Windows 7 Classic vs. New Start Menu

Classic or New(Aero) Start Menu?


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I hate scrolling.

<deleted by owner>
 
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Ah... yes....

Go here if you seek freedom from oppression! =)
Navigate Windows 7 From a Vintage-Style Start Menu With CSMenu - PC World

I did just that - installed it and it looked fine. However, the original Classic Start menu did not have as many features as the new one in win 7, and after checking this program out for a whole day, I reluctantly had to uninstall it, as I could find no way of switching between it and the new menu. It may be that I missed it, but if there was a switch mechanism, it would have been fine. But it cannot do everything that is required in Windows 7.
 
I did just that - installed it and it looked fine. However, the original Classic Start menu did not have as many features as the new one in win 7, and after checking this program out for a whole day, I reluctantly had to uninstall it, as I could find no way of switching between it and the new menu. It may be that I missed it, but if there was a switch mechanism, it would have been fine. But it cannot do everything that is required in Windows 7.
Have you tried the Vista Start Menu app, it's a freebie like the csmenu but much more functional.
As for toggling between the menus, the Vista Start menu has a option to start with windows.
When started it places an icon in the system tray right click it and choose exit and you will have the Win 7 menu restored.
Place a shortcut to the Vista Start Menu .exe on you desktop or pin it to the taskbar and clicking it will replace the Win 7 start menu with the Vista Start Menu.

I'm willing to bet that there is a way to create a shortcut to shut down the Vista Start Menu but I don't know how.

Vista Start Menu – Convenient alternative to Start menu
 
I did just that - installed it and it looked fine. However, the original Classic Start menu did not have as many features as the new one in win 7, and after checking this program out for a whole day, I reluctantly had to uninstall it, as I could find no way of switching between it and the new menu. It may be that I missed it, but if there was a switch mechanism, it would have been fine. But it cannot do everything that is required in Windows 7.

Did you use the Kill Start button program.

Doesn't the new menu pop up when clicking on the original Start Button?
 
"classic"......

Our Network and all systems are set to "Classic" for ease of Support and fault finding.:p

The New WIN7 one is NOT liked by our users.:mad:
 
If someone does not come up with a properly working classic menu add on; then I shall have to revert back to XP! I love W7 x64. But love alone is not enough to overcome the constant mouse clicks and typing in order to find something with the new menu. All these months and still on a learning curve!
I use my pc for work and all the power and frills that W7 offers cannot compensate for the hassle of using new menus.
Next week I am un installing W7 and reinstalling XP. I have no choice. W7 may be a faster OS than XP but it (W7) slows ME down so much that in the end XP is by far a faster operating system. Microsoft made a fantastic OS only to downgrade it with the new menus! Just because something is old does not mean it is inferior to the new! Imagine if everyone was forced to eat with a battery powered knife that you had to switch on and off every time you were not cutting! Stone age people invented the normal knife and it works perfectly. Yes by all means improve it (newer materials better handle etc); But don't replace it with something that is not user friendly just because it looks better.
My advice: If you have a company or are using your pc for work then steer clear away from W7.
If you are a gamer then go for W7. :(
 
Best tool I ever used to run programs is "True Launch Bar" - you can have as much "Start" buttons as you wish and all programs categorized by this buttons. But M$ cannot study old mistakes, they do new ones! Now they "improved" start menu to be most annoying feature of W7. Well, if they are so stupid, I'll sit on my XP - no more money for new rubbish!
 
Even I have no hope - but I want to ask:

In Windows Vista you have the ability to switch from "new start menu" to "classic start menu" in configuration of the taskbar via GUI. I think there must be a corresponding registry key. I haven't found this registry key. Even when I log the registry changes with "ProcessMonitor" I can not find the registry changes. Do somebody knows this registry key to switch in Vista from "new start menu" to "classic start menu" ?

My thought is: Perhaps Microsoft has only dropped the GUI switch in Windows 7. And perhaps the classic start menu can be switched on by a registry key.

Because: Microsoft has also dropped some GUI switches in Windows 7 Starter (change of desktop picture) and Home Basic.

But see this: Group Policy Settings for Start Menu and Taskbar
"Force Classic Start Menu":
For: Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP
Remark: This policy setting does not apply to Windows 7 because the Classic Start menu is removed.

Why is it available for "Windows Server 2008" - but not for "Windows 7" ?
 
Microsoft never listen to users complaints. They just listen to company executives and the r&d team. You can forget trying to make them listen!:mad:
 
Have you tried the Vista Start Menu app, it's a freebie like the csmenu but much more functional.
As for toggling between the menus, the Vista Start menu has a option to start with windows.
When started it places an icon in the system tray right click it and choose exit and you will have the Win 7 menu restored.
Place a shortcut to the Vista Start Menu .exe on you desktop or pin it to the taskbar and clicking it will replace the Win 7 start menu with the Vista Start Menu.

I'm willing to bet that there is a way to create a shortcut to shut down the Vista Start Menu but I don't know how.

Vista Start Menu – Convenient alternative to Start menu
I'm using Vista Start menu. If i had known about it back when I was using the XP Classic Start Menu I would have used it back then. It's the best start menu I've ever seen.

On my wife's laptop (XP) I set it up to not replace her Classic Start Menu because she doesn't like any changes in her computer. I just use a desktop icon when I use it. On mine I replaced the W7 start menu with it. However the search feature in the W7 start menu is really better. If you want the W7 start Menu just hold the Shift Key when you click the Start Orb.
 
Best tool I ever used to run programs is \"True Launch Bar\" - you can have as much \"Start\" buttons as you wish and all programs categorized by this buttons. But M$ cannot study old mistakes, they do new ones! Now they \"improved\" start menu to be most annoying feature of W7. Well, if they are so stupid, I'll sit on my XP - no more money for new rubbish!
I use True Launch Bar also.
See link below for screenshot of my desktop showing my free launch bar menus.
The one opened is for system tools.
The individual icons were chosen to represent the contents of the menus.
For example the "camera" icon menu contains imaging tools like paint and gimp.
The yellow "safe" icon contains security tools like Avast! and Spybot Search & Destroy.
The menu icons are designated by the little arrow point to the right of the icon plus they are bracketed by separators.
All in all I have over 100 shortcuts housed in these individual menus.

As you can see I have relatively few icons on my desktop (only my most frequently used programs).

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/fjgold/Untitled-27.png
 
Where did you get that Firefox icon Fjgold?

Edit: Never mind. I got it.
 
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I'm sorry Drew Buddy. I must have misled you somehow. I'm enthusiastic about the Vista Start menu. The Win7 Start menu has a lot of awesome features. I just don't like scrolling and clicking the All Programs Menu. I like how the Programs Menu totally pops into view with VSM. However the Search Function in the W7 Start menu is awesome. I use them both and am as happy as can be with this setup.

Check out my profile some time and notice my birthday.
 
Stuey,

Quick Launch will save going to All Programs all the time for everything.
http://windows7forums.com/blogs/drew/11-quick-launch-win7.html

And yes, the Search in W7 is great, too.

Cheers,
Drew

\"A scan a day keeps the nasties away!\"
Yeah I know about the Quick Launch. I used it in XP all the time. I've had it set up in W7 before too. But when I found the CSMenu I disabled it because I didn't feel the need for it any more. Then I switched to the Vista Start Menu and now I'm hooked on that. It has a Favorites Menu that is just like the Quick Launch.

The only thing is if I want the Search Function I go to the Windows Start Menu.

I guess I need to tell you. My birthday is August 28 1951. I'm 1 Leap Year older than you to the day.
 
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Both. New cause' its more stylish and search bar is convenit
Old cause' i like retro looking stuff too and it had RUN conveneitly placed out in the open
 
I;m reposting this again because I think new mwembers should see it.:

Too give them any value, Polls are supposed to have a conclusion. With a heavy vote in favour of the new menu, and increasing, I think the poll, and the thread, has run it's course.
It has now become a flaming match, with several posts in rather bad tastes, others heavily prejudiced to wards the posters own preference.
I am going to attempt to summarize this whole thread.

I believe the people voting for the New Start Menu are typical home users who use their computer for daily tasks such as creating documents, checking e-mail and surfing the Internet. As they are already familiar with the New Start menu (which is installed by default) they might not even know the Classic Start menu existed. So their vote, of course, is the New Start Menu

On th other hand Sysadmins, power users and people who love to customize Windows are most likely aware of the Classic Start menu (and they probably changed it back to The Classic Menu immediately). So, these people are used to the Classic Menu.

In other works I think the poll is skewed because of the vast amount of people posting who are the typical computer users. In other words there are more posters here that fall into the typical users category.

Maybe there should be another poll with 2 radio buttons:

1. Do you administer any computers in a small to large company or consider yourself a Poweruser?
2. Do you use your computer for daily tasks such as e-mailing, creating documents, and surfing the Internet?
 
I;m reposting this again because I think new mwembers should see it.:

Too give them any value, Polls are supposed to have a conclusion. With a heavy vote in favour of the new menu, and increasing, I think the poll, and the thread, has run it's course.
It has now become a flaming match, with several posts in rather bad tastes, others heavily prejudiced to wards the posters own preference.
I am going to attempt to summarize this whole thread.

I believe the people voting for the New Start Menu are typical home users who use their computer for daily tasks such as creating documents, checking e-mail and surfing the Internet. As they are already familiar with the New Start menu (which is installed by default) they might not even know the Classic Start menu existed. So their vote, of course, is the New Start Menu

On th other hand Sysadmins, power users and people who love to customize Windows are most likely aware of the Classic Start menu (and they probably changed it back to The Classic Menu immediately). So, these people are used to the Classic Menu.

In other works I think the poll is skewed because of the vast amount of people posting who are the typical computer users. In other words there are more posters here that fall into the typical users category.

Maybe there should be another poll with 2 radio buttons:

1. Do you administer any computers in a small to large company or consider yourself a Poweruser?
2. Do you use your computer for daily tasks such as e-mailing, creating documents, and surfing the Internet?
Well said Reghakr buddy. I think you're right. I can't believe how deep people's feelings run on this issue.
 
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