By now you may have heard that Microsoft’s next release of Windows operating system will be called Windows 10. If not, you can read their announcement from Windows blog. It’s being designed as a single operating system for various platforms (i.e. Desktops/Laptops, Tablets, Windows Smartphone, Xbox). A technical preview edition has also been released already. It’ll be interesting to see the final product.
If you want to try out Windows 10, you can join their insider program and download the technical preview edition of Windows 10 and give it a shot. The biggest/fastest change noticeable right off the start is… well… the Start screen. The “Start Menu” is finally back!! Here’s what it looks like after a fresh setup of Windows 10.
This “Start Menu” was removed from Windows 8 (and 8.1). Instead of the “Start Menu”, you have a Start Screen with a Tiles spread across the screen. In Windows 10 you don’t have the Start Screen when you sign-in. What if you really liked it that way (although I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t miss our beloved “Start Menu”) or maybe you’ve gotten used to the “Start Screen”.
Well, it seems Windows 10 is giving you the option to setup Windows 10 similarly as Windows 8 or 8.1. This means, you can get rid of the “Start Menu” in Windows 10, if you really want to. Just follow these steps:
Step 1: Right click on an empty area on the taskbar and click on “Properties”
Step 2: Taskbar and Start Menu Properties windows will appear. Browse to the “Start Menu” tab and uncheck the option “Use the Start Menu instead of Start Screen”
Step 3: Click on Apply/OK. You’ll be prompted to sign out in order to save the setting change. Click on “Sign out and change settings”
Step 4: Sign back into Windows 10 and you’ll be back into your Desktop screen. Click on the Windows logo and you’ll be redirected to the “Start Screen” instead of getting a “Start Menu”
Did you want to be in the “Start Screen” as soon as you sign in instead of going to the Desktop screen? That can be done too! Bring up the “Taskbar and Start Menu Properties” window following step #1 above. Now, browse to “Navigation” tab and uncheck the option “When I sign in or close all apps on a screen, go to the desktop instead of Start”. Next time you sign into Windows 10, you’ll be at the “Start Screen” by default.
There you go! You’re using Windows 10 and yet, you can continue to use “Start Screen” if that’s what you’re used to. Note that this is a per-user setting. This means if another user sign-in, Start Screen will not be default for them unless they’ve changed the setting as well.