Windows 8.1 adds options to disable hot corners and shut down from Start button

There has been a lot of build up for Microsoft’s next update, the Windows 8.1, which was earlier being called Windows Blue. The 8.1 update was announced a little over 7 months after the company launched Windows 8, and like the latter, the 8.1 update focuses on the new Windows touch user interface.

The company is now days away from releasing the first preview of the Windows 8.1, and from what can be seen from copies of the Windows Server 2012 R2, users will definitely see a Start button. The company faced quite a bit of criticism from its users about the lack of a Start button and Menu in Windows 8 and the difficulty users may face adjusting to the modern user interface.

The software maker is now addressing that issue in the 8.1 update. While the company is tightlipped about its return, it seems like the Start button is going to be more useful in the current edition, when combined with additional navigational controls.

Windows 8.1 will feature a Start button with shut down and restart options, as well as option for disabling hot corners

According to ExtremeTech, right clicking on the Windows 8′s bottom left corner earlier showed a quick-access menu which can be used to access Control Panel, Run and other power user features. In the 8.1 update, however, shut down and restart will also be added, which takes away the need for excessive usage of the Charms menu. Left clicking on the Windows 8.1 Start button will still take users to the Metro interface, though, so users who want an actual Start menu may have to install a third-party app.

The taskbar, which can be accessed by right clicking on the Start button and selecting the Properties option, now features a new tab called Navigation. This tab will let users disable the top left corner, which is used for task switching, as well as the right corners, which accesses Charms.

Users can also enable and disable boot-straight-to-Desktop, which shows the Desktop wallpaper in the Start screen. In addition, Navigation will also show the All Apps list instead of the usual Start screen and lock the Start screen to the main display.

How the new Start button menu will look (Image credit: extremetech)

There also seems to be an option to search through everything when you start typing on the Start screen, which is a feature of the Windows 7 Start menu that was missing in Windows 8. There is also an option to always show Desktop apps at the top of the Apps list, most likely for Desktop users who don’t want to use Metro apps.

Microsoft will be releasing the client Windows 8.1 preview on June 26, at its Build developer conference in San Francisco. The company is also expected to show off some new applications that have been made for Windows 8.1, along with a focus on developers and the environment for them to build Xbox One applications.