# Open-Shell Application: Open-Shell team Also called classic shell, open shell menu Open-Shell team, System A classic Start menu. Classic Shell is the old name. The process is StartMenu.exe. It is not StartAllBack. ## What you need to know Open-Shell is Classic Shell's fork. StartAllBack is a paid Windows 11 restyle. Open-Shell continues Classic Shell. Get it from GitHub. StartMenu.exe is the menu host. StartAllBack is a different paid product from StartIsBack. - **What is it?**: A classic Start menu. Classic Shell's fork **Same as StartAllBack?**: No. StartAllBack is a paid Win11 restyle **Old name?**: Classic Shell Feex says If you want Classic Shell on a current PC, I would install Open-Shell from GitHub. I would buy StartAllBack if the goal is a Windows 11 taskbar restyle. They are not the same app. ## What is Open-Shell? Open-Shell draws a classic Start menu. StartMenu.exe is the host. StartAllBackCfg.exe is StartIsBack's paid Windows 11 restyle. They are different products. ## If you have never used it If you want a Windows 7-style Start menu, Open-Shell is the community continuation of Classic Shell. Download it from the Open-Shell GitHub. Classic Shell is the old name Ivo Beltchev stopped shipping. It is not StartAllBack, which is a paid Windows 11 Start and taskbar restyle. ## What is it used for? **Classic Start menu styles** Windows 7 / XP-like menus. StartAllBack aims at Windows 11 taskbar and Start looks, not this 2017 fork's menu skins. **Replace the Start button behavior** Settings live in Open-Shell Menu Settings. That dialog is not StartAllBackCfg. **Keep Classic Shell habits** Old Classic Shell settings often move over. A StartIsBack license does not apply here. ## Who is it for? - People who miss Classic Shell - Windows 10 users who want a 7-style menu without paying StartAllBack - Anyone who should not mix this with a StartAllBack trial ## Current status Open-Shell (2017) is a current start menu replacement from Open-Shell team. The vendor still points Windows users at https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu. ## How old is it? Classic Shell began in the late 2000s. Ivo ended it in 2017. Open-Shell forked that year. StartAllBack arrived in 2021 for Windows 11. A "download Classic Shell" page that is not GitHub is often stale or junk. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. Open-Shell GitHub release Classic Shell (old name, unmaintained) ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11, per current Open-Shell releases | | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. | ## Resource profile - **CPU demand**: Low except when the menu opens **RAM demand**: A small shell extension plus StartMenu.exe ## Installed processes These executables belong to this product when it is installed. | StartMenu.exe | Classic Start menu host | | ------------- | ----------------------- | ## Startup components Open-Shell loads with the shell so Start works. That is expected, not a leftover. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Program Files\Open-Shell\\ | | --------------- | ----------------------------- | ## File formats XML settings you can export ## Common problems ### Two Start mods at once Uninstall one. Open-Shell plus StartAllBack fight the same shell. That is a conflict, not a Windows bug. ### Stale Classic Shell installer from 2017 Use the Open-Shell GitHub release. Ivo's last Classic Shell build is not the maintained fork. ## Getting unstuck ### Install from github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu A "Classic Shell 2026" ad is not the fork. StartAllBack is startallback.com if you wanted the paid Win11 restyle. ### Open Open-Shell Menu Settings from the Start button That is this product's dialog. StartAllBackCfg.exe is the other app's options. ### If Explorer crashes after install, uninstall Open-Shell or the other Start mod Shell extensions stack badly. Do not keep both. ## Alternatives StartAllBack for a paid Windows 11 look. Explorer Patcher is another community path. In-box Start is the Microsoft default. ## Official help and downloads Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel. | Download | [github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu ](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu)Official installer or vendor page | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Help | [github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/wiki ](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/wiki)Vendor support | | Official site | [github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu ](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu)Start here, not a random exe host | ## Related hardware A working Explorer shell matters more than a GPU name. This is a Start-menu hook. ## Technical details Technical details Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [StartAllBack: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/startallback)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [Open-Shell official site ](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu)· Vendor product page - [Open-Shell help ](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/wiki)· Vendor support - [Open-Shell releases ](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/releases)· Official builds - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: Open-Shell team **Category**: Start menu replacement **Process**: StartMenu.exe **License**: MIT **First released**: 2017 **Official site**: [github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu) **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/open-shell/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)