Replacement Start Menus - Consensus of opinion

[Hopachi]

Thanks on the wallpaper. And, Fuji, not sure, but it looks like it. I am sure the toolbar requires use of some system resources, but I'd think not as many/much probably as a third-party start-menu replacement. I have never noticed any kind of a startup slowdown, but that would be pretty much impossible to document anyway. I never notice a delay when accessing the toolbar virtually, but, on my brick and mortar Win8 installation, I sometimes note a small delay in accessing it.

Thanks for the info.
All in all is better to use the toolbar approach rather than adding extra services to the system through third party programs.

Also depends on the user and its favorite program or solution.

 

[ecevit]

@ Wenda. Thanks for input. I did try Classic Shell in earlier testing, but I prefer something that duplicates as closely as possible Win7 Orb Start Menu.

I can live without a legacy start menu and use start screen and create tool bars to AppData, User, Programs; and replace jump start menu with icons attached to taskbar, but it's all there in Win7 Orb ready set up. And quicker to use than the above.


Since I don't use Metro apps, and work entirely on desktop, I want something that boots straight to it. And don't wan to jump off desktop to access start screen.

Horses for courses of course! No pun intended, it's not Randwick already!

Cheers

Startisback is your way to go. I happily use it . Directly goes to desktop. I never remember metro UI

 

[Hopachi]

All nice and well.
Installing one start menu fixes everything. Installing them all on the same machine... I don't know... will they all claim place with their own start orb?

I'm just curious if it ever happened before, if someone did this already.

 

[Max Peck]

I have been a big advocate of Ex7For8 to restore the traditional Win7 Orb Start Menu, and up until recently it had been OK. But after installing a batch of recent updates, on start up it takes about 30 seconds after the desktop appears before any apps can be run. And when I click on an app/program it takes another 30 seconds to open it.

Once any given app/program has been opened once, it re-opens next time at normal speed. This only happens when boot is straight to desktop which is running Windows 7 Explorer shell. If boot is to Metro, all apps/programs open instantly. So it seems Ex7For8 has run it's course of usefulness.

Is there a consensus of opinion as to which is the best restoration start menu, and which one most most closely resembles the original Win7 Orb Start Menu?

Or are there as many preferences as there are alternative start menus?

I'm currently running StartIsBack in trial mode and it seems to have fixed the problem.

What I want to know is if this is running Explorer 7 or 8?

And has anyone encountered problems with it?

And how much it costs after the trial runs out?

While I was using Win8 I used Stardock's "Start 8" which worked just fine. As to your start-up lag, I doubt the menu enhancement is responsible for that by itself - unless the product you described is running some kind of background process on start-up. I didn't see that with Start8 particularly.

The Windows desktop system is *always* going to take the same amount of time to load up regardless of the speed of presentation of the Metro GUI. The architecture of the Windows system hasn't changed that much. Everybody needs to get over the "instant" start-up myth ... it's smoke and mirrors. If you have a busy desktop subsystem it's always going to take the same amount of time to load up services as it always has. If you experiment with it for awhile you'll find that on start-up even the Metro apps take longer to load while the desktop is initializing in the background - even though the Metro has presented itself quickly.

-Max

 

[wetibbe]

Oh Boy. Now I did it !

One of the problems is being too brief, with inadequate details and explanations.

* I'm referring to the difference between updates and new software inserted into the registry and specific programs that target Windows 8 and either amend parts of it or otherwise plant instructions that specifically interfere with it's normal function.

Yes, the registry is being changed practically by the minute.

* As to voiding warranty's, I suppose that someone with lots of time could catalog, step by step, who, how, why, when a long list of warranty's could, or would, be voided. However, in my case my new HP came with Windows 8 *( OEM Regular, pre-installed ).When I ran into trouble described here in another post recently, I updated to Windows 8 Pro. *( Which didn't fix the problem ). So I phoned HP tech support and they told me that installing Win 8 Pro voided my 80 day software warranty. It isn't much of a stretch to know that conventional wisdom says installing 3rd party software that modifies Windows 8 on a new computer under warranty voids the warranty.

_________________________________________________________________________

Hey Guys don't assassinate the messenger. It was HP, not me that spoke. I'm giving you the straight inside Skinny.

If the tinkerers want to butcher Win 8, go to it with my warning and blessing. I have no dog in this "fight". Just be happy with your mangled abortions. You're just making it increasingly difficult for Microsoft to fix the existing problems. Please just be honest when you come with your crying towel looking for help to fix your mess.

And that gets a big smiley face

 

[SIW2]

Mangled abortions

Yet you claim

I have no dog in this "fight".

Those two statements don't line up.

Installing a different os from the one provided by the oem might seem grounds for what HP said - they probably only support the os it came with. For example they may not drivers etc for win 7. However, their use of that to invalidate win 8 pro is absurd. They are being a nuisance. Don't buy HP is the answer. Bit late for those who already have one, sadly.

Those of us in Europe - specifically in the UK have pretty good statutory protection when buying consumer goods. I don't know what they do elsewhere. Warranties here cannot over ride statutory protection. In some cases they extend that - and afford better protection, but it is rare. A lot of people don't know that and fall for the "warranty is out of date" nonsense.

I have just returned a computer part myself. It wasn't what I wanted. Under the Distance Selling Regulations - retailer is not allowed to apply restocking fees or anything else. They must return all your money. That doesn't apply if you have used the item. There are different protections under the Sale of Goods Act in those circumstances.

 

[wetibbe]

Hi SIW2

Friends can disagree without being disagreeable. Your participation in this exchange of views is certainly welcome. I sent 17 years of my life on 4 continents in 70 countries and I always appreciate learning about site specific matters such as you have described.

I'm an exclusive purchaser of HP . All of my computers, printers, cameras are exclusively HP and have been for many years.

HP's voiding my warranty didn't bother me in the least. I already had Guruaid on annual contact with unlimited phone calls.

I have to say that I don't have a problem with the tinkerers who want to reinvent the wheel. If that's how they get their Jolly's and puff up their ego, they are competing as amateurs and laymen with the best and brightest in the industry as well as forking over money to the 3rd party charlatans who sell for economic pocket money.

Enjoy. That's what we here in America are all about. Freedom of choice.

 

[Stigg]

@ Wenda. Thanks for input. I did try Classic Shell in earlier testing, but I prefer something that duplicates as closely as possible Win7 Orb Start Menu.

Cheers

StartIsBack doesn't look like it belongs with Windows 8.

Start8 looks like it belongs with Windows 8 and works superbly with some great features.
And the developers are constantly adding new features.

 

[norepli]

StartIsBack doesn't look like it belongs with Windows 8.

Start8 looks like it belongs with Windows 8 and works superbly with some great features.
And the developers are constantly adding new features.

I agree.

 

[Coke Robot]

Windows 7?....

 

[Max Peck]

Windows 7?....

Yup!

-Max ;-)

 

[Ray8]

Classic Shell works for me and with the latest version, I haven't had any Windows 8 update issues. Anything, has to be better than the MPI.

 

[lehnerus2000]

You're just making it increasingly difficult for Microsoft to fix the existing problems.

Microsoft caused the "existing problems" in the first place.
For example, people wouldn't be desperately adding replacement Start Menus, if Microsoft hadn't got rid of the built-in one.

I have little faith that the current Microsoft crew will be able to fix the "existing problems".
They are more likely to make them worse, or create a stack of new ones (like non-transferable Office licences).

 

[Mustang]

A few hours after I started running StartIsBack I was so impressed I bought a serial key. Am now running Win8 Pro OEM installed from shop bought DVD on my top end machine and it absolutely flies!

I don't mind the bare look of the folders, etc. Quite happy to sacrifice aesthetics for speed any day. All my folders regardless of content are set to list view so only the name is visible ... no details and no navigation pane.

Aside from a few initial hiccups, like Revo Uninstaller had to be run in compatibility mode Vista or it froze when searching for left over registry entries/files ... aside from that there's no going back to Win7. Shuts down in 2 seconds flat ... unbelievable! Excel docs on Win7 took about 15 seconds to open. With W8 they open in 1 - 2 secs max. Big plus for me as I do a lot of work on Excel/Word. Intel do not support my DX58SO2 extreme board for Win8, but it runs fine with generic drivers loaded by W8. The only thing that won't run is the RaLink WiFi wireless adaptor which came with the board and also runs Blue Tooth. Work around was to buy a Blue Tooth and Wireless USB dongle. All good.

I still never use Metro, but not worried it's there. Have used it as alternative start screen just to know what it does, and can navigate it fairly quickly, but still prefer to simply have everything on the desktop ... much more efficient IMHO!

 

[sunnystaines]

i dont thing anyone uses the apps screen other than to click on the desktop one, if they have not install direct to desktop software.

 

[Mustang]

While I was using Win8 I used Stardock's "Start 8" which worked just fine. As to your start-up lag, I doubt the menu enhancement is responsible for that by itself - unless the product you described is running some kind of background process on start-up. I didn't see that with Start8 particularly.

The Windows desktop system is *always* going to take the same amount of time to load up regardless of the speed of presentation of the Metro GUI. The architecture of the Windows system hasn't changed that much. Everybody needs to get over the "instant" start-up myth ... it's smoke and mirrors. If you have a busy desktop subsystem it's always going to take the same amount of time to load up services as it always has. If you experiment with it for awhile you'll find that on start-up even the Metro apps take longer to load while the desktop is initializing in the background - even though the Metro has presented itself quickly.

-Max

Hi Max, it's not the actual GUI I'm talking about.

If I had Ex7forW8 set to boot to Explorer 7 shell desktop, it would take up to 30 seconds for the spinning circle activity icon to disappear. Then if I opened any program/app it would take another 30 seconds to initialize on first being opened.

If Ex7forW8 was set to boot to Explorer 8 shell, it would boot to Metro, and I would click Desktop, and it would open instantly and the spinning activity icon would take about 15 seconds to disappear. However, when I now opened an app/program from the desktop in Explorer 8 shell mode, the programs snapped open instantly.

This only happened after the last batch of updates.

Since installing StatIsBack the desktop is always running in Explorer 8 shell whether I boot to Metro or straight to the desktop. Once on desktop, the spinning circle takes about 12 seconds to disappear, but any program/app snaps open instantly on being initialized ... whether I boot direct to desktop or go through Metro to desktop.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Win7 on the same machine with dedicated Intel drivers, would take about 15 secs to open Xcel spreadsheet/Word documents. On W8, Xcel and Word open in 1 - 2 secs. You'll have to take my word for it, but I'm not saying it to promote W8 as I was one of W8's biggest critics. And my main criticism was that it wouldn't boot straight to desktop, and had no legacy start menu. Since those problems are fixed I'm very impressed with the speed, which is not surprising since it had to be stripped out to work on mobile phone/tablets, etc.

 

[Ray8]

I just compared Excel between Windows 7 and Windows 8; same file, same machine. For both, the first time you open Excel from cold, it takes about 8 sec to open and then subsequent openings takes between 1-2 sec. I find this with all of my programs, be it anything Office, Adobe etc, the initial load always takes longer, be it Windows 8 or Windows 7, at least on my PCs.

 

[Mustang]

I just compared Excel between Windows 7 and Windows 8; same file, same machine. For both, the first time you open Excel from cold, it takes about 8 sec to open and then subsequent openings takes between 1-2 sec. I find this with all of my programs, be it anything Office, Adobe etc, the initial load always takes longer, be it Windows 8 or Windows 7, at least on my PCs.

Hi Ray. Not so on mine. I don't know at the nuts and bolts level exactly how Win8 achieves this ... stripped out, better kernel ... but I don't really care. All I want is the end result. However, truth is, everything snaps open, even when the activity circle icon is sill spinning; with the exception of Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware ... 4 secs whether cold or subsequent open. Snap open includes all Office modules, Adobe, Avast, Studio Manager, (2 secs), etc. Studio Manager was very, very slow on Win7 with same machine.

Mind you, with 12GB RAM, 3 SLI linked graphic cards, and extreme mobo/CPU it should be fast. The reason it's important is I often have to copy/paste part of a spread sheet to 4 or 5 duplicate copies, and to wait 15 secs for each other copy on external media to open is a real pain in the butt.

But here's the weird thing. I'm now running Win7 on my backup machine, and Excel, Word both open in 5 secs from cold start, and instant on 2nd start. And it only has 8GB RAM, onboard graphics, and mid-range mobo/CPU. So go figure????

I have a love/hate relationship with PCs. When anything goes wrong I hate them! If there was a code violation for swearing when I'm sitting in front of a PC, I'd be serving a life sentence! I'm not endowed with the virtue of patience! Perseverance is another matter. I'll sit there all night till I get a problem fixed, albeit while turning the air blue! Periodically I vow I'll never boot another PC as long as I live. But after a short time clean and sober, as they say, my addiction kicks in and I'm back in front of the bewitching mystical lights of the monitor.

 

[Ray8]

I'm only running conventional spinning disks on my system as well, so that will slow things down a tad.

 

[Mustang]

@ Ray: Yeah that would definitely make a big difference. Am running SATA3 SSD on both machines and can never go back to spinners. Can't understand why Win7 opens programs faster on backup machine than super duper Flagship? Computers ... Aaaagggghhhh!