And when it’s time to get work done, Surface RT is loaded with Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview, which includes touch-optimized versions of Word, PowerPoint,

Excel, and OneNote.

1 Preview edition installed. Final Office version will be installed via Windows

Update when available (free download; ISP fees apply). Some features not supported. For more info, see http://office.com/officeRT .

About this guide

This guide walks you through everything you need to know about Surface RT.

Whether you read this from beginning to end or jump all around, we hope you find this guide useful as you get to know Surface. As you read through this guide it’s helpful to have your Surface handy so you can try things out.

To jump between sections using the Reader app:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen, tap the More button ( ), and then tap

Bookmarks .

2. Tap a bookmark to jump to a section in this guide.

To search this guide using the Reader app:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen, tap the Find button.

2. Type what you want to find and press Enter.

Highlights

Real quick, here are some features of your Surface RT:

Touchscreen Like a smartphone, you can browse the web or your email using touch. The touchscreen, with its 16:9 aspect ratio and ClearType technology, is great for watching HD movies, browsing the web, and using the included Office apps.

Keyboard covers And touch isn’t the only option. Choose from two unique keyboards that double as a protective cover.

This way you’ll always have a keyboard with you (sold separately).

Two cameras—front and back

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Dual microphones

Two cameras that you can use for video calls or taking pictures.

Connect to a wireless network and use devices with Bluetooth such as mice, printers, and headsets.

Built-in microphones make it easy to record videos and call people using your

Surface.

Kickstand

Stereo speakers, headset jack, and volume

Ports

Software

Flip out the kickstand when you want to be productive or kick back and have some fun.

Listen to music, radio stations, podcasts, or audio books using apps from the

Windows Store or Internet Explorer.

Yes, Surface has ports.

 Full-size USB 2.0 port

Connect USB accessories that have been certified for Windows RT, such as a mouse or printer.

 microSDXC card slot

Behind the kickstand, there’s a microSDXC card slot that you can use for extra storage (up to 64 GB) or transferring files.

 HD video out port

Share what’s on your Surface by connecting it to an HDTV, monitor, or projector

(video adapters required and sold separately).

And there are plenty of apps for work and play.

 Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview

Touch-optimized versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are preinstalled.

 Apps

A great collection of built-in apps plus many more apps in the Windows Store.

What is Windows RT?

Surface RT uses a new version of the Windows operating system called Windows RT. This new version of Windows is optimized for thin and light PCs that have an ARM processor (the processor commonly used in mobile phones).

The key benefits are:

 Great battery life With up to 8 hours of battery life, Surface RT lasts the whole day.

 Instant on and always up to date Like a smartphone, Surface RT stays connected to email, social networks, and apps. It’s ready when you are.*

To learn more about Windows RT, see Windows RT: Frequently asked questions on Windows.com.

* Internet required (ISP fees apply).

Surface accessories

Accessories add to your experience with Surface.

Keyboards

Add a unique click-in keyboard that doubles as a cover.

There are two types to choose from (sold separately or bundled with Surface):

 Touch Cover is a super-thin, pressure sensitive keyboard and trackpad. Express your personal style by choosing a color or design. To have a look at what’s available, see Covers on Surface.com.

 Type Cover is a slim version of a traditional laptop keyboard with moving keys and trackpad buttons.

Both keyboards work with Surface RT and Surface Pro.

2 Colors and designs vary by market.

Video adapters

Surface video adapters let you connect your Surface to an HDTV, monitor, or projector (adapters are sold separately).

Learn more about this in the Connect Surface to a TV, monitor, or projector section of this guide.

Power supply

Surface RT includes a 24-watt power supply.

For more info, see the Battery and power section in this guide.

Wedge Touch Mouse Surface Edition

This special edition Wedge Touch Mouse is small enough to fit in your pocket and wirelessly connects to your Surface using Bluetooth.

To learn more, see Wedge Touch Mouse Surface Edition on Surface.com.

To find out how to connect this mouse to your Surface, see Wedge Touch

Mouse Surface Edition at Surface.com.

Find out about all of the Surface accessories at Surface.com/Accessories .

Setup

Ready to set up Surface? Grab your Surface and let’s go!

Note It’s best to have a wireless network available when you set up Surface.

Plug in and turn on

Plug in Surface and turn it on. Here's how:

1. If you have one, attach the Touch Cover or Type Cover keyboard to your Surface. When the keyboard gets close to Surface, it clicks into place.

2. Flip out the kickstand on the back of Surface.

3. Plug the power cord into a wall outlet or power strip.

4. Connect the power cord on the lower right side of your Surface.

The connector clicks into place (either direction works). The small light at the end of the connector means Surface is getting power.

5. Press and release the power button on the top right edge of your Surface.

Surface setup

Setup runs the first time you turn on Surface. During setup you'll be able to customize things like the language, color, and name for your Surface. You can change these things later if you'd like.

Two key things happen during setup:

 You connect to a wireless network.

Setup finds and displays the available wireless networks so that you can get online.

 You create a user account for Surface.

We recommended using a Microsoft account—an email address and password. When you sign in with a

Microsoft account, your Surface lights up with content from Microsoft services such as SkyDrive,

Outlook.com, your Windows Phone and Xbox, as well as your contacts and calendar from your email account.

Already have a Microsoft account?

A

Microsoft account (formerly known as a Windows Live ID) is the email address and password that you use to sign in to Microsoft services like Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Xbox Live, or your

Windows Phone. If you've used these services, then you already have a Microsoft account.

Have more than one Microsoft account? If you have more than one Microsoft account, you’ll need to choose one to sign in with on your Surface. To help you figure out how to get down to just one Microsoft account, see

Choose a Microsoft account at WindowsPhone.com (English only).

To learn more about local and Microsoft accounts, see the Accounts

section in this guide.

Lock screen and signing in

When you turn on or wake Surface, you'll see the Windows lock screen. To dismiss the lock screen, press a key or swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

Next you'll see the Windows sign-in screen. Here you'll sign in using the account you created during setup. For

more info about signing in, see the Sign in topic in this guide.

After you sign in to Windows, you'll see the Start screen. What is the Start screen? See the next section to find out.

Note Make it yours—be sure to read the Add your accounts topic after the Basics section.

The basics

There are a few things you need to know about the new Windows.

Important If you read nothing else in this guide, be sure and read this section and practice on your Surface.

Start screen: Your favorite things

The Start screen is your home base. You can customize

Start to have all the info you care about in one place. Each tile on Start is connected to a person, app, website, playlist, or whatever else is important to you.

Watch closely! This isn't a wall of static icons. The tiles animate with the latest information—such as status updates, weather forecasts, and appointments—and you'll see live updates before you even open a single app.

You can pin as many tiles to Start as you want and move them where you want. Find out all about this in the

Customize the Start screen section of this guide.

To go to the Start screen, do any of the following:

 Touch P ress the Windows logo on Surface, or swipe in from the right edge of the screen and then tap Start .

 Keyboard Press the Windows logo key on Touch Cover or Type Cover.

 Mouse or trackpad Move the pointer into the lower-left corner. When Start appears, click in the corner.

Charms, commands, and switching apps

When you swipe in from the different edges of the screen different things happen:

Right edge: Charms

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen to see the charms. Charms help you do the things you do most often, like search, share, print, and change settings.

The charms are always available on the right side of your screen—just swipe in to see them.

Learn about charms later in this section.

Top or bottom edge: App commands

Swipe up from the bottom or down from the top edge of the screen to see a bar of commands related to where you are and what you’re doing.

For example, if you’re in an app you’ll see commands for that app.

Left edge: Switch apps

And finally, swipe in from the left edge of the screen to

switch between open apps. For more info, see the Switch between apps topic in this guide.

Touch: tap, slide, and beyond

Now that you know about swiping in from the edge, here are some more things you can do with touch:

What we say How to do it What it does

Tap Tap once on something. Opens what you tap.

Press and hold Press and hold your finger on something for a couple seconds, and when a box appears let go.

Shows options related to what you’re doing (the same as a right-click with a mouse).

Slide to scroll Drag your finger across the screen. Scrolls through what’s on the screen.

Pinch or stretch Pinch your thumb and forefinger together or move them apart.

Zooms in or out of a website, map, or picture.

What we say

Rotate

How to do it

Put two or more fingers on an item and then turn your hand.

What it does

Rotates things that can be rotated.

Slide to rearrange Tap and drag an item to a new location, and then let go.

Moves an item, just like dragging with a mouse does.

To learn how to rearrange tiles on Start,

see Customize the Start screen section in

this guide.

Swipe to select Slide an item a short distance, opposite to how the page scrolls. (For example, if the screen scrolls left to right, slide the item up or down.) A quick, short movement works best.

Selects an item, like an app tile or photo.

Do this at the top or bottom of an app window to show app commands.

Swipe from edge Swipe in from the edge of the screen. See the previous topic for info about this.

How do I right-click using touch?

The equivalent of a right-click with your mouse is to press and hold your finger on something for a couple seconds, then let go and tap the option you want.

To try this out, try copying and pasting text using touch.

Copy, and paste using touch

Here’s how to copy and paste text using touch:

Select text Tap a word. To extend the selection, press and hold either circle and slide your finger. Let go when the selection is what you want.

Copy Now, tap the highlighted text and then tap Copy .

Paste Move to where you want to insert the text. Press and hold a couple seconds, then let go and tap Paste .

Tip

You can also press Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste.

The charms: Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings

No matter where you are, the charms help you do the things you do most often—like search, share links and photos, print, and change settings. The charms are context sensitive, meaning that what you can do depends on where you are. For example, if you open the Settings charm from the Start screen, you’ll see settings related to the

Start screen. And if you open the Settings charm from an app, you’ll see settings for that app.

The five charms—Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings—are always available on the right side of your screen.

Here’s how to open the charms:

Touch

Swipe in from the right edge, and then tap the one you want.

Mouse

Move your pointer into the upper-right or lower-right corner, and then move it up or down and click the one you want.

Keyboard

Press Windows logo key +C. To open a specific charm, press one of the charm keys on Touch Cover or Type Cover (they’re on the top row).

Here's what you can do with the charms:

Search Search for anything. Search the app you're in, another app, or search Surface for an

app, setting, or file. For more info, see the How to search section in this guide.

Share Share files and info with people you know or send info to another app without leaving the app you're in. You can email photos to your mom or send a link to a note-taking app like

OneNote. For more info, see the Share photos, links, and more section in this guide.

Start Go to your Start screen. Or if you're already on Start, you can use this charm to go back to the last app you were using.

Devices Use devices that are connected to your Surface, both wired and wireless. You can

print from an app or stream your latest home movie to your TV.

Settings Change settings for apps and Surface.

When you open Settings, the items in the upper-right corner change depending on where you are. For example, if you open Settings from an app, you’ll see settings for that app.

When you open Settings, the items in lower-right corner are always the same. Here you’ll find

PC settings like network connection, volume, brightness, notifications, power (shutdown and

restart), and keyboard. For more info, see the Change your settings section in this guide.

The familiar desktop

After introducing all this new stuff, here’s something familiar. The Windows desktop—with its taskbar, folders, and icons—is still here, with a new taskbar and streamlined file management.

To get to the desktop:

 With touch, from the Start screen, tap or click

Desktop . (It is a tile.)

 With a keyboard, press the Windows logo key

+D.

The Office apps run in the desktop. And you’ll need to go to the desktop to do things like copy files or use

Control Panel. File Explorer (formerly called Windows Explorer) is the app you use to browse files and folders,

both on Surface or your network. Learn more about this in the Files and Folders section of this guide.

Tip

When you’re at the desktop, remember you can quickly go back to Start by pressing the Windows logo on

Surface or your keyboard. To switch back and forth, use the Windows logo key +D to go to the desktop and the Windows logo key to go to Start.

How to search

You can use the Search charm to find apps, settings, and files. If you are on the Start screen, you can just start typing. Here’s how:

 Go to the Start screen and start typing what you want to find. The search results update as you type.

Search defaults to Apps, but you can choose Settings or Files depending on what you’re looking for.

You can also search within an app by using the Search charm. For example, you can use the Search charm to find a song in the Music app.

To search for messages in the Mail app:

1. Open the Mail app (from the Start screen, tap or click Mail) .

2. If you have multiple email accounts, select an email account in the lower-left corner.

3. Open the Search charm and type what you want to find in the search box.

To search the Internet:

 Open the Search charm, type what you want to find in the search box, and then choose Internet Explorer from the list of apps.

Tips

 Change search settings: Open the Settings charm, then tap or click Change PC settings . Then tap or click Search .

 You can also search for files using File Explorer. For more info, see Search for files in File Explorer on

Windows.com.

Get to know Surface

Now that you know the basics, let’s go a little deeper.

Power states: On, off, standby, and restart

Here’s what you need to know about the Surface power states.

On, off, standby, and restart

On or wake When Surface is off, press and release the power button. If nothing happens,

Surface might need to be recharged. Connect the power supply and then press the

power button again.

Off Open the Settings charm, tap or click Power , and then choose Shut down . You can also tap or click the Power icon on the sign in screen (lower-right corner) to quickly shut down.

Standby

Restart

When Surface is on, press and release the power button or close Type Cover or

Touch Cover.

Open the Settings charm, tap or click Power , and then choose Restart .

Standby

There's really no need to turn off (shut down) Surface completely. If you don’t use Surface for a few minutes the screen turns off and locks, just like a smartphone. When this happens, Surface goes into connected standby mode.

This means that Surface stays connected to your wireless network, waiting for you to use it. App notifications appear on the lock screen, so you can see quickly see updates such as how many new email messages you have.

Change when the screen dims and turns off

You can change when the screen dims or turns off. Here’s how:

1. Open the Search charm, type edit power plan , and then tap or click Settings .

2. Tap or click Edit power plan from the search results.

3. Choose the display settings that you want to use when Surface is running on battery and when it's plugged in.

4. Tap or click Save changes .

Note

A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that control how your Surface uses power. For more info about power plans, see the topic Power Plans: Frequently asked questions on Windows.com (Surface RT supports connected standby).

Wake

To wake up Surface, do this:

1. Do either of the following things:

 Press the power button or open the cover.

 Press a key or the Windows logo on Surface.

The lock screen appears with notifications for apps that have had activity—for example, a mail icon

appears if you have new email. For more info about this, see the Notifications topic in this guide.

Tip

2. Unlock your Surface by swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen or by pressing a key.

3. If the sign-in screen appears, type your password and Surface is ready to use. If you need help signing in,

see the Sign in and out section in this guide



You can set the duration before a password is required for unlocking your Surface. For info, see Choose when a password is required in this guide.

Lock

To lock Surface, do either of the following:

 Press the power button or close the cover.

 Tap or click your name in the upper-right corner of the Start screen, and then tap or click Lock .

The touchscreen

The 10.6-inch diagonal, multi-touch screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio—perfect for watching HD videos and optimized for multi-tasking with side-by-side apps. Like a smartphone, you can interact with Surface by touching the screen.

For example, you can drag your finger down a page to scroll. To learn more about using touch, see Touch: tap, slide, and beyond in this guide.

Screen rotation

When you rotate Surface, the screen content automatically rotates to the new orientation. For example, you might use landscape orientation for webpages and portrait orientation when reading a book.

Lock the screen orientation

If you don’t want the screen to automatically rotate, you can lock the orientation. Here’s how:

1. Rotate Surface to the orientation you want.

2. Open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Screen .

3. Tap or click the screen rotation icon, which is a rectangle with arrows.

A lock appears on the screen icon when screen rotation is locked.

Screen brightness

By default, Surface automatically adjusts screen brightness for the light conditions. You can change this or set the brightness to whatever you’d like. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click General .

3. Scroll down to Screen and then set Adjust my Screen Brightness Automatically to No .

To manually adjust the screen brightness:

 Open the Settings charm, tap or click Screen , and then move the slider to adjust the brightness.

Other screen settings

To change when the screen dims, turns off, or when Surface goes to sleep, see Change when the screen dims and turns off in this guide.

You can use the Search charm to find more settings. Here's how:

 Open the Search charm, type display , and then tap or click Settings . Choose a setting from the search results.

Connect Surface a second monitor

You can connect Surface to a second monitor if you’d like. For info on how to do this, see Connect to a TV, monitor, or projector in this guide.

Add your accounts

One of the first things you’ll want to do with your new Surface is add your accounts—like Outlook.com, Gmail,

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Once you add your accounts, your contacts, calendar, and email will appear in the

Mail, People, and Calendar apps. And you can quickly get to your photos and files from services like SkyDrive,

Facebook, or Flickr.

Add your email accounts

You can add your email accounts from Outlook, Gmail, AOL, Yahoo!, and even your work email (Exchange ActiveSync).

To add an email account:

1. Open Mail (from the Start screen, tap or click Mail) .

2. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap or click Settings .

3. Tap or click Accounts .

4. Tap or click Add an account , the type of account you want to add, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for each of your email accounts.

Most accounts can be added with only your user name and password. In some cases, you’ll be asked for more details, which you can usually find on your email account’s website.

You can change your email account settings at any time by opening the Settings charm while in the Mail app, choosing

Accounts

, and then selecting the account that you want to change.

After you add an email account…

 Contacts from your email account appear in the People app.

 Appointments appear in the Calendar app. If you have the most recent version of Mail, your Google calendar will not sync with the Calendar app. See the info below.

POP email

Mail doesn't support email accounts that use POP (Post Office Protocol). If your email account uses POP,

see the options in Using email accounts over POP on Windows.com.

Google email

To find out how to sync your Google email, contacts, and calendar, see How to sync Google services on

Windows.com.

Microsoft Exchange account

To find out how to set how to set up a Microsoft Exchange account and troubleshoot connectivity problems, see

How to configure an Exchange account .

Outlook Express, Windows Mail, or Windows Live Mail

If you’ve been using Outlook Express, Windows Mail, or Windows Live Mail, you can move your email and address book from your old PC to the cloud. Once you do this, you can access your email and contacts in the Mail and

People apps on Surface. For info on how to move your email and address book to the cloud, see Move your mail and contacts off your old PC on Windows.com.

Add social network accounts to the People app

Add your social network accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and you’ll get all the latest updates,

Tweets, and pictures from these accounts all in one place—the People app. To add your social network accounts:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click People .

2. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap or click Settings .

3. Tap or click Accounts .

4. Tap or click Add an account , select the type of account you want to add, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Add a photo service to the Photos app

The Photos app automatically shows the photos saved on your Surface, but it can also include your photos from

SkyDrive, Facebook, or Flickr. Here's how:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Photos .

2. Tap or click the tile for the photo service you want to add (such as SkyDrive, Facebook, or Flickr).

3. Follow the instructions to add your account.

You might need to wait a few minutes before photos from the new account begin to appear.

On-screen keyboard

Surface has an on-screen, touch keyboard that appears when you need it.

Show the keyboard

When you want to use the on-screen keyboard, fold back the cover or remove it. Now tap where you want to type.

The on-screen keyboard appears.

Show the keyboard from the desktop

The on-screen keyboard doesn’t automatically appear if you’re in the desktop. Instead, you need to tap or click the Keyboard icon on the taskbar (lower-right corner of the screen).

To open the on-screen keyboard manually:

Open the Settings charm, and then tap or click

Keyboard

2. Tap or click Touch keyboard and handwriting panel .

(lower-right corner).

Hide the keyboard

To hide the on-screen keyboard:

 Tap an area where text can’t be typed.

–or–

 Tap the Keyboard button in the lower-right corner and then tap the image with the down arrow (see picture).

Tips

 You can use keyboard shortcuts by tapping the Ctrl key and then another key. For example, you can use Ctrl+C for Copy and Ctrl+V for Paste.

 Turn Caps Lock on and off by double-tapping the Up Arrow key.

 Automatically insert a period by double-tapping the Spacebar.

Change the on-screen keyboard settings

You can change the on-screen keyboard settings in PC settings. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click General and then make changes under Touch Keyboard.

Sound features

Surface has two stereo speakers and a headset jack for listening to music or watching movies. The internal microphones come in handy when making calls or recording videos.

Adjust the volume

You can control the volume in a few places:

 Volume rocker Use the volume rocker along the left edge of your Surface.

 Touch Cover and Type Cover Press the volume down or up down keys (F2 or F3 on Type Cover).

 Start screen Open the Settings charm, then tap the sound icon and adjust the slider. (This is the same as using the volume rocker.)

 Desktop Tap the sound icon on the taskbar.

 Apps Some apps have a volume control within the app.

Tips

 To quickly pause audio, press the volume rocker and then tap the on-screen pause button.

 To quick mute audio, press the mute key on Touch Cover or Type Cover (F1).

Media keys on Type Cover: Mute, volume down, volume up, and play/pause

Add sound accessories

The headset jack works for both audio output and microphone input. You can plug headphones or a headset with a microphone into the headset jack or the USB port. For bigger sound, connect an external USB or Bluetooth

speaker. For more info, see the Add, view, and manage your devices section in this guide.

Battery and power

Surface RT has an internal lithium-ion battery with up to 8 hours of battery life.

If you don’t use Surface for a few minutes the screen turns off and locks, just like a smartphone. When this happens, Surface goes into connected standby mode. This means that Surface stays connected to the Internet, waiting for you to use it.

How much battery charge is left?

The battery status appears in a few different places.

 Lock screen When you wake up Surface, the battery status appears on the lock screen (lowerleft corner).

 Charms When you swipe in from the right-edge of the screen, the battery status appears in the lowerleft corner of the screen (see picture).

 Desktop taskbar When you’re at the desktop, the battery status appears on the taskbar (lower-right corner).

Tap or click the battery icon for info about the charging and battery status, including the percent remaining.

Windows alerts you when the battery starts to get low. When you’re alerted, be sure to attach the power supply. If you don’t recharge the battery, Surface will eventually save your work and shut down.

Charge Surface

At the end of your day or when the battery is low, charge your

Surface using the included 24-watt power supply.

Once connected, a small light appears at the end of the connector to show that Surface is getting power.

To make sure your Surface is charging, swipe in from the rightedge of the screen and look in the lower-left corner to see the battery status. When charging, the battery icon appears with an electrical plug. It takes 1-2 hours to fully charge your Surface RT battery from an empty state—longer if you use

Surface while it’s charging.

48 watt power supply with USB charging port

A 48-watt power supply with a USB charging port can be purchased separately. (The 48-watt power supply is not available in all countries or regions. For more info, see Power Supply on Surface.com.) The USB charging port can be used to charge other devices, like a phone, while you charge your Surface.

Note The USB port is only for charging. Devices connected to the USB charging port aren’t recognized by

Surface. If you want to use a USB device, plug it into the USB port on Surface. Find out more about this in the Add a device section of this guide.

You can also purchase an extra 24-watt power supply for your Surface.

For info about either power supply, see Power Supply on Surface.com.

Share photos, links, and more

The Share charm is a quick way to share files and info with people you know and to send info to other apps. It's available anywhere, so you don't have to stop what you're doing to share things like your latest vacation photos or an article you're reading. You can share with just a few people at a time, your entire social network, or send info

to another app to refer to later (for example, you can share something with OneNote ).

When you come across something you want to share in one of your apps, use the Share charm. Here’s how:

Share a link

1. Browse to a webpage that you want to share.

2. Open the Share charm:

 Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and then tap Share .

–or–

 Press the Share key on Touch Cover or Type Cover.

You'll see a list of the people, apps, and devices you share with most often, plus a list of apps that can share. For example, to share the link on a social network, tap People , choose Twitter or Facebook, type a note if you want, and tap or click the Post icon.

Notes

 If you want to change what apps are listed in the Share charm, open the Settings charm, tap or click

Change PC settings , and then tap or click Share .

 You can't use the Share charm to share from the desktop.

Share a photo

1. Open the Photos app and find a photo or photos that you want to share.

2. Select a photo or photos:

With touch Swipe down on a photo to select it.

With a mouse Right-click a photo to select.

3. Open the Share charm:

 Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and then tap Share .

– or–

 Press the Share key on Touch Cover or Type Cover .

You'll see a list of the people, apps, and devices you share with most often, plus a list of apps that can share. For example, to share using email, tap Mail , type an email address, and tap or click the Send icon.

Tip

 To share a photo or group of photos to a social network, like Facebook or Twitter, the photos need to be

on your SkyDrive. Use the SkyDrive app to upload your photos, then select a photo or photos, open the

Share charm, and choose People .

Change your settings

There are a few ways you can find and change your Surface settings: Control Panel, PC settings, and by using search. Commonly used settings are in PC settings, so try checking there first.

PC Settings

Here's how to get to PC settings:

1. Swipe in from the right edge and then tap or click Settings . In the lower-right corner you have settings like network connection, volume, brightness, notifications, power, and keyboard.

2. For more settings, tap or click Change PC settings .

Use Search

Don’t know where a setting is? No problem! Use search to find a setting.

Here’s how:

 Swipe in from the right edge and then tap or click Search . Type a word or phrase in the search box, and then tap or click Settings

(below the search box). Items that match your search are shown.

For example, type sound in the search box to find settings related to sound. If the item has a settings icon (a gear), the setting is available in PC settings. Other settings open in Control Panel in the desktop.

Control Panel

Yes, Control Panel is still around. Here's how to open it:

From Start:

 Type control panel , then tap or click Control Panel in the search results.

From the desktop:

 Using touch, swipe in from the right edge and tap Settings , and then tap Control Panel .

 Using a mouse, point to the lower-left corner of the screen. When the Start screen appears, right click in the corner, and then click Control Panel .

You can also pin Control Panel to the taskbar for quick access. (Open Control Panel, then right-click the

Control Panel icon on the taskbar, and choose Pin this program to the taskbar ).

Note If you’re using a Microsoft account with Surface, you can sync your settings between all the Windows 8 or

Windows RT PCs that you use. For info about this, see the Sync your settings section in this guide.

Touch, keyboard, mouse, and pen

With Surface, you can easily switch between touch, keyboard, mouse, and pen. Use whichever you want, when you want.

Touch

You can use your fingers to interact with Surface. For example, drag your finger across the Start screen to scroll and tap a tile to open it.



To learn about using touch, be sure to read the Touch: tap, slide, and beyond

topic in this guide.



To learn how to use the on-screen touch keyboard, see the On-screen keyboard topic.

Keyboard

You can choose from two keyboard covers for your Surface:

Touch Cover or Type Cover.

Both keyboards magnetically attach to Surface. To attach

Touch Cover or Type Cover, simply bring the two close together. When Touch Cover gets close, it aligns and snaps into place.

Once connected, the keyboard cover stays put. You can easily remove it if you’d like. Just pull it away.

When you fold Touch Cover or Type Cover back behind the touchscreen, the keyboard is disabled. This way you can’t accidently type on the keyboard.

To type text when the cover is folded back, use the onscreen keyboard. Tap in a text field or other area where you can type and the on-screen keyboard appears. For more

info, see the Use the on-screen keyboard section in this

guide.

When you close Touch Cover, the screen turns off. The cover helps protect the touchscreen while you’re in transit.

When you open the cover, Surface wakes up.

Touch Cover

Touch Cover is more than a protective cover for your Surface. It’s also a uniquely designed keyboard. When you’re typing on Touch Cover, you can rest your hands on the Touch Cover keys. Touch Cover only detects key presses when you strike a key. Type on Touch Cover just as you would type on any other keyboard.

By default, a sound plays when you strike a key on the Touch Cover. This way you know when your touch is recognized as a key press. To turn off the sound that plays when you type:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click General .

3. Scroll to Touch Keyboard. Find Play key sounds as I type and move the slider to Off .

Function keys

If you want to use a function key (F1-F12), use the Fn key in combination with a key from the top row of Touch

Cover. For example, for F1, press Fn + Mute.

For this key Type this For this key Type this

Fn + Mute

Fn + Volume Down

Fn + Volume Up

Fn + Play/Pause

Fn + Search

Fn + Connect

Fn + Devices

Fn + Settings

F10

F11

F12

Page up

Page down

Home

End

Fn + Home

Fn + End

Fn + Page Up

Fn + Page Down

Fn + Up arrow

Fn + Down arrow

Fn + Left arrow

Fn + Right arrow

Type Cover

Type Cover is a slim version of a traditional keyboard with moving keys. It gives you the speed and feel of a laptop keyboard.

Just like the Touch Cover keyboard, Type Cover magnetically clicks into place and doubles as a cover for your

Surface. With Type Cover you go from tablet to laptop in an instant.

Trackpad

Both Touch Cover and Type Cover include a trackpad that you can use like a mouse. Just like a laptop, you can drag your finger on the trackpad to move the on-screen pointer.

Trackpad gestures

Action

Move the on-screen pointer

Left click

Right click

Left-click and drag

Scroll

Show commands in an app

Trackpad gesture

Drag your finger on the trackpad.

Tap one finger anywhere on the trackpad.

-or-

Press the left trackpad button.

Tap two fingers anywhere on the trackpad.

-or-

Press the right trackpad button.

Hold the left trackpad button down and then slide a finger in any direction.

-or-

Tap, then tap and slide one finger in any direction.

Slide two fingers horizontally or vertically.

Tap two fingers anywhere on the trackpad.

How do I change the trackpad settings?

A Trackpad Settings app is available in the Windows Store. To install the app:

1. Open the Store app, and then type trackpad settings .

2. Tap or click Trackpad Settings from the search results and then tap or click Install .

3. Once installed, open the Trackpad Settings app.

Here are the settings you can change in the Trackpad Settings app:

Trackpad setting

Trackpad

What it does

Turns the trackpad on or off.

Tap gestures

Scrolling

Flip scrolling direction

Tap one finger to left-click, two fingers to right-click, and tap and slide your finger to select text.

Scroll vertically or horizontally using two fingers.

Flips or reverses the scrolling direction.

Trackpad Settings app doesn’t work

If the Trackpad Settings app doesn’t detect your Touch Cover or Type Cover, do the following:

1. Go to the Start screen, type update , tap or click Settings , and then tap or click Check for updates .

2. Open the Search charm, type devices , and then tap or click Settings .

3. Tap or click Devices and Printers in the search results.

4. Tap Refresh three times (circular arrow next to the search box).

5. Try using the Trackpad Settings app again.

Mouse

You can use the trackpad on Touch Cover or Type Cover when you need a mouse, or you can connect a USB or Bluetooth mouse.

 To use a USB mouse, plug the transceiver into the USB port on your Surface.



To use a mouse with Bluetooth, see the Add a Bluetooth device

section in this guide.

 Make sure your mouse is certified for Windows RT.

Change mouse settings

To change how your mouse works, do this:

1. Open the Search charm, type mouse in the search box, and then tap or click Settings .

2. Tap or click Mouse from the search results.

3. Change your mouse settings.

For example, to change the mouse pointer speed, tap or click the Pointer Options tab and adjust the speed. If you’re using a Microsoft mouse, you might also have the option to use the Microsoft Mouse and

Keyboard Center to change your mouse settings.

Capacitive pen

You can use a capacitive pen or stylus (sold separately) with Surface RT. Capacitive just means a pen that substitutes for your finger on a touchscreen.

To find out how use a pen to draw, write, or highlight text (called inking in Office apps), see Use a pen to draw, write, or highlight text on a Windows tablet on Office.com.

The digital pen included with Surface Pro can’t be used with Surface RT.

Accounts

A user account is a collection of settings that you use to interact with your Surface and personalize Windows RT to work the way you want. To use your Surface, you sign in with your user account.

There are two types of user accounts: a local account or a Microsoft account. We recommend using a Microsoft account.

What type of account do I have?

To see which type of account you're using:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click Users . Info about your user account appears under your name:

 If there’s an email address, then you’re using a Microsoft account.

 If you see Local account, this means your account is only on your Surface

This settings page is also where you can change your sign-in options and add additional user accounts. For more

info about this, see the Sign in and out

section of this guide and the Multiple user accounts topic below.

What is a local account?

A local account is an account that gives you access to only one PC. If you create a local account, you’ll need a separate account for each PC you use. None of your settings will be synced between the Windows 8 and Windows

RT PCs you use, and you won’t get the benefits of connecting your PC to the cloud. If you want to download apps from the Windows Store, you’ll need to use a Microsoft account.

To switch from a local account to a Microsoft account:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click Users .

3. Tap or click Switch to a Microsoft account and follow the instructions.

What is a Microsoft account?

A Microsoft account—an email address and password—is a new way to sign in to any PC running Windows 8 or

Windows RT. When you sign in to your Surface with a Microsoft account, you’re connected to the cloud. What’s the cloud, you might ask? The “cloud” in technology terms means network-based services or storage, provided via

the Internet. Many of the settings, preferences, and apps associated with your Microsoft account can "follow" you between different PCs.

You might already have a Microsoft account. A Microsoft account (formerly known as a Windows Live ID) is the email address and password that you use to sign in to Microsoft services such as Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Xbox

Live, and Windows Phone. If you've used these services, then you already have a Microsoft account.

If you don’t have a Microsoft account, see How do I get a Microsoft account? on Windows.com.

Benefits of using a Microsoft account

When you sign in with a Microsoft account, your Surface can connect to the cloud and…

 Your friends’ contact info and status automatically stay up to date from places like Outlook.com,

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

 You can get to and share your photos, documents, and other files from places like SkyDrive, Facebook, and Flickr. Your Microsoft account includes 7 GB of free file storage on SkyDrive (see more about this in

the SkyDrive section of this guide).

 You can download apps from the Windows Store and use them on up to five PCs running Windows 8 or

Windows RT. Learn more about this in the Windows Store section of this guide.

 Your personal settings are automatically synced online and between the Windows 8 and Windows RT PCs

you use. For more info, see the Sync your settings section of this guide.

You need a Microsoft account to purchase apps, music, videos, and games for your Surface. If you're not using a

Microsoft account, that's okay—you can set up a Microsoft account at any time. To find out how, see How do I get a Microsoft account? on Windows.com.

Change your Microsoft account settings

To edit your profile or change your Microsoft account settings, go to the Microsoft account overview webpage and sign in. Also see the following topics on Windows.com:

 How to add an account to your Microsoft account

 Change sharing settings for apps and accounts

To find out how to change your Microsoft account payment option or see your billing history, see the Windows

Store section of this guide.

Multiple user accounts

If you share your Surface with other people, you can create user accounts for each person. This way they can personalize Windows as they’d like and your files and settings stay private.

There are three types of accounts. Each type gives you a different level of control:

 Standard accounts are for everyday use.

 Administrator accounts provide the most control. To help protect your Surface (and keep other people from making changes you don't want), administrator accounts should be used sparingly. You'll need to use an administrator account if you're setting up accounts for other people on your Surface.

 Guest accounts are useful when people need to use your Surface temporarily. You can turn on the guest account in Control Panel.

The user account created during setup is an administrator account. This means you can change settings, install apps, and create additional user accounts as needed. Not sure if you’re using an administrator account? See the topic How do I know I’m signed in as an administrator? on Windows.com.

Create a user account

To find out how to create a user account, do one of the following:

 See the Create a user account topic on Windows.com.

 Find the topic in Help. (Go to the Start screen and type Help.

Then tap or click Help and Support , type user account in the search box, and tap or click Create a user account .

To find out how to switch between user accounts, see the Switch to another account topic in this guide.

Manage accounts

There are two places where you can manage user accounts:

 PC Settings Open the Settings charm, tap or click PC settings , and then tap or click Users .

 Control Panel Open the Search charm, type user accounts , then tap or click Settings . Choose User accounts from the search results.

PC settings has many of the basic user account settings and Control Panel has more advanced settings, such as changing an account type.

Note Public folders are a convenient way to share files with everyone who uses your Surface. For more info, see

Share files with people who use your Surface in this guide.

Family Safety

Family Safety is an integrated part of Windows RT, so it's easier than ever to keep track of when and how your kids use the PC. You can set limits on exactly which websites, apps, and games they're allowed to use. To turn on

Family Safety, you—or at least one designated parent—needs an administrator account. The kids you choose to monitor each need a standard user account.

To find out how to use Family Safety, see the topic Set up your kids' account in Family Safety on Windows.com.

Account security

It's an excellent idea to help protect your account by adding security info to it. If you ever forget your password or your account is hacked, we can use your security info to verify your identity and help you get back into your account. It’s important to make sure you’ve added security info and check it for accuracy.

To find out how to add your security info, see Help secure your Microsoft account on Windows.com.

Notes

 If you think you think your Microsoft account has been blocked or hacked, see Get back into your

Microsoft account if it's been blocked or hacked on Windows.com

 To help prevent unauthorized people from accessing your Surface, be sure to use a strong password. For more info about this, see Tips to create strong passwords and passphrases on Windows.com.

Sign in and out

If you don’t use Surface for a few minutes the screen turns off and locks, just like a smartphone. When this happens, you’ll need to unlock your Surface to use it.

Note To find out how to change this, see Change when the screen dims and turns off in this guide.

Sign in

When you want to use Surface, you’ll need to sign in. Here’s how:

1. Dismiss the lock screen by swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen or by pressing a key.

2.

If prompted, type the password for your user account.

If you want to sign in with a different account, tap or click the Back button and then choose an account.



If you can’t remember your password, see I forgot my password in this guide.

 If you have a picture password or PIN, tap or click Sign-in options to choose another sign-in method.

For more info, see the next section of this guide.

Sign out or lock

1. From the Start screen, tap or click your account picture in the upper-right corner.

2. Choose Sign out or Lock .

Tip

You can also press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your keyboard and then choose Lock or Sign out .

Sign out or lock. What’s the difference?

 Signing out closes all the apps you were using.

 Locking protects your account from use, and lets someone else sign in with their account, without closing the apps you were using.

Switch to another account

If you share your Surface with someone else, you can switch to another account on your Surface without signing out or closing your apps. Here’s how:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click your account picture in the upper-right corner.

2. Tap or click an account. If you don't see the account you want, tap or click Switch account , then sign in to the account you want.

You can also switch to another user account from the sign in screen. Here’s how:

Dismiss

the lock screen by swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen or by pressing a key.

2.

Tap or c

lick the Back button and then choose an account.

For info on creating accounts, see Create a user account in this guide.

Other sign in options

There are two more sign-in options: PIN and picture password.

Create a PIN

Instead of typing a password, you can sign in quickly with a four-digit PIN. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings , and then tap or click Users .

2. Tap or click Create a PIN . If you don't have a password on your account, you'll need to create a password before you can set up a PIN.

3. Confirm your current password and then you can create a PIN.

Now you can quickly sign in using your four-digit PIN.

Create a picture password

You can sign in using gestures on a picture of your choice. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings and then tap or click Users .

2. Under Sign-in options, tap or click Create a picture password and then follow the on-screen instructions.

For tips on how set up a picture password and what to do if your picture password fails, see Sign in with a picture password on Windows.com.

Important If you’ve added a work email account to the Mail app, security policies might require you to use a password instead of a PIN or picture password.

Account password

If you use a strong password and change it regularly, you can help keep your Surface more secure. For more info about strong passwords, see Tips to create strong passwords and passphrases on Windows.com.

Note If you think you think your Microsoft account has been blocked or hacked, see Get back into your Microsoft account if it's been blocked or hacked on Windows.com

Change your password

Here’s how to change your password:

1. Open the Settings charm and then tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Choose Users (on the left).

3. Under Sign-in options, tap or click Change your password . Follow the instructions, and then tap or click

Next.

4. Follow the instructions, and then tap or click Finish .

Note For other password related questions, see Passwords in Windows 8: FAQ on Windows.com

I forgot my password

If you've forgotten your password, there are several ways to retrieve or reset it:

 If you're using a Microsoft account (email and password), you can reset your password online at account.live.com.

 If you're using a local account, use your password hint as a reminder.

 Have someone with an administrator account on your Surface sign in and change your password for you.

(The account created during Windows setup is an administrator account.) To find out how to change other people’s passwords, see Change your password on Windows.com. To find out if an account is an

administrator account, see What type of account do I have?

in this guide.

If you've tried these suggestions and still can't sign in, contact Surface support on Surface.com.

Choose when a password is required

You can control when a password is required to sign in to Surface. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click PC settings , then tap or click Users .

2. Under Sign-in options, find the Require a password after the display is off for setting. This setting might not be available if you’ve added a work email account to the Mail app.

3. Choose an item from the list:

 Microsoft account Choose a time frame up to 15 minutes, or Always require a password.

 Local account Choose a time frame, Always require a password, or Never require a password.

All about apps

This section will get you up to speed on using apps.

Built-in apps

Here are some of the apps included with your Surface (see the Built-in apps section for more info):

People

See the latest info and start conversations with contacts.

Mail

Get email from your accounts in one place.

SkyDrive

Store your files in the cloud and access them from anywhere.

Internet Explorer

Everything you want to do on the web is a swipe or a tap away.

Video

Browse and watch your videos, and movies from Xbox

Video.

Photos

See all your photos and home videos in one place.

Music

Stream the latest songs, or listen to music in your collection.

Skype

Use Skype to connect with people using voice, video, or IM.

Calendar

Bring all your calendars together.

Games

Discover and download new games.

For info about these apps and a few more, including Office,

see the Built-in apps section of this guide.

Tip

 Apps are often updated, so be sure to check out the

App updates section of this guide.

Find an app

To find an app installed on your Surface, do one of the following:

 Touch or mouse If you have lots of tiles on your Start screen, slide your finger across the screen or use the scroll wheel on your mouse. You can also scroll the Start screen by sliding two fingers horizontally across the Touch Cover or Type Cover trackpad.

 Keyboard Go to the Start screen and start typing the app name. The search results update as you type.

Tap or click the app from the search results to open it (or press Enter to open the selected app).

View all apps:

Tip

 From the Start screen, swipe down from the top of the screen, and then tap or click All apps (in the lowerright corner).

 If you don’t have the app you want, try searching the Windows Store. To learn how to do this, see the

Install apps section in this guide.

Start an app

Like the Start button in previous versions of Windows, the Start screen is where you go to start apps.

Here’s how to start an app:

 Touch or mouse From the Start screen, tap or click a tile. If you have lots of tiles, drag your finger across the screen or slide two fingers horizontally across the trackpad to scroll.

 Keyboard Go to the Start screen, type the name of an app and press Enter .

To learn how to change your Start screen, see Customize the Start screen in this guide.

Switch between apps

You can open multiple apps and then switch between them. Here’s how:

Switch to the last app you were using

 With touch, swipe in from the left edge.

 With a mouse, move your pointer into the upperleft corner, and then click in the corner.

 From the keyboard, press Alt+Tab.

Switch to a specific app

Here’s how to see a list of open apps and switch to an app:

 With touch, swipe in from the left edge without lifting your finger, and then push back toward the left edge. You'll see the apps you recently used. Tap the app you want.

 With a mouse, move the pointer into the upper-left corner, and then move the pointer straight down.

You’ll see the apps you recently used. Click the app you want.

 From the keyboard, hold down the Windows logo key and press the Tab key to switch between

Windows Store apps and the Start screen.

 To switch between all apps (desktop and Windows Store apps), hold down the Alt key and press the Tab key repeatedly to switch between apps. When you get to the app you want, just let go.

Use two apps side by side (snap apps)

Keep an eye on your music playlist while you work on a report.

Compare your favorite team's schedule with your own calendar.

You can get more done when you snap a second app to the left or right side of your screen.

Snapping apps

Snap the last app you were using

 With touch, slide your finger in from the left edge to bring in the second app, and then drag that app to the left or right side of the screen until an opening appears behind it.

 With a mouse, move your pointer into the upper-left corner until the second app appears, and then drag that app to the left or right side of the screen until an opening appears behind it.

Snap an app you used recently

Swipe in from the left edge without lifting your finger, and then push back toward the left edge. You'll see the apps you recently used. Now, drag the app you want to the left or right side of the screen until an opening appears behind it.

Tips

 Want to see how it’s done? Watch the Snap an app video on Windows.com.

 Press the Windows logo key + Period to snap the current app to the edge of the screen. Then swipe in from the left edge of the screen to bring in another open app.

 To adjust the size of the apps, move the line between the apps. One app can take a third of the screen and the other can take two thirds.

Close apps

Apps from the Windows Store don’t slow down Surface, so you don’t need to close them. When you switch to another app, Windows leaves the app running in the background and will close it eventually if you don’t use it.

However, if you really want to close a Windows Store app, here’s how:

 Using touch, press and hold at the top of the app, then slide your finger down the screen until the app is off the screen.

 Using a mouse, click the top of the app and when the pointer changes to a hand, drag the app down off the screen. You can also move the pointer into the upper-left corner, move the pointer straight down to show the open apps, and then right click on an app and click Close .

To see which apps are open, see the Switch between apps section in this guide.

Close desktop apps

It’s still a good idea to close desktop apps, such as Office apps, when you're done using them or before you shut down Surface. You can close an Office app by tapping or clicking the X in the upper-right corner of the app.

App commands: Where are they?

After you open an app, you might wonder how you can change things in the app. App commands stay out of sight until you need them, so you can use the whole screen for what you’re doing. When you need app commands, they appear at the top and bottom of your screen.

Show app commands

To show app commands:

 Touch Swipe up from the bottom or down from the top edge of the screen.

 Mouse Right-click.

 Trackpad Tap two fingers anywhere on the Touch

Cover or TypeCover trackpad.

For example, open the Weather app, then swipe down from the top of the screen to see the Weather app commands.

Commands might also appear when you select an item in an app by swiping down on item or right-clicking. For example, if you swipe down or right-click a photo in the Photos app, you’ll see commands.

App settings

The Settings charm is context sensitive, meaning that what you can do depends on where you are. When you open Settings, the items in the upper-right corner change depending on where you are. For example, if you open

Settings from an app, you’ll see settings for that app.

To illustrate, here’s how to change settings for Mail and Internet Explorer:

 Open the Internet Explorer, then open the Setting charm, and tap or click Internet Options .

 Open the Mail app, then open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Account .

App help and troubleshooting

When you're in an app, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap or click Settings , then tap or click Help .

(Some apps might put help in another location, so check the company's website if you can't find help in the

Settings charm.)

If you’re having problems running an app from the Windows Store, try the solutions on this Windows.com page:

What to do if you have problems with an app .

Windows Store

Discover a variety of great apps in the Windows Store. You can check out the featured apps, or browse apps by category like Surface Picks or Games. In each category you can browse apps in groups such as Top free, Top paid, and New releases. And if you know what app you want, just start typing when you're in the Store—you'll see results for apps that match your search.

To access the Windows Store, tap or click the Store tile on your Start screen.

Sign in with your Microsoft account

You need a Microsoft account and an Internet connection to install apps from the Windows Store.

To sign in or out of the Windows Store:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Store .

2. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and tap Settings , then tap or click Your account . Here you’ll see one of two things:

 A Sign in button This means you’re not signed in to the Store. Tap or click Sign in and type your

Microsoft account info (email and password).

 Your account information This means you’re already signed in. Here you can add a payment method, sign in with a different account, and see which PCs are associated with your account. Keep reading for info about adding payment options and viewing your billing history.

Find and install apps

When you want to install an app, the Windows Store is the place to go. Here’s how to find and install an app:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Store.

2. Make sure you’re signed in with your Microsoft account (see previous section).

3. To find an app, do one of the following:

 Drag your finger across the screen to browse apps. Tap or category, like Games, to see more apps.

 Type the name of the app you’re looking for. You’ll see results that match your search.

 Swipe in from the right-edge of the screen, tap or click the Search charm, and then type the app you’re looking for.

4. Tap or click an app to learn about it and read reviews.

5. Tap or click Buy , Try , or Install .

 Install is available if an app is free or you’ve already bought it.

 Try means a trial version of the app is available. You can try before you buy.

 Buy means that the app isn’t free and the price is shown. Apps that you buy are charged to the payment option associated with your Microsoft account. To add or change the payment option on

your account, see Add or change a payment method

in this guide.

After an app is installed, a tile for the app appears on the Start screen.

Important You can only install apps from the Windows Store, not from other sources. You can’t install Windows

7 programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, on Surface RT.

Notes

 To get help with the Store app, open the Settings charm and then tap or click Help .

 If you can’t find or install an app, see Why can’t I find or install an app from the Windows Store?

Windows.com.

Uninstall an app

If you’re not using an app you can uninstall it. Here’s how:

1. Find the app that you want to remove. You can do this by finding the app tile on the Start

screen or by using Search .

2. Swipe down or right-click on the app to select it. When you do this, app commands appear along the bottom of the screen.

3. Tap or click Uninstall .

Tips

 To see your installed apps, go to Start and swipe down from the top edge of the screen (or right-click), then tap or click All apps .

 If you uninstall a built-in app, such as Music, you can reinstall it from the Store. The Mail, Calendar,

People, and Messaging apps appear in the Store as a single app, called Mail, Calendar, People, and

Messaging.

 Office apps can’t be uninstalled.

App updates

Apps are periodically updated by app developers and the Store tile tells you when updates are available.

For example, a “4” on the Store tile means that four of your apps have updates.

To install app updates:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Store .

2. Tap or click Updates in the upper-right corner.

3. Tap or click Install to install updates for the selected apps.

Add or change a payment option

To add or edit the payment method for the Windows Store:

1. From the Store app, open the Settings charm (swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap

Settings ).

2. Tap or click Your account . If you haven't signed in to the Store, sign in using your Microsoft account.

3. Tap or click Add payment method or Edit payment method , edit your info, and then tap or click

Submit .

To remove a payment method from your account:

1. Go to the billing website and sign in with your Microsoft account.

2. Tap or click payment options .

3. Choose a payment method, tap or click remove , and then tap or click remove .

View your billing history

To see a history of apps that you bought from the Windows Store:

1. From the Store app, open the Setting charm (swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap

Settings ).

Tip

2. Tap or click Your account . If you haven't signed in to the Store, sign in using your Microsoft account.

3. Tap or click View billing history .

4. Sign in to the billing website using your Microsoft account.

5. Tap or click transactions , and then choose from the options to view your billing history.

 To print your billing history, tap or click show print view , and then tap or click print .

Family Safety and the Windows Store

You can use Family Safety to control which games and apps your child can see and install from the Windows

Store. You can also allow or block specific apps and games. For info about this, see Using Family Safety settings with the Windows Store on Windows.com.

Install apps that you installed on other PCs

Once you install an app from the Store, you own it and it's yours to install on up to five PCs (regardless of whether the app is free or paid). If you’ve installed apps on another Windows 8 or Windows RT PC, use the following steps to install the same apps on Surface:

1. Sign in to the Store app using the same Microsoft account that you used to install apps on other PCs. (To see which account you’re signed in to, open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Your account ).

2. Swipe down from the top of the screen, and then tap or click Your apps (along the top).

3. Choose the apps you want to install, and then tap or click Install.

Notes

 The Your apps list shows you all the apps you’ve installed on PCs associated with your Microsoft account.

Or you can just view apps installed on a specific PC.

 To remove a PC from your account, see Use your Windows Store account to install apps on up to five PCs on Windows.com.

Personalize your Surface

In this section you’ll learn how to personalize your Surface.

Add your accounts

One of the first things you’ll want to do with your new Surface is add your accounts—like Outlook.com, Gmail,

Skype, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn—to your Microsoft account. Once you add your accounts, your contacts, calendar, and email will appear in the Mail, People, and Calendar apps. And you can quickly get to your photos

and files from services like SkyDrive, Facebook, or Flickr. For more info about this, see the Add your accounts

section in this guide.

Change your lock screen picture, colors, and account picture

Here's how to change pictures and colors:

1. Open the Settings charm and then tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click Personalize .

 Lock screen Tap or click Lock screen and then Browse to find a picture for your lock screen.

 Start screen Tap or click Start scree n, then choose a color and background. The background shows up only on Start, but the color you pick shows up in a few other places too, like the charms and the sign-in screen.

 Account picture Tap or click Account picture , then choose Browse to select an existing image or

Camera to take a new Account picture.

Customize the Start screen

The Start screen is made up of tiles arranged in groups.

A tile is an app or content (such as a website, contact, or folder) that you can open from the Start screen.

You can customize the Start screen any way you want it, and put your favorite apps, people, and websites front and center. Here are a few options you can try.

Create tiles for your favorite people and places

If you have a website that you visit every day or people that you chat with all the time, you can create tiles for them on Start so you can get to them quickly.

When you come across a website, contact, or folder that you want to add to Start, here's how:

 To pin a website or contact: Open the webpage in Internet Explorer or a contact in the People app, then swipe down from the top of the screen, and tap or click Pin to Start .

 To pin a folder: Open File Explorer, right click a folder or press and hold until a box appears, then tap or click Pin to Start .

Rearrange, resize, unpin, and group tiles

You can rearrange and resize the tiles, unpin the ones you don’t use, and create groups of tiles. To see how to do all these things, watch the Rearranging tiles on Start video on Windows.com.

Rearrange tiles

You can arrange the tiles any way you want. Here’s how:

 To move a tile, drag it up or down, and then drag it where you want it.

Resize a tile

If a tile isn't fitting in the spot you want, you can usually make it larger or smaller. Here’s how:

 Swipe down on the tile (or right click), then tap or click Larger or Smaller . (Some tiles can't be resized.)

Unpin a tile

If there are tiles you don't use, you can unpin them. Here’s how:

 Swipe down on a tile (or right click), and then tap or click Unpin from Start.

Group tiles

You can put similar tiles together in a group and add a name. For example, you can create a "Websites" group for all the websites that you’ve pinned to Start. Here's how to name a group of tiles:

1. Pinch your fingers together on the Start screen to zoom out and see all the tiles. (If you're using a mouse, click the Zoom button in the lower right corner.)

2. Swipe down or right click the group of tiles you want to name, and then tap or click Name Group .

Pin or unpin apps

Some apps installed on your Surface might not be pinned to Start. However, you can change this if you’d like.

Here’s how:

 From the Start screen, open the Search charm, swipe down on an app (or right click) to select it, and then tap or click Pin to Start . If the app is already on Start, you’ll see Unpin from Start. o

If you unpin an app, it's still installed and can be found using Search .

To uninstall an app, see Uninstall apps in this guide.

Turn off Live tiles

Live tiles show you useful info on the tile. For example, the Calendar tile shows you your next appointment. You can, however, turn off a live tile off if you’d like. Here’s how:

 Swipe down on a live tile (or right click), and then tap or click Turn live tile off .

Sync your settings

When you sign in with a Microsoft account, Surface is connected to the cloud. This means that many of your personal settings and preferences are stored on Microsoft servers online, and are synced to any Windows 8 or

Windows RT PC that you sign in to. For example:

 Your chosen colors, themes, language preferences, browser history and favorites, and Windows Store settings are synced between PCs.

 You can get to and share your photos, documents, and other files on SkyDrive, Facebook, Flickr, and other services without signing in to each service.

Choose which settings to sync

If you want to keep some of your personal settings more private, you can turn off syncing for specific settings, or turn off syncing entirely. To choose which settings sync across PCs:

1. Sign in with your Microsoft account. To find out if you already have a Microsoft account or to set one up, see

How do I get a Microsoft account?

on Windows. com.

2. Open the

Settings charm

, and then tap or click Change PC settings .

3. Tap or click Sync your settings .

4. Under Settings to sync, turn on the settings that you want to sync.

For help deciding which settings to sync, see

Should I sync settings between PCs and devices

on Windows.com.

Notifications

There are many ways to see when you have new email, messages, calendar events, status updates, and Tweets.

Notifications appear in the upper-right corner, quick status and detailed status updates appear on the lock screen, and tiles update on the Start screen.

You can choose which apps run in the background and show notifications on the lock screen. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click Personalize , and then choose which apps you want to appear and the lock screen.

For more info about notifications, see the topic How to manage notifications for Mail, Calendar, People, and

Messaging on Windows.com.

Add languages

You can add languages so that you can read and type in different languages. Once you add a language, you can choose your display language—this is the language you see most often in Windows and in your apps—and switch between different languages as you type.

 To learn more how to add a language and type in different languages, see Languages in

Windows RT on Windows.com.

 If you want to work with different languages in the Office apps, see Office 2013 language options on Office.com.

Customize the desktop

Change the desktop to suit your style and preferences.

Increase the size of desktop items

You can make text and other items on the desktop bigger if you’d like. Here’s how:

1. Go to the Start screen and type make text.

2. Tap or click Settings, then choose Make text and other items larger or smaller from the search results.

3. Choose Medium - 125% and tap or click Apply .

Themes and desktop backgrounds

You can change the desktop background, color, and sounds. Here’s how:

1. Open the Search charm, type personalization , and then tap or click Settings .

2. Tap or click Personalization .

3. Choose a theme or change the Desktop Background, Color, and Sounds individually.

Pin or unpin a desktop app from the taskbar

You can pin or unpin a desktop app (such as the Office apps) to the desktop taskbar. Here’s how:

1. Go to the Start screen and type the Office app that you want to pin to the taskbar (Word, PowerPoint,

Excel, or OneNote).

2. Swipe down on the app in the search results.

3. Tap or click Pin to taskbar or Unpin from taskbar.

Connect devices

You can connect many different devices to Surface by using the USB and HD video out ports or Bluetooth wireless technology.

 USB Surface has a full-size USB port on the right edge. Use this port to connect a printer, mouse, or external hard drive to your Surface.

 HD video out You can connect Surface to a TV, a monitor, or projector.

 Bluetooth You can use many Bluetooth wireless technology enabled devices such as phones, speakers, headsets, mice, and keyboards with Surface.

3 Adapters and cables required and sold separately.

Note Devices that you use with Surface must be certified for Windows RT. For more info, see Device compatibility .

Printing

Here’s what you need to know about printing from Surface RT.

Set up a printer

 Local printer Plug the USB cable from your printer into the USB port on Surface.

 Network or wireless printer If your printer is a network or wireless printer that is already on your home network, see if your printer is already installed (skip to the next section).

If you have a new wireless printer that hasn’t been added to your home network, refer to the directions that came with your printer for instructions on adding it.

 Printer that is connected to another PC If someone else in your home already has a printer installed,

you can join the Homegroup and print to this printer. (The PC that the printer is connected to must be

turned on and the printer must be compatible with Windows RT .)

See if your printer is already installed

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click Devices (on the left).

3. Look for your printer in the list of devices.

 If your printer is listed, you’re ready to print (see the next topic).

 If your printer is not listed, tap or click Add a device and select your printer to install it. If Windows doesn’t find your printer, see Why isn’t Windows finding my device?

on Windows.com or try adding a printer using the following steps:

1. Open the Search charm, type devices and printers in the search box.

2. Tap or click Settings , then tap or click Devices and Printers from the search results.

3. Tap or click Add a printer and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Print something

To print from a Windows Store app:

1. Open what you want to print. For example, open a web page in Internet Explorer or an email message in Mail.

2. Swipe in from the right and then tap Devices .

3. Tap or click your printer from the list. If your printer isn’t listed, it might be because the app doesn’t support printing or you haven’t added a printer.

4. Choose your printing options and then tap or click Print .

To print from a desktop app (such as the Office apps):

 Find the Print command in the app or press Ctrl+P.

Tips

 To find out how to set your default printer, see Set or change your default printer on Windows.com.



To find out how to capture your screen (print screen), see the Take a screen shot topic in this guide.

Can’t print?

If you’re having problems printing, see How to solve printing problems on Windows.com. With Windows RT, you can update or install drivers only through Windows Update.

Printer compatibility

Windows RT is compatible with printers that are certified for Windows RT. These devices are marked with the certified for Windows RT logo and work right out of the box. Some printers are not compatible with Windows RT.

To see if your printer is compatible with Windows RT, do the following:

1. Connect your printer to the USB port on Surface.

2. Open the Search charm, tap or click Change PC settings , and then tap or click Devices (on the left).

3. Find your printer in the list of devices. If your printer isn’t compatible, you’ll see Not compatible with this

version of Windows under the printer model.

You can also see which printers are compatible with Windows RT by using the

Windows Compatibility Center .

Add, view, and manage your devices and printers

You can add devices to Surface using either PC Settings or Control Panel.

Add a device using PC Settings

1. Open the Settings charm and then tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click Devices , and then tap or click Add a device .

Add a device using Control Panel

1. Open the Search charm, type devices and printers in the search box.

2. Tap or click Settings , then tap or click Devices and Printers from the search results.

3. Tap or click Add a printer or Add a device and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Add a Bluetooth device

Here are the steps for adding a Bluetooth wireless technology enabled device:

Step 1: Make sure your Bluetooth device is on and discoverable

Turn on the device, and then make it discoverable. To learn how to make a device discoverable, check the

info that came with your Bluetooth device or go to the manufacturer’s website.

Step 2: Make sure Bluetooth is on

1. Open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Change PC Settings .

2. Tap or click Wireless .

3. Make sure Bluetooth is On .

Step 3: Add the Bluetooth device

1. In PC Settings, tap or click Devices .

2. Tap or click Add a device .

3. Select your Bluetooth device from the list of wireless devices.

4. If the accessory requires a passcode (sometimes called a pairing code), you’ll be prompted for it. If you don’t know the passcode, check the info that came with your device or go to the manufacturer’s website.

Tips

 When connecting a phone, make sure your phone is unlocked and showing the Bluetooth settings screen.

 If you add a Bluetooth keyboard, you can disable Touch Cover or Type Cover by folding it back or removing it.

 If you have trouble adding a device, see the following topics on Windows.com: o

Why isn't Windows finding my device?

o What if a device isn't installed properly?

Manage your devices

Devices and Printers in Control Panel is where you can manage your devices, change settings, and troubleshoot problems. For example, you can set a default printer or change the settings for a wireless mouse.

To open Devices and Printers:

Tip

1. From the Start screen, type devices and printers .

2. Tap or click Settings , and then tap or click Devices and Printers in the search results.

 You can switch between different audio devices, such as speakers and headphones, in Control Panel. To do this, open the Search charm, tap Settings and then type Manage audio devices .

Troubleshooting

 If you have trouble adding a device, see the following topics on Windows.com: o

Why isn't Windows finding my device?

o What if a device isn't installed properly?

 If you see a yellow warning icon next to a device, tap and hold on the device until a box appears, then select Troubleshoot .

Device compatibility

Surface RT is compatible with devices that are certified for Windows RT. These devices are marked with the certified for Windows RT logo. Some of your current devices might not work with Windows RT. To see what's compatible with Windows RT, go online to the Windows Compatibility Center .

Connect Surface to a TV, monitor, or projector

You can make videos bigger and louder by connecting your Surface to a TV, monitor, or projector. For example, you can connect your Surface to an HDTV and watch movies on a big screen or connect to a projector for a presentation.

To connect Surface to another screen you’ll need an adapter (sold separately) and a compatible VGA or

HDMI cable. Here are the adapters:

Surface HD Digital AV Adapter Surface VGA Adapter

Which adapter do I need?

To figure out which adapter you need, look at the video ports on your TV, display, or projector.

 HDTV For HD quality, plug the Surface HD Digital AV Adapter into the HDMI port on your HDTV.

 Projector or monitor Check your projector or monitor for an HDMI port. If you don’t see one, you can use the Surface VGA Adapter with a VGA port on your projector or monitor. The VGA Adapter is for video only, not audio.

Surface video adapters are available online in the Microsoft Store .

Connect to a TV, monitor, or projector

Follow these steps to connect to a larger screen:

1. Connect a VGA or HDMI cable to the HDMI or VGA port on your TV, monitor, or projector.

2. Connect the other end of the cable to the Surface adapter.

3. Remove the cap from the end of the Surface adapter cable.

4. Plug the adapter into the HD video out port on your

Surface (upper-right side).

Set up your screens

Once you plug in your screen, you can choose your display options. Here’s how:

1. Open the

Devices charm

(swipe in from the right edge of the screen and tap

Devices

).

2. Tap or click Second screen and then choose one of these options:

 Duplicate You’ll see the same thing on both screens.

 Extend Your screen is spread over two monitors, and you can drag and move items between the two.

 Second screen only You’ll see everything on the connected screen, and the Surface will be blank.

Use multiple monitors

Connecting another monitor to your Surface is a great way to multitask. You can use one monitor for work (Office apps) and the other for play (chatting with friends, social updates, or music). Once connected, you can use one of the following key combinations (on Touch Cover or Type Cover) to move an app to the second screen:

Press this To do this

Move Windows Store apps to another monitor.

Windows logo key +PgUp

-or-

Windows logo key +PgDn

Windows logo key +Right arrow

-or-

Windows logo key +Left arrow

Move a desktop app (such as Word) to another monitor.

Notes

 Open desktop apps (like the Office apps) on both monitors, or apps from the Windows Store on one and desktop apps on the other.

 When you open Start or the charms on a monitor, all apps from the Store will move to that same monitor.

 You can use the four corners of either screen to open the charms and your recent apps with your mouse.

To open the charms on the second screen, move your mouse pointer to the second screen.

Storage, files, and backup

Surface RT has a hard drive that comes in two sizes: 32 GB and 64 GB 3 .

3 System software uses significant storage space; your storage capacity will be less. See surface.com/storage 1 GB = 1 billion bytes.

How much local storage space do I have?

To see how much storage space you have available:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click General .

3. Scroll down to Available storage, to see how much storage space you have. You can tap or click View app

sizes to see how much space each app is using.

Note Pre-installed software and apps use a significant amount of storage space. To learn how much, see Surface disk space FAQ on Surface.com.

Surface storage options

In addition to the internal storage, here are a few storage options:

 Removable storage, such as a USB flash drive or microSD memory card.

 Cloud storage (SkyDrive)—up to 7 GB free.

 Another computer on your network. You can open and save files to other computers on your network. For

more info, see the Access files on other computers section in this guide.

Removable storage options

You can use USB storage or a microSD memory card for your documents, music, videos, and pictures.

USB flash drive or hard drive

You can insert a USB flash drive or external storage device in to the USB port on Surface.

To open files from a USB flash drive or external hard drive:

1. Insert a USB flash drive or hard drive into the USB port on your Surface (along the right edge).

2. Tap or click the notification that appears in the upper-right corner of the screen.

3. Tap or click Open folder to view files . File Explorer opens showing you the files on your USB flash drive or hard drive.

File Explorer (previously called Windows Explorer) is the app you’ll use to browse, copy, and move files on your

Surface. For more info, see the Files and folders section in this guide.

microSD memory card

The microSD card slot lets you add up to 64 GB of storage to Surface. You can use a microSD, microSDHC, or microSDXC card.

Flip out the kickstand to access the card reader.

SkyDrive: Cloud storage

Store your documents, music, videos, and pictures in the cloud by using SkyDrive. Surface includes a SkyDrive app that you can use to upload and open files on your SkyDrive.

Your Microsoft account includes 7 GB of free storage on SkyDrive—that’s enough for over 20,000 Office documents or 7,000 photos.

To learn more about SkyDrive, see the SkyDrive section in this guide.

Files and folders

Use File Explorer (previously called Windows Explorer) to work with files and folders on your Surface or another

computer on your network. For info on browsing network locations, see the Access files on other computers

section in this guide.

File Explorer

With File Explorer you can do things like search for files, create folders, and copy or move files around.

To open File Explorer:

 From the Start screen, type file explorer and then tap or click File Explorer from the search results.

 From the desktop, tap or click the file folder icon on the taskbar.

For help using File Explorer, see the topic How to work with files and folders on Windows.com.

Libraries

Libraries are collections where you can get to all your documents, music, pictures, and other files in one single place. Windows comes with four libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos. It's a good idea to put your files in their corresponding libraries to make sure they show up in your apps. This means putting your music files in the Music folder and your pictures in your Pictures folder. Plus you'll be able to see them in one place whenever you open that library. For more info about using libraries, see the following topic: Library basics on Windows.com.

Share files with people who use your Surface

Public folders are a convenient way to share files with everyone who uses your Surface. For example, if you and other family members share your Surface, you can put your family pictures in the Public Pictures folder so that everyone can access them easily and add, delete, and edit photos.

Public folders are in each library. To open the Public folders:

1. Open the

Search charm

, type File Explorer in the search box, and tap or click File Explorer from the search results.

2. In the navigation pane, under Libraries , tap or click the arrow next to one of the libraries ( Documents ,

Music , Pictures , or Videos ).

For more info, see Public folders: Frequently asked questions on Windows.com.

Move files to your Surface

You can easily move music, pictures, videos, and documents to your Surface. Here are some of the ways you can move files to your Surface:

 Connect to a networked computer.

 Use SkyDrive.

 Use a USB flash drive or a microSD card.

Connect to a network computer

Surface can access music, pictures, videos, and documents on computers that are part of a network. This way you can copy files from another PC to your Surface, or you can leave the files where they are and open them on

Surface. For more info, see the Access files on other computers

section in this guide.

Use SkyDrive

Instead of moving files to Surface, you can store them in the cloud using SkyDrive. This way you can access your files from other computers or your phone.

To learn more about SkyDrive, see the SkyDrive section in this guide.

Use a USB flash drive or microSD memory card

You move files to Surface by using a USB flash drive or memory card. Here’s how:

1. Copy files onto a USB flash drive or memory card on your other computer.

2. Insert a USB flash drive or microSD memory card into Surface.

3. Tap or click the notification that appears in the upper-right corner of the screen.

4. Tap or click Open folder to view files . File Explorer opens.

5. Select the files or folders you want to add to Surface.

6. Tap or click Home , and then tap or click Copy to .

7. Select a location. For example, choose Documents if the flash drive or memory card contains documents.

For info about organizing your files, see Libraries in this guide.

For help using File Explorer (formerly called Windows Explorer), see the topic: How to work with files and folders on Windows.com.

Back up files using File History

Use File History to automatically back up your personal files—like photos, documents, and music—to an external drive or network location. For example, an external USB hard drive or a network location such as a folder on another PC.

File History automatically backs up files that are in your libraries, contacts, favorites, SkyDrive, and on your desktop. If the originals are lost, damaged, or deleted, you can restore all of them. You can also find different versions of your files from a specific point in time. Over time, you'll have a complete history of your files.

Before you can start using File History to back up your files, you’ll need to set up a drive to save files to. We recommend that you use an external drive or network location.

To the set up a drive or network location for your backup, see Set up a drive for File History on Windows.com.

Networking

Surface has built-in Wi-Fi that you can use to get online. Once you connect to a wireless network, you can browse the Internet, get

apps

from the Windows Store, send email, and access other computers and devices on your network.

Connect to a wireless network

Use the following steps to connect to a wireless network:

1. Swipe in from the right-edge of the screen, tap Settings , and then tap or click the wireless network icon ( ).

A list of available wireless networks appears.

2. Tap or click a network to connect to it.

3. If you want Surface to automatically connect to the network when it’s available, tap or click Connect

automatically.

4. Tap or click Connect .

5. If prompted, type your network security key (network password), and then tap or click Next . If you need help finding your wireless network password, see the topic How to find your wireless network password on Surface.com.

6. Choose whether or not you want to share with other computers and devices on the network. Choose

No if you’re connecting to a network in a public place like a café.

If you have

problems

connecting to a wireless network, see Can’t connect to a wireless network on Surface.com.

Tip

 If a wireless network isn’t available, you might be able to

use your phone’s Internet connection. For info

about this, see the Tethering section in this guide.

Disconnect from a wireless network

Follow these steps to disconnect from a wireless network:

1. Open the Settings charm, then tap or click the wireless network icon ( ). If you’re already connected to a network, the network name appears below the wireless bars.

2. Tap or click the network with a Connected status.

3. Tap or click Disconnect .

If you want to remove connection info for a network (such as a password or connect automatically), tap and hold the network name until a box appears, then let go and choose Forget this network .

Join a homegroup

A homegroup is a group of PCs on a home network that can share devices (such as printers), and libraries (your

Documents, Pictures, Music, and Video libraries). Homegroups make sharing easier.

If a homegroup already exists on your home network, Surface can join it. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings , and then tap or click HomeGroup .

2. Tap or click Join . You can get the password from anyone else in the homegroup.

After you join a homegroup, you can access files on computers that are part of your homegroup. However, you can’t share content on Surface with computers in your homegroup.

Notes

 For more info about homegroups, see the topic Homegroup from start to finish on Windows.com.

 Surface RT can’t create a homegroup, but you can join one.

Access files on other computers

To see shared files, folders, and libraries on your network, open File Explorer and navigate to Homegroup or

Network. Here’s how:

1. Open File Explorer. (Go to the Start screen, type file explorer , and then tap or click File Explorer from the search results.)

2. In the lower-left corner of File Explorer, tap or click Homegroup or Network , whichever type of network you’re using.

3. To browse shared files and folders, tap or click the computer name under Network or someone’s name under Homegroup. You can use this same technique to connect to other network resources such as a printer.

Note PCs that are turned off, hibernating, or asleep won't appear as part of the homegroup.

Airplane mode

Turn on Airplane mode when you’re traveling on an airplane or when you don’t need Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for a while. Airplane mode extends the amount of time you have before your battery needs to be recharged.

To turn Airplane mode on and off:

1. Open the Settings charm, then tap or click the wireless network icon ( ).

2. Set Airplane mode to On or Off .

When Airplane mode is on, both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned off.

Built-in apps

Surface includes a great set of pre-installed apps, such as Xbox Music, Xbox Video, Skype, Mail, and Internet

Explorer. And when it’s time to get some work done, Surface is loaded with Office Home & Student 2013 RT

Preview, which includes touch optimized versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote.

This section highlights some of the apps included with your Surface.

Office Home & Student 2013 RT

Office Home & Student apps

 Word A word processing program designed to help you create professional-quality documents.

 Excel A powerful tool for getting meaning out of data, making calculations, and tracking almost any kind of information.

 OneNote A digital notebook that provides a single place for all of your notes—everything you need to remember and manage in your life. In addition to the OneNote desktop app, a free OneNote app is available in the Windows Store. Find out more about this in the next section.

 PowerPoint A program for creating presentations that convey a message or story in a series of slides.

Notes

 Office Home & Student 2013 RT has almost the same features as Office Home & Student 2013 on

Windows 7 or Windows 8, but there are some differences. To learn about the differences, go to

Office.com/OfficeRT .

 If you have Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview version, Office should update to the final version through Windows Update (free download; ISP fees apply). If the update doesn’t happen, see the

Update to the final Office release topic below.

Start an Office app

To start an Office app, go to the Start screen and find the app tile or type the app name (for example, type Word and press Enter ).

You can also start Office apps from the desktop. To do this, go to the Start screen and tap or click Desktop (or

Windows logo key + D). Once at the desktop, the

Office apps appear on the taskbar. Tap or click an Office app on the taskbar.

To learn how to pin and unpin apps from the Start screen

or the taskbar, see the

Personalize Your Surface

section in this guide.

Office Quick Start Guides

If you’re new to Office 2013, you can download free Quick Start Guides to help you get started. These printable guides have useful tips, shortcuts, and screenshots to help you find your way around. Go to Office.com

and search for quick start guide or use the following links:

 Word 2013 Quick Start Guide

 Excel 2013 Quick Start Guide

 PowerPoint 2013 Quick Start Guide

 OneNote 2013 Quick Start Guide

Your Office files on any device

When you’re signed in with your

Microsoft account

, Office apps save docs on SkyDrive (the cloud) by default.

This way your Office docs are in one place, and can be accessed from SkyDrive on any PC, Mac, iPad, phone, or device that’s connected to the Internet. Saving Office docs on SkyDrive also makes it easy to share and work with

other people. (If they don't have Office, they can view and edit documents that you share using free

Office Web

Apps.

) For more info, see

Work together on Office documents in SkyDrive

on Office.com.

If you’d rather, you can still save Office docs on your Surface by choosing Computer when you choose save from any Office app.

File compatibility

Office 2013 apps can open files created with previous versions of Office. To check compatibility between Office

2013 and previous versions of Office, see Check file compatibility with earlier versions on Office.com.

Touch, pen, and language support

 Touch The Office Touch Guide on Office.com helps you learn how to use touch with the new Office apps.

 Pen To find out how use a capacitive stylus (sold separately) to draw, write, or highlight text in Office apps (called inking in Office), see Use a pen to draw, write, or highlight text on a Windows tablet on

Office.com.

 Languages If you want to work with different languages, see Office 2013 language options on

Office.com.

Update to the final Office release

If you’re using an Office app and the startup screen includes the word Preview, then your copy of Office hasn’t been updated to the final release. Use Windows Update to update to the final Office release. Here’s how:

1. From the Start screen, open the Search charm, and type install optional updates .

2. Tap or click Settings and then choose Install optional updates from the search results. The Windows

Update section of Control Panel appears.

3. Tap or click Check for updates or Updates are available .

4. In the resulting list, select Update for Microsoft Office Home & Student 2012 RT Preview and tap or click Install .

If you have problems installing the update, see the following article: Update for Office Home and Student 2013 RT

Preview .

OneNote

OneNote is a digital notebook that provides a single place for all of your notes and information—everything you need to remember and manage in your life. You can create to-do lists with check boxes, add pictures to notes, and format notes with things like tables, bullets, and colors.

When you sign in with a Microsoft account, your notes are saved in the cloud so that you can access them from anywhere—your computer, phone, or on the web.

There are two versions of OneNote that you can use with Surface:

 OneNote app available from the Windows Store (to install the OneNote app, open the Store app and type OneNote ).

 OneNote 2013 RT (desktop app) pre-installed on Surface.

Because OneNote notebooks are stored in the cloud (on SkyDrive), you can add and edit notes from either app.

The first time you start OneNote you might be prompted for your Microsoft account .

Using the OneNote app

Here’s how to do some things in the OneNote app (installed from the Windows Store):

Task What to do

Format text

Find a note

Handwrite notes

Share with OneNote

-or-

Send to OneNote

Select the text in a note and tap or click the A icon. This brings up a radial menu of options.

Open the Search charm and type what you’re looking for.

Use a capacitive stylus (sold separately) to handwrite notes.

Use the Share charm or Send to OneNote to create notes.

For example, you can select text on a webpage in Internet Explorer, open the Share charm, and choose OneNote .

Or from the desktop, you can select text on a webpage (using Internet

Explorer from the desktop), tap and hold the selected text until a box appears, then let go and choose Send to OneNote .

Quick access to a page Pin a page to the Start screen so you can open it quickly. In OneNote, tap and hold a page in the left pane until a box appears, then let go and tap Pin to Start .

Open the

Settings charm

and then tap or click Help . How do I…

OneNote on your phone

You can also use OneNote on your phone to take and access your notes on the go.



Windows Phone 8: Use OneNote Mobile

Windows Phone 7: Use OneNote Mobile

OneNote Mobile for Android

OneNote Mobile for iPhone

Internet Explorer

Surfing the web has never been better. Surface comes with two versions of Internet

Explorer 10:

 a touch-friendly app

 a desktop app.

This way you can easily surf the web from the Start screen or the desktop. The two Internet Explorer apps share the same browsing history and settings.

Touch-friendly Internet Explorer

The Internet Explorer 10 app is optimized for touch. Tiles and tabs are oversized for easy tapping and appear only when you need them.

To start the Internet Explorer app, go to Start screen and tap or click Internet Explorer .

Find the Address bar

If you're looking for the Address bar, swipe down from the top of the screen (or right-click the trackpad). The Address bar appears at the bottom of your screen and the Tabs bar appears at the top.

To go to a specific website:

 Tap or click the Address bar to see your pinned, frequent, and favorite sites. Swipe across the tiles to see more options. When you see the one you want, tap or click the tile.

 Type a web address or search term in the

Address bar. As soon as you start typing, Internet Explorer shows results that match sites you've previously visited, pinned sites and favorites, and sites you might like.

Tips



To change

your Internet Explorer settings, open the Settings charm and then tap or click Internet

Options . Some settings are only available from the desktop version of Internet Explorer. See Internet

Explorer for the desktop section below.



Use the Share charm to share web pages with friends. For info on how, see Share a link in this guide.

 For Help with Internet Explorer (including how to change your home page), see Internet Explorer Top

Solutions on Windows.com.

Navigate with tabs

To open a new tab or switch between tabs, swipe down from the top of the screen (or right-click with a mouse or the trackpad). The Tabs bar appears along the top, showing you a sneak peek of open webpages.

 Tap or click a browser window to switch to it.

 Tap or click to open a new browser tab. When you open a new tab, pinned, frequent, and favorite websites appear above the address bar so you can quickly jump to them.

 Tap or click to open an InPrivate tab. You can also quickly close all open tabs (except the one you're on) by choosing Close tabs .

Your web favorites

You can pin sites to your Start screen or add sites to your browser favorites. From the Address bar, tap or click Pin site , then choose Pin to Start or Add to favorites . For more info, see

Add to, view, and organize favorites

Windows.com.

Your browser favorites and history can by synced across Windows RT and Windows 8 PCs if you use a Microsoft

account. For more info, see Sync your settings in this guide.

Flip ahead through sites

Turning on flip ahead makes going from page to page and article to article more fluid. If you're reading an article on a news site that supports flip ahead, you can swipe across the page (or click the Forward button ) to go to the next page of content.

To turn on flip ahead, open the Settings charm from Internet Explorer, then tap or click Internet Options .

Internet Explorer for the desktop

You can also surf the web from the desktop using Internet Explorer for the desktop. To start the Internet Explorer desktop app:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Desktop (or press Windows logo key + D).

2. Tap or click the Internet Explorer icon on the taskbar.

To change browser settings, such as turning off the Pop-up Blocker, tap the Settings icon in the upper-right corner of Internet Explorer (desktop version), then tap or click Internet options.

The Pop-up Blocker option is on the Privacy tab. Both Internet Explorer apps use the same settings,

To see your browsing history:

1. Open Internet Explorer for the desktop.

2. Tap or click the Favorites button (upper-right corner), and then tap or click the History tab.

Add-ons, Flash, and other multimedia content

Internet Explorer can play Adobe Flash Player and HTML5 content with audio, video, and other rich content embedded.

Browser add-ons are not supported by Internet Explorer on Surface RT.

Adobe Flash

The majority of websites with Flash content are compatible with Surface RT. A small number of websites that are not compatible with the Windows experience for touch, performance, and battery life are blocked.

HTML5 compatibility

HTML 5 functionality is built into Internet Explorer. With HTML5 it’s possible to embed audio and video, animation, charts, and many other types of rich content without using plug-ins and third party programs. This gives you a faster, cleaner experience.

Java and Silverlight plug-in compatibility

Java and Silverlight plug-ins are not supported on Surface RT.

Streaming audio in the background

If you want to stream audio from a website while using other apps, do one of the following:

 Use the desktop version of Internet Explorer.

 Snap the touch-optimized version of Internet Explorer next to the app that you’re using. For more info

about this, see Use two apps side-by-side (snap apps) .

Note Music that you play using the Xbox Music app plays in the background and when the Surface screen turns

off. For more info, see the Music section in this guide.

Mail

Use the Mail app to read and respond to email messages from all your email accounts without switching views or apps.

Add an email account

To find out how to add email accounts, see the Add your email accounts

section in this guide.

Remove an email account

To find out how to remove an email account, see Mail app for Windows: FAQ on Windows.com.

Change email settings

To change your email account settings:

1. Open the Mail app and then open the Settings charm (swipe in from the right edge of the screen and then tap Settings ).

2. Tap or click Accounts and then choose the account that you want to change.

3. Settings appear in a window along the right edge. Here you can change things like your email password, how much email is downloaded, and your email signature.

4. Tap or click the back arrow.

Using Mail

The Mail app has three panes:

 The left pane shows you your email folders and accounts (in the lower-left corner). Tap or click a folder or account to switch to it.

 The middle pane shows you messages for the selected email account.

 The right pane is the reading pane, showing you the content of the selected email message.

Here’s how to do some things in Mail:

*To use all of these features, install the latest version of the Mail app from the Windows Store.

Task What to do

Open app commands Swipe down from the top of the screen or right-click to see commands in the Mail app.

Select multiple messages

Reply, Reply all, or Forward

Delete messages

 With touch Swipe across each message (in the middle pane) that you want to select.

 With a mouse or the trackpad Right-click each message that you want to select.

To select a group of continuous messages, hold down the Shift key and the press the Up arrow or Down arrow key.

To clear a message, swipe across the message or right-click it.

Tap or click the Reply icon in the upper-right corner.

Select one of more messages and then tap or click the Trash icon in the upper-right corner.

Copy and paste

Create and manage folders

Format text

Find messages

Print a message

Email notifications

Mark messages as unread, junk, or flagged

Send or receive email

 With touch Tap a word then drag the circles at each end of the word to extend the selection. Tap the selected text, then tap Copy or Copy/Paste on the app commands bar.

 With a mouse or the trackpad Select text and then right-click to choose Copy or Paste .

 With the keyboard Press Ctrl+C for Copy and Ctrl+V for Paste.

Swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap or click Folder

options to create a new folder or Move to move the selected messages.

Select text in a new email message to see basic formatting options like the font, emoticons, or a bulleted list.

You can also use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+B for bold and

Ctrl+Shift+F for selecting a font. For a list of Mail keyboard shortcuts, see the Keyboard shortcuts topic on Windows.com.

Tap the search icon (above your messages) or open the Search charm.

Type what you want to find in the search box (someone’s name or text from an email message), and press Enter or tap the search icon.

S elect an email message, then open the Devices charm, choose a printer, and then choose Print

. For more info, see the How do I print something?

New email notifications appear in the upper-right corner, on the lock screen, and on the Mail tile. To change how you’re notified about new email, see How to manage notifications for Mail, Calendar, People, and

Messaging on Windows.com.

Select one or more messages, then swipe down from the top of the screen and choose Flag, Junk or Mark unread.

To manually sync your email, open app commands and then tap Sync

( or press F5).

By default, the Mail app downloads new email as it arrives and downloads email from the last two weeks. To change when and how much email is downloaded, open the Settings charm, tap or click

Accounts , select an account, and then change your settings.

Change your email signature

Add attachments

Open the Settings charm, tap or click Accounts , choose an email account, and find the Use a signature option. Change the text in the box.

In a new email message, tap or click the paper clip icon in the upperright corner. Select the files you want to add to the message, and then tap or click Attach .

If you have large attachments or want people to be able to edit the file, select the Send using SkyDrive instead link in the email message. For more info about this, see What’s the difference between basic and

SkyDrive attachments?

on Windows.com.

Send mail from an Outlook.com alias If you use aliases with your Outlook.com account, see Mail app for

Windows: FAQ for info on how to send mail from an Outlook.com alias.

Add a contact Use the People app to add contacts. To find out how, see for Windows FAQ in Windows.com.

People app

Other email apps?

 You can also use Internet Explorer to access your webmail accounts. Pin your webmail page to the Start

screen for quick access. For info on how to pin webpages to Start, see the Your web favorites topic in this

guide.



You can use another email app if you’d like. Look for an email app in the Windows Store .

People

The People app is more than just an address book.

It keeps you up to date with your social networks and helps you stay in touch with the people you care about most. When you connect your accounts, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you’ll get all the latest updates, Tweets, and pictures in one place. Comment on an update or retweet a Tweet without switching apps.

Add people

Here's how to add people from your existing contact lists and address books:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click People .

2. Open the

Settings charm

, and then tap or click Accounts .

3. Tap or click Add an account .

4. Select the email or social networking account you want to add, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

You'll be asked to sign in with your account password, and you'll see exactly what info is going to be shared between Microsoft and the account that you're adding. Wait a few minutes, and your contacts will start appearing in the People app. Depending on the type of account, you might also see profile photos, status updates, and other info.

Tips

 To find out how to add contacts one at a time or add a contact from email, see

People app for Windows:

FAQs

on Windows.com.

 If you have questions about linking contacts or changing which contacts you see, see

People app for

Windows: FAQs

on Windows.com.

Note As of January 30, 2013, Google no longer supports new EAS (Exchange ActiveSync) connections in some scenarios so how you add contacts to the People app might change. For more info, see How to sync Google services with Windows on Windows.com.

Find people

Once you’ve added people, there are lots of ways you can contact them or catch up on what they’ve been up to.

 Search In the People app, open the

Search charm

, and then type the person’s name.



Jump to a letter of the alphabet

In People, zoom out to see just the alphabet. Select a letter to go right to people whose names begin with that letter.

Pin them to Start

When you pin people to Start, you’ll see their updates and Tweets as they happen,

and then can go straight to their contact info and updates (see Pin a contact to Start ).

Add them as a favorite

Their pictures will be the first thing you see when you open People (tap or click a person in People, then swipe down from the top edge and tap or click Favorite ) .

Connect with people

Once you've found some of your people, you have several ways to reach out to them:

 Send them an instant message or an email.

 Call or video call them.

 Map their address so that you have directions ready to go.

 Write on their Facebook wall.

Change which contacts you see

By default, all contacts from the accounts you've added will appear in your contact list. However, you can filter the list by network. To find out how, see How do I change which contacts I see on the following Windows.com page: People app for Windows: FAQs .

Pin a contact to Start

Keep the people you care about front and center. Pin them to Start to see their picture and new updates without even opening an app. It's also a handy shortcut to send them email, start chatting, and more.

1. In the People app, and tap or click the person you want to pin.

2. Swipe down from the top of the screen, and then tap or click Pin to Start .

The person's profile picture and their Facebook status updates and Tweets will appear as a tile on your Start screen. Tap or click the tile to get to their contact info. From there, you can quickly email, call, or message them.

Post your own updates

Here's how to update your Facebook status or compose a Tweet:

1. Open the People app and tap or click Me .

2. In What's new, pick a social network, write your message, and then tap or click the Send icon.

Write on someone’s Facebook wall

Here's how to write on someone's Facebook wall:

Tip

1. Open the People app and tap or click a contact.

2. If you're in the What's new section, tap or click a person's name.



You can use the Share charm to share links or photos with social networks. See Share photos, links, and more in this guide.

Calendar

The Calendar app brings all your calendars together so that you can stay on top of your schedule and make the most of your free time. Reminders and notifications remind you about events and appointments so that you don't miss a thing.

Bring all your calendars together

Once you add your email accounts, you can see all your appointments in one place. Here’s how to add an account:

1. Tap or click the day and time for the new appointment or event.

2. Choose a calendar for the appointment.

3. Add details about the appointment such as a title, a place, and the duration.

4. In the Who field, type names or email addresses of the people you’d like to invite.

If you're creating a meeting from your Outlook account, you might be able to see when people are free or busy and schedule a meeting according to their availability. To do this, tap or click Scheduling assistant.

This feature is only available if your workplace uses Microsoft Exchange Server 2010,

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 SP1, or Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Preview. Ask your network admin for this info.

5. Tap or click the Save icon ( ).

Once you've added your accounts, your appointments appear in the Calendar app.

If you have multiple calendars within an account, you might not be able to see all of them in Calendar. You’ll need to go to the original calendar to see them. For example, if your Gmail calendar includes a shared family calendar and it isn’t showing up in the Calendar app, you’ll need to go to www.gmail.com to see those events.

Note As of January 30, 2013, Google no longer supports new EAS (Exchange ActiveSync) connections. If you’re using the latest version of the Calendar app, your Google calendar will not sync with the Calendar app. For more info, see How to sync Google services on Windows.com.

Change your options

You can choose which calendars you see in the colors you like. For example, you can hide the birthday calendar from social networks.

To change your calendar options:

1. Open the Settings charm, then tap or click Options (from the Calendar app).

2. Select the calendars you want to show and the colors that you want.

Switch views

You can switch between three calendar views: Day, Week, and Month. Here’s how:

1. Open the app commands (swipe down from the top edge of the screen or right-click).

2. Tap or click Day , Week , or Month .

Add a calendar item

You can remind yourself of a to-do item or an event, by adding items to your calendar. Here’s how:

1. Tap or click the day and time for the new appointment or event.

2. Add details about the appointment such as a title, a place, and the duration.

3. Choose a calendar for the appointment.

4. Tap or click Show more to add additional options such as a reminder and inviting people.

5. Tap or click the Save icon.

Be ready with reminders

To add calendar notifications to your lock screen:

1. Open the Settings charm, tap or click Change PC settings , then tap or click Personalize .

2. Under Lock screen apps, tap or click

, then tap or click Calendar .

3. Tap or click Notifications (on the left), then make sure notifications are on for the Calendar app.

To learn more, see Calendar app: Frequently asked questions on Windows.com. For info on how to get notified about upcoming events, see How to manage notifications for Mail, Calendar, People, and Messaging on

Windows.com.

Camera

Surface has two cameras. You can use the front camera to have a video chat with a friend, and the rear-facing camera to record meetings and events hands-free.

You can also use either camera to take pictures.

A privacy light appears when either camera is on, so there are no surprises. Both cameras are fixed focus, so you don’t need to worry about focusing.

The cameras capture video in 720p HD, with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Both cameras take pictures and videos. The rear camera is angled to point straight ahead when

Surface is resting on its kickstand.

Shoot a video

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Camera .

2. Tap or click Video mode . This icon switches between video and photo mode.

3. Tap or click Change camera to switch between the front and rear cameras.

4. Tap the screen to start recording video. When you’re done, tap the screen to stop recording.

Tips

 Tap or click Camera options to change settings like video stabilization, brightness, and contrast.

 Videos that you take with Surface are saved in the Camera Roll album in your Pictures library. Use the

Photos app to watch your videos.

 You can also use other camera apps from the Windows Store.

Take a picture

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Camera .

2. Make sure Video mode is not selected.

3. Tap or click Change camera to switch between the front and back cameras.

4. Tap the screen to take a photo.

Tips

 Tap or click Camera options to change settings like resolution, brightness, or contrast.

 The pictures that you take with Surface are saved in the Camera Roll album in the Pictures library. Use the

Photos app to see your photos.

To learn more, see Camera app and webcams: Frequently asked questions on Windows.com.

Xbox Music

With Xbox Music you can play your current collection, choose from millions of songs and albums to stream, or add to your music library—all with the Music app.

4 And when you're not sure what you want to listen to, the

Music app can help you create custom playlists based on your favorites.

4 Free streaming limited to 10 hours/month after 6 months; unlimited with paid Xbox Music Pass subscription.

Sign in with your Microsoft account

You need to sign in with a Microsoft account to stream or buy songs from the Xbox Music. Here’s how:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Music .

2. Do one of the following:

 Click Sign in (in the upper-right corner).

 Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and tap Settings , then tap or click Account . Click Sign in .

3. Type your Microsoft account info (email and password) and tap or click Save .

Play music in your collection

Here's how to play music in your Music library:

1. Open the Music app from the Start screen.

2. Scroll left, and then tap or click

my music

3. Pick the song or album that you want to play or add it to a playlist. (Swipe down from the top of the screen to see all your options.)

No music? If my music is empty, add songs to your Music library or join a homegroup .



For help copying music to your Music library, see

Move files to your Surface

in this guide .



To play music stored on other PCs, see

Access files on other computers

in this guide .

Tips



For bigger sound, connect external speakers to the headset jack or USB port on Surface, or wirelessly connect speakers with

Bluetooth

. For more info, see Connect devices .



To see your music when the Music app opens, turn this option on in Preferences. (From the Music app, open the Settings charm , tap or click

Preferences

, then set Startup view to

.)

Stream music

When you’re signed in with your Microsoft account, you can access millions of songs that you can instantly stream for free.* Here's how to stream music:

1. From the Music app, open the

Search charm (s

wipe in from the right edge of the screen and tap Search ).

2. Type an artist, album, or song, in the search box and then tap or click the search icon.

3. Choose the artist, album, or song you want, and then choose play.

*Internet required; ISP fees apply. Free music streaming is limited to 10 hours per month after 6 months. For unlimited music streaming, see the Xbox Music Pass section below.

Buy songs and albums

You can use your Microsoft account to buy songs and albums from the Xbox Music store. Here's how:

1. Find a song or album that you want. You can use the

Search charm

to quickly find a specific song, album, or artist. Or browse the Xbox Music store, by choosing all music or top music .

2. Tap or click Buy album or show app commands, and then tap or click Buy song

(swipe down from the top of the screen or right-click see the app commands)

To see your account settings (including your payment option and billing history), open the Settings charm and then tap or click Account .

Use Smart DJ

Smart DJ automatically creates a playlist of songs with characteristics similar to the artist that you enter. Songs for the playlist are pulled from your collection as well as the Xbox Music store.

In the now playing area of the Music app, tap or click New Smart DJ , type an artist’s name, and then tap the play

(>) icon.

Create a playlist

You can create and save playlists for easy access to your favorite songs. Here’s how:

1. Scroll left in the Music app, and then tap or click my music .

2. Tap or click playlists , and then tap or click Create new playlist .

3. Type a name for your playlist, and then tap or click Save .

4. Select albums or songs in your collection, and then tap or click Add to playlist from the

app commands

(swipe down from the top of the screen or right click to open app commands)

Xbox Music Pass

Buy an Xbox Music Pass to get unlimited access to millions of songs, without ever being interrupted by ads.

Stream or download the songs and play them on your PC, tablet, Windows Phone, or Xbox 360. You can even listen to your music when you’re offline and on the go. Create and save your own custom playlists, or let SmartDJ create them for you based on the artists you know and love.

Need help?

If you need help with Xbox Music or the Xbox Music Store, please see Xbox Music on support.xbox.com

.

Install more music apps

You can browse or search the

Windows Store

for additional music apps.

Photos

You can use the Photos app to browse and search photos in your Pictures library. You can also add your account info for your favorite sites to the Photos app—like Facebook, Flickr, and SkyDrive—so those photos show up, too.

It’s one place to browse and see all of your photos.

To see your photos, go to the Start screen and open the Photos app.

 To see photos and videos taken with your

Surface, tap or click Pictures library , and then tap or click Camera Roll .

 Photos that are in your Pictures library appear in the Photos app. To learn more about libraries, see Library basics on Windows.com.

Tips

 To see app commands like Slide show and Select all, swipe down from the top edge of the screen or right-click.

 To see which file formats are supported by the Photos app, see Which file types are supported?

Surface.com.

Import photos or videos

You can also use the Photos app to import photos from your camera, phone, or removable storage (USB flash drive or microSD memory card). Here’s how:

1. Connect your camera, phone, or removable storage to your Surface.

2. Open the Photos app and swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen, then tap or click Import.

3. Tap or click the camera or memory card you want to import from.

4. Swipe down on or right-click each photo or video you want to import to select it.

5. Enter a name for the folder you want to put the files in, and then tap or click Import .

Tips



For help with the Photos app, see Photos: Frequently asked questions

on Windows.com

.



If you have many photos or videos, you can store them on SkyDrive and access them from any web-

connected device, including Surface. For more info about this, see the SkyDrive topic in this guide

.



For info on taking videos and photos with Surface, see the Camera topic

.

Xbox Video

Use the Xbox Video app to download or stream your favorite movies and TV shows.

You can also use the Video app to watch videos from your Video library.

Play videos from your library

Here's how to play videos from your video library:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click

Video .

2. Scroll left and then tap or click my videos.

3. Tap or click the video that you want to play. To see more options, swipe down on a video.

No videos? If my videos is empty, add videos to your Video library or join a homegroup .



For help copying videos to your Video library, see

Move files to your Surface

in this guide .



To play videos stored on other PCs, see

Access files on other computers

in this guide .

Tips



To see which formats are supported, see Which file types are supported? on Surface.com.



For bigger sound, connect external speakers to the headset jack or USB port on Surface, or wirelessly connect

Bluetooth

speakers. For more info, see Connect devices .



To see your videos when the Video app opens, turn this option on in Preferences. (From the Video app, open the Settings charm , tap or click Preferences, then set Startup view to On.)

Sign in with your Microsoft account

You need to sign in with a Microsoft account to stream or download videos from Xbox Video. Here’s how:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Video .

2. Do one of the following:

 Click Sign in (in the upper-right corner).

 Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and tap Settings , then tap or click Account . Click Sign in .

3. Type your Microsoft account info (email and password) and tap or click Save .

Browse, buy, and rent movies and TV shows

Use the Video app to buy or rent the latest movies or buy TV shows (where available). You can stream instantly in

—no need to wait for something to download

Here's how:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click

Video

2. Scroll to see movie and TV choices, browse the categories, or use the Search charm to find a specific movie or TV show.

3. Select a movie or show, then follow the on-screen instructions to buy or rent the video.

Note The Xbox Movies and TV Store isn't available in all countries or regions. For more info, see Xbox on

Windows feature list on support.Xbox.com.

Tips



Videos that you buy or rent from Xbox Video are charged to the payment option associated with your Microsoft account . To see info about your account, open the Settings charm , and then tap

Account

.



You can stream your videos from Surface to your TV using Play To

or Xbox SmartGlass .



For help using the Video app, see Xbox Video on support.Xbox.com.

Broadband internet and Xbox 360 console required and sold separately. Not all content is SmartGlass enabled. Availability, content, and features vary across devices and regions. See xbox.com/live.

Skype

Skype is the always-on app that makes staying in touch with your contacts easier than ever. Stay informed about what’s happening with your friends through video and voice calls and instant messaging, all from one app.

You can stay in touch with anyone, on almost any device, pretty much anywhere in the world, for free.

You can also call landlines and mobile phones for a low cost.

Set up Skype

1. Install the Skype app from the Windows Store:

 Open the Store app and type Skype . Then tap or click Skype from the search results, and tap or click

Install .

2. Open the Skype app.

3. Follow the steps on this Skype webpage: How do I sign in to Skype for Windows 8 . If you choose to merge your Skype and Microsoft accounts, your Messenger friends will be automatically added to your existing list of contacts.

To add more contacts to Skype, see the Adding contacts topic on Skype.com.

Call and chat

Call To start a call, tap or click a contact and then, tap or click the call or video call button . To call a mobile phone or landline, tap or click the call button on the Skype home screen. (Skype credit or a monthly subscription required.) For more info, see Calling mobiles and landlines on Skype.com

Chat To start chatting, tap or click a contact and then start typing.

For help with Skype, see Finding your way around Skype on Skype.com

Skype tips

 To change your Skype settings or access Help, open the Settings charm from Skype.

 To switch between your front and rear-facing cameras while in a video call, tap the webcam image.

 When you pin someone to your Start screen, you can tap or click their picture to video call, chat with, or

SMS them using Skype. To find out how to pin someone to Start, see Pin a contact to Start in this guide.

SkyDrive

With SkyDrive, you'll never be without the documents, photos, and

videos that matter to you. Your Microsoft account includes 7 GB of free

cloud storage that’s accessible from any PC, Mac, iPad, or phone. By default, documents that you create with Office 2013 apps are saved on

SkyDrive.

Use the SkyDrive app to upload or access the files that you saved on your

SkyDrive. To do this, go to the Start screen and tap or click SkyDrive.

All of the files that you’ve saved on your SkyDrive appear. Tap or click a folder name to see the contents. Tap or click a file to open it. Office files open in Office apps and music files open in Xbox Music.

Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to see the app commands.

Note The SkyDrive app doesn’t automatically sync your files across your computers. To do this, install the free

SkyDrive desktop app on a computer running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Mac OS X Lion.

Tips

 To select a file or folder swipe down or right-click it.

 Pictures that you upload to SkyDrive also appear in the Photos app.

 Need help with SkyDrive? From the SkyDrive app, open the Settings charm and then tap or click Help .

Access your files from anywhere

You can access your files from any computer or phone, and even your Xbox 360.

 Download a free SkyDrive app for your phone, iPad, or any computer (Windows or Mac).

 Or go to SkyDrive.com from any web-connected device to access your files.

Upload files to SkyDrive from an app

SkyDrive is available from the Share charm in some apps. This means you can easily add content to SkyDrive from the app that you’re using.

For example, you can upload pictures from the Photos app. Here’s how:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Photos.

2. Navigate to a picture or folder that you want to upload.

3. Select what you want to upload to SkyDrive by swiping down on pictures or folders.

4. Open the Share charm, and then tap or click SkyDrive.

5. Tap or click the folder you want to upload your picture or pictures to.

6. Tap or click Upload.

Of course you can also use the SkyDrive app to upload files. Open the SkyDrive app, then swipe down from the top edge of the screen to see the app commands (including Upload and Download).

Share photos or videos on SkyDrive

With SkyDrive, it’s easy to share files securely and easily with your friends or coworkers. They won’t need to install any special programs or sign up for a new account, and they can use any web browser to get to the files you share with them. And you have control—your files will only be shared with the people you choose.

Share any file—even big ones

Share photos and videos using a link to your files on SkyDrive, instead of using attachments. Here's how:

1. Open the SkyDrive app and select the files that you want to share. Swipe down on a file or folder to select it.

2. Open the Share charm and then decide how you want to share:

 By email Choose Mail, add email addresses, type a note if you want, then tap or click the Send icon.

 On a social network Choose People , a social network, type a note if you want, then tap or click the send icon.

To learn more about SkyDrive, see SkyDrive app: Frequently asked questions on Windows.com.

Maps

Maps can show you where you are, where you want to go, and provide directions to get you there. Maps also shows you traffic conditions to help you find the fastest route.

Note You need to be connected to the Internet to use Maps.

Move around a map

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Maps.

2. If prompted, allow Maps to access and use your location.

3. Do any of the following:

 Move the map Slide your finger across the screen in any direction to move the map.

 Zoom in and out To zoom in, spread your thumb and forefinger apart on the map. To zoom out, pinch your fingers together.

 Really zoom in Double-tap the map to automatically center and zoom in on a spot. Double-tap again to get even closer.

 Go to your current location Swipe down from the top of the screen or right-click, then tap or click

My location .

Get directions

Use the directions feature in Maps to guide you to your destination. Maps shows the total distance and estimated travel time to help you plan ahead.

To get directions to an address or place:

1. From the Maps app, swipe down from the top of the screen or right-click, then tap or click Directions .

2. Type one of the following in the A and B fields (starting and ending locations):

 An address

 A business name or type (for example, coffee shop)

 A city or ZIP code

 A point of interest (for example, Space Needle)

3. Tap or click (Get directions). A route is displayed on the map.

4. Tap or click the Directions box (in the upper-left corner).

Using Maps

Task

See traffic conditions

Change settings

Print directions and maps

Share a map

What to do

Swipe down from the top of the screen, and then tap or click

Show traffic .

Open the Settings charm and then tap or click Options .

Open the Devices charm, choose a printer, then tap or click Print .

Open the Share charm and then tap or click Mail .

Troubleshooting

If your location doesn’t appear in the Maps app, you might need to change your privacy settings. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings charm, then tap or click Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click Privacy , and make sure Let apps use my location is On.

To learn more, see Bing Maps app: Frequently asked questions on Windows.com.

Xbox Games

Even if you don't own an Xbox 360, you can use the Xbox Games app to get games and socialize with your friends. You can view your game progress, earn awards and achievements, and see which friends are online and what they're playing.

And if you want to let your friends know what you're up to, use the Share charm to send links to your favorite games, your profile, and achievements.

Sign in with your Microsoft account

You need to sign in with a Microsoft account (formerly called Windows Live ID) to buy or download games from

Xbox Games. Here’s how:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Games.

2. Do one of the following:

 Click Sign in (in the upper-right corner).

 Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and tap Settings , then tap or click Account . Click

3. Type your Microsoft account info (email and password) and tap or click Save .

4. Scroll to one of the

following

stores:



Windows game store

Games you can play on Surface.



Xbox 360 game store

Games you can play on your Xbox 360 console. Games that you buy are a

dded to your console’s download queue and

automatically

downloaded the next time your console connects to the Xbox Live service.

Tips

 Tap or click a game to see options like buy, play, and explore. Open the

Search charm

to find a particular game.

 Set a beacon to let your friends know that you want to play a game.

 Xbox games might take advantage of Xbox features such as achievements, leaderboards, multiplayer modes, and connecting with friends.

Games in the Windows Store

You can also install games for Surface using the Store app. Here’s how:

 Open the Store app, scroll to Games, and then tap or click Games. Browse all the games or choose a subcategory at the top.

Tips

 Games that you buy are charged to the payment option associated with your Microsoft account. Games that you buy can be installed on up to five PCs running Windows 8 or Windows RT. For more info, see the

Windows Store section in this guide.

 To see your account info, open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Your account .

Xbox SmartGlass

Xbox SmartGlass turns your Surface into a second screen that interacts with your Xbox 360 to enhance your favorite TV shows, movies, music, sports, and games.

To see what you can do with SmartGlass, go to Xbox.com/SmartGlass .

Step 1: Set up SmartGlass on Xbox 360

Set up SmartGlass on your Xbox 360 console using the steps on this Xbox.com page:

Set up and use SmartGlass on the Xbox 360

Step 2: Connect Surface to your Xbox 360

1. Open the SmartGlass app on Surface (if you don’t have the app, install it from the Store).

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect Surface to your Xbox 360 console.

Step 3: Play something

1. Open the Video, Music, or Games app on your Surface.

2. Select something that you want to play.

3. Tap or click Play on Xbox 360 . The SmartGlass app starts and the item starts playing on your Xbox 360.

In addition to playing content, Xbox SmartGlass might show you info about the movies, TV shows, games, and music that you’re enjoying (a second-screen companion).

5 Broadband Internet required; ISP fees apply. Not all games and Xbox content is SmartGlass enabled. Xbox Live Gold membership, additional fees and/or requirements apply for some content, including Xbox Music. Available features and content vary by device and region and over time. See xbox.com/live.

More built-in apps

News

Keep up to date with what’s happening in the world using this photo-rich app. Swipe through for a quick read of the headlines or go deep on the topics you’re passionate about.

Finance

Stay on top of the fast-changing market conditions.

Swipe through colorful charts for a quick read on the day’s activity.

Travel

Get inspired to travel along with all the tools you need to plan your next trip. With a quick tap or click you can explore destinations all over the world.

Sports

Follow the sports, teams, and players you care about. Swipe through the app to get an overview of the headlines, scores, schedules, stats, and more.

Weather

Prepare for the latest conditions with hourly, daily, and 10-day forecasts. Compare weather from multiple providers, check radar maps, and view historical weather.

Bing

The Bing app opens the Bing home page with the search bar, links to popular topics, and a background picture. You can choose a trending topic or type your own search term.

Reader

Read files in PDF and XPS formats. For more info, see

Windows Reader: Frequently asked questions on

Windows.com.

Be sure to check out even more apps in the Windows Store .

Additional info you should know

This section includes a few more things that we think you should know.

Keep Surface up to date

Learn how to keep your Surface up to date with Windows Update.

Windows updates

You don't have to search for updates online or worry that critical fixes might be missing from your Surface.

Windows Update automatically installs important updates as they become available. When an update is available, you’ll see a message on your lock screen like this:

Windows Update

Your PC will restart in 2 days to finish installing important updates.

When you see this message you can update and restart your Surface or wait 2 days and Windows will install the update and restart Surface for you.

To update and restart Surface

From the lock screen, tap the power icon and then tap Update and restart . Or go to the Start screen, open the

Settings charm, tap or click Power , then tap or click Update and restart .

Note You can't turn off automatic updates.

Manually check for Windows updates

You can check for updates in Control Panel or PC Settings. Here’s how to check for updates in PC Settings:

1. Open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Change PC Settings .

2. Scroll down and tap or click Windows Update .

3. Tap or click Check for updates now .

See your Windows Update history

To see what Windows Updates have been installed:

1. Open the Search charm, type view update history, and then tap or click Settings .

2. Tap or click View update history from the search results. A list of updates is shown.

Having problems installing updates?

If you’re having a problem installing updates, search Windows Help for topics. Here’s how:

1. From the Start screen, type Help , and then tap or click Help and Support .

2. Type Windows update in the search box.

Firmware updates

Firmware is software that controls how the hardware functions. You’ll see a notification on Surface when a firmware update is available. When this happens, follow the on-screen instructions to update your Surface.

Important

 Plug your Surface into an electrical outlet before updating your firmware.

 If Touch Cover or Type Cover is attached when you turn on your Surface, Windows Update checks for firmware updates for the attached keyboard.

Tethering: Use your phone’s data connection

If a wireless network isn’t available, you might be able to connect your phone to Surface and share the phone’s

Internet connection. Sharing your cellular data connection with another device is sometimes called tethering

(connecting one device to another). Tethering turns your phone into a mobile hotspot.

Notes

 To share your cellular data connection, this feature must be available from your mobile operator and enabled on your current phone plan. Look for

tethering

in your plan materials or mobile operator’s website. This feature often costs extra.

 When you and others use the shared connection on another device, it uses data from your cellular data plan. You should be aware of any data limits you have on your plan, so you don't get charged extra.

 By default, tethered connections are metered. Apps and updates might not download over a metered connection. To change this setting or to learn more about this, see Metered Internet connections:

Frequently asked questions .

Step 1: Share your phone’s Internet connection

Follow your phone’s instructions to share your phone’s Internet connection.



Windows Phone See Windows Phone 8: Share my connection or Windows Phone 7: Share my connection .



iPhone See iOS: Understanding Personal Hotspot .

 Android Check the materials that came with your phone or the manufacturer’s website.

Step 2: Select your phone as a network

1. Open the Settings charm on your Surface and tap the wireless network icon.

2. Tap or click your phone’s name (the broadcast or personal hotspot name that you set up) and then tap or click Connect.

3. If prompted, type the network password that you set in Step 1.

Windows Defender and Windows Firewall

Windows Defender helps prevent viruses, spyware, and other malicious or unwanted software from being installed on Surface without your knowledge. To scan your Surface by using Windows Defender, see How do I find and remove a virus?

on Windows.com.

Windows Firewall helps prevent hackers and malicious software, such as viruses, from accessing your Surface through the Internet.

Note Windows Defender and Windows Firewall are always on and can't be turned off.

Keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains new keyboard shortcuts that you can use to get around Windows.

Press this key To do this

Windows logo key +start typing

Windows logo key +C

Search your PC.

Open the charms.

In an app, open the commands for the app.

Press this key

Windows logo key +F

To do this

Open the Search charm to search files.

Windows logo key +H

Windows logo key +I

Windows logo key +J

Windows logo key +K

Windows logo key +O

Windows logo key +Q

Windows logo key +W

Windows logo key +Z

Windows logo key +Tab

Open the Share charm.

Open the Settings charm.

Switch the main app and snapped app.

Open the Devices charm.

Lock the screen orientation (portrait or landscape).

Open the Search charm to search apps.

Open the Search charm to search settings.

Show the commands available in the app.

Cycle through open apps (except desktop apps). Use

Alt+Tab to switch between all open apps.

Windows logo key +Shift+period (.)

Windows logo key +period (.)

Snaps an app to the left.

Snaps an app to the right.

For additional shortcuts, see Keyboard shortcuts and Mouse and keyboard: What’s new on Windows.com.

Accessibility

Ease of Access features let you use your Surface the way you want. To see what settings are available, do this:

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search .

2. Type Ease of Access in the search box, tap or click Settings.

3. Choose the setting you want to change from the search results.

For info about the Ease of Access features, see the Ease of Access topic on Windows.com.

Speech recognition

Windows Speech Recognition makes using a keyboard and mouse optional. You can control your Surface with your voice and dictate text instead.

Speech Recognition is available for the following languages:

English (United States and United Kingdom), French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional), and Spanish.

For more info, see Using Speech Recognition on Windows.com.

Work with files and apps on another PC

Use the Remote Desktop app to work on files and access apps on another PC as if you were sitting right in front of it. For info on how to get started with Remote Desktop, see Get your files and apps from anywhere on

Windows.com.

Take a screen shot

Sometimes it's simpler to show someone what's on your screen than it is to explain it. To capture the screen, press and hold the Windows logo on the touchscreen and then press the volume down button on the left edge of

Surface. The screen dims briefly when the screen is copied and saved as a file in the Screenshots folder (which is in your Pictures library).

You can also use the Snipping Tool to capture areas of the desktop screen. . For info about using the Snipping

Tool, see Use Snipping Tool to capture screen shots on Windows.com.

Refresh Surface

If your Surface isn't performing as well as it once did, you can refresh it. Refreshing your Surface reinstalls

Windows while keeping your personal files, settings, and apps.

To refresh your Surface:

1. Open the Settings charm, and then tap Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click General .

3.

Under Refresh your PC without affecting your files, tap or click Get started , and follow the on-screen

instructions.

Reset Surface

If you're having problems with your Surface or you want to start over with it, you can remove everything and reinstall Windows.

Warning

All your personal files will be deleted and your settings will be reset. Be sure to back up all of your files before proceeding. Apps that came with your Surface will be automatically reinstalled, but you’ll need to reinstall your other apps using the steps below.

To reset your Surface:

1. Open the Settings charm, then tap Change PC settings .

2. Tap or click General .

3. Under Remove everything and reinstall Windows, tap or click Get started , and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Note You'll be asked whether you want to erase data quickly or thoroughly. If you choose to quickly erase data, some data might be recoverable using special software (not included with Surface). If you choose to thoroughly erase data, the process will take longer but recovering data is far less likely.

After your Surface is reset, you’ll need to reinstall your Windows Store apps. Here’s how:

1. Open the Store app.

2. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen, and then tap or click Your apps.

3. Swipe down on apps that you want to install, and then tap or click Install .

BitLocker recovery key

Data on your Surface hard drive is automatically encrypted to help keep it secure. This way if your Surface is lost or stolen, someone else can’t access your data.

If a security event or hardware failure locks your Surface, you’ll need a BitLocker recovery key to sign in. If you sign in to your Surface with a Microsoft account, a copy of your BitLocker recovery key is automatically backed up to that account. To get your recovery key, go online to BitLocker Recovery Keys .

For more info, see BitLocker recovery keys: Frequently asked questions on Windows.com.

Clean and care for Surface

To keep Surface looking and working great, clean the touchscreen and keyboard frequently. Also keep the touchscreen covered when you’re not using it.

Touchscreen care

Scratches, finger grease, dust, chemicals, and ultraviolet light can affect the performance of the touchscreen. Here are a few things you can do to help protect the screen:

 Clean frequently The touchscreen has been coated to make it easier to clean. You don’t need to rub hard to remove fingerprints or oily spots. To avoid scratches, use a soft, lint-free cloth to gently wipe the screen. You can dampen the cloth with water or an eyeglass cleaner, but don’t apply liquids directly to

Surface. Don’t use window cleaner or other chemical cleaners.

 Keep it covered Close the keyboard cover while you’re in transit or not using Surface. If you don’t have

Touch Cover or Type Cover, you can use a sleeve to protect the touchscreen (sleeves are available at

Surface.com/Accessories ).

 Keep it out of the sun Do not leave Surface in direct sunlight for an extended period of time. Ultraviolet light and excessive heat can damage the touchscreen.

Cover and keyboard care

Wipe Touch Cover or Type Cover with a lint-free cloth, dampened in mild soap and water. Don’t apply liquids directly to the keyboards. Clean often to keep your keyboard cover looking like new. If the spine or the magnetic

connections on your cover get dirty or stained, apply a small amount of isopropyl alcohol (also called rubbing alcohol) to a soft, lint-free cloth to clean.

Battery care

 Operating temperature Surface is designed to work between 32°F and 95°F (or 0°C to 35°C). Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to high temperatures, so keep your Surface out of the sun and don’t leave it in a hot car.

 Recharge anytime The battery doesn’t need to be empty or low before you recharge. You can recharge the battery whenever you’d like. However, it’s best to let the battery run down at least once per month before you recharge it.

 Battery lifespan The battery has limited recharge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced by an authorized service provider.

Get Help and Support

You can get help with Surface, Windows, and specific apps. Here's how:

 Surface Help Surface help and support is available at Surface.com/Support .

 Windows Help On Surface, go to the Start screen and type Help , and tap or click Help and Support from the search results. Windows help content is also available online at Windows.com

 App Help When you're in an app, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap or click Settings , and then tap or click Help . (Some apps might put help in other locations, so check the company's website if you can't find help in the Settings charm.)

If you haven't registered your Surface, go online and register it at Surface.com/Support/Register .

That’s it!

You’ve come to the end of this guide. We hope you’ve found it helpful.

Check the Surface website often for the latest news, accessories, and support info at Surface.com

Surface RT User Guide

Contents

Meet Surface RT

About this guide

Highlights

This way you’ll always have a keyboard with you (sold separately).

What is Windows RT?

Surface accessories

Keyboards

Video adapters

Power supply

Wedge Touch Mouse Surface Edition

Setup

Plug in and turn on

Surface setup

A

Lock screen and signing in

The basics

Start screen: Your favorite things

Charms, commands, and switching apps

Right edge: Charms

Top or bottom edge: App commands

Left edge: Switch apps

Touch: tap, slide, and beyond

How do I right-click using touch?

Copy, and paste using touch

The charms: Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings

The familiar desktop

How to search

Get to know Surface

Power states: On, off, standby, and restart

On, off, standby, and restart

Standby

Change when the screen dims and turns off

Wake

Lock

The touchscreen

Screen rotation

Lock the screen orientation

Screen brightness

Other screen settings

Connect Surface a second monitor

Add your accounts

Add your email accounts

You can change your email account settings at any time by opening the Settings charm while in the Mail app, choosing

, and then selecting the account that you want to change.

POP email

Mail doesn't support email accounts that use POP (Post Office Protocol). If your email account uses POP,

Google email

Microsoft Exchange account

Outlook Express, Windows Mail, or Windows Live Mail

Add social network accounts to the People app

Add a photo service to the Photos app

On-screen keyboard

Show the keyboard

Show the keyboard from the desktop

Open the Settings charm, and then tap or click

(lower-right corner).

Hide the keyboard

Change the on-screen keyboard settings

Sound features

Adjust the volume

Add sound accessories

Battery and power

How much battery charge is left?

Charge Surface

48 watt power supply with USB charging port

Share photos, links, and more

Share a link

Share a photo

Change your settings

PC Settings

Use Search

Control Panel

Touch, keyboard, mouse, and pen

Touch

Keyboard

Touch Cover

Function keys

Type Cover