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For Windows 8 users, the decision to upgrade to 8.1 is virtually a no brainer. The new version offers a host of benefits and improvements over its predecessor. And it's free. So, there's little reason not to upgrade. Windows 8 users can easily download and install the Windows 8.1 update through the Windows store.

But those of you running previous versions of Windows would have to shell out $120 for Windows 8.1 or $200 for Windows 8.1 Pro. Instead, you can install the Enterprise evaluation edition first to see if 8.1 is worth your hard-earned money. Here's how:

• Choose a PC on which you wish to install the Windows 8.1 evaluation software.
• Tip : You can use a spare PC, create a dual-boot setup on your existing PC, or configure a virtual machine.
• Whichever drive you choose, make sure you have at least 30GB worth of free space for the OS and whatever apps you want to install.
• After you've chosen a home for Windows 8.1, go to Microsoft's TechNet Evaluation Center Web site to download the Windows8.1 ISO file.
  
•  At the drop-down window to select a version, pick either the 32-bit or 64-bit edition and then click the button to Get Started Now.
• To download the file, you'll need to set up a Microsoft account if you don't already have one. You'll also need to fill out a profile with some basic information. Microsoft then prompts you to install an Akamai Net-session Interface utility in order to download the ISO file. After you've installed the Akamai utility, click on the green Downloading files button to download the ISO. The ISO file is around 3.7GB, so the download will take awhile. meanwhile you can have a cup of coffee :).
• Now you have the ISO file you can now BURN it in DVD or make a bootable pendrive with tool like RUFUS or want to have a tool which can do both try POWERISO.
• After bootup, you'll see the initial Windows 8.1 setup screen. Confirm the settings and click Next. At the second setup screen, click Install now. At the License terms screen, click on the check box for I accept the license terms and then click Next. At the screen asking which type of installation you want, select the second option for Custom: Install Windows only (advanced). At the screen asking where you want to install Windows, select the partition you wish to use to store the OS. Click Next. The installation kicks off.

For those who do not already have a Solid State Drive installed do not worry. Here is all you shall need to know or maybe your on the fence about SSD, not sure if it is worth it? Lay your fears to rest right here

A Solid State Drive by name is a drive that can hold data when there is no power but also has no mechanical moving parts. It uses interfaces which are purely electronic but it still uses the same I/O as normal hard drives so no worries about compatibility.
The lack of moving and mechanical parts means more physical stability and faster access to the data stored hence they tend to be more expensive per GB.

How will an SSD improve my gaming?

In terms of multiplayer games e.g. Starcraft 2, League of Legends and shooters like Battlefield 3 will load any files stored on your computer slightly faster like maps for example and so much quicker than a standard HDD, the rest after that is up to your internet connection.
Single player games get a clear bonus when using an SSD with fast access to the information needed to render what you want to see. So for example your playing The Witcher 2 which has high graphical demand, now you may be asking what has an SSD got to do with graphics? Well if the information that the graphics need, in order to know what to process is received faster then you get a better and smoother experience the rest of course is taken care of by your graphics card.

What about these HDD SSD combination hybrids I keep hearing about?

There are drives coming to market from manufacturers like Seagate for example, who are providing a combination with traditional HDD containing an SSD. At the moment these drives tend to have a smaller amount of SSD storage. This will change soon enough with more space and abilities added to the SSD.
These drives are more HDD than SSD the latter portion is giving the drive quicker access to the information stored in the main storage. An advantage is it also manages to retain data after power has gone down for example a power cut on rebooting you would not be likely to lose anything. In summary it is an advanced HDD with quicker access to data than other claimed to be fast HDDs.

There isn’t much storage on SSDs though?

With SSDs like they are at the moment they easily have enough room for an OS (Operating System) and some applications depending on the size of both those items collectively. Another way you should look at an SSD purchase is not as a storage upgrade but as a performance upgrade, the performance boost you get will make up for lack of storage.

What about price?

This depends on the size, make and type of SSD you choose. Ranging from £40 - £600 there are a number of factors involved in this the first of course is SATA II and SATA III does your board support SATA III? If so we would recommend you start here. From there most of the lower priced SSDs available have a lower read/write speed than more expensive drives.

My rig is older and I can't afford to upgrade to a new rig right now what about me?

This depends on the age and type of hardware you are currently using. Some rigs as old as 2005 can be greatly improved in terms of performance by the installation of an SSD. Check what your rig can handle before you purchase or seek some advice from us.

What other advantages can an SSD give me?

There is a significant advantage especially for laptops because an SSD will typically consume less energy. Along side this there is little to no sound involved with SSDs because of their lack of moving parts, so if a whirring hard drive bothers you then an SSD is a must.

Any downsides?

As with any tech these days everything has a lifespan, with SSDs due to their high performance in comparison to HDDs their lifespan tends to be shorter. On the flip side of this most people are now replacing their rigs every 2-3 years to keep up with new developments in the industry.

How many Control/Command + C (copy) you do on daily basis with your computer? I did at least 250 times a day, just to transfer small little data from one place to another for Eg. When we do chat and we want to send the URL of the site to a friend we copy the URL. Here’s the limitation – the normal Control/Command + C only allows you to hold the latest copy of information in clipboard, the rest are all replaced whenever you re-use the function. 

Have you ever copied an URL or little piece of content but couldn’t remember because you’ve re-used the Control/Command + C?

 ControlC will solve your problem. Anytime you copy a text content with the Control/Command + C shortcut, ControlC will upload that particular content to their server and stored it under your account. That means you can see a list of things you copied with Control/Command + C like a history or similar.

Getting familiar with keyboard shortcuts not only help you get the work done faster, but also more efficient. If your daily job rely heavily on using Windows, here are some 100+ Windows Keyboard Shortcuts you might want to check out. If there’s any nifty shortcuts we have missed, appreciate a heads up.

The General Shortcuts

We’ll kickoff the list with some really general shortcuts that you often used.

• CTRL+C (Copy)
• CTRL+X (Cut)
• CTRL+V (Paste)
• CTRL+Z (Undo)
• Delete (Delete)
• Shift+Delete (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
• CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
• CTRL+Shift while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
• F2 key (Rename the selected item)
• CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
• CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
• CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
• CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
• CTRL+Shift with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)
• Shift with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
• CTRL+A (Select all)
• F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
• Alt+Enter (View the properties for the selected item)
• Alt+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
• Alt+Enter (Display the properties of the selected object)
• Alt+Spacebar (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
• CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
• Alt+Tab (Switch between the open items)
• Alt+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)
• F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
• F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
• Shift+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
• Alt+Spacebar (Display the System menu for the active window)
• CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
• Alt+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)
• Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
• F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
• RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)
• LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)
• F5 key (Update the active window)
• Backspace (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
• ESC (Cancel the current task)
• Shift when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts

• CTRL+Tab (Move forward through the tabs)
• CTRL+Shift+Tab (Move backward through the tabs)
• Tab (Move forward through the options)
• Shift+Tab (Move backward through the options)
• Alt+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option)
• Enter (Perform the command for the active option or button)
• Spacebar (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)
• Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)
• F1 key (Display Help)
• F4 key (Display the items in the active list)
• Backspace (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Shortcuts

• Win (Display or hide the Start menu)
• Win+Break (Display the System Properties dialog box)
• Win+D (Display the desktop)
• Win+M (Minimize all of the windows)
• Win+Shift+M (Restore the minimized windows)
• Win+E (Open My Computer)
• Win+F (Search for a file or a folder)
• CTRL+Win+F (Search for computers)
• Win+F1 (Display Windows Help)
• Win+ L (Lock the keyboard)
• Win+R (Open the Run dialog box)
• Win+U (Open Utility Manager)

Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts

• Right Shift for eight seconds (Switch FilterKeys either on or off)
• Left Alt+left Shift+PRINT SCREEN (Switch High Contrast either on or off)
• Left Alt+left Shift+NUM LOCK (Switch the MouseKeys either on or off)
• Shift five times (Switch the StickyKeys either on or off)
• NUM LOCK for five seconds (Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off)
• Win +U (Open Utility Manager)

Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

• END (Display the bottom of the active window)
• HOME (Display the top of the active window)
• NUM LOCK+* (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
• NUM LOCK++ (Display the contents of the selected folder)
• NUM LOCK+- (Collapse the selected folder)
• LEFT ARROW (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)
• RIGHT ARROW (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder)

Shortcut Keys for Character Map

• After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts:
• RIGHT ARROW (Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line)
• LEFT ARROW (Move to the left or to the end of the previous line)
• UP ARROW (Move up one row)
• DOWN ARROW (Move down one row)
• PAGE UP (Move up one screen at a time)
• PAGE DOWN (Move down one screen at a time)
• HOME (Move to the beginning of the line)
• END (Move to the end of the line)
• CTRL+HOME (Move to the first character)
• CTRL+END (Move to the last character)
• Spacebar (Switch between Enlarged and Nor mal mode when a character is selected)

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Main Window Keyboard Shortcuts

• CTRL+O (Open a saved console)
• CTRL+N (Open a new console)
• CTRL+S (Save the open console)
• CTRL+M (Add or remove a console item)
• CTRL+W (Close window/tab)
• F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
• Alt+Spacebar (Display the MMC window menu)
• Alt+F4 (Close the console)
• Alt+A (Display the Action menu)
• Alt+V (Display the View menu)
• Alt+F (Display the File menu)
• Alt+O (Display the Favorites menu)

MMC Console Window Keyboard Shortcuts

• CTRL+P (Print the current page or active pane)
• Alt+- (Display the window menu for the active console window)
• Shift+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)
• F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)
• F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
• CTRL+F10 (Maximize the active console window)
• CTRL+F5 (Restore the active console window)
• Alt+Enter (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item)
• F2 key (Rename the selected item)
• CTRL+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console)

Remote Desktop Connection Navigation

• CTRL+Alt+END (Open the m*cro$oft Windows NT Security dialog box)
• Alt+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right)
• Alt+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left)
• Alt+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
• Alt+HOME (Display the Start menu)
• CTRL+Alt+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)
• Alt+Delete (Display the Windows menu)
• CTRL+Alt+- (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)
• CTRL+Alt++ (Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing Alt+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

Internet Explorer navigation

• CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)
• CTRL+E (Open the Search bar)
• CTRL+F (Start the Find utility)
• CTRL+H (Open the History bar)
• CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar)
• CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box)
• CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)
• CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L)
• CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box)
• CTRL+R (Update the current Web page)
• CTRL+W (Close the current window)

Source :- www.hongkiat.com