This is an old article I wrote some years ago. I am adding it here as I move all my articles to this location. Enjoy the historical event.
I am very excited, to say the least, to start using the preview/beta releases of Windows 8 Server, Windows 8, IIS 8 and Visual Studio 11. I did choose to install the instance of Windows Server 8 and Windows 8 into a Hyper-V Virtual Machine. I did this mostly just to save time and I still needed my work machine to perform my day-to-day activities. The first thing I noticed was, whoa…where is the Start button? In both Windows Server 8 and Windows 8, I was not able to find it. The following two images, Figure 1 and Figure 2, show the toolbars.
Figure 1, Windows Server 8 toolbar
Figure 2, Windows 8 toolbar
It took a few moments to finally decide to use shortcut keys to navigate around, but because I was using Hyper-V my key combinations were being executed on the host machine and not on the virtual machine. It was a simple modification to configure Hyper-V so that my shortcut key combinations are executed on the virtual machine. First, select the Hyper-V Settings… menu item from within the Hyper-V Manager as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3, Hyper-V Settings… in the Hyper-V Manager
Next, select Keyboard and then “Use on the virtual machine” as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4, Hyper-V Settings… Setting keyboard key combinations
You will need to restart the connection to any open virtual machines before the modification will take effect. Then I was able to navigate around with ease.
Here is a very good link with descriptions of Windows 8 shortcuts.
A few of my favorites are in the following table, but they all are useful:
| Result | Key combination |
| Show Desktop | Win + D |
| Open Windows Explorer | Win + E |
| Open Settings Charm | Win + I |
| Open Run Dialog | Win + R |