Return the start menu to Windows 8 with Start8 from Stardock!

from Stardock Forums

Start8, the much anticipated software solution that returns the start menu and its functionality to Windows 8, is now available. Ease the transition to Windows 8 with Start8 by bringing the familiarity of the Windows 7-style start menu along with additional enhancements to Microsoft’s new Windows 8 release.

Start8 will boot directly to the Windows 8 desktop by default, giving users a friendly starting point during their migration. Start8 also enables users to search for, pin and launch both classic and Modern UI applications from the start menu.

FEATURES

  • Adds a Windows 7-style Start menu with Windows 8 enhancements
  • Boot directly to the Windows 8 desktop
  • Search for Windows 8-style (Modern UI) apps
  • Pin desktop and Modern UI apps
  • Jump list support
  • Windows 8 Start screen accessible from the Start menu
  • Optionally disable Windows 8 “hot spots”
  • Configurable Start menu size
  • Fast access to shut down, devices, music, documents, videos
  • Skinnable Start button
  • Group policy support

HOW TO GET IT
 

Visit: https://www.stardock.com/products/start8/download.asp

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

  • Windows 8

start8 faq support
40,156 views 21 replies | Pinned
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi, I've been trying to update via the 'Check for update...' button in the About section, but it keeps saying 'No updates for Start8 have been found.' I'm using Windows 8 Pro RTM with Start8 0.98 BETA 3. Any help?

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting fishfaze, reply 2
Hi, I've been trying to update via the 'Check for update...' button in the About section, but it keeps saying 'No updates for Start8 have been found.' I'm using Windows 8 Pro RTM with Start8 0.98 BETA 3. Any help?

The server side end to check for updates isn't updated yet for 1.0.

Just download the update from the website as it would achieve the same thing.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Thanks for your reply. Is there any sort of changelog from BETA 3 to 1.0 we could look at?

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting fishfaze, reply 5
Thanks for your reply. Is there any sort of changelog from BETA 3 to 1.0 we could look at?

Not thats been released I think.

However in terms of changes, there is an option to make the taskbar solid vs translucent, various bug fixes, improved search performance and the addition of the option to make right hand list items menus vs just links.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Please provide a "keyboard only" shortcut to open Windows 8 menu (like ctrl+win). Currently is ctrl+click which I have to use mouse.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

control+win would probably break some other apps. Using two modifier keys alone is bad mojo. It would probably be best to allow the user to just customize what shortcut they'd like for that.

 

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

I'm running the official win8 pro (Dl'd from microsoft fro 39.99) on oct. 26th:

 

Start8 is fine EXCEPT....its not booting into desktop mode. It stops at win8 start screen.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting vgr103, reply 9
I'm running the official win8 pro (Dl'd from microsoft fro 39.99) on oct. 26th:

 

Start8 is fine EXCEPT....its not booting into desktop mode. It stops at win8 start screen.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

Is this 32 or 64 bit and can you confirm you are usine 1.0 vs any of the beta versions please.

Also is your machine set to auto login, or are you manually logging in?

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Pity it cant just toggle Start/Desktop modes...

It's irritating that if you are running a metro app and press the Windows key, you can either just go back to the Start screen OR go to the Desktop mode AND have the damned start8 menu taking up your screen for no reason.

Mark.

 

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

So you are interested in having an option for the Windows key to just return you to the desktop?

That sounds very possible.

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi Neil, do you have any estimate as to when you will make the first update available?

Thanks for your great work!

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

I would expect us to have the update out this week.

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

This program is absolutely excellent but I'd like to see a couple of tweaks personally as someone who wants to use both the Modern UI Start screen *and* Windows 7-style Start menu, depending on what I'm doing.

1. The top-left and bottom-left hot corners are disabled by default in Start8 so I cannot just hover over them with the mouse and switch from the desktop to the Start screen. I've worked around this by assigning the Windows key to switch to and from the Start menu but I'd prefer it if a space was inserted between the left-most edge of the screen and the first Quickbar icon (similar to the desktop/peek one on the right-hand side) so I could have all the functionality of Windows 8 with the convenience of the Start menu from Windows 7. When I was learning how to use Windows 8 originally, I was still accidentally clicking on the Internet Explorer icon in the Quickbar by mistake but it only took a few minutes to adapt. I'm confident that Start8 could work the same way, with the Start button in effect being where the Internet Explorer icon was originally.

2. The Start > Games menu (essentially Games Explorer) is set, as with my previous Windows 7 install, to list as a menu rather than a link but because I have a lot of games in there, around 100, it takes much longer to display its contents than it did on Windows 7, even taking into account that it is cached once it has been displayed once. It would be great if this could be fixed as I presume it has only been tested with much smaller numbers of games.

If those issues could be addressed then this software would be 100% perfect in my eyes. <3

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting darrenhodgson, reply 15
This program is absolutely excellent but I'd like to see a couple of tweaks personally as someone who wants to use both the Modern UI Start screen *and* Windows 7-style Start menu, depending on what I'm doing.

1. The top-left and bottom-left hot corners are disabled by default in Start8 so I cannot just hover over them with the mouse and switch from the desktop to the Start screen. I've worked around this by assigning the Windows key to switch to and from the Start menu but I'd prefer it if a space was inserted between the left-most edge of the screen and the first Quickbar icon (similar to the desktop/peek one on the right-hand side) so I could have all the functionality of Windows 8 with the convenience of the Start menu from Windows 7. When I was learning how to use Windows 8 originally, I was still accidentally clicking on the Internet Explorer icon in the Quickbar by mistake but it only took a few minutes to adapt. I'm confident that Start8 could work the same way, with the Start button in effect being where the Internet Explorer icon was originally.

2. The Start > Games menu (essentially Games Explorer) is set, as with my previous Windows 7 install, to list as a menu rather than a link but because I have a lot of games in there, around 100, it takes much longer to display its contents than it did on Windows 7, even taking into account that it is cached once it has been displayed once. It would be great if this could be fixed as I presume it has only been tested with much smaller numbers of games.

If those issues could be addressed then this software would be 100% perfect in my eyes.

While the bottom left corner is disabled by default, the top left corner is not.  Remember that it does nothing unless a modern UI application has been launched once.

Regarding the games menu, thats purely under the control of the OS and if it is slow it probably means the files are scattered all over your HD and the HD is being forced to read from so many places it takes a while.

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

Just want to say thank you for this wonderful tool which finally makes Windows 8 usable on a regular PC. Keep up the good work. I'm pretty sure even people from MS like Start8 :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

This may seem a somewhat simple question, however I am not using windows 8 or start8 myself so I need to ask. I have downloaded and purchased Start8 for a friend who is NOT AT ALL computer minded. Since recently purchasing her new computer she was lost without the start menu she was used to. I have sent her the Start8 exe and instructions basically telling her to run the exe file and follow instructions...entering the serial key and email etc. She should be fine with this. What I need to instruct her now is how to set up. Once Start8 is installed, where/how can she start/access the set up menu? like I said, simple question, but I have not seen start8 in action. Thanks :)

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top

Wow - thanks for making Windows 8 what it should be on a PC.  I've just got a new touch screen laptop which is great for Windows 8 but I was getting so frustrated at losing the desktop start menu functionality.  I've now got Windows 8 working the way it should have done to start with.  And I just love the way the Windows key can now toggle between the desktop and Windows 8 UI.  Great - keep up the good work.  

5* 5* 5* 5* 5*  

 

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting nismo09, reply 18
This may seem a somewhat simple question, however I am not using windows 8 or start8 myself so I need to ask. I have downloaded and purchased Start8 for a friend who is NOT AT ALL computer minded. Since recently purchasing her new computer she was lost without the start menu she was used to. I have sent her the Start8 exe and instructions basically telling her to run the exe file and follow instructions...entering the serial key and email etc. She should be fine with this. What I need to instruct her now is how to set up. Once Start8 is installed, where/how can she start/access the set up menu? like I said, simple question, but I have not seen start8 in action. Thanks

The setup can be accessed by either running start8config or right clicking on the start button and selecting configure start8 from the menu.

Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top

Yes, I also want to say thank you for such an excellent product. Microsoft should take note on what this product is doing to satisfy their consumers more when it comes to the Windows 8 OS. Even for power users, Windows 8 is possible to get used to, but through a lot of customizations. This product makes Windows 8 a lot more intuitive for Desktop/Laptop users. Thanks again!

Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top

I am running Windows 8 and downloaded Start8, ran the install and entered my payment info and the config screen said I was activated. But I have nothing on screen. "Stardock Start8 Service (32bit)" and "Start8" are both running in the task manager. Both Start8-dll's (32 and 64) are signed. If I run Start8config directly from the file, I get the same config screen as in the setup.

What am I missing?