A Start menu substitute can greatly reduce the shock of using Windows 8. Here are three alternatives that produce a reasonable experience.

If you're running Windows 8.1 today and want the Start menu back, take a look at our list of the best, least expensive, and most authentic Windows 8 Start menu replacements.

Windows 8: Revolution or disaster? How to get the old start menu back in Windows 8 Third-party developers responded quickly, offering apps to restore the Start button and Start menu.

Microsoft will release a public preview of Windows Blue (8.1) on June 26. In the mean time, if you're a Windows 8 user, be sure to read our guide on restoring the Start button and menu.

How does the Windows 8.1 Start Button work? Microsoft will be only changing the Start “tip” or Power Menu or WinX Menu to the familiar Windows logo.

It's available as a separate application for Windows 8.1 x86 and Windows 8.1 x64. Alternatively, you can install the free app 7+ Taskbar Tweaker which will allow you to hide the start button.

What we don't know is when that will happen. It might be in a Windows 8 update that's right around the corner, or a year or two away in Windows 9. That's OK -- you don't need to wait for Microsoft.

With the Start button disappeared, shutting down Windows 8 can be a challenge. Here's how to coax the OS into turning itself off.

Most internal builds of Windows 8.1 do not include the Start button or boot to desktop options, but Microsoft is said to be planning how to add these into the operating system.

Ditching the Start button in Windows 8 is consistent with these broader trends. The Start button is something that people will use many times a day; it's an interface that will inevitably be learned.

Say goodbye to the Windows start button. Microsoft has gotten rid of it from the latest build of Windows 8. Hitting the Web over the weekend, screenshots of the new Windows 8 build display the ...

Microsoft took the bold steps of removing the traditional Windows 8 Start menu and Start button orb from its Windows 8 Consumer Preview last week. Desktop PC users are currently debating the ...