Windows Secrets is catching up.........

If you don't subscribe to Windows Secrets, I suggest you do. Once in awhile they post something you could use.

...Also in W8 if you hit Winkey x, there's a small menu with commonly needed links such as Computer Management, Programs and Features, Disk Management, Control Panel, Admin and regular Command Prompts, Run etc..  

^^ Yes, I find the hotkey Win+X to be very handy: (using Win8.1-64 PRO)
Here's the menu that I get (after having modified it a little bit).

[attach]

I think you are correct...... they are junctions points.

Here's some more I just ran across.......


The "Godmode" is the access to the "All Tasks" item in the Control Panel.




The same way you can create quick access to the other items:

{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921} for Desktop Personalization
{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E} for Network Connections
{8E908FC9-BECC-40f6-915B-F4CA0E70D03D} for Network and Sharing Center
{7b81be6a-ce2b-4676-a29e-eb907a5126c5} for Programs and Features
{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} for Printers
{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70} for Credential Manager
{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9} for Taskbar
{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D} for Power Options


The "Godmode" is the access to the "All Tasks" item in the Control Panel.




The same way you can create quick access to the other items:

{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921} for Desktop Personalization
{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E} for Network Connections
{8E908FC9-BECC-40f6-915B-F4CA0E70D03D} for Network and Sharing Center
{7b81be6a-ce2b-4676-a29e-eb907a5126c5} for Programs and Features
{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} for Printers
{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70} for Credential Manager
{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9} for Taskbar
{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D} for Power Options

The above are from the remarks in an article by Brad Chachos on 6/26/14

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2365754/17-obscure-windows-tools-and-tricks-too-powerful-to-overlook.html#tk.nl_pcwbest

I just tried the one for Programs.
Works like a charm, or like Godmode,
and I'm on Win8.1.1 64 also.
Brad cautioned about NOT using Godmode on Vista. See all the remarks to get all the facts.

The same way you can create quick access to the other items:

Tangentially, I only saw one mention of Windows Run-Command on DC.  I ran across the update on Snapfiles and decided to try it.  Not bad.  Sits in tray and opens on Winkey r.  It has the expected links to command prompt, elevated command prompt etc..  But it also has a Favorites with folders such as Tools and recently run stuff.

I like it because it doesn't try to do too much.  All the graphical shells like you see on Linux that I've tried for Windows seemed pretty flaky(albeit I haven't canvased the category.)

Just a note on godmode. I tried it on Win 8.1 x64 and it worked fine. I then created another folder called 'c:\godmode shortcuts' and mass created a shortcut to every entry in the godmode folder by selecting all and then right-click drag and drop. I then added the 'c:\godmode shortcuts' folder to FARR along with a 'god' alias to search that shortcut folder. That worked fine.

Also, using Win+S to open the search charm is very useful. You can find anything you want concerning windows using the search charm which is very well designed.