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Open Shell

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  Open Shell sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> - 2025-01-11 18:42 -0600
    Re: Open Shell T <T@invalid.invalid> - 2025-01-11 17:16 -0800
      Re: Open Shell sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> - 2025-01-11 19:30 -0600
        Re: Open Shell VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-01-11 21:57 -0600
          Re: Open Shell T <T@invalid.invalid> - 2025-01-11 20:02 -0800
          Re: Open Shell sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> - 2025-01-14 08:57 -0600
        Re: Open Shell T <T@invalid.invalid> - 2025-01-11 19:58 -0800
        Re: Open Shell Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-01-12 15:37 +0000
          Re: Open Shell sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> - 2025-01-14 09:00 -0600
            Re: Open Shell Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-01-14 15:40 +0000
              Re: Open Shell sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> - 2025-01-14 10:02 -0600
        Re: Open Shell ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ <winstonmvp@gmail.com> - 2025-01-12 13:14 -0700
          Re: Open Shell sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> - 2025-01-14 09:06 -0600
    Re: Open Shell Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> - 2025-01-12 10:55 -0700
      Re: Open Shell Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-01-12 15:26 -0500
        Re: Open Shell Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> - 2025-01-13 10:02 -0700
      Re: Open Shell Newyana2 <newyana@invalid.nospam> - 2025-01-12 15:39 -0500
    Re: Open Shell? Explorer Patcher! "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2025-01-15 12:44 +0800
      Re: Open Shell? Explorer Patcher! Newyana2 <newyana@invalid.nospam> - 2025-01-15 09:09 -0500

#16212 — Open Shell

Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10 
type start menu?

-- 
I Stand With Israel!

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#16213

On 1/11/25 4:42 PM, sticks wrote:
> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10 
> type start menu?
> 


No.

OpenShell gets you back to an XP or Windows 7 style menu (you
can choose which one)

I install OpenShell on all my W10 and W11 customers
but one, who actually likes the W11 Chrome Book style
interface.  Everyone else hates the native w10 and w11
start menu.

OpenShell has a button you can access the classic menu.

HTH,
-T

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#16214

On 1/11/2025 7:16 PM, T wrote:
> On 1/11/25 4:42 PM, sticks wrote:
>> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10 
>> type start menu?
>>
> 
> 
> No.
> 
> OpenShell gets you back to an XP or Windows 7 style menu (you
> can choose which one)
> 
> I install OpenShell on all my W10 and W11 customers
> but one, who actually likes the W11 Chrome Book style
> interface.  Everyone else hates the native w10 and w11
> start menu.
> 
> OpenShell has a button you can access the classic menu.
> 
> HTH,

Kinda.  So it goes back to W7 as the classic menu?

I actually could live with Win 11 if when you hit the start menu it 
would open up all the programs alphabetically like when you hit the 
arrow in the upper right corner.  I think I will always hate having to 
do that extra step.

I guess I'll give it a try and see.

Thanks T.

-- 
I Stand With Israel!

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#16215

sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

> On 1/11/2025 7:16 PM, T wrote:
>> On 1/11/25 4:42 PM, sticks wrote:
>>> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10 
>>> type start menu?
>>>
>> 
>> No.
>> 
>> OpenShell gets you back to an XP or Windows 7 style menu (you
>> can choose which one)
>> 
>> I install OpenShell on all my W10 and W11 customers
>> but one, who actually likes the W11 Chrome Book style
>> interface.  Everyone else hates the native w10 and w11
>> start menu.
>> 
>> OpenShell has a button you can access the classic menu.
>> 
>> HTH,
> 
> Kinda.  So it goes back to W7 as the classic menu?
> 
> I actually could live with Win 11 if when you hit the start menu it 
> would open up all the programs alphabetically like when you hit the 
> arrow in the upper right corner.  I think I will always hate having to 
> do that extra step.
> 
> I guess I'll give it a try and see.
> 
> Thanks T.

To get an idea how each alternative behaves, you can view some Youtube
videos comparing them, like:

https://youtu.be/8V_2g6LxNbs?t=171

If you go with OpenShell, and after spending a long time going through
and testing all the settings to get what you like best, and as mentioned
in the video, you might also want to incorporate Explorer Patcher.

Just remember that after getting engrained in your customized old-style
Start menu that you will be lost when you have to use a different box
running the same OS, but without the shell alternative.

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#16217

On 1/11/25 7:57 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
> Just remember that after getting engrained in your customized old-style
> Start menu that you will be lost when you have to use a different box
> running the same OS, but without the shell alternative.

He has a point.  I rankle when I have to deal with W11's
start menu.  I have to learn about five different Windows
menus to assist everyone with different versions of Windows
OS'es.

I typically will use <win><R> and type in what I want.
At some point I will talk the customer into letting me
installing OpenShell.

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#16288

On 1/11/2025 9:57 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
---snip---
> If you go with OpenShell, and after spending a long time going through
> and testing all the settings to get what you like best, and as mentioned
> in the video, you might also want to incorporate Explorer Patcher.
> 
> Just remember that after getting engrained in your customized old-style
> Start menu that you will be lost when you have to use a different box
> running the same OS, but without the shell alternative.

I did install Open Shell and waded thru the setup on it.  Now I get what 
you mean in the above paragraph as I can no longer remember what it 
looked like before

-- 
I Stand With Israel!

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#16216

On 1/11/25 5:30 PM, sticks wrote:
> On 1/11/2025 7:16 PM, T wrote:
>> On 1/11/25 4:42 PM, sticks wrote:
>>> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10 
>>> type start menu?
>>>
>>
>>
>> No.
>>
>> OpenShell gets you back to an XP or Windows 7 style menu (you
>> can choose which one)
>>
>> I install OpenShell on all my W10 and W11 customers
>> but one, who actually likes the W11 Chrome Book style
>> interface.  Everyone else hates the native w10 and w11
>> start menu.
>>
>> OpenShell has a button you can access the classic menu.
>>
>> HTH,
> 
> Kinda.  So it goes back to W7 as the classic menu?
> 
> I actually could live with Win 11 if when you hit the start menu it 
> would open up all the programs alphabetically like when you hit the 
> arrow in the upper right corner.  I think I will always hate having to 
> do that extra step.
> 
> I guess I'll give it a try and see.
> 
> Thanks T.
> 

You are most welcome

Here is a picture of your OpenShell menu options:

https://i.redd.it/hiu33s8vybp71.jpg

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#16226

sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

[About Open-Shell Menu:]

> Kinda.  So it goes back to W7 as the classic menu?

  It actually has three styles, Classic style,  Classic with two columns
and Windows 7 style.

  I use(d) Classic with two columns on Windows 8.1, 10 and 11, because I
consider it the most logical and pleasant to the eye. (I never used
Windows 7, went from Vista to 8.1.)

> I actually could live with Win 11 if when you hit the start menu it 
> would open up all the programs alphabetically like when you hit the 
> arrow in the upper right corner.  I think I will always hate having to 
> do that extra step.
> 
> I guess I'll give it a try and see.

  On Windows 11, you can have *both*, the Windows 11 'Start' menu *and*
Open-Shell Menu. My Open-Shell Menu icon is on the far left of the
Taskbar and the Windows 11 Start icon is 'floating' around the middle of
the Taskbar. IMO best of both worlds.

  "Open-Shell Menu, don't leave home without it!"

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#16289

On 1/12/2025 9:37 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
> 
> [About Open-Shell Menu:]
> 
>> Kinda.  So it goes back to W7 as the classic menu?
> 
>    It actually has three styles, Classic style,  Classic with two columns
> and Windows 7 style.
> 
>    I use(d) Classic with two columns on Windows 8.1, 10 and 11, because I
> consider it the most logical and pleasant to the eye. (I never used
> Windows 7, went from Vista to 8.1.)
> 
>> I actually could live with Win 11 if when you hit the start menu it
>> would open up all the programs alphabetically like when you hit the
>> arrow in the upper right corner.  I think I will always hate having to
>> do that extra step.
>>
>> I guess I'll give it a try and see.
> 
>    On Windows 11, you can have *both*, the Windows 11 'Start' menu *and*
> Open-Shell Menu. My Open-Shell Menu icon is on the far left of the
> Taskbar and the Windows 11 Start icon is 'floating' around the middle of
> the Taskbar. IMO best of both worlds.
> 
>    "Open-Shell Menu, don't leave home without it!"

I guess I have to go back to that box and look at it again then.  I 
don't remember this.  What I looked for last night was a way to turn it 
on and off, but I didn't find anything like that.  I wanted to disable 
it to look into something else.  It looks like I have to uninstall it to 
do other things, although if I can find what you're talking about above 
that might help.


-- 
I Stand With Israel!

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#16292

sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
> On 1/12/2025 9:37 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> > sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
> > 
> > [About Open-Shell Menu:]
> > 
> >> Kinda.  So it goes back to W7 as the classic menu?
> > 
> >    It actually has three styles, Classic style,  Classic with two columns
> > and Windows 7 style.
> > 
> >    I use(d) Classic with two columns on Windows 8.1, 10 and 11, because I
> > consider it the most logical and pleasant to the eye. (I never used
> > Windows 7, went from Vista to 8.1.)
> > 
> >> I actually could live with Win 11 if when you hit the start menu it
> >> would open up all the programs alphabetically like when you hit the
> >> arrow in the upper right corner.  I think I will always hate having to
> >> do that extra step.
> >>
> >> I guess I'll give it a try and see.
> > 
> >    On Windows 11, you can have *both*, the Windows 11 'Start' menu *and*
> > Open-Shell Menu. My Open-Shell Menu icon is on the far left of the
> > Taskbar and the Windows 11 Start icon is 'floating' around the middle of
> > the Taskbar. IMO best of both worlds.
> > 
> >    "Open-Shell Menu, don't leave home without it!"
> 
> I guess I have to go back to that box and look at it again then.  I 
> don't remember this.  What I looked for last night was a way to turn it 
> on and off, but I didn't find anything like that.  I wanted to disable 
> it to look into something else.  It looks like I have to uninstall it to 
> do other things, although if I can find what you're talking about above 
> that might help.

  You don't have to uninstall Open-Shell Menu to - temporarily - turn it
off.

  You can exit Open-Shell Menu by right-clicking its icon on the Taskbar
and then selecting 'Exit'. It's then gone till you restart/reboot
Windows, because it's configured in the 'Startup apps' part of Task
Manager.

  If you don't want to restart/reboot Windows, you can just execute
"C:\Program Files\Open-Shell\StartMenu.exe", probably easiest from a
Command Prompt window or File Explorer, but you can even do it from the
new-fangled Windows 11 'Start' menu.

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#16293

On 1/14/2025 9:40 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

>>
>> I guess I have to go back to that box and look at it again then.  I
>> don't remember this.  What I looked for last night was a way to turn it
>> on and off, but I didn't find anything like that.  I wanted to disable
>> it to look into something else.  It looks like I have to uninstall it to
>> do other things, although if I can find what you're talking about above
>> that might help.
> 
>    You don't have to uninstall Open-Shell Menu to - temporarily - turn it
> off.
> 
>    You can exit Open-Shell Menu by right-clicking its icon on the Taskbar
> and then selecting 'Exit'. It's then gone till you restart/reboot
> Windows, because it's configured in the 'Startup apps' part of Task
> Manager.
> 
>    If you don't want to restart/reboot Windows, you can just execute
> "C:\Program Files\Open-Shell\StartMenu.exe", probably easiest from a
> Command Prompt window or File Explorer, but you can even do it from the
> new-fangled Windows 11 'Start' menu.

Ah, thanks.  That will help with trying the option winston suggested.  I 
just spent a little time on looking at open shell again and I actually 
do like it.  I know ken suggested start 11 but I have no desire for 
another paid app for something like this.  I think I'll at least turn it 
off and look at it again to see more of what MS thinks 11 should look like.


-- 
I Stand With Israel!

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#16229

On 1/11/25 6:30 PM, sticks wrote:
> I actually could live with Win 11 if when you hit the start menu it 
> would open up all the programs alphabetically like when you hit the 
> arrow in the upper right corner.  I think I will always hate having to 
> do that extra step.

Hi, sticks.
If you can live with Win11 and desire an option(3rd party tool) that 
developers use to tweak the Start Menu so it defaults to 'All app's in 
alpha format instead of the 'tiled' Start Menu...
  ..consider Windhawk. A small 10 MB installed program with 
'mods'(tweaks) that runs in memory.
  It has an available mod 'Show all apps by default in start menu' that 
can be added to existing Windhawk mods.  Once the mod is installed, the 
feature can be enabled or disabled in the Windwhawk GUI.

Download
  https://windhawk.net/

Youtube video on 'Show all apps be default in start menu
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbw5E93GGgo

Review article
  https://www.xda-developers.com/reasons-windhawk-ultimate-tool-tweak-windows-desktop/

-- 
...w¡ñ§±¤ñ

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#16290

On 1/12/2025 2:14 PM, ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ wrote:
> On 1/11/25 6:30 PM, sticks wrote:
>> I actually could live with Win 11 if when you hit the start menu it 
>> would open up all the programs alphabetically like when you hit the 
>> arrow in the upper right corner.  I think I will always hate having to 
>> do that extra step.
> 
> Hi, sticks.
> If you can live with Win11 and desire an option(3rd party tool) that 
> developers use to tweak the Start Menu so it defaults to 'All app's in 
> alpha format instead of the 'tiled' Start Menu...
>   ..consider Windhawk. A small 10 MB installed program with 
> 'mods'(tweaks) that runs in memory.
>   It has an available mod 'Show all apps by default in start menu' that 
> can be added to existing Windhawk mods.  Once the mod is installed, the 
> feature can be enabled or disabled in the Windwhawk GUI.
> 
> Download
>   https://windhawk.net/
> 
> Youtube video on 'Show all apps be default in start menu
>   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbw5E93GGgo
> 
> Review article
>   https://www.xda-developers.com/reasons-windhawk-ultimate-tool-tweak- 
> windows-desktop/
> 

Thanks, winston.  I intend on looking into this and have saved it for 
now.  I got fully used to win 10 start menu and I don't really want to 
add any more to the OS than I have to.  I might even decide I can live 
with it as it comes.  Just don't know as I don't think I've spent enough 
time on it yet, and probably shouldn't be making big changes so fast.

as an aside, I do like the changed location and look of the up and down 
volume visuals.  I do that frequently and the win 10 method was always 
in the way.

-- 
I Stand With Israel!

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#16228

On Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:42:48 -0600, sticks <wolverine01@charter.net>
wrote:

>Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10 
>type start menu?



Not me. I use Start 11, and I think it's a better choice.

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#16230

On Sun, 1/12/2025 12:55 PM, Ken Blake wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:42:48 -0600, sticks <wolverine01@charter.net>
> wrote:
> 
>> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10 
>> type start menu?
> 
> 
> 
> Not me. I use Start 11, and I think it's a better choice.
> 

In Win7 mode or one of the others ?

https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/images/top/screen/H4.png

   (  https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/  )

   Paul

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#16259

On Sun, 12 Jan 2025 15:26:58 -0500, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
wrote:

>On Sun, 1/12/2025 12:55 PM, Ken Blake wrote:
>> On Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:42:48 -0600, sticks <wolverine01@charter.net>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10 
>>> type start menu?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Not me. I use Start 11, and I think it's a better choice.
>> 
>
>In Win7 mode or one of the others ?
>
>https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/images/top/screen/H4.png
>
>   (  https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/  )



I use and like Win7 style, but there are lots of other choices. Anyone
who uses it is free to choose what he prefers.

It's gone up in price, but it's still inexpensive: $9.99 with a 30-day
free trial. My standard recommendation is to try both Start 11 and
Open Shell, and decide for yourself which you prefer.

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#16231

On 1/12/2025 12:55 PM, Ken Blake wrote:

>> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10
>> type start menu?
>  
> Not me. I use Start 11, and I think it's a better choice.
> 

    Interesting. I looked at their samples. They all look like variations
on what I'm trying to get rid of, which is having to wade through
a window full of confusing "suggestions" and ads in order to get to
what I actually want, which is control panel or a specific program.
C/O Shell gives me what I had in Win98:

   Shutdown|Run|Settings|Programs

    Nothing else. Most of what I want is on Quicklaunch, anyway.
Start Menu is for programs I don't use so often. So I can do
something like Start -> Programs -> Office -> Libre Office Writer
or Start -> Programs -> Utilities -> CPUID. I delete all the crap
shortcuts and organize programs by type.

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#16298 — Re: Open Shell? Explorer Patcher!

On 12/1/2025 8:42 am, sticks wrote:
> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10
> type start menu?
> 

There is also Explorer Patcher!

GitHub - valinet/ExplorerPatcher: This project aims to enhance the 
working environment on Windows
<https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher>

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#16306 — Re: Open Shell? Explorer Patcher!

On 1/14/2025 11:44 PM, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:
> On 12/1/2025 8:42 am, sticks wrote:
>> Is Open Shell the program most are using to get back to a windows 10
>> type start menu?
>>
> 
> There is also Explorer Patcher!
> 
> GitHub - valinet/ExplorerPatcher: This project aims to enhance the 
> working environment on Windows
> <https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher>

    I detailed that above. It's good for customizing the taskbar. It
doesn't seem to do much else. I tried using it to remove the
useless "control center" gear icon in Win11. It didn't work.
Open Shell is an entirely different tool.

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