How to bring back the Start menu and button to Windows 8

Posted by : Ldonjibon Wednesday, July 10

After gotten a new PC you booted up Windows 8 for the first time, navigated your way to the Desktop, and now you’re wondering: “Where on earth did Microsoft put the Start button and menu?” For some reason, Microsoft decided that Windows 8 was better without a Start button and menu, instead forcing mouse-and-keyboard users to try and interact with the awful Windows 8 Start screen.

The good news is, despite Microsoft’s best efforts to ensure that the Start button and menu remain banished from its new OS, a bunch of Windows 8 Start menu replacements have already emerged. Really, it just goes to show how devoted the Desktop Windows userbase is: Microsoft completely stripped out the underlying Start menu code to quash potential Luddite revolutionaries, and yet months after the release of Windows 8 there are dozens of Start menu and Start button replacements — some of which are far superior to Microsoft’s own Windows 7 Start menu.

Pokki is one of them

Pokki (free) is very much its own beast — and as much as I love the Windows 7 Start menu, I have to admit that Pokki is probably even better. It utilizes a neat “pinning” system that isn’t unlike the home screen of your smartphone or tablet (though I would argue that the Windows taskbar/superbar still does a better job). You can also add widgets to Pokki, such as Gmail or Facebook, which display your latest email or status updates.

By default, Pokki will configure your Windows 8 system to boot straight to the Desktop — and there is an option that will just completely disable the hot corners, if you so desire. (Remember, Win+C pops open the Charms menu, if you need.) If you’re looking for a Windows 8 Start menu/button replacement that isn’t reminiscent of Windows Vista/7, Pokki is for you.