With a little tweaking, the Start menu can be a powerful tool. Note that it, too, is a window. By hovering the mouse over the edges of the window, it can be dynamically resized. But leave it as it is for the moment.
On the left, the Start menu provides a list of applications and locations that you’ll access frequently: Documents, Pictures, PC Settings, and the File Explorer tool are all at the top right. If you go back into the toolbar settings menu, you can also click a series of checkboxes to specify which folders and locations are shown in the upper list. At the bottom of the menu are two important buttons: “All Apps” and a Search bar. We’ll come to back to Search later.
Clicking “All Apps” lists all of your apps, in alphabetical order. But it’s also a gateway to the Live Tiles to the right.
Now why are those Live Tiles there? Well, they can be shortcuts to frequently accessed apps, certainly. But they’re also live widgets that can dynamically update you on your mailbox, the weather, sports news, and more. You’ll see some Live Tiles already populated; feel free to right-click each and resize them, for example, or move them around. If you want to add more Live Tiles, open the “All Apps” list and drag one of the apps into the Live Tile region, then right-click it and turn the Live Tile capability either on or off. You can also tell the Live Tiles not to display personal information, via the Start menu preferences.
Finally, you can re-size the Start menu, transforming it from a skinny skyscraper to a massive window that evokes the Start page. Adding Live Tiles at the edge can increase its size. You can also click and drag the top edge down. Use a mouse, though—this early build isn't overly touch-friendly.
On the left, the Start menu provides a list of applications and locations that you’ll access frequently: Documents, Pictures, PC Settings, and the File Explorer tool are all at the top right. If you go back into the toolbar settings menu, you can also click a series of checkboxes to specify which folders and locations are shown in the upper list. At the bottom of the menu are two important buttons: “All Apps” and a Search bar. We’ll come to back to Search later.
Clicking “All Apps” lists all of your apps, in alphabetical order. But it’s also a gateway to the Live Tiles to the right.
Now why are those Live Tiles there? Well, they can be shortcuts to frequently accessed apps, certainly. But they’re also live widgets that can dynamically update you on your mailbox, the weather, sports news, and more. You’ll see some Live Tiles already populated; feel free to right-click each and resize them, for example, or move them around. If you want to add more Live Tiles, open the “All Apps” list and drag one of the apps into the Live Tile region, then right-click it and turn the Live Tile capability either on or off. You can also tell the Live Tiles not to display personal information, via the Start menu preferences.
Finally, you can re-size the Start menu, transforming it from a skinny skyscraper to a massive window that evokes the Start page. Adding Live Tiles at the edge can increase its size. You can also click and drag the top edge down. Use a mouse, though—this early build isn't overly touch-friendly.