Make Windows 10 Look Like Earlier Versions of Windows with Classic Shell
Posted on
33,086 Points
5:14
Joe Winograd
50+ years in computers
EE FELLOW 2017 — first ever recipient of Fellow accolade in EE history
EE MVE 2015,2016,2018
EE CERTIFIED GOLD EXPERT
EE FELLOW 2017 — first ever recipient of Fellow accolade in EE history
EE MVE 2015,2016,2018
EE CERTIFIED GOLD EXPERT
Windows 8 came with a dramatically different user interface known as Metro. Notably missing from that interface was a Start button and Start Menu. Microsoft responded to negative user feedback of the Metro interface, bringing back the Start button and Start Menu in Windows 10. However, even though there are widespread reports that users like the Windows 10 interface better than the Windows 8 one, many users still prefer the interface of earlier versions — Windows 7, Windows XP, and even (my personal favorite) Windows 2000. This video Micro Tutorial explains how to achieve the W7, XP, or 2K interface on your Windows 10 computer with an excellent, free product called Classic Shell.
Video Steps
1. Download the installer for the software
Visit the Classic Shell website at:
http://www.classicshell.net/
Click the Download Now button.
Save the downloaded installer (ClassicShellSetup_latest_
2. Run the installer
Locate the downloaded installer in Windows/File Explorer (or whatever file manager you use) and run it.
3. Select the options
There are four main options: Classic Explorer, Classic Start Menu, Classic IE, Classic Shell Update. It defaults to installing all four, but you may select whichever ones you want.
4. Complete the setup wizard
You will now have a Start button and Start Menu.
5. Right-click on the new Start button and select Settings
There are many tabs in Settings. Click each of them and select whichever settings you want. Examples are the Start Menu Style tab, where you may select the Windows 7 or Windows XP or Windows 2000 interface, and the Windows 10 Settings tab, where you may select options specific to Windows 10.
6. Left-click the new Start button
You will now have whatever interface you selected, i.e., W7 or XP or 2K.
That's it - you're done! If you find this video to be helpful, please click the thumbs-up icon below. And if you're interested in using Classic Shell for your Windows 8/8.1 computers, take a look at this video Micro Tutorial:
Make Windows 8 Look Like Earlier Versions of Windows with Classic Shell
Thank you for watching, Joe
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18 Comments
Active today
You're welcome, Marianne. I'm glad that it worked like a charm for you. If you wouldn't mind taking a moment to click the Good Video Micro Tutorial? button above, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks, Joe
Active today
Look underneath the video window and you should see this (without the big red arrow, of course):
![Good Video Micro Tutorial button]()
Thanks!
Thanks!
Active today
Hi Manny,
When you move to W10, I suggest reading this EE article:
Windows 10 uses YOUR computer to help distribute itself
Many users I've worked with have decided to disable the peer-to-peer updating feature. Regards, Joe
When you move to W10, I suggest reading this EE article:
Windows 10 uses YOUR computer to help distribute itself
Many users I've worked with have decided to disable the peer-to-peer updating feature. Regards, Joe
Comment
Joe,
Thank you for this video and I appreciate the good transcript that you included. (upvoted!)
Thank you for this video and I appreciate the good transcript that you included. (upvoted!)
Active today
You're welcome, Mark. And thanks to you for the compliment and the upvote — both appreciated!
Regards, Joe
Regards, Joe
Comment
Hello Joe,
Great post!
I just downloaded classic shell and start menu look good. I want to capture this and deploy on n number of machines. So how can I make this menu locked and set in default profile, so if any one logs into machine gets the same start menu
Thanks in Advance
Great post!
I just downloaded classic shell and start menu look good. I want to capture this and deploy on n number of machines. So how can I make this menu locked and set in default profile, so if any one logs into machine gets the same start menu
Thanks in Advance
Active today
Hi dj,
Thanks for the compliment — I appreciate hearing it! I've never attempted to lock dock down the settings, but maybe this thread at the Classic Shell Forum will help:
Lock down Classic Start Menu Settings for All Users
I haven't tried that myself, and am very curious if it works, so please post back here if you give it a spin. Will be helpful for EE members to know if it does the trick or not. Thanks much, Joe
Thanks for the compliment — I appreciate hearing it! I've never attempted to lock dock down the settings, but maybe this thread at the Classic Shell Forum will help:
Lock down Classic Start Menu Settings for All Users
I haven't tried that myself, and am very curious if it works, so please post back here if you give it a spin. Will be helpful for EE members to know if it does the trick or not. Thanks much, Joe
Active today
I just noticed that in an earlier post in this thread, I explained how to "Upvote" this video by clicking the Good Video Micro Tutorial? button. However, EE no longer uses that method, but now has an "Endorse" button, which is the thumbs-up icon at the end of the video steps, currently looking like this here:
![endorse thumbs-up]()
If you find this video to be helpful, I'll appreciate a click on that (not the image in this post, but the "real" one at the end of the video steps). This lets me know what is valuable for EE members and provides direction for future videos and articles. Thanks, Joe
If you find this video to be helpful, I'll appreciate a click on that (not the image in this post, but the "real" one at the end of the video steps). This lets me know what is valuable for EE members and provides direction for future videos and articles. Thanks, Joe
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