UPDATE: New version 3.6.6 released which comes with a new option to disable Taskbar transparency. Please scroll down to read the changelog.
The most annoying problem which Windows Vista and Windows 7 users face is the removal of classic toolbar buttons e.g. Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, etc. Windows Vista and 7 Explorer doesn't provide these basic toolbar buttons and users have to use keyboard shortcuts keys or menus to perform these operations.
Another annoying problem in Windows 7 is the removal of Classic Start menu. Windows 7 doesn't contain the good old Classic start menu. It only provides Vista like new Start menu.
Today we are going to share an awesome free utility which brings back the Classic Start menu in Windows 7. It also adds good old Explorer toolbar buttons in Windows Vista and 7.
"Classic Shell" is a free small utility which provides:
- Classic Start menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
- Classic Explorer toolbar buttons (Cut, Copy, Paste, etc) in Windows Vista, 7 and 8
- Classic IE9 (titlebar text and progressbar in statusbar)
Following are a few screenshots of Classic Shell in action:
Classic Start menu:
NOTE: You can access the default Windows 7 Start menu by pressing "SHIFT" key while clicking on the Start ORB (Start button). You can also change Classic Start menu settings by going to "Settings -> Classic Start Menu" option.
Classic Explorer toolbar buttons, XP style navigation pane, titlebar text and icon:
Its highly customizable, so you can select which buttons should appear in Explorer toolbar by clicking on the "Classic Explorer Settings" button present at last of the toolbar in Explorer.
If you don't get the Classic toolbar in Explorer after installing the utility, press "ALT" key to show Menubar, right-click on it and select "Classic Explorer Bar" option.
Following are a few exclusive features of Classic Shell which you should definitely know about:
- Skips Metro Start Screen and Boots Directly into Desktop in Windows 8
- Brings back Start button and Start Menu in Windows 8
- Disables Hot Corners (Charms Bar, Start Screen Thumbnail, App Switch List) in Windows 8
- Brings back Classic Start Menu in Windows 7
- Can enable XP style cascading "All Programs" list in Windows Vista and 7
- Can hide user picture in Start Menu
- Can bring back XP style navigation pane and standard toolbar in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer
- Fixes Windows 7 folder scrolling bug where a folder moves to bottom after its expanded
- Shows Up button and titlebar text, icon in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer
- Can disable Addressbar breadcrumb and search box in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer
- Fixes status bar in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer
- Can bring back shared folder overlay icon in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer
- Can show sort headers in all folder views in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer
- Replaces file and folder conflict dialog boxes in file operation process
- Can always show more details in file copy, move, delete progress dialog box
- Can disable Taskbar transparency
- Enables titlebar text and website loading progressbar in Internet Explorer 9 statusbar
Now a new version 3.6.6 of Classic Shell has been released which comes with following changes:
- New setting to disable Taskbar transparency
- Improved compatibility with future versions of Windows
- Fixed some bugs found in the previous version
You can download it using following link:
Thanks to our reader "Mark Tempe" for the update...
Posted by: Vishal Gupta | Categories: Software, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista
Joe
Thanks. After messing up the favorites in IE7? so they always auto-expand, this is the latest f-up from microsoft.
VG
^^ Yep. It would work like exactly classic start menu.
davidlim
Classic Shell v3.4 is out
classicshell.sourceforge.net/history.html
Megan
The sharing icons don't work for simple sharing, only advanced sharing. While it's good to have it for one, it should be for both.
Also, I don't like the fact that the default behavior of this when installed is to change everything to what you want. That's basically evil.
Rakesh(rky)
VG can you name some image converter software(both format & size coverter)
Drew
@Rakesh(rky)
I can. Fastone Image Converter which is free. Also their Image Viewer is awesome too. Together those are awesome, loaded, light weight and easy to use programs. Trust me.
Fastone.org
Drew
I wish there was an edit button on here for I just noticed I made two mistakes with my previous comment. Both are off topic to this Classic Start Menu post though so Vishal, please delete if you choose.
First off, their URL is faststone.org NOT fastone.org. Second, the image converter is called Faststone Photo Resizer 3.1 and it does both batch conversion and resizing among many other features (watermarking).
The free image viewer: FastStone Image Viewer is at version 4.6 and can do annotations, light editing and retouching also. Both are A+ freeware products.
VG
^^ I completely agree with you. I have used this software in past for batch image converting and batch watermarking. I have created its portable version so I dont need to install it. I just keep it with me. ;)
Stägämies
Here´s another program that brings more flexibility to Windows Explorer laxorm.deviantart.com/art/Clover-Test-321912651
Alfredo
I tried downloading the Classic Shell software but AVG Anti-Virus popped up with a warning that it detected a virus in the software: Win32/Heur = Infected. What gives?
VG
^^ 100% false positive. Classic Shell is a genuine software, so go ahead and download it without any worries.
Yiyi
This is awesome. I was worried that my video games would keep being interrupted by the start button. Thank you guys so much. This is just what I was searching for. Thanks! :D
Gaurav
@Megan, the sharing icon does work for simple sharing too but the overlay is only shown for folders obviously, not files.
alex
this program is still pointless for me
Norbert
what´s about ALT F4? Does not work any longer when using the Classic Shell. Any ideas?
Kind regards
VG
^^ Not checked. Check Classic Shell settings. I think it allows you to customize hotkeys.
allsop1
you guy's should try this start button replacement. i found it last night, and it rocks. you can apps to it. boot directly into, but still have access to the start screen.
pokki.com/windows-8-start-menu
Ron Hyatt
When you use Classic Shell to bypass metro and make win8 on the desktop like win7, Win 7 suddenly looks like a sluggish boat anchor. Only one thing that I had to use the metro interface for, and that was changing user picture. Metro is great for a tablet, but how hard would it have been for a Multimillion dollar company to create a product that figured out during install if you have a touchscreen or not and configure itself accordingly? I'm talking to YOU Ballmer. You could integrate Lotus 1-2-3 and Miami Vice, so why the Cluster Fark with Win 8?
AlexKven
VG, look at this.
I modified the visual style found here:windows8themes.ms/transform-windows-8-into-windows-7-with-seven-skin-pack-for-windows-8/
And made it look more like windows 7. The taskbar now almost looks identical. Here it is:sdrv.ms/11ZLn2n
seaglider
Sometimes you get the feeling that Windows has become a textbook example of over-thinking it. The new office-like "Ribbon" in Windows Explorer (or File Explorer, these days) seems at first glance to optimize access to its tools and options. But after enabling the Classic Explorer Toolbar within this great software and then adding the buttons you want, you might be asking yourself 'what the heck is all that ribbon stuff about?' Better-yet, when you're back to the tried-and-true simplicity of Windows' classic menus, and then you add some of the great tools that VG has freely provided for years (such as the click-and-install context-menu tweaks to enable/disable hidden files and file extensions) pretty soon you find yourself just trying to return Windows to the way it was back-in-the-day. (Nothing against MS, mind you, we're forever grateful.) The term 'utility' doesn't quite cover what this particular software can do. If you want the ability to choose which options you need to enjoy your own classic simplicity, this one rocks - and then rocks some more. Thank you Ivo for making Classic Shell.
[Tip: You can create a transparent .PNG with your favorite image editor and plug it in with the custom-button option on the Classic Start Menu, so that there is no visible button on the taskbar, yet clicking on the space opens the start-menu.]
Thanks, VG, for keeping it simple. And for keeping us sane.
VG
^^ Thanks. :)
D
Classic Shell is showing up in games when it isn't supposed to. Once a game goes full screen I can often see the Classic Shell start bar icon displayed in the lower left corner of the game. I've googled around quite a bit. Anyone got an idea as to why it's showing through? The Classic Shell icon shouldn't be always on top all the time.
seaglider
@ D
Don't ya hate it when you're looking for a straight answer to a problem, and what you find are a bunch of guesses and speculation or techno-babble and crazy things to try like a three-page tutorial on editing your registry? (Never do that last one, by-the-way.) Well, forgive me because that's exactly what I'm about offer. Wish I had a better answer for you. At least you'll know someone is out there.
Sounds like the cause of your problem could be a number of things that often fall under the general heading "...don't display [this thing or that thing] when in full screen mode". I looked at the 'Start Button' tab on the "Classic Start Menu" options in Classic Shell for you, but I didn't see anything like that. However, there are a couple of things on that option dialog that you could try.
If it helps, I didn't really like seeing a button at all, so I just made a little 28x28 pixel transparent button with my image editor and then selected the "Custom Button" (and Button Size "0") options on that dialog. Of course, your custom button might still show up, I guess, even though it's transparent. Then again, maybe not. Now, I sure hope someone knows exactly how to fix your problem, and I'm just the guy with egg on his face, swinging in the dark. I can deal with that.
If you want to try the transparent button but you don't have a tool to make one or it's quicker to save it from the web or have it emailed or something, let me know (in another post here) and I'll get it to you.
This is just my way of giving something back to VG and this website for all of the help I've found here over the years. Gotta pay it forward.
Anonymous
@D, in which games does the Classic Shell Start button show up, please tell.
NZero
I can't enable the Classic Explorer Bar in Windows 8 :(
Use QTTabBar, instead.
Anonymous
@NZero, try the troubleshooting steps here to enable the Classic Explorer bar: classicshell.net/faq/#explorer_toolbar
NZero
@Anonymous
Thanks a lot. It works. I totally forgot that IE stuff :D
I prefer Classic Explorer Bar over QTTabBar, because it allows me to add custom commands, which is very useful.