Start Menu 8: Make Windows 8 Feel like Home

very good
key review info
application features
  • Quick switch between the Modern and desktop GUI
  • (8 more, see all...)

Start Menu 8 brings back the Start button in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, provides a simple way for switching between the Metro and the desktop interface, and gives quick access to your programs and files.

Aside from the support for Windows 8 platforms, the program can also be installed on Windows 7, Vista and XP, and used as a replacement to the traditional Start menu.

The history of the Windows start buttons

Windows 8 has been considered a disappointment ever since it came out with the removal of the familiar Start button. The big change caused a mix of confusing, upsetting and baffling reactions because it made you spend the energy upon performing basic tasks, such as shutting down or restarting your computer.

Windows 8.1 didn’t change the circumstances much. It brought back the Start button but only to direct users to the Start screen. A right-click on the button helps you access basic tasks (e.g. restart, log off or lock the computer, open Windows Explorer), but it cannot compare with the comfort and advantages integrated within a Start menu.

Windows 10 Technical Preview promises a lot of goodies. Not only does the Start button get back, but it adopts a modern and interactive design with live tiles, support for drag-and-drop for arranging items, manual and automatic resizing options of the Start menu, and full-featured search tool.

To make the history of the Windows start buttons short, until things are figured out with the drastic changes applied to the Start button and menu, you can rely on Start Menu 8 that puts forward a smart way for making use of a customizable and flexible Start button.

New changes in Start Menu 8 v2

Since our last review when the program was still under development, a pack of new features and configuration settings have been implemented in Start Menu 8 v2. You may customize the Start menu by creating different groups and assigning items to them, work with a brand new search utility that looks for data on the whole disk (even if items are not indexed), and restart the PC in Safe Mode for Windows Technical Preview and Windows 8/8.1.

Bring the familiar looks to your OS: the Start button and menu.
Bring the familiar looks to your OS: the Start button and menu.

Furthermore, you are given the freedom to pin items to the Start Menu 8 menu, check out the recently opened items for various categories (e.g. documents, web browsers), skip UAC (User Account Control) when you open the applications from the Start menu, alter the transparency of the menu, and automatically sync user and account picture.

Freshly optimized GUI

You don’t need to make any special tweaks to see the newly implemented Start button. At the end of the installation process, it automatically takes the well-known position and helps you access various programs with a single click.

A hamburger button (recently embedded in most modern software utilities) hides under its hood a list with all programs detected on your system. Context menu entries are also on the feature list when you right-click on a target utility, more specifically Run as administrator, Open file location, Pin to Taskbar, Unpin from Start Menu, and Create a new group.

By default, a left click on the Start button opens the Start menu and not the Modern UI. You are allowed to drag and drop programs directly onto the icon of the Start button in order to add them to the Start menu. Applications can also be pinned or unpinned from/to the start menu.

Custom groups can be created in the Start menu in order to organize your programs in different categories. You may assign a user-defined name to each group and manually pick the executable files that are included in the current group.

Create groups for better management of items.
Create groups for better management of items.

As soon as you insert multiple items, a small arrow is placed near each group and offers quick access to the items that you have added. In addition, you may open, edit or delete the items included in a group.

A right-click on the Start button helps you access various features, such as open up the settings panel, switch to the Modern UI, open Windows Explorer, check for updates, view the help manual, exit the utility, and enable several power options (e.g. shut down, restart, log off, switch user). The original Start menu adopted in Windows 8.1 cannot be overwritten and it appears if you use the ‘Win+X’ hotkey.

Start Menu 8 customization settings

You can change the looks of the Start button by choosing between several preset icons, such as Minimal, Win8, Win8start, Acorn, Classic, Win7, and Winblue. User-defined pictures can be assigned and you need to manually place the desired photos in the StartButtonSkin folder.

There are two main styles you can use for altering the appearance of the Start menu, namely Windows and Modern. The Windows theme allows you to opt for a flat or classic Windows 7 style and adjust the transparency.

The Modern Style can be used in case you want to access the Start Screen directly from your desktop. You may choose between several preset sizes like small, large, tall, full screen, or wide.

General settings

You can make the utility run at Windows startup, automatically skip UAC when starting programs from the Start menu, specify the number of programs and recent items to display, highlight newly installed applications, and adjust the size of the tools’ icons in the menu (large or small).

In addition, you may assign an action to the power button (switch user, log off, lock, restart, sleep or shut down), show frequently used programs and sort them by last access time or name, deactivated hotkeys when full screen task is activated, as well as assign hotkeys for opening the settings panel, showing or hiding the sidebar, switching to Modern UI, and running a custom program.

Items (e.g. Pictures, Music, Games, Computer, PC Settings, Control Panel, Downloads, Favorites) shown in the right side of the Start menu can be hidden, displayed in a simple list or revealed as a menu providing access to a set of items.

Tweaks applied to the user interface and Modern UI

Start Menu 8 allows you to use your Windows Account picture, custom photo or conceal the image, pick the font size in the Start menu (small or large), change the font color in left and right panels, as well as make the program change the background color according to the system theme.

Several adjustments can be applied to the Modern UI. These prove to be quite useful as they help you get rid of Windows 8 effects that can be accidently activated. You may disable the bottom-left and top-left hot corner, as well as the sidebar. In addition, you are allowed to skip the Modern UI and Welcome Screen, gain access to the Modern UI with a left click on the Start button, and press the Windows key in order to open the Modern UI.


The Good

Start Menu 8 helps you get back to the familiar Start menu without investing too much time in the customization process. The learning curve is easy, so you will get used to it in no time.

Disabling hot corners in the Windows 8 can be done via registry tweaks, a setting hard to accomplish by novices. The application delivers a simple way for helping you disable the hot corners and sidebar.

The Bad

You cannot pick a user-defined icon for the Start button directly from the configuration panel and you need to manually place the items in the installation directory.

The Truth

All in all, Start Menu 8 helps you enhance the overall functionality of your operating system by embedding the Start button without wasting too much time with the configuration process. Although, it is not as complex as Classic Shell, the intuitive feature pack makes it approachable to rookies and professionals alike.

user interface 4
features 4
ease of use 5
pricing / value 5


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 

Start Menu 8 (15 Images)

Create groups for better management of items.Context menu entries give you quick access to several features.You may quickly access your Windows Store applications.Bring the familiar looks to your OS: the Start button and menu.Right-clicking on the Start button reveals an extra set of settings.
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