How to get the Start menu back in Windows 8 – CNET

Several third-party utilities can serve as Start menu replacements for Windows 8 users who aren't as keen on the new Start screen.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

Editors' note: This story was originally published on August 20, 2012. It has been updated several times since then to include additional programs and other details, most recently with 8Startbutton, StartIsBack, and Start Menu 8 on May 27, 2014.

Still miss the classic Start menu in Windows 8 and 8.1? Never fear, alternatives are here.

Microsoft lopped off the Start menu in Windows 8 to force people to use the Start screen. And I'll admit it, the Start screen does offers several benefits.

Live Tiles can clue you in to the latest e-mails, appointments, news, and other information. You can easily search for any app, setting, or file just by typing its name.

But I still find the folder-structured Start menu the quickest and easiest way to launch any application when I'm already working in the desktop. And Microsoft seems to have finally realized that many other users do as well. At its Build conference in April, the software giant revealed that it will bring back a new and hopefully improved Start menu in the next update to Windows 8.1.

In the meantime, though, the only option for those of you who crave the good, old Start menu in Windows 8 or 8.1 is to use a Start menu alternative. And those are just what you'll find here. Most of the programs covered in this overview are free or at least offer a free version. Many go beyond just replicating the Start menu by letting you customize their look and feel.

Here is a rundown of several Windows 8 Start menu replacements that you can take for a spin.

Classic Shell Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

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How to get the Start menu back in Windows 8 - CNET