Can you have the Windows XP or Windows 7 start menu on Windows 8 instead of the Metro start screen?
In Windows 8 Developers Preview it was possible to just disable
the Metro theme with a simple registry edit. And this brought back
the Windows 7 start menu.
But in Windows 8 Consumer Preview it is no longer possible to
disable the Metro theme. And in addition to that the start button
or start orb has also been removed.
But you can install several third party software's that will
bring back both the start orb and Windows XP,Classic Windows 98 or
Windows 7 start menu.
The most well known software is Classic Shell which puts both
the start orb and the Windows XP start menu into Windows 8.The
latest version has been updated recently to work on Windows 8. As
well as the Windows XP start menu,Classic Shell gives you the
choice of other start menus,the Classic start menu or the Windows
Vista or Windows 7 start menu.
The other software options are Start Menu 7 which works on
Windows 8.And puts both the start orb and the Windows 7 start menu
in Windows 8.
Other options are Vi Start which also puts the start orb and
Windows 7 start menu in Windows 8.
And Vista start Menu which puts the Windows Vista start menu
into Windows 8. But not the start orb,but you can just click on the
program short cut on your desktop to bring up the start menu.
All the above programs are for Windows Vista and Windows 7 but
also work on Windows 8.