How To Use Start Screen As Start Menu In Windows 8.1

In Windows 8.1, Microsoft has made a couple of changes to the Start screen, the Start menu replacement introduced first with Windows 8. Microsoft has introduced a new Apps view in Windows 8.1 which displays all installed apps and desktop programs. But with default settings, when you press the Windows logo key on the keyboard or click the Start button, Windows shows the Start screen instead of the Apps view.

Even though you can use the Ctrl + Tab hotkey to quickly switch from the Start screen to the Apps view and you can pin your favourite apps to the Start screen, the Apps view really provides a Start menu experience.

If you don’t find the Start screen so useful and prefer to see the Apps view instead when you click on the Start button, you can do so by following the given below steps.

Step 1: Right-click on the empty space of the taskbar and then click Properties to open Taskbar and Navigation properties dialog.

Step 2: Switch to the Navigation tab.

Step 3: Under Start screen section, check the option titled Show the Apps view automatically when I go to the Start.

Step 4: Click Apply button. That’s it! From now on, whenever you press the Windows logo key on the keyboard or click the Start button on the taskbar, Windows shows all installed apps (Apps view).

Note that when you enable Show the Apps view automatically when I go the Start option, Windows will automatically enable Search everywhere instead of just my apps when I search from the Apps view option as well. If you want to use the Apps view as a Start menu and don’t want to use the search box in the Apps view to search files and settings, simply uncheck the above mentioned option.