[TerryNet]

In the Consumer Preview edition I tried several of the "put the Start menu back into Windows 8" methods that I found mentioned in threads/articles here or elsewhere. They work pretty well, but they didn't completely appeal to me, and I have the notion that things like accessing features and installed programs should be part of the operating system instead of add-ons.

So I've been playing around with the Release Preview trying to use the Start Screen in place of the Start Menu and I'm now reasonably satisfied. It should be better when used with a touch screen and is acceptable (to me) using a mouse or touchpad.

Note that in previous Windows editions getting to the Start Menu meant pressing the Windows Logo key or moving the mouse pointer to the lower left and clicking. The same actions in Windows 8 get you to the Start Screen. Don't like those big rectangles and most of the Apps? That describes me! I do like the Desktop, Calendar and Weather Apps, so I have kept them large and allow the "live action." But all the rest I have uninstalled or made "small" and killed the live action and have begun to move them around to make my preferred choices (Firefox, Thunderbird, Office applications, ...) more easily available. The attached shows my current configuration. Eventually I'll likely banish or move to the right side more of the Apps that I have little or no use for.

Also want to mention two other things. Have you noticed that when you are on the desktop and move the mouse pointer to the lower left to display the icon for the Start Screen that you can right click and bring up a nice menu? It contains about 15 items, including Control Panel, Device Manager, Command Prompt, etc. If somebody know how to customize that menu it would be great to know. Would like to add Shutdown and Restart and maybe a couple others.

And my final note here is on the business of booting to the Start Screen. There is a method to go directly to the desktop, but I don't find that necessary. In Windows 7 I usually have a Weather desktop application starting and look at that first; then click on something (e.g., Firefox, Windows Explorer, etc.) pinned to the Task Bar. On the Windows 8 Start Screen I can just as well look at the Weather App and click on my next choice.

Hope this is useful to somebody. Now I can get back to my normal complaining about Windows 8.

[davehc]

Hi Terry.

I have gone through the same process. For the moment, I keep "classic" installed (familiarity!). But I eliminated all the program shortcuts I rarely use, and just kept my dailies. I am getting quite accustomed to Windows 8 now. I hate the look of the Metro, but I am hoping that, by RTM, we will have some customisation options. Frankly, apart from the appearance, and the fact that it is a graphical display rather than text, I feel the critismy of the Metro is a little unjustified. But, having said that, I fdo think it is, at this stage, a little erroneous of MS to call it the "desktop". If it were so, surely we would be returned to it after closing and App? Instead we are returned to the legacy desktop. With that in mind, I am regarding it as a start menu - nothing more.

Regarding your second query. I have, in fact, customised the right click menu (The Power Menu, as it seems to be called) It needs a little work, but you can build it up to include all your former shortcuts.

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I cannot remember where I got the original, but here is my package, if you want to give it a go

http://www.filefactory.com/file/4v1l1w8sgdid/n/sc_zip

fwiw Here is a portion of my Metro. It is normally quite a bit slimmer, but I have been experimenting recently

[TerryNet]

Thanks, Dave. You've obviously taken this customization farther than I have. I haven't downloaded your package yet; does it just allow customization of the Power Menu, or does it do more? How do you get the "labels" (Free, Internet, etc.) on the Start Screen?

[TerryNet]

Here's a short tutorial on accessing and using the Power Menu using only the keyboard.

[davehc]

The labels are as in my programdata start menu, from my original start menu folders. -No action required from me.
The "Package" is only for customising the "Power" menu. I'm sorry I cant send you a picture, as in the end I wiped it. I can only assure you that it works. After you have completed the preliminaries, it is merely a matter of dragging and dropping. I had mine, as I said, with all my shortcuts to available programs. But being the lazy s** I am, in the end I decided that, if that was the way to go, for subsequent installs it would be easier to reload the classic menu.

P.S. Just had a quick look at the link. The tutorial only tells us how to use the menu - mine goes a bit further than that. I did post it up on Technet a long while ago, but I cannot find it for the moment.

[jkaloz]

Nice post. Have you ever used any redirection gpo's to apply a standardized start screen for a block of users? I am having issues when it comes to Metro based applications and creating properly redirected Metro shortcuts to have ~10000 users have the same desktop experience and it be managed centrally.

I have a post on technet with more details. - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...-597416375e7b/