Some users like the new look of the Start menu that was introduced in Windows 8. Others are more accustomed to older versions of the menu. You can customize the Start menu options using standard Windows tools or using special applications.
There are many ways to change the Start menu in the Windows 8 operating system. Some of them are already built into the system, others allow you to change the menu using third-party programs.
Changing the Start Menu Using Windows
To add a frequently used program to the menu, you need to find its icon in the list of recently launched programs, right-click on it and select "Pin to Start Menu" in the context menu that opens. You can remove the program icon from the menu in the same way - by selecting the "Remove from the Start menu" item.
To change the location of the "Start" button, you need to click on an empty space in the taskbar with the left mouse button and drag it to any of the borders of the screen. The taskbar will move to the specified location along with the Start button. If this does not happen, click on an empty space on the taskbar and check if the checkbox next to "Pin taskbar" is checked.
To set the number of shortcuts for frequently used programs in the menu, just open the control panel, go to the "design and personal settings" section, then to the "taskbar and start menu" and open the "Start" menu settings tab. After that, it remains to indicate the number of programs in the "Display recently used programs" field.
You can customize the appearance of the right menu pane, which displays components such as Control Panel, Computer, and so on, from the same Start menu customization tab.
Changing the Start Menu with Third-Party Programs
Some users dislike the look of the Windows 8 Start menu. There are a number of free programs you can use to get it back to its usual appearance.
The Start8 application allows you to return the Start menu to the appearance typical for Windows 7. After installing this program, an additional item "Customize Start8" appears in the context menu of the Start button, with which you can make all the necessary settings for the appearance of the menu. Going into the settings, you can choose the style of the menu, the size of the icons displayed in it, prohibit or allow the display of shortcuts of recently launched applications, etc.
Another popular program that allows you to give the Start menu the look of Windows XP and Windows 7 is called Classic Shell. This application also allows you to customize the Start menu to your liking. In addition, it can be used to change the appearance of the Start button, context menu options, and much more.
