The Start menu is set to return in Windows 9

Sep 22, 2014 05:50 GMT  ·  By
The Windows 9 Start menu will mix the Windows 7 design with modern features
21 photos
   The Windows 9 Start menu will mix the Windows 7 design with modern features

Windows 9 preview will be launched in approximately 10 days, but a number of users have already received it and can reveal more information about the new features that are part of this release.

A new batch of screenshots now show the new Start menu in action, confirming options such as a Windows 7 mode, that would remove live tiles completely and stick to a simple design, but also settings to make the UI match the color of the Windows visual style.

The Start menu’s comeback was confirmed by Microsoft itself at the BUILD 2014 developer conference in April, but people initially expected it to return in a second Windows 8.1 update.

Windows 9, however, will bring many other big improvements, so the Start menu perfectly fits the feature lineup of the next operating system that’s supposed to make the desktop look and feel more familiar to Windows 7 users.

Classic design with modern elements

The Start menu is based on the design that Microsoft presented for the first time at BUILD this year, mixing the classic design available in Windows 7 with modern elements brought to us by Windows 8, including live tiles.

Familiar options are still there, so you can also perform a search straight from the Start menu and shut down or restart your computer without the need for the Start screen.

The Start menu will expand as you add new live tiles and applications, so it could take up your entire screen if you configure it to display all installed programs.

At the same time, sources close to the matter said that the Start menu might also include a manual resizing feature which could give users even more configuration power for their desktops.

Only available on PCs

The Start menu won’t be available on all devices running Windows 9, but only on PCs, as Microsoft is looking to offer users the options they need according to the device they own.

PCs, for example, will get the Start menu in order to make the most of the desktop, while tablet users will have to stick to the original Start screen that was introduced in Windows 8.

The Start menu will, however, come with disabling options, so in case you don’t like it anymore and wish to stay with the Start screen, you’ll be allowed to do this with some very simple configuration settings.

The Start menu will also be part of the Windows 9 beta due later this month or in early October and will obviously be there in April 2015 as well when the stable version of the operating system comes out.

Windows 9 Start menu (21 Images)

The Windows 9 Start menu will mix the Windows 7 design with modern features
The design will match the Windows visual styleThe Windows 9 Start menu can be disabled on PCs
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