The native Start menu is back, everyone rejoice!

[grayscale]

couldn't someone simply reinstall the app after an update to get it back?

If it isn't broken then yes, but since this is a payware, it should be polished enough not to need a re-install when Windows Update ****s it up.

[Andrea Borman]

Why pay for this software when you can have Classic shell for free. Andrea Borman.

[chrisj1968]

Why pay for this software when you can have Classic shell for free. Andrea Borman.

everyone has what they like I'll venture to say.Some like me will like the freebie being on a disability income which is limited.

[DDStriker]

snip

snip

Why do your posts end with your name? you already have it in your signature

Also i'm not sure what you mean he has provided the files everything seems to be there and so what if he wants to make money of it? perhaps stop complaining and work to releasing something as well that benefits users it's much better than complaining all the time :)

Also devs should be paid for their time if they wish to release things for free that's great as well but we shouldn't complain if they wish to charge for their time don't be greedy

<snipped>

Edited October 14, 2012 by Calum
Snipped out quotes of now removed posts

[Stup0t]

_{Nice to see this, there are a few of these out. stardock have one, which I have been using and its withstood all the updates at the moment. But stardock are starting to ask for money, so a free version would be nicely received :)}

[Calum Veteran]

Thread cleaned, quite thoroughly

Please all stay on the topics of this actual utility, how it compares with other similar utilities etc. The topic of this thread is not about your views on the Start Screen or on Microsoft removing the Start Menu; it's merely about this utility. There are other threads that concern people's views about the removal of the Start Menu and the Start Screen replacing it.

Thank you :)

[Astra.Xtreme]

Awesome, this one actually looks better than Start8. I'm excited to try it out.

[Lord Method Man]

Looks good. I think the corners should be sharp though to be consistent with the Windows 8 UI.

[flexkeyboard]

Tihiy explains how Startisback works:

Now an explanation i owe you guys about 'very special magic'. There is still start menu code present in explorer.exe. Because it's shared with jump list code, it wasn't removed. Several shell interfaces were deprecated and removed alongside with some start menu code.

I reimplemented them (during Ex7forW8 development) and several parts of start menu, as well i had to reimplement start button, win key code and other things.

How hacky is this? Fortunately, a bit. It's not hackorama-all-over, just two private functions in explorer.exe i have to call. They're hardcoded in beta 0 so it works only with original RTM explorer.exe.

Future versions won't have them hardcoded so it will work with any explorer.exe version.

Q: Will Microsoft remove start menu code and break StartIsBack?

A: No, it's almost impossible since it's tied with jump list code and requires rearchitecting explorer.exe code, which they won't do until next Windows version.

Someone prior mentioned patching the memory process, it looks like that's what Tihiy is going to do.

And it also looks like this solution is going to be viable :D

[Tihiy]

StartIsBack beta 1 is up. Beta testers come on in... others hold back for a couple of versions.

[Scorbing]

Microsoft should give the user the option of using that Start Menu bottom on the OS. I think its very disrespectful of them to have disabled it completely and not allow the user any access to it.

[Arceles]

Well this program pretend to follow the same model of Stardock Start8.... beta free and then payment, to be honest I bought the start8 because it looks and works neat... but then again, I wonder what the other start menu is able to do.

Microsoft should give the user the option of using that Start Menu bottom on the OS. I think its very disrespectful of them to have disabled it completely and not allow the user any access to it.

This has a very nice solution, being disrespectful towards any metro apps :D

[Noir Angel]

Oh it's that man with his silly software again. You remember him from another thread, where he provides the software, but he does not provide the files, so it does not work. See here-http://www.neowin.ne...-for-windows-8/

I took a look at that link. And he said in his post on the other forum that the software will not be free he is going to charge for it. And he said that it won't withstand Windows updates.

So just stick with Classic Shell or Start Menu 7 they are free to use. And they work. So I have already got my start button and Windows 7 start menu on my Windows 8. With Classic shell.. Andrea Borman.

It works, it's not his fault that you either don't understand or refuse to put in the effort.

[Nothing Here]

Why do your posts end with your name? you already have it in your signature

Also i'm not sure what you mean he has provided the files everything seems to be there and so what if he wants to make money of it? perhaps stop complaining and work to releasing something as well that benefits users it's much better than complaining all the time :)

Also devs should be paid for their time if they wish to release things for free that's great as well but we shouldn't complain if they wish to charge for their time don't be greedy

<snipped>

Might want to becareful with Andrea, DDStriker. You may end up being the next topic in one of her online vids. LMAO!

[LUTZIFER]

Personally I think the best way to have the start menu, transparency, etc. etc. is just stay with Windows 7.

I know I'm not downgrading to Windows 8 till MS themselves adds Windows 7 functionality back in it.

I sure wouldn't be paying for a program that will be broken every time you get Windows Updates, and we know damn well that'll happen.

[Dot Matrix]

Microsoft should give the user the option of using that Start Menu bottom on the OS. I think its very disrespectful of them to have disabled it completely and not allow the user any access to it.

Again, there were reasons for its removal.

[Colin McGregor]

YAY A start button for an OS that doesn't need a start button. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET.

[Scorbing]

Again, there were reasons for its removal.

And what reasons are those other than to annoy the corporate environment and few others who actually used that Start button?

[Dot Matrix]

And what reasons are those other than to annoy the corporate environment and few others who actually used that Start button?

Ask the developers themselves.

http://www.neowin.ne...#entry595048551

The old Menu reached its end of life. There was no getting around that the launcher had to be re-designed.

[DDStriker]

Might want to becareful with Andrea, DDStriker. You may end up being the next topic in one of her online vids. LMAO!

Hah i could be a star? :woot: ;)

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Hah i could be a star? :woot: ;)

LMAO!!!!!! :rofl:

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Really? it worked for me, and almost everyone else that used it. Explain that!

PEBKAC. Plain and simple. She thinks she "uninstalled" Internet Explorer...all she did was take ownership of TrustedInstaller, and foolishly DELETED internet explorer using unlocker. LOLOLOL!!!!! :rofl: @OP: Man, if I had 8, I'd test this for you in a heart beat! I could have used this when I was running the RP! That was the only thing I didn't like about 8. Glad there's more choices now! OUTSTANDING job man! (Y)

[bryonhowley]

This is not needed at all and hopefully Microsoft will prevent it from working with the first set of updates.

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

This must be some extra code or "app" that looks like the Windows 7 start menu, no? Microsoft deleted the code for the Windows 7 start menu. Why would MS keep it if it didn't intend to use it? Just for bloat? This seems like an extra app, and not a Windows 8 feature. How is this different from other start menus, like VStart & Start8

UPDATE: Nevermind; I found the lovely quote that explained how this was done. I didn't know there was still code that remained. Wow, nice work. You are indeed a brilliant person. I love people who tinker with things and make it do stuff it wasn't meant to do.

[GreenMartian]

This is not needed at all and hopefully Microsoft will prevent it from working with the first set of updates.

Why should they, though?

• It doesn't affect other people (e.g. you) that do NOT use it.
  
• It doesn't affect THEM.
  
• It's not a security issue.
  

Plus if they remove it, people would just move to other solutions anyway. So I really don't see why they should spend more effort on this rather than fixing bugs / introducing new features.