Get Windows 7 Start Menu Back in Windows 8 RTM

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Change Windows 8 start menu back to Windows 7
How do I turn off Modern UI in Windows 8?

I want to get back the Windows 7 start menu in Windows 8 as well as use the full-screen Windows 8 Modern UI apps. Can anyone suggest any free utilities?

Answer 1

There are many applications to get a start menu in Windows 8. Based on What W8 start button solution do you prefer?, these are the highest polled options (at time of posting 29/10/2012):

• Classic Shell (free!) 40%
• Start8 ($5) 27%
• Power 8 (by Power8 Team) (free) 3.4%
• ViStart (by Lee Matthew Chantrey) (free) 2.3%
• StartMenu8 (by IObit) (free) 2.3%
• Start Menu X (by OrdinarySoft) (free) 1.1%
• Spesoft Free Windows 8 Start Menu (by Spesoft) (free) 0%
• Revel BringBack 2012 (by RevelSoftware) (free) 0%
• Handy Start Menu (by HandyStartMenu) (free) 0%

Other options not polled are:

• Pokki (free!)
• StartMenu7 (free with pro version for sale)

Answer 2

I would suggest instead of trying to get the Start Menu back, get used to the Start Screen. If you use the Start Menu like many users, not much will change. For instance:

• If you click in the bottom left corner or press the Windows key to bring up Start
• If you use the Search function of the Start Menu/Screen to search for apps/options
• If you use the Start Menu to get to My Computer/Control Panel/etc, what you do now is right click the bottom left corner. Windows Explorer takes you to My Computer.

The main difference will be where your favorite apps are placed. Instead of having the commonly used programs on the left side of the Start Menu, you get the Start Screen with tiles, and you have to organize them by yourself.

Answer 3

One app that I know of is Start8:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdW9tSXK3fM

It is perfect and awesome. But it is not free.

Answer 4

Here is a free alternative:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/classicshell/

In my opinion its not as good as Start8 though.