Bring the Classic Start Menu to Windows 8

For those not yet ready to trade the functionality of the classic Start Menu for the launchpad in Windows 8, there is a compromise solution that can bring back the orb. Classic Shell is designed to add a customizable start button and the recently released version 3.5.0 also works with Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Classic Shell is actually a clone of the original Start Menu that was available in all Windows versions up to Vista. Some of the functions, however, are incompatible with Windows 8 or are simply redundant, such as the copy dialog replacement.

Thus, running it on the Consumer Preview won’t provide the full functionality, but this does not make it less appealing. As you can see from the image gallery below, the menu is populated by familiar choices. You can download Classic Shell from this link.