In Windows 10 you will already find several options to adjust the start menu, but it will stop once. If you really want to make it colorful, you need outside help. We take a look at the best software for setting up an alternate start menu.
TileIconfier
The start menu of Windows 10 is characterized by tiles. With some outside help, we can customize the menu with our favorite programs. With TileIconfier you can create tiles or modify existing tiles. The operation is simple.
In the list of found shortcuts, select the shortcut you want to modify. Then click on the button Change Image. You can also double click on the square with the image instead. You can then adjust the image, including by resizing and changing its position. On the right side of the main window you can see the examples of a medium and a small icon.
To change both icons at the same time, check the box Change Medium and Small image together. Bee Background Color determine the background color of the square. Use the eyedropper to copy an existing color elsewhere on the screen.
If you are not satisfied with the result, click on Reset. Good? Then click on Tile Iconify. You can always fix the situation afterwards with the option Remove Iconify.
OpenShell
Opinions remain divided about the current Start menu. Although Windows 7 has not been supported for a while and it is not wise to work with this operating system now, some users still remember the accompanying Start menu with nostalgia. No problem: with some external help you can also use this type of menu in Windows 10. We use Open Shell.
After installing the program, open the main window. On the tab Start Menu Style you can choose the type in the top half menu: Classic Style, if you want the look and feel of Windows 95. Choose Classic with two columns for a classic Start menu consisting of a column of programs and a column of system locations, such as the Documents folder and Control Panel.
The last option – Windows 7 style – provides a menu that you are familiar with from Windows 7. Then click on Select skin to change the further appearance of the Start menu. For example, you can choose between a Windows 8 scheme, a metallic color scheme and a Windows Aero scheme.
The start button can also have a different appearance. On the tab Start Menu Style you put a check mark next to it Replace Start button. Now choose the desired button. Then click on Advanced button options. Here you can adjust additional settings, such as the text that appears when you hold the mouse over the button.
Do you use multiple screens? Then determine via Show on all taskbars whether the start button should be replaced on all taskbars or only on the current display.
Also open the tab Customize Start Menu. On the left you see the current layout of the menu. In the box on the right you will find all available assignments. To place an item in the start menu, drag it from right to left. When the item detaches on an existing item, it is added in the form of a submenu.
You can easily remove existing items: right-click on them and choose Delete item. If you want to return to the original layout, then choose in the same menu Reset Start Menu. The adjustments are immediately visible in the start menu, so you can immediately check whether they have the desired outcome.
Depending on the type of start menu you have chosen, there is also a tab Special Items. You determine whether standard elements such as Favorites and the Control Panel should be included in the start menu. Satisfied? click on OK.
Start10
The nice thing about the previously discussed Open Shell is that you can use it for free. Other programs, such as Start10, ask for a small contribution. For that program you pay around 6 euros after 30 days. However, that does not mean that it is not worth this amount: Start10 has a number of options that we do not find in Open Shell.
The program consists of two parts: on the left you will find the categories, while on the right you will find the corresponding settings. In the section Style choose which start menu you want to use. The changes are immediately visible. At the bottom of the window you can choose an alternative start button. However, we now click through to the section Desktop, because here we find additional options not provided by Open Shell.
In this section you can give the taskbar of the start menu a different background. With the option Want to apply a texture to the taskbar you can select a background. Scroll down for the option Select custom image: choose your own pattern. Use a png, bmp or jpg file for this.
Finally click on Transparency to adjust the transparency of the taskbar. You can also choose a fixed color. Press the button Color to choose it. You also have the option to adjust the transparency by clicking the button of the same name.
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