Is it possible to replace Windows 8 Start Screen with third party app

[Ambition]

I want help to change the start screen of Windows 8. It is not at all easy to use in many ways. I had tried to find options for removing the same, but still that did not worked out. I want some help to get rid of Windows 8 start screen and get more simple interface. I hope that is possible in Windows 8. Is there any software available that can do this.

[Elucidation]

No there is nothing available like that. Windows 8 comes with integrated interface that is complicated to change. I had seen a number of sites which shows up customizing this new operating system. But that did not worked out much.

[Aaron007]

We need to wait for sometime. This OS is not yet fully launched. Still many are not able to use this properly due to new look. The major change that Microsoft did is removed the start menu. And the desktop which provides looks a bit dull. I had seen everything inside settings and support but there are nothing listed. In this forums I had found way to get a bit classic look on this OS. It is called as Classic Shell. You can use this to get a bit traditional type look on Windows 8. With this old look you can work on Start Menu, view files in folder, etc. It does not offer you great support but good enough to work on this OS. And I believe that this is not at all worth to use Windows 8 if you want to do this kind of major changes. I had a dual boot system. I got a cheap upgrade of Windows 8, but I had not gone for that. Instead of that working on the CP is better as we can get rid of that if not needed. Windows 8 is fine but the new interface does not allow us to do much. We cannot keep shortcuts easily and they are not visible.

The screen reminds me more of fences. It offer you block type storage to keep the icons on the screen. Instead of putting this new Metro UI, Microsoft must have given us a new OS with more new features. I had seen people working on Windows for years, but due to this major changes they are not at all willing to go for new edition. There must be some kind of integrated option to disable this metro ui and return to the old menu back.

[karan_star]

I am using Classic Shell. This works quiet well on Windows 8. It gives you a a bit old look, you can use get use to the OS. It is right to some extent that if we buy a OS like Windows 8 and modify the same to old look, then it is not at all worth to buy.

[Lyandon]

I am not sure about disabling the start screen, but I can provide you a start menu application for Windows 8. There are number of them available. One of them is wentutu windows 8 start menu. This is a new kind of start menu interface that gives a better support for using application in Windows. Compared to Classic Shell, this is a bit different and better. It has a Windows 8 type start button and programs listed. It loads up on the metro ui I think. This is one of the simplest and easy to use.

You can use the regular shortcut that we use in Windows to load the desktop which is windows key + d. What I like about this start menu that it is designed in metro ui form. While classic shell is quiet more basic. This does not give you a simple rich look. The color and other stuff are too dull compared to others. Along with the start menu you will also get a toolbar which will help you to search for files and application inside the system. I will advice you to test this once on windows 8. Till yet there is no error I had seen. When you install any app it got listed in the start menu. It is very much similar to Windows 7 start menu. We can expect to get a much better output from. There are very less apps that can provide you option for changing Windows 8 look.

[Bhadrakapil]

I am too using Windows 8 and there is no option by which you can make changes to the theme. Stick with that you are or try getting use to the new interface. And if you are fedup with the same switch back to Windows 7.

[GK knowledge]

If we check the customization feature in Windows 7, then Windows 8 looks a way behind. There are still a very few numbers of applications that really work fully on Windows 8. I do not know what Microsoft really did to this. There will be app in future that can help you to make changes to the existing theme or look. But still we need to wait back to find what actually it can give us. The last thing that I had tested on Windows 8 is using Start8. This is another start menu that you can go for. Instead of getting themes or transformation pack we are getting start menu applications.

This clearly shows that Windows 8 has no start menu or classic support available. You have to pin the apps on the Metro UI making it easy for everyone to access. It is very simple if you use the same for some while. I had checked that. I got time to learn this out, but later on it started working well. So we have only options that we can go for is installing a 3rd party stat menu. That really works fine, but still metro ui is a bit complicated to use. It is light and easy to use. There is transformation pack yet available that you can go for. I am using a number of docks on it that work well. I kept a folder on the desktop and pin the same to the metro ui, that's all.

[servan$]

Docks are same like using a different menu. I am not figure out why people are finding Windows 8 so complicated. It is better and nice interface that has yet not seen in any other operating system.

[|Gyani|]

I has seen some transformation pack on web that intend to convert Windows 8 to Windows 7. One of them is provided by Windows X Live. This transformation pack allows you to make changes in interface. Like you add and remove components in much easier way. I had not tested that. I had found another transformation pack that allows you to turn your Windows 7 pc to Windows 8, so that is not worth at all.

The one that I saw allows you to modify the setup of Windows 8 and making it a much more easier to use.