Windows 8 Start Menu Switcher

Windows 8 Start Menu Switcher is a lightweight and portable application that enables users to bring back the Windows 7 Start menu to Windows 8 Developer Preview with the click of a button.

It can be handled by all types of users, even novices, thanks to the overall simplicity and the fact that there is no configuration set available.

As installation is not a requirement, you can drop the executable file somewhere on the hard disk and click it to run.

It is also possible to save Windows 8 Start Menu Switcher to a USB flash disk or similar storage unit, in order to run it on any computer that has Windows 8 Developer Preview installed.

What's important to keep in mind is that the Windows registry does not get updated with new entries, and leftovers are not kept on the HDD after removing the utility.

The interface is based on a regular window with a plain and simple structure that contains two large buttons dedicated to applying the Windows 7 Start menu, and reverting settings to their factory values. Changes are immediately applied to the system, as a reboot is not required.

The application offers support for two UI languages, has a good response time, and runs on a barely noticeable amount of CPU and RAM. It works smoothly, without causing the OS to hang, crash or pop up error dialogs. We have not come across any issues throughout our evaluation. Thanks to its intuitive layout and general ease of use, even novices can seamlessly figure out Windows 8 Start Menu Switcher.