Windows guides
How to Rebuild the BCD in Windows 10 or Windows 8.1
Repair Boot Configuration Data from Windows Recovery Environment, using Startup Repair first and Bootrec or BCDBoot only when needed.
THE JOURNAL
Windows 8
26 articles
Troubleshooting
Use DISM to Repair the Windows 8 or 8.1 Component Store (Historical)
Check and repair Windows 8/8.1 component-store corruption with DISM, then run System File Checker to repair protected system files.
Troubleshooting
SysTools Hard Drive Data Recovery for Windows — 2014 Review (Historical)
An edited archive of a 2014 hands-on review of SysTools Hard Drive Data Recovery, with current product context separated from the original test results.
Tech & reviews
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 3 for Windows 8/8.1 — Historical Review
A historical review of Ultimate Windows Tweaker 3 for Windows 8 and 8.1, with the original feature set separated from newer UWT releases.
Windows guides
How to Enable the Built-in Administrator Account in Windows 8.1 (Historical)
Enable the built-in Windows 8.1 Administrator account only when necessary, set a strong password, and disable it again after troubleshooting.
Windows guides
Windows Live Mail on Windows 8 for POP Accounts (Historical)
A historical Windows 8 guide explaining why users installed Windows Live Mail for POP support; Windows Essentials 2012 is now unsupported and unavailable from Microsoft.
Windows guides
Set Up and Sync a Microsoft Account in Windows 8 (Historical)
Historical Windows 8 guide to adding a Microsoft account and enabling the operating system's original settings-sync experience across Windows 8 devices.
Windows guides
How to Use the Settings Charm in Windows 8 — Video Guide (Historical)
Historical Windows 8 video guide to the Settings charm, including app-specific settings and common system controls.
Windows guides
How to Use the Start and Devices Charms in Windows 8 — Video Guide (Historical)
Historical Windows 8 video guide to the Start and Devices charms and what each one did.
Windows guides
Using the Share Charm in Windows 8 — Video Guide (Historical)
Historical Windows 8 guide to sharing content from compatible apps through the Share charm.
Windows guides
Set Up a Second Screen or Multiple Monitors in Windows 8 (Historical)
Connect and configure a second display in Windows 8 using the Project/Second Screen controls and the Windows+P shortcut.
Troubleshooting
Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery — 2013 Review (Historical)
Archived 2013 hands-on review of Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery after recovering files from a 2 TB drive that appeared as RAW in Windows.
Windows guides
Block USB Storage Access in Windows 8/7/Vista/XP (Historical)
Historical guidance for restricting USB mass-storage access without disabling unrelated USB keyboards, mice, printers, and other peripherals.
Troubleshooting
Repair the Master Boot Record in Windows 8 (Legacy BIOS/MBR Only, Historical)
Use Windows Recovery and Bootrec to repair master boot code on a Windows 8 installation that actually uses legacy BIOS/MBR booting.
Troubleshooting
Using Recovery Options Quickly in Windows 8 (Historical)
Historical Windows 8 guide to opening Windows Recovery Environment and choosing repair, restore, refresh, or command-line tools.
Windows guides
How to Quickly Open Apps in Windows 8 — Video Tip (Historical)
Historical Windows 8 video tip showing how to launch apps and find programs quickly from the Start screen.
Windows guides
Understanding the Reimagined Task Manager in Windows 8 (Historical)
A tour of the redesigned Windows 8 Task Manager, including Processes, Performance, App history, Startup, Users, Details, and Services.
Windows guides
How to Disable Automatic Restart on System Failure in Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP (Historical)
Historical Windows guide to keeping a blue-screen stop message visible by disabling automatic restart after a system failure.
Troubleshooting
Refresh Your PC in Windows 8: Repair Windows While Keeping Personal Files (Historical)
Historical Windows 8 guide to the Refresh your PC recovery feature and what it keeps, removes, and reinstalls.
Tech & reviews
Windows 8: Reimagined Era of Computing Now Begins (Historical Launch-Day Commentary)
Original October 26, 2012 launch-day commentary on Windows 8, lightly edited for clarity and preserved as a historical opinion piece.