With its Windows 8.1 Update, announced today, Microsoft is looking in the rearview mirror—and putting the car in reverse. But for all the people who have wanted Windows 8 to work more like Windows 7, that's the right direction.

On April 8—coincidentally the same day that Microsoft cuts off Windows XP support—a free Windows 8.1 Update will bring mouse and keyboard users some much needed relief with some small but useful system tweaks.

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