14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 is the first modern operating system developed by Microsoft that has a Start menu, a feature previously available in all versions until Windows 8.
The Start menu removal was the beginning of a critical period for Microsoft, which was heavily criticized for dropping this traditional Windows feature and going for a full touch approach that has the Start screen at the core of everything.
Windows 10, however, changed this strategy and brought back the Start menu, but with a twist. The Start menu now packs modern features as well, including live tiles that were originally available on the Start screen.
Needless to say, many users asked for a design that would get closer to the one in Windows 7, telling users that modern options such as the aforementioned live tiles shouldn't exist in the Start menu.
Here comes Classic Shell
Classic Shell is one of the top third-party Start menu apps on Windows right now and there's no doubt that it's one of the most downloaded solutions among Windows 8 adopters.
On Windows 10, Classic Shell comes with the same rich feature lineup and includes a plethora of customization options that allows you to make the Start menu look exactly the way you want.
As you can see in the screenshots below, the Start menu that Classic Shell creates retains the standard Windows 10 Start icon, but comes with a design that looks a lot more familiar for Windows 7 users. No more live tiles, which is clearly an important win for users who just want to stick to the traditional approach, and quick access to Control Panel, recent documents, and apps.
At the same time, this Start menu also has the standard power controls placed in the familiar position, so it's easier to reboot or shut down the system.
Working on Windows 10 build 9879 with a small trick
Interestingly, Classic Shell only works on Windows 10 Technical Preview build 9879 if you rename the standard installer to something else, as Microsoft has apparently blocked installation of the app on this particular OS version.
The reason is yet to be revealed, but it appears that compatibility issues are at fault, so the app might actually work okay in the upcoming versions of Windows 10.
If the existing Windows 10 Start menu doesn't change too much before the final version of the operating system, expect Classic Shell to continue experiencing quite a big success, especially because it retains the familiarity of the original Start menu.
