Start Menu 8

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.