"Start Menu 8 brings back the familiar system that you've been used to navigating since Windows 7. The Windows 8 (aka Metro) interface omits the Start button, replacing it with the tiled menu used on Windows phones and tablets ."
User Reviews
"Although I'm not a teapot, but when I first launched Win 8, I was completely confused, and the help of Start Menu 8 came in very handy; the program saves me time and allows me not to change my habits too much. In addition, once I had a little problem that I couldn't solve myself, so I wrote to IObit support without much hope... I was wrong... They responded quickly and immediately helped with all questions! Since then, I have become an even bigger fan IObit, looking forward to their next product."
User Reviews
"As a technology consultant and application developer, I rely heavily on virtualization software. I enjoy creating new virtual machines for each of my projects. This way I can keep everything in order and install only the tools needed for a given project. Because I don't I love the Metro screen in Windows 8, I use start menu replacement apps to make it look the same as it does in Windows 7. I've tried several different programs over the past few years, both paid and free, and sometimes they work well "Sometimes not. Since I started using Start Menu 8 I haven't had ANY problems with the Start Menu. Start Menu 8 is the perfect implementation of a great idea and is also very easy to use and configure."
"Start Menu 8 brings back the familiar system that you've been used to navigating since Windows 7. The Windows 8 (aka Metro) interface omits the Start button, replacing it with the tiled menu used on Windows phones and tablets ."
User Reviews
"Although I'm not a teapot, but when I first launched Win 8, I was completely confused, and the help of Start Menu 8 came in very handy; the program saves me time and allows me not to change my habits too much. In addition, once I had a little problem that I couldn't solve myself, so I wrote to IObit support without much hope... I was wrong... They responded quickly and immediately helped with all questions! Since then, I have become an even bigger fan IObit, looking forward to their next product."
User Reviews
"As a technology consultant and application developer, I rely heavily on virtualization software. I enjoy creating new virtual machines for each of my projects. This way I can keep everything in order and install only the tools needed for a given project. Because I don't I love the Metro screen in Windows 8, I use start menu replacement apps to make it look the same as it does in Windows 7. I've tried several different programs over the past few years, both paid and free, and sometimes they work well "Sometimes not. Since I started using Start Menu 8 I haven't had ANY problems with the Start Menu. Start Menu 8 is the perfect implementation of a great idea and is also very easy to use and configure."
Like mushrooms after the rain, after the release of Windows 8 in 2012, the programs for introducing the classic Start menu into the system, as a rule, did not differ much from each other. All of them performed one main task - they added a Start menu, similar to the one that Windows 7 and previous versions of the system have. Windows 8, on the other hand, lost its familiar Start menu, as Microsoft decided to experiment with the operating system in a new format, in a new design, in a new concept. Each of these programs, of course, had its own tuning buns, which for the most part concerned organizational issues.
Start Menu 8 program: Windows 8.1 start screen on desktop
Realizing that in the software market for the implementation of the Start menu, it is necessary to surprise users with something, and not to stamp clone programs, the developers from IObit Software in the Start Menu 8 program added the ability to call the Windows 8.1 start screen to the classic Start menu. reduced size right on your desktop.
There are not many organizational settings for the Start menu in Start Menu 8. For the most part, the focus of the program is shifted to the style of the Start menu. After installing Start Menu 8, the context menu on the Windows 8.1 Start button will call the program's functionality. The call to the system context menu will move to the most extreme point in the corner on the surface of the button image.
Among the first settings of Start Menu 8 we will see the style of the Start menu - classic, as in Windows 7, and the style of Windows 8, which is what the program is interesting for.
With the classic style of the Start menu, everything is clear, here the developers have not come up with anything new and unusual. Yes, and they did it right. As practice shows, the classic Start menu is like a pharaoh's tomb. As long as you do not touch IT, until then you are not threatened with a curse.
But the idea with the Windows 8.1 start screen right on the desktop is both spectacular and convenient.
For the Metro screen with tiles, you can set different sizes in the program settings, but even the largest of them still makes the start screen more maneuverable and convenient to use.
You can get even more visual impact from the Windows 8.1 start screen on the desktop if you install some interesting design theme and set up a transparent Metro screen.
The Start Menu 8 program can be downloaded absolutely free of charge on the official website of the developer.
Many users of the Windows operating system could not get used to the new Metro tile interface created by Microsoft developers in new versions of the operating system. Not surprisingly, initially this version of the interface is more suitable for use on touch-screen devices (for example, tablets) and rather inconvenient on desktop computers and laptops, where they mainly use the touchpad or mouse. The Start Menu 8 program will help you return to the interface of your operating system a more familiar classic version of the Start menu, similar to that used in the previous version of Windows 7.
After installation, the program is automatically integrated into the interface of the operating system, replacing the standard Metro menu and then automatically starts every time you start Windows. In the Start menu offered by the Start Menu 8 program, users will find the familiar list of installed programs, access to PC settings and basic operating system services. It also provides quick access to your own Documents, Images, Music and Videos. Also, this Start menu displays a list of standard "Modern" applications installed in the system by default (Calendar, Calculator, Games, etc.) and an operating system FAQ. In addition to this, there is a power button in the menu, which has functions such as hibernation, sleep, user change, reboot, reboot in safe mode, shutdown and auto-shutdown of the operating system.
Start Menu 8 has a flexible system of settings that allows you to customize the "Start" menu in accordance with the individual wishes of each user. The program allows you to configure the number of installed applications displayed in the menu, the number of displayed last opened objects, and also knows how to highlight recently installed programs and allows you to change the size of the icons in the menu. In addition, there is a setting that allows you to display the most frequently used programs first in the list of installed software. Users will be able to change the default action of the power button to shutdown, reboot, sleep, or hibernate. Additionally, you can disable UAC control for applications launched from the Start menu. In addition, in the settings it is possible to change the interface of the Start menu itself, by selecting an icon from the collection, setting a custom style for the menu window, setting the font and background color, as well as customizing the objects displayed in the menu and much more.
Start Menu 8 is initially a free program, but the developers provide the opportunity to upgrade to the Pro version, which has advanced functionality. Before purchasing a paid license, users can take advantage of a 30-day trial period to get acquainted with the new features of the commercial Pro version.
Free version limitations
- Initially, the program is free, but it has a Pro version with advanced functionality, which can be activated in the main application window (those who want to get acquainted with the pro version are provided with a 30-day trial period).
What's new in this version?
4.0 (22.11.2016)
- the program fully supports the latest version of the Windows 10 operating system and allows you to quickly switch between the standard and classic Start menu;
- reduced the amount of consumed system resources when starting the Start Menu;
- added automatic program update function;
- improved search engine (higher speed and better search results);
- Fixed a bug with automatic minimization of open windows on Windows 10;
- added 37 language translations.
Released at the end of 2012, Windows 8 seriously hit the stereotypes of users accustomed to the traditional Start menu over the years of using the system. It was the primary tool for navigating the system for most. The Start menu for many versions of the system in a row - up to the seventh inclusive - modestly huddled in the lower left corner of the desktop, always ready to work with the user.
And in the eighth version of the system, it disappeared, and the Windows button threw the user to the start screen of the Metro interface, which is still alien to him.
Metro interface Windows 8
Despite the fact that third-party software developers immediately created a lot of offers to solve this problem - both free and paid with additional functionality, and to return the traditional Start menu, what was required was to install one or another, as a rule, lightweight program, Microsoft still received a huge portion of negative reviews for such a reckless move.
But the software giant was in no hurry to correct the situation, and in the evolutionary continuation of Windows 8 - in version 8.1, which was released about a year later - the Start button still sent the user to the Metro start screen. True, for the Windows 8.1 Start button, an additional context menu was implemented with the ability to quickly open the current sections of the system and regular services.
Context menu in Windows 8
Microsoft took a decisive step towards resentful users who yearn for a natural return to the Start menu, Microsoft made relatively recently, introducing the world to the preview version of Windows 10 - the successor to Windows 8.1. B returns. Its traditional organization is complemented by the presence of Metro app tiles, which can be removed if desired. Depriving the tiles of the Metro interface, the Start menu will take on a familiar look familiar to many on the Windows 7 system.
You don't have to wait for the official release of Windows 10 to be able to experience the improved Start menu. A very interesting implementation of it can be implemented in Windows 8.1 using the Start Menu 8 program from the developer IObit Software.
Not only can the program implement the traditional Windows 7-style start menu, but it can also launch the Metro start screen as a pop-up bar right on the desktop. At the same time, the Start menu can be flexibly customized to your preferences. Consider the possibilities of Start Menu 8 in more detail.
Download the Start Menu 8 program installer from the official website of the developer: Download Start Menu 8 for free
After a simple installation on the "Start" button, we will see that now you can call two context menus. One is, as before, a system one, it appears when you click the right mouse button at the extreme point of the lower left corner of the button image. And the other is the context menu of the Start Menu 8 program, which appears when you click in the center of the Start button. In this context menu, select "Settings".
"Settings"
The program settings will open in the first active tab, where you can choose the style of the Start menu. There are two styles to choose from - the Start menu, as it was in Windows 7, and the Windows 8.1 Start Metro screen, which can appear right on the desktop as a pop-up panel. Let's choose the Windows 7 style.
Windows 7 style
When you press the "Start" button, we will see the familiar menu, only with a couple of additional options. Additional Start menu options allow you to switch to the Windows 8.1 Metro start screen. Also, a separate list shows the Metro applications installed on the computer.
Let's choose a different style of the Start menu in the Start Menu 8 program settings - the same Windows 8 style that will transfer the Metro start screen to the desktop. Now we press the "Start" button and we will see all the beauties of the Metro-interface (see below), harmoniously fitting into the traditional desktop of the system. By the way, in order for the Metro start screen to become transparent, you need to call the side ribbon menu while on it, select "Settings", then - "Personalization", then - the tile with the desktop background.
In the Start Menu 8 settings, you can customize the style of Windows 8 by setting the size of the Start screen window. This is what the tall panel style would look like.
High panel style
And this is how the small window selected in the settings will appear. The low but wide start screen window will look good on monitor screens with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Wide start screen window
The subtleties of the "Start" button can be assigned in the general settings tab of the program settings. The Start button settings tab will offer a choice of several images of the Start button itself. The "Menu" settings tab will allow you to choose which sections of the Start menu will not be displayed, and which ones will be.
Start button settings tab
Fonts, icons, backgrounds, the number of programs in the Start menu list, and other details are configured in the User Interface settings tab.
User interface settings
Simple, understandable, convenient, relevant, beautiful - that's what in general can be said about the Start Menu 8 program. Having fixed the "live" tiles of Metro applications with real-time data display at the very beginning of the start screen, check received messages on a social network or look weather can be in one click, without looking up from the desktop. Read also a great review.
Screenshot on main page:Start menu using Start Menu 8
