Win8: How to make a classic "start menu" (sort of) without 3rd-part

[moeburn]

So some of us want the ability to have a program-launching menu on our taskbar in Windows 8 that doesn't take up the entire screen like the new Start Screen/Apps List, without having to download/purchase 3rd-party software.  Well I think I've found a pretty satisfactory solution that most of you probably already knew was available, but might not have considered.

 

Right click on the taskbar, click Toolbars->New Toolbar..., point it to "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\" (or a folder filled with app shortcuts of your choice).  Now if you like it on the right-hand side, you're done!  If you want it over on the left like the old start menu, right click on the task bar, uncheck "Lock the Taskbar", and drag it to the left to switch places with the running taskbar programs.  

 

Unfortunately, all you get is that tiny little >> button, so it's not as big as the classic start button.  I also can't seem to figure out how to push it all the way to the left, past the new 8.1 start button.  Finally, you have your choice of a title labelled "Programs" (or the name of the folder you pointed it to), or you can right click on it, uncheck "show title", and the title will be replaced by one of the items in your list (you have to have one or the other, you can't have just the ">>" because the toolbar disappears when you try to shrink it that far.

 

Finally, you can check "Lock the Taskbar" again to hide those little slider bars, but then you'll find that a little piece of the first or second item in the list will be revealed because it was being covered by the slider bars.  Not a perfect replacement to the start menu, but for those of us unwilling to install 3rd-party solutions, it's a great start!

 

 

edit: just so you know, some of you might have your start menu shortcuts in "C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\" instead of the other one

[Dick Montage]

So it's a scrolling folder popup.  Yay for usability  :/

[moeburn]

So it's a scrolling folder popup.  Yay for usability  :/

 

Isn't that exactly what the Windows 7 start menu was?  It's definitely more useable than the Windows 8 Apps List.  For example, now you can DELETE things from it!  

 

For the record, it doesn't have to be folders, that's just all I have in there.  And if you don't like the names, you can uncheck "show text" and you get nothing but icons.

[Dick Montage]

Isn't that exactly what the Windows 7 start menu was?

 

Not even close.  It was based very much around the search.  Click start button, start typing, list of apps filters.

 

For the record, it doesn't have to be folders, that's just all I have in there.  And if you don't like the names, you can uncheck "show text" and you get nothing but icons.

 

I used to do the same but link to "Desktop" for easy access to drives and shiz!

[moeburn]

Not even close.  It was based very much around the search.  Click start button, start typing, list of apps filters.

 

Well I wouldn't say its not even close.  It's very close, because the search feature wasn't added until Vista; it has the base of the original start menu from 95 and 98, which is the 'programs' list.   Also, I never used that search thing.  Also, that's still in Windows 8.

[Phouchg]

I have my Windows 7 Start Menu rigged sort of this way - Computer expands to drives list, Control Panel - to applets list, Libraries - to folders, subfolders and files. I don't use search, because I know exactly where most of my stuff is. To each his own workflow!

[Dick Montage]

Isn't that exactly what the Windows 7 start menu was?

 

because the search feature wasn't added until Vista;

 

Um... You just un-argued yourself