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Add a Start button and menu to Windows 8

By Roland Waddilove          Tweet

Windows 8 has come in for a lot of criticism since it was released and Windows 8.1 improves it a little with a few tweaks here and there. For many people though, the changes just won't be enough and the main problem is that the Start screen is not a good alternative to the Start menu. We have had the Start menu since 1995 and it works well. If you have Windows 8 or are thinking about getting it, IObit's Start Menu 8 adds a Start button and menu that is just like the one you are used to.

It makes Windows 8 so much easier to use. You don't lose any functionality and you can switch to the Start screen any time you want to run apps, but with Start Menu 8 you don't ever need to see it if you don't want to.

When you download and run IObit Start Menu 8 it asks you to select a button style first. The Classic is recommended, but there is a wide range of other designs.

Select General Settings on the left and there are some useful options. The first is to run Start Menu 8 automatically when Windows starts. The second option bypasses the Start screen and so the PC boots straight to the desktop. This is just what we want.

Here you can see Start Menu 8 in action. There are a few minor design differences between this and Windows 8, but it's such a relief to get back to normality you won't notice them. Notice that there is a Switch to Metro option, which goes to the Start screen, and a MetroApps menu that lists the apps on the Start screen.

Of course, there are other Start menu replacements and some have been around since the day Windows 8 was launched. IObit's is simple, it works well, and it is free. Go and get it.