How to bring the traditional Start and Start Menu back on Windows 8?

Since Windows 8 was released, Microsoft has committed to users using the Start Screen screen instead of using the Start button and Start Menu on previous Windows versions. Although the Start button is still displayed in the lower left corner, however, the usage is slightly different on previous operating systems, which makes some users feel uncomfortable.

But if you're used to using the Start button on previous operating systems, on Windows 8 you can still create a ' traditional ' Start button to use.

Note:

If you want to access the Command Prompt, Event Viewer or Windows Explorer you can use the Windows + X key combination.

1. Start button

With the Windows 8.1 update, Microsoft added the Start button to bring you to the Start Screen screen .

However, this update does not have Start Menu on previous versions of Windows. And if you just want to bring the Start button back, you can update your version of Windows to version 8.1, which is the fastest solution.

How to bring the traditional Start and Start Menu back on Windows 8? Picture 1

If you still want to bring it back to Start Menu (unlike Start Screen), follow the next steps.

2. Create the Windows Start Menu toolbar

Start Menu can be made into a toolbar. Creating a Start Menu to access all the programs you see on All Programs . To do this, follow the steps below:

Note:

Adding this toolbar is not the same as adding a regular Windows Start Menu. This toolbar will be located on the right side of the Windows Taskbar, it is a small arrow icon that displays the list of programs on your computer.

1. Make sure the option displays hidden files that are enabled.

To enable the option to display hidden files on a Windows computer, you can refer to the steps here.

2. Right-click the Taskbar , then click Toolbars => New toolbar .

3. Browse the C: ProgramDataMicrosoftWindows path and select Start Menu and select Select Folder .

After you have completed the steps, you will see the new Start Menu item displayed in the Taskbar. This Start Menu contains all the programs located in the Programs folder.

3. Install 3rd party add-on

There are many 3rd party tools you can install on Windows 8 to bring back the Start button and Start Menu on previous Windows versions. Here are some tools that you can consult:

1. ViStart 8 : Great tool to add Start Menu found on Windows 7 to your Windows 8 computer.

Download ViStart 8 to your computer and install it here.

1. Classic Shell : Free, open source, software tool to add Start Menu and other features on previous Windows versions to Windows 8.

Download Classic Shell to your computer and install it here.

1. Start 8 : A great tool to add the Start button to the taskbar.

Download Start 8 and install it here.

Refer to some of the following articles:

1. Instructions for upgrading Windows 7 to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

1. Error not adjusting screen brightness after upgrading Windows 8.1

1. How to disable Lock Screen lock screen on Windows 8, 10

Good luck!