Start8 brings the Start menu and button back to Windows 8
Wednesday, August 29, 2012 by Frogboy | Discussion: Personal Computing
In preparation for the Windows 8 launch, Stardock has released a near-final version of its highly anticipated Start8 utility.
Start8 is a program that adds the Start button back to the Windows 8 desktop as well as provides a fully function post-Windows 7 style Start menu.
What’s New:
- Windows 7 style Start menu with Windows 8 enhancements
- Users can search for Windows 8-style (Metro) apps with it
- Users can pin Metro apps to it
- Full support for Jump Lists
- Unified Search
- Automatically matches color to the color of the taskbar
- Start button is now skinnable
- Users can boot directly to the Windows 8 desktop
- Optionally disable the desktop “hot spots”.
- Fast access to shut down, devices, music, documents, videos
- Supports WindowFX 5.1 startmenu animations (currently in beta)
- The Windows 8 Start screen becomes accessible from the Start menu
- Start menu size fully configurable
- Adds option for WinKey to show fullscreen Metro desktop.
Screenshots:
Post Windows 7-style start menu: Can “see” and interact with Windows 8 style apps.
Start button orb image can be changed
All installed Windows 8 style apps can be found by typing “Metro”.
Users can quickly access all their programs and shut down options
Download at https://www.stardock.com/products/start8
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Reply #2 Wednesday, August 29, 2012 3:38 PM
Absolutely fantastic! Love getting a normal looking start menu and button back, beats out Classic Shell by a mile! Only one question, does anyone know how to add and remove items from the places panel in Windows 8? In Windows 7 it just a simple right click and selecting Properties and then Customize the start menu, in Windows 8 right clicking on the start menu does absolutely nothing. Thanks in advance!
Reply #4 Wednesday, August 29, 2012 3:57 PM
As an aspiring programmer and video game designer, apps like this are the only thing that could get me to try to use Windows 8 instead of XP or 7, and I have hardly even use 7.
Reply #6 Wednesday, August 29, 2012 4:07 PM
Oops, it was a guess.....I'm on 7 right now...sorry. 
Reply #7 Wednesday, August 29, 2012 4:15 PM
You cannot alter that in the current release of Start8. You can expect to be able to do that in the future though.
Reply #9 Wednesday, August 29, 2012 8:38 PM
hmmmmmmm. i may have to try win8 again because of this app. i'll wait until my new ssd arrives, tho.
Reply #10 Wednesday, August 29, 2012 10:12 PM
FYI if you have VMWare workstation ver 8, Win8 runs pretty darn good in it. If you have the $$ to shell out VMWare just released Ver 9 which will make it even better. ( but that is a topic for another thread ).
Reply #11 Thursday, August 30, 2012 12:46 AM
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
I loaded the beta on this.
When I get a chance I'll load the RTM on it too...
Reply #12 Thursday, August 30, 2012 1:51 AM
I have it dual booted with 7 on my main rig.
Working ok. If SD keeps messing around, they're gonna make me like 8.
Reply #13 Thursday, August 30, 2012 10:37 AM
What are the odds that MS makes changes to disable this in the near future?
Reply #15 Thursday, August 30, 2012 10:59 AM
Im also interested in that/ it would be good or more likely great to get some info on that thanks Xiandi for asking- with the RTM out, there should be some releasable info about Windowblinds and windows 8...
Quoting RichVR, reply 14What are the odds that MS makes changes to disable this in the near future?We are betting on "unlikely".
Does that mean there will be a pro version in the future or will it remain a freebee?
Reply #16 Thursday, August 30, 2012 12:04 PM
Quoting RichVR, reply 14What are the odds that MS makes changes to disable this in the near future?We are betting on "unlikely".
Yeah, Microsoft probably knew someone would develop an application to get rid of Modern (Metro) UI, so they probably figured why bother with everyones complaints if someone else will do all the work. No doubt they saved some money hot having to worry about that one. 
Reply #18 Thursday, August 30, 2012 4:30 PM
Looking good!
Now you just need to map a Nelson_ha_ha.wav to the menu navigation and you're done.
Reply #19 Thursday, August 30, 2012 9:01 PM
Quoting RichVR, reply 14What are the odds that MS makes changes to disable this in the near future?We are betting on "unlikely".
I'm guessing that you're right considering the lateness of the build. But I have to think that LightStar has made a good point. Is MS going to the "mod" community now? Not saying that Stardock is to, in any way, be considered as 'modders'. But let's look at the facts:
1. Win 8 is a tablet oriented OS.
2. They want to get a big bite of the tablet market.
3. If they allow modifications to what the consider basic features of their OS, aren't they essentially saying, "Do this part of our work for us. And let us rake in the lion's share of the cash." You get yours. We already got ours.
4. Then the first Service Pack is put out and it kills what you made. You are scrambling to fix it.
I wrote all of this with my tinfoil chapeau upon my pointed cranium. 
Reply #20 Thursday, August 30, 2012 9:43 PM
That you did...
I can't help but think MS was thinking at the time...."look...it doesn't matter if/when power users are pissed with our new interface....we can always rely on Stardock to provide a third-party panacea whilst the Joe Averages blindly follows our direction, Lemmings as they are...." ...
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Reply #1 Wednesday, August 29, 2012 3:18 PM
Is the start menu part going to be skinnable? If so, will Windowblinds skin it or will we have to do that separately?