How to setup Classics Start Menu on Windows 8

[Vrijesh]

It looks that Start Menu disappeared in Windows 8. Whatever you have is the Metro UI to access application. I want that thing back. I checked in all settings but still did not found anything about it. Can anyone help me to get back classic start menu in Windows 8.

[Agamjot]

Windows 8 operates in entirely a new interface. It is quiet nicely made and the Metro UI is much easier to understand. You can find all the application listed under My Apps.

Actually we are used to desktop and start menu type interface.

[intoxicating]

It is possible to get a start menu but that can be done through a folder type stuff. It looks Microsoft has officially removed start menu from Windows. The desktop looks too dull. I had did this to quickly access some of my apps. I had created a shortcut of each application that I had installed in my system. Copied them inside a folder and then hooked up a icon on the task bar. It is just like making a quick launch folder. Just right click on the task bar and then click on Toolbar > new and click on the folder in which we had kept all the shortcuts. This is not the real start menu but worth enough. It looks Microsoft has giving Windows 8 entirely a different kind of looking making it very different compared to Windows 7.

It is fine to get new interface, but the same must not be so complicated to understand. There are many things which are missing in Windows 8. I checked all the settings in Control Panel where to find that Start Menu exist or not but nothing is found. Now the only start menu that we are having is Metro UI. At the front part it shows you most used programs while My Apps list give you all installation application. One more weird thing I notice that you cannot exist a application easily in it. In Task Manager there are many things which shows still working. There are ample of dock you can try out for getting easy shortcuts of apps.

[DENALII]

Getting shortcuts of app is not the only thing we needed. I am looking for interface like Windows 7 where we can have the traditional start menu for accessing files. The desktop is also very simple and basic.

[Tejapaala]

The start menu is available in Windows 8 but it is not given on the desktop.The above method which shows you to create manual icons and then make your own launcher can also help you to get start menu. But I cannot provide you to method of placing on right location. It can be towards the left or right side. You can drag to change the position. But default this thing appears on the right side ahead of system tray. For that right click on the task bar and then click on Toolbar > New Toolbar. You can see a popup window on your screen. In that top address bar type \Start Menu in the end.

Now this is a kind of new folder created. You have to one by one create a shortcut of each things that you need. You can then drag them inside this folder and done. Your start menu is ready. Other than this there are some easy to use docks that you can use. This docks are loaded with icons of application that we usually install. One of them in Objectdock. It is simply and easy to use. I had not tested them on Windows 8, and unsure about the performance, but I think to some extent this is going to help really.

[Crista]

There is no start menu and those methods are quiet useless. Instead of messing around with all this stuff better try to use My Apps. It has everything listed in it. Also on Metro UI you can see ample of icons listed well.

[Lyric]

It does not looks Microsoft is planing to bring back the old start menu one more time. I had seen many processes on web which says method of using the old start menu back. But ample of them are involved with the same manual way of copy pasting shortcut one by one. There are some helpful video also. The only issue with this menus are updates. If you install any new application it is not automatically associated in the start menu. You have to create a manual shortcut and then install it. Now the only tool I found on web that offers you a simple start menu application is ViStart. You can download and install it. It will add the same round start button on Desktop.

Yet it is tested on Windows 8 and it worked well, but there is some issue with the theming and other stuff. I am not sure how it really works, but there is someway it addsup all the shortcut as per application installed. I am looking for more this kind of applications that tell me about using start menu and more than that getting a simple interface like windows 7. Is there are theme or transformation pack that can convert Windows 8 to Windows 7 making it a better and easy to work.

[Gaalib]

I found a tool in this forum which was based on using Classic Shell. You can try this thing to get the old Windows interface. I had heard from many that this thing is quiet buggy in many ways.

[#4]

Classic Shell provides you Windows old interface back. The same start menu, and folder explorer. I do not know how this really work, but it offers a nicer way to work on. It is available for free. And I on the official site it is listed that it works well on Windows 8. If you are fed with that metro ui and other new interface you can try this out making your Windows a bit more better for usage.