A List Of Start Menu Replacements for Windows 8

[mlauzon]

Added Classic Start 8.

 

[azasadny]

I've been using Classic Shell and I haven't had any issues with it at all. I recommend it to others. I like it so much that if it was a paid program, I'd pay for it!

 

[SIW2]

Don't give Ivo any ideas.

He would make a fortune even at a buck or two a time.

 

[wins]

I found ex7forW8 to be quite good and clean. It requires the Win7 installation CD to extract some files but once installed it completely disables the Start Menu and Apps Menu and Hot corners. There is no way to make both function simultaneously but you can switch to the Metro UI easily and back to classic menu. (no reboot required...just logoff/logon) Shutdown and startup time also seems to be faster when the classic menu is installed.

Download link: http://tihiy.net/files/ex7forW8_1.0.zip


ClassicShell is also good....works fine simultaneously with the Metro UI

 

[mlauzon]

I didn't included Ex7forW8 because it was deprecated by the developer, StartIsBack used to be Ex7forW8.

 

[boohbah]

i use start8, excellent and with good features.

 

[CeejayMode]

Anyway, I'm intrigued with RetroUI. Okay I dislike the actual way the start menu is laid out, but the concept of running Metro UI apps through Desktop mode is interesting. Means multiple window desktop and Modern app multitasking all through desktop. Seems worth it just for that, but I've money = no.

I'm enjoying my 5 day trial of Start8 by Stardock; Pokki seems VERY slow now. :/

 

[mlauzon]

I'm enjoying my 5 day trial of Start8 by Stardock...

They changed the trial? It was 30 days!

---------------------------------------------------------

You may want to try StartIsBack, it has a 30 day trial, unless the developer changed it.

 

[CeejayMode]

I'm enjoying my 5 day trial of Start8 by Stardock...

They changed the trial? It was 30 days!

---------------------------------------------------------

You may want to try StartIsBack, it has a 30 day trial, unless the developer changed it.

I'm positive it said 5 days when I tried it earlier today... I'll check again tomorrow morning when I'm back at home. If it's 30 days... W00T.

StartIsBack... I've heard of it, but does it still do all the stuff that Start8 does? (Booting straight to desktop, working search thingo)?

 

[mlauzon]

StartIsBack... I've heard of it, but does it still do all the stuff that Start8 does? (Booting straight to desktop, working search thingo)?

StartIsBack actually uses the official Start Menu code, etc. that was left in Win8 by Microsoft.

You could've easily answered your own questions if you went to the SiB site:

StartIsBack - real start menu in Windows 8 (Features)

StartIsBack - real start menu in Windows 8 (FAQ)

 

[CeejayMode]

StartIsBack... I've heard of it, but does it still do all the stuff that Start8 does? (Booting straight to desktop, working search thingo)?

StartIsBack actually uses the official Start Menu code, etc. that was left in Win8 by Microsoft.

You could've easily answered your own questions if you went to the SiB site:

StartIsBack - real start menu in Windows 8

StartIsBack - real start menu in Windows 8

I would if I was on my laptop and not my iPod, :s

Thanks for the links

 

[robinb9]

Don't give Ivo any ideas.

He would make a fortune even at a buck or two a time.

lol, I like classic shell out of all of them also

 

[steveb]

StartIsBack gives the most 7 like experience. Worth the few quid to filter out the Metro rubbish and to make the desktop useable. Makes Windows8 worth having.

 

[mlauzon]

StartIsBack... I've heard of it, but does it still do all the stuff that Start8 does? (Booting straight to desktop, working search thingo)?

Saw this posted on another forum, by a user of StartIsBack:

Have been using StartIsBack myself. The real deal. For the uninitiated - that's the real Microsoft code and the real Windows 7 Start Menu resurrected from the dead by Russian developer Stanislav Zinukhov known on the MSFN/MDL forums as Tihiy.

It's not a Start Menu replicator unlike all the others. It is the real McCoy. Hence, it integrates beautifully with Win8 and makes it perform more like a super-fast Win7 installation. No lag and no 'Metro Flash' at startup.

 

[CeejayMode]

StartIsBack... I've heard of it, but does it still do all the stuff that Start8 does? (Booting straight to desktop, working search thingo)?

Saw this posted on another forum, by a user of StartIsBack:

Have been using StartIsBack myself. The real deal. For the uninitiated - that's the real Microsoft code and the real Windows 7 Start Menu resurrected from the dead by Russian developer Stanislav Zinukhov known on the MSFN/MDL forums as Tihiy.

It's not a Start Menu replicator unlike all the others. It is the real McCoy. Hence, it integrates beautifully with Win8 and makes it perform more like a super-fast Win7 installation. No lag and no 'Metro Flash' at startup.

Thanks for the info haha. Since I made the post that you quoted, I've installed Windows 8 on another laptop of mine for testing Start Menus and other stuff; StartIsBack is awesome! But for my main laptop, I stick to Stardock Start8 with Decor8 running for other things

 

[mlauzon]

I may go back to Windows 8 in about a year, if they've fixed the multiple bugs in it by then. But for now, and the foreseeable future I'll be sticking with the tried & true Windows 7.

 

[znod]

Start Menu Toolbar - Create on Windows 8 Taskbar

"This tutorial will show you how to create a handy Start Menu toolbar on the Taskbar in Windows 8 that will open your installed programs directly on the desktop to avoid constantly switching to the new Modern UI Start Screen to open a program."

 

[mlauzon]

<snip>

You don't need to do that, just get StartIsBack. Here is a glowing recommendation from someone on another forum, I posted the comment a few posts up, but here it is again:

Have been using StartIsBack myself. The real deal. For the uninitiated - that's the real Microsoft code and the real Windows 7 Start Menu resurrected from the dead by Russian developer Stanislav Zinukhov known on the MSFN/MDL forums as Tihiy.

It's not a Start Menu replicator unlike all the others. It is the real McCoy. Hence, it integrates beautifully with Windows 8 and makes it perform more like a super-fast Win7 installation. No lag and no 'Metro Flash' at startup.

 

[znod]

Well, I know I don't have to do what I am doing. But, I am happy with what I am doing. I'm not in the market for a 3rd-party app. But, I'll keep your suggestion in mind if I ever want to go there.

 

[neoteo]

i use pokki im happy with it .. no issues