The missing Windows 8 start menu is back. Get the most useful and
authentic start menu for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. StartIsBack is a
tiny application that gives you the possibility of assigning the
classical Start button and Start menu to Windows 8. It packs a few
configuration settings that can be handled by users of any level of
experience.
Unlike other similar apps which return the old Start menu and button,
the side menu of StartIsBack is transparent and highlights every new
program in the list.
When it comes to functionality, StartIsBack integrates some useful
features. For example, if you search the computer for a new item, this
is instantly shown in the results area (if it was previously indexed by
Windows).
As we have mentioned before, StartIsBack comes with a multitude of
configuration settings; these concern the Start menu items and behavior
(e.g. display My Computer as a link, hide Default Programs and Device
and Printers), appearance (e.g. disable taskbar translucency, hide the
Start button) and switching rules (e.g. show the desktop when logging
onto the PC, switch to the last used application when clicking the Start
screen).
Other options refer to uncluttering items in the Start screen (by
renaming the Start screen to "Apps" and by keeping only the modern apps
in that location), the advanced system commands menu (combine the Start
button context menu with the one of the Start screen) and Windows tweaks
(e.g. store and display recently opened programs). Furthermore, you can
disable StartIsBack for the current user.
StartIsBack does not put a strain on the computer's overall performance,
as it uses a pretty low amount of CPU and system memory. It is pretty
responsive to key strokes and mouse commands. We have not encountered
any issues throughout our testing; StartIsBack did not hang, crash or
display error dialogs. Thanks to its intuitive yet rich features, the
application should please users of all skill levels.