Open-Shell download link.Ĭlick on that to download the installer, and select “run” if prompted. On the resulting page, scroll down until you see the installer - OpenShellSetup_xxx.exe. The Open-Shell home page (click for larger image).Ĭlick on that. Visit the Open-Shell homepage and look for the release button. Open-Shell is free, open source software available on GitHub. With Open-Shell - also known as Open-Shell-Menu - you can get the old-style Start menu back.
It’s powerful, it’s customizable, and works well with the mouse and on touch screens.
On the left is Windows 10’s traditional list of installed programs (not present in Windows 8.1), and on the right is the object of most people’s concern: the tiled portion of the Start menu. Tiled Start menu in Windows 10 (click for larger image). Open- Shell (formerly Classic Shell) is free software that gives you your favorite Start menu back, as well as restoring and adding functionality to Windows Explorer. Unfortunately, that tiled Start screen leaves many with a very negative first impression - a first impression that goes on to color their entire Windows experience.
While it was tamed down a little in Windows 10, it’s still quite startling if you’re upgrading from, say, Windows 7. The Start menu in Windows 8 was its most strikingly different feature.
