Want a Windows XP style start menu and Explorer in Windows 7? Try Classic Shell

At last! A classic Start Menu.

To all people whining about Windows' 7 Start Menu, this is definitely for you.

I hope this will make Classic lovers very happy.

this is completely useless. you dont need any extra resources being wasted on this dumb software.

heres how to do everything this has with no additional software:

right click on the task bar > properties, start menu. click classic view.

file edit view etc are just extra clutter and shoudl definitely be hidden by default

to view them when you are in an explorer window (this works in IE also)
just hit the ALT key.

@ annying poster .. Classic view in taskabar/startmenu properties ? I don't see that on my WIN 7.

I like the menu layout better with this classic util ... the "expand in place" program folder was driving me crazy.... drag and drop was almost impossible.

@Annoying Poster: Classic Start Menu has been removed from Windows 7. As far as I know in the beta and RC version. I don't know in the final release version.

Its not completely useless because most critics on Windows 7 went "wild" just because Microsoft removed the Classic option for the Start Menu.

Gross.

I'm glad that the Start Menu was one of the places where Microsoft decided that it knew better than the average consumer and removed the classic option. Sometimes improvements need to be forced.

Aaargh!

Luddites are the bane of my life at work. I understand that it's hard to get 3000 people used to something different but when it improves the way things work ("I want to open word" - press start, type "word" or several other much nicer ways of doing things)

But then other people in IT wind me up when they Have To Click Every Menu To Do Anything (instead of using keyboard shortcuts which have been around for YEARS??)

People are stubborn to change.

I'm the kind of person that likes new things and I will adjust to it. I will tinker around with new stuff until I'm used to it.

Microsoft Office 2007's ribbon? No problem. It took me a few months to get used to, but I'm liking it better than 2003 and older.

Windows 7 fancy taskbar and no Quick Launch? LOVE IT! I have a row of icons of my most used programs. I especially like the way similar programs are grouped in one icon without cluttering the taskbar.

Whether we like it or not, we have to get used to changes in the way we do things on our computer. This GUI interface may not be what it'll look like in Windows 12 or whatever. So, whether we learn now and adjust, or don't adjust at all.

It's analogous to the way the world works and why we'll never move forward. Everyone is resistant change. We're still stuck with the attitude-- "If it ain't broke, why fix it."

Like I call my friends that refused to go to 7 or Office 2007/2010, or Adobe CS4 (when they changed the interface) is just plain stubbornness.

Go ahead and download these programs if you're still stuck in the past.

"Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Enough said.

You are a moron if you think the XP style menu is superior to 7's.

It isn't just luddites, whiners, and the stubborn who might like a classic XP-style start menu. My wife is blind and uses a screen reader, and Windows 7 is difficult and confusing compared to XP. Nothing is where she's used to finding it. We'll be using Classic Shell to make her computing simpler and more comfortable again.

I see having to use the start menu as a failure to setup my taskbar and other dock software properly. Love that new taskbar in 7. Love my Objectdock and sidebar. Together they help me stay out of the start menu but when I do have to go in there, I'm annoyed I haven't tidied it up and this program wont help me there.

If it were all tidied and organised by software types like GAMES, SECURITY, PRODUCTIVITY, OFFICE, FISH, YOUTUBECATVIDS etc. then I think the Windows 7 start menu is just fine and peachy. Be gone ye XP lovers and all software that sail in her.

I'm in my first few days of using Win 7. My initial response is that a classic style menu is needed to supplement the new start menu search. The issue is organization. Under most circumstances, using the quick start or the search is perfect, but sometimes I like to browse my programs. Having an organized system of folders like someone mentioned above (games, music, video, etc.) is what I want. Being able to easily organize programs via drag and drop is what I need. I don't know if I'll use this particular app, but I don't think it's totally a matter of being stubborn to want some of XPs functionality.

Thanks for this great software! Now the start menu is like that of Windows XP, I can use Windows 7 a bit easier now. Bye-bye the new complex start menu of Windows 7!

You call this XP style?
XP style start menu has 2 columns like the current vista and 7 start menu. However, the All Programs menu expands out horizontally, and thats what I believe most users migrating from XP are looking for. But it's still not available, hopefully someone will come up with a solution.

Thank you! World must change, but suppose modern technology can do much more usable things, instead of removing old approved features, shame microsoft and bye bye your lunatic new start menu.
How to disable auto arrange in folders?????????????????????

Thank you again for classic shell, will be preinstalled in all iso as default.

The classic Start menu is just awesome but Explorer navigation buttons are not that good looking as of Windows XP. :(