Classic Shell: Forum

so this is what the situation is:

- after upgrading to windows 8.1, classic menu stopped working so i uninstalled it and reinstalled the latest version 4.0.
- display fusion (paid version) is controlling taskbars on dual monitor
- primary monitor has start button using the classic shell icon (do not want). but when i press the start button, it brings up metro (do not want)
- secondary monitor has start button that is using the new 8.1 start button icon (DO want). when i press this, it brings up classic start (do want)

i setup up classic start menu so that it is NOT using a different icon... and for the secondary monitor where the button brings up the classic start menu, that works.

but why do i get the classic shell icon in my primary monitor? (sorry, but i HATE that icon with a passion).

what i'd like is:

- have the windows 8.1 start button icon on ALL monitors.
- have the start button bring up classic start menu on both monitors. OR have metro come up if i press start on secondary monitor.

how can i achieve this?

is this simply how classic start menu works or am i doing something wrong.

Don't worry you can achieve what you want with the right settings definitely.

The important question is to first determine which Taskbar you are using on the primary AND secondary monitors. Windows 8.1 comes with a native secondary monitor taskbar but it's quite barebones. Do you have it enabled or not? If you are using DisplayFusion, check in its settings and tell if it has a setting to replace the primary and secondary taskbar. There is no reason to replace the taskbar on the primary monitor (I don't know if DisplayFusion does this). As for the secondary monitor taskbar, DisplayFusion's taskbar is more powerful than the lame Windows 8.1 secondary taskbar so enabling the DisplayFusion one for the secondary monitor makes sense.

With this configuration, we can proceed. Classic Shell's Settings dialog has an option "Replace Start button" on the main style tab. Uncheck it to use the Windows 8.1 Start button on the primary taskbar if it's the Windows 8.1 taskbar. From the Controls tab (All Settings), change "Left click opens" to "Classic Start Menu". The Controls tab will also let you configure other settings like Windows key opens what, Shift+click or Shift+Win key opens what etc.

For the secondary monitor taskbar, everything's configured as you want you said, so nothing to change there.

For the Windows key, Classic Shell has a convenient behavior. It opens the Classic menu when Win key is pressed on the monitor where the mouse pointer is located. It can additionally also force the Start screen to automatically open on the monitor which has the mouse pointer. There is a setting on the Windows 8.1 Settings tab to control this.

_________________
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.

hi,

thanks for help!

well the settings were ALREADY as you described.

left click opens classic start menu - that's the radio button that is on.

and "replace start button" was already unchecked. this is why the start button is the default 8.1 in the secondary monitor.

so all the settings are correctly configured according to your description but it only APPLIES to my secondary monitor. and there seems to be no separate controls for different monitors. so the settings you described should apply to ALL monitors. but they don't.

any ideas?

thanks again.

jin

You haven't told yet if you checked in DisplayFusion's settings to see if it replaces the primary Windows taskbar.

Also, check in Windows Display Properties to verify exactly which monitor is set as primary. From the behavior you're describing, it seems as though the primary monitor is the one where the Windows 8.1 Start button is showing?

_________________
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.

"You haven't told yet if you checked in DisplayFusion's settings to see if it replaces the primary Windows taskbar."


where is that setting? the only thing i see in display fusion is in the settings menu "enable multi-monitor taskbars". there seems to be no other setting for taskbars.


jin


p.s. the classicshell setting "open start screen on monitor with the mouse" seems not to function either. shift+win does nothing. can you confirm?


p.s.2. aha. it does work. but you first have to configure Shift+Win in CONTROLS tab... gahhh....

Yeah, looks like you have the monitors backwards. The one where the settings work must be the primary monitor. The other one has a taskbar implemented by Display Fusion. Its start button image and behavior are fully under DF control. Classic Shell doesn't know anything about it and can't change it.

There are two things you can do:
1) Look in Display Fusion's settings for something related to the start button. There may be a setting for how the button looks or behaves

2) Disable DF's secondary taskbar and use the one that comes with Windows. Starting with Windows 8.0, the OS natively supports multiple taskbars. Keep in mind that secondary taskbars have limited features, like there is no clock and no icon tray