Menu
homeFiles and folders

Setting up and using mini Metro. “Start Menu X” – scalable menu

Released at the end of 2012 year Windows 8 seriously hit the stereotypes of users who, over the years of using the system, were accustomed to the traditional Start menu. This was the main tool for navigating the system for most. The Start menu, many versions of the system in a row - up to the seventh inclusive - modestly huddled in the lower left corner of the desktop, always ready for use by the user.

And in the eighth version of the system it disappeared, and the Windows button threw the user to a still alien start screen Metro interface.

Metro interface Windows 8

Despite the fact that to solve this problem the developers third party software immediately created a lot of offers - both free and paid with additional functionality, and to return the traditional Start menu, what was required was to install one or another, usually lightweight program, Microsoft company I still got a huge portion negative reviews for such a rash step.

But the software giant was in no hurry to correct the situation, and in the evolutionary continuation of Windows 8 – in version 8.1, released about a year later – the “Start” button still sent the user to the Metro start screen. True, for the Windows 8.1 Start button, an additional context menu was implemented with the ability quick opening current sections of the system and regular services.

Context menu in Windows 8

Microsoft took decisive steps towards resentful users yearning for a natural return to the Start menu relatively recently, presenting to the world a preliminary Windows version 10 is the successor to Windows 8.1. B returns. Its traditional organization is complemented by the presence of Metro application tiles, which can be removed if desired. Deprived of the Metro interface tiles, the Start menu will take on a familiar look, familiar to many from the Windows 7 system.

You don't have to wait until Windows 10 officially launches to experience an improved Start menu. A very interesting implementation of it can be implemented in Windows 8.1 using the Start Menu 8 program from the developer IObit Software.

The program can not only implement the traditional Windows 7-style Start menu, but can also launch the Metro start screen as a pop-up panel directly on the desktop. At the same time, the Start menu can be flexibly customized to suit your preferences. Let's take a closer look at the capabilities of Start Menu 8.

Download the Start Menu 8 program installer from the developer’s official website: Download Start Menu 8 for free

After a simple installation on the “Start” button, we will see that you can now call up two context menus. One is, as before, system, it appears when you click right key mouse at the extreme point of the lower left corner of the button image. And the other is the Start Menu 8 program's context menu, which appears when you click in the center of the Start button. In that context menu select “Settings”.

"Settings"

The program's settings will open in the first active tab, where you can choose the Start menu style. There are two styles to choose from - the Start menu, as it was in Windows 7, and the starting Metro- Windows screen 8.1, which can appear directly on the desktop as a pop-up panel. Let's choose Windows style 7.

Windows 7 style

When you press the “Start” button, you will see the usual menu, only with a couple of additional options. Additional options The Start menu allows you to switch to the Windows 8.1 Metro start screen. Metro applications installed on your computer are also visible in a separate list.

Let's select a different Start menu style in the Start Menu 8 program settings - the same Windows 8 style that will transfer the Metro start screen to the desktop. Now we press the “Start” button and see all the beauties of the Metro interface (see below), which harmoniously fits into the traditional desktop system. By the way, in order for the Metro start screen to become transparent, you need to open the side ribbon menu while on it, select “Options”, then “Personalization”, then – the tile with the desktop background.

In the settings of the Start Menu 8 program, you can customize the Windows 8 style by setting the size of the Start screen window. This is what the high panel style will look like.

High panel style

And this is how the small window selected in the settings will appear. The low but wide start screen window will look good on monitor screens with an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Wide start screen window

The subtleties of the Start button can be assigned in the tab general parameters program settings. The Start button settings tab will offer a choice of several images of the Start button itself. The Menu settings tab will allow you to choose which sections of the Start menu will not appear and which will.

Settings tab “Digger Start”

Fonts, icons, background, number of programs in the Start menu list and other details are configured in the User Interface settings tab.

User Interface Settings

Simple, clear, convenient, relevant, beautiful - that’s what can generally be said about the Start Menu 8 program. Having pinned the “live” tiles of Metro applications with real-time data display at the very beginning of the start screen, check the received messages in social network or you can check the weather in one click without leaving your desktop. Read also great review.

Screenshot on the main page:Start Menu using Start Menu 8

The concept of the Windows 8 interface goes against what users saw in Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, Windows 7 and other versions of the OS. The new “tiled” interface will, of course, find its supporters, but there will probably be many who will remain dissatisfied with the “improvements.” Over time, some Windows 8 users will come to terms with unusual cursor movements to turn off the computer and get used to hitting the “hot” corners of the screen the first time. But the majority will grumble dissatisfied until the last moment: “Why did they remove this button?” - referring to the number one button with which many people started working on the computer.

But it’s true: why was the button removed? It was possible to make it disabled and track how many users would exchange the native “Start” button for the “tags” of the new interface. According to Microsoft representatives, the Start button is no longer needed, since the entire screen can be one continuous menu. Maybe, according to science, this is true, but it will take a long time before people appreciate the advantages of the tiled interface, get used to its “conveniences” and want to use it. In the meantime, the demand for resuscitation utilities familiar interface system is quite large, so we went in search best replacement"lost" Start button.

Power 8 1.2

  • Developer: Mikhail AgentMC Makarov, Andrey Khabalevsky
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: yes

After installing Power 8, a Start button immediately appeared in the corner of the screen. True, it was different in appearance from the one we are used to seeing in Windows: the size of the new button is identical to the key for minimizing all windows, located in the lower right corner of the taskbar. If you are not satisfied with such “minimalism”, it’s okay - in the settings, as it turns out, the size of the button can be changed. Unlike many analogues, Power 8 allows you to block the start screen. Moreover, it is blocked only on the main monitor. If you use a multi-monitor configuration, the taskbar on the second desktop will still have a hot corner feature for calling up the tiled interface. If any errors are observed in the operation of the application, the button will display Exclamation point- it means that the program has detected problems in this PC configuration.

IN Power menu 8 already contains commands for controlling the reboot and shutdown of the PC. There are also some little things on the menu that make work more convenient. It is organized in such a way that many items have nested menus. For example, the user always has access to control panel items, commands from the Administration tool, and so on.

The alternative Start button menu has a search function - it works quickly, like the original Windows 7 interface element. In addition, search queries can be performed not only by local disk, but also in popular search engines. In order for the search to open in the browser window, you must enter the key before the word you are typing to use this or that search service. For example, if you enter I'm 3dnews, will start Internet Explorer with the Yandex results page for the 3dnews request. Power 8 can search Yandex, Wikipedia, Google, Bing and so on. Key parameters for online search can be viewed in the Power 8 settings.

⇡ ViStart 8 - starting with an apple

  • Developer: Lee Soft
  • Operating system: Windows 8
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: no

The Start button menu that ViStart 8 creates is, at first glance, almost indistinguishable from the one we are used to in the previous version of Windows. However, if you look closely, you can see some differences. For example, application shortcuts from the ViStart 8 menu cannot be pulled out to the taskbar to pin it, and you can’t drag the shortcut onto a button the old fashioned way to pin it to the Start menu.

Search in the menu doesn't work the best either. in the best possible way- it searches only for desktop programs, ignoring applications for Windows 8 and Control Panel items. Key Win program intercepts, and when pressed, a menu appears. In the ViStart 8 settings, support for this key can be disabled.

It is very easy to change the appearance of the Start button by specifying a graphic template with a picture. The default program contains several design options, among which there is even the Apple logo - a bitten apple.

Basic program settings are called up from the context menu, which opens by clicking on the program shortcut in the notification area. At the same time, if you disable the display of this shortcut, you can rack your brain for a long time on how to open the settings window again. It turns out that everything is simple - commands to control the program should be found in the exit menu Windows operation. Why it was necessary to make an additional shortcut and place it in the notification area is not clear, just as it is not entirely clear why the item with ViStart 8 settings should be hidden in the shutdown menu.

⇡Start 8 1.1

  • Developer: StarDock
  • Operating system: Windows 8
  • Distribution: shareware
  • Russian interface: no

Developed by the famous company StarDock, Start program 8 is able to offer almost everything that a Windows 8 user yearning for the Start menu could dream of. The menu it adds is fully integrated into the system and supports searching and launching new applications for Windows 8, as well as desktop programs.

After starting Start 8, a window appears that allows you to customize the appearance and appearance of the Start menu. You can call it later if you want to change the previously set parameters. The first thing you're asked to choose is the Start menu style. Clicking the Start button can open a Windows 7-style menu or the Windows 8 start screen.

The appearance of the button itself can be very different: it can display a flag or Windows logo 8. Also in the Start 8 arsenal is a whole set of button images familiar to users from older versions of Windows - from XP to Win7.

After you decide on the appearance of the button and menu, you can move on to its content. Start 8 may show recent menu open applications, highlight newly installed programs. You can also fully customize the links on the right side of the menu and determine what the default action will be assigned to the shutdown button.

It is very important that the contents of the Start menu are not limited only to programs for the desktop - you can also pin applications for Windows 8 to it. And search from the menu, which you are so used to Windows users 7, takes advantage of the capabilities of the new OS. It searches across all applications, settings and files.

When using Windows 8, pressing the Win key opens the Start screen. Start 8 can intercept this key so that when pressed it will open the Start menu. Moreover, it can also open if the user presses the Win key while in the new Windows 8 interface. Start Windows menu 8 can be opened by clicking on the “Start” button while simultaneously pressing the Ctrl key or by pressing the right Win key.

If hot corners bother you when working on your desktop, Start 8 can turn them off. The appearance of the pop-up start menu icon when moving the cursor to the lower left corner of the screen can also be disabled. Finally, perhaps one of the most requested features of this program is the ability to go to the desktop on boot, bypassing the start screen.

In general, despite the fact that you can find free programs With functionality like this, Start 8 is definitely worth a look. It is made very high quality and neatly, everything is “laid out on the shelves” in the interface, and it costs only 5 dollars.

⇡ Start Menu X 4.53

  • Developer: OrdinarySoft
  • Operating system: Windows 8
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: yes

Start Menu X is a new version of one of the most known alternatives Start menu in Windows. The version of this program for Windows 7 was called Start Menu 7, and the earlier edition for Vista was called Vista Start Menu. C Windows release 8, the potential audience of the program will certainly increase - previously it was only those who were not satisfied with the standard menu, but now it is everyone who lacks it.

Start Menu X offers seven different options design of the “Start” button, among which there are even images of popular characters from the game Angry Birds.

The menu itself is slightly different from the standard Start menu in Windows 7, but it has the advantage of being able to flexible settings. You can change the sizes of labels and inscriptions, you can add buttons to the first level of the menu for quick access to commands to shutdown, reboot, send the computer to sleep mode, and other things. As in the standard Windows 7 menu, there is a search for installed programs, files and folders. However, applications for Windows 8 are not displayed in the index.

One of interesting opportunities Start Menu X - virtual groups. If you enable their use, five groups will appear at the top of the menu: “Graphics”, “Internet” and so on. The program will try to arrange installed applications independently, but you can also classify programs as different groups manually. True, you cannot create new groups - this opportunity is available only to those who wish to upgrade to the Pro version.

⇡ Classic Shell 3.6.2

  • Developer:
  • Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: yes

Program Classic Shell, like Start Menu X, was developed as an alternative to the standard Start menu of previous versions of Windows, but with the release of Windows 8 it gained new life. It has a number of new features designed specifically for users new version systems. And a special section was even added to the settings, which is called Windows 8. However, it has nothing to do with the “Start” button - here you can configure the transition to the desktop (bypassing the start screen) at startup and disable “hot” Windows 8 corners.

There are three options for designing the Start button: Metro, Aero and Classic. You can also use any image suitable size. You can call up the Start menu or Windows 8 start screen by pressing the Win key, pressing Shift+Win, clicking on the Start menu, or clicking while holding down Shift key. Additionally, the Start menu or Start screen may appear when you hover over the button area.

The menu itself can be the same as it was in Windows XP or Windows 7. It configures the display of special elements in the area on the right: links to “My Computer”, to latest documents, to “Favorites”. The menu may also display a command to turn off the computer.

Start menu search from Classic Shell works fine. With this search string You can find not only installed desktop programs, but also control panel items, as well as applications for Windows 8.

⇡ Win8StartButton 1.0.0.5: this could be a button

  • Developer: Deskmodder.de
  • Operating system: Windows 8
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: no

Habit is a terrible thing. For many who are dissatisfied with the missing Start button, the important thing is not that they lost convenient tool to launch applications. For some users, the Start button is something like a Feng Shui talisman: it stands in the corner of the screen - and let it stand, either for good luck, or for order. At least, this is exactly how the German developer who created the Win8StartButton utility should have reasoned. Its Start button doesn't open a familiar menu, but it does link to a tiled menu that appears when pressed. The new Windows 8 menu in this program has been redesigned so as not to occupy the entire screen. It turned out to be some kind of parody of the old menu, which, it seems to us, makes little sense.

The only plus is the convenient shutdown of the computer thanks to the shortcuts placed in this menu. The utility also responds to pressing the Win key.

It should be added that the program does not work very stably and sometimes mysteriously freezes, not responding to commands.

⇡ StartMenu8 2.0 Beta

  • Developer: IObit
  • Operating system: Windows 8
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: no

Externally, StartMenu8 looks pretty good, standard icon fits well into the general interface of Windows 8, and the menu looks classic, without unnecessary decorations. However, other than this, StartMenu8 has nothing special to boast about. The capabilities of this utility are very modest. The program can individually disable the “hot corners” of the screen, as well as block pop-up sidebar with new system controls. In the settings, you can set the start screen to automatically skip, which appears to the user after Windows startup 8.

The utility responds to pressing the Win key, but the process of drawing the menu itself is imperfect and sometimes lags. The built-in search is also limited - it is performed only on items that are listed in the menu.

The button design can be changed - to one of the alternative ones included in StartMenu8, or to a custom one. Instructions for developing a button design can be found on the official forum of the program.

⇡ Wentutu Windows8 Start Menu - it couldn’t be simpler

  • Developer: Wentutu.com
  • Operating system: Windows 8
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: no

The previous utility had a minimum of settings, but this one has none at all. Its only advantage is that it is free. The menu is standard, the search works, as in the case of StartMenu8, with restrictions. The only difference is the button interface, which, however, can be changed to another standard means program is impossible.

Windows8 Start Menu items cannot be arranged, you can only attach shortcuts individual applications to the main level of the Start menu. The start screen is not blocked, and the utility itself takes longer to launch similar programs this review.

⇡ Convenient Start Menu 1.73 - a program with a “convenient” name

  • Developer: ChemTable Software
  • Operating system: Windows 7, 8
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: yes

The features of the next utility were influenced by the fact that this program was created long before the advent of Windows 8. Its name speaks for itself - “ Convenient menu Start". Initially, this program was positioned as an alternative to the standard menu, and with the release of an OS version without a Start button, its value increased. The program does not have some of the shortcomings of the standard menu, and in this we see its main advantage over similar “clones”.

The utility works very quickly and stably, so it may well deserve a good recommendation. True, the principle of creating a menu in this application is quite specific - it differs from what we see in other “Start” button substitutes. IN in this case programs are grouped into categories, and this happens automatically. Applications such as Opera, Internet Explorer, Chrome are placed in a directory called “Internet”, popular players to the “Music and Videos” folder and so on. The program also has the ability to manually sort applications - you can manage categories, create new ones and edit existing ones. This sorting principle makes it possible to work with a small menu.

Another feature of the utility is to control the scale of the displayed list. This small detail turns out to be very convenient function, especially on screens with high resolution when the inscriptions become small and difficult to read.

The creators of the utility forgot to make adjustments to the interface, so in Windows 8 the application is terminated using the “Return to standard Start menu” command. In a sense, this is logical - after all, there is nothing to return to, and the program ends its work.

⇡ Spesoft Free Windows 8 Start Menu

  • Developer: Spesoft
  • Operating system: Windows 8
  • Distribution: free
  • Russian interface: no

One of the problems that hinders many developers is the lack of imagination, which does not allow them to come up with an original interface for their program or at least give it unusual name. Before us is another Windows 8 Start Menu, this time from Spesoft.

The Start button menu is drawn very slowly - smoothly and beautifully, with a transparent effect. The Start screen shortcut is not blocked, so pressing the Win key or accidentally clicking next to the Start button launches the standard Windows 8 tiled interface.

Windows 8 Start Menu from Spesoft uses its menu to control shutdown and reboot commands. If you click on the “Shutdown” button in the program menu, a menu for the visually impaired will appear on the screen, consisting of huge buttons - “Reboot”, “Sleep mode”, “Change user” and so on. Despite the comical size of these elements, this shutdown window interface is very convenient. In such a window, even a very tired user will not miss the desired button.

Once again we have to admit that the search option is implemented with a limited scanning area - there is no search for “tiled” applications, “Control Panel” items, and so on.

Judging by the commands in the program's context menu, any Start menu shortcut can be pinned to it or placed on the taskbar. However, the “pin to taskbar” command did not work for us, which is not in favor stable operation utilities.

⇡ Conclusion

Here’s a paradox: they say that you get used to good things quickly. But for some reason, users still can’t get used to the “good” Windows 8 interface and are looking for ways to return it to “the way it was.” This begs the question: maybe the developers shouldn’t have had a new operating system cut from the shoulder? Perhaps it was necessary to gradually bring to mind the need for a new interface - in the eighth version it was possible to leave the button next to the “tiled” interface, and next time, perhaps, remove it altogether. Then, you see, there would be fewer of those who are dissatisfied with the innovations.

It is impossible to enter the same water twice. Despite the fact that many of the utilities presented in this review allow you to compensate for the missing Start button, none of them is completely perfect, they all have some shortcomings - some are large, some are minor . Well, maybe it’s for the best that there is no ideal alternative. Windows is changing, and if you don't keep up with all the changes, you may one day be horrified to discover that you have no idea how to turn off your new PC. But, as one popular movie character said, “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

At the request of workers and for those who do not like the fact that in Windows 8 the developers abandoned the Start menu we were familiar with in Windows 98, this article was written. Still, Windows 8 has become extensive and can be seen not only in PCs, netbooks and laptops, but also in tablets and all-in-one PCs. And since they provide touch input, then such a Start menu would only make work more difficult (IMHO). It was simply replaced with the new Metro interface. In this article, I will look at ways to return the Start menu to Windows 8, and also, “sweet” - how to return the toolbar =)

Here's what Microsoft senior program manager Chaitanya Sareen said about it - Data collected through the program Customer Experience Improvement Program allowed the company to conclude that the use of the Start menu has been steadily declining. Users no longer open Start to launch a program - they pin everything at the bottom to the bottom bar and quickly get to everything else through search. "We're on a path to opening up a whole new set of use cases," Sarin added, describing the Metro screen in Windows 8.

Still, standard means cannot be used here; you need to resort to the help of utilities. In this case, I will only consider 4, but they are worthwhile.

And although I lied a little - you can return it using standard methods without using Start menu programs, but only if you have the first version Windows 8 Developer Preview (preview version Windows 8), and in subsequent versions of the operating system this can no longer be done, since Metro is now included in Explorer.exe.

So, in the Developer Preview Metro version, it was possible to remove the Metro interface only by deleting the shsxs.dll file, or rather, disabling it. Now I will describe how to do this.

1 - Launch the Run utility by pressing the key combination WIN+R.

We agree to a warning from Account Control


2 - Then open the editor by typing regedit in the field Open and pressing the Enter key.


3 - Go to the registry branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer and double-click on Explorer.


4 - In the right panel of the registry editor, find the item RPEnabled, right-click on it and select the Modify... item from the menu.


If this item is not there, then look under the spoiler.

Well, of course - if it doesn’t exist, then you need to create it


Then you need to change it


Specify the value 0 and Click OK


Go to point 6
5 - In the dialog box that opens, change the field Value Data from 1 to 0 and press the button OK to save changes.


6 - Reboot the PC and after this the Start menu in Windows 8 should change to classic.


In order to return the Start menu to the previous Metro style, you need to perform the same operation, but in step 5 return the value 1 in the dialog box.

Well, if you don’t have this version of Windows 8, but want to return to the usual classic menu Start, then let's look at ways using utilities.

By the way, the famous columnist computer world- Paul Tarrott, expressed the opinion that Microsoft has a negative attitude towards the fact that some applications artificially return the Start button to Windows 8. But this does not bother us

1) Installing the classic Start menu using the ViStart utility
This app was originally designed for those who wanted to add a Windows 7-style Start button to Windows XP, and now it works on Windows 8.
Please note that during installation ViStart will prompt you to change in your browser search engine, home page and wants to install various advertising modules from Yandex. I recommend refusing this by unchecking all three boxes.



At the next stage, ViStart will again offer to install some third-party software(RegClean) – refuse by clicking on the button Decline


Once the installation is complete, you will see the Start button return to the taskbar.



Clicking on it will open the familiar Start menu. The menu even displays your most frequently used programs. But there is one nuance - it has not yet been rksified. To do it in Russian, go to the folder with the program and run Language Changer and select Russian:


Restart the program and the language should change to Russian


Another nice bonus of ViStart is that pressing the Windows button on your keyboard opens the Start menu rather than the Metro-style Start screen. However, the Start screen can still be opened by moving the cursor to the bottom-left corner of the screen or through the Charm bar that appears when hovering the cursor at the top-right or bottom-right corners of the screen.
.

2) Installing the classic Start menu using the Start8 utility


The utility has an interface and design that most closely matches the Start button - it feels as if this button never went away, and only needed to be activated. After installing the utility, a button appears in its usual place, completely repeating the functionality of the Start button from Windows 7, only adapted to the design of Windows 8. To get to the settings, you need to right-click on the icon and select the appropriate item in the menu that appears. Commands are also available by right click Execute And Shutdown.


In the settings you can specify one of two menu design styles, you can disable/enable its transparency, and set an icon.


Stardock Start8 provides the ability to fully customize all Start menu options:
- You can choose large or small icon size
- Allow recently used apps to be displayed
- Highlighting installed programs
- Display various shortcuts indicating user data (Audio, Video, Documents, Downloads, Images, Games, Favorites, and many others)
- Define what action the power button should perform (shutdown, exit, change user, lock, reboot, hibernate, sleep).


You can set the behavior of the button - open the standard Windows 8 start screen or the Start menu. You can combine these functions, for example, by pressing a button, open a menu, and by pressing Ctrl + button open the Windows 8 start screen.
Stardock Start8 also allows you to manage new interface functions, disabling them if you do not use them (disable interactive screen corners and the charm bar, both all and each function separately). Well, in addition to everything, the utility can determine the behavior of active areas when working in different interfaces. For example, when working in full screen mode tablet computer you can leave everything Windows features 8, and when switching to desktop mode, disable them.


Well, for the most ardent enemies of the new Windows 8 interface, there are settings that regulate the display of applications running in full-screen Modern UI mode - you can hide their icons from the menu, and also immediately go to the desktop when the system boots.
Thus Stardock Start8 is one of the most convenient programs, returning the full functionality of the Start button in Windows 8, and allowing flexible management of new interface functions, even including their disabling. Naturally, Stardock Start8 only works on Windows 8 (all versions except Windows RT).

3) Installing the classic Start menu using the Classic Shell utility
This program can install not only the classic Start menu, but also the one that was in Windows XP and Windows 7.


After installation, the program starts automatically, completely replacing the menu in its best “old” form, more familiar to the Windows interface. This replacement may be useful for owners of netbooks, whose screen sizes and resolutions are traditionally smaller than those of laptops and desktops. Also, a classic-style menu can save a little resources on not too much productive computers. Well, the most important advantage of the program is that it satisfies the needs of accountant aunts who want everything to be as before, period!
Besides the change appearance Classic Shell main menu also includes classic look Explorer toolbar,


as well as a status line.


The last step is to run the program in automatic mode.
Right-click on the "Start" button and select "Run at startup."
After restarting the computer and going to the desktop, the Start button is in its usual place.

That's all. I think we have sorted out this issue. Well, now - sweetie

Create a Toolbar with programs on the taskbar

Not everyone knows this, but it turns out that in Windows you can create a toolbar with the contents of the folder with installed programs Those. we can create a pseudo start menu without installing third party software.

So let's get started. Right-click on the taskbar, in the context menu that opens, move the mouse cursor to the item Toolbars(Panels) and then select New toolbar(Create toolbar).


Copy and paste the following line into the address bar in the Choose a folder window:

%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs



And when you press the button Select Folder(Select folder), you will see a menu on the taskbar Programs(Programs).


If you want to move the new menu to a different location on the taskbar, simply right-click on the taskbar and uncheck Lock the taskbar, and then drag the mouse cursor to the desired location on the taskbar.

Hello, friends. Many of you know that Windows 8 does not have a Start button. This fact leads, after installation, to a little confusion. You need to go somewhere, start working somewhere, or at least start understanding the new operating system. But there is no main button. So I immediately had questions about turning off the computer. The solution took about five minutes. After a few days, the new implementation of the Start menu in Windows 8 has already become familiar. If you use the mouse wheel, it’s absolutely a bomb. I no longer want to go back to the previous version of Windows. But! There are users who, on the contrary, do not like this innovation. How to be in this case. The solution is in the article windows 8 start

There are many software products that can solve the problem with the Start button in Windows 8. It is not possible to consider all of them. Let's look at a few of the most common and naturally free ones.

Installer size: ~900 KB

Download and install this utility. When installing, you need to be careful and click Decline in the window below. Otherwise, Yandex bar will be installed.

And in the next window we also click Decline, otherwise you can install RegClean Pro. Probably something like CCleaner

The program website opens which you can close and a window appears in which we click Next

After these manipulations, the long-awaited Start button in Windows 8. The expanded menu looks like this:

The program immediately intercepts pressing the Windows button on the keyboard. If you want to open the standard Start menu, you need to move the mouse cursor to the bottom left corner all the way. The Start menu icon will appear and click on it. The Vistart icon also appears in the notification area.

By right-clicking on it you can go to the program settings. Uncheck the Show icon in taskbar box.

As you can see there are no settings, but they are by and large and are not needed. The program performs its function of restoring the Start menu in Windows 8. The operating speed is decent; no brakes were noticed. The only thing is that the search does not work quite correctly and cannot be launched Windows applications 8. Together with Vistart, ViUpdater is installed, which is also easy to get rid of right away.

Installer size: ~4.5 MB

Download and install. During the installation process, you can choose to use the program with a mouse or for a touch screen.

By default, the Skip opening the standard Start menu when booting Windows. Choose what suits you best; you can change this value in the settings.

Open menu Windows Start 8 performed by Start Menu X in my case looks like this.

I reinstalled it twice and still the menu is shifted to the right. You can adjust the size of the Start menu that opens. For this there is a “handle” on the right top corner. There is a zoom function that will help you customize it for yourself. After installation, an icon also appears in the notification area from which you can also access the program settings. I couldn't turn it off. You can choose a different design for the Start button.

Start Menu X intercepts Windows button presses. So, everything works properly, but it’s unusual. When uninstalling the program asked to reboot.

Power 8 - Windows 8 with a Start button from a domestic manufacturer

The ClassicShellSetup_3_6_5 installer weighs: ~ 8.4 MB You can download it from the official website by clicking on the button below

During installation there are no unnecessary programs and services. The installation completion button looks correct. Additional icons There are no notifications in the notification area. The program intercepts Windows button clicks. In my case Windows 8 Start menu expanded Classic Shell looks like this

When you right-click on the Start button, a context menu is called up.

From where you can conveniently launch Explorer and go to Settings. The default language is Russian, the Start menu is in Russian, but the settings remain in English. I tried other languages, but the settings are still in English. A very nice feature is saving settings in an XML file, which can be loaded on another computer without wasting time.

On the Style Menu Start tab, you can select three menu options: Windows 95 Style, Windows XP Style, and Windows 7 Style. You will need to restart the program to apply the settings.

In general, the Classic Start Menu program copes with its task perfectly. No braking was noticed, as in the previous case. Search works correctly. The only negative is the menu is in English, but it is quite understandable and will not be difficult to understand.

Conclusion

In the article Windows 8 Start we learned how to return the Start button to the latest version of the operating system Windows systems. It is not possible to return this button using Windows 8 tools, so I had to resort to additional programs. It is worth noting that all utilities presented in small review coped with their task. - not bad, but during installation it asks to install additional ones, unnecessary programs . By default, Viupdater is installed with it, the task of which is to check for updates to the programs you have installed. Its necessity is doubtful and therefore it is better to remove it immediately. Start Menu X installs without unnecessary programs, but by default the menu is shifted to the right, which is not very convenient and leads to additional mouse movements. The menu itself is also a little unusual. Power 8 — by default, after installation it has an unsightly appearance. Required before setup. The impressions from slow work the menu itself. It's noticeable and annoying. Classic Start Menu . The installation is clean without additional programs . After installation, by default, everything works fine. Fast, plus you can choose different types

What is progress in the field of operating systems? Improvement or decline? Does everyone agree with the unshakable rules of progress that dictate their principles and force one to abandon the familiar and, so to speak, deeply beloved interface? And you?

It would be absolutely fair to note that not all of Microsoft's bells and whistles evoke a feeling of satisfaction among users: let us remember the release of the long-awaited Windows 8 operating system, which became a breakthrough and a huge leap in the popularity of Windows family systems, attracting users with its updated design And functional differences from other Microsoft creations.

The most distinguishing feature, looking at which one could immediately say that this is exactly what we are looking at or its predecessors - the metro style. Not everyone immediately appreciated the convenience of the metro, and many, including me, would like to see the informative “Start” button again. We will not talk about all the advantages or disadvantages of the metro design, but we will discuss how to return the “Start” menu button familiar to many.

Let me clarify right away that the standard using Windows it is impossible to return the usual start menu, but nothing (and no one) deprives us of the opportunity to install third party programs, which would complement the usual functions of the Start menu as on Windows 7, XP or even 2000.

The most popular and multifunctional program to add a classic Start button on Windows 8 - Classic Shell. This software is distributed under a Free license, which does not impose any restrictions on use on the user and does not require a purchase.

Let's get started!

  1. Go to the manufacturer’s website and download software(If you have difficulty with the English language, then immediately follow the link http://www.classicshell.net/translations/ and download the executable file Russian versions. Let's start the installation. This is easy to do - open the file you just downloaded.

2nd step. Click the “Next” button and agree to the terms license agreement and click “Next”.

3rd step. A window will appear in which you need to select the program components to install. If you need to add (return) only the Start menu button, then we exclude all other components and leave only the “Classic Start Menu”. Click “Next” and the “Install” button. We are waiting for the program installation process to complete.

By the way, we can return at any time previous settings installer if we click on the “Back” button.

4th step. If no errors occurred and the installation was completed successfully, congratulations, you have now returned the Start button to Windows 8. Click on the button and customize the appearance.

By the way, don’t be surprised that after the first press of the button, it was not the Start menu that opened, but settings Classic programs Shell - this happens only once and is necessary for preliminary adjustment of the program.

We see the settings window in which we can "Change Start Button Image"(or make a drawing yourself using a graphics editor), select the appropriate menu design style (3 styles in total: classic, classic with two columns and Windows 7 style). Switch between tabs. At the top there is a point ( "Show all options"), after marking which will appear hidden tabs with settings.

Accent="">"Cover" contains start menu skins that can be easily changed in just a few clicks. You configure all the settings that seem important to you and use the Start menu in Windows 8.

5th step. We've sorted out the installation and configuration of the program, now we need to change some visual parameters the operating system itself, so that the operation of the Classic Shell program does not interfere with the usual Windows actions. The first thing we will do is correct the position of the taskbar. We need a standard button Start Windows 8 did not overlap ours new button Start menu and/or vice versa.

Opening "Taskbar and Navigation Properties" Windows 8 and change "Taskbar position on screen". Example: if it is convenient for you when the panel is on the left, select this option from the list.