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Start Menu Skins
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| Topics | Author | Replies | Views | Last post | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announcements | |||||
 | Classic Shell no longer in development. Source code released [ Go to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] Tue Dec 03, 2019 5:52 pm | ||||
| User PICTURE FRAMES different sizes | ||||
| Skin Compilation | ||||
| The official THANK YOU thread 🙂 and user reviews [ Go to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] Mon Feb 25, 2019 2:23 pm | ||||
| Compare Start Menus:Classic Shell vs Windows 10 and others | ||||
| Icons for Explorer toolbar buttons and some Start menu items | ||||
 | FORUM RULES: PLEASE READ TO SAVE TIME | ||||
| How to make a skin for the Start menu | ||||
| Topics | |||||
 | Start Menu skins suitable for Windows 10 | ||||
| Skin with glyph icons in column 2 to match Win10 taskbar? | ||||
| Classic skin with original Windows captions [ Go to page: 1 , 2 ] Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:01 am | ||||
| Alternative nicer icon you can use for the ‘Apps’ folder | ||||
| A note on colors and using Metro colors for Start Menu skins | ||||
 | The skinning tutorial has been updated for Classic Shell 4 | ||||
| Recommendation for Start Menu skin creators | ||||
 | XP Metro-Glass Win10 [7style] and [Classic] | ||||
| WIN7LIKE (Windows 7 style) | ||||
| Opaque Custom Image Menu [7 style] | ||||
| XP LUNA Variations (Classic 1 and 2) [ Go to page: 1 , 2 ] Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:42 am | ||||
| Good News Scrollbar skinning is back on Win10 | ||||
| Windows 8 Dark [Classic and 7 style] Windows Aero Dark | ||||
| Windows XP Media Center Edition (Royale) Start Menu | ||||
| Avengers S.H.I.E.L.D. start menu skin | ||||
| Modern XP Luna skin | ||||
| clrSharp1 2 3 .skin & .skin7 upgraded for CSM 4.2.5 | ||||
| Old’n’Style port [Classic 1/2] and [7 Style] | ||||
| Vista Plus port [7 style] | ||||
| Inspirat-11 [Docked and floating 7 style versions] | ||||
| NOVUM OS port [7 style] | ||||
| Mod of Windows Aero.skin7 with colorful RGB Shutdown button | ||||
| Opaque Win 7 Basic skin [Classic 1/2 styles] | ||||
| Metro Pastel Light [7 style] | ||||
| Invader Port | ||||
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Best skins for Classic Shell’s Start Menu
Classic Shell includes one of the most popular Start menu replacements for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 along with a bunch of unique customization options for Explorer and Taskbar. When we cover various tips and tricks related to Classic Shell, our readers often ask us about good looking Start menu skins. Today, I would like to share a collection of excellent skins for Classic Shell to style your Start menu.
Here are the skins we liked.
Windows Longhorn Hillel Demo
The first skin is Windows Longhorn Hillel Demo Start Menu:
This is a retrophase skin which repeats the appearance of pre-release versions of Windows Longhorn. This operating system was never released and superseded by Windows Vista. However, its unique appearance and wonderful look still impress many people.
You can grab this skin here: [Skin7] Windows Longhorn Hillel Demo Start Menu
Plex Replay
Like the previous skin, Plex Replay uses ideas from Windows Longhorn. Plex was the default skin of Longhorn for many builds. The skin makes the Start menu look exactly it was in Longhorn.
This skins exists in boths variants.
Plex Replay for classic/classic two columns menu :
Visit the link here to get the taskbar texture. Your desktop can look like this:
Royale
Our next skin is a set of excellently reproduced Windows XP Start menus. Windows XP users might be familiar with the popular Royale skins and its Noir, Zune and Embedded variants. The «Royale» skin pack brings them back to modern Windows versions where Classic Shell runs:
Start8 Skin
The next skin is specially designed to fit the flat appearance of modern Windows versions like Windows 8 and Windows 10. It is simple and beautiful. It was inspired by Start8’s look:
Gray Classic
The skin Gray Classic is designed for the Windows 7 menu style of Classic Shell. It provides a dark skin which Windows 10 users with dark mode or high contrast mode will like. Definitely good work:
WIN7LIKE
The skin WIN7LIKE is designed to be used with Windows 7 menu style of Classis Shell. It will look best on Windows versions which have glass, that is, Windows 7 and Windows 10. For Windows 10, it will look better if transparency for the taskbar and Start menu is turned on from the Settings app. This skin reproduces the exact look of Windows 7 Aero Glass Start menu. It is recommended to all Windows 7 fans who switched to Windows 10 but miss the classic menu’s appearance:
clrSharp1 2 3
This skin can be used with Classic and Windows 7 menu styles of Classic Shell. It looks clean and nice. Initially created for the Clearscreen Sharp visual style/theme on Windows 7, it can be used in any Windows version without the mentioned theme.
If you like it, read in detail about this skin here: clrSharp1 2 3
Vista Start menu
This is an excellent replica of the genuine Windows Vista Start menu. 
Get it here: Vista Start menu
Tenified
This flat and modern skin in dark colors will fit the appearance of Windows 10. 
The author recommends adjusting Classic Shell settings as follows:
- Enable menu glass: On
- Override glass color: On
- Menu glass color: 0A0A0A, although 000000 works nicely as well
- Glass opacity: 40
You can get it here: Tenified
Two Tone
Yet another flat skin designed for Windows 10. It reminds me of the resizable Start menu we saw in early builds of Windows 10 which was replaced with the Modern/Universal Start menu which shipped eventually. Looks great:
You can get it here: Two Tone
This is our first look at some of the best looking skins for Classic Shell. If you like them, we will follow up with more skins. What is your favorite skin? Tell us in the comments.
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About Sergey Tkachenko
Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer from Russia who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube.
