how do I disable full screen apps in windows 8

Anonymous
2013-02-13T23:14:09+00:00

For instance - I read a PDF file, and it fills my 24 inch monitor with 1 file. I really only need it to fill about a third of my screen so I can see the pdf while I create the Word file I am working on. I also want several browser windows, a power point window, and an excel window, all in WINDOWS, not in full screen. I NEVER do anything in fullscreen since it is so limiting.

Start with something simple - like PDF reader? How do I make it NOT be full screen, since I NEVER want it to be fullscreen?

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Anonymous
2013-03-06T17:58:53+00:00

Windows 8 has a built-in MS PDF reader, which always defaults to fullscreen, and cannot be changed. The "issue" here comes from the MS implementation of the Windows 8 Tiled apps.

Download an external app, like Adobe Reader, and open the PDF with that app, and you can open the PDF in a window just fine.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-09-17T22:43:05+00:00

    Maggie,

    You can read this blog that explains how getting more than two apps on the screen at once works. Basically, you need a screen with a really large resolution to do so, otherwise, the most you can do at once is two.

    In Windows 9, I think leaks have shown that Metro apps will be windowed, just like Desktop apps.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-09-17T14:43:04+00:00

    It can be divided into two screen halves!

    If you hover the mouse over the start symbol and then up the left edge of your screen, from whatever app (desktop considered an app) you have open, your other other app screens will appear in a column down the left edge . Then just click and drag one of the apps toward the middle of the screen. It should create a divided screen. Then, if you want to change which app is in the divide just hover back over the start symbol and up to the left corner and drag the app you want over the half the divide you want replaced. 

    Hope this helps! I just discovered this. I'm not sure how to get more than two apps on the screen.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-09-16T02:28:11+00:00

    I am an old stickler, so I almost downloaded another pdf reader.

    I am glad I didn't, because I found a really cool feature that solved my problem.

    I wanted to take notes in notepad while looking at a half-screen pdf,

    so I used a feature in windows 8 called "Split Screen" (by right clicking)

    Now I have the pdf on one side and the notepad on the other.

    It is mimicking two monitors, and I can alt-tab different programs into

    my split screen.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-08-10T00:55:19+00:00

    i couldn't agree more. I HATE widows 8.1 but do not have the option to go back since its a new hp computer. huge bummer. I am always having to resize windows and it sux big time. thanks for nothing MS.

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