Windows 8
New ways to get things done
Discover fast and fluid ways to move things around, switch between apps, and go from one place to another.
Explore the corners
Share with your friends instantly. Search across apps, files, and the web. In Windows 8, you can do almost any common task by heading to the edges and corners.
Picture password
Choose any picture you want for your lock screen. Then, instead of typing a password, you can unlock your PC by drawing shapes on that picture with your finger or mouse. Three taps or clicks on your dog's nose? Tracing the smile of your toddler? The choice is yours.
Back to Start
Your Start screen is accessible, no matter what you’re doing. Swipe in from right edge or point with your mouse to the lower-left corner and you'll see the Start screen icon that takes you back instantly.
Switch apps
Cycle through all your open apps by swiping in from the left or pointing your mouse to the upper-left corner and clicking.
To learn more about getting around in Windows 8, see the Windows 8 tutorial.
App commands
New app, no learning curve: Swipe in from the bottom to see the controls for any app you're in. Or, with a mouse, right-click anywhere in the app.
Work and play
With Windows 8 you can catch a movie, take in the latest gossip, and power through your to-do list. Go from full-screen game to email in one swipe, or snap them side-by-side.
Start screen
It’s everything you care about in one place, and arranged the way you want it.
Live tiles
This isn't the usual wall of static icons: Live tiles on your Start screen animate with the latest information. Status updates, weather forecasts, Tweets, and more—you'll see live updates before you open a single app.
Make it yours
Pin as many tiles to Start as you like. Resize them, organize them in groups, move them around, even choose your background colors and patterns, so everything is just the way you want it.
Type to search
Start typing anytime you're on the Start screen and a search bar will pop up to find what you're looking for—on the web, in your apps, or on your PC.
Desktop tile
Your familiar Windows desktop is always a tap or a click away. Get there anytime from the desktop tile on your Start screen.
Windows Store
Windows Store is the place for apps in Windows 8. Open the Store right from your Start screen to browse and download apps for cooking, photos, sports, news, and a lot more—many of them free. Sort by price, rating, and category, and discover apps you didn’t even know you needed.
Explore apps
Internet Explorer
Experience the browser that’s fast, fluid, and perfect for touch. This is truly full-screen browsing. Navigation controls appear only when you need them and quietly get out of the way when you don’t. Internet Explorer 10 lets you flip ahead or back through your websites with the flick of a finger. Tiles and tabs for frequently visited sites are oversized for easy tapping.
Learn more
Your Windows, everywhere
Sign in to Windows 8 and your PC comes to life with your stuff—no matter where you are.
SkyDrive
Save your files to the cloud with no effort, and get to your files from nearly anywhere. Start a document on one PC and finish it on another. Always have the latest version of your files with you from your PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone. Use free Office Web Apps to edit documents on SkyDrive even if you don't have Office installed.
Your Microsoft account
Your Microsoft account (which is the email address and password you also use to sign in to Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Xbox, Windows Phone, or other Microsoft products) is your key to unlocking the full potential of Windows 8. Sign in to your PC with your Microsoft account and you get access to the Windows Store for apps, free online storage with SkyDrive, and streaming music with the Xbox Music app.
Settings that go with you
You can sign in on up to five different PCs and immediately see the things that make Windows yours: your Start screen, as well as your settings and lock screen. You can easily move stuff around on Start, too. For example, you could set up your work PC one way and your home PC another way.
Multiple users on a single PC
Keep 'em separated: Each member of your family who signs in on a single PC gets a personalized experience, with their own Start screen, files, and apps.
The familiar made better
Mouse and keyboard
Windows 8 is perfect for PCs with touchscreens, those that have a mouse and keyboard, and those with both. For PCs that don't have a touchscreen, there are easy mouse equivalents for all touch gestures.
The Windows desktop
The desktop you're used to—with its familiar folders and icons—is still here and better than ever, with a new taskbar and streamlined file management.
Familiar programs and files
Apps that run on Windows 7 will work on Windows 8 even faster. If your PC is running Windows 7, your files, apps, and settings will transfer to Windows 8 if you upgrade.
Security
Windows Defender and Windows SmartScreen help guard your PC against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software in real time. Family Safety gives your kids some independence while still keeping tabs on them with web filtering, activity reports, and time restrictions.
Tablets. Convertibles. All‑in‑ones.
Windows 8 tablets and PCs are fast, sleek, built for touch, and ready for action.
Check out new PCs
Breathe new life into your PC
Upgrade your current PC now to boost performance and battery life. Windows 7 files, apps, and settings will easily transfer to Windows 8.
Upgrade to Windows 8
New ways to get things done
Discover fast and fluid ways to move things around, switch between apps, and go from one place to another.
Explore the corners
Share with your friends instantly. Search across apps, files, and the web. In Windows 8, you can do almost any common task by heading to the edges and corners.
Picture password
Choose any picture you want for your lock screen. Then, instead of typing a password, you can unlock your PC by drawing shapes on that picture with your finger or mouse. Three taps or clicks on your dog's nose? Tracing the smile of your toddler? The choice is yours.
Back to Start
Your Start screen is accessible, no matter what you’re doing. Swipe in from right edge or point with your mouse to the lower-left corner and you'll see the Start screen icon that takes you back instantly.
Switch apps
Cycle through all your open apps by swiping in from the left or pointing your mouse to the upper-left corner and clicking.
To learn more about getting around in Windows 8, see the Windows 8 tutorial.
App commands
New app, no learning curve: Swipe in from the bottom to see the controls for any app you're in. Or, with a mouse, right-click anywhere in the app.
Work and play
With Windows 8 you can catch a movie, take in the latest gossip, and power through your to-do list. Go from full-screen game to email in one swipe, or snap them side-by-side.
Start screen
It’s everything you care about in one place, and arranged the way you want it.
Live tiles
This isn't the usual wall of static icons: Live tiles on your Start screen animate with the latest information. Status updates, weather forecasts, Tweets, and more—you'll see live updates before you open a single app.
Make it yours
Pin as many tiles to Start as you like. Resize them, organize them in groups, move them around, even choose your background colors and patterns, so everything is just the way you want it.
Type to search
Start typing anytime you're on the Start screen and a search bar will pop up to find what you're looking for—on the web, in your apps, or on your PC.
Desktop tile
Your familiar Windows desktop is always a tap or a click away. Get there anytime from the desktop tile on your Start screen.
Windows Store
Windows Store is the place for apps in Windows 8. Open the Store right from your Start screen to browse and download apps for cooking, photos, sports, news, and a lot more—many of them free. Sort by price, rating, and category, and discover apps you didn’t even know you needed.
Explore apps
Internet Explorer
Experience the browser that’s fast, fluid, and perfect for touch. This is truly full-screen browsing. Navigation controls appear only when you need them and quietly get out of the way when you don’t. Internet Explorer 10 lets you flip ahead or back through your websites with the flick of a finger. Tiles and tabs for frequently visited sites are oversized for easy tapping.
Learn more
Your Windows, everywhere
Sign in to Windows 8 and your PC comes to life with your stuff—no matter where you are.
SkyDrive
Save your files to the cloud with no effort, and get to your files from nearly anywhere. Start a document on one PC and finish it on another. Always have the latest version of your files with you from your PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone. Use free Office Web Apps to edit documents on SkyDrive even if you don't have Office installed.
Your Microsoft account
Your Microsoft account (which is the email address and password you also use to sign in to Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Xbox, Windows Phone, or other Microsoft products) is your key to unlocking the full potential of Windows 8. Sign in to your PC with your Microsoft account and you get access to the Windows Store for apps, free online storage with SkyDrive, and streaming music with the Xbox Music app.
Settings that go with you
You can sign in on up to five different PCs and immediately see the things that make Windows yours: your Start screen, as well as your settings and lock screen. You can easily move stuff around on Start, too. For example, you could set up your work PC one way and your home PC another way.
Multiple users on a single PC
Keep 'em separated: Each member of your family who signs in on a single PC gets a personalized experience, with their own Start screen, files, and apps.
The familiar made better
Mouse and keyboard
Windows 8 is perfect for PCs with touchscreens, those that have a mouse and keyboard, and those with both. For PCs that don't have a touchscreen, there are easy mouse equivalents for all touch gestures.
The Windows desktop
The desktop you're used to—with its familiar folders and icons—is still here and better than ever, with a new taskbar and streamlined file management.
Familiar programs and files
Apps that run on Windows 7 will work on Windows 8 even faster. If your PC is running Windows 7, your files, apps, and settings will transfer to Windows 8 if you upgrade.
Security
Windows Defender and Windows SmartScreen help guard your PC against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software in real time. Family Safety gives your kids some independence while still keeping tabs on them with web filtering, activity reports, and time restrictions.
Tablets. Convertibles. All‑in‑ones.
Windows 8 tablets and PCs are fast, sleek, built for touch, and ready for action.
Check out new PCs
Breathe new life into your PC
Upgrade your current PC now to boost performance and battery life. Windows 7 files, apps, and settings will easily transfer to Windows 8.
Upgrade to Windows 8
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