Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Three videos of Windows 8′s most prominent new features in recent builds is available online. This video shows a user working with the touch screen interface of the latest build of Windows 8. Will your next PC be a tablet?

Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

Screenshots of the “metro” styled system settings in Windows 8 build 7955 are on windows 8 beta. To get the new system settings, you’ll need to use the RedPill patch. After patching, press CTRL+SHIFT+F9 to disable Aero. Now, when you open the system settings (type systemsettings in the Start Menu search box.)

Under the Wireless settings is a GPS option, which shows Microsoft is gearing up the system for more mobile use and the settings are definitely geared towards a touch, tablet interface.

Windows 8 Metro styled System Settings revealed | windows 8 beta

A spreadsheet is available online, which R27, Canouna, Zukona, and Razziatore (see the Credits tab) are maintaining to keep us updated with the current builds of Windows 8. The spreadsheet is accurate so I can only assume the information is coming from a chain that leads all the way back to Redmond. It would be nice to see a date/time column to track the progress of the builds against time.

Windows 8 – Build List | R27 on Google Docs

Windows 8 build 7955 is out in the wild (we, at Windows Guides, don’t recommend you download it) and windows 8 beta has released three replacement system files to unlock the following features:

• Metro Login
• New Task Manager
• Immersive Browser
• Pattern Login

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A new browser (coined, online, as an “immersive” browser) is available with build 7955 of Windows 8. Neowin has exclusive details on this browser as well as screenshots of what it currently looks like in build 7955.

As of now, the browser looks “unfinished” (I don’t think I’d like to be a Microsoft developer right now as I read criticism of software that I haven’t finished yet) but looks to be aimed at tablet users and those who want a more simple browsing experience.

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Get the latest news about Windows 8 on the Windows 8 Rolling Updates page.

Screenshots of History Vault have leaked from Windows 8 build 7955 and are shared on winrumors. I have hands on experience with OS X’s Time Machine, which is a tool that lets you get to previous versions of files and backups. Time Machine is very useful and is invaluable when you need it.

Windows backup has always been a little cumbersome and, for most users, far from intuitive. Is History Vault the product we’ve been waiting for? From the information available, it looks like it’s going to let you view old files and restore them in a more intuitive “snapshot” view so you can go back to the date, you want the file from, and restore lost or files that need replacing.

Windows 8: History Vault user interface revealed | winrumors