There are many apps that will put the Start Button back on the Windows 8 desktop screen, some free and some paid for. StartisBack is a paid for app but, with a price tag of $3 dollars for two computers or $5 dollars for five computers, isn’t going to break the bank. Why would you want the Win7 Start Menu back? Well I for one have struggled with the transition directly to the Win8 Start Screen
And when I am on the desktop screen just want an easy way to get to the apps, programs and directories.
I don’t make a habit of ‘pushing’ paid for software but this, apart from the fact that it is almost free, does everything I could possibly want and maybe almost everything that you possibly want. So, if you find the transition to Windows 8 a little much to swallow and would like the best of both the Windows 8 Start Screen and the Windows 7 Start Menu then read on.
The app’s homepage can be found here – Start Is Back – where you can download and read more.
There are a few customizations to look at: to bring up the options menus right click on the Start Button and select ‘Properties’.
On the Start Menu options screen you will see most of the usual Win7 Start Menu options for you to fine tune.
The Modern UI screen allows you integrate Win8 options into the desktop page effortlessly with the option to boot directly to the Desktop should you want to.
Under ‘Appearance’ you can decide on the visual style along with hiding the user account picture (something I always do) as well as disabling the translucency of either or both the Start Menu and the Taskbar.
A nice touch, I find, is the ability to easily change the Start Button image with a link to download more from deviantART, It comes with three start button images included (which I deleted).
On the makers homepage is a feature list and a FAQ to get you started. You can download and try a fully functional version for 30 days to help you make up your mind if its something you could use or not, and my favorite bit is? NO bundled crapware with it!
So if you would like a look and feel of the Win7 Start Menu on your Win8 machine desktop give this a try.
[infopane color=”4″ icon=”0049.png”]NOTE: The ‘Start Is Back’ site, which appears to be Russian based, is currently rated Amber (Medium Risk) by McAfee Site Adviser, with the following warning… “McAfee TrustedSource web reputation analysis found potential suspicious behavior on this site which may pose a security risk. Use with caution. However, the downloaded file itself (an 800KB executable) scans 100% clean through Virus Total. I also scanned the Start Is Back site through 8 leading online URL scanners, all came up perfectly clean. It would be remiss of us not to mention McAfee’s negative rating. However, we have been unable to identify any risk associated with this software. Jim[/infopane]
I scanned it with WOT Jim, it came up clean.
Stardock Start8 is another such PAYware app at a cost of $4.99. Alan Wade starts his fine article with “There are many apps that will put the Start Button back on the Windows 8 desktop screen…”; it would have been nice to enumerate some of these apps, especially the FREEware kind.
I had never known that those icons were called “orbs”, 😉
Why pay for something that available for free ? Classic Shell has been around longer than any of the other new comers. It’s always worked without a problem and, it’s FREE.
http://www.classicshell.net/
I wrote the article about StartisBack specifically, not any of the freeware that is about. So obviously the focus was on StartisBack.