Discussion on:

Easily revive the Classic Start Menu hidden within Windows 8

With Windows 7's Taskbar features, I don't use the Start Menu very much anymore, but judging from what members have been saying about Windows 8, the menu is still really popular. Does Greg's technique for creating a substitute Start Menu in Windows 8 make the new OS more palatable? Are you going to give it a try?

Yes, I'm going to give this a try. If I like it, which I think I will, then I will keep it on the desktop.

And Greg, to parrot Palmetto, "...you are the MAN!"

methods. I might just leave it on the right hand side, since I'm right handed anyway.

Yes, I'm going to give this a try, even though I 'accidentally' found that by pressing the default Metro Start, one can still type anything, and Windows 8 will find it, or auto-complete it. Just like the Windows 7 start button...

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.
-- Stephen Hawking

From there you can scroll around to find your program similar to the good ol' "Start > All Programs" way.
Why you would want to do it that way when you could have narrowed it down by spelling part of the program name is up for debate.

I don't know your usage but for me I have hundreds or thousands of apps I use and it is so much faster to just go to where you know they have been with a simple click then to have to type search then click. Windows usage is about speed and productivity and to add steps defeats the purpose.

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1) Great tip on how to recreate the Start Menu. 2) Shame on Microsoft for killing something that many people use.

I use Start8 to my satisfaction, also I created a new folder on my desktop named "My Shortcuts" where I can drag & put every shortcut to every program in it, to do away with all that unnecessary searching all the time after your Programs and Data Files.
For the rest it's a matter of taste if you don't want to learn new tricks like the Metro Kindergarten Boxes Style of handling.
To conclude my remark I always have wondered why Microsoft did not divide the wolves from the sheep meaning separate Hard Disks/Partitions for your System C:\ and D:\ and more, for all your Data files and things you want to store there.
I use this a lot also on my Windows 7 system, it's easy to set up and to maintain.
Thanks Greg...
From Flanders.

Why should I have to hack HACK the registerey to get what should be a standard OPTION.

MS have lost the plot

It's just creating a toolbar and shortcuts.

Hack the regististry? The old Start menu registry hack is Win 8 developer preview is gone in the consumer preview.

posted from the gut. Complete with farty fanfare

is so overrated.

...you don't have to use Windows 8 or the Metro interface. Just stick with Windows 7. Live long and prosper!

Forget even going to Win7; for my Windows needs, I use WinXP. By the time XP is out of support, Wine should have USB support (and I'll have migrated the last family members still runnin Windows to Linux).
But as far as restoring a "Classic" start menu (yes, I still need to look at newer Windows versions in my job), I like Classic Shell (http://classicshell.sourceforge.net). Only works with Win7 at the moment, but they're working on a Win8 port.

You are betting that Wine will finally support features they should of after how many years working on the project? If you think everything with Wine will be 100% compatible....

He was still running Vista, but since his PC needs are very simple, we'd just left it as is. After I showed him some Win 8 previews, we decided to at least get him on Win 7 so he could have enough longevity to ride out the Win 8 fiasco. Hopefully by the time he needs to upgrade again, this will just be a bad memory written up in the "awful ideas" archive.

I found a simple program called vistart for Windows 8 that does all this plus puts back the orb in the right place. I've used it on all my W8 installations and it has not caused me any issues so far. Not associated with the company, just a happy user. The program is free BTW.

This is a version for tablets, not laptops or desktops. Likely to be another vista.

Thanks Greg for the information and I will be trying this but...
Befrore I even try using Win8 for my main system, it will have to be a feature that is built in. I am not going to go through all these hoops just to get back what MS should never have removed in the first place. I work on thousands of systems and so far, no one wants to come anywhere near Win8 mainly because of the Metro Interface.
At least, give us the option of using either the Metro Interface or the Start Menu.
It is not as if MS has ever missed the mark before, however they really missed this one.
By a very long margin!

I just hope they change their mind before the final release.

WTF. No really, WTF.

This is a clever way to bring back the feel of the old OS.
Setting my computer up this way may help me but if I want to troubleshoot someone else's Win 8 box that probably won't be set up this way, I will be at a disadvantage.
For troubleshooting and support purposes, I think it would be better to learn how to use the OS as it was intended to be used.

I once rote a script to do this instead and to make a special start menu folder. It was basically just robocopy everything from all users and your own profile to a separate folder, and use that as the start menu button. I then placed the script in the in the start up tasks.

I have been using Windows 8 CP since the begining of March. I did create the Start Manu (part of it) but I find that I got so used to the Metro interface that I really don't need it. I did however create a shortcut icon for the Control Panel on the desktop.
I find that the Search in the Charms gives me the App/Program I want very fast.

I think that if you have a system that includes a touch screen monitor, it could be easy get used to the Metro Interface (in a few days of use of course), but if you want to use it in a regular lap top or desktop, in my humble opinion, is following the steps (many of them by the way) that Greg Shultz post or just change a number (a "0" instead of a "1") in the registry (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer) once there just find "RPEenabled", change the number and that??s all, you can use it like Windows 7. One final note: I've been using it this way since Octuber and is working great; in fact I love it because is a very stable platform and very compatible with any software I have installed.

Very nice, for all those Windows 8 users (of whom I shan't be one). Steve Balmer once said that this O/S was the riskiest thing on their books for some time. Maybe, before final release, they'll try to make it a bit nicer.
Alternatively, Microsoft can /easily/ afford to write a new version of Desktop Windows if they feel one is needed. Apparently it would be a "7B", there's really little to do except a few enhancements and a better Search and a better version of NTFS.

While I like the idea of recreating the classic start menu I think it is time Windows users learn to adapt and move on. Technology changes so why can't we adapt to it. Call me lazy but in less time than it takes to recreate the classic start menu I have already taught myself to mouse over to the right, click settings, and click power to shut my computer down. I also mouse over to the left and left click for Run and enter Explorer, like I always do to launch Windows Explorer. For open apps I mouse up to the left hand corner. All of these things can be achieved no matter what window or tile you have open.

I spend too much time between Linux and Windows, it is easier for me to learn how each one is different than to try and make them all the same. Besides, change is the game if you are a technologist or IT Professional.

Specifically, business users get paid to be productive. Adaptation and change take time (and thus money) away from that productivity. Adaptation is worth the short term loss if there is eventual long term gain ('return on investment'). So far, it doesn't look like there's any ROI on W8, at least not on desktops or laptops.

If someone gets a tablet with win8, and uses that tablet all day, all night. then there won't be a learning curve to use win8 somewhere else (they'll still have to control their urge to touch the screen if it isn't a touch, though ).
Thing is, I think they're not half wrong, either. Learning to use the new OS on a toy-like doohickey like a tablet doesn't bother people, it's what they expect to have to do, anyway.
This again has to do with phones and how each handset you get will have a different OS (most likely, even if they're all different versions of the same OS, they will have significant differences).

I put the start menu back on the taskbar on W8 CP then first day I ran it. I also added the quick launch simply because it's there. I opted to use a gadget that gives all the commands for shutdown, restart, etc. Windows 8 isn't a "must have" operating system for me yet, but it's not bad either.

The 'Classic Start Menu' freeware program that works quite well for Windows 7 also works for Windows 8 at this time. Here is the link:

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

http://www.freelaunchbar.com/ - works in both Windows 7 and 8 (and much better than the usual Start menu IMHO)

I saw this as a possibility also early on in my work the the consumer preview though I didn't think of pointing the new toolbar the startmenu directory. Once thing to watch out for though is never go into "Toolbars" and uncheck the new toolbar, at least not in the preview, because it will not be there when you go back you will have to create it new again.

This is a good trick to revive the Classic Start Menu in Win 8 Consumer Preview.

Actually, I've managed to do it before reading this blog, because it's exactly the same manner for creating the Classic Start Menu toolbar in Windows 7 [to those who aren't satisfied with only the Win 7 start menu]

By the way, one can also revive the Quick Launch toolbar in Win8 (as well as Win7) in a very similar manner.

I'd like to post a challenge: is there a trick to eliminate the Metro screen from Win 8 (even if a registry hack is required)?

Eldad

As I think the majorty have said [or implied], MS has made a fairly major mistake by forcing the Metro interface on us. If anything, it should be a choice like when in Windows Xp you can choose between the Win 9x/2000 "classic" menu or the new Win XP menu.
I made a comment in a MS blog about the mistake. You think they repled? Nope.
Again, Vistart is a peace of CRAP! Junk is installed without asking? Nothing to do with the menu. Even if you un install all the junk, I found something that was installed at the same time as Vistart and had no uninstallation entry. Searched around and some believe it could be some form of spyware [or malware]. And why on earth is Outlook Express at the top of the menu? I've also found the menus to be hard to control.

WHY GO THROUGH ALL THIS? STICK WITH 7 DON'T TRY TO MAKE 8 LOOK LIKE 7 WHAT'S THE POINT OF THAT...

AFTER ALL WIN 8 MAY AS WELL BE A SERVICE PACK FOR WIN7...

i FOR ONE WONT GO ANYWHERE NEAR 8... wIN8 IS FOR PEOPLE WITH TO MUCH MONEY AND TO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS...

I think the computer programming industry has lost its way. I have been in the computer industry since 1975 and was promised a lot of things back then that should have come to pass by now. Maybe Microsoft and other software companies should watch some of their old ads and say to themselves what did we promise that we did not deliver; then deliver those things. When PC???s were young we were promised many things that the hardware could just not do back then. Now that the hardware has the capability the software companies want to make software that is dumbed down to the point that a monkey can use it. I guess that would be good if monkeys were using them but most users are much more proficient with computer than ever before. As far as operating systems my hopes were that it would have a customizable interface that molded itself to the user. One that was what the User wanted, if that is a start button so be it. If it is a voice interface you wanted then that would be what you have. Instead we have to put up without much choice with what Microsoft sticks us with. You can resist but if Microsoft stays with Metro eventually you will have to go to it also. I resisted the ribbon interface. It was an illogical interface to me that took more clicks to do the same thing as before (many more trying to find what I needed). Was it a better interface? No, just different. Metro looks like an interface I would expect to find on a $20 toy computer. I think Microsoft could not sell its phone because of the difference in the interface so they are thinking it if they force Metro on the PC it will sell more phones. I think this will be a great opportunity for Apple if they wait about a month after metro and announce that they have heard all the PC owner want a better OS and offer a PC compatible version of the Apple OS for PC users for about $99.

That will get you to the good ol' desktop you are most familiar with.
How hard is that?

I should be asked which desktop I want to be my default and only have to answer that once with the option to change at any time. Even if I only have to click it once a day that is 365 more click a year. What happened to the fact that computers are supposed to make my life easier? That seems to be missing from Microsoft in its quest to sell more software, services and phones. There are a lot of money generating schemes in the computer industry. If you make printers, avoid making too many that use the same cartridge. If youre new printer requires a new cartridge then you immediately sell a slew of the new cartridge to stock all the stores. If you used the same cartridge then you just sell the cheap underpriced printer and no new cartridges. If you change your software you get to sell new books and training materials. You also sell more service time to support all the people that make mistakes with the new software.

No one is forcing you to move to Metro or even stick with Windows for that matter.
However, if your job requires you to support desktops (as mine does), I encourage you to learn about the new operating system as well as the alternatives.
You will get no argument from me about printers. You can either purchase a reliable one with commonly used cartridges or suffer the consequences of short term savings. I lease large networked copier / printer / scanners at work because the service and toner is included and they are automatically replaced every three years. I phased out most of the personal printers on my campus because they are too darn expensive to support.

The thing to do here to solve the entire issue is to offer a question at install. Do you want classic windows UI or Windows 8 metro ui. Click classic and you get tada classic ui over the new os and you have satified customers all around. Ballmer has to be the biggest moron ever and thats alot since Steve Jobs was a big one over at apple.