Thread: We don't need no ******* Start Button!!!

Hi

I'm finally getting this down to the optimal setup (for me).

I think that Some people are making way too much of an issue about not having a start button.

First of all, there really is a Start Button in the same place it's always been, it's just not visible.

When you click on the start button you get essentially the same thing you did in Windows 7, a list of your most commonly used programs, and links to your other shortcuts, Explorer, Control Panel etc. it's just displayed in a different way.

Instead of a list you had to scroll through in Windows 7, or see as multiple panels in Windows Xp you have a page of large icons.

I think that this is an improvement over Windows 7 which would make you scroll through a list of over a hundred apps to find what you wanted.

When you go to All Apps you see basically the same thing you did in All Programs in Widows XP or Windows 7! You see everything that's installed all in one place.

But the truth is I almost never used these options in either Windows 7 or Windows XP.

I worked from my desktop, just as I'm doing in Windows 8.

And except for not having a visible start menu icon it looks pretty much the same as Windows 7.

I have everything I commonly use on my desktop, Games, Programs, Windows Applications like Explorer etc. and go to the other screen only when I want something I don't normally need to access.

Here's my Desktop as it stands right now...





Pretty much the only difference is that I had to move my RocketDock bar to it's new location because it gets in the way of the control bar that opens on the right side of the screen in Windows 8.

And as you can see I have plenty of room to add more applications as I continue getting everything that I have in W7 set up here.

Otherwise I can go about me business just the same way I would in Windows 7.

If someone knows a way to make an icon for the Start Button i'll add one in the corner so it is visible. So far I've figured out how to make an icon for everything else but I can't find Start.exe or whatever it's called and I want to design my own Start Icon.

I do have a suggestion, that I think would make a lot of people happy.
Have an option to show the start page as a list.

A small icon with the name of the program after it displayed on the blue background, that can be organised alpha numerically, or manually organised by the user, with category heads you can create.

I think this would get rid of a lot of the resistance to this OS for PC users who don't need to have big touch pad icons for everything.

Mike

Here you go Mike...

Shutdown: C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /s /t 0

Restart: C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /r /t 0

The steps to add the buttons are:

1.Navigate to:C:\Users\[USERID]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
2.Right-Click & select New -> Shortcut
3.Type the location of the item: C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /s /t 0 (This can be changed as shown above for Restart)
4.Click Next
5.Type a name for this shortcut: Shutdown NOW! (Restart Now)
6.Click Finish
7.Press Windows Key to return to Start Page
8.Right-Click on the new tile
9.Click Open file location
10.Click Change Icon
11.Click OK when you get the error message.
12.Click the Shutdown Icon
13.Click OK
14.Click Apply
15.Click OK

I tried mine on Taskbar but, like it better w/ them in Quick Launch.


Cheers,
Drew

PS: You're right what you are seeing. Lack of old start menu & orb is not a problem or an issue, @ all (really). I, too, focus on & from Desktop & find navigating Win8 very easy. Probly helps not have chip on one's should towards new or different approaches to things.

Like you,i spent alot of time trying to make windows 8 look like windows 7,in the end i realised i am better off just sticking with windows 7.why have windows 8 if we are going to make it look like 7!!!!!!!.

Hi

Thanks Drew but I've got that part covered, I already have the shutdown and restart button on my RocketDock bar.

The problem is that I can't find a command that shows the Start Page?

All I want to do is make a visible start button that doesn't change the way that W8 works in any way as do Vstart etc.

First I want to design my own start button and have an easy answer for all the people who want a start button just by putting a Icon for a Start Button at the beginning of their Task Bar.

Mrobjo:

I guess the main reason it that theoretically there are going to be advantages to running Widows 8 and we'll all be stuck with it eventually.

I don't really think that Microsoft is going to listen to any of our suggestions but we are sort of beta testing.

I guess it's worth a shot! LOL


Mike

Mike, Win Key gives Start. Also, it's @ the bottom-left corner. Coupled w/ that @ the same location is a Rt Clk menu or Win+X.

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There are lots of good & cool things about Windows8... either new or improvements. All of which can be realized & appreciated, AS IS. Windows8 is not of no interest because of making it look like something it's not. There is no need to make it look like what it's not. Nor does this (that whole discussion) need to or should overshadow & mask the virtues & value of Windows8.

Drew

I know where it is but I still want to make an Icon for it, maybe the Win Key is the clue, if I can make an Icon does the same thing, I'll have it. I can't find a command for Start anyplace, and it may be hidden in the code someplace like the Windows Start sound.

Turn on Windows Start Sound is not buried/hidden in code somewhere. Just Search/type Sound & put a check in the box


I can't find you anything (else) for so-called 'start button'... the Start pop-out @ the button-left corner IS the 'start button' in Windows8

Cheers,
Drew

Instead of something like Stardock, I have Quick Launch with Shutdown, Restart and Control Panel icons, then Taskbar with WLM, IE 10, Chrome and Win Explorer, then Links, Shortcuts, Office and Favorites Toolbars all pinned to the Taskbar. Perhaps doesn't look as pretty as Stardock, but does not use any desktop space on my laptop. After all my laptop has limited space as it is.

As I've said elsewhere, I enjoy looking at the desktop when my app does not fill it. The Metro UI is ugglllyyy!!! Why would I want to look at that. Yes I can go to that any time I want, Win Key, ugglllyyy!!!

Ok, I give up, what I wanted was to make a visible icon that does the same thing as the invisible one in the corner for all the people who are complaining about not having a Start Button.

I didn't want one that made other changes like the ones available such as Vstart.

But I haven't found a way to just make an icon that takes you to the start page.

I guess people will just have to get used to using the one hidden in the corner or there Windows Key.

It doesn't bother me to do it that way but some people seem to thing it's a problem.

I do wish there was an option to view the Start Page as a list instead of all those giant icons I can see that on a pad, not on a 24" monitor. It would be much easier to find things.

Mike

The one that appears once I go to the upper or lower right corners (Settings, the bottom option) works just fine for me.

However, I realize that some users wants to fine tune their computers, and that's OK also. I do like those "hotkeys" that Drew linked to last week. They make many tasks faster.

Cat