Windows 8 - the new Start menu


when you install your new version of windows 8 .
you will see a start menu , that looks like this .



once you customize your start menu .
and rearrange the tiles to suit your taste .
it will look something like this .



these are all the microsoft tiles , that i unpin from the start menu .



you can drag and drop and arrange these tiles .



if you choose to arrange your tiles in a grid .
2 wide and 6 deep , seems to be the limit .



keep dragging a tile to the right .
and a temporary gray line will appear .
it shows where the next grid starts .





as you add another grid on the right .
the screen goes to the left .
as the slider control appears at the bottom .





right/click the screen and the [ all apps ] button appears at the bottom .
click it , and all the microsoft and user apps will appear .
as you can see , this is very bare-bones .
it was a clean install of windows 8 pro .





right click on a tile .
the options menu appears at the bottom .
unpin from start .





this tile is considered , live .
as it displays media or information .
this live display can be turned off .



all those extra tiles are gone .
not deleted or un-installed .
only , unpin , from start menu .



here i added , file explorer , to the start menu .
it is also on the desktop task bar .
you have the option to do both .





here is , file explorer , open on desktop .



here i right/click a large tile to make it smaller .





and here i right/click again to make it larger , again .





these are the basics , on how this new start menu works .
if you are using a keyboard and a mouse , as i do .

when you boot into windows 8 , it goes to the start menu .
on the start menu , you will click your , desktop tile .

once on your desktop .
click the , windows key , on your keyboard .

the windows key , will jump you back-and-forth ,
between your desktop and the start menu .

so , it is different .
and it takes a little getting use to .
but it work , pretty good .

No offense but Windows 8 looks like Windows for children. I think I'll stick with Windows 7. Thanks for sharing this information.

Windows 8 does not have anything great for you , except for the start menu and store. People say that its all for programmers.

no offense taken .
i do understand your point .
both of my desktop PC's , still have windows 7 ultimate ,
as my main operating system .
i am testing windows 8 pro , on esata drives .

believe me , i can see both sides of this .
i started preview testing in Feb. .
tested both , and tested both of the RTM versions .
so from Feb. through June , i hated it .
and deleted every thing .
when the PRO version was leaked .
i tried one more time .
i guess it just took time for me to understand it ?
now , i like it .
but i am still learning it .

oh , i am not saying that windows 8 is great .
for the most part , it is windows 7 , with a twist .
but 2 things i have noticed .
[1] it has more built-in security than windows 7 .
[2] i did one test on an old DELL [ Pentium 4 ] .
windows 8 , ran better , and required less system resources .
than windows 7 on the same system .

what i have read .
there will not be an ultimate version of windows 8 .
i have even read , that [ windows media center ] must be
bought at the on-line store .
but i never liked [ media center ] any way .
i usually , just turned it off .
i am glad to see it gone .

Okay ... coming from my NON-Programmer, totally User Noob (if I can be called a noob after starting out with Windows 3.1 years ago, going right past Vista () without stopping to get snarled in it, and on into XP for ages (loved it) .. and now at Windows 7) point of view...
..
Frankly, that Start menu User Interface looks like a totally confusing MESS to me - it takes up way too much visual space on the desktop - doesnn't allow for pretty pictures (which I LIKE on MY desktop) .. and it would require me to have either a notepad, or a freakin' User Manual () just to get from Point A to Point B ... How in THE HELL would I ever figure out where my Google Chrome or my Internet Game Programs are in that mess?
..
Excuse me? Is this supposed to be Progress? Uh uh.. no .. methinks I be sticking with my Windows 7, which has a nice little Start menu in the lower left corner and all my glorious world scenery on the desktop.
..
SHEESH! Microsoft and their - "all new for you, even bigger, more complex, and now totally incomprehensible to ordinary users Windows 8! (Rush right out and buy it folks, only cost you $400.. or so.)

yes , for months i made very similar complaints
about windows 8 , as you have .

and no , i will not give up on my windows 7 ultimate .

i got windows 7 , from Demonoid .
and i got windows 8 , right here at KAT .

i buy hardware , ... not software .

Microsoft came out with the [ pirate killer update ]
for windows 7 .
i lived through that .

and there will probably be a similar attempt with windows 8 ?

what helped to change my mind about windows 8 .
was , when i read about the windows key on the keyboard .

when windows 8 boots up , it goes to the start menu .
from the start menu , you click the desktop tile .

once you are on your desktop .
just tap the , windows key .
and you are in the start menu .

tap the windows key again , and you are back at your desktop .
you can do this all day long .

tap to find start menu .
tap again to find desktop .

and with windows 8 , just like with windows 7 .
you can put any background on your desktop that you desire .