What Start Menu replacement software do you use?

I use StartAllBack for almost the same reasons as @Edwin. I also use Power Start because I don't need to see what MS wants to recommend to me. Power Start can be found in the MS Store.

Open Shell and Explorer Patcher to get the Windows 7 start button and start menu and the Windows 10 taskbar right-click menu plus many other options. I like the Classic Desktop that adds the Cut-Copy-Paste buttons along with Copy to and Move to. Very useful.

Years ago Windows had a feature that allowed you to place a shortcuts tool bar on the desktop that would slide in and out as needed. You could put all your shortcuts in it and keep a clean desktop. In Microsoft's way, they removed that feature. I found True Launch Bar, a product that provides that same functionality. I've been using it for years and years.

rpetruzz said:

I found True Launch Bar, a product that provides that same functionality.

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That toolbar makes use of the fact that toolbars could be placed on the taskbar until MS removed that option in Windows 11.
That means that you have to use software that brings back the Windows10 taskbar in Windows 11. Otherwise it will not function!

Apps that can be used are Explorer Patcher and StartAllBack, both programs that (as far as I have understood from other topics and messages) are due be disabled by MS when you update to 24H2. The developer of StartAllBack already has indicated that he will not inckude the Windows10 taskbar routines in future versions. ExplorerPatcher to follow, maybe.

So it's doubtful if this replacement for the Quick Launch toolbar will be usable in future.

Kees said:

Apps that can be used are Explorer Patcher and StartAllBack, both programs that (as far as I have understood from other topics and messages) are due be disabled by MS when you update to 24H2.

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FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt).

Hopefully these restrictions are only in Canary versions, not in the standard release of Windows 11. As mentioned earlier all these inconveniences in Canary will be done in Windows 12 when it will be released. Not in Windows 11.

pietcorus2 said:

Open Shell , together with SAB..............

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whats SAB?

hdmi said:

FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt).

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that is nonsense. It was disabled. changing the filename, fixed it. They did disable DSE though.

ibay770 said:

whats SAB?

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I think it stands for Start All Back (SAB),

ibay770 said:

whats SAB?

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Simply Apply Bypass.

I use Start 11 v2 for a mostly transparent 10 style Start Menu, StartAllBack for the small Win 10 Taskbar + Clock and dark mode enhancements and TranslucentTB for a clear taskbar.

IownAmoneyPit said:

StartAllBack for the small Win 10 Taskbar

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I don't see it in the pic you posted?

hdmi said:

I don't see it in the pic you posted?

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@hdmi My Screen resolution is almost always 1920 x1080 @ 150 DPI which would make any Taskbar setting appear larger than normal.




Anyhow this is my StartAllBack small Taskbar and all of the Icons are of uniform size & Clock + Date occupy only a single line and have a custom Font.



Default Windows 11 Task bar - Bigger pinned Icons (Left) vs Notification Icons (Left) & Clock + Date occupy 2 lines.



Stardock Start 11 Taskbar - The Start Menu button, Search button & Task View button look like crap because they are bigger than the pinned icons beside them also the Clock + Date occupy 2 lines.

I've downloaded Open-Shell as I use it on my main Desktop Windows 7 PC as I hates the new start menu in XP. I would love to use it in this Windows 11 one but I say a video stating that Microsoft are going to force these things not to work n Windows in a future update. So far I've been adverse to installing it as I could not get the Windows Updates pause forever registry change working. My stupidity was the cause and now it seems that I have it paused until 2030. So I will be making an Acronis full image (just in case) and installing Open-shell because I can make it look exactly like my Windows 7 one upstairs.

IownAmoneyPit said:

@hdmi My Screen resolution is almost always 1920 x1080 @ 150 DPI which would make any Taskbar setting appear larger than normal.


View attachment 95112

Anyhow this is my StartAllBack small Taskbar and all of the Icons are of uniform size & Clock + Date occupy only a single line and have a custom Font.

View attachment 95110

Default Windows 11 Task bar - Bigger pinned Icons (Left) vs Notification Icons (Left) & Clock + Date occupy 2 lines.

View attachment 95111

Stardock Start 11 Taskbar - The Start Menu button, Search button & Task View button look like crap because they are bigger than the pinned icons beside them also the Clock + Date occupy 2 lines.

Click to expand...

I still don't see it. Your network/sound/notifications icons don't look like you have the Windows 10 taskbar. They look like you have the Windows 11 taskbar. I took a picture of my taskbar and I resized the picture so that its width matches the width of your picture. Here is the result:



As you can see, your taskbar is absolutely huge, and for no good reason excepting only maybe if you are visually impaired. It's like forcing everyone to stay in a wheelchair regardless of whether a person can walk. This is Microsoft in 2024.

I hope this is an appropriate place to ask this...

I have a question for Open-Shell users before I install it in Widows 11.
I've had it (Classic Shell) for over 10 years in my Windows 7 Desktop, faultless and never needed to uninstall it.
But if I ever needed to uninstall it from 11, and I had altered my start menu items to my tastes (and I really do alter it)., including adding folders, would removing it leave the original Start menu intact as it was before I installed Open-Shell?

I ask because in 7 I could directly alter the contents of the Start menu from Explorer.

Apologies if it's in the wrong section, I looked in Apps but felt silly starting a new thread just for this..

Fejinwales said:

, would removing it leave the original Start menu intact as it was before I installed Open-Shell?

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Yes

EDIT: you can actually even have both the original and the Start menu of Open-Shell if you assign different keyboard/mouse actions for each (on the Controls tab of the Settings for Open-Shell Menu window).

hdmi said:

Yes

EDIT: you can actually even have both the original and the Start menu of Open-Shell if you assign different keyboard/mouse actions for each (on the Controls tab of the Settings for Open-Shell Menu window).

Click to expand...

Thank you. I will install it tomorrow. Much appreciated. I did actually find two 'Start menu' folders a few minutes ago in the Microsoft\Windows 'Default User' and in My User folders which I added to .rar files and saved them on an external drive - just in case.

Does TranslucentTB count? That's all I use every other modification is done within Windows.