- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
- Date added: May 28, 2008
- Total Downloads: 141,799
- Downloads last week: 650
- See full specifications
A newer version of Vista Start Menu is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 109 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
Vista Start Menu does away with Vista's translucent aero theme, making it opaque, and builds it out with several levels of features and customization. It prevent programs from jumping around, as is their wont sometimes in the standard Vista Start menu, and it throws in a basic zoom feature accessible via CTRL Plus and CTRL Minus. It adds loads of keyboard support, so if you access the menu via the keyboard button, programs, folders, and sections of the Start menu are clearly labeled with hot-key numbers and letters.
Making cosmetic changes and surfacing directories is much easier with this app, since right-clicking anywhere from your username icon to any program will reveal a list of choices that include opening the host directory. Even though the program can be set to run as Vista starts, its uninstallation is boilerplate and easy.
However, we encountered a few snags. There's a Pro upgrade available, but it's unclear whether some features--such as search tabs and power up and down options--weren't accessible to us because they're restricted to the paid version or because of a software bug. Still, if you're a die-hard keyboard user or just looking to make the Vista Start menu a bit more customizable, we recommend you give Vista Start Menu a try.
Publisher's description
From OrdinarySoft :Do you have hundreds of programs in your Start menu. Do you waste time looking for the program you need. Try Vista Start Menu to instantly find what you need among the large amounts of information. Vista Start Menu is effective for advanced users and easy to use for beginners.
Version 2.8.9 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
What's new in this version:
Version 2.8.9 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
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User reviews of Vista Start Menu 2.8.9
- Average user rating: 3.9 stars out of 109 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 10 user reviewsSee all 10 user reviews
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Vista Start Menu 2.8.9
"Cheap, non-gullible, sad imitation."
Cons: This program is nothing like the original Vista start menu. Sad to say this, but I find this outrageous. This program is just an expansion of the original XP Start Menu with a Dark Theme. The Pro version sounds a lot like a ripoff because the creator is charging users to buy it just for some "faster" access. I mean everyone... anyONE can do that in a matter of seconds. It's only some few second time saver.
It has a horrible GUI, due to that it force expands the Menu. Anyone can switch user, shutdown, standby, and hibernate with no problem.
What really blows and outrageous about this program is the LOGO on the menu. It's representing the software.
Use VISTART. Give it a try. I'm not encouraging users to use it, but it is a hell lot better than this. Trust me.
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Version: Vista Start Menu 2.8.9
"Love the design and layout, but..."
Pros: Easy to use, very quick to find anything, can't be faulted if you are forever going into your computer to do this or tweak that.
Cons: First version I had was 2.7, worked fine. Upgrade to 2.8 just didn't work right at first, left it a couple of weeks and re-installed, was ok. Guess they got a bug out!
2.8.9 is not compatable with Tweak 'n Tune's X-mouse, and a persistent pop-up link to an alternative 'True X-Mouse' (which I tried) did something weird to ATI, so beware. Have gone back to earlier version again.
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Version: Vista Start Menu 2.8.9
"Free Version is no use to me"
Pros: I was very excited to see a program with these functions, and I would be very interested in having the paid versions features...
Cons: ...but I am not going to pay for them. I am interested in the tab function of the start menu. Some of the features (one-click launch) seem like they could be useful, but I am not going to install a whole other program just for it. The free version doesn't give me much more beyond my current program launcher, so I will stick with it for now.
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Version: Vista Start Menu 2.8.9
"This is the best program of its' kind that I have found."
Pros: I have been using this program for quite a while now. I don't believe that there is any other program that can surpass its' features. None of the Pro Version features appeal to me, but the free version is perfect.
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0 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: Vista Start Menu 2.8.9
Cons: people still use XP?
- See all 10 user reviews Write review
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