How to get the Start menu back in Windows 8 Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET. Editors' note: This story was originally published on August 2. It has been updated several times since then to include additional programs and other details, most recently with 8. Startbutton, Start. Is. Back, and Start Menu 8 on May 2. Never fear, alternatives are here. And I'll admit it, the Start screen does offers several benefits. You can easily search for any app, setting, or file just by typing its name. And Microsoft seems to have finally realized that many other users do as well.
At its Build conference in April, the software giant revealed that it will bring back a new and hopefully improved Start menu in the next update to Windows 8. And those are just what you'll find here. Most of the programs covered in this overview are free or at least offer a free version. Many go beyond just replicating the Start menu by letting you customize their look and feel. You can also select between a simple single- paned menu or the more modern dual- paned menu. The familiar Run command and Search field are visible. Clicking on the Shut Down icon brings up choices for Shut Down, Restart, Hibernate, Lock, and Switch User. The Help command even calls up the new Windows 8 Help and Support page. It also adds jump lists to the main menu. And you can now search for and launch Windows Store apps directly from the program's submenu. The program offers an array of basic and advanced settings that you can tweak all you want. You can even back up your tweaks as an XML file in case you ever need to restore them or transfer them to another PC running Classic Shell. Windows 8 users in search of a free, simple, and flexible Start menu program will find all of that and more in Classic Shell. Startbutton Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET. I can't pin programs to Windows 8 Start Screen. Pinning my programs to windows 8 startup. Don't waste the precious space on the Windows 8 Start screen with tiles you don't use. How to pin Web sites to the Windows 8 Start screen. Windows 8 Start button. Find and open your programs. Pin and organize your favorite apps and websites just. Startbutton. 8Startbutton offers a different twist on the familiar Start menu. Instead of directly displaying the menu, the program shows you a series of six buttons that form more of a Windows control center. Each button triggers a different function. For example, one button shuts down Windows, another restarts it, and another signs you out. A fourth button taps into Windows search. A fifth takes you to the Start screen. And a sixth opens the 8. Startbutton menu. Another icon shows you a list of recent files. A third reveals a collection of tiles with pointers to popular Windows spots, such as your computer, your network settings, your personal folder, your photos, your music, and your documents. With the menu as your starting point, you can navigate to virtually any application, file, or area in Windows. A dropdown field provides options to shut down, sign out from, or lock your PC. And another field displays tools to access the command line, Registry Editor, Device Manager, and even all of your Metro, aka Modern, apps. You can choose whether your left click triggers the 8. Startbutton menu, the Windows 8 Start screen, or the Windows 8 apps screen. You can opt to hide the program's Start button and instead trigger its roundup of six buttons by simply moving your mouse to the lower lefthand corner. You can choose to boot directly to the desktop when Windows starts, an option built into Windows 8. And you can change the image used by the button. The paid edition costs a hefty $1. What's the difference between the free and paid products? The free flavor limits your customization options while the paid edition lets you tweak all of the settings. The free version also nags you to upgrade each time you start Windows and launch the menu. But 8. Startbutton offers a different spin on the classic Windows Start menu. The free edition is certainly worth checking out. Pokki for Windows 8 Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET. Pokki for Windows 8. Developed by the folks at Sweet. Labs, Pokki for Windows 8 offers a slick and well- designed Start menu. From that menu, you can access all of your programs and open specific folders, such as Documents, Music, and Pictures. A search field lets you track down any program. And a Shut Down menu includes several options, such as Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate. The latest update to the program ties in more heavily with the Windows 8 UI. A new folder called Windows 8 Apps displays links to all of your Windows Store (formerly Metro) apps. And when you search from the Pokki menu, Windows Store apps are now included in the results. Clicking on that button brings up the familiar two- pane menu. From the left pane, you can pin your favorite applications and access all your programs via the Programs menu. From the right pane, you can open specific folders, such as Computer, Libraries, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, and Network. The familiar Run command lets you type the name of a program, folder, or file to open it. The menu offers easy access to the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, Hibernate, Log off, Screensaver, and Lock PC commands. The Settings command lets you customize the software's behavior. You can set it to auto start each time you log in to Windows 8. You can also resize the button or change its image. Even with that option enabled, you can still click on the Windows key to get to the Start screen or press Win+C to activate the Charms bar. Clicking on the Start orb brings up a menu filled with tiles and blocks in a nod to the Windows 8 Start screen UI. You can pin any right- pane folder or other item to the left pane so that it's more easily accessible. You can also easily right- click on any left- pane item and select the delete command to remove its icon from the pane. A shutdown button offers links to sleep, lock, log off, restart, and shut down your PC. And the familiar Run command is handily available. A Tablet. View button at the top of the menu transforms it into a tiled screen displaying all of the programs and other items from the left pane. You can then click or tap on any tile to open the item. Thanks to a feature called Enforce, you can launch a Windows 8 app from the program's Start menu, and it opens in its own resizable window directly on the desktop. You can shrink the window by dragging any of its sides or corners. You can move the smaller window around the desktop by dragging it from its title bar. You can also close the app by clicking on the familiar X in the upper right corner. The Retro. UI menu is itself a taskbar toolbar that can be turned on and off. Clicking on a desktop icon called Retro. UI Settings offers several sections of options to configure. You can choose to open the Retro. UI menu by pressing the Windows key, bypass the Windows 8 Start screen after logging in, and even hide the Windows 8 hot corners. Another section lets you control the Enforce feature to control if and how Windows 8 apps open in their own resizable windows. Other options allow you to set the default language, change the color of the Start menu, and disable all Windows 8 feature. A single PC license sells for $4. PC license costs $9. Retro. UI Pro offers a novel and clean way of uniting the Start menu with the Windows 8 environment and is well worth the price. You can set up the orb to display the traditional Start menu or the Start screen. You can also select the menu style, themes, and a variety of other features. A Shut Down command offers options to Restart, Sign Out, Sleep, Hibernate, and more. As in Windows 7, you can control which items appear on the Start menu, which ones appear as links, and which ones as menus. For example, you can set the Windows key and the Start screen hot corner to open the Start screen. If you want to avoid the Windows 8 UI instead, you can disable the Charms bar and hot corners to stay fully in the desktop. Other free and equally good Start menu replacements are available, but Start. Start. Is. Back Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET. Start. Is. Back. Start. Is. Back looks, feels, and acts like a traditional Windows Start menu. Clicking on the Start orb displays a familiar two- column menu with your programs on the left and various Windows settings and locations on the right. You can even access Modern apps either through individual shortcuts or an entire folder. The right column provides access to all of the core Windows features and locations, including your user profile, documents, pictures, music, Devices & Printers, and Control Panel. You can then choose which programs you want to appear, how to sort them, and whether or not to display links to Modern apps. You can change the look of the orb and the color of the menu itself. You can also tweak some key Windows settings, such as whether to bypass the Start screen and go directly to the desktop, what Windows does after you close a Modern app, and what happens when you press the Windows key. If you want to keep running it, you'll then have to ante up $3 for a single PC, $5 for two PCs, or $1. PCs. The program doesn't offer a lot of bells and whistles. But if you want a simple, down- to- earth Start menu, Start. Is. Back fits the bill. Start Menu 8 Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET. Start Menu 8. Start Menu 8 is another traditional Start menu replacement with some handy customizations. Should you choose the Start menu, you can opt for the classic look with your programs on the left and the standard Windows features and locations on the right. You can open both desktop applications and Modern apps from the menu. The familiar Search tool and Shutdown options are also accessible at the bottom of the menu. The right- click menu also provides a link to the settings and customizations for Start Menu 8. From the Settings window, you can enable or disable various Windows settings, change the image for the orb, choose which features should appear in the menu, and tweak the style and appearance for the menu. It's also free, so you can run the full program for as long as you like. Start. Menu. Plus. Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET. Start. Menu. Plus. Start. Menu. Plus.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2016
Categories |