Most every longtime Windows user knows the sad saga of the lowly Start menu. Born as a button in Windows 95, modified in XP and Vista, and blossoming into its most usable form in Windows 7, the Start ...

If you miss the Start menu on Windows 8, try Classic Shell before spending a dime on commercial alternatives. You’ll probably want to stick with it. Windows 8 doesn’t have a Start button. If you don’t ...

Open Shell, originally known as Classic Shell, is open-source software that allows you to replace the standard Start Menu on Windows 10 and Windows 8. Open Shell originally came out as Classic Shell ...

This powerful free/donationware utility adds the features back to Windows 8 and 8.1 that Microsoft should never have taken out. Classic Shell isn’t a me-too Windows 8 fixer. This free utility’s first ...

The off-putting redesign of the Start menu is the primary reason why many hate Windows 11. Microsoft radically changed the feel and layout of the new Start menu. It's centered now, sacrificing the ...

Although the Windows 7 Start menu provides a host of useful features, it tends to take up a lot of screen space when opened. If you want a compact Start menu for your Windows 7 computer, your best bet ...

Take back control of your PC’s Start menu and taskbar, whether you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 11. Microsoft has made a lot of changes to the Start menu and taskbar over the past few years. On ...

This guide covers four top Windows 11 Start menu replacement apps: Start11, StartAllBack, Open Shell Menu, and Flow Launcher. These apps offer a range of customization options, from classic layouts to ...