Some questions on alternate Start Menu programs for W11

Compumind · Mar 11, 2022

HI all -

On Windows 10, I am using Open-Shell with the XP fly-out menu and it serves me very well.
Curiously, does it work on W11?

One other item - does Stardock Start 11 have a fly-out menu option?

Thanks!

:)

glasskuter · Mar 12, 2022

Everything you need to know about Start 11 (It's really good by the way) with pictures Stardock Start11: Restore the Classic Start Menu in Windows 10 and 11.

The developer of Open Shell for 11 is still working on some of the bugs but it seems people are using it anyway. OpenShell working on replacement for Windows 11's Start menu

Ztruker · Mar 12, 2022

I've installed Open Shell on a Dell Optiplex 9010 and a Oracle Virtualbox VM. Works great on both, no need to wait.

How to Get Classic Shell on Windows 11 Via Open Shell

martyfelker · Mar 12, 2022

glasskuter said:
havhEverything you need to know about Start 11 (It's really good by the way) with pictures Stardock Start11: Restore the Classic Start Menu in Windows 10 and 11.

The developer of Open Shell for 11 is still working on some of the bugs but it seems people are using it anyway. OpenShell working on replacement for Windows 11's Start menu

I have used Start 11

glasskuter said:
Everything you need to know about Start 11 (It's really good by the way) with pictures Stardock Start11: Restore the Classic Start Menu in Windows 10 and 11.

The developer of Open Shell for 11 is still working on some of the bugs but it seems people are using it anyway. OpenShell working on replacement for Windows 11's Start menu

I have used Start 11 as soon as it became available and am very pleased with it. What bugs are you taking about

glasskuter · Mar 12, 2022

Read my post again. I said Start 11 is very good and Open Shell for 11 is still in development.

Ztruker · Mar 13, 2022

I've used Start10 since it's initial release and am still using it. Definitely my Start Menu of choice for Windows 10.

I will try Start11 at some point but right now, Open Shell works very well on Windows 11, whether it's in development or not.
It's worth trying Start11 too since it has a 30 day free trial.

Ztruker · Mar 13, 2022

Just installed the 30 day Start11 trial. Looks a lot like Start10 :)

The-Hive · Mar 13, 2022

I use OpenShell, in fact it's the older version ClassicShell, I have done for years and it works a treat

Every time you upgrade it reconfigures it'self for the new OS. and of course you can back up most of your settings

hdmi · Mar 14, 2022

Compumind said:
HI all -

On Windows 10, I am using Open-Shell with the XP fly-out menu and it serves me very well.
Curiously, does it work on W11?

I have been using it on Windows 11 without having had any problems with it. The Windows 7 style Start Menu has my preference. It also works perfectly together with ExplorerPatcher, Battery Mode, TranslucentTB (UWP app downloaded from the Microsoft Store) and 7+ Taskbar Tweaker. I actually use all of these combined, in addition to a few extra tweaks from both Winearo Tweaker and Ultimate Windows Tweaker. Still not had any troubles with it, always running on the latest official build of Windows 11 like this since mid October last year after I had upgraded from Windows 10 version 21H1 (by using the official Installation Assistant from Microsoft).

Compumind said:
One other item - does Stardock Start 11 have a fly-out menu option?

Thanks!

:)

I never bothered looking at Start11. I was an early adopter of Classic Shell, the predecessor of Open-Shell, back in late 2009 on Windows 7 x64 Ultimate so, basically, this translates to a whopping 12 years and a half of still not feeling the need to look back in spite of the fact that I have a pretty strong tendency to be a bit of a perfectionist sometimes.

jacatdilly · Mar 14, 2022

Yes, Classic/Open-Shell is a bit like the Energizer Bunny.

Even though it lacks any new code to take advantage of Windows 11 super blurry noisy menu looks,
it keeps on working for the most part.

hdmi · Mar 14, 2022

jacatdilly said:
Yes, Classic/Open-Shell is a bit like the Energizer Bunny.

Even though it lacks any new code to take advantage of Windows 11 super blurry noisy menu looks,
it keeps on working for the most part.

It has rounded corners tho...

jacatdilly · Mar 14, 2022

Very nice menu skin. Rounded corners have come full circle.
I don't recall seeing that skin on the old Classic Shell site.
You must have skinned it yourself?

That's the good thing about CSM/OSM,
one can modify any of Ivo's (original developer) skins
to their heart's content.

Edit: I figured it out. It's the "Metallic" skin with your image inside
and modified inside parts with square corners.

hdmi · Mar 14, 2022

jacatdilly said:
Very nice menu skin. Rounded corners have come full circle.
I don't recall seeing that skin on the old Classic Shell site.
You must have skinned it yourself?

That's the good thing about CSM/OSM,
one can modify any of Ivo's (original developer) skins
to their heart's content.

It's not an actual skin, just a few color selections, a custom Start button and a background pic which is (a darkened variant of) the wallpaper that I created myself based on a different, much more plain looking version of it that I had found someplace on the internet several years ago.

EDIT: here's my link to the 'full quality' .png version of my wallpaper, that I uploaded on imgur: