Microsoft Windows 8 is very much like Windows 7 in so many
ways, but there are a few quirks that may stump users looking for settings that
aren’t where they used to be. One quirk that may trip you up is the differences
between Internet Explorer 10 on the desktop versus IE10 on the modern
interface. Namely, in the modern interface there are very few configuration
options available.

You see, the familiar Internet Options configuration screen
is nowhere to be found when you are in the modern (tablet) interface. All of
those settings are only visible when you use IE10 from the desktop. For
example, TechRepublic member Robert Young sent me an email asking where he can
find the setting that makes Word 2013 the default HTML editor. There are a
couple of steps, the first being go to the Desktop.

The Desktop is the key

On the Windows 8 Desktop, click the Internet Explorer icon. Once
open, if you do not see the menu bar, as I did not when I first fired up IE10,
you can reveal it by right-clicking on the title bar and clicking the menu bar
item on the dropdown list as shown in Figure
A.

Figure A

Reveal the menu bar

With the menu bar revealed, click the Tools item and scroll
down to Internet options to reveal the familiar Internet options configuration
screen, as shown in Figure B. Click
the Programs tab and you’ll see the box where you can set your HTML editor of
choice.

Figure B

Set your HTML editor of choice

A caveat

One small caveat to note; if you take a close look at Figure
B you’ll see that the HTML editor setting only applies to Internet Explorer
operating in the Desktop. This
is the sort of limitation that drove me to force IE to open on the desktop
always.

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