Classic Shell

Classic Shell: Take Back Your Start Menu

Classic Shell appeared after Microsoft decided to implement something that made some users unhappy - me included. I usually don't like major changes to something that feels more natural. Maybe I jumped to this conclusion because I used Microsoft Windows 95 for the first time then went through all of them until Windows 11.

I recall my first impression when upgrading from Windows 7 towards Windows 8.

Where's the start button?

Then, I recall I was searching (just like many unhappy users) for a fix. What a debate over the Internet - those who wanted the old start button back vs the "modern" guys who supported this change - including a friend of mine.

And that's how I found Classic Shell.

Mr. Ivo Beltchev created Classic Shell back in 2009 - probably also unhappy with this change. After Mr. Beltchev stepped back in 2017, the community (that was also present on the Classic Shell forum and contributed via GitHub) forked Classic Shell into Open-Shell.

At this point Classic Shell evolved and kept up with the latest Microsoft Windows updates. Classic Shell and its successor Open-Shell works on Windows 11, so you don't need to feel frustrated through Microsoft's latest experiments. Probably for them it was an evolution but to me, back then it felt like a regression.

Note: There is a difference between them as Classic Shell doesn't run on Windows 11 ARM version while Open-Shell starting with version 4.4.196 runs also on the ARM edition.

So why dAppCDN listed Classic Shell? For three reasons listed below:

(1) Still works now, even on Windows 11. You can install it in seconds and get your sanity back. The software brings back the classic Start Menu, brings back the Explorer toolbar, it is the same as before. The mess (IMHO) Microsoft rolled out in Windows 8? Gone and the "traditional" users are again, happy.

The Start Menu lets you pick what works for you. Old school single column (see why I mentioned Windows 95 above?). Two columns (as we've seen it for the first time under Windows XP - if my old brain remembers well).

Something like Windows 7. You can set how many recent files you want to see, how your Control Panel opens, what shortcut keys do what.

What do you want?!? Your own Start button graphic? Easy.

You can add skins. You can make it look new or stay with the old. It doesn’t force a style on you. It doesn’t make things hard to find. It doesn't change anything deep in the system either. No sir, no registry edits, no file swaps.

Classic Shell is small. It has around 8 MB. Doesn’t mess up performance. You install it once and it just stays there doing its job. Runs on 32-bit and 64-bit systems. You can carry it on a USB. There are no ads. No nonsense. No one asking you to upgrade.

The file browser part adds proper toolbar buttons again. You don’t need to dig through right-clicks or keyboard shortcuts just to copy and paste. It fixes things Windows forgot—shows total size in the status bar, lets you toggle breadcrumb view in the address bar, makes folder panels readable again. It doesn’t crash, it doesn’t stutter, doesn’t wait for updates.

And there’s support for Internet Explorer (adds a proper title bar, a working status bar) too but who uses this in 2025? (2) Well, there are a few users stuck with legacy applications.

Classic Shell Alternatives

If you're looking for Classic Shell alternatives, I made a list of the most popular ones - please check the table below:

Tool	Price	Look	Features	Custom Settings
Classic Shell	Free	Classic	Full Start + Explorer	Yes
Open-Shell	Free	Classic	Fork of Classic Shell	Yes
StartIsBack	Paid	Modern	Start Menu only	Limited
StartAllBack	Paid	Modern	Menu + taskbar	Medium
Start10	Paid	Clean	Menu only	Basic

Of course, the first two open sources stand out: Classic Shell and Open-Shell.

(3) If you’re the one who takes care of the office machines, or you’ve got family still trying to navigate that awkward layout in Windows 10 or 11, this saves time. To make an analogy, "Resistance is futile" when the start menu disappeared, but Classic Shell gave us more time to run. If you’re the one who misses the folders and menus from XP or 7, it’s perfect. It puts control back where it belongs.

Finally - fare well Classic Shell and hello Open-Shell

Classic Shell development stopped back in 2018 but Open-Shell continued the development and it is up to date. Nowadays, even Mr. Beltchev uses Open-Shell so I guess it depends on what you're trying to do. For the latest Windows versions, go with Open-Shell but for some older machines, Classic Shell still works fine. Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Ivo Beltchev for creating Classic Shell - it really made my life easier when I discovered it.

-Official support for the Creators Update version of Windows 10

-Added a setting to clear icon cache

-Multiple minor improvements and bugfixes