Classic Shell Now Works in Windows 8 CP

[FaiKee]

Classic Shell has added a "Start Button" to their latest version, and can be installed and work in Windows 8. :D

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/index.html

[Xahid]

Classic shell, remind me Windows 98 !

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Looks interesting. If I switched to Windows 8, I'd certainly give it a go.

[muratoner]

it looks almost the same with Windows 7 Aero skin and orb.I've been using it for a week and never switched to Metro UI.

[GreenMartian]

Before people start asking "why the #@%& would you want to do that?!" or "metro is better!!!!", let me just say these words:

Choice is a good thing.

Sort of like how you don't just walk up to some guy and say "your wife's fat! why in the world would you marry her?!".

Some people love women who have a bit of meat attached to those bones!

[Order_66]

Wow windows 8 just might be usable after all!

[remixedcat]

Before people start asking "why the #@%& would you want to do that?!" or "metro is better!!!!", let me just say these words:

Choice is a good thing.

Sort of like how you don't just walk up to some guy and say "your wife's fat! why in the world would you marry her?!".

Some people love women who have a bit of meat attached to those bones!

I loves me some meat! I want ham and steak!

[Fraud OS 11]

If you want a Windows 7/Windows Vista style Start Menu with a search box which is selected by default when you open the menu, go to the Search Box tab in settings and check "Selected by default" and select the "Access normally" radio button. All the settings in Classic Shell are self-explanatory but if you still need help, just hover over any setting and tooltip help will be displayed. You can use any skin with two columns to make it work and look exactly like the Windows 7/Vista Start Menu, except for file search which is broken anyways in Windows 7/Vista for non-indexed files. :)

Ivo and I started Classic Shell back in Nov. 2009 out of desperation and MS refusing to fix any issues in Windows after release. I give the ideas, test stuff and how it should work (overall User Experience) and he programs them. It reached a million downloads this month. :woot:

The trick is to customize, customize, customize as the defaults in all three components are simple and bare minimum. You can save and restore all your settings in all three components. Classic Explorer and Classic IE9 also add many missing features back to Windows and make your transition easier.

The reviews from most users have been extremely positive.

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

Well just give it a rest already. It's Vista all over again for Microsoft, they'll come to senses and even if they won't bring back the shell they'll do something about it.

[FaiKee]

If you want a Windows 7/Windows Vista style Start Menu with a search box which is selected by default when you open the menu, go to the Search Box tab in settings and check "Selected by default" and select the "Access normally" radio button. All the settings in Classic Shell are self-explanatory but if you still need help, just hover over any setting and tooltip help will be displayed. You can use any skin with two columns to make it work and look exactly like the Windows 7/Vista Start Menu, except for file search which is broken anyways in Windows 7/Vista for non-indexed files. :)

Ivo and I started Classic Shell back in Nov. 2009 out of desperation and MS refusing to fix any issues in Windows after release. I give the ideas, test stuff and how it should work (overall User Experience) and he programs them. It reached a million downloads this month. :woot:

The trick is to customize, customize, customize as the defaults in all three components are simple and bare minimum. You can save and restore all your settings in all three components. Classic Explorer and Classic IE9 also add many missing features back to Windows and make your transition easier.

The reviews from most users have been extremely positive.

You guys are brilliant, period.

FYI I also posted about it in PCBeta, AFAIK yours is the only one providing multi-language UI. :)

http://bbs.pcbeta.com/viewthread-1014915-1-2.html

[Fraud OS 11]

Thanks FaiKee. :) There are still some usability issues we couldn't fix like the forced auto sorting and auto arrange monstrosity. Auto arrange at least has a registry hack but auto sorting is just unbearable.

[+DKAngel Subscriber²]

tbh it looks rather horrible and missplaced if u ask me

[Nick H. Supervisor]

tbh it looks rather horrible and missplaced if u ask me

Really? It looks like it's right where the Start Menu has always been, if you ask me. Although I admit that if it were me I would change the shell logo...I guess Microsoft would have issues with that though?

[Dot Matrix]

TBH, You're only delaying the inevitable...

[Fraud OS 11]

Here's how the Classic Start Menu can be customized and skinned. So either you hate the Windows 7 Start Menu too or you are a troll deliberately if you call it "ugly" or "horrible". :D

[jakem1]

Good luck to the people who want to use it but that looks horrible to me. There's a reason why MS junked the expanding Programs menu on the Start Menu - it was a usability nightmare.

[Duffydemon]

If they can make it pretty and blend with native windows UI, im all for it, only thing i miss on windows 8 is start menu. (Y)

[Guest xiphi]

If it has the option to use Windows 7's Start Menu then I'd consider it. Otherwise, using the classic menu would be even worse than using the Start Screen.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

TBH, You're only delaying the inevitable...

Only if Classic Shell stops being made for future versions of Windows. Or if Microsoft go back to the Start Menu, which is more than likely not going to happen.

[DJGM]

If it has the option to use Windows 7's Start Menu then I'd consider it. Otherwise, using the

classic menu would be even worse than using the Start Screen.

The original classic 9x/2K style Start Menu is the default, but it can easily be changed to the two columned menu

from Windows Vista and 7 which first debuted as the default option in XP, if that's what you're more used to.

[Dot Matrix]

Or if Microsoft go back to the Start Menu, which is more than likely not going to happen.

That's exactly my point. Microsoft is going to stick to their guns with Windows 9. A few (yet, highly vocal) power users aren't going to change their minds.

[Fraud OS 11]

Good luck to the people who want to use it but that looks horrible to me. There's a reason why MS junked the expanding Programs menu on the Start Menu - it was a usability nightmare.

Can you explain how the expanding Programs menu is a usability nightmare? It better utilizes screen estate in fact instead of cramping it into a tiny area with a scrollbar. The Start screen is also trying to make it go "full screen" for this reason. The one problem with flyout menus in Windows 9x was that if the mouse moved a little bit outside the menu it would close. But our menu being customizable, you can simply set the "Menu Delay" setting to a larger value like 10000 and it will never close with the mouse just moving, it will only open folders and close with a mouse click.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

That's exactly my point. Microsoft is going to stick to their guns with Windows 9. A few (yet, highly vocal) power users aren't going to change their minds.

...And I was agreeing with you ("which is more than likely not going to happen") while also stating that thanks to applications like this one the end user doesn't have to "delay the inevitable," they can be happy while the people that prefer Metro can be happy.

[+DKAngel Subscriber²]

Really? It looks like it's right where the Start Menu has always been, if you ask me. Although I admit that if it were me I would change the shell logo...I guess Microsoft would have issues with that though?

but it doesnt look like it belongs, you know hence why its not actually in the cp, i barely use the startmenu in windows 7 as it is so kinda seeing it gone doesnt really faze me and modifying windows 8 just to have one u may aswell jsut stay at windows 7

[Nick H. Supervisor]

but it doesnt look like it belongs, you know hence why its not actually in the cp, i barely use the startmenu in windows 7 as it is so kinda seeing it gone doesnt really faze me and modifying windows 8 just to have one u may aswell jsut stay at windows 7

Ok, I can understand if you don't use the Start Menu as it is. That's completely fine. But remember that there are a lot of additions to Windows 8 in the way of features, and many people would like to use them. At the same time, one of the bigger issues for people is the removal of the start menu, replacing it with the start screen. This kind of application gives users the best of both worlds, they can still have a start menu and get the extra features that comes with Windows 8.