Look to your user icon at the top right corner of the screen, click it and select log out from the popup menu.

To switch between desktop and start screen, put your pointer in the bottom left corner of the screen and click. You can also press the Win button while on the desktop to switch to the start screen. Press Win + D to switch from the start screen to the desktop.

Hope that helps some.

- Dominic