A new version of the Start menu app is now available for Windows 8.1 users

May 15, 2014 12:04 GMT  ·  By

StartIsBack is one of the applications that can successfully replace Microsoft's Start menu in Windows 8, the modern operating system that comes without such a feature, but instead boasts a Start screen fully optimized for the touch.

StartIsBack, however, comprises quite an appealing feature package and thanks to an update released today, those running Windows 8.1 are provided with a smoother experience and a much stable app.

According to the official release notes sent to us this morning, StartIsBack 1.6.2 for Windows 8.1 fixes the incorrect Start menu position on some multi-monitor configurations, but also issues affecting the installation process on Windows 2012 R2 Terminal Server.

As you have probably heard by now, Microsoft itself will bring back the Start menu in Windows in a future Windows 8.1 update, in another attempt to make the operating system a bit more helpful on desktop computers.

The company confirmed at the BUILD 2014 developer conference in San Francisco last month that the Start menu would return sometime in the coming months, most likely in what could be called Windows 8.1 Update 2 projected to see daylight in August or September.

“I previewed some work we are doing for the next iteration of Windows, which builds on the journey we began with Windows 8 just over a year ago as well as the releases we’ve done since then. In particular, I showed some early thinking on how the user experience in Windows will evolve in a way that will help developers’ apps make their way to users across devices and form factors,” head of the OS unit at Microsoft Terry Myerson said.

Microsoft explains that its decision to bring the Start menu back in Windows isn't a sign that it's backtracking on some of the decisions it made in the past, but it's actually a way to improve the operating system in order to better address consumers' needs. Windows 8.1 Update already comes with lots of improvements aimed at the traditional PC and the future addition of a Start menu is clearly a continuation of these efforts. “We set out to do this is a thoughtful way – one where we could enable more productivity for customers working in desktop mode, while building smart bridges to the new modern user experience and ensuring customers can get access to all your great apps in the Windows Store no matter where they are in the experience, or which device type they’re on.”