According to the latest leaked build of Windows 8.1 (Blue), the Start button and menu will make their triumphant return -- but they won't look or work like the Windows 7 Start menu.

Windows 7 Start Button Changer (W7SBC) is a stand-alone and portable application. Unzip it, run the application, and click on "Select & Change Start Button" to swap your icons. W7SBC comes with 10 ...

Start button for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11 Toolbar and status bar for Windows Explorer. That said, let’s take a look at all the features of Open Shell: ...

Microsoft took the bold steps of removing the traditional Windows 8 Start menu and Start button orb from its Windows 8 Consumer Preview last week. Desktop PC users are currently debating the ...

From Windows 95 to Windows 10, the Start Menu has gone through many iterations. The success or failure of Windows 10 could come down to a single button. After taking a three-year hiatus, the Start ...

In Windows 8, Classic Shell adds the Start button back to a user’s desktop and provides the same classic customizable Start Menu it does in older Windows builds. A full list of Classic Shell ...

Microsoft has transformed its Windows 10 Start menu into a mix of Windows 7 and Windows 8, but Start10 returns it firmly to the days of Windows 7. If you’re not a fan of Live Tiles then this ...

Windows 7's Start Menu Properties dialog lets you change the function of the power button and prevent recent items from being displayed on the menu. Screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly/CNET ...

When Windows 8.1 ships tomorrow, the Start button returns with it—but if it’s the Start menu you miss, you’ll still need one of these utilities. They bring back the classic pop-up menu that ...

Two separate utilities add a Windows 7-style Start menu to Windows 8. ... Start8 offers no way to change the Power button action, or to make Computer or Control Panel display as a menu.

With Windows Blue you'll get a Start button in the bottom left corner -- but when you click it, it's the Metro screen that'll jarringly greet you, not a resurrected Windows 7-style Start menu.