Following are a number of ways to use the Windows desktop. With the exception of Windows 8, the desktop "is" the user interface in Windows, going all the way back to Windows 95. See
Win10 abc's.
CHANGE THE LOOK AND FEEL
Windows offers myriad ways to customize the look and feel of your desktop, menus and window frames. See
Win Change Windows appearance.
MOVE TASKBAR TO A DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE SCREEN
Placing the Taskbar on the left or right side adds a few pixels to the height of a document or Web page. Right click any uncovered area on the Taskbar, uncheck "Lock the Taskbar," and drag the Taskbar to another side. Then right click the Taskbar and check "Lock the Taskbar."
HIDE TASKBAR UNTIL NEEDED
For small screens, hiding the Taskbar saves screen space. Right click any unused area on the Taskbar. Select Properties and Auto Hide.
HOW TO GET THE EXPLORER FILE MANAGER
Right click Start menu and select Explore, Open Windows Explorer or File Explorer. In Windows 8, select Charms bar/Search/Apps and type in File Explorer.
SHOW EXTENSIONS WITH FILE NAMES
Windows defaults to not showing the file type extensions at the end of the file name, but many people like to see them when viewing files in Explorer. To show the extensions, see
Win Show file extensions.
SHOW HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS
You can display all hidden files and folders in your Explorer views. See
Win Show hidden files and folders.
RUN PROGRAMS AT STARTUP
Windows can run your programs automatically every time you turn the computer on. See
Win Startup folder.
VIEW SYSTEM DETAILS
There are several ways to view information about your computer system. See
Win Technical details.