Four Ways To Easily Get To The NEW and IMPROVED Windows 8 Task Manager

The NEW and IMPROVED Task Manager that we find in Windows 8 was designed in such a way to not overwhelm the end user and can be quite useful, especially when you need to shut down a task (or program) that is not playing well with your computer. When you first open the Task Manager in Windows 8, you are going to initially find a very basic interface (see below) that will only show what tasks (or programs) are currently active. This basic interface was an on purpose design, with the idea that it makes it easy for the non-technical type of person to get to the task manager, review and shut down  tasks (or programs) quickly, then get out.

To get to the more expanded (advanced) options to the Task Manager, you will need to click on “More Details”, which in turn will give you what you see in the screenshot below.

The expanded view is more for the technically inclined individual; however, I encourage new visitors to the Task Manager to not be afraid and go for the tour. You will find tabs for the processes running on your computer, performance gauges, Windows 8 App History, the programs starting up on your computer (which you can disable for troubleshooting purposes), Users, Details (on the programs and processes that are running), and Services.  I especially like the Details tab where if I see a process or program that is running that I am not sure of, I can right click on that process or program and perform a Google search to see what exactly the program or process is. So you see, the Task Manager has come a long way and can be used as a great troubleshooting tool.

Now that I have briefly covered the Task Manager, here are four ways to open the Task Manager up in Windows 8?

1. At the Windows 8 Start Screen, simply start typing “Task Manager”.  You will see the screen populate with a “Task Manager tile.  Click on the tile…
2. From the Windows 8 Start Screen or the Windows 8 Desktop use the hotkey Ctrl – Shift – Esc on your keyboard.
3. At the desktop level, move your mouse pointer to the bottom left corner of the screen until you see the Start Screen Button appear. When the button appears, right mouse click on the button and select Task Manager from the menu.  Also note the other options on that menu.
4. Believe it or not, this is the one I use the most. I guess it is because I have used it from day one when Windows was born. It is what I call the “three finger salute”.  Hit the Ctrl – Alt – Del keys simultaneously on the keyboard. You will be taken to the solid colored screen (usually blue by default) where you can select Task Manager.  To come out of that screen, simply Esc on the keyboard.

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Eliminate On Screen Information Overload With The NEW CinemaDrape

I had the developer(s) of CinemaDrape contact me to let me know that a NEW version of CinemaDrape has been released. It is a new major release, with many important improvements and changes.

If you do not know what CinemaDrape is, let me explain:

CinemaDrape helps you focus on your current task on screen, by instantly blanking or dimming the other less important areas in a web page or in the background windows.

For example, let’s say you are working on an important document, that is requiring your complete attention and focus. With CinemaDrape you can block out the external areas on the screen, leaving only your document visible, for your full attention. In other words, it blocks out the external screen noise.

I personally use this application to block out the background areas on the screen when I am watching the TV on my computer or a movie. It really makes a difference, and actually makes it easier on the eyes, especially when watching a movie.

CinemaDrape is available as a full install program or as a portable app. I personally like the portable app, where you download and run.

Also, to get you going using this program, after you get it up and running:

Just remember to use the CTRL + F11 keys to toggle CinemaDrape on an off. When you have CinemaDrape active, click the right mouse button, long tap, or press Escape to open the main CinemaDrape menu (see below). The menu, tells it all…  Great job to the developer(s) of CinemaDrape.

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Wallpaper of the Week (#100)

To celebrate 100 weeks of wallpapers and Christmas, this week’s background image is one of Love, Peace and Joy…

To Get This Wallpaper – [ CLICK HERE ]

Windows 7 (and 8) Users: If you are using Windows 7 (or 8), did you know you can create a desktop background slideshow to show off your pictures and wallpaper images?  To learn how to use this feature [CLICK HERE] .

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Perform Much Smaller Mouse Movements or Touch Swipes To Close A Windows 8 App

Recently I posted an article, The Easy Way To Close A Windows 8 App, that explains how to close an app in Windows 8 by positioning the mouse pointer at the top of the app screen (where the pointer turns into a hand); then, dragging and dropping the app to the bottom of the screen.

On a desktop computer where the screen can be quite large and the travel distance (or threshold) to drag and drop the app (to close it) can be an exercise in itself. It was at this point I wondered if there was not a way to close the app quicker using less travel distance. Sure enough, using the analogy of “if you can think it, someone else has done it”, I came across a small portable utility called Close Threshold for Metro Apps.

By using Close Threshold for Metro Apps, if you set the sliders to the left, save the settings, you will find that you will not have to drag an app to the bottom of the screen. The travel distance to close an app is reduced dramatically resulting in a more efficient and faster method to close the app.

There is also an additional feature where you can completely disable the “drag and drop” method of closing an app all together.

With Close Threshold for Metro Apps you will able:

• to speed up Metro apps closing with mouse
• to speed up Metro apps closing with touch gestures
• to disable Metro apps closing with mouse
• to disable Metro apps closing with touch

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Use Amazon’s Full Store Directory For The Twelve Days of Christmas

We are now in the midst of the 12 Days of Christmas and if you are like me, I have a tendency to procrastinate and/or I am at a total loss when it comes to gifting.  An option that I use when it gets’ close to Christmas is Amazon.com, which is one of the largest online retailers. Being the geekster that I am, I am a regular visitor to their computer and electronics section to see what is new and to wish for my next purchase.  I especially like, that due to their size, you get numerous reviews on products from customers.

As a result of the size of Amazon, it is often difficult to get to the place you want to be. What many people do not know is that Amazon has a main store directory [ CLICK HERE ] that is a great launching point.

Click To See Store Directory

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Maxthon Cloud Browser for Windows

We all are familiar with web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari; however, much is not said about Maxthon. Currently, I have Maxthon loaded on my Android phone and tablet and I have found it to be the best mobile device web browser out there. I think if you give the mobile version of Maxthon a try, I think you will find that it closely replicates the same browsing experience that you experience on your desktop computer.

I just learned yesterday that the developers of Maxthon recently released a NEW desktop version of Maxthon, called Maxthon Cloud Browser. I noticed that they had a portable version of Maxthon Cloud Browser available for download, so I decided to give it a spin.

To be honest (and I am still testing this), I am very impressed. I don’t have anything available to test page loads, but I can tell you from experience, this is probably one of the fastest browsers I have ever experienced. Also, this browser is loaded with a ton of built-in features (such as screen gestures, a dial pad, dual page view, a resource sniffer, a screen capture utility, and more…).  I do have to admit, which is a fun thing for me, I had to do some exploring in order to find a lot of the features and how to turn things on and off (i.e. the sidebar).

What the main concept of Maxthon Cloud Browser is that Maxthon Cloud Browser is not limited to a single device ecosystem or operating system: It moves files, data and web session information from browser to browser, unconfined by a single set of cloud products or devices.

If you really want to try something NEW, download the portable version of Maxthon Cloud Browser and give it a try!  I think you may see that this Browser, not likely to break the backs of Firefox, Internet Explorer or Chrome; is a browser that may have a chance of coming out of nowhere.

Core Features:

• Lightning fast speed – Maxthon Cloud uses an optimized web engine that loads webpages and runs applications faster than any other browsers.
• Cloud syncing – Maxthon Cloud syncs user data, history and tabs across any platform their choice.
• Cloud download – Simultaneous storage of user downloads in the cloud;
• Cloud storage – You can create their own storage space in the cloud.
• Cloud pushing – You can push content (webpages, text, pictures and links) from any webpage to any device running Maxthon Cloud.

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Understanding File Association Problems

Have you ever attempted to open a file on your computer and the computer tells you that it cannot open the file, or the file does not have a program associated with it, etc…?

If so, there is a reason for this and it is called file associations. When you click on a file, the file must have a program associated with it in order for the program to open. For example, on my computer, when I click on a PDF file, the program NitroPDF opens the PDF file for me. File associations are based on file extension classes such as txt, doc, jpg, pdf, and the list goes on and on.

What happens or can happen is that file can lose its’ association either through corruption, malware or you simply uninstalled the program that the file was associated with.

So what are some of the fixes? Brian over at Select Real Security has posted an article Can’t Open Programs In Windows that will walk you through various processes of fixing various file association issues using software and registry fix options. Some of the fixes will appear techie in nature to you; however, to fix problems such as this you may have to call upon your tech source for some help. Select Real Security is intended for both novice and advanced computer users who need security information, resources, or advice.

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