Windows 8 Start menu applications for Windows 8

kemical

Essential Member
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Aug 28, 2007
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If you know of a good app for replacing the start menu in win 8 then post it here or just mention which you like best or dislike the most.
To start the thread off is an application aptly titled: Start8.

Bring back the Windows[SUP]®[/SUP] "Start" menu with Start8



  • Windows 7-style Start menu with Windows 8 enhancements
  • Search for Windows 8-style (Modern UI) apps
  • Pin desktop and Metro apps
  • Boot directly to the Windows 8 desktop
  • Windows 8 S



Reference and download:

Start8? for Windows® 8 - Bringing back the Windows Start menu
 
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Startisback is yet another start menu add-on. The difference here is that it replicates the Windows 7 start menu exactly. Very customisable.

Link Removed
 
Just want to update something from my previous post. I could not understand why startisback, apparently did not seem to be using any resources. The others, on the other hand, and in particular, Classic, certainly did.
It took an awful lot of browsing, and analysing comments, but it seems that Startisback is actually using the original Windows 7 start menu, which is buried somewhere in the Windows 8 OS.
With the controversy over the missing start menu, I doubt that MS will interfere with this, in any future update but, if you want to regain a few resources, give it a try.
 
Considering that Stardock helped design the original Windows XP Luna Theme and the deskop theme systems in Windows XP and Windows Vista, I would still go with Start8 for the small cost. I am sure they are using whatever remnant code is available. Further, I prefer that Start8 runs as a service. If it goes down, it will just auto-restart, although this has never happened. It seems they have tried to recreate it as faithfully as possible, even going so far as to add some new options that probably should have been there to begin with. However, it is hard to compete with something that is free, so I would say something like StartIsBack is probably just as good.
 
StartisBack has been updated to version 2.0. Here's the changelist:


StartIsBack - real start menu in Windows 8
 
Stardock has released Version 1.12 of the Start8 Start Menu replacement utility for Windows 8. Changes support for BMP start buttons with alpha channels, along with a range of improvements and fixes.
 
Stardock has released Version 1.16 of the Start8 Start Menu replacement utility for Windows 8. Changes include an advanced option to prevent searching within file contents, and various fixes.
 
Reviving this thread with Ref my earlier post.
The startisback author has released Beta 4 of his product. This is fully compatible (so far) with Windows 8.1, and still uses very few resources. I have tested it reasonably well, and have not spotted any serious bugs. You can download it from the authors site. The download is in post #2.
The site can be trusted for the download. I did not experience any malware issues.

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/158666-start-is-back-21-release/
 
The thread is regarding Start menus. Free or charged are acceptable.
I have introduced it as it has interesting capabilities. It is built around Windows own code and uses very few resources. Fwiw. The Beta mentioned, is free.
So far, I have found these, there could be others lurking around.

Free. Top two IMO
StartisBack (free whilst in beta)
Classic Shell
and:
Start Menu X
Start Menu for Windows 8
Pokki
Power 8
Windows 8 Start Menu
StartMenu8 (IOBit)
Free Windows 8 Start Menu (SPESoft)
Taskbar Classic Start Menu
BringBack 2012 (Revel)
Handy Start Menu

Paid
Start8 - Approx $4.99
Classic Start Menu $19.99
 
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Perfect list. But SartIsBack is only free for beta testing, so it should not be listed as freeware, not to mention the "top two".
 
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It isn't listed as freeware. The bracketed note explains (to most readers)

The first two are IMO. Other users are free to favour others.
 
Someone already mentioned it but yeah, Pokki is a good alternative. Here's the description of the Pokki (check out photo attachment) :

[ATTACH type="full" align="right" alt="An image from 'Start menu applications for Windows 8'. First image: Pokki software description and features for enhancing Windows Start Menu.

Second image: Desktop taskbar showing Pokki start button and various application icons."]25332[/ATTACH]

I actually have it installed side by side with Classic Shell and use it mainly to get rid of my desktop clutter.

[ATTACH type="full" align="right" alt="An image from 'Start menu applications for Windows 8'. First image: Pokki software description and features for enhancing Windows Start Menu.

Second image: Desktop taskbar showing Pokki start button and various application icons."]25333[/ATTACH]
 

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going through the lists here, there are many common apps that i find for a cause but also there are some that are not to me .. preparing my list to post it here
 
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