Start menu for Windows 8 desktop

[cweinstein]

My job is tech support, and I've been getting a lot of calls about Windows 8.

The Windows 8 desktop does not have the familiar start menu or start button. It took me a bit to get used to not having a start menu. A number of times I caught myself diving with the mouse to click the start button which does not exist in Win 8.

There are a couple of programs out there that can add a start menu to the Win 8 desktop.

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
Classic Shell - freeware, you can make the start menu look like XP, or even older than that.

Start8 for Windows® 8 - Bringing back the Windows Start menu
Start8 - shareware, not as customizable as Classic Shell

Enjoy!

 

[NiobiumTragedy]

It took me a bit as well, but I really don't mind it at all now. In fact, I have mine setup to where it's simply easier to go back to the tile system where as it would have taken me longer to navigate through the start menu. People are just very difficult when it comes to change. lol

One thing I did do though was get rid of all the pins and re-add the quick launch while adding all the programs I use the most. Pins are a neat tool and I like how they were easy to use, but what drive me nuts about them is that if I would have 10 pins and 5 open programs the unopened pins would be in between the open programs on the task bar rather than staying to the left of everything that is open. That to me is a silly way to have them work.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

I don't mind it, because what I do on Windows 7 works perfectly on Windows 8 - you just press the Win key and then start typing.

 

[EphesiaNZ]

There are a couple of programs out there that can add a start menu to the Win 8 desktop

Don't expect these hacks to work forever. MS are not that happy about people restoring start menu functionality and have closed off some ways of restoring from what I hear. Expect future service packs to cripple current working start menu hacks possibly.

 

[cweinstein]

Don't expect these hacks to work forever. MS are not that happy about people restoring start menu functionality and have closed off some ways of restoring from what I hear. Expect future service packs to cripple current working start menu hacks possibly.

True, that could very well happen. They work for now

 

[Perhaps Today]

Don't expect these hacks to work forever. MS are not that happy about people restoring start menu functionality and have closed off some ways of restoring from what I hear. Expect future service packs to cripple current working start menu hacks possibly.

Very true, but like anything, programmers will find a way around it eventually. Why MS would care about thees work arounds is beyond me. If they'd listen to their user base they wouldn't have to contend with it in the first place.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Very true, but like anything, programmers will find a way around it eventually. Why MS would care about thees work arounds is beyond me. If they'd listen to their user base they wouldn't have to contend with it in the first place.

If Microsoft had listened to what their users wanted we would never had gone past Windows XP, because their most influential users are businesses, many of whom are still on XP.

 

[Perhaps Today]

If Microsoft had listened to what their users wanted we would never had gone past Windows XP, because their most influential users are businesses, many of whom are still on XP.

You make a good point there. I have 7 on my current machine, but XP would take care of anything I need.

 

[NiobiumTragedy]

I go back to XP from time to time because of fixing other peoples computers and I really can't stand it anymore. The interface is so counterproductive that it makes me want to stab the monitor. Vista/7 has been simply one of the best things for MS interface wise.

 

[EphesiaNZ]

If Microsoft had listened to what their users wanted we would never had gone past Windows XP, because their most influential users are businesses, many of whom are still on XP.

I guess Microsoft class their business customers as a captive audience as most IT managers are too afraid/incompetent to make a leap to something different but that scenario will change before long. The ever creeping iPad (or Android) tablet is changing the way IT infrastructures will operate. The whole BYOD thing will make the single operating system infrastructure pretty much redundant.