Some handy keyboard shortcuts you can use in Windows 8.1

WINKEY - Toggles between Desktop and Start Menu

Esc  Key - If you have the Desktop running it will exit to desktop whenever in Start Menu

WINKEY + ,  Provides Peak of Desktop if open

WINKEY + B Switch to the Windows Desktop and select the tray notification area.

WINKEY + C  Display Charms and notification

WINKEY + D Switch to the Windows desktop and toggle Show Desktop.

WINKEY + E Switch to the Windows desktop and launch Windows Explorer with Computer view displayed.

WINKEY + F - Search Files using the new Windows Search pane.

WINKEY + I - Display Settings pane for the Start screen.

WINKEY + L - Lock PC and return to Lock screen.

WINKEY + M - Minimize the selected Explorer window.

WINKEY + O - Toggle orientation switching on slate and tablet PCs.

WINKEY + P - Display the new options for items like projectors.

WINKEY + Q - Search within Apps using the new Windows Search pane.

WINKEY + R - Switch to the Windows desktop and display the Run box.

WINKEY + U - Switch to the Windows desktop and launch the Ease of Access Center.

WINKEY + X - Switch to the Windows desktop and Administrative tools.

WINKEY + Z - Display the App Bar in a Metro-style app.

WINKEY + 1, WINKEY + 2,  WINKEY + 3 ,,,,  Launches each of the classic desktop Task Bar apps from Left to right.

These are Windows Classic Desktop Keys

WINKEY + .  List all Running Apps

WINKEY + 1, WINKEY + 2,  WINKEY + 3 ,,,,  Launches each of the classic desktop Task Bar apps from Left to right.

WINKEY + B - Select the tray notification area.

WINKEY + C - Display Charms and notification

WINKEY + D - Toggle Show Desktop. Very cool feature to help find other apps / shortcuts on desktop

WINKEY + E. Launch Windows Explorer with Computer view displayed.

WINKEY + F - Search Files using the new Windows Search pane.

WINKEY + I - Display Settings pane for Windows Desktop

WINKEY + L - Lock PC and return to Lock screen.

WINKEY + M - Minimize the selected Explorer window.

WINKEY + O - Toggle orientation switching on slate and tablet PCs.

WINKEY + P - Display the new options for items like projectors.

WINKEY + Q - Search (within) Apps using the new Windows Search pane.

WINKEY + R - Display Run box.

WINKEY + U - Launch Ease of Access Center.

WINKEY + W - Search Settings using the new Windows Search pane. Defaults to Settings first

WINKEY + X - Switch to the Windows desktop and Administrative tools.

WINKEY + Left or Right Arrow - Aero Snap Moves position of selected app.

WINKEY + Up Arrow - Will Maximize Selected App

WINKEY + Down Arrow - Will Change app from Maximize to Normal then to Task Bar of Selected App

Handful list of parameters possible to use in CMD scripts:

%~I         - expands %I removing any surrounding quotes ("")
%~fI        - expands %I to a fully qualified path name
%~dI        - expands %I to a drive letter only
%~pI        - expands %I to a path only
%~nI        - expands %I to a file name only
%~xI        - expands %I to a file extension only
%~sI        - expanded path contains short names only
%~aI        - expands %I to file attributes of file
%~tI        - expands %I to date/time of file
%~zI        - expands %I to size of file
%~$PATH:I   - searches the directories listed in the PATH
environment variable and expands %I to the
fully qualified name of the first one found.
If the environment variable name is not
defined or the file is not found by the
search, then this modifier expands to the
empty string

%~1         - expands %1 removing any surrounding quotes (")
%~f1        - expands %1 to a fully qualified path name
%~d1        - expands %1 to a drive letter only
%~p1        - expands %1 to a path only
%~n1        - expands %1 to a file name only
%~x1        - expands %1 to a file extension only
%~s1        - expanded path contains short names only
%~a1        - expands %1 to file attributes
%~t1        - expands %1 to date/time of file
%~z1        - expands %1 to size of file
%~$PATH:1   - searches the directories listed in the PATH
environment variable and expands %1 to the fully
qualified name of the first one found.  If the
environment variable name is not defined or the
file is not found by the search, then this
modifier expands to the empty string

%~dp1       - expands %1 to a drive letter and path only
%~nx1       - expands %1 to a file name and extension only
%~dp$PATH:1 - searches the directories listed in the PATH
environment variable for %1 and expands to the
drive letter and path of the first one found.
%~ftza1     - expands %1 to a DIR like output line

Very useful for automated software installations for example.

Screenshots from SharePoint Foundation 2010 installation process.

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Handy quick one to change script execution policy for PowerShell:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Force

Now all scripts should work fine 🙂

Quick reference with screenshots and requirements for System Center 2012 SP1 Service Manager installation.

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In order to create new Forest and promote Windows Server 2012 Core to be Domain Controller for that Forest, first Active Directory Services Role has to be added:

Install-WindowsFeature AD-Domain-Services –IncludeManagementTools

Once Active Directory DOmain Services role is installed we can promote server to be first Domain Controller in the Forest.

Install-ADDSForest -DomainName "lab.corp" -DomainNetbiosName "LAB" -DomainMode Win2008R2 -ForestMode Win2008R2 -InstallDns -Force

And after some time new Forest and Domain Controller is ready to use.