How can I get the Windows 8 start-screen in Windows 10?

windows-10 start-screen

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It is possible to change back to the Windows 8 start-screen in two ways:

Tablet Mode - Activates the start-screen, but makes other changes to the windows. Better oriented for tablets (Only available to those with touch-screens):

Settings > System > Tablet Mode > Enable

Use Start Full Screen - The 'better' way, doesn't touch the way windows are displayed, like the first option does:

Settings > Personalization > Start > Use Start Full Screen

Alternatively if you just want to make the start menu larger, just drag it (source):

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Author by

AStopher

A network engineer went to the doctor. He told the doctor: "It hurts when IP!"

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

AStopher almost 2 years

I was skeptical about the modern-UI interface in Windows 8 (and 8.1), having been a Windows 7 user for a while, but slowly got used to it.

My laptop got the upgrade to Windows 10 yesterday that I had reserved a while back; the upgrade process was fast and overall Windows 10 runs far better than Windows 8 did on my laptop.

The only thing wrong with it (in my opinion) is that the start menu has changed again:

It's nice to use on a desktop, but as my laptop is touch-screen, I find it somewhat annoying to use. I know that the start menu in Windows 10 is still touch-oriented, but it's still annoying as I had got used to the start screen in Windows 8.

Is it possible to change back to the start-screen that was in Windows 8?
- user253751 almost 9 years
  
  Random rambling: It's never quite that the new thing is objectively worse, it's that the new thing is pretty much the same and the transition is unpleasant. And now people have to transition back...
- Gusdor almost 9 years
  
  Poor Microsoft just cant win!
Sly_cardinal almost 9 years

You can quickly enable/disable Tablet Mode via the Action Center as well. Click on the "speech bubble" icon in the bottom-right -> Tablet mode. Here's a screenshot: thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/3116/…
Chris Hayes almost 9 years

I am on a non-touch-screen device and tablet mode is disabled for me.
ljrk almost 9 years

I think you can even just resize the start menu to fill the whole screen and it will automatocally toggle into start fullscreen mode.
AStopher almost 9 years

@larkey Not on mine, it doesn't. I have Windows 10 Pro.
ljrk almost 9 years

@cybermokey well, then I have remembered incorrectly from the insider previee (but I'm so sure!) or it's another bug MS has managed to create ^^
AStopher almost 9 years

@larkey Might've been a feature of the Preview that was removed in the RTM version :-).
phuclv almost 9 years

@cybermonkey no, it's available in RTM. I can resize mine
Digital_Utopia over 8 years

No, that would be the Windows 10 Start Screen, not the comparatively superior - in almost every conceivable way - Windows 8/8.1 Start Screen.
AStopher over 8 years

@Digital_Utopia Please read the question content.
Digital_Utopia over 8 years

@bob I did, as well as your answer, hence my comment. "It is possible to change back to the Windows 8 start-screen in two ways:" That is incorrect. It is not possible,via any options to change back to the Windows 8 Start Screen. The wording should be changed, for accuracy, to: "It is possible to change back to a Windows 8 style start-screen in two ways."
AStopher over 8 years

@Digital_Utopia Feel free to edit the answer.
Daniel Sokolowski almost 8 years

Does anyone know how to bring back the functionality of 8.1 where installed apps auto appear as tiles? This new scrolling start-menu is terrible and a step back.