---
title: "Windows 8 tiles"  
description: "The windows 8 desktop is fully different to the Windows 7 and other Microsoft Windows O.S desktops. Microsoft has reverted the old shortcut icons with"  
author: "Vijay Shukla"  
published: 2012-12-27  
updated: 2014-09-18  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/blog/410/windows-8-tiles  
category: "windows 8"  
tags: ["windows 8"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# Windows 8 tiles

In this blog I am explaining the New metro look [Windows](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/311752/how-to-install-and-use-the-google-wifi-software-on-a-windows-or-mac-computer) 8 tiles.\

The windows 8 desktop is fully different to the Windows 7 and other [Microsoft](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12301/microsoft-is-trying-to-kill-passwords) Windows O.S desktops. Microsoft has reverted the old shortcut icons with new and [dynamic](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/11080/features-of-java-dynamic-complied-and-interpreted) tiles. The important thing here to understand is that when you use these tiles, not just the app is opened but all the information about it is displayed too.

In fine, if we compared to the windows 7, in windows 8 have many changes in windows 8 tiles to other Microsoft Windows [Operating System](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/229069/operating-system-development) [regular](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/12854/how-to-solve-regular-expression-for-validating-id-in-c-sharp-asp-dot-net) desktop icons.

##### Below is about the Windows 8 tiles:-

1. The tiles would point of only the applications of windows 8. The desktop apps, files, [libraries](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/49244/which-company-is-ahead-in-classification-of-data-for-libraries-innovations) and folders won’t show.

2. The start screen tasks can be simply performed by both touch screens and the traditional [keyboard](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/23117/android-soft-keyboard-close-hide) and mouse.

3. Icons are placed in a grid on the start screen, you can't find them on desktop.

4. They icons aren't limpid and its shapes are in rectangular and square.

5. Icons size is relatively larger than the one found on desktop.

6. Windows 8 tiles work for applications, you can keep the desktop shortcut on the start screen. These shortcuts look like tiles but it isn't tiles.

7. Tiles and shortcuts both shapes are square.

8. All the desktop applications, which also includes the well-known items like [control](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/197/asp-dot-net-repeater-control) panel will have a dark blue square tile. The [modern applications](https://answers.mindstick.com/blog/29/api-gateway-a-complete-guide-for-modern-applications) only run in the full screen mode. The modern apps can’t be resized. The desktop apps work exactly the same way as windows 7.

---

Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/blog/410/windows-8-tiles

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