Customizing the Power User Tasks Menu

The Power User Tasks menu offers access to a variety of Windows features, tools, and commands, including Power Options, Event Viewer, Device Manager, Command Prompt, Task Manager, Control Panel, File Explorer, Search, and Desktop. You can customize this menu to some degree. Windows 8 limits you to the entries that already appear in the menu, so you cannot add shortcuts for new features, commands, or applications. But you can delete and move commands from one folder or location to another. You an also create a new folder or location for various commands. This task explains how to customize the Power User Tasks menu.

1 Open the folder for Power User Tasks menu: Launch the desktop and open File Explorer. In the address field in File Explorer, type the following path: %userprofile%AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsWinX.

2 View the existing entries: You should see three folders — Group1, Group2, and Group3. These three groups correspond to the three sections displayed on the Power User Tasks menu, going from bottom to top. Each folder contains shortcuts to various commands.

3 Delete a command: For this example, the Event Viewer shortcut in Group3 is deleted. Open the Group3 folder. Right-click the Event Viewer shortcut and select Delete from the pop-up menu.

4 Add a command: For this example, a command is moved from Group2 to Group1. Go back one folder and open the Group2 folder. Right-click the shortcut for Control Panel and select Cut from the pop-up menu. Go back one folder and open the Group1 folder. Right-click any empty area of the Group1 window and select Paste from the pop-up menu. The shortcut for Control Panel appears.

5 Add a folder: Move back one folder to the WinX folder. Click the New Fiolder icon on the Ribbon. Name the new folder Group4.

6 Move a command to the new folder: Open Group3. Hold down the Ctrl key and select the shortcuts for Power Options and Programs and Features. Right-click any of the shortcuts and select Cut from the pop-up menu. Move back one folder and open the Group4 folder. Right-click any empty area of the Group4 window and select Paste from the pop-up menu. The shortcuts for Power Options and Programs and Features appear.

7 View the new menu: Close the File Explorer window. Press Alt+F4 to display the Shut down Windows menu. Choose Sign out from the drop-down menu. Log back in to Windows. Right-click the lower-left hot corner. The redesigned Power User Tasks menu appears.

Quick Fix

Accessing Built-in Help for Windows 8

At the Start screen, type help. Click the Help and Support app from the search results in the left pane. A Windows Help and Support screen opens with various topics and links that you can click to learn more about Windows 8 and find specific information.