Classic Shell: Forum

Hi Everybody, I'm new here so please forgive me if I've broken protocol by posting here.

I have been a very satisfied user of Classic Start since I reluctantly crossgraded (upgraded really does not apply) to Windows 10 back last March. This morning (Sept 23rd) I discovered that Windows had restarted my computer without warning and REMOVED my Classic Start Menu - along with a number of other handy programs and left me a message that said:

Windows has removed Classic Start Menu because it is not supported in this version of Windows.

WTF? Have I been grabbed by the - now infamous - Anniversary Update? My PDF Program doesn't work and my "Everything" search program is nowhere to be seen either.
My computer is now in a mess and I can't find anything, what I can find is not working. Is this a power grab by M$?
More to the point, what can I do about it? I want CSM back urgently, I can't cope with W10's stupid tiles even if I could find them, I don't want them.
Has anyone else suffered this outrage? Does anyone with more knowledge know what is going on? Can I hope that CSM will be back? I certainly hope so.

Thanks for looking.

Fix Classic Shell on Windows 10 Anniversary Update: http://winaero.com/blog/fix-classic-she ... ry-update/

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Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Thanks very much for the link. I accept that I jumped the gun in anger and there was already a thread active on it. I'm sorry for that.

However, despite the message from W10 informing me that CSM 4.3.0 is not supported/compatible with W10. I reinstalled it with no difficulty and found to my delight that everything was as I left it - excepting the other missing programs that I suppose MS does not want me running. I'm in the process of restoring them too although I am still angry that I need to. I have built a file containing everything that MS had deleted so it will be easier to rebuild next time. It has become clear that MS's warning that CSM will not run was an actual fib. I anticipate similar results with the other deleted programs too - although W10 did not mention them by name - they just disappeared.

As an aside, another indication of MS's intent manifested itself in disabling program association .doc, .rtf & .docx from my completely legit Office 2010 Pro+ and transferred it to Wordpad. It explained that Word 2010 was obsolete and so unsuitable for use and recommended that I upgrade to Office 365 forthwith. I got back to file association and found the redirect locked to Wordpad. (I was not able to clear the checkboxes there. Digging further into the system I did manage to revert the association back to Word 2010 and I checked the licensing to find it still valid , licensed and wanted by me.

I do not like the way Microsoft is moving here, I can't help wondering how many less-tech savvy users have just given up and signed up for Office 365. simply stopped using CSM and many other really useful programs and just accepted the inevitable and carried on. I wonder how many more tricks MS have up their sleeves to part us from out money. It's beginning to look like the nay-sayers 'No such thing as a free upgrade' is starting to take form.

I don't want to be in a state of war with my operating System. It bad enough dealing with the flaws without having to watch out for the Gotcha's too. Time for a really hard look at my computing basics now I think.

I have a clean install of Windows 10 Redstone, and I've had no problems with Classic Shell or Office 2010.

I think the main problem is the new push to make Windows update in place instead of a clean install. Many things can go wrong, and most people don't know how to deal with them.

I recently had an update to W10 and this prevented Classic Shell operation.

I don't know if my configuration is pertinent to others, but I have been running AOL's Tech Fortress.

After I disabled this app, I was able to install the latest Classic Shell.

Why to use W10 at all?

Anixx says it best, "Why to use W10 at all?"


Great question, it's a great solution for now, but in the long term the solution needs more info, like a new operating system, where to go.


I have clients/businesses that have cashiers who were helping a customer and right in middle of this Windows 10 shuts down business applications and says it's updating. The cashier will ask me what's wrong, ironically i tell her that nothing is wrong, it's exactly what Microsoft thinks should happen to you, even with a customer standing there waiting to finish being helped.


This is Windows 10 Pro? This is not a professional operating system. When i first discovered that Windows 10 forces updates, i did not update my Windows 8 system. Nor do i install windows 10 for any of my clients.


Now that i've discovered Microsoft is uninstalling my software and breaking things intentionally, it's time to move on.


I've been a Windows user for over 20 years, but i'm moving on. Luckily i don't need to move tomorrow, i have a few years. I'm currently mastering Linux and believe it's my solution. I'm hoping Linux gets even more complete and user friendly in the next few years.

Nah. I have been trying Linux for 6 years and it is still infinitely worse than ANY Windows version. And it also getting worse in recent years, following Windows (KDE's Plasma was just copied from Metro).

I am now using Windows again, and definitely will never return to Linux. You know, even Windows 2000 still has more software available and compatible than Linux, not to say, much less bugs.

There is no point in using Linux at all. I will be using Windows 8.1 for foreseeable future and wait for Nadella to resign. If he does not... Well, I will seek methods to customize Windows the way I like. Possibly, third-party shell from Reactos, or from older Windows version. Updates can be disabled, of course... But that Windows version will not be Win10 in any case. I used Win95, then skipped Win98, Me and upgraded to 2000. Then skipped XP, Vista, Win7 and upgraded to Win 8.1. There is no urgency.

Moreover, compared to previous versions of Windows, Win10 does not introduce much of new APIs except the Metro-related ones. So there will not be ever normal desktop software that runs on Win10 but does not run on Win8.1.