Home › Windows › Windows8beta

Windows8beta

Posted on September 21, 2011 by WugFresh — 8 Comments ↓

Want to try out the new Windows8beta builds?

Grab them here: Official Windows8beta builds

Protip for Windows8beta - rather than try and disable MetroUI startup menu with one of those registry toggle apps… why not just have the functionality of both at the same time? Here is my wugstyle workaround for the best of both worlds:

1. Download 7stacks - http://alastria.com/software/7stacks/
2. Enable show hidden files (Win+E > open any folder or drive > View tab > check “Hidden items” in the upper right of the new style explorer ribbon)
3. Launch 7stack and configure it to point to the folder:

C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms

4. Stack Type > Menu (or Vertical.. your choice)
5. Chose an icon file located on your computer
6. Check “Browse subfolders”
7. Click “Create Shortcut on Desktop”

8. Drag that new shortcut to your taskbar to pin it.
9. Click it to use it.
9. Tada!


Enjoy access to a classic start menu alongside your metro style start menu; you can then easily make additional shortcuts to link to things like your games, documents, pictures, and download folder.. ect, or just use 7stack to make more customized menus. To get search functionality back, I recommend downloading the app “Everything Search” – its practically instantaneous (certainly faster than the classic windows 7 search feature) and its lightweight (and free!), grab it here http://www.voidtools.com/download.php

Want to Remap your Win Key to your new startmenu?

Here you go: RemapWin8Key.zip 

1. Download it
2. Unzip it
3. Move the RemapWin8Key.exe to your Startup folder so that it starts on boot or just run it manually

- I built it with AutoHotKey; its a fully standalone exe for remaping your Windows key to your new 7stacks program menu.  I included the .ahk file in the zip in case any of you wanted to look at it or compile it yourself.  Enjoy.

Another quick tip… since Windows8 is built on top of windows 7, alot of windows 7 registry tweaks still work, try them out… :)

Here’s a great site with lots of cool Windows8 tips and tricks: http://tweaks.com/windows-8/#windows-8-software-tweaks

You can also use this program to get the Windows 7 startmenu back: http://lee-soft.com/vistart/ just make sure to pay attention when installing it;  it come pre-bundeled with some crapware.

That’s all for now.. more to come!

  • http://twitter.com/macpro88 Jacob Lechlak (@macpro88)

    O.o Nice Wug, I’ve been looking for something like this! Can’t stand the new start menu…. or those damn tiles lol

  • Rob

    new toolbar in taskbar with the same location, same result :)

  • Jeroen

    Geweldige tip Rob! :-)

  • Jeroen

    (In English is better :-) ) Great hint Rob!

  • lordloki

    the real question is this — can i redirect my windows key to open the start menu instead of flipping to metro?

    • http://wugfresh.wordpress.com wugfresh

      Great idea. I just wrote a little AutoHotKey Script and compiled it as a standalone exe to do just that. You can put it in your Startup folder so that it runs automatically on every boot or just run it manually. I also included the original .ahk (AutoHotKey file) I wrote in case you wanted to check it out first or compile it yourself. AutoHotKey is a very useful scripting language, it’s super easy and does a lot; http://www.autohotkey.com/

      Here you go:
      RemapWin8Key.zip

      Enjoy.

  • Pingback: Want to Remap your Win Key on Windows8 to your new startmenu? « WugFresh

  • peeved

    When I click “Create Shortcut on Desktop” it doesn’t do anything. Typical Windows, nothing ever works.

    • WugFresh

      That’s strange. Have you tried the latest consumer builds?