The Windows 7 start menu lives on with Start10

• Start10 brings back Win7 start menu layout to Win10
• Lets users customise start button, menu colour and taskbar

DESKTOP customisation software developer Stardock has released Start10, an application that brings back the familiar Windows 7 start menu to Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 10.
 
The Windows 10 start menu has been hailed as a marked improvement from Windows 8, which removed the start menu altogether. But for many Windows 7 users who have directly upgraded to Windows 10, it may still be unfamiliar territory.
 
Start10 helps to bridge the gap by replacing the Windows 10 start menu with a Windows 7 menu, returning to the familiar ‘All Programs’ and two-tier folder layout. With this menu, users won’t see the Windows 8-inspired ‘Modern’ live tiles that are pinned to the Windows 10 start menu.
 
Shortcuts to ‘Control Panel’ and ‘This PC’ have also been brought back to the fore and accessible with just two clicks.
 
The search function has also been reinstated in the start menu, since Windows 10 moved that to the taskbar along with the Cortana virtual assistant functionality. Users also have a choice of replacing Cortana with a more basic search function.
 
Other options include skinning the Start button and customising the colour of the menu and taskbar.
 
Start10 is similar to Stardock’s previous iteration Start8, an add-on that resurrected the start menu on Windows 8 and launched the operating system directly from the desktop.
 
The application costs US$4.99 but users can download a 30-day free trial.

Another alternative is Classic Shell (pic above), another throwback application that transports the look of your desktop back to the days of Windows 7. Classic Shell is free but donations are welcome.
 
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