Windows 7 classic start menu

[Modelworks]

After trying many alternative start menu replacements I have found one that works great , is free, and doesn't get in the way. It gives me back what I missed from the old start menu.

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

 

[theevilsharpie]

The infatuation with the classic start menu boggles my mind.

 

[GaryJohnson]

Why the heck would you want that? I mean look at it.

 

[Binky]

Looks good and I'm sure some old-timers will appreciate the link. Although, I'm with the poster above me - the Win7 start menu is substantially better than the old system. Maybe an old-style menu with a search box would be good, but without that search box, I just don't understand the downgrade.

 

[Modelworks]

Looks good and I'm sure some old-timers will appreciate the link. Although, I'm with the poster above me - the Win7 start menu is substantially better than the old system. Maybe an old-style menu with a search box would be good, but without that search box, I just don't understand the downgrade.

If you have a lot of different programs installed the classic menu is easier to get to what you want without typing or scrolling. The search box is still there, click search in the classic menu.
Also installing this does not remove the original win7 menu. You can set in options for example left click start button = win7 default, middle click = classic

 

[Lorne]

Awsome, Though Ive gotten used to the newer one

It isnt just oldtimer thing, Its a whole association with the menu and other features,,,, eg. at home and work I turn all affects off as I have never liked them and there just slowing things down,, At work I have my system set as classic possible with Areo turned off as Win7 and its 2D eratta cause slowing issues in the video and video editing and creation is all thats done on it (yes its only microseconds but I can see them and hate the wait).

Home is the Win7 black with all affects turned off, But I drag Icons to the desktop because having to wade through start button is a waste of time (Aspergers syndrome is a bich)

That All programs and back button is waste of time, Wish is was on All Programs all the time,, and I hotkey everything else (I guess I am old-school or just hate time wasted going from key to mouse and back).

Some people like as much bling as they can get, to each there own, I was that way years ago even with all the lights and shinies in case, Now I want nothing to do with it since its fad.

 

[CurseTheSky]

The horrible memories of browsing through multiple menu levels just to accidentally pause the mouse outside of the start menu for a second and have it all vanish are coming back...

The Vista / Windows 7 start menu is a huge improvement over the "classic" Windows Xp style, IMO. However, this is a very handy tip for the people I know that simply won't switch away from Windows Xp because "I don't know where anything is!"

Thanks!

 

[Modelworks]

The horrible memories of browsing through multiple menu levels just to accidentally pause the mouse outside of the start menu for a second and have it all vanish are coming back...

The Vista / Windows 7 start menu is a huge improvement over the "classic" Windows Xp style, IMO. However, this is a very handy tip for the people I know that simply won't switch away from Windows Xp because "I don't know where anything is!"

Thanks!

You don't have to browse through multiple menus. You can drag and drop and make your own menus like this

 

[lxskllr]

I hate Classic Start menu. Expanding folders are a PITA to navigate through, and as said above, anything less than perfect mouse precision collapses the whole thing, and you have to start over. I use a hidden instance each of ObjectDock and RocketDock for my most used shortcuts. For my less used apps, scrolling through a modern menu is much easier than chasing expanding folders, especially when you use a freewheeling mouse.

 

[JackMDS]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/classicshell/files/

However, the old way and the new way are both uncomfortable to use.

I Put what I need on the Desktop into logical groups, and what I use most onto augmented Launch Toolbar.

Clicking on the Toolbar's icon that looks like a key opens this,

Some of the icons start applications, while the others provide group of applications.

 

[Modelworks]

and as said above, anything less than perfect mouse precision collapses the whole thing, and you have to start over.

It doesn't collapse when you move the mouse off , it stays up till you select something or you click on the desktop. You can select a folder and move your mouse all over the desktop and the menu will stay.

I have tried a lot of replacements and this one really shines. It doesn't get in the way, uses almost no resources, allows you to use both versions at the same time and fixes flaws in the classic start menu.

 

[bruceb]

Give this a try

http://www.startmenu7.com/index.html

Start Menu 7

Version: 3.6 (freeware) with 64 bit support

Size: ~5MB

Platforms:

Windows 2003 / Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7

 

[Modelworks]

Give this a try

http://www.startmenu7.com/index.html

I tried that one. Didn't like it . I wanted something simple that didn't mess with system settings much and used as little resources as possible. Classic shell only uses 5MB of memory and installs just 1 dll file and doesn't mess with the registry.

 

[lxskllr]

It doesn't collapse when you move the mouse off , it stays up till you select something or you click on the desktop. You can select a folder and move your mouse all over the desktop and the menu will stay.

I have tried a lot of replacements and this one really shines. It doesn't get in the way, uses almost no resources, allows you to use both versions at the same time and fixes flaws in the classic start menu.

I was referring to the Win2k version. Once they got rid of it for XP, I never went back. I've never liked the expanding folder model for navigation. Vista's program file listing was a joy to use after dealing with XP's expanding folders for 5 years :^)

 

[Scotteq]

....It gives me back what I missed from the old start menu.

...a headache? :hmm:


Editing less than helpful response: I pin what I frequently use to the toolbar, and use the search bar otherwise. Waaaay faster than digging around.

 

[Nothinman]

...a headache? :hmm:


Editing less than helpful response: I pin what I frequently use to the toolbar, and use the search bar otherwise. Waaaay faster than digging around.

Exactly, it's much quicker for me to hit the Win key and start typing than to grab the mouse and click on the old-style start menu.

 

[Chaotic42]

You know, I hated the Windows 7 start menu at first, but after a while, I actually started to like it. I only use a handful of programs on a daily basis, so I pin them or hot key them and I'm done.

 

[sivart]

On a big screen with a low (I.e. 720p) resolution, the Windows 7 start menu is a pain. Too much scrolling after you expand a folder.

 

[Binky]

On a big screen with a low (I.e. 720p) resolution, the Windows 7 start menu is a pain. Too much scrolling after you expand a folder.

With the search box, you rarely (if ever) need to expand the menus. That's the whole point of the search box. If you're regulary digging in the start menu, you're doing it wrong.

Hit the windows key on your keyboard (or click start if you must)
Type a few letters of the program you want
Use down/up arrows to select the proper program, hit enter
DONE!

 

[Modelworks]

With the search box, you rarely (if ever) need to expand the menus. That's the whole point of the search box. If you're regulary digging in the start menu, you're doing it wrong.

Hit the windows key on your keyboard (or click start if you must)
Type a few letters of the program you want
Use down/up arrows to select the proper program, hit enter
DONE!

I suppose it is fine if you want to take your hands off the mouse, type, then go back to the mouse when you launch the application, just seems like an odd workflow. Any installed program can be launched with 1 to 3 clicks using classic menu.

Another problem I have with the win7 start menu is it doesn't return program groups. Some programs will install the main program and have other links associated with them in the menu. Unless the other links have the programs name in them it will not show up on search. For example some of my programs have license servers or tools that do not contain the program name but instead are named things like management tool, key administration, ipclamp. If I type the word cebas, the company of the ipclamp license server I want it will not show up, I have to know the actual name of the program which is under cebas. That means I have to scroll down, find the cebas group, click to open , then click the program I want after first typing cebas hoping it would show and it not showing.

In classic menu I can see the programs folder cebas-ipclamp clearly and select the server.

Also when searching for the program to start in win7 it is not tolerant of misspelled words, so vray will return nothing but v-ray will.





This has become an issue for programmers because people are not seeing options for programs and asking the programmers how to do things that clicking that shortcut would do.

 

[Modelworks]

...a headache? :hmm:


Editing less than helpful response: I pin what I frequently use to the toolbar, and use the search bar otherwise. Waaaay faster than digging around.

Wouldn't work for me, I have way to many applications that I have to run concurrently. Pinning stuff to the toolbar takes up space I need for the running applications.

People keep commenting about having to dig around to find things when that is not true. If you group items in the menu by what they are used for it is at most 3 clicks. Way faster than typing and using arrow keys or scrolling through a list, clicking to start something.

If you haven't tried the program don't knock it. While it implements the classic menu it also improves upon it. And as I said before it doesn't force you to use either classic or default win7 start, it allows you to use both at the same time.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Awsome, Though Ive gotten used to the newer one

It isnt just oldtimer thing, Its a whole association with the menu and other features,,,, eg. at home and work I turn all affects off as I have never liked them and there just slowing things down,, At work I have my system set as classic possible with Areo turned off as Win7 and its 2D eratta cause slowing issues in the video and video editing and creation is all thats done on it (yes its only microseconds but I can see them and hate the wait).

Home is the Win7 black with all affects turned off, But I drag Icons to the desktop because having to wade through start button is a waste of time (Aspergers syndrome is a bich)

That All programs and back button is waste of time, Wish is was on All Programs all the time,, and I hotkey everything else (I guess I am old-school or just hate time wasted going from key to mouse and back).

Some people like as much bling as they can get, to each there own, I was that way years ago even with all the lights and shinies in case, Now I want nothing to do with it since its fad.

I'm pretty sure that Aero has similar performance with classic because Aero uses the GPU for most of the effects and so computer performance shouldn't effected much, if at all.

 

[hectorsm]

If you have a lot of different programs installed the classic menu is easier to get to what you want without typing or scrolling. The search box is still there, click search in the classic menu.
Also installing this does not remove the original win7 menu. You can set in options for example left click start button = win7 default, middle click = classic

I like the classic menu for the same reasons you stated above. I find that going through a bunch of installed programs require scrolling and multiple clicks. It takes for me longer to find anything in it. I prefere viewing the entire window at once and letting the folder expand automatically when I move the mouse over then.

Having said that, I learned to live with the Win 7 menu and accept it's step backward in usability in that area. The improvements in Win 7 in other areas more than make up for that difficiency.

 

[SimMike2]

You don't have to browse through multiple menus. You can drag and drop and make your own menus like this

Now that is a useful tip!

 

[sivart]

With the search box, you rarely (if ever) need to expand the menus. That's the whole point of the search box. If you're regulary digging in the start menu, you're doing it wrong.

Hmmm...I guess I need post it notes with the names of all the programs. When you only access certain programs every month or two (or sometimes longer), it is not always easy to remember the name.

Plus typing on a little Lenovo multimedia remote in the dark isn't always the easiest thing to do. Mouse (trackball) is much easier to use.