Install and uninstall apps and programs

Some apps, like People, Mail, Calendar, and Messaging, are pre-installed—they're already on your Start screen. You can install more apps and programs from the Windows Store, websites, or a CD or DVD.

The Start screen has tiles for both desktop programs (programs that run on the desktop, like Microsoft Word or Notepad) and apps you install from the Windows Store. To get apps from the Windows Store you need a Microsoft account and a connection to the Internet, and you’re ready to:

• Install apps from the Windows Store
• Install apps from another place
• Uninstall apps and programs
• Update apps from the Windows Store
• Get your programs working in Windows 8

Sign in with your Microsoft account

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 the PCs associated with your account.

Find and install apps from the Windows Store

Here’s how to find and install apps from the Windows Store:

1. From the Start screen, tap or click Store.
2. Make sure you’re signed in with your Microsoft account (see previous section).
3. Find the app that you want to install, by doing one of the following:

   • Drag your finger across the screen to browse apps. You can tap a category, such as 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.

After an app is installed, a tile for the app appears on the Start screen. For info about pinning and unpinning apps from the Start screen, see Customize the Start screen.

Notes

• To get help with the Store app, open the Settings charm (swipe in from the right while in the Store app) and then tap or click Help.
• If you can’t find or install a Windows Store app, see Why can’t I find or install a Windows Store app?
• Apps that you install from the Store appear in Your Apps and can be installed on up to five PCs—for more info about this, see Use your Windows Store account to install apps on up to five PCs.

You can also install apps or programs from a CD or DVD, or a website.

Install an app from the Internet

Make sure the publisher or website that’s offering the app is one you trust.

In your web browser, tap or click the link to the app. To install it now, tap or click Open or Run, and then follow the instructions on your screen. To install the app later, tap or click Save or Save as to download it. When you're ready to install it, double-tap or double-click the file, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

Install an app from a CD or DVD

To install an app or program from a CD or DVD, connect an external USB optical disc drive to your Surface Pro. If the app doesn't start installing automatically, open the Search charm, enter computer in the search box, then tap or click Computer. Open the CD or DVD folder, and open the program setup file, usually called Setup.exe or Install.exe.

Tips

• If you uninstall a built-in app, such as Music, you can reinstall it from the Windows Store. The Mail, Calendar, People, and Messaging apps appear in the Store as a single app called Mail, Calendar, People, and Messaging.
• Don’t want to see every app you own on your Start screen? You can unpin an app from Start without uninstalling it from Surface. When you unpin an app, it’s still on your Surface, and you can always find it again with the Search charm.
• Apps that you installed will appear in the Store under Your Apps, even after you’ve uninstalled them from Surface.

Apps are periodically updated by the app developers. The Store tile tells you when app updates are available. For example, a 4 on the Store tile means that four of your apps have updates available.

Most programs written for Windows 7 also work with Windows 8. When you install or run an older program, Windows monitors it for symptoms of known compatibility issues. If it finds an issue, Program Compatibility Assistant provides some recommended actions that you can take to help the program run properly on Windows 8. For more info, see Program Compatibility Assistant: Frequently asked questions.

If you're having trouble running a program that worked in a previous version of Windows, you might be able to run it in a compatibility mode, such as Windows Vista or Windows 7 compatibility modes. For info on how to do this, see Get your apps and devices working in Windows 8.

The Windows Compatibility Center has info to help you identify which apps will or won't work with Windows 8.