Get the Start Menu Back in Windows 8 With Classic Shell

Introduction

In this article we are going to explain how to get the Start menu back in Windows 8 with the classic shell.

Classic Shell for Windows 8

Step 1

First we can download Classic Shell from Source Forge.

 

Step 2

After the installation, we'll see the classic shell start button in our Windows 8 Desktop.

 

Step 3

When we open it the first time, a screen is shown to pick the menu style we want as well as other settings.

 

Step 4

Select the "All Settings".

 

Step 5

Here's a look at one of the combinations I set. It's set to the Windows 7 style with the Metro Skin. We get a fully functional Search box too and other options Logoff, Shutdown, and Hibernate of our system.

 

Step 6

We'll use the Windows Store apps menu.

 

Step 7

One of the coolest features is that we can set it to bypass the Windows 8 Start Screen. This will boot our system directly into the Desktop. We can change that in the Settings under the Windows 8 Settings tab.

 

Step 8

There are a ton of settings we can configure to get the menu customized to what works best for us.

Step 9

The Classic Shell also installs its File Explorer bar that's also fully customizable. But, with the new Ribbon in the Windows 8 Explorer, it might be a bit much. We can disable it easily though.

 

Step 10

If you like it, hide the Ribbon and customize the Classic Shell version.