Introduction
Do you spend most of your time on the desktop?
Do you logon to Windows8 and then click desktop to get your desktop before doing anything else?
If you do, then this might be of interest to you!
This tip is used to skip straight through the Start screen and onto the desktop as soon as you log onto the computer. It makes use of an "On Logon" trigger in the "Task Scheduler" to start up the desktop. Now if you remember (maybe you didn't know!), the desktop is just a different view of Explorer that is presented when it is the first instance on execution. We simply get the task scheduler to fire off that first instance, and that takes us into the desktop.
Setting Up The Task
Step 1: Access the Task Scheduler
The first thing we need to do is open up the task scheduler. This can be found in the Administrative tools, accessed by either visiting the control panel, or by pressing Windows-R to open the run dialog and copy and pasting the following;
%windir%\system32\taskschd.msc /s
or
Step 2: Create a Basic Task
Select the Task Scheduler Library [1], to see a list of currently defined tasks [2], then select "Create Basic Task" [3]
Step 3: Provide Task Name and Description
As it says, enter a name for the task [1], a brief description [2] and click Next [3]
Step 4: Set the Trigger
Select the "When I log on" [1] trigger and clickNext [2]
Step 5: Set the Action
Select the "Start a program" [1] action, and click Next [2]
Step 6: Set the Program to start
In the Program/script entry [1] enter explorer.exe and click Next [2]
Step 7: Commit Task
In the dialog, review the entry and click Finish [1]
Step 8: Check Task Library
You should now see your new task listed in the Task Scheduler Library [1]
That's It!
Now when you log on to Windows8, the start screen will briefly appear, then you will be automatically taken to your desktop.
History
8th December 2012 - First version of tip.
