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Get the Classic Start Menu in Windows 7

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If you love the Classic Start Menu in Windows XP and have been using it in Vista, chances are you’ll probably be disappointed by the lack of an option to enable classic Start menu in Windows 7. Microsoft hasn’t provided a way to turn on classic start menu in Windows 7, but users who are already missing it have started finding workarounds to enable it.

Thankfully, a user from Seven Forums created a nice little app that can bring the classic Start menu back in Windows 7. All you need to do is download the CSMenu app, launch it and voila – you’ll get the XP-like classic start menu in Windows 7.

Classic Start Menu in Windows 7

The CSMenu app isn’t perfect though – it does have is rough edges. But it’s worth a try.

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  3. View and Recover Windows 7 Product Key

Written by Shankar Ganesh

May 20th, 2009 at 8:12 am

Posted in software tools

Tagged with ,

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  • Pingback: Get the Classic Start Menu in Windows 7 - By Egidijus Baranauskas - Post - Windows, Technology, Computers, Software News - WinSoftNews

  • http://computerworldit.blogspot.com/ Denver

    Oops. I meant it’s a great article.

  • http://www.mydailytech.com connor

    ahahaha, the fact I had to stop and think about what the answer to the math spam protection question was is kind of sad!

    Anyways, I think that it’s even sadder that users have to turn to crappy unofficial tools to enable a feature that many users still have an use for!

    It’s kinda rediculous. I’m not against the new start menu or taskbar, but it’s nice to have the old one at times.

  • Zlazz

    Workaround for non-sortable Windows7 Start Menu

    Bringing back the Classic Menu as a Toolbar

    1) Use Windows Explorer and go through ‘Organise/ Folder and Search options/ View’ and activate the ‘Show hidden files, folders and drives’ option. This should be turned off again when the task is finished.

    2) Right-click on the taskbar and select ‘Toolbars/ New toolbar’. Then navigate to ‘(drive:)/ ProgramData/ Microsoft/ Windows/ Start Menu’ and select the ‘Programs’ folder.

    3) A new toolbar called Programs should appear on the taskbar and can be activated by clicking the small double-wedge symbol near it. Folders are listed first in this new menu and are followed by program icons. Its appearance and operation is near-identical to the Classic Menu.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Adding more items

    1) To add items to this new Programs toolbar first use Windows Explorer to create and title a new folder in the ‘(drive:)/ ProgramData/ Microsoft/ Windows/ Start Menu/ Programs’ folder.

    2) Create a shortcut on the desktop for your new item then drag the shortcut over the new Programs toolbar and a message ‘Move to Programs’ should display when it is in the right place. Let go the mouse button and then right-click on the desired folder in the Programs toolbar and select ‘Paste’. Note that the shortcut cannot be placed directly into the list of shortcuts already in this target folder.

    3) Cancel any messages that say it cannot be done and invoke Administrator permissions when needed. The desktop shortcut can be afterwards deleted.

    4) Be aware that any new folders and shortcuts for this new toolbar will be duplicated in the ‘All Programs’ menu under the Start globe and will be lost if they are deleted from there. These new items are created as part of a toolbar so it’s probably not a good idea to be altering this from the Windows7 Start Menu anyway.