Microsoft Comments On Windows 8′s Start Button Issue

If you have been following this blog or any of the other excellent news site that cover Windows 8, or had your first hours of first-hand experience with the Consumer Preview version of the operating system, you know by now that the Start button is not in the location anymore that it used to be in.

This removal has caused quite the controversy, with many veteran users criticizing Microsoft for the move. The replacement is the new Start page which users can access in a number of ways. This includes pressing the Windows key on the keyboard, or moving down the mouse cursor into the left bottom corner where a click will open the start screen as well.

Microsoft seems to be aware of the confusion the move caused, and addressed the issue in a new blog post on the Windows Experience Blog.

According to Microsoft, the start button is still there but in another location. Before you get to excited about this revelation, you need to know that the company refers to the start button in the Charms menu as the start menu’s new location.

It should be obvious on first glance that this is not an exact replica of the start button of, say Windows 7 for instance. That does not mean that all of the start button’s functionality is gone, as Microsoft points out. Searching for instance happens in exactly the same way as before, only the interface is different. How did you search in Windows 7? Most users clicked on the start button or tapped on the Windows key, and started typing afterwards. In Windows 8, you tap on the Windows key and start typing. The key difference is that Windows 8 switches to the start page automatically, and back if you start a regular app and not a Metro app.

Power users find a few interesting tips in the post that may speed up their experience with the operating system. They can right-click in the lower left corner of the screen to bring up a menu that links to common administrative tasks on the system. This includes direct links to the control panel, device manager and command prompt, as well as search and run options.

The second is a listing of all new keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8. The shortcuts are shown as an image, and available as pdf or xps documents for downloading.

The blog post is a good read for users new to the operating system. What’s your take here? Has everything remained the same functionality wise, or do you feel that something is missing in this regard?

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Customize the Windows 8 Start Screen: Group, Arrange & Name Tiles

Just as with previous versions of Windows, Microsoft has given the user the ability to customize the look and arrangement of the different items on the desktop. With the new release of Windows 8 CP, the user interface paradigm has shifted quite a bit from what users are normally used to. Instead of a desktop with icons, we are now greeted with a Start screen with tiles, and just like with icons, we can decided which tiles to show and which to hide; where to place them and whether to group them together. There is quite a bit of choice with the new Start screen in Windows 8 and I hope to cover most of the customization options in a few short posts.

In this first post I’ll cover how to group, arrange and name live tiles on the Windows 8 Start screen.

In Windows 8, you can pin tiles for websites and this will probably be expanded more when the final release ships later this year. Whenever an app is installed or website is pinned, it will appear on the right hand column on your Start screen. To move the tile around, simply click and hold on the tile and move it to where you would like it to stay and then release the mouse button. This also works with touch-enabled devices. To unpin a tile, right-click on the tile and select the “unpin” action from the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.

Note: Some tiles are live tiles, meaning they can animate with pertinant information, like new email or a calendar event. This option can be seen in the tile toolbar menu as well, if available.

Now you have a screen full of tiles, but want to group them into different categories and name them each category. To do this, you will click on the magnifying glass button on the bottom-right corner of the screen or pinch to zoom if you are using touch.

This will give you a zoomed-out view of your Start screen, which allows the user to drag each group into different arrangements just like you would do with a single tile.

To name a specifice group, highlight the group and then right-click on an open area of the screen while in this view and click on the name option on the toolbar at the bottom (This option is handy if you would like to keep pinned websites and apps separately).

Part II: Customize the Windows 8 Start Screen: Background Theme Color

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Customize the Windows 8 Start Screen: Background Theme Color

In the previous post on customizing the Windows 8 Start screen, I covered how to group, arrange and name live tiles on the Windows 8 Start screen. In this post, I’ll vcover how to change the color and accents used on the background on the Windows 8 Start screen. From what I have been told, the customization options will be expanded greatly when the final version of Windows 8 ships, so this guide will smply cover the Consumer Preview for now.

In the Developer Preview of Windows 8, we had only one color screen to choose from, the default green. In the Consumer Preview, Microsoft has added a larger, albeit still limited, color pallette to choose from when changing the screen background color. To change the background and theme colors for the Windows 8 Start screen, you’ll need to access the ‘PC Settings’ page.

You can find your systems settings by bring up the charms menu. Roll your mouse over to the top or  bottom corner of the right-hand side of the screen to access the charms menu and click on the ‘Settings’ icon.

Then select the ‘More PC settings’ link.

On the Settings page, click the ’Personalize’ option on the left-hand sidebar and select ‘ Start Screen’.  Use the slider on the color palette to choose which theme you would like to use in Windows 8.

Navigate back to the Start screen by tapping the Windows key on your keyboard or the shortcut in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.

Part I: Customize the Windows 8 Start Screen: Group, Arrange & Name Tiles

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How To Get Back The Start Menu In Windows 8

Microsoft have made a very bold move with Windows 8, not only giving us a completely new Metro UI, but also removing the traditional start button that’s become central to every Windows OS to date. Some people love it, others hate it. Personally I sort of like the fact that the new start menu is the Metro Start Screen and I think people will come to like it.

But of course, there’s always going to be people who just don’t like change. So I’ve discovered a way for you guys that will let you get back the start menu button.

Stardock who have a plethora of Windows modification tools have come up with a new one – Start8

Start8 will bring back the famous Windows start menu, albeit a new and improved one. First off, it re-inserts the familiar Windows 7 Orb in the far-left corner. Then it adds in a Metro Style start menu, which retains the brilliant search functionality. Also by right clicking on the Start Orb you’ll also have the option to Shut Down or Run.

•  Adds a “Start” menu to the Windows 8 taskbar
• - Enables quick access and searching of your installed applications
• - Adds Run… option via right-click menu
• - Adds Shutdown… option via right-click menu
• - Choose a custom Start button image

So maybe you guys want this feature, maybe you don’t. Either way follow the download link below if you want to download Start8 and try it out.

Download Start8

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How To Restore The Traditional Windows 7 Start Menu In Windows 8 Consumer Preview

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As far as download numbers are concerned, the Consumer Preview of Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 has gone down pretty well – building on the popularity of the early Alpha release with over a million downloads in its 24 hours.

As PC users digest some of the newer features clustered into the much-discussed Metro interface, not everybody has been too chuffed to see the demise of the traditional Start Menu – a prominent Windows feature since its commercial inception.

Luckily, those wishing to be reunited with the usual Start Orb or Menu can do so without, of course, reverting back to an older OS. A developer by the name of Lee Matthew Chantrey has provided the solution – a small, effective little application named ViStart, which was initially created to allow Windows XP users to enjoy a Windows Vista/7 style Start Menu.

Please note, if you do go ahead and install ViStart, you will be offered third-party programs (Babylon toolbar and Registry Cleaner Pro) during the install process which you probably won’t want cluttering up your installed items list. The app itself is as simple a tool as you could possibly get – just install, and your Start Button (or Orb) makes a dramatic, heroic return.

The trouble is, since the new button overlaps with the Taskbar, you have to put an extra shift in to get things looking completely smooth. To solve this problem, simply create a new blank toolbar on the Taskbar, which will in turn shift the other icons across – giving a uniformed finish.

Of course, once you implement ViStart, Windows 8 will look and feel much like the Redmond-based company’s current Windows 7. Then again, that’s not worth moping about, since 7 is arguably the cleanest-looking iterations of Windows pre version 8.The Metro-tiled Windows 8 has generally been met with positive reviews, and although some are afraid of change, the way in which Microsoft restored faith in consumers post Vista suggests we should wait patiently and see what the final product delivers. After all, strong integration with console and mobile devices will be playing a key part, thus it will be interesting to see if the "in sync" state of play works out for Microsoft as it has done for rivals Apple.

Download ViStart for Windows

You may also like to check out:

• Get Windows 8 Metro Start Menu On Windows 7 Using Newgen
• Enable Classic Start Menu In Windows 8 With Windows 8 Start Menu Toggle
• Install Windows 8 Consumer Preview Using A Bootable USB Flash Drive
• How To Install Windows 8 Consumer Preview In VirtualBox Virtual Machine On Mac & Windows 7 [Tutorial]

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