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ApplicationOpen-Shell team

Dem still dey call am classic shell, open shell menu

Open-Shell teamSystem

Classic Start menu. Classic Shell na di old name. Di process na StartMenu.exe. E no be StartAllBack.

Wetin you need know

Open-Shell na Classic Shell fork. StartAllBack na paid Windows 11 restyle.

Open-Shell dey continue Classic Shell. Get am from GitHub. StartMenu.exe na di menu host. StartAllBack na different paid product from StartIsBack.

Wetin e be?
Classic Start menu. Classic Shell fork
Same as StartAllBack?
No. StartAllBack na paid Win11 restyle
Old name?
Classic Shell
Feex tok say
If you want Classic Shell for current PC, I go install Open-Shell from GitHub. I go buy StartAllBack if di goal na Windows 11 taskbar restyle. Dem no be di same app.

Wetin be Open-Shell?

Open-Shell dey draw classic Start menu. StartMenu.exe na di host. StartAllBackCfg.exe na StartIsBack paid Windows 11 restyle. Dem be different products.

If you never use am before

If you want Windows 7-style Start menu, Open-Shell na di community continuation of Classic Shell. Download am from di Open-Shell GitHub. Classic Shell na di old name wey Ivo Beltchev stop to release. E no be StartAllBack, wey be paid Windows 11 Start and taskbar restyle.

Wetin dem dey use am for?

Classic Start menu styles

Windows 7 / XP-like menus. StartAllBack dey target Windows 11 taskbar and Start looks, no be dis 2017 fork menu skins.

Replace Start button behavior

Settings dey inside Open-Shell Menu Settings. Dat dialog no be StartAllBackCfg.

Keep Classic Shell habits

Old Classic Shell settings dey often carry over. StartIsBack license no dey work here.

Na who e dey for?

  • People wey miss Classic Shell
  • Windows 10 users wey want 7-style menu without paying StartAllBack
  • Anybody wey no suppose mix dis one with StartAllBack trial

Current status

Open-Shell (2017) na current start menu replacement from Open-Shell team. Di vendor still dey point Windows users go https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu.

How old e be?

Classic Shell start for late 2000s. Ivo stop am for 2017. Open-Shell fork dat year. StartAllBack arrive for 2021 for Windows 11. "download Classic Shell" page wey no be GitHub dey often stale or na junk.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers no dey all verified here.

Open-Shell GitHub release
Classic Shell (old name, unmaintained)

System requirements

Values dey follow wetin di publisher release publicly. Workload still dey change di real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system Windows 10 or Windows 11, according to current Open-Shell releases
RAM E reach for Windows plus dis app. Heavy projects go want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand
Low except when di menu open
RAM demand
Small shell extension plus StartMenu.exe

Installed processes

Dese executables belong to dis product when e dey installed.

Installed processes
StartMenu.exe Classic Start menu host

Startup components

Open-Shell dey load with di shell make Start fit work. Dat one dey expected, e no be leftover.

File locations

Common Open-Shell locations
Typical install C:\Program Files\Open-Shell\

File formats

XML settings wey you fit export

Common wahala dem

Two Start mods at di same time

Uninstall one. Open-Shell plus StartAllBack dey fight di same shell. Dat na conflict, no be Windows bug.

Stale Classic Shell installer from 2017

Use di Open-Shell GitHub release. Ivo last Classic Shell build no be di maintained fork.

How to get unstuck

Install from github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

"Classic Shell 2026" ad no be di fork. StartAllBack na startallback.com if na di paid Win11 restyle you want.

Open Open-Shell Menu Settings from di Start button

Dat na dis product dialog. StartAllBackCfg.exe na di other app options.

If Explorer crash after install, uninstall Open-Shell or di other Start mod

Shell extensions dey stack badly. No keep both of dem.

Alternatives

StartAllBack for paid Windows 11 look. Explorer Patcher na another community path. In-box Start na di Microsoft default.

Official help and downloads

Start with di vendor. Random exe sites no be support channel.

Official contacts
Download github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu Official installer or vendor page
Help github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/wiki Vendor support
Official site github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu Start here, no be random exe host

Related hardware

Working Explorer shell matter pass GPU name. Dis na Start-menu hook.

Technical details

Technical details

Vendor version numbers dey change. Dis article no pin down any build.

Sources and verification

Recorded source label: August 2026. Dis label no establish independent verification. How we dey do research.

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