The Windows tiles 10, introduced in a slightly more basic version on Windows 8, have got mixed opinions among users. Many still today regret the classic style of the Windows 7 Start Menu , denser in elements and perhaps faster to use with a mouse and keyboard. Microsoft does not give the possibility to choose between modern and classic approach, but by installing an application it is possible to return to the traditional aspect of Windows, even on Windows 10.

Source: BleepingComputer

The Windows 7 Start Menu on Windows 10: how to

All you need to have the Windows 7 Start Menu on Windows 10 is Open Shell , a “tweak” that allows you to remove the modern Start Menu and completely change its aesthetics. The software, distributed as open-source, is nothing more than a reinterpretation of Classic Shell, an application that allowed to replace the full-screen Start Menu of Windows 8 with a more compact version. The Windows Start Menu 10 is not full screen and is definitely more usable, however live tiles and “modern” aesthetics remain.

Open Shell also eliminates those, while maintaining a more modern graphic approach than to that of Windows 7. The result is a minimalist but concrete Start Menu, with denser elements than the large keys that characterize the Windows menu 10. Open Shell works on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, and allows you to implement changes also on Internet Explorer and Explore resources. The installation of the Windows Start Menu 10 on Windows 7 is very simple, requiring just a few steps.

The software installation program is available on Github, at this address. During the installation we can then choose the tweaks to implement: if you only want the Traditional Start Menu you can deselect the items related to Classic Explorer and Classic IE, concluding the installation by moving forward in the process and accepting permission requests. The program allows you to configure three versions of the Start Menu: Classic Shell , the most compact; Classic Shell with two columns , with also various shortcuts for settings and main folders; and finally Windows 7 Style , which recreates the position of the various elements as it happened with Windows 7.

There are also more advanced settings that allow the user to customize various features of the menu, such as the ability to access the original version of the Windows Start Menu 10 with the press of a button, and more.