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Start Menu 8 logo

Start Menu 8

By IObit Free to try Editors' Rating

Key Details of Start Menu 8

  • Bring back flexible customizing, grouping, and searching operations with familiar quick start, interface, and navigation
  • Last updated on 07/19/21
  • There have been 2 updates within the past 6 months
  • The current version has 1 flags on VirusTotal badge_icon

Editors' Review

Download.com Staff May 2, 2016

Start Menu 8 is a Windows utility that bypasses Windows 8's tile-based Start screen interface, re-introducing the familiar desktop UI and Start menu from previous versions of Windows.

Pros

A familiar interface: The Start button and menu has been a mainstay of Windows since Windows '95. In Windows 8, Microsoft decided to do something new, but the truth is that it is hard to adjust to something new after so long. Start Menu 8 resurrects that old interface to make navigation familiar again.

Stylistic options: Start Menu 8 lets you completely customize your new Start button. First, you can choose what you want the button itself to look like. You can either select a button that looks like the classic Windows 7 button, or opt for something more modern that looks like it fits in with the Windows 8 style.

Customized menu: When you walk through the setup process with Windows 8, you can select exactly what you want to have included in the menu. This lets you keep it basic and only include your most commonly used items, or comprehensive so you can navigate through your entire system from the menu. A great addition is the ability to incorporate a menu for your Windows 8 Metro apps.

Cons

Time to set up: The only real drawback is that it took a fair bit of time to set up exactly the way that we wanted it. A few presets or similar quick-start options might have minimized the time it took to get going.

Bottom Line

This program takes only a few minutes until you're returned to a more familiar interface. You can customize the menu exactly as you want, so you can either have a menu just like the one in Windows 7, or you can create your own customized option.

Full Specifications

What's new in version 6.0.0.2

+ Improved algorithms for less resource usage and smoother user experience.
+ Optimized search engine for more accurate results.
+ Recent history can display more programs.
+ Smarter Screenshot tool.

General

Release July 19, 2021
Date Added July 19, 2021
Version 6.0.0.2

Operating Systems

Operating Systems Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP
Additional Requirements None

Popularity

Total Downloads 11,471,084
Downloads Last Week 200
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User Reviews

4.1/5
141 User Votes
5 Star
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Developer's Description

Start Menu 8 is a desktop customized tool for Windows users, designed especially to bring back the start button and start menu for Windows 8/8.1. By offering more flexible operations on start menu, Start Menu 8 enables to customizing new group at the start menu list, users could group any items together to get a quick start, also with a stronger searching engine, a whole disk search would be finished in seconds. It's a suitable Start Menu for Windows 8/8.1 and also multifunctional menu replacement for Windows 7/Vista/XP.
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