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Best Start Menu for Windows 8.1

Q

Quartz-1

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
4,257
I upgraded to Windows 8.1 a while back and holy hells but the Modern UI sucks for desktop use, especially on a 4K monitor.

I especially missed the pinned applications (e.g. Word, Excel) with pinned documents. e.g. I click on the triangle beside Word and my CV is pinned in the list of Word documents or I click on the triangle beside Excel and I see my spreadsheet of license keys.

And then there's the generally easier access to the more rarely used applications and utilities.

So, which Start Menu replacement should I use? Preferably free, of course.
 
IMO the best free one is ClassicShell. I've been using it since Win 8 was released. Flexible, very customizable and free.
 
I've installed ClassicShell on a few Win8 systems but I also hear good things about Start8.
 
pcjunkie said:
startisback....
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree with this simply because it makes the start menu work and function exactly like Windows 7 did. There is absolutely no difference between the two, visually or functionally, and it even lets you completely disable any element from Windows 8 Metro UI (charms bar, hot corners, Start screen). It was also rock solid stable.

I used others and while they were completely functional and had some cool features in their own right, they did put their own 'spin' on it slightly which I didn't really like. I just wanted the plain jane Windows 7 start menu back.


The only downside is that Startisback costs money
 
Quartz-1 said:
I upgraded to Windows 8.1 a while back and holy hells but the Modern UI sucks for desktop use, especially on a 4K monitor.

I especially missed the pinned applications (e.g. Word, Excel) with pinned documents. e.g. I click on the triangle beside Word and my CV is pinned in the list of Word documents or I click on the triangle beside Excel and I see my spreadsheet of license keys.

And then there's the generally easier access to the more rarely used applications and utilities.

So, which Start Menu replacement should I use? Preferably free, of course.
Click to expand...

Right click the icon on the taskbar and you get the recent list right there. You can also pin documents to the excel icon on the taskbar . Personally, I find the one that Windows 8.1 comes with works great the way it is. (I do customize mine though.)

Just curious, how do you have your mouse setup? I set mine to the fastest tracking speed and always have so I can move the mouse a little and I am there quickly. However, if you still want to use a replacement, I suggest just trying all of them out and settling on the one you like the most.
 
dr.stevil said:
I'd have to agree with this simply because it makes the start menu work and function exactly like Windows 7 did. There is absolutely no difference between the two, visually or functionally, and it even lets you completely disable any element from Windows 8 Metro UI (charms bar, hot corners, Start screen). It was also rock solid stable.

I used others and while they were completely functional and had some cool features in their own right, they did put their own 'spin' on it slightly which I didn't really like. I just wanted the plain jane Windows 7 start menu back.


The only downside is that Startisback costs money
Click to expand...

Why would the fact that it costs money be a downside? It is pretty cheap as it is and probably well supported because of the cost. For my machines, the start menu is a thing of the past but, good to have options nonetheless.
 
On the one machine I HAVE to use Windows 8 I have classic shell, it's a sanity saver.
 
ManofGod said:
Why would the fact that it costs money be a downside? It is pretty cheap as it is and probably well supported because of the cost. For my machines, the start menu is a thing of the past but, good to have options nonetheless.
Click to expand...

I think I got like 5 licenses for $5.00...worth every penny.
 
ManofGod said:
Why would the fact that it costs money be a downside? It is pretty cheap as it is and probably well supported because of the cost. For my machines, the start menu is a thing of the past but, good to have options nonetheless.
Click to expand...

Just because there are free alternatives also available. I do agree with Pcjunkie, it's worth every penny
 
dr.stevil said:
Just because there are free alternatives also available. I do agree with Pcjunkie, it's worth every penny
Click to expand...

Yeah, there are very good free alternatives out there but like you said it gives me the exact same interface or as close as possible as Windows 7, which was what I was looking for. I assume that's what people want and if they want the best then that is what I recommend.
 
ManofGod said:
Right click the icon on the taskbar and you get the recent list right there. You can also pin documents to the excel icon on the taskbar
Click to expand...

It's not very convenient, though, is it? Start the application, then right-click the running app, then select your document vs picking the document straight off and having the application load and load the document all in one go.
 
Quartz-1 said:
It's not very convenient, though, is it? Start the application, then right-click the running app, then select your document vs picking the document straight off and having the application load and load the document all in one go.
Click to expand...

It is actually quite convenient if you have the program pinned to the taskbar.
 
I used to prefer Startisback because it's more native install (no service). However, I found on multiple occasions I would slip into the main Modern UI screen (when opening network to connect to VPN's etc). With Classic Shell this doesn't happen, so I'm now firming using Classic Shell.
 
Classic Shell user here, typically installed via Ninite. It's close enough to the Windows 7 start menu for me, and I actually prefer its search mechanism to the one in Windows 7.
 
+1 for Start8. It's been worth the price I bought it when I first installed Win8.

There have been some improvements in the native menu / desktop config in Win8.1.

So, I could probably do without Start8 now. But still nice to have.
 
Never heard of StartIsBack until this thread, grabed a license.. Used Start8 since release.. Yep.. StartIsBack is superior in every way..
 
Better to wait to see what threshold will bring with it. If it's supposed to win Win7 users over it should have ditched the modern UI. WinME/Vista deja vu.
 
I just installed StartIsBack...really liking it. It has a 30 day free trial period.
 
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bmg said:
I just installed StartIsBack...really liking it. It has a 30 free trial period.
Click to expand...

Good if you like it. Personally I wouldn't want to pay a cent to fix something that MS messed up and made you pay for.
 
B00nie said:
Good if you like it. Personally I wouldn't want to pay a cent to fix something that MS messed up and made you pay for.
Click to expand...

Its not like you are paying out to MS though, its paying to another company who stepped up to the plate.
 
elleana said:
Its not like you are paying out to MS though, its paying to another company who stepped up to the plate.
Click to expand...

Youre in effect paying for MS:s mistakes. Makes no difference where the money goes.
 
jordan12 said:
My favorite windows 8 start menu program is Windows 7.
Click to expand...

Heh. I switched to Windows 8.1 for the per-monitor scaling, but a PEBKAC and I can't seem to get it to work, so I might as well switch back.
 
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I use Start8 and have been for quite a long time. My sister uses the ClassicShell since it's more familiar to her like Windows 7 and XP beforehand.
 
B00nie said:
Good if you like it. Personally I wouldn't want to pay a cent to fix something that MS messed up and made you pay for.
Click to expand...

They when did you buy it in the first place. Don't buy things you don't support.
 
I've just installed Classic Shell and it picked up the pinned documents, although not the pinned applications.
 
startisback is the best. You feel like you are in windows 7. I tried others but startisback came out to be the best for me.
 
B00nie said:
Youre in effect paying for MS:s mistakes. Makes no difference where the money goes.
Click to expand...

There is no mistake here, they tried something new and to be more efficient. IMO Windows 8.1 is and I don't use a start menu replacement.

Boot to desktop and have your most commonly used programs pinned just like in Windows 7. If you really want to learn Windows 8 and how to make it more efficient customize your start menu UI to however you want which is really the best and most efficient way to use Windows 8.1.

For video and photo editing you couldn't pay me to go back to Windows 7, 8.1 is just that much more efficient and easier to use.
 
win 8.1 stock :)
..initially I went through a "WTF is this!?" stage .. but now I prefer it.
 
B00nie said:
Better to wait to see what threshold will bring with it. If it's supposed to win Win7 users over it should have ditched the modern UI. WinME/Vista deja vu.
Click to expand...

So... Wait until next year, then pay a windows upgrade fee and end up with a Metro-fied, tile-infested frankenstein start menu.

Or... take five seconds and Install StartIsBack today.

Decisions..
 
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I switched to Start8 from Classic Shell.
For some reason ClassicShell kept setting the Control Panel to icons instead of category view
 
I credit StartisBack for saving my marriage after I upgraded my wife's PC to Windows 8 without telling her first. :)
 
drescherjm
- I had the Control Panel set as a link, not a sub menu
Clicking on it from the start menu was small icons, opening Explorer and then going to CP was category.
Unsure why, uninstalled, reinstalled, updated
 
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