Classic Shell Skin to Get Windows 7 Lookalike Start Menu & Button

By Fraud OS 11
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

McKay

Posted
Posted

bull****. If you don't like something, modify it until you do. Is that not one of the great things about PC's, how customisable they are?

I didn't say "Don't modify it" I said don't use it. The people here aren't using the Start Screen are they? They found an alternative.

At what price? I'm kinda wondering what her boot time is with all that junk running.

I find it interesting that someone so against the startscreen has a desk full of icons....

Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

So now Classic Shell boots directly to the desktop in the new and improved version. Also the other changes are that when you search your folders on Windows 8,you are now taken to Windows Explorer,instead of the Metro start menu.

But also you can now add and create your own custom start button on Windows 7 in the new version of Classic Shell. However,you cannot change the start button on Windows Vista.Because the new version Classic Shell does not support this.Or at least not yet.

But this is the first time we have ever been able to change the start button on Windows 7. There are several tutorials on the web about changing the start button on Windows 7,Windows Vista and Windows XP. But it involves editing the Windows Shell files and that's just too risky,as you can break Windows.

So Classic Shell is the safe way to do it. I am not sure if Classic shell really changes the start button on Windows 7.Or just places it's own custom button or one that you have chosen on top of the Windows 7 start button. To make it look like the start button has changed.

The only other start menu software I know of that changes the start button on Windows 7 is Start Menu 7. But it just looks like they have placed a second start button over the Windows 7 start button. So it's not very well done.

The other start menu software that changes the start button is Vi start.Which gives you the Windows 7 start button and start menu on Windows XP. And Vi Start also works on Windows 8 and so does Start Menu 7.

But neither of the two start menu software's are as customisable as Classic Shell. And you can see in my picture of my Windows XP start button on Windows 7. That Classic Shell does change the start button on Windows 7. As well as giving you a start button and Windows XP and Windows 7 start menu on Windows 7.

And in this version of Classic Shell,you now have all of the functions of the Windows 7 and Windows XP start menu on Windows 8. Andrea Borman.

post-417173-0-28184900-1341141180_thumb.

Mentor

threesixtyflip

Posted
Posted

This looks very ugly, AndreaBorman

A massive true dat, I can understand you make like it like that Andrea, but I wouldn't be able to look at that. Plus, Im one of the minority that actually likes the start screen.

Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

A massive true dat, I can understand you make like it like that Andrea, but I wouldn't be able to look at that. Plus, Im one of the minority that actually likes the start screen.

It looks exactly like Windows XP. On Windows 7 and Windows Vista,you can set your theme to Windows Classic,which disables Aero. But sadly they have removed Windows Classic from Windows 8,a bad move as I miss it very much. And you can only set it to Windows 8 Basic which is the same as Windows 7 Basic. Which only partly disables Aero. Andrea Borman.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

It looks exactly like Windows XP. On Windows 7 and Windows Vista,you can set your theme to Windows Classic,which disables Aero. But sadly they have removed Windows Classic from Windows 8,a bad move as I miss it very much. And you can only set it to Windows 8 Basic which is the same as Windows 7 Basic. Which only partly disables Aero. Andrea Borman.

Because the Classic chrome runs off the CPU. It was inefficient. With Windows 8, the GUI is completely rendered on the GPU. There just isn't a need for the Classic UI anymore.

Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

Because the Classic chrome runs off the CPU. It was inefficient. With Windows 8, the GUI is completely rendered on the GPU. There just isn't a need for the Classic UI anymore.

But the Windows Classic theme is better for a netbook.The Aero theme only slows the computer down. Andrea Borman.

Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

I can't confirm. Windows 7 works great on low-end systems.

Yes,and Windows 7 is faster than Windows 8. And Windows XP is slightly faster than Windows 7. So Windows XP and Windows 7 tie as the top 2 versions of Windows. Andrea Borman.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

But the Windows Classic theme is better for a netbook.The Aero theme only slows the computer down. Andrea Borman.

No. no. The CPU of the netbook is limited. The more offloaded onto the GPU the better your machine will be. It balances out the work the machine is doing.

Yes,and Windows 7 is faster than Windows 8. And Windows XP is slightly faster than Windows 7. So Windows XP and Windows 7 tie as the top 2 versions of Windows. Andrea Borman.

And Windows 95 is faster than XP. Doesn't mean anything. XP is actually very inefficient with multi-core processors and RAM usage.

Grand Master

McKay

Posted
Posted

But the Windows Classic theme is better for a netbook.The Aero theme only slows the computer down. Andrea Borman.

If your Computer has a GPU, running Aero will make it run on the GPU, freeing up the CPU, so often you'll find that classic slows your computer down.

Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

Posted
Posted
Yes,and Windows 7 is faster than Windows 8. And Windows XP is slightly faster than Windows 7. So Windows XP and Windows 7 tie as the top 2 versions of Windows. Andrea Borman.

Okay, I'm confused. You're trying to make Windows 8 look like Windows XP even though - according to you - it's much slower and you hate the default visual theme? Not only that but adding countless programs to change the visual appearance can only impact performance further.

Given that you have a low post count, the majority of your posts are in Windows 8 topics and you're posting those garish images at every opportunity I have to ask: are you just doing this for laughs? If not - and I'm not trying to be rude here - are you partially sighted? Your screenshots are very reminiscent of the high contrast colour schemes used by the visually impaired. I mean absolutely no disrespect but your screenshots are incredibly distasteful.

  • KRazpopov and derkim
  • Like 2
Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

Okay, I'm confused. You're trying to make Windows 8 look like Windows XP even though - according to you - it's much slower and you hate the default visual theme? Not only that but adding countless programs to change the visual appearance can only impact performance further.

Given that you have a low post count, the majority of your posts are in Windows 8 topics and you're posting those garish images at every opportunity I have to ask: are you just doing this for laughs? If not - and I'm not trying to be rude here - are you partially sighted? Your screenshots are very reminiscent of the high contrast colour schemes used by the visually impaired. I mean absolutely no disrespect but your screenshots are incredibly distasteful.

No the these on my laptops are not set on high contrast,not at all.

They are set on Windows 7 Classic on Windows 7. Then I change the grey taskbar and dark blue desktop to a color of my choice.

And on Windows 8 they are set on Windows 8 Basic. Andrea Borman.

Proficient

derkim

Posted
Posted

No the these on my laptops are not set on high contrast,not at all.

They are set on Windows 7 Classic on Windows 7. Then I change the grey taskbar and dark blue desktop to a color of my choice.

And on Windows 8 they are set on Windows 8 Basic. Andrea Borman.

But this is nonsense. Also in Windows 7 the themed UI using the GPU. What you are doing is counterproductive.

Grand Master

Lee G. Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
Given that you have a low post count, the majority of your posts are in Windows 8 topics and you're posting those garish images at every opportunity I have to ask: are you just doing this for laughs?

If you look at Andrea's YouTube channel, you'll see that she isn't doing it for laughs.

  • Coi and rfirth
  • Like 2
Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

Posted
Posted

I'd rather people spent time trying to improve Metro Start than trying to recreate the past. Imagine Metro Start with animated app rollovers and launching, super-tiles (i.e. twice the current size), mini-tiles (ala Windows Phone 8), live previews of websites, dynamic backgrounds (similar to

), keeping the taskbar constantly visible, allowing desktop apps to appear on top of the start screen, etc. I'm not saying all of those ideas are particularly good but the potential is huge. The most obvious fix to address some of the usability issues with Metro multitasking would be to keep it visible at all times.

If you look back to the XP modding scene there were a lot of slight variations on Luna it was dominated by people trying to do new things. The modding scene today is dramatically less innovative and has actually regressed in many respects.

  • DConnell and Guth
  • Like 2
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28

      By Copernic · Posted

      TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 by Razvan Serea TeraCopy is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, also providing you with a lot of features. Copy files faster. TeraCopy uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times. Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives. Pause and resume transfers. Pause copy process at any time to free up system resources and continue with a single click. Error recovery. In case of copy error, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer. Interactive file list. TeraCopy shows failed file transfers and lets you fix the problem and recopy only problem files. Shell integration. TeraCopy can completely replace Explorer copy and move functions, allowing you work with files as usual. TeraCopy is free for non-commercial use only. For commercial use you need to buy a license. The paid version of the program includes the following features: Copy/move to your favorite folders. Save reports as HTML and CSV files. Select files with the same extension/folder. Remove the selected files from the copy queue. Features added since version 3.17: Enhanced speed graph. New multi-threaded copy engine. Support for copying to multiple targets. Queue system for managing multiple copy operations. Support for receiving files via the LocalSend protocol. TeraCopy entry in the modern Windows Explorer context menu. Integrated toolbar in the title bar. Why receive LocalSend transfers with TeraCopy? Handle file conflicts: Skip, overwrite, or rename files when a file with the same name already exists. LocalSend always creates another copy, which can waste time and disk space, especially when resuming an interrupted transfer. Filter unwanted files: Apply ignore lists or remove files manually before accepting a transfer, so unnecessary files are not downloaded. Better performance on fast networks: In tests over a 10 Gbps connection, TeraCopy received files several times faster than the standard LocalSend app on Windows. TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 changelog: Fixed a bug where Overwrite behaved as Overwrite All during same-drive move operations. AdvancedInstaller fixed the installer’s security vulnerability: EXE Bootstrapper resolved the %appdata% location incorrectly for the System account. Download: TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 | 14.6 MB (Freeware, paid upgrade available) View: TeraCopy Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Microsoft finally launches WSL Containers in public preview

      By BlueScreenJunky · Posted

      First exciting thing to come to Windows in a long time ! This is the kind of things they should focus on, instead of cramming as much AI as they can in everything.
    • New AMD graphics driver fixes install issues and FSR 4.1 crashes on RX 7000 GPUs

      By TarasBuria · Posted

      New AMD graphics driver fixes install issues and FSR 4.1 crashes on RX 7000 GPUs by Taras Buria AMD is rolling out yet another graphics driver. Version 26.6.4 is now available for download, bringing two important fixes. One is for those still using Windows 10 and having trouble installing driver 26.6.2. In fact, this patch is coming from the recently released hotfix, so it is not new if you are already running version 26.6.3. The second fix is for RX 7000 owners. AMD recently brought FSR 4.1 support to the previous-gen graphics cards, but there was a bug with certain games crashing when using FSR 4.1. I experienced this issue with Forza Horizon 6, so today's driver should take care of that. Here is the official changelog: Intermittent install issue seen when installing AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.6.2 on Windows® 10 systems for Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products. Intermittent application crash may be observed in some games with AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1 enabled on Radeon™ RX 7000 series graphics products. Known issues include the following: Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing Battlefield™ 6 on AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. AMD is actively working on a resolution with the developer to be released as soon as possible. Texture flickering or corruption may appear while playing Battlefield™ 6 with AMD Record and Stream on some AMD graphics products. AMD FSR Upscaling and AMD FSR Frame Generation may show as inactive in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition while playing Battlefield™ 6 when enabled on Radeon™ RX 9000 series graphics products. Failure to install may be observed while installing AI Bundle components in some regions with limited access to HuggingFace and GitHub. Model flickering or rendering failure may be observed in Maxon Cinema 4D and Blender on Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products. Users experiencing this issue are recommended to install AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.3.1. Intermittent application crash may be observed on some models while running Blender on Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products. Users experiencing this issue are recommended to install AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.3.1. You can download the AMD Radeon driver 26.6.4 from the official website here. Full release notes are available on the same page.
    • Amazon may use OpenAI and Nova models after Anthropic reportedly raises costs

      By Karthik Mudaliar · Posted

      Amazon may use OpenAI and Nova models after Anthropic reportedly raises costs by Karthik Mudaliar Amazon is reportedly considering to use OpenAI models and even its own Nova family of AI models after Anthropic raised the cost of using Claude inside Amazon services. According to a report from The Information, Amazon is weighing its options to reduce costs under a new arrangement with Anthropic. But back in April, Amazon said it would invest $5 billion more in Anthropic, with the possibility of adding up to another $20 billion if certain commercial milestones are met. That investment actually came on top of another $8 billion Amazon had already put into the Claude maker. Anthropic, meanwhile, committed to spend more than $100 billion over 10 years on AWS technologies, including Amazon’s Trainium chips. Amazon isn't just a customer of Anthropic but also one of the most important backers and cloud partners. This is why it makes it interesting that Amazon is considering other alternatives to handle its internal workloads. Although Amazon has been building its own options for a while now. Its Nova family of AI models was announced in late 2024 for Amazon Bedrock, with models aimed at text, image, and video tasks. Amazon pitched the model around cost and latency at that time. With that said, OpenAI has also become a more realistic option recently for AWS customers as well as for Amazon itself. Earlier this year, OpenAI brought its latest models and Codex coding agent to Amazon Bedrock, after changes to its previously more restrictive Microsoft cloud arrangement. This allowed AWS to serve even those customers who wanted other alternatives from Claude, without having to move workloads out of Amazon's cloud. Evaluating alternatives could also be due to commercial pressure and not necessarily a sign of a damaged partnership between Amazon and Anthropic. Whether or not Amazon is actually considering switching entirely to OpenAI's models or its own Nova models remains unknown at this moment.
    • Samsung introduces new AI classroom tools and interactive displays at ISTELive 2026

      By Fiza Ali · Posted

      Samsung introduces new AI classroom tools and interactive displays at ISTELive 2026 by Fiza Ali Samsung has announced several new education-focused software features and interactive displays for schools during ISTELive 2026, taking place in Orlando, Florida, from 28 June to 1 July. The focus of these updates is on making shared classroom displays easier to use for teachers while giving IT administrators more control over managing devices. One of the key additions is the Samsung Account Management Solution (AMS). In many schools, multiple teachers share the same interactive display throughout the day, which means signing in and setting everything up can become repetitive. With AMS, teachers can log in by scanning a QR code or tapping an NFC-enabled ID card. Once signed in, their personalised workspace, including wallpapers, bookmarks, app shortcuts, and files, can be instantly accessed through Home Personalisation. Samsung has also included a screen lock feature, allowing teachers to lock the display if they need to step away briefly. Furthermore, the company is also updating its Education Portal with new tools designed for school IT administrators. The portal will allow IT administrators to register teachers, enrol devices, and manage user access from a central dashboard. Administrators can also link NFC cards to teacher accounts, making sign-ins quicker across shared displays. Another addition is a Tags feature that lets schools organise displays by building or classroom. Those tags can also be used to send emergency notifications to selected Samsung Interactive Displays through compatible platforms such as InformaCast and Raptor. Moreover, the tech giant's AI Assistant is gaining several new features aimed at supporting everyday classroom tasks such as lesson planning and classroom engagement. One of the features is Circle to Search, which lets teachers circle text or images on the display to quickly find related information, videos, or web results without interrupting the lesson. The content can then be brought into Samsung Whiteboard. Another feature, Live Transcript, converts spoken lessons into real-time captions, which could be useful for students with hearing impairments or those in multilingual classrooms. The AI Assistant also introduces AI Summary and AI Quiz. The summary tool creates summaries of recorded lessons, while AI Quiz generates questions based on lesson content so teachers can quickly check how well students are following along. Teachers signed in through Samsung AMS can also return to their previous AI-generated lesson materials without logging in again. Alongside the software updates, Samsung has expanded its Android-based Interactive Display range with three new models: the WAF-S, WAFX-PS, and WAHX-M. The WAF-S and WAFX-PS ship with Android 16, bringing updates to security, accessibility, and overall usability while maintaining compatibility with Google's education services including Google Classroom and Google Drive through EDLA certification. Meanwhile, the new WAHX-M is the biggest addition to the lineup, introducing a 98-inch display for larger spaces such as lecture halls and conference rooms. It will also be available in 65-inch, 75-inch and 86-inch sizes. Samsung says the WAHX-M further includes on-device AI features such as voice commands, text-to-speech, and an AI calculator, alongside support for Samsung AMS and AI Assistant. Samsung AI Assistant has been available since April, while Samsung AMS and the updated Education Portal will begin rolling out in July.

  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      536
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      269
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      150
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      97
    5. 5
      macoman
      61
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!