A little help with win 8.1 please

Hi .
I have downloaded win 8.1 on my wife's laptop, now she wants it to look like win 7 with the start button and such, can it be done and if so how.
thanks.
Wal

 

You asked this same question last week and I recommended Classic Shell. Didn't you see it?

 

Yes I did see your answer, but I was told that when you had downloaded 8.1 there would be a facility to use win 7 start . I guess they were wrong, I thankful for your help though,
Wal

 

If you just want the Start button back to use in Desktop mode you can use get it with 8StartButton.

There are a lot of third party Start buttons but some are not free like 8StartButton and they all are a little slow to respond when clicked.

 

It was me and I probably didn't explain things properly. In 8.1 when you click the tile for Internet Explorer, or for any other desktop application, you go straight to the desktop, and that's the most noticeable change from 8. So if you unpin from Start all the stuff you don't need right now, and pin any additional items you do want, after a little trial and error your wife may realise that with 8.1 you really don't need Win 7's start button. But having said that, it has to be admitted that despite 8.1's speed and cleverness it does pose a considerable learner curve for newcomers. But there is loads of help available here so just ask away

 

No, "they" were right if, by "win 7 start", you mean going directly to the desktop - which now has a "Start" button - when logging in to Windows. For the procedure to do this, see http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043243/how-to-boot-to-desktop-mode-in-windows-8-1.html

Keep in mind that this setting simply takes you directly to the desktop upon signing in to Windows. And, Windows 8.1 has a Start button on the desktop taskbar but it simply takes you to the Start screen; it does not show a Windows 7 Programs menu. For that, you need to install a third-party add-on such as the Classic Shell mentioned by Earthling.

The complaining by many users about the absence of a Start button that functions like the Start button in previous versions of Windows seems like a trivial issue to me. By pinning your desktop apps/programs to the taskbar in Win 8/8.1, you can then open your programs by clicking on the shortcuts icons on the taskbar, same as in Windows 7. You can also pin program shortcuts to the taskbar, again, they also work the same as in Windows 7.

And, regarding the setting to go directly to the desktop when logging in to Windows, going to the desktop from the Start screen simply one click on the Desktop tile. Not much of a burden, is it?

 

O.K.
Thanks Guys, my wife is going to give it a try, I told her it's just a matter of practice and learning, not easy when you are pensioners, so onwards and upwards, think I will stay with win 7 for the moment.
Thanks again.
Wal