FEATURED Are you using Classic Shell with Windows 10?

[EarthDog]

Classic Shell™ is free software that improves your productivity, enhances the usability of Windows and empowers you to use the computer the way you like it. The main features are:
-Highly customizable start menu with multiple styles and skins
-Quick access to recent, frequently-used, or pinned programs
-Find programs, settings, files and documents
-Start button for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
-Toolbar and status bar for Windows Explorer
-Caption and status bar for Internet Explorer

That being said, are you using Classic Shell with your installation of Windows 10?





This thread/poll was requested by Storm-chaser...

 

[EarthDog]

I voted "NO". W10 works fine for my uses on the machine and doesn't require any changes or custom setups.

It took some getting used to, years ago when it was released, however all the options I need are there and easy to find/in logical locations. I wouldn't look back.

 

[Mandrake4565]

I do not use it, I'm like ED. W10 works for me but I wouldn't exactly say I am one that really dives into an operating system.

 

[Johan45]

Like I posted earlier, just like any new OS there's a bit of a learning curve. I just bit the bullet and used it. Still do in it's plain form which has changed a bit (thanks for removing the tiles MS) so my vote was NO

 

[storm-chaser]

I personally have used it since the Windows 8 days where MS really threw us off with the metro style start menu.

I have grown accustom to utilizing it and find it a calming presence in an otherwise unfamiliar landscape.

I am interested in feedback from forum members so I appreciate the input guys.

 

[freakdiablo]

Voted yes but needs a "sometimes". Use it both on my desktop (Win10) and MSI laptop (8.1), but have a little Lenovo Miix 2-in-1 with Win10 that I keep the stock UI on since I actually use it in tablet mode a fair amount. With a touchscreen I'll admit I'm OK with the tile interface but with a mouse and keyboard just couldn't get the hang of it.

 

[don256us]

Personally I'm not even interested. 1) as a support tech, I'm not going to get all of my clients to use it so I need to learn the OS natively. 2) What happens when these programs are no longer valid for a future OS? I'll learn what they give me and complain about what I don't like.

 

[MattNo5ss]

I don't use it.

I just remove all the pins from the start menu and resize the menu to as narrow as possible, that makes it very similar to the classic start menu. Plus, right clicking the start button (window) gives me quick access to pretty much any advanced settings I may need.

 

[Alaric]

I had it installed on my girlfriend's W10 notebook because she likes Windows 8 and the wonky Start menu. Go figure. After I installed a clean version of W10 on the notebook she just left it alone, hardly, if ever, uses it anymore. Even without the Dell bloatware a 32 GB soldered storage "solution" won't even hold an updated W10. If I get around to working on it again I'll use Classic Shell just because I hate W10.

 

[petteyg359]

I use it mainly for the Explorer replacement. [Fiile] Explorer in Win10 is broken for both at home and at work (where they have 10 Enterprise), and if I sit with a file explorer window open and create/rename/delete files in another application, file explorer never refreshes the view. Classic Shell's replacement never has that problem.

 

[storm-chaser]

To give you a sense of how my desktop looks check these images out. I typically set up all my Win 10 computers with a similar configuration. I.e. core temp, cpu load and enable "show all notification icons" in the notification area. I also restore the quick launch folder for quick access to folders.

Guess I'm just set in my ways and Im going to use classic shell/quick launch until it's rendered obsolete...




EDIT: What's cool is you can switch back to the standard windows 10 start menu in a flash. See first pic.

 

[wagex]

voted YES, i like having "this pc" settings documents and stuff like that there and none of the tiles for windows store junk, though there might be another way to do it idk lol that and i liked the aero start menu, although with as little as i actually even use the start menu anymore i could probably just not. though on server 2012 i run it was well because of the tile start menu... then again i almost never use start menu on anything anymore, if i do i hit it, type what i want and hit enter lol.

 

[Alaric]

Guess I'm just set in my ways and Im going to use classic shell/quick launch until it's rendered obsolete...

Could be worse. That's why I have W7 on two rigs, soon to be 3. Obsolete is a state of mind.

 

[storm-chaser]

Could be worse. That's why I have W7 on two rigs, soon to be 3. Obsolete is a state of mind.

Absolutely right. Really, my only complaint with Windows 7 is the inability to run Microsoft Edge (Edge is baked into Win 10). That's it, otherwise I feel like it is just as effective for my purposes as Windows 10. Plus the aero theme is a win. I wish MS would have kept that around for Win 8/win 10.

 

[EarthDog]

You've got to be one of the few who prefer Edge over Chrome and Firefox. What drove you to such extremes?

 

[storm-chaser]

You've got to be one of the few who prefer Edge over Chrome and Firefox. What drove you to such extremes?

I embraced Edge from the start and I just kept using it, found it to be a capable and effective method for browsing the web. Suits my needs to a T. I set it to the dark theme. Google set to search provider. I do a lot of browsing on laptops / high resolution screens and I find the zoom feature to work like a charm. With Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, it's just not the same... IMO.

In theory, you could run Edge on Windows 7. But that would involve running a 4GB+ VM and I just don't think it's worth it at that point. Might as well just upgrade to Win 10.

 

[Alaric]

I keep 7 on my main rig (if Gigabyte ever gets it fixed. Ugh.) because it's my HTPC, along with my everything else, rig. My TV tuner card only works with Media Center or the manufacturer's software, which is a kludge. A lot of 10's issues can be fixed now, but it's just more work than I want to put in to an OS, and M$ has a nasty habit of undoing fixes with "updates". If I have to work that hard I'll learn Linux. Vivaldi has become my main browser throughout my rigs (Also has a handy zoom slider).

I'm not using 10 on anything now, but I'd definitely use Classic Shell if I were.

 

[Kenrou]

Every friend/customer thanked me so far for installing CS over Win8.1/Win10, either because they hate the new start menu or find it harder to navigate or simply because they don't want to change from what they have been using since they started using PC's ?

Not every change is a good change...

 

[EarthDog]

Not every change is a good change...

How does one know unless they actually give it a try?

I was in the same boat, but what (few) quirks I have, I found the ways to do it properly.

I think myself being very icon driven, the tiles and start menu which people complain about just aren't an issue. All I need to do is literally type in what I want and 9/10 it comes up and I am able to see where it is found so if I am primarily a mouser, I then know where to go.

 

[Kenrou]

How does one know unless they actually give it a try?

Your point is valid like usual but I'm going to assume they did because they asked me to "change the start menu back to the way it was" (meaning pre-metro) after using the computer for a time. Some asked me if there wasn't a way to make the start menu simpler, others that they simply hated the new "look" or functionality. One said she abhorred how Win10 managed to sneak adds into even the start menu (this was before I tried Win10 for myself, i later found out she meant the live tiles). I suggested CS because I also used it for the same reasons, I simply don't like Metro

IMHO the classic start menu from Win95/7 is still better/faster then Metro, especially when you remove the "400ms lag" that it takes to open each tab.