Introduction
Writing Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Essentials & Configuration was a lot of fun—and a lot of work. As I set out to write this book, my initial goals were to determine how Windows 8.1 was different from its predecessors and what new features and options were available. As with any new operating system, I had to do a great deal of research and a lot of digging into the internals of the operating system to determine exactly how things work.
Anyone transitioning to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8 might be surprised at just how much has been updated, because changes both subtle and substantial have been made throughout the operating system. For anyone transitioning from Windows 7 or earlier, the extensive UI changes will be among the most substantial revisions to the operating system. Like Windows 8, Windows 8.1 supports a touch-based UI, as well as the traditional mouse and keyboard. When you are working with touch UI-enabled computers, you can manipulate on-screen elements in ways that weren’t possible previously. You can do any of the following:
Tap. Tap an item by touching it with your finger. A tap or double-tap of elements on the screen is generally the equivalent of a mouse click or double-click.
Press and hold. Press your finger down and leave it there for a few seconds. Pressing and holding elements on the screen is generally the equivalent of a right-click.
Swipe to select. Slide an item a short distance in the opposite direction compared to how the page scrolls. This selects the items and also might bring up related commands. If press and hold doesn’t display commands and options for an item, try using swipe to select instead.
Swipe from edge (slide in from edge). Starting from the edge of the screen, swipe or slide in. Sliding in from the right edge opens the Charms panel. Sliding in from the left edge shows open apps and allows you to switch between them easily. Sliding in from the top or bottom edge shows commands for the active element.
Pinch. Touch an item with two or more fingers, and then move the fingers toward each other. Pinching zooms in or shows less information.
Stretch. Touch an item with two or more fingers, and then move the fingers away from each other. Stretching zooms out or shows more information.
You also are able to enter text by using the on-screen keyboard. Although the UI changes are substantial, they aren’t the most significant changes to the operating system. The most significant changes are below the surface, affecting the underlying architecture and providing many new features. Some of these features are revolutionary in that they forever change the way we use Windows.
Because Pocket Consultants are meant to be portable and readable—the kind of book you use to solve problems and get the job done wherever you might be—I had to carefully review my research to make sure that I focused on the core essentials and configuration of Windows 8.1. The result is the book you hold in your hands, which I hope you’ll agree is one of the best practical, portable guides available.
Because my focus is on giving you maximum value in a pocket-size guide, you don’t have to wade through hundreds of pages of extraneous information to find what you’re looking for. Instead, you’ll find exactly what you need to address a specific issue or perform a particular task. In short, the book is designed to be the one resource that you turn to whenever you have questions regarding Windows 8.1 essentials and configuration. It zeroes in on daily procedures, frequently used tasks, documented examples, and options that are representative, although not necessarily inclusive.
One of the goals for this book is to keep its content concise so that it remains compact and easy to navigate, while at the same time packing it with as much information as possible to make it a valuable resource. Instead of a hefty 1,000-page tome or a lightweight, 100-page quick reference, you get a valuable resource guide that can help you quickly and easily perform common tasks, solve problems, and implement everyday solutions.
Who is this book for?
The focus of Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Essentials & Configuration is on the Standard, Professional, and Enterprise editions of Windows 8.1. The book is designed for the following readers:
Accomplished users who want to configure and maintain Windows 8.1
Current Windows system administrators and support staff
Administrators upgrading to Windows 8.1 from earlier releases of Windows
Administrators transferring from other platforms
To pack in as much information as possible, I had to assume that you have basic networking skills and a basic understanding of Windows operating systems. As a result, I don’t devote entire chapters to understanding Windows basics, Windows architecture, or Windows networks. I do, however, cover desktop customization, system optimization, automation, maintenance, and much more. The book also goes into depth on troubleshooting, and I’ve tried to ensure that each chapter, where appropriate, has troubleshooting guidelines and discussions to accompany the main text. From the start, troubleshooting advice is integrated into the book, instead of being captured in a single, catchall troubleshooting chapter inserted as an afterthought. I hope that after you read these chapters and dig into the details, you’ll be able to improve the overall experience of your users and reduce downtime.
How is this book organized?
Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor was this book intended to be read in a day, or in a week, or even in a month for that matter. Ideally, you’ll read this book at your own pace, a little each day as you work your way through each of the ten chapters. The chapters are arranged in a logical order, taking you from deployment and installation to configuration, optimization, and maintenance.
Ease of reference is an essential part of this hands-on guide. This book has an expanded table of contents and an extensive index for finding answers to problems quickly. Many other quick-reference features have been added to the book as well, including quick step-by-step procedures, lists, tables with fast facts, and extensive cross references.
As with all Pocket Consultants, Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Essentials & Configuration is designed to be a concise and easy-to-use resource. This is the readable resource guide that you’ll want on your desktop at all times. The book covers everything you need to perform the essential tasks for deployment, installation, configuration, optimization, maintenance, and much more.
Although designed and written to stand on its own, this book can also be used with Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Storage, Networking, & Security. The latter book focuses on boot configuration and startup, drive configuration and encryption, advanced storage, file sharing and security, TCP/IP networking and remote accesses, advanced networking solutions, and much more.
Conventions used in this book
I’ve used a variety of elements to help keep the text clear and easy to follow. You’ll find code listings in monospace type, except when I tell you to actually enter a command. In that case, the command appears in bold type, as does any text that the user is supposed to enter. When I introduce and define a new term, I put it in italics.
Other conventions include the following:
Best Practices. To examine the best technique to use when working with advanced configuration and maintenance concepts
Caution. To warn you about potential problems
Important. To highlight important concepts and issues
More Info. To provide more information on a subject
Note. To provide additional details on a particular point that needs emphasis
Real World. To provide real-world advice when discussing advanced topics
Security Alert. To point out important security issues
Tip. To offer helpful hints or additional information
I truly hope you find that Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Essentials & Configuration provides everything that you need to perform essential tasks on Windows 8.1 systems as quickly and efficiently as possible. You are welcome to send your thoughts to me at [email protected]. Follow me on Twitter at WilliamStanek and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/William.Stanek.Author. Thank you.
Other resources
No single magic bullet for learning everything you’ll ever need to know about Windows 8.1 exists. Although some books are offered as all-in-one guides, there’s simply no way one book can do it all. With this in mind, I hope you use this book as it is intended to be used—as a concise and easy-to-use resource. It covers everything you need to perform essential tasks, but it is by no means exhaustive.
Your current knowledge will largely determine your success with this or any other Windows resource or book. As you encounter new topics, take the time to practice what you’ve learned. Seek out further information as necessary to get the practical hands-on know-how and knowledge you need.
For topics this book doesn’t cover, you may want to look to Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Storage, Networking, & Security. I also recommend that you regularly visit the Microsoft website for Windows (microsoft.com/windows/) and support.microsoft.com to stay current with the latest changes. To help you get the most out of this book, you can visit my corresponding website at pocket-consultant.com. This site contains information about Windows 8.1 and updates to the book.
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