As it Turns Out, You can Make a Start Menu Easily

I found that the "God Mode Folder" idea also works with other CLSID's. You can give a folder any name you want followed by a CLSID and it will become a link to something. Apparently, as we're all finding, that kind of link can't be made a toolbar. But if it's INSIDE a toolbar it can work.

The trick is this: If an item of that kind inside a toolbar is VISIBLE as an icon on your Taskbar, clicking it will only open a folder in a window. But if it's NOT visible and you click the arrow to see it, it will cascade through all subfolders -- like the old Start Menu.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2460-start-menu-toolbar-create-windows-8-taskbar.html

So that provides another way to get a cascading all-programs toolbar, by creating a new folder with the name

MYSM.{7BE9D83C-A729-4D97-B5A7-1B7313C39E0A}

(That's the CLSID of the Windows-generated "Programs Folder" which is a combination of both Start Menus.)

Create it in the Quick Launch folder, or in any other folder that is already being displayed as a toolbar. (Or put it on the Desktop and it will appear in the Desktop toolbar.) Then close up the toolbar so your new "MYSM" icon is invisible. When you click the arrow to show it, you'll get a menu-type display of the entire contents -- including those that don't appear in the Programs Folder itself.

This is cool. I had a folder on my desktop called Programs used as Toolbar where I moved my desktop icons. I renamed your folder Start and moved it into my folder. Now I have a Programs Toolbar with frequently used icons plus a folder Start with all the start menu stuff.

It seems that by default new stuff added to my Programs folder is shown at the bottom of the toolbar(can be dragged into alpha order or whatever) so I'll just leave the Start folder at the bottom.