When it comes to third-party Start menu programs for Windows, there is nothing better than the free Classic Shell. It has been around for a couple of years now and has recently got support for the latest Windows 10 as well.
Since Windows 10 comes with its own Start menu, most users will not think of installing a third-party Start menu such as the Classic Shell. That said, there are still many users who aren’t exactly happy with the native Start menu of Windows 10 as it includes some elements of the Start screen.
Although the native Start menu of Windows 10 can be transformed as a classic Start menu by unpinning all tiles, users who are interested in getting the Windows 7 like Start menu have no option but to install third-party Start menu programs.
Windows 7 and Windows 10 style Start menu together
One of the advantages of Classic Shell and many other third-party Start menu programs is that they don’t completely disable the native Start menu of Windows 10. Instead, they just open up old-style Start menu when you click the Windows logo button on the taskbar or when you press the Windows key on the keyboard.
And when you open up the Windows 7-style Start menu in Windows 10 (after installing Classic Shell), you just need to click the Start Start icon to reveal the Windows 10’s native start menu.
What this means is that you can actually use both Windows 7-style and Windows 10’s native Start menu together to get the best of both words.
In fact, you can make this better by moving (pinning) the Start screen icon from the Classic Shell’s Start menu to the taskbar of Windows 10, meaning you can actually launch both Windows 10 and Windows 7-style Start menu in Windows 10 with a click or hotkey. This setup is ideal for users who love some of the features of Windows 10’s Start menu but can’t live without Windows 7-style Start menu.
Installing and setting up the Classic Shell is pretty easy. Anyone who has ever installed an application in Windows can install Classic Shell. Since the setup of Classic Shell is free from third-party browser toolbars and other malwares, you don’t need to pay a lot of attention during the installation.
That said, if you are installing Classic Shell just for its Start menu, you might need to uncheck other features such as Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer during the installation to avoid installing them.
Enjoy Windows 10!
piecevcake says
Indispensable. Been using it for years. Set jumplist widths, so much!