This change makes it less jarring when you double click on a JPG, MP3 or movie file from Windows Explorer.Ĭlick to EnlargeOne of the biggest problems with Windows 8 and 8.1 is how separate the task lists seem the desktop taskbar shows only desktop apps, and the Modern UI task menu shows only Windows Store (aka Modern) apps, with the desktop shown as one icon. The update also changes the file associations for photos, music and video files so that they open in Windows Photo Viewer and Windows Media Player - both desktop apps - rather than in their Modern UI equivalents. While this change is convenient, it has been available as a built-in option since Windows 8.1 launched and through free, third-party utilities in Windows 8.
In a radical change, the new update configures your computer to boot directly to desktop mode, so mouse-centric users don't have to navigate through the Start screen to get to their preferred interface. However, if users had already configured these options on their own, the update will not alter their preferences. Click to EnlargeIf the Windows 8.1 update detects that you have a laptop or a desktop (a status the program determines using information entered by your PC's manufacturer), it changes a couple of default settings to make your UI more mouse-friendly.
