Classic Start Menu

[djs]

sparky, if you follow unawave's info it creates the full menu from your taskbar.
Or the way I found on another site that gives you the full menu through the Documents on the right hand side of the default menu.
I've got both set up and it's so much easier to have all of the menu items open when you mouse over them.
The beauty of both methods is that it doesn't alter the default menu setup at all, but gives you a menu listing that shows ALL items, rather than having to click through them.

To your question, both of these methods leave the default menu intact.
I unticked the remember opened programs in start menu options and I use the white bar to pin frequently opened programs.

 

[PiDicus Rex]

Thought I'd post a response to those saying 'why not just type <app name> in 'Search',...

People, 'Search' works by creating an index, and continually updating that index.
(Ever noticed the pause or refresh just after opening a new folder? That's the indexing at work)
To do this, it's using up processor time and memory, and both of those are resources I'd prefer having available to the applications rather than then 'features'.

Same with XP, Vista, and 7's default desktop, they're all using up resources that I'd prefer having available to the applications, especially where is comes to GPU operations, where eye-candy slows down preview render windows in the 3D content creation software I use every day.

(side example: Daz Studio is in Beta for Ver3, it's being lauded for it's performance improvements. I installed it on XP Pro with classic desktop, created a new scene, moved about the scene with super smooth window panning, and rendered it out fast. swapped out C:\ for a spare hdd, installed 7 and Studio Beta, created same scene - so the only changes were the hdd and the OS - Window panning sucked bigtime under 7, and render time increased.)

And just while I'm mentioning 3D creation - Professional 3D app's don't use pretty interfaces, they use functional ones, which is why they are laid out like '98 apps, even on the latest releases.

In the pursuit of application and rendering performace, the true classic desktop wins because it wastes less resources on itself.

The other thing with Search, and with many of the in vogue methods for finding and using your files, is that they build bad end-user habits, as user's leave files all over the place that they can only find using search, rather than actually creating a set of My Docs subfolders that are easy to navigate, with meaningful names.
Not only does this lead to slower performing systems that have to waste CPU, GPU and memory on finding files, it also makes sucessfully backing up a system one heck of a lot harder.

I'll admit it took me awhile to get used to '95 when it came out - I've been using 'puter's since the time of coding your own apps on z-80 based machines with a couple of kilobytes of ram,....
But once I got used to it, it was logical and straight forward.

XP, Vista, and 7's default look are far from logical, or conveinient, they're just 'pretty'.

Think of it like an episode of Beauty and the Geek, sure, the Beauty's are pretty, but the don't make anywhere near as much sense at the female Geek,...

 

[johngalt]

Counterpoint: I have a quad Core machine (Q6600 OC'd to 3.21 GHz) and 4 GB of RAM - I can afford to allow the indexing service to index my start menu b/c it doesn't do it every single time I open the start menu - just once.

I'd rather type in the name of an app b/c 9 times out of ten I have my hands on the KB, not the mouse - you may say it takes 2 clicks for the mouse - but that is using system resources as well, as you need to have a timer even to measure the appropriate amount of time before automatically opening a menu, and you need a listener event for every mouse click, and you need other resources to list the start menu items, b/c the same way that it indexes the menu system for the smart start bar is the same way it *scans* it every time you use the All Programs interface.

You get no real trade off using one or the other. It's personal preference, and please *logically* and intellectually* understand that and drop this topic.

 

[swarfega]

Ive got so used to typing in shortcuts to files or programs that navigating XPM today was slow and a real pain.

 

[johngalt]

I know lol - I work for IT at Uni and they are still using XP throughout campus, and it sucks not being able to bring stuff up via a search bar....

 

[PiDicus Rex]

and you need other resources to list the start menu items, b/c the same way that it indexes the menu system for the smart start bar is the same way it *scans* it every time you use the All Programs interface.

Don't think that's right - The Classic Menu is a set of shortcuts - there's no searching involved in running it.
Which brings me back to why I want it in 7, so I can turn off the eye candy and dedicate resources to rendering.
As for how many clicks, I create shortcuts for the programs I'm always using, so the menu doesn't get a heap of use anyway.

For mine it comes down this way. If I can't turn the eye candy off, I've got no reason to migrate from XP Pro x64.

 

[Brunoooh]

how did you get rid of the left white panel, when classic start menu is created ?

Well, I think I've read the same thread as you... from everestultimate

I've tried to follow his solution, and just like you I was stuck with the white left pane that I couldn't get rid of

I'm afraid his post was some kind of (bad) joke... he detailled every step until that one, when he just said "now get rid of the left panel"

I think he just edited the picture because he wasn't able to do so

I anyone knows a way to hide the left column of the "modern" start menu, then I'd be delighted to read how to

 

[termikxs]

Well, I like this new start menu, so I'll keep the "old" new one.

 

[psyalemao]

Is possible to auto-show All programs when open the Start menu?

 

[ArrogantPowerUser]

Classic Start Menu is customizable, you could customize it, you could customize it, you could customize it. Non-power users, same to you.

 

[ArrogantPowerUser]

Customization of the menu is wonderful, the start menu responds to the keyboard, if you group your most-used icons into a folder you can use Intellisense to get to any of them. No way anything is faster, only thing is theres only 5 people on the planet who ever customized their start menu, and we all hate the OS in Mac and Linux even more than the default UI in Windows.

 

[PiDicus Rex]

Da,..

Dead easy to customise, either by dragging the shortcuts around to where they were most useful, or going thru the advanced button on the startmenu tab in the taskbar properties and clicking 'customise'.

A mate has heard that the 95/98 Classic Start Menu will be back for the RTM, as the sheer volume of corporate (industrial) clients requesting it has made it's permanent removal an OS killer.
- These are the sort of clients who use the OS on base spec 'puters used for 'machine control' tasks, such as running printing presses, industrial robots,... basically tasks where you need 100% reliability, and need the interface to remain constant for process workers to be able to continue running industry specific applications - places where downtime cost enough money for lawyers to be interested in recovering losses from Microsoft.

 

[garbanzo]

using the search function of the new start menu is great if you know exactly what you're looking for. and it's easy remember things like 'word' and 'photoshop' and 'fireofox'. (of course, if you launch those all the time, you should have hotkeys for them anyway...)

but if you have a ton of apps, and you don't remember exactly what that one obscure video converter is called (think avidemux or tmpgenc), it is easier to click start-video-tools and have a look around.

i hope the classic start menu comes back. i wouldn't miss the search bit. i don't index anything. and if i want that functionality, i'm better off using Launchy or Executor or FARR than the start menu...

 

[Vendormu]

Classic Start Menu for Windows 7

Seven Classic Start - Classic Start menu for Windows 7

 

[garbanzo]

Seven Classic Start - Classic Start menu for Windows 7

$30??

wow, i hope nobody wants a classic start menu that bad.

 

[Generator]

Not sure I'd call the earlier solutions the 'Classic Start-Menu', yes there all a good effort but its more than just how it looks. I'm not dis-respecting anyone either, just my opinion.

As for forking out $30 to buy yet another 'copy' of it.. Well, thats just it, its still not the real deal. I bet there's still certain things that won't work as it would on the 'Classic' one.

I for one don't mind Seven's Startmenu at all. yes it used to freeze in earlier editions for me but it does what I ask and I know its fully integrated with the OS in every sense.

 

[jocelyn]

using the search function of the new start menu is great if you know exactly what you're looking for. and it's easy remember things like 'word' and 'photoshop' and 'fireofox'. (of course, if you launch those all the time, you should have hotkeys for them anyway...)

but if you have a ton of apps, and you don't remember exactly what that one obscure video converter is called (think avidemux or tmpgenc), it is easier to click start-video-tools and have a look around.

i hope the classic start menu comes back. i wouldn't miss the search bit. i don't index anything. and if i want that functionality, i'm better off using Launchy or Executor or FARR than the start menu...

Good point, Garbanzo.

Another way is to try DIY Program Launcher.

 

[Max128]

Seven Classic Start - Classic Start menu for Windows 7

$30??

wow, i hope nobody wants a classic start menu that bad.

should have a patch but nothing to date

 

[driecken]

Seems easier to just scroll and point with the current setup, at least from my view.

 

[Woland]

Now is there any way to get the new start menu with the search option and all, but have the "all programs" open up a whole menu like it did in the previous start menus?

It seems the major disagreement is fully classic mode with no shortcuts and no search vs the new start menu with the search, and the resent icons, and the weird program browser, where you have to click and scroll through all your programs to find what you want.


Is there an in between start menu, so to speak. Just like the non classic start menu in the previous versions