Introduction
In this article we explain Start8, which adds a Metro start menu to Windows 8, the way it should have been. The Metro style Start Menu isn't something that you access by clicking the Start button in Windows 7. In Windows 8 when we click the start button then we see an Apps section in the Metro Start Screen in a menu. The start menu provides the facility to quickly search and launch both Desktop and Metro apps. The Start8 Menu includes a search to help you find system utilities, shortcuts to applications, Metro apps, widgets and more. We see the Start Menu in the bottom-left of the Windows 8 Desktop.
How start8 adds a Metro Start Menu to Windows 8
Step 1
In the Windows 8 Desktop, first we press "Win + c" and then click "Apps".
![start8-start-menu-in-windows8.jpg]()
Step 2
We type the app name in the search box.
![search-apps-in-windows8.jpg]()
Step 3
The Apps section is scrollable, and you can easily view all the installed apps using the navigation slider at the bottom. For some reason, the mouse wheel doesn't scroll the Apps page.
![apps-page-in-windows 8.jpg]()
Step 4
By default, Start8 shows only the Apps section of the Windows 8 Start Screen, but you can set it always displays the main section of the Start Screen. Right-clicking the Start Orb lets you switch among the sections, enable the default Windows 8 Start Screen (full-screen), choose a different Start Button image, open Run window, and quickly Shutdown the PC.
![different-start-button-image-in-windows8.png]()
Step 5
It's worth mentioning here that it doesn't disable any Windows 8 Start Screen-related functionality and behavior. If you select Show Fullscreen Metro Start Screen, it enables the full-screen Windows 8 Metro Start Screen. However, keep in mind that using the Start8 Start Menu doesn't completely disable the Start Screen; you can still access it from the Switch List.
![start-button-in-windows8.jpg]()
Step 6
From the Start Orb right-click the context menu; you can quickly access the Windows 8 Run Console and Windows 8 Power Options (Shutdown, Hibernate, Sleep etc). Clicking "Pick a different Start Button image" lets you replace the default (Windows 7 style Start Orb) with custom Start Buttons.
![windows8-context-menu.jpg]()
Start8 works flawlessly, without showing any errors whatsoever. It works on both both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 8.