Just bought a computer with Windows 8...its...interesting?

[dirtyvu]

somewhere between steps 3 and 4, I'm lost... when you open file location, it just opens up the folder containing shortcuts. are we supposed to copy the files to this shortcuts folder?

Right, if you right click on a tile in the Metro desktop and at the bottom of the screen there is a button to "Open File Location". Clicking that will open up the File Explorer on the old desktop screen. Now, copy or drag a file (that isn't on the Metro desktop) into that file explorer folder that opened.

yeah. it's not working for me.

i right-click on the word tile and choose open file location. then I see this:



i copied a file to that folder:



there are no tiles anywhere in my start screen with the document.

 

[BRKING]

somewhere between steps 3 and 4, I'm lost... when you open file location, it just opens up the folder containing shortcuts. are we supposed to copy the files to this shortcuts folder?

Right, if you right click on a tile in the Metro desktop and at the bottom of the screen there is a button to "Open File Location". Clicking that will open up the File Explorer on the old desktop screen. Now, copy or drag a file (that isn't on the Metro desktop) into that file explorer folder that opened.

yeah. it's not working for me.

i right-click on the word tile and choose open file location. then I see this:

View attachment 21097

i copied a file to that folder:

View attachment 21098

there are no tiles anywhere in my start screen with the document.

Weird. Are you sure it didn't add the file to the very end of your metro screen?

Also, what type of file are you trying to pin to the metro screen?

 

[pcRat]

OK I understand you don't want to mess with registry.
These are the easy instructions to on that page.


1. To Add "Pin to Start" to Context Menu of All Files in Windows 8

2. To Remove "Pin to Start" from Context Menu of All Files in Windows 8

3. Save the .reg file to your Desktop.

4. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

5. Click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

 

[BRKING]

OK I understand you don't want to mess with registry.
These are the easy instructions to on that page.


1. To Add "Pin to Start" to Context Menu of All Files in Windows 8

2. To Remove "Pin to Start" from Context Menu of All Files in Windows 8

3. Save the .reg file to your Desktop.

4. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

5. Click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

View attachment 21095

I understand you are trying to help and I appreciate that. However, don't you think it's asinine that it has to be done that way and its not a standard feature? Didn't MS think that maybe this issue might come up? I realize this is the first version of W8, but c'mon!

Also, I'm weary of downloading and installing that file. If I was on a phone I would totally jailbreak it in order to get better features. But when it comes to my desktop I'm just not going to chance it. I'm just careful about messing with that type of stuff.

 

[dirtyvu]

there's no file in particular that I want to pin. I just wanted to test this out because I like to try out new things. I used a DOCX file for the test. I copied it to that shortcut folder. then I went to the start screen and couldn't find it anywhere (looked through the entire start screen). does it need a reboot or anything?

 

[pcRat]

No. It does not have to be done that way. if you always want to leave the desktop to right click a folder on your Metro screen then click on open file location then drag or copy files from the folder you were in on the desktop to the location folder you opened. Go for it.
Myself and so many others here would rather right click the file or folder & Pin to Start.

I do think MS should have included this in the context menu but they didn't. But since they didn't and someone else figured out how to save me so much time all I can do is thank them for saving so much time I want to pin a file or folder to the start menu. I respect your decision to a minute or more to do a 2 second 'Pin to Start' job.

Have a good evening.

 

[BRKING]

there's no file in particular that I want to pin. I just wanted to test this out because I like to try out new things. I used a DOCX file for the test. I copied it to that shortcut folder. then I went to the start screen and couldn't find it anywhere (looked through the entire start screen). does it need a reboot or anything?

I goofed and forgot a step. When you add it to the folder, then go to Metro and then click "All Apps" in the bottom right. Youll find it there in your apps list. Then you pin it to your Metro desktop. Try that and see if it works.

 

[dirtyvu]

okay, to make this procedure, you're not dragging the file to the shortcuts folder. so for example, you don't put the DOCX file in the folder. you put a shortcut of the file in the folder. then all of your other steps work.

yeah, Microsoft should put this in. the weird thing is you can pin shortcuts to the start screen. but I have a shortcut to the DOCX file on the desktop and when I right-click on that shortcut, it doesn't give the option to pin this docx shortcut to the start screen like other shortcuts. weird.

 

[BRKING]

okay, to make this procedure, you're not dragging the file to the shortcuts folder. so for example, you don't put the DOCX file in the folder. you put a shortcut of the file in the folder. then all of your other steps work.

yeah, Microsoft should put this in. the weird thing is you can pin shortcuts to the start screen. but I have a shortcut to the DOCX file on the desktop and when I right-click on that shortcut, it doesn't give the option to pin this docx shortcut to the start screen like other shortcuts. weird.

Sorry for the confusion. Don't blame me, blame W8, ha. And yes, that is weird you cant do that.

 

[pcRat]

OK Here is what you are looking for. No file to download, not as fast as context menu but faster than all those other steps


Click on a File or a Folder once
Click Easy access in the New section of ribbon
Click Pin to Start

 

[BRKING]

OK Here is what you are looking for. No file to download, not as fast as context menu but faster than all those other steps


Click on a File or a Folder once
Click Easy access in the New section of ribbon
Click Pin to Start



View attachment 21108

Thanks. That's a helluva lot faster. Who knows long I would have gone before finding that option.

 

[pcRat]

You're welcome.
Just so know what I've learned from this thread. MS does have this for us. They put it in the ribbon at top of every page.
That file I told you about just Merges the ribbon command to the context menu.

 

[dirtyvu]

6. I was downstairs one morning and I heard my computer notification go off. When I got back to the computer there was no notification. Why isn't there a notification page that shows you what you missed? You would have thought that would be a must? If I were a app developer why would I make a app with notifications if you cant store them?

it's not ideal but it's something. the problem with it is it needs the apps to recognize and hook into it. which means all the apps out there don't support it. it'll be like this until there's an official first-party notification center from Microsoft.

check out this:

Get Notification Center On Windows Phone And Windows 8 With Unification | Redmond Pie

Unification Notification Center for Windows Phone, available for free right now, aims to bring Notification Center-like functionality not just to Windows Phone 8 and 7.8, but also to Windows 8 (WP7 and Windows 8 versions will be available in store soon).

 

[BRKING]

6. I was downstairs one morning and I heard my computer notification go off. When I got back to the computer there was no notification. Why isn't there a notification page that shows you what you missed? You would have thought that would be a must? If I were a app developer why would I make a app with notifications if you cant store them?

it's not ideal but it's something. the problem with it is it needs the apps to recognize and hook into it. which means all the apps out there don't support it. it'll be like this until there's an official first-party notification center from Microsoft.

check out this:

Get Notification Center On Windows Phone And Windows 8 With Unification | Redmond Pie

Unification Notification Center for Windows Phone, available for free right now, aims to bring Notification Center-like functionality not just to Windows Phone 8 and 7.8, but also to Windows 8 (WP7 and Windows 8 versions will be available in store soon).

Thanks. Downloading it now.
Any clue what the unification time setting mean on W8?


EDIT: Unification is asking for my Outlook username/password. Not sure why its asking for that when I am looking for notifications for the apps on my computer.