Windows 8 Hacks: Tips & Tools for Unlocking the Power of Tablets and Desktops

First off, the Kindle version does contain a TOC (table of contents) and has apparently fixed the typos in the file paths. Within seconds of opening this book, its usefulness became apparent. Example: I had no idea I could play Xbox 360 games on my Windows 8 laptop remotely. Same thing with DVDs, etc. Suddenly my discless laptop has new abilities. I can use the Xbox while my wife is watching TV, for example, without having to lug the unit off to the basement TV. Windows 8 user interface is a seemingly endless source of frustration for me. This book tells how to cut through it and make shortcuts (such as "My Computer") right on the start menu, where it should have been in the first place. Overall a very fun and useful quick reference. And because of the TOC, it becomes a useful tool. You don't have to read the whole thing to benefit from it. It says the book is optimized for larger screens, but it works fine on my Samsung Galaxy Note II.

I'm updating my initial review of this book. After my first read-through, I really wasn't impressed - and expected a lot more from the author. However, as is true with any tech book, after my 2nd and 3rd read-through I realized I was dog-earing a lot of pages. So I needed to update my review.There are a few things I would have liked to see a better and more specific treatment, such as .reg file construction. You won't be able to build those reg files, because the single example provided is not fully explained or documented. Overall the book is fairly thorough in its coverage.If you take care of all your own (and others) PC tech & repairs - this is definitely a book to keep on your reference shelf.

I was very impressed with the comprehensive detail in the manual. I am not sure if a person who is completely new to basic programming would find it helpful. A novice could easily follow the instructions but I am not sure if they would understand the logic behind the instructions. It really gives detail to get rid of some of the most aggravating, unnecessary, who needs it anyway, junk, that comes with Windows 8 without the fear of making a mistake that you can't fix without a reinstall. All instructions are direct and to the point. Nicely written.

This is a concise collection of very practical ways into adjusting Windows 8 to your personal needs. The articles are supported by many screenshots. I find it very useful and easy to understand. It made the move from Windows 7 a lot more comfortable.

I bought this book because I wanted to improve the way I use Windows 8.I found many outstanding "hacks", such as how to get rid of the lock screen and go straight to the desktop. It's a quick, easy read! The Kindle edition I bought is very well indexed. What's great is that this book makes the action steps easy to understand and implement, and most are free.Highly recommended!

An interesting book - but still for the novice - was expecting a little more information. Good tips - but mostly around Group Policy - and common hacks for Windows 7, etc. Some good advice for those new to Windows 8 - but if you have been using it since October - you've probably googled all the good advice already.

Some of these "hacks" are really pretty basic or are leftovers from Vista and Windows 7, but overall it is a very good book to customize Windows 8 and make it more "old-style" user friendly.

After reading 2 pages of this book, I feel compelled to write a review on this book. On page 2, they have you use a feature called "group policy editor" gpedit.msc. Guess what! Windows 8 home edition does not come with this feature. I looked in the index. I did not see this book addressing this issue nor did I see a work around. I'm sorry if I did not see that section. If I did miss that section, then I'm a fool. However, if that section does not exist than, the author of this book is the fool because I do not understand how can you miss such a thing.

just as always its full of good stuff to get the most out of your machine and software ,well worth it and a good look into how you can make the changes needed to stop all the unnecessary stuff you can go without and the things you need control of and stop all those ads sites chucking cookies your way !.and all the things you need to personalize your machine to it best ! .

I was making the difficult transition from XP to 8.1 and needed advice. This book was worth the price just for the directions on how to restore the familiar desktop. There is more here than the average user will need but if you are a moderately advanced user and want to tailor Windows to your personal needs, then this book will help you do it.