Windows 7: Articles

Q: Is Microsoft working on an operating system after Windows Vista?

Not everyone likes change. Take the Start menu in Windows Vista and Windows 7. Microsoft has poured a lot of thought into Start, making it easy to open up the applications and documents you need quickly.

Jump Lists in Windows 7 make the Start menu even more functional by providing per-application access to recent and most frequently accessed documents.

But maybe, in spite of all the evangelizing, you prefer the simplicity of the Windows XP Start menu. Don’t worry – there’s an app for that. In fact, there are at least two!

Classic Shell is an open source project that will restore your Start menu to its former Windows XP glory.

In addition, CS can restore the Toolbar to the Windows Explorer. By default, Classic Shell will revert your Start menu to its original XP look and feel. It’s a startling change the first time you see it!

However, Classic Shell is nothing if not configurable. Go to Start->Programs->Classic Shell->Start Menu Settings. For the drop-down labeled Mouse click opens, select Windows Menu. For Shift+Click opens, select Classic Menu.

You now have the best of both worlds: the Windows 7 Start menu opens by default, and the traditional Windows XP Start menu opens when you shift-click.

The old Start can be very useful when you want to navigate quickly to a program buried in your Programs folder, or to a recently opened document.

You can also try CSMenu, a shareware available for trial download. In the paid version of CSMenu, you can opt to combine the classic Start menu with the Aero window system, providing the surreal experience of a translucent Windows XP start menu on Windows 7.

(Classic Shell implements a more limited version of the Aero skin that doesn’t support translucent backgrounds on drop-down menus.)

CSMenu Pro also adds an Uninstall option when you right-click on an application, enabling easy removal of a program even if it doesn’t provide an Uninstall link in its Programs menu. CSMenu Pro costs $20, which is a lot of money considering the functionality available for free in Classic Shell.

If you like the new features of Windows 7 Start, but occasionally want to revert to the simplicity of the XP version, Classic Shell is a great tool to add on your system.