Get the Classic Start Menu in Windows 7
Like the new Start Menu in Windows 7, but wish that you could have the Classic Menu too? Now you can have both with CSMenu.
Note: CSMenu comes in exe install file and portable versions.
CSMenu – Before and After
Here is a quick look at the default Start Menu in our Windows 7 example. Time to get that Classic Menu!
Double click the CSMenu exe file to get things started. The install process for CSMenu is quick and straightforward.
After finishing the installation, you will see a message window that will say that CSMenu is going to index your Start Menu. While it is indexing, you will see the following window showing the progress of the indexing process.
Once it has finished indexing, you will need to log off and then log back into your User Account.
After logging back in, go into the Start Menu to locate the CSMenu folder. Right click on the “Show CSMenu” shortcut and select “Pin to Taskbar”. Once you do that, there is your new Classic Menu Start Button right next to the original one (you made need to move it to the left in your taskbar).
Notice that the CSMenu Start Menu button is slightly smaller than the original.
An expanded view of the new Classic Menu in our Windows 7 example.
Hiding the Original Windows 7 Start Button
If you decide that you only want to have your new Classic Menu Start Button display, you can hide the original with a nice little program called Start Killer.
Run the Start Killer exe file and let the program automatically start after the installation is finished. Just one start button to deal with now (nice!).
To make certain that Start Killer runs every time you start Windows, right click on the taskbar icon and select “Settings”. Make certain that “Load on system startup” is selected.
A quick check on startup programs using CCleaner shows the everything is set to have nothing but Classic Menu goodness each time you start Windows 7.
Have fun with your new Classic Start Menu!
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Why on earth anyone would want to return to that old thing I don’t know!
I h8 the new start menu so this is gr8!
the old menu is super counter-productive.
:/ that being said, no use for this app.
I’ve been using it since it first came out. I hate the “All Products” menu in the new start menu because of the need to scroll and click to do anything. With the Classic menu you click once then mouse over the programs icon and the whole menu pops into view at once. You can see the whole thing without scrolling. Then you mouse over a submenu and that menu pops out. then when you find what you want you click once more. Two clicks and you’re there. It’s so simple to use that I can’t believe anybody can prefer all that scrolling and extra clicking. The new menu is cumbersome to use.
However there are some good points to the new menu so I use them both. I have the best of both worlds.
Can you remove the left white pane somehow?
Apart from that I don’t mind the new start options but I have also installed this program as well.
@midgo – Not that I am aware of…
Well most of the people on here don’t work in a busy office where sub menu after sub menu slow down selecting a program. The classic start menu allows a user to quickly get to the program swiftly. I found that hovering the mouse over all programs closes it opens it and when I move my mouse off all programs it closes it again, so I hae to juggle between clicking and hovering (very time consuming). Most of the tech guys in out IT department hate it and 85% of the staff loath it. We want the classic start menu back and NOW
I totally agree with Blocko, I do hobby/indie game programming and I’m finding quite a few things on Windows 7 slow down my work process. I don’t mind the new UI, but I definately prefer the pop out start menu.
How about the best of both worlds….i don’t see anyone using this much, but if you create a shortcut to “My Computer” on your taskbar (IE) right-click taskbar/toolbars/new toolbar…the click the “My Computer” button on the taskbar…hover your mouse over any drive…and voila, folders and files start flying out, just hover over what you want to see and click to open.
“Seven Classic Start” is a commercial third party app that does the job very nicely. On principle however, I think I will stick with XP.
I see few advantages in the transition from XP to 7. “Fixing” new XP installations to restore NT/2000 visual appearance was bad enough. Windows 7 is bloody awful.
Im an educated individual, fully capable of learning new software. However, I fail to understand the hostility (of many forum users) to those such as myself, who are simply not interested in adopting a wizard style menu for every damn function. Once configured/customised (some might say “downgraded”) to approximate 2000, XP was functionally perfect, for me at least. I lament its discontinuation, and by the sound of things I am not alone in this sentiment.
7 is pretty. Pretty is not a substitute for efficient functionallity
@Scott
I work at an office with 1500+ users.
We depend on Windows 2000 at the moment and need to make a upgrade to a new version of Windows.
XP is not really an option, because of support issues.
7 is a bit far away for us yet, but Vista is not an option we are considering.
In our case, we have 1500+ people who need to upgrade.
For some of them, the new menu is good.
For me, i abhore it totally.
Every time in XP i set it to old style.
I did in Vista too when i had that.
I totally do not agree with MS to replace the menu, but i knew they would do that some day ever since they introduced it.
I am thankfull there is a program like this who lets users decide for themselves.
One of the reasons i dislike MS is the fact that i feel it treats its users as retards and does not let them decide for themselves what they like.
download of CSMenu is NOT working! Server closed connection – what does this mean?
ts go’s wrong if windows 7 is not installed on the C- Drive (multiboat):
In Error Message such like “can’t find a part from the path C:\users\Ton\AppData\Roaming\Windows\start Menu\Programs… this because I have done a multiple installation (on C-Drive Visat and on the W-Drive (third partition) Windows 7. The installation is done on Windows 7. On the C-drive in Visata 64 bist it works fine!
I agree with you, Windows 7 start menu slow down my work.
I won’t use seven until i knew a solution. XP x64 works fine with me now.
Yes it is a shame as I love windows os and will never go MAC but linux looks better by the day with microsofts resistance to listen to its buyers. The user who have been loyal to microsoft for years now get the shaft. Looking around this seems to be a real major issue that is going to bite MS in the butt. Its a simple feature they own the script just add the options that way companys dont waste time and money on training, loyal windows users have a comfortable and yes much faster way of using thier computer as the new way is so hard and slows you down with the new menus and set up. I like 7 but I dont think i will even upgrade my vista machines to it unless they tweak it back to where its a user friendly os as xp was. I love xp personally not real big on vista as you have to mod it to make it run as well and fast as xp and 7 well they got to cute and let the techie writers get to techy with its design which now makes it useless to everyday users. I hate keyboard commands as they take to long and too many to remember I like a simple click of the mouse and there is the program i want. i do alot of web design so without my mouse it takes forever. Just set it as an option to have classic start and classic folder and control panel and 7 will succeed leave those options out and windows 7 will flop worse then vista. I know all those high dollar people at microssoft cant be that dumb its simple…KISS Keep It Simple Stupids
I totally agree that the vista and win 7 start menu is horrid. Also this applies to office 2007 as well. I tried to find the print button on word 2007 and gave up after about 10 minutes. Why anyone thinks that getting rid of drop down nested menus is an improvement is beyond me! With this application I am willing to install win 7 (just bought it yesterday)
Imo CSMenu sucks. you cant add custom folders. Here’s a similar guide I found that allows you to add custom folders to the taskbar:
http://nerdbusiness.com/blog/h.....-windows-7
I get an error when I run First Start CSMenu. Missing an INF file that should be installed with the program. I can’t tell if this program is any good but I can tell you that it’s a FAIL cuz First Run won’t run.
Nothing wrong with classic. Fascinating to hear people say “classic sucks, you just can’t handle new ideas”.
HEY how bout I arranged the start menu so with a quick set of keys could have any program on my machine launched without touching the damn mouse. Faster baby, Faster. WIN->p->a->n and BOOM notepad. WIN->p->g->v and BOOM ventrilo.
Now I have to actually go interact with the damn thing. I’m not here to interact with their damn fruity start menu, I want my program started, and if I can’t get it running just by thinking about it, I want the next best thing. New menu is a step backward in speed and efficiency of movement. I’m sure it’s the best thing for the Fischer Price toy crowd, and fine if “The Rest Of Us” love it, but I why remove the efficiency?
That is actually the first thing I tried to do after instaling.
Hopfully with enough complaints Microsoft will add the option to go Classic in Service Pack 1.
I see a lot of people in favor of the new start menu judging the ones that don’t like the new start menu as stubborn or just stupid.
Who’s actually at fault here the user or the programmer who decided to cancel out user choice?
Microsoft acts as socialist here, enforcing users to behave in a certain way. As if everyone in the whole world use their systems the same.
Neither of the two supersedes the other one, it’s just 2 different ways of doing the same thing.
another easy solution;
run -> gpedit.msc -> user configuration -> Administrative tasks -> All settings -> Force Classic Start Menu
enable it and voilá
I have to withdraw my comment. seems only to work in 2008 server and not in Win7
sry for the inconvinience
I’ve just installed an OEM license of Win7 after running the release candidate, deciding to go ahead and move the the new O/S in spite of hating the absence of the classic start menu. Click, scroll, click, scroll…how terribly inefficient in contrast to menus which spawn quickly with a simple mouse gesture.
After trying CSMenu, 7Stacks, and Classic Start Menu, I found my own simple approach which works suitably for now, if and until Microsoft either provides an update that restores the classic menu or else I adapt to the new style. About these other alternatives, Classic Start Menu comes nearest to being a replacement that I like, and I may yet choose to go with it. But, I miss that it doesn’t provide a fly-out Control Panel menu nor the other special folders…Network, Printers, etc. In contrast to CSMenu however, which I pretty quickly gave up, at least Classic Start Menu does support dragging around menu items to organize them as you like. And it does look good in its Aero skin. 7Stacks seemed a relatively good idea, but there is far too much delay in providing the pop-up menu, at least on my 1.2GHz netbook. I’d not think there should be much delay, but there’s enough that it doesn’t have a true menu feel as I prefer.
So, what’s my alternative? It’s native to Windows, so all speed of operation is consistent with what you’d expect, but it doesn’t offer the special folders menus. For that, I still resort to the new Windows 7 Start Menu, and that suits me OK since special folders don’t get accessed as often as programs do. In any case, the alternative is a right-click on the Taskbar away from implementation….a new Toolbar, that points directly to the Start Menu folder. Once you’ve defined the toolbar, move it fully to the left of the taskbar and then use another toolbar or the main one to force the Start Menu toolbar down to the smallest size possible so that all you see is the toolbar title “Start Menu” and the chevrons to the right of that, indicating that there are more toolbar items available. That’s the trick…having the toolbar small enough to get the chevrons which then, upon clicking them, cause the toolbar to launch as a menu above the taskbar, which then expands in conventional classic start menu fashion.
Hope that helps someone,
Daryl
What is so hard about pressing Start + typing the first few letters of the program you want and pressing enter? I never even touch the All Programs menu any more because it’s so much faster to use the keyboard than the mouse. Plus the new Start menu has links like Computer, Documents etc baked right in even if, again, I could just use a keyboard shortcut to get to my destination or type in whatever I need.
So other than the program listing, which there is a much better alternative for (typing), I see no reason why the classic Start menu needs to live on.
I’m sure MS has done usability testing and found that a majority of people preferred the new style otherwise they would have left it alone. After 15 years, it’s time to move on. Might as well stick with XP if you want to be old fashioned.
Chris, of course you find it faster to use the keyboard than using the mouse to find a program. Microsoft has ruined mouse navigation to find the programs…
Also, in a busy day, starting programs all the time, will cause you to develop physical problems with your shoulder as you have to keep moving your hand between mouse and keyboard. Right there Microsoft have failed big time.
Finding programs in the old Programs menu could be very efficient if you chose to categorize your applications. This allowed fast mouse AND keyboard navigation to find and start your program. Now, all we have is an easy to find keyboard application search and a horribly inefficient mouse navigation system. Also, with the new system, you are forced to be able to remember the name and be able to type the name of the program you want to find. Just for your information, there are still many persons that have trouble spelling and not due to any lack of trying. For them, the new program menu is complete crap.
In my (and most UI designers) book, this is a step back. Windows XP was so much better (or Vista with classic start menu).
You may like it, good for you, but don’t assume to know anything about efficiency in UI design.
Thanks. I’m going to give this a try. I hope the drag and drop function works. I’ve tried a few other start menu fixers only to find adding new directories was hard to do.
I really find the older start menu much faster. I had it all set up so I could access any program I used with just two clicks. I don’t understand how some people seem to prefer typing what they are looking for over just clicking a couple of times. After all, that’s why they made the GUI and mouse interface in the first place. Typing in what you want is so…1980s.
Of course some people prefer to do things the old fashioned way and can’t handle new fangled things like mice. Maybe if these people had of been around during the old way of typing things in they wouldn’t be so thrilled with it now.
It’s funny how things like that seem to come back around again, only some people seem to think it’s new.
“I can get to anything I need in the classic start menu in just two clicks!”
The Start Menu, as in XP, learns what programs you use most commonly and the top 10 will be displayed at the top. I doubt anyone uses more than 10 programs frequently, but if so there are options to adjust the number if necessary, as well as change of their icons and entries. Furthermore, just like in XP, there’s the option to pin items to the top of that listing directly and immediately.
Even better, in Windows 7 you can pin items directly to the taskbar itself, allowing you to launch a program with just one click. You certainly aren’t *forced* to search for the programs you frequently use every time.
“HEY how bout I arranged the start menu so with a quick set of keys could have any program on my machine launched without touching the damn mouse. Faster baby, Faster. WIN->p->a->n and BOOM notepad. WIN->p->g->v and BOOM ventrilo.”
Pinned taskbar items can be launched by holding Windows and pressing any number from 1 – 0. Boom.
I understand that many of you have grown attached to old habits and training, but I don’t you people have really given it a chance.
@Angelo: Your arguments are kind of weak in that the solutions you advocate are similar or worse to what XP offers:
Pin items to taskbar: XP has quick launch and works just nice. Pinning to win7 taskbar uses lots of taskbar space if the program is not started. Win7 can have the taskbar as well, but requires messing with the registry.
Also, to pin a program to the taskbar, you have to do it yourself. XP keeps the top10 list updated automatically.
WIN->p->a->n: Notepad compared to WIN-1 (ex.): The first method allows to start any program with just a few keyboard clicks whereas the Win7 method only allows starting 10. Also, remembering when e.g. WIN-7 does is kind of difficult whereas p->a->n would in my mind read Programs->Accessories->Notepad.
I understand that many like to see something new regardless of the usability it offers, but I don’t think you really appreciated what you could do with the old system.
Why should I scroll in this tiny damn window when I have a 21 inch monitor? I develop and write software and have lots of software loaded and looking for something in this tiny scroll window sucks. The code is still there, so just allow me to turn on expand folders as an option!
This program is awesome. I then looked up how to add the quick launch back (which is very helpful). The pinned tools are a pain (because reclicking things doesn’t open a new window and such). In the classic theme the start button just became the CSmenu, without having to remove the original button. Dunno if anyone else noticed that.
Also, for those that are visual, being able to see all your programs at once (without scrolling is nice). A muscle memory can also be achieved where you just where to click, instead of hunting something down.
For me the best thing about win7/vista is the ability to search direct from and the snap to taskbar function. i work in it to IT and have all my remote desktop connection saved to the RD app my ip scanner, wireshark and a few other tools direct on the taskbar. With vitsa i did always use the classic menu because it seems the indexing was a liitle slow or whatever. i really like the classic feel form windows but i dont think i will go back but i will try it out
Windows 7 just does not have the Classic Start menu in it to enable it.
The Classic Menu is popular among people who like to keep things arranged and in order. They usually have about 5 to 8 items max in their Start Menu! All their programs will be grouped under Creativity, Games, System Tools, Miscellaneous, etc. Once they click ‘Start’ they know exactly which pixel to go to launch their program!!
The newer menu is liked by the rest because it presents the programs they frequently launch and hides away the clutter under the carpet.
The best option available out there at the moment is Seven Classic Start (www.sevenclassicstart.com) which costs US$24.95 (EUR 19.95). Crashes now and then at startup… sometimes the Start button gets stuck at pressed state. But overall, I would give it a 4/5 rating.
Hi,
I too find that I am very use to the classic menu and tried a few things to get this on Windows 7
Does anyone at all know how I can get the classic menu on Windows 7?
PLEASE HELP
Rebecca
For those of you that don’t like the classic menu……… DON’T USE IT. Why does it matter to you about those of us that do like the classic menu. I don’t make any commit about your taste.
graybear
I’ve been using 7 for a week now. It’s pretty but it is counter productive compared to XP. For instance to see your wi-fi speed, it takes 3 clicks in 7, in XP I just hover the mouse over the network icon. The scrolling menu sucks. Maybe in SP1 they will bring back something to give us an option like it was in XP. In the meantime I will try to like win 7. So far all I see is a lot of fluff that looks good but slows me down.
I don’t know who designed the Help part in Win 7 or even Vista, but it seems that the troubleshooting is done by Paris Hilton, in a style of 2 options: “let me try to look at it” and “ops, we didn’t find the solution, go to Inet…” => just “go to Internet” in any case. What if people try to just log to Inet and it doesn’t work?
Win-7/Vista lost the transparency of XP with all illogical and numerous categories to search in, and not user-friendly, when a poor user needs help. I thought of going to Lunix, now MS just forces us to do it. Pretty does not mean efficient, a use of an instument should be automatic, and not constant tracing through choiced, I agree with folks
The new start menu SUX! The rest of win7 is just one link after another to get where I could have gotten in XP with a right click – left click. Now it’s right click, hunt the menu left click, sometimes double click… on a menu I have to double click???! Come on MS! Eye candy is one thing, but common sense is another. This is an OPERATING SYSTEM not the WEB!
That said, at least the evil empire hasn’t nuked Firefox in the OS the way they did Netscape. But give it time…
If there weren’t so many different iterations of Linux it would rule all! If Poker Stars would just port for ubuntu… Not going to hold my breath on that one. They just figured out the Mac isn’t a sandwich.
I guess we can get used to anything given enough time. Win 3.0 users hated the “Classic Start Menu” when it was released in win95 too. I’m showing my age now… Back to the learning curve. At least I can still boot to xp!
Nice program, but a few adjustments would make it perfect.
For business needs, how about this:
Install CSMenu on a machine, allow it to index, then reboot.
Use CSMenu to hide programs that users should not access. Add customized shortcuts to programs that users should access.
Right click on the “Show CSMenu” shortcut and select “Pin to Taskbar”.
Install and configure Start Killer (same instruction as above).
Export the registry settings for the start menu and taskbar.
Use registry keys to make custom .adm file. Import this template in group policy.
Could a modified version of this software force users to have a default start menu? If so, then I could see this application being used in schools and university classrooms.
classic view on windows 7, just choose classic theme.