In earlier Windowses, if you pressed F8 at boot time, you’d go to a special “Safe Mode,” which was very useful for repairing a damaged install that otherwise wouldn’t boot. Safe Mode still exists in Windows 8, but it’s disabled by default. To enable it:

Step 1. Run a Command Prompt as Administrator.

Step 2.Type:

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy

That’s it! Pressing F8 at boot should now bring up the traditional Safe Mode menu.

The new tile interface in Windows 8 has its fans, but if you don’t like it then it’s possible to completely get rid of it as of Windows 8.1.

Part I: Upgrading Windows 8.0 to 8.1

Step 1. Go to the Windows Store in the tile menu; a Windows 8.1 upgrade tile should appear.

Step 2. If the tile doesn’t appear, install this update.

Step 3. Return to the Store in the tile menu and install the Win 8.1 upgrade.

Part II: Once you’re running Windows 8.1

Step 1. Right-click on the taskbar and choose Properties > Navigation.

Step 2. To enable booting to desktop, uncheck everything in the top pane and check everything in the bottom pane:

Step 3. Next, to restore the traditional Start Menu, install the Classic Shell utility.

Step 4. Right-click the Start Button and choose Settings. In the Start Menu Settings tab, click Aero and Windows 7 style to get the familiar Win7 layout. Or customize to taste.

Step 5. If the Start Button shows the Classic Shell logo, uncheck Replace Start Button to return to the regular Windows logo.