In April, Microsoft announced that the Start Menu would be returning to Windows 8.1. A report a couple of weeks later suggested that the Start menu was set to arrive later this year with the planned Update 2 for Windows 8.1. Recently, however, Microsoft announced that the Start Menu won’t be rolled into a new version of Windows until 2015. Because of this, developers released third party software that emulates the classic Start Menu.

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Step # 1 - Use Classic Shell
If you like the classic Windows Start Menu, you should install “Classic Shell”, a free software. Go to this link: “www.classicshell.net” and click the “Download” button. With “Classic Shell” installed, Windows 8 will automatically boot to the desktop and display a functional “Start” button. Right click the Start Menu to get into the app’s “Settings”, where you can change the skin, among other things. To fix the occasional unwanted behaviors in Windows Explorer; just find the new menu button and right click it for “Settings”.

Step # 2 - Use Start Menu 8
Another option is to use “Start Menu 8”, a tool specially designed for Windows 8. It offers a great solution for users who work with Windows Start Menu all the time and are not accustomed to the new Metro start screen in Windows 8. Go to the link to download it: “www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php”. Then install it. This smart tool brings back both the Windows 7 start button and the Windows 8 Start Menu, and offers the option of skipping the Metro start page, allowing users who only work on desktop to boot to the Windows 8 desktop directly.

Step # 3 - Use Pokki
A third option is to use “Pokki”, a Start Menu that gives the old one a fresh look. To download it go to this link: “www.pokki.com” and click the download button.
Pokki offers three tabs: “My Favorites”, “All Apps”, and “Control Panel”. By clicking and activating the star next to items listed in the latter two, you populate your favorites grid. You can then drag and drop them into your preferred order. Right click the Pokki home button and choose “Settings” if you wish to customize the theme and change some advanced settings. And that’s it!

Result: Congratulations! You’ve just learned How To Get Your Windows 8.1 Start Menu.