and arrange them in their own group. As someone who spends a great deal of time configuring and reconfiguring Windows, I like having these tools readily available. These are the kinds of tools you are likely to need as you fine tune your Windows 8 installation. Once you get Windows 8 set up the way you want it, you can turn them off if you wish. 6. Always open Internet Explorer in Desktop mode: First, let me say that have nothing against Internet Explorer 10. It is a perfectly fine web browser. However, I am not a big fan of IE or any app, running in the full screen Metro style (sorry, I don't know what else to call it). That's why I change the default configuration in Windows 8 to force IE to run in desktop mode . 8. Install your apps: Windows 8 has lots of handy built-in applications, however, you will still need to install additional software. For example, my preferred web browser is Chrome. I have also been using Office 2013 lately and on my gaming PCs I have to install Steam and World of Warcraft . For efficiency's sake, I like to install as many third-party apps as I can before I move on to the next thing on my list. 9. Group tiles and pin to taskbar: This is the reason why you want to get your applications installed. Because once they are, you will want to make another pass at the Start Screen