PC users who were hoping that Microsoft would restore the Start menu in Windows 8.1 update were in for a surprise as last week Microsoft officially released Windows 8.1 and confirmed the return of only Start button in Windows 8.1 update.
The Start button in Windows 8.1 helps you quickly switch between the desktop and Start screen.
Many PC users who had been using Windows 8 for a long time before upgrading to Windows 8.1 are used to the Windows 8-style taskbar (taskbar without the Start button) and they are now not really happy with the Start button that doesn’t open up the Start menu.
A small percentage of users who have upgraded from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 are now looking for a way to hide or disable the Start button in Windows 8.1. Unfortunately, as of now, there is no software designed to disable or hide the Start button in Windows 8.1.
Sure, there are a bunch of free programs out there to hide the Start button or orb in Vista as well as Windows 7 but these utilities aren’t compatible with Windows 8.1. Luckily, one can hide or disable the Start button in Windows 8.1 with the combination of two software.
Hide the Start button in Windows 8.1
Complete the given below instructions to disable or hide the Start button in Windows 8.1:
Step 1: Download the latest beta version of Stardock’s Start8 software. Even though Start8 is a paid software ($4.99), you can try it out for 30-days without any issues. Note that we tried to use a couple of free Start menu programs designed for Windows 8 but the end result was not good. So we’re using Start8 in this guide. You are free to experiment with other Start menu programs.
Step 2: Run the installer, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. You should now see the Start menu when you click on the Start button.
Step 3: Next, download StartKiller tool from here and install it.
Step 4: To hide the Start button, run the StartKiller. That’s it! The taskbar is now free from the Start button.
As you might have noticed, with default settings, when you do a click at the lower-left corner of the screen, Windows 8.1 now opens Start8’s Start menu. If you don’t need a Start menu, open Start8 settings, switch to Control tab, under “What should happen when you are on the Desktop”, select Start button shows the Windows 8 menu and Windows key shows the Windows 8 menu to open Start screen when you do a left click at the lower-left corner and also when you press the Windows logo key on the keyboard. That’s it!
We also suggest you configure Start Killer to load with Windows so that you don’t need to manually run the program every time your restart your PC.
Enjoy Windows 8.1!
Scottydog says
I removed the taskbar from both windows 7 and 8 – the menu still pops up when you click on the bottom left, but the pointless space hogging button is gone :) I used 7+ taskbar tweaker, works on 8.1 too (make sure your firewall allows access to tweak your system if you have problems), is free and has lots of options, from here:
http://rammichael.com/7-taskbar-tweaker
Jensen says
To use Classic Shell to hide the button, just go to the Start Button tab in Settings and set the button size to 0. That hides the button. You can still have the menu or have it open on the Start screen.
admin says
Thanks hb860. I was expecting a tool from your side. Good job.
hb860 says
I am sorry for “spam” :) I just released freeware to remove the start button. It works.
StartIsGone: http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.215
admin says
I tried the Classic Shell, it couldn’t completely hide the Start button. Let us know which version you’re talking about.
Amillennialist says
Classic Shell works great, and it’s free.