How To Enable Start Menu In Windows 8
Posted September 14, 2011 – 2:57 pm in: Windows 8 GuidesBy now you might have discovered that the Start screen is the Start menu in Windows 8. In simple words, Microsoft has dropped Start menu from Windows 8 and introduced Start screen as replacement. The Start screen displays all information you care about in one place. The live tiles on the Start screen update in real-time to display latest info.
You can launch programs, open files & folders, search within apps, pin your favorite files and folders to the Start screen, organize programs in groups and name them, and more.
While the new Start screen is more powerful than the Start menu, not every user likes it. Users who can’t live without the Start menu in Windows 8 can easily back the Start menu with a few mouse clicks. Quite a few free and paid programs are available to enable Start menu in Windows 8.
ViStart, Start8, Power8, and IObit StartMenu8 are the few programs that can help you enable Start menu in Windows 8. Among these programs probably ViStart and StartMenu8 are the best free programs. And if you don’t mind shelling out $5 for a Start menu, we suggest you check out Start8 program.
And if you like the Start screen but have no idea how to use it, how to use the Start screen (video guide), customize Start screen, pin folders to Start screen, pin webpages to the Start screen, and how to search in Start screen guides may help you.
Tags: Start Menu, Start Screen
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17 Comments
Thank you thank you thank you!
This trick removes the new windows explorer and task manager too!
The tick is working great here.
Windows 8: Win + type application to search
- Quick launch apps by pinning the start screen
Windows 7: Win + type application to search
- Quick launch apps by pinning to start menu
Microsoft hasn’t changed how Windows works, the only thing that is different is the GUI and the new start screen means you can structure apps better than merely looking at a boring list of apps.
@Pointless
Thanks for the new keyboard shortcuts.
So many many thanks for this! This is just the perfect solution! Hope that MS will not patch this in the final version
Omg im so happy
It bring back the old Explorer to so the Ribbon Menu is gone! Spread the word !
OK that works except that I like the verbose task manager and the ribbon for WE.
there must be a way to just change the start menu and not everything else……………..
waiting
Pointless: You mean I have to take my hands off the mouse? WTF?
It locked up my Windows 8. Now I have nothing, no Start Screen Ribbon and no old Start Menu. This trick turns Win 8 into a nice wallpaper…
Mosart: Easy fix,just restore your registry backup.
…you did backup the registry before editing, right?
Thanks. It does the job. I have noticed something interesting. After changing the 1 to 0, you have your old start menu back. That is if you move your cursor right on the Microsoft icon at the left bottom of your screen. If you move your cursor completely into the corner of the screen, the new Metro start will take effect. So you can still choose which one to use, it just depend on where you move your cursor.
Lukas
thanks for the tip
This is a relief . . .
I found it waste of time to go every time on the Windows 8 applications screen and scroll to the right to start my application, and it adds up to the tiles everytime installing a new application – after a time you will have to scroll 6 or more screens to get to the new installed application!!!
Sorry! I can’t find RpEnabled on Registry Editor windows (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer).
Please, someone help me.
@nilammani
The registry trick is for Windows 8 Developer Preview only and doesn’t work for Windows 8 Consumer Preview. If you want Start menu in Windows 8, you can download it from this guide:
http://www.intowindows.com/start-menu-for-windows-8/
Classic Start Menu for Windows 7 & Windows 8 !!!
ClassicShell 3.6.0
http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
I cannot find RPEnabled on Windows8 Registry. Please help me.