The move from Windows 7’s Start Menu to Live Tiles, first introduced in Windows 8, took many by surprise and while Windows 10 now allows you to access the Start Menu from the desktop, many users still prefer the look and fell of the traditional Start Menu.
Thankfully, the open source software Open Shell (originally known as Classic Shell) has you covered as it allows you to replace the Start Menu in Windows 8 and 10 with one that more closely resembles Windows 7’s Start Menu.
If you’re still running Windows 8, Open Shell also allows you to bypass the full-screen Start Menu and boot directly to the desktop.
To get started using Open Shell to change the look and feel of Windows 10’s Start Menu, you’ll first need to head to Github’s website and download the program.
Once downloaded, double click on the executable to begin installing the software on your system. It’s worth noting that if you only want to change the appearance of your Start Menu, you should uncheck the Classic Explorer and Classic IE options during installation. If you leave these options checked, you will also change the way that File Explorer and Internet Explorer appear on your system.
Open Shell allows you to choose from three different styles of Start Menu: Classic style, Classic with two columns and Windows 7 style. Classic style only shows your recently used apps and all apps list while Classic with two columns shows your recently used apps and settings and finally Windows 7 style recreates the Start Menu UI from Windows 7.
If you want to tinker with Open Shell further, you can do so by opening the “Basic settings” menu which will allow you to configure the open source software’s advanced settings.
Via BleepingComputer