How to get the Start menu back in Windows 8

[wingman99]

I was wondering what utilitie is the best in this article link posted here, also if people have tried the different utilities and what they liked or disliked, also is there any adware the article does not include?

How to get the Start menu back in Windows 8
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33642_7-57496506-292/how-to-get-the-start-menu-back-in-windows-8/

 

[jazon1]

I haven't bothered trying win8 yet as i feel like a beta tester every other OS MS comes out with lol.
But looking at that page i think "Win8 StartButton" looks the closest to classic start menu

 

[wingman99]

Yeah i'm getting a new laptop and the new ones come with windows 8. I hate metro there is no place for all my favorites in Explorer 10, I have hundreds.

I was thinking the same thing Win8 StartButton looks the best.

 

[jazon1]

maybe upgrade it to win7 til they come out with win9 lol.
win8 looks fine for a slate/tablet but not a day to day main pc IMO.

 

[Alaric]

I used this http://www.totalidea.com/8startbutton/ Worked as advertised. No issues with the free version at all. Probably would have gotten the paid version if I hadn't gone back to Win 7.

 

[redduc900]

Classic Shell
http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

... free, open source, and full customizability.

 

[TeknoBug]

My mother called me up yesterday and told me she got Windows 8 and installed it, and I got her to go get Start8 (told her to get the 30 day trial but she bought it) and she couldn't run that so I got her to try classic shell- classic shell is probably the best, I use it sometimes in Windows 7 on my laptop for a smaller neater interface but from what I read it's probably the best one to go with for Windows 8.

 

[wingman99]

I used this http://www.totalidea.com/8startbutton/ Worked as advertised. No issues with the free version at all. Probably would have gotten the paid version if I hadn't gone back to Win 7.

Why did you go back to windows 7?

 

[Alaric]

I was using the RTM and couldn't justify paying for 8 (already had 7). I was also peeved that Media Center is now an option , at extra cost , since I have a TV tuner card in my computer. I have a free product key for MC , and I may end up getting W8 just to have a spare , legit , OS laying around. I have an old Intel chip and may build a LGA 775 system for it in the near future. Says a lot about my take on W8 that I'm only considering it because I don't want to waste a QX9650 ES. LOL
Still have Win 8 on my wife's laptop and she likes it (coming from Vista) , but she is using a third party app for a Start Button and didn't care for the Metro UI at all.

 

[Tarl]

So far I'm loving Windows 8.....once you get rid of that ugly METRO interface. I tried afew of the "start button" FREE programs that give you back the start button/menu. I have settled on classic shell for my needs. Works and looks great. Windows 8 is very acceptable to me with classic shell installed. Till about January you can sign up for the windows media center at Microsoft and get this addition for FREE.

 

[Slovakbrit]

I have to say that I have used Win 8 for a while and now I have settled with the Metro, now it may be that as a photographer I am not skipping from one application to the next but I always had all my icons on the taskbar anyway, this is just a move in a different direction but we all have our preferences, I never used the start menu since it came out with Win 95, I always cleared it out, put everything on the taskbar

 

[DigitalNinja]

I have been using Start8 for a while. It's pretty light on resources and manipulates the Windows 7 start menu very well.

 

[wingman99]

I have been using Win8 StartButton, what does classic shell do that people like more?

 

[Tarl]

Actually those two (2) programs are practically identical...even down to their version numbers and settings menu. So it's personal preference at this time. I tested so many...I just stuck with Classic Shell. I'm not where I can check (I don't have access to the files here) but I know I tested another one that was just a re-badged version of Classic Shell just with a different name.

 

[wingman99]

Thanks for the information.