Customise Windows 8.1 to display the desktop at Start-up

A common complaint I hear about Windows 8 and 8.1 is the fact that the computer does not display the desktop at Start-up. Instead, it goes straight to the new Start Screen. Windows 8 saw the introduction of the start screen which automatically appeared once your computer has started up. This used to drive me nuts.

Thankfully you can customise Windows 8 and 8.1 so that it will display the desktop at Start-up instead. I’ve seen lots of articles address this issue, however, some of them take quite a complicated approach. I will show you how this feature has already been included in Windows 8. All you need to do is enable it.

To show the Desktop at Startup, follow these steps:

1. Start your computer and allow the Start Screen to be displayed

2. Click the Desktop tile to go to the Desktop
3. Right mouse click on the Taskbar at the bottom of the window
4. Select Properties

5. The Taskbar and Navigation Properties dialog box will appear
6. Click the Navigation tab
7. Within the Start Screen area, tick the box for Show my desktop background on Start

8. Click OK
9. Restart your computer to test the option functions correctly

I hope this helps you to customise your computer and make day-to-day use a little easier. Some other great articles relating to customising your Windows operating system include: how to pin an application to the start menu, create a custom toolbar menu in Windows 10, how to set your own photo as your Desktop Wallpaper, how to resize a photo to use as your Desktop Wallpaper, and customise the Windows 8.1 Start Screen.