If you’re looking to get a metro-style start menu and start button in Windows 8, there are a few things you can do. First, create a new file called “startmenu.xml” in your C:\Windows\system32 directory. This file contains the basic settings for how your start menu should look. Next, open the “settings.cpl” file located in the same directory as the “startmenu.xml” file and set the following values: [Desktop] Name=Start Menu Icon File Name=C:\Windows\system32\icons\startmenu.ico [Start Menu] Icon=C:\Windows\system32\icons\startmenu_x64.ico [Start Menu] Icon=C:\Windows\system32\icons\startmenu_win8.ico Next, open the “shell.exe” file located in your C:\Windows directory and run it to create a new shortcut to your start menu on your desktop: C:\Windows>shell.exe /c “netstat -an | grep ‘inet’ | cut -d ’ ’ -f 1” C:\Windows>netstat -an | grep ‘inet’ | cut -d ’ ’ -f 1 C:\windows>netstat -an | grep ‘inet6’ | cut -d ’ ’ -f 1" C:\windows>netstat -an | grep tcp|cut -d ‘/’ -f 2" C:\windows>netstat –all
Windows 8 has a new Start Screen, but there’s no Start Button anymore–and that might be too much for some people to deal with. Here’s how to get a Start button that opens up the new Metro-style Start menu.
Note: If you want to get back the Windows 7 style Start Menu, you can do that too.
Head over to this page to get your free copy of Start8. You will need to enter your email address and hit the Sign Up button.
Once your email address is processed you will be given a download link.
When the download has completed the installation of Start8 is of the next,next, finish kind.
Once your installation is complete you will have the regular Start Orb that we all know and love.
But when you click on it, you will have an impressive new Metro Styled Start Menu.
During testing both The Geek and I noticed some inconstancies in the program, such as what happens when you press the Windows Keyboard shortcut, however it’s a welcome addition to my Windows 8 taskbar.
