The biggest complaint I have heard about Windows 8 is that the Start button and Start menu are gone. No doubt this was a radical change in the way users interact with Windows. Being a Windows logo key fanatic since its introduction in Windows 95, I found the new Start screen to be less of a headache than most. But I still missed the Start button. The folks over at Stardock have recently released a great program called Start8 that brings both of them back and more.

Windows 7 style Start menu in Windows 8 using Start8

Start8 is, in my book, the ultimate Start button replacement for Windows 8. Now before I go on, let's see if we can make some sense about all of the Start items. The Start button is located by default on the left-hand side of the Taskbar and has the Windows logo on it (Windows 95 - Windows 7). The Start menu appears when you left-click on the Start button (Windows 95 - Windows 7). The Start screen is the Windows RT (Metro) interface used in Tablets and Smartphones (Windows 8).

Windows 8 style start menu in Windows 8 using Start8

With Start8, you can get back the Start button and Start menu with a choice of what style you would like to use (Windows 7 or Windows 8). The Windows 7 style looks and feels just like the original. The Windows 8 style is a hybrid, with the Start screen appearing in-place of the Start menu. Both are highly configurable and can use custom images for the Start button.

Here's a breakdown of the styles and included features:

Windows 7 style
• Choice of themes (Windows 7 rounded edges, Windows 8 squared edges, black selection edges)
• Use large icons
• Show recently used apps
• Open submenus when you pause over them with your cursor
• Highlight newly installed apps
• Show user picture
• Choice of which shortcuts to display on the right-hand side of the menu
• Add additional shortcuts to the right-hand side of the menu

Windows 8 style
• Choice of four different sizes or full screen
• Display Start menu full screen with the Taskbar still visible
• Choice of what the Start button and Windows logo key do
• Can default to the applications view

Start8 is produced by Stardock, makers of ModernMix and Decor8. Here's a quote from the Stardock website:

What is Start8?

Microsoft Windows® 8 is shipped without the "Start" menu. Stardock heard the cries from Windows 8 users. We put the "Start" menu back in Windows 8. We accurately recreated the most used desktop feature billions of users depend on every day and packed it with additional functionality.

Innovation

• Windows 7-style Start menu with Windows 8 enhancements
• Search for Windows 8-style (Modern UI) apps
• Pin desktop and Metro apps to the start menu
• Jump List support
• Unified Search for apps, settings and files
• Boot directly to the Windows 8 desktop
• One click access to shut down, devices, music, documents, and videos

Control
• Configurable Start menu size
• Windows 8 Start screen accessible from the Start menu
• Clean, streamlined UI enhances Start8's usability

Customization
• Optionally disable the desktop Windows 8 "hot spots"
• Supports WindowFX 5.1 start menu animations
• Includes .ADMX template (in Group Policy folder)

Start8 is only $4.99 and, in my opinion, worth every penny. For more information on Start8 or Stardock, follow the links below:

Stardock

Start8

When performing computer repair on a Windows-based system, the one feature I like is the Advanced Boot Options menu. By pressing the F8 key at startup, you would get the advanced boot options menu, enabling safe mode, boot logging, debugging, etc. With the fast startup options inside of Windows 8 and modern motherboards, getting to the boot options menu is hard. Here's how to get the Advanced Boot Options menu back in Windows 8.

Warning! There is no default timer when the Advanced Boot Menu option is enabled in Windows 8, and the system will wait for user input every time it starts or restarts. This works excellent when troubleshooting Windows 8. You can also choose which Windows Boot Manager (WBM) you want to use, Standard (Windows 8) or Legacy (Windows 7, Vista). The first thing we have to do is edit the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store using an administrative command prompt and bcdedit.exe.

Bcdedit is a command-line tool that modifies the boot configuration data store. The boot configuration data store contains boot configuration parameters and controls how the operating system is booted. It needs to be run at an administrative command prompt.

How to open a Command Prompt with Administrator privileges in Windows 8.

How to enable/disable the advanced boot options menu in Windows 8

The standard advanced boot options menu in Windows 8

The first thing we have to do is turn on the advanced boot options. Type or cut/paste the following code into an administrative command prompt:

bcdedit /set {globalsettings} advancedoptions true

To turn off the advanced boot options, type or cut / paste the following code into an administrative command prompt:

bcdedit /set {globalsettings} advancedoptions false

How to enable / disable the legacy advanced boot manager in Windows 8

The legacy advanced boot options menu in Windows 8

This next step will change which boot manager loads and is an option. If you want to boot using the older legacy boot manager used in Windows 7 and Vista, type or cut/paste the following code into an administrative command prompt:

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy

To restore the boot menu to the default, type or cut/paste the following code into an administrative command prompt.

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard

I've been using Windows 8 for some time now, and there has been one thing I wanted to change but couldn't. It's the limited choice of colors and images you could use on the Start screen. Come to find out, the folks over at Stardock have a great product called Decor8 that does just that.

The background settings inside of Decor8

With Decor8, you can change everything on the Start screen. You can use your images for the background and adjust all of the colors: background, accent, standard tile, and text. You can even change the color of the Charms bar with Decor8.

The color settings inside of Decor8

Decor8 also has some cool background effects too: fade, blur, color, and contrast. You can change how the parallax scrolling (where the background scrolls, but slower than tiles) works. You can even create a custom color scheme from the background image. Here's a quote from Stardock's website.

What is Decor8?

Windows 8 limits your start screen customization options to only a few provided background images and a few pre-defined color schemes. Decor8 removes these limitations and provides the freedom to personalize your start screen with your own images and colors.

Background Images
• Choose from more background images to personalize your start screen
• Add your own photos and images
• Select multiple images to create a custom slideshow
• Randomize background images in timed intervals for a fresh look
• Apply effects to scroll, fade, blur, recolor and add contrast to your background images
• Choose your own image for your lock screen background

Color Schemes
• Decor8 will automatically create a color scheme to match each of your background images
• Or you can customize the color scheme, it's up to you. Custom color schemes can also be applied to your charms bar
• Choose one of the standard Windows color schemes Create, save and apply your own color scheme

Customization
• Control how many rows of tiles are available on your start screen

Decor8 comes from Stardock, makers of ModernMix, and is only $4.99. I found it to be well worth the $5 bucks. For more information on Decor8, follow the link below.

Decor8 - Personalize the Windows 8 Start screen with Decor8

Virus removal can be a tricky thing, so a good anti-virus program is a must. And remember that you can only have one anti-virus program installed at a time because they will conflict with each other and degrade system performance. But did you know that there are programs that work as companions to your existing anti-virus software? One of my favorites is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

The main screen inside of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware looks for items that may otherwise be overlooked by anti-virus software, like keystroke/password loggers, rootkits, and spyware. It works great for finding PUP's (probably unwanted program), PUM's (potentially unwanted modifications), and P2P (peer to peer) software.

The settings screen inside of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware comes in four (4) versions; Free, Pro, Small Business, and Enterprise.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free features include:

• Advanced malware detection and removal
• Industry-proven clean-up technologies eradicate existing malware infections
• Rapid response malware database and heuristics updates
• Access to expert community and knowledgeable support teams through e-mail and forums
• Chameleon technology gets Malwarebytes running on infected systems
• Multi-language support

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro, Small Business and Enterprise features include:

• All of the features of the free version
• Real-time active malware prevention engine blocks known threats
• Heuristic protection prevents new zero-day malware infections
• Malicious website protection blocks access to known and zero-day malicious web content
• Automatic priority updates and scheduled scanning
• Fast flash scans

Here's a quote from Malwarebytes website:

Detect and Protect with Byte

Malware is big and malware is bad. Your computer is constantly at risk from infection by malware including viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits, dialers and spyware. Malwarebytes specializes in fighting malware.

If viruses are mischief, malware is mayhem. Malware doesn't just want to disrupt your network, it wants your keystrokes, logins, passwords, address book, data, credit card information, favorite t-shirt and possibly your cat.

Malware is not going away any time soon. Malware is growing, developing, constantly evolving. Malware is becoming more difficult to detect, and even harder to remove.

Only the most sophisticated anti-malware techniques can detect and remove malicious programs from your computer. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO combines powerful new technologies designed to seek out, destroy, and prevent malware.

For more information on Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, just follow the link below:

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

As a computer repair technician, I do a fair share of data recovery. One of the most asked questions is, "How can I recover a file that I accidentally deleted?". For simple recovery of deleted files on a Windows-based computer, I always recommend Recuva from Piriform.

The main screen inside of Recuva

When you delete a file or folder, it's not entirely erased. It's just not visible to the operating system anymore. Recuva scans for these files/folders and allows you to undelete them quickly and safely. It works on internal and external hard drives, memory cards, mp3 players, and iPods.

The advanced scanning options inside of Recuva

Recuva even scans inside files, like Outlook Express and Windows Live Mail database files, for deleted e-mails. And it works excellent for undeleting photos from memory cards used in digital cameras. Recuva is from Piriform, maker of CCleaner and Defraggler, and has a simple interface and is easy to use. Here's a quote from Piriform's website:

Accidentally deleted an important file? Lost something important when your computer crashed? No problem! Recuva recovers files deleted from your Windows computer, Recycle Bin, digital camera card, or MP3 player. And it's free!

Recuva - Features

File Recovery

Undelete files on your computer
Deleted a file by mistake? Recuva brings lost files on your computer, USB drive, camera or iPod.

Recovery from damaged or formatted disks
Even if you've formatted a drive so that it looks blank, Recuva can still find your files on it.

Recover deleted emails
Emptied your email trash and need it back? Recuva's got you covered with full support for Microsoft Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, or Windows Live Mail.

Recover deleted iPod music
Deleted music from your iPod or MP3 player? No problem, Recuva will get this back for you along with any additional track data.

Restore unsaved Word documents
Did Microsoft Word crash or did you forget to save that important Word document. No problem with Recuva! As it can intelligently rebuild Word documents from their temporary files.

Quick-Start Wizard
If you need your files back right away without fiddling with options, Recuva's Quick-Start Wizard is the answer.

Deep Scan
Recuva can find most files within a minute. Or, set the Deep Scan to look for more deeply-buried results.

Securely delete files you want to erase forever
Want to protect your deleted files? Recuva also allows you to permanently erase any traces of deleted files.

Portable version
Take Recuva with you wherever you go with the portable version.

Full Windows OS support and many languages
Recuva has support for every modern version of Windows and 37+ languages.

Recuva is available in three editions: Free (no support), Professional (priority support), and Business (premium support). For more information on Recuva, just follow the link below:

Recuva - Undelete, Unerase, File and Disk Recovery